The Politics of Labour Under Late Colonialism

What does history tell us about workers' movements under imperialism? Did they possess a novel character, derived as much from nationalism as from the social identities engendered by an emergent industrial regime? Chota Nagpur, location of the strategically important Tata Iron and Steel Company and the Jharia collieries, witnessed prolonged contests between workers and managements, attracting bureaucratic and political interventions alike. This study treats the labour movement as a social movement, reflecting the author's belief that close attention to micrological developments can elucidate hypotheses about plebeian nationalism, production relations, class consciousness, and the nature of political conflict. The history contained in these pages invites theo-risation about the social impact of industrialisation, the interactions of government, managements and unions, and the origins of Adivasi and 'Jharkhandi' populism. The narrative includes the TISCO strike of 1928, the Golmuri Tinplate strike of 1929; the Badruchak colliery strike and the Steel Wire Products strike of the late thirties, and studies the interventions of Subhas Bose, V.V. Giri, Rajendra Prasad and Jawaharlal Nehru, among others. Two chapters focus upon the demographic and structural features of industry and coal mining. Unionists such as Maneck Homi and Abdul Bari find a place in the historical record, as do the activists who kept workers' aspirations alive during the decade of civil disobedience. Based on archival records, newspaper accounts and interviews, this work will matter to those interested in the history of industrial relations in India and themes such as gender and ethnic identities within the working class, India's first popular ministries and the politics of retreating imperialism.