Description

Donated by Dr J.S. Davis

Papers of Dr Rajnarayan (Raj) S. Chandavarkar, Trinity College, Cambridge. Faculty of History, Cambridge and Director of the Centre of South Asian Studies, 2001-2006. Papers relating to teaching in Cambridge and to research on mills, labour activism and police in Bombay [Mumbai], 1920s and 1930s.

Papers relating to mill and railway strikes in Bombay during the 1920s and 1930s; Court of Enquiry files about strikes.

Folder 1 – Mill Strikes in Bombay

• The Bombay Girni Kamgar Union give money to the strike fund, Aug 1929.
• August 11 Strike, P.C.C, File No. 40.
• Report submitted to Mahatmaji with a report on the situation in the mill Industry in Bombay, 5^th October 1937.
• A letter to Reverend Mahatmaji Gandhi
• A letter to Bala Saheb, 10/4/1939.
• Letter to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
• In a peaceful village this happens if you fill the war fund.
• Dadar district, Personnel of the taluka congress samities.
• Bombay secret abstract, C of P special branch file 3036/H/I-23-28 of 1935.
• Newspaper clipping ‘Bombay Congress Committee, appointment of sub-committee’, C of P special branch file 3036/H/I-23-28 of 1935.
• Document awaiting translation.
• Points of difference between the Bombay Industrial Disputes act and the proposed legislation of the madras government on the question of Industrial Disputes.
• Report on the Curtailment of Production, from the Millowners’ Association, 7^th July 1939.
• Extract from Newspaper, ‘Mill body has 1^st meeting, leaves out trickiest issues.
• Extract from the Bombay Sentinel ‘Bradley Clarifies Attitude Towards Congress Socialist Party’ 19/8/37.
• Extract from Free Press Journal ‘Bombay Workers Bidding Farewell’ 7/1/34.
• Public notice to all the mill workers from workers and peasants party 5/1/28, Bombay police archives file 6071/L
• Strike Reports from Prakash cotton mill, seksania cotton mills no.2, pramer mills, Bombay police archives 6124/L of 1936.
• JP Narayan to MR Masami 8 feb 1945. Bombay police archives special branch file 3889/11/IX of 1945.
• Nanalal Maneklal and Co opened Vinod Silk Mill in compound of old Kastoorchand mill at Dadar Road on July 25^th1938, employed 80 workers. Bombay police archives file 6078/L/IV.
• Research notes from Special Branch, File 6047-L:
  • Secret abstract of Intelligence, 21^st June 1929.
  • Free Press Journal, 20^th Feb 1932
  • AITUC, Press Bulletin No. 2, 8^th June 1932.
  • Free Press Journal, 3^rd July 1932
  • Bombay Chronicle 23^rd Nov 1932.
  • Bombay Chronicle 17^th Jan 1932
  • Bombay Chronicle 23^rd April 1933
  • Extract from Central Provinces, Secret Abstract, 9^th Dec 1933.
  • Bombay Chronicle 5^th Jan 1934.
  • Bombay Chronicle 7^th Feb 1934.
  • Free Press Journal 11^th March 1934
  • Bombay Chronicle 8^th Nov 1934.
  • Bombay Chronicle 17^th August 1935
  • Bombay Chronicle 4^th March 1936
  • Bombay Chronicle 16^th March 1936.
• Research Notes from Special Branch, File 6073-L of 1936.
• Shawakshah hormus ji Jhabwala, C of P special branch file 6051/L/VIII of 1936.
• In the industrial court Bombay, C of P special branch file 6099/L/VII of 1944-47.
• The Bombay textile workers’ strikes, Statement No. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16 17, 18, 19, 20. N.M. Joshi Paper file 57. 1929 general strike.
• Views of the working committee of the all India Trade Union Congress on the proposed amendment to the Trade disputes act of 1929.
• A letter to the General Secretary, Parel, Bombay from Kamile 3rd November 1938.
• Appendix of the All-India Trade union Congress and National Trades Union Federation. Negotiation Committee minutes. April 16, 1938.
• Notes from an informal conference on the 18th of January 1940.
• A letter from the General Secretary March 14th, 1940.

