COM TARAKESWAR CHAKRABORTI

Because of the financial limitations of his parents, he discontinued his MA Degree Course and joined Central Bank of India on 1st January 1946. Some months after, AIBEA was born and then in July 1946, when Central Bank of India Employees Association was formed in Kolkata, he became a member of the union. In January 1947, he became the Assistant Secretary of Central Bank Employees Association, West Bengal and thus started his journey in the trade union movement. He had dedicated his entire life to the cause of bank employees movement. In 1956, he became the Central Committee Member of AIBEA, its Assistant Secretary in 1960, its Secretary in 1976 and was elected as General Secretary of AIBEA in 1980 at the Allahabad Conference. Since then he had been steering the AIBEA under his matchless leadership. He was also the main architect of the Central Bank employees movement. He was the founder Treasurer of All India Central Bank Employees Federation in 1956. From 1957 to 1993, he was its General Secretary when in 1993 he opted to become its President, which post he held till his death. He had built up a very strong joint trade union movement of employees and officers in Central Bank. Till his death, he was also the President of both the Employees and Officers Unions in West Bengal, Sikkim, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand. Similarly, he was closely associated with the Bengal Provincial Bank Employees Association and held various positions in the same. He was also associated with trade unions in various banks.He was also equally acquainted with the general trade union movement in our country and abroad. He had traveled to many parts of the world and participated in various international conferences. He was actively associated with the Trade Union International (Public and Allied Employees) and was a member of its Vice President. He was also the President of the Bank Branch of the TUE. He was an ardent communist and was a member of the National Council of the Communist Party of India. He was associated with various Tribunals and Settlements in the banking industry right from Sastry Tribunal in 1951 and had been a signatory to all the Industry-level Bipartite Settlements since 1966. After the death of Com. Prabhat Kar, he successfully steered the 5th, 6th and 7th Bipartite Settlements. Com. Tarakda will be particularly ever remembered for his achieving the Pension Settlement in 1993 against heavy odds. While he was closely associated with the AIBEA campaign and struggle for Bank Nationalisation in 1969, he played a very sterling role in fighting against attempts at bank privatisation in the last one decade. Bank employees will ever remember his pioneering initiatives in building a tough resistance against the Governments ill-advised moves to privatise the Banks. His bold initiative in publishing the List of Bank Loan Defaulters was reflective of his patriotic commitments to the cause of national development and the role of banks therein. Realising the changing needs for broader unity and strong united actions to protect and preserve the gains of the movement, Com. Tarakda played a stellar role in building up the United Forum of Bank Unions the umbrella platform which today represents 100% of the employees and officers in the Banking industry. His spirit of understanding and accommodation in propelling a united movement has been acclaimed by everyone. Similarly, he also realised that women employees have to be organised, activated and integrated in the organisational activities and took a lot of initiatives. If today, women employees are getting represented to some extent in the organisation at various levels including in the Central Committee and Office Bearers team of AIBEA, it is in no less measure due to the persistent efforts of Tarakda. In the fast changing scenario of increasing hostile attacks on the trade unions, their rights, the jobs and job security of the employees, Tarakda laboured hard to bring in necessary changes in the orientation of our movement from mere fighting for economic demands to shifting the priorities to fighting fundamental attacks. His slogans of DEFEAT DENATTONALISATION – DEFEAT DE-UNIONISATION exemplify his vision and far-sightedness. Tiredness was unknown in his dictionary and he traveled extensively and undertook intensive tour to inspire the masses of the employees in our struggles. His powerful oration and speeches impacted and influenced the minds of the employees to fight under the banner of trade union. His elephantine memory about dates and events and people was amazing and a wonder to everyone. He was an able organiser, effective agitator and negotiator. He was a voracious reader. He was a strict disciplinarian but at the same time he always strived for practical solutions to the various problems that arose in the organisation. He was tough with the managements but never failed to appreciate their viewpoints. Notwithstanding the fact that he suffered a heart attack in 1987 and underwent a bypass surgery in 1989, despite Doctors advice to restrict his activities, he continued his unrelenting mission with total dedication to the cause he cherished. Those who moved with him knew of his intellectual capacity, amazing brilliance and the wonderful softness of the heart. He became the leader of leaders and yet he was a man of the masses. In his 55 years of continuous trade union activity, he had become a titan and a colossus. But his death has created a void.