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VOL. XXIV NO. 2, May 1-15, 2014
The man from Madras who initiated May Day
(by A Special Correspondent)

M. Singaravelar.

Malayapuram Singaravelu Chettiar (1860-1946), also known as M. Singaravelu and Singaravelar, was a pioneer in more than one field in India. He was associated with the first trade unions in India, which were formally established in Madras. On May 1, 1923, he organi­sed the first ever celebration of May Day in the country. Singara­velar was a leader in the Indian Independence movement, initially under the leadership of Gandhi but, later, joining the budding Communist movement. In 1925, he became one of the founding fathers of the Communist Party of India, and chaired its inaugural convention in Kanpur.

Though the British Government arrested him along with other leaders on charges of ­conspiring to wage war against the Crown, he was set free soon after, on account of his failing health. Singaravelar was also a path-breaking social reformer who in his early life took to Buddhism, seeing it as a weapon against the evil of untouchability, which was particularly severe in 19th Century India.

He was also in the forefront of the Self Respect movement in the Madras Presidency that fought for equal rights for backward castes. In his later years, he withdrew from active politics, but remained a staunch advo­cate of the causes he had ­pioneered, till his death at the age of 85.

Singaravelu Chettiar was born in a wealthy family, the third son of Venkatachalam Chetty and Valliammal in Madras. He matriculated in 1881 and then did his F.A. at Madras Christian College. He thereafter took his bachelor’s degree from Presidency College. He next joined Madras Law College and got his B.L. Degree in 1907. He then practised law at the Madras High Court.

In 1889, Singaravelar married Angammal, who did not belong to his caste. Their only daughter was Kamala. Seetha, his grand-niece, married Philip Spratt, a Communist journalist, in 1939. Singaravelar was successful as a lawyer; within a short period, he earned enough wealth to acquire property in Madras and its ­suburbs.

In the history of the working class movement in India, Madras came to occupy an important place when, within six months of the Russian Revolution, the first formal trade union was organised in India, the Madras Labour Union, by activists like G. Selva­pathy Chetty and Thiru Vi Ka (V. Kalyana­sundaram), with the blessings of Singaravelar and others of his ilk. Then followed unions such as the M.S.M. Workers’ Union, and the Electricity Workers’ Union, the Tramway Workers’ Union, the Petroleum Employees’ Union, the Printing Workers’ Union, the Aluminium Workers’ Uni­on, the Railway Employees’ Union, the Coimbatore Wea­vers’ Union and the Madurai Weavers’ Union.

From their inception, trade unions in Madras were drawn into long, and often bloody, confrontations with the managements. The Buckingham & Carnatic Mills workers’ strike is a case in point. The management of the Mills did not even concede the workers’ right to combine. The union was banned by the British authorities. A flash point occurred when a British manager threatened workers with a gun, which was snatched by the ­workers who started firing back. The police came and opened fire, killing two workers.

The leaders of the Union called for a strike on June 21, 1921.The management retaliated by instigating a caste war through recruitment of workers from ‘low’ castes to fill the stri­kers’ vacancies. The strike turned into a caste clash between two warring groups. On August 29, 1921, police firing near the Mills’ premises in Perambur killed seven people. When their funeral procession was taken out, some miscreants threw stones, leading to another round of caste violence. Two more firings – on September 19 and October 21 – followed. After six months, the strike came to an end, failing to meet any of its objectives.

Singaravelar became convinced that political backing was necessary for any working class movement to sustain itself in ­India. Speaking at the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee meeting in September 1922, he said that the Indian National Congress should take up the cause of labour.

When Gandhi launched his non-cooperation movement in September 1920, Singaravelar accepted his leadership and became one of the influential leaders of the Congress party in the Madras Presidency. He set fire to his lawyer’s gown at a public meeting in May 1921 as a symbol of boycotting the British courts. He wrote a letter to Mahatma Gandhi explaining his action. “I have given up my profession as a lawyer today. I shall follow you as you strive for the people of this country.”

An important event of the period was the visit of Prince of Wales and his consort to India. When they came to Madras, Singaravelar organised a boycott of the visit through an unprecedented hartal, which closed down the town. The shutdown was complete, but there were instances of compulsion.

Gandhi in an article in Young India dated February 9, 1922 criticised the hartal and Singa­ravelar for not imbibing the true spirit of the non-cooperation movement.

When the Indian National Congress met in Gaya in 1922, Singaravelar participated, seeing himself as a representative of workers. He spoke in favour of labour legislation and felt that the labour movement in India must be a part of the Congress movement.

Following his speech, the Gaya meeting adopted the Labour Resolution that said, “It is the opinion of this conference that all Indian labourers should be united, to safeguard their rights and prevent their exploitation and for equal distribution of wealth among all, the various labour and kisan unions should be united and for this purpose, a committee of six has been constituted.”

Singaravelar, however, broke with Congress and on May 1, 1923. founded the Labour Kisan Party of Hin­dustan (a party of workers and peasants) in ­Madras. The inauguration was purposely kept for May Day, and for the first time in India, under the auspices of the newly formed party, the day was observed as Inter­national Workers’ Day. On that occasion, again for the first time, the red flag was used in ­India.

Singaravelar made arrange­ments to celebrate May Day in two places. One meeting was held on the beach opposite the Madras High Court; the other was held at Triplicane beach.

The Hindu reported, “The Labour Kisan Party has introduced May Day celebrations in Madras. Comrade Singaravelar presided over the meeting. A resolution was passed stating that the government should ­declare May Day as a holiday. The president of the party ­explained the non-violent principles of the party. There was a request for ­financial aid. It was emphasised that workers of the world must unite to achieve ­independence.” (Courtesy: TCC Digest)

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Challenge to Chennai medical tourism?
Madras Landmarks
Transport unification ahead
From dump to park?
The man from Madras who Initiated May Day
Perambur–an Anglo-Indian bastion
A look back at the ­future of Indian tennis

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