The Uttar Pradesh Gramin Chowkidars (Guards) have been appointed in the villages since 1862. However, even today their salary remains a meager Rs. 1500 per month. The duties fixed for the rural chowkidars are to go to the thana twice a month and report the incidents which occurred in their areas, and in the remaining time they have to guard the village. But the police officials in the thanas call them every day and make them do their personal work. They oppress them physically and mentally. If they refuse to do personal work they are abused and beaten by the constables and darogas. The Uttar Pradesh Gramin Chowkidar Union (affiliated to AICCTU) organized a 3-day dharna in front of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow, against this oppression and to demand increase in wages and declaration of State government employee status for them.
The dharna proceeded peacefully for two days. On the third day when thousands of chowkidars wearing red head-dresses came out on the streets to gherao the Vidhan Sabha, the UP police, government and administration got into a panic and courted arrest thousands of chowkidars who were taken in several buses to the Lucknow Police Lines. AICCTU leader Dr Kamal Usari was also arrested. They were released after midnight, after an announcement to increase in the chowkidars’ salary was made by the officials. The leader of Chowkidar Union Ram Kishore Verma said that the struggle would continue until the Gramin Chowkidars are declared State government employees. Ramanand Paswan of the Union too expressed the resolve of thousands of chowkidars for continuing the struggle further.