Folder 2 – Mill strikes and labour activism

• List of mills and the strike dates etc.
• General Mill Strike 1919-1922, file no. 6100/L/II.
• Letter from F.A.N. Vincent Commissioner of Police, to the Secretary of Government, 29th January 1919.
• Letter from F.A.N. Vincent Commissioner of Police to Major General Wyndham Knight, 6th February 1919.
• Strike orders from the General staff officer, Bombay Brigade, Friday 7th February 1919.
• Strike orders.
• 2 photocopies of rough notes relating to planning of police response to a march, details police numbers to be deployed.
• Strike orders from the General staff officer, Bombay Brigade, Saturday 8th February 1919.
• Arrangement of staff for Saturday the 8th.
• Letter from J. Crerar, secretary to the Government of Bombay, to the Commissioner of Police. 7th February 1919.
• Strike orders from the General staff officer, Bombay Brigade, Wednesday 12th February 1919.
• Strike orders from the General staff officer, Bombay Brigade, Thursday 13th February 1919.
• Orders for strike picquets.
• Letters to the secretary to government.
• List of establishments that are striking.
• Letter from W. Manley to the Commissioner of Police.
• Letter to Crerar from Kelly 17/9/21.
• Telegram to/from commissioner of police.
• Report of Mill Strikes.
• Bombay city, Mill strike on Tilak Anniversary, 1/6/1922.
• Bombay city, Mill strike on Tilak Anniversary, 2/8/1922.
• The Social Service League, Bombay.

Folder 3 – 

• Bombay Millowners’ Association, Minutes of meetings 24th April 1928- 30th March 1929.

Folder 4 – Millowners Association and Court of Enquiry proceedings file 23, 22 and 38.

• Court of Enquiry proceedings, File 23, Exhibits.
• The Millowners’ Association Bombay, 9th July 1929.
• Statement of the Girni Kamgar Union to the Court of Enquiry
• Letter to the President of Bombay Millowners’ Association, Bombay. 25th April 1929.
• Statement issued to the press by the Millowners’ Association, Bombay, on the 27th April 1929.
• Statement showing profit and loss made by the Bombay Cotton Mills, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings File 22
• Appendix A-C Dates relevant to the statement and the dispute. Appendix to Statement by BTLU to Court of Enquiry, 1929. Court of Enquiry file 38.
• Court of Enquiry, Bombay, 1929, File 22, Information obtained for the court on various points.
• of employees in each mill (1928), Court of Enquiry, Proceedings File 22
• Press communique, GOB, 7/5/29, (Director of Information, P-135) Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 38.
• Statement to the Court of Inquiry, The Bombay mill workers union.
• Bombay Textile Labour Union: A warning to the mill-hands: do no listen to thoughtless advice, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 38.
• Letter from Ramsingh Dongensingh, Morarji goculdas mills, Parel to Sec, Mill Strike enquiry court, Bombay, 10th July 1929, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 38.
• From Kranti Tuesday evening edition, 20th March 1929, Printer, Publisher and editor, S.A. Dange, Court of Enquiry,1929, Proceedings, file 26.
• Owners’ statement on mill strike, TDI, 25th April 1929, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 38.
• Bombay Girni Kamgar Union Leaflet ‘Notice to all Mill-workers’, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 38.
• Strike position from 26th April 1929, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file exhibit no.
• Proceedings of the joint meeting held in the Association’s rooms at 11.00 am on the 8th April 1929 to consider the report of the Fawcett Committee, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 27, Exhibit 1/24.
• Fawcett Committee report summary, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 22, 23/3/29.
• Statement of the Girni Kamgar Mahamandal, Bombay, 1th July 1929
• Letter to the Presidents of the Millowner’s Association from V.K. Tawde, 18th April 1929
• The Bombay Steam Navigation Co Ltd, Outward Passeyes an Konkan lines industry Dharamtan (Harbour Line)-not necessarily all mill hands. Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 22.
• Number of handsworking in Mills, 27/7/29. Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 22.
• Table II: Ahmedabad Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 22.
• Statement giving information regarding the functioning of mill committees, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 22, Sec BMOA to Sec, Court of enquiry, 20th Aug 1929.
• List of Mills which work mechanical workshops for 10 hours, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 22
• Average number of hands working on Mills, April to Oct 1927, and Dec 1928 and Jan 1929.
• Millowners’ Reply to the statement submitted by the Bombay Millowners’ Union, 14th July 1929. Court of Enquiry, Proceedings,
• Original transcriptions of the proceedings corrected by the secretary of the court, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file I, 6th July 1929-25th July 1929.
• Original transcriptions of the proceedings corrected by the secretary of the court, from 26th July- 31st July 1929.
• Ramchandra Yeshwart, Witness of behalf of GKU, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings,1929, file 6, 1st August 1929 – 7th August 1929.
• Proceedings for 8th August 1929, Court of Enquiry, Proceedings, file 7, 8th August – 21st August 1929
• Statement submitted to the Strike Enquiry Committee by the BMOA, October 1928.
• Comparative Statement of wages per month, submitted by BMOA, Exhibit no. 1. Bombay Strike Enquiry Committee, 1928-29, Vol II p52.
• BMOA minutes 1938.
• BSEC, exhibit 4, Statement issued to the press by the Millowners’ Association, 29^th October 1929.
• BMOA minute books, Proceedings of the Fortnightly meeting of the committee of the Bombay Millowners’ Association held on Monday the 5th January 1925.

Folder 5 –

• Intercepted letter: Abdