Fare Hike and Urban Protest Calcutta Crowd in 1953 Siddhartha Guha Roy
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Fare Hike and Urban Protest Calcutta Crowd in 1953 Siddhartha Guha Roy Riots and insurrections have been part of Calcutta's history and one of the interesting features of crowd action in the city, before and since independence, is the attack on tramcars by frenzied mobs. This paper attempts to capture the urban disturbance and mob violence that erupted in Calcutta in 1953 in the wake of a sudden rise in second class tram fares and studies the tramwaymen's attitude towards people's protest as also the reaction of the West Bengal government to the episode. CALCUTTA, as a city, has a long history compelled the company to give certain con The much-talked-of resistance and boycott of riots and insurrections* mob frenzy and cessions to its employees. But this did not did not actually take place, as only those mass violence The city population, par make any dent in its profits, as it took an who travelled by first class were affected. ticularly its poorer section, often resorted to immediate decision to raise the tram fares. But the incidents of 1953 did not reflect the practice attacking the locus of political The burden of the additional labour cost fell a similar story. In the middle of June, a news power which affected their lives. They fre on commuters, who by and large represented item appearing in the press announced the quently indulged in riots or insurrections or the poorer sections of the city population.5 possibility of raising the second class fare otherwise exerted direct pressure on the The decision to increase tram fares caused in Calcutta trams. On June 22, the Calcutta authorities operating within their range. One disgruntlement among the people of district committee of the CPI, opposing the of the interesting features of crowd action Calcutta. The Employees' Association, move to increase fares, exposed the "hidden in Calcutta, during both colonial and post- representing white collar employees of hands of the West Bengal government colonial periods, was the attack on tramcars several concerns of Calcutta, articulated behind this move" and appealed to the by frenzied mobs. One of the earliest in their protest in Karmi, the mouthpiece of the Calcut tans to resist this "fresh attack on the stances took place as far back as October Bengali middle class.6 But this protest in interest of the common people".13 1907. Police repression on a Swadeshi rally the early 20s remained a mere intellectual On June 25, 1953 the company announ triggered off a serious outbreak of mob exercise, in the form of writing articles. ced its decision to increase second class fares violence in Calcutta and trams were the / Immediately after the transfer of power from the July 1, 1953. The decision was sup "ready victims".1 According to an estimate, in August 1947, the tram company was once ported by the government of West Bengal14 at least twenty-nine trams were damaged in more seized with the idea of raising the fare. 2 A section of the political forces operating the first two days of violence. But this time people from all walks of life in West Bengal suspected that, in view of the Dennis Gill, a British tramcar specialist, threatened not to pay the enhanced fares and 7 opposition of the private bus owners and to wrote in this connection, to boycott trams. The government in placate the people's reaction to the move, the Because they are easily accessible, tramcars apprehension of people's protest, immediate government "deferred for the time being, its have frequently been targets for attack by ly appointed a commission, under the chair plan to increase bus fares".15 unruly elements. In some disturbances heavy manship of justice Das of the Calcutta High damage has been inflicted on them by violent Court, to examine the pros and cons of the On June 27, a joint statement by the mobs bent on destroying everything in their situation relating to the proposed enhance leaders of the opposition parties, including path. Nowhere this has been more prevalent ment of tramfare. In a written statement the CPI, Praja Socialist Party (PSP), Revolu 3 than in Calcutta. before the commission, the CTWU criticised tionary Socialist Party (RSP),,Socialist Unity Eric Hobsbawm had also observed that of the decision of fare rise by the company. In Centre (SUC), Forward Bloc, etc, opposed all forms of urban transport in Calcutta, the support of its statement, the CTWU. the government move to increase the fare. tramways, in particular, were "usually con categorically mentioned two things: the The same evening witnessed the formation venient for rioters". He saw two reasons wartime abolition of cheap midday ticket, of the Tram and Bus Fare Enhancement behind this. He described a fare hike in any all-day ticket, etc, which were not still rein Resistance Committee comprising leaders of public transport system as a "natural precipi troduced, as well as the subsequent abolition these political parties. Veteran Forward Bloc tant of trouble" which tended to affect the of the surplus profit tax by the government leader Hemanta Basu was its president, poorer section of the city On the other hand, had already led to an enormous increase in while Jyoti Basu (CPI), Subodh Banerjee the rioters could help themselves by block the profits of the company.8 Purnendu (SUC), Suresh Banerjee (PSP) and Satya ing the streets and disrupting traffic with the Sekhar Basu, a councillor of the Calcutta Priya Banerjee (Marxist Forward Bloc) were burnt or overturned large and track bound Corporation, therefore asked the commis the members. Eventually this committee 4 came to be known popularly as Resistance vehicles. sion not to support the company's decision 16 Urban disturbance and mob violence to raise the fares. His statement was furnish* Committee or Pratirodh Committee. erupted in Calcutta in 1953, in the wake of ed with figures indicating the steady increase Meanwhile the CTWU registered its a sudden rise in the second class tram fares. in the company's profit since May 1947.9 vociferous protest at the decision of raising It is instructive to have a look at the tram Naren Sen, representing the CTWU, told the second class tram fare. It organised several waymen's attitude towards people's protest commission that the people of Calcutta were rallies and processions through the Calcutta and at the same time the reaction of the West already digruntled over the proposed fare streets to mobilise public opinion against the 17 Bengal government to the entire episode The rise and that such fare rise would hinder the proposed fare rise. It published detailed Calcutta Tramways Company was a British- smooth running of tramcars in the city.10 facts and figures in the daily Swadhinata, owned concern registered in London. Even After going through all relevant documents, then the Bengali organ of the CPI, showing after the transfer of power in 1947, British justice Das came to the conclusion that the how the fare hike was "absloutety uncalled ownership continued. Before going into the rise in fare at that particular stage was not for" in view of the "swelling profits of the details of the movement against the fare hike at all essential, as the company "almost company". The CTWU also expressed utter in 1953, it is essential to look into the doubled its profit" from the level of 1935, disbelief in the statement of the company background which he took as the base year.11 In 1949, that the increase was essential to meet the The first instance of fare rise took place the Calcutta Tramways Company arbitrarily additional expenses for replacing and im in early 1922. The labour unrest in the raised only the first class tram fare People of proving the tramcars, as the company still Calcutta Tramways throughout 1921 had Calcutta protested, but not so vehemently.12 had a huge reserve fund and a massive Economic and Political Weekly December 29, 1990 2863 balance in its renewal and replacement tense as a result of all this that the city's tram crowding into second class trams and ap fund." services on all but five of its sections were pealing to the people not to pay the enhan On June 29, the Resistance Committee withdrawn in the afternoon of July 3 and ced rates, the agitators stayed outside; asked people to refuse to pay the enhanced by 6.30 p m all cars were back in their respec shouted boycott slogans and appealed to the fare. Accordingly posters appeared with such tive sheds.25 public not to travel by tram.51 Another new appeals in each and every corner of the Faced with heavy losses for the preceding aspect of the movement was mass participa 19 city. But all such protests went unheeded, two days, the tram company decided to tion of the students of Calcutta. A Calcutta as the British company stuck to its earlier "enforce new fares with the help of the daily reported that "in fact, it was they decision. The West Bengal Government also police". As the people refused to pay the new [students], who caused the police the greatest went on Supporting the proposed fare rise. fare, they were arrested. This brought the worry".52 The intervention of the police and The agitation against fare rise started in "forces of law and order under direct attack" arrests of several students gave the full force from the very first day of the fare by the people. This incidentally resulted in demonstration a more violent turn. To make hike, i e, July 1.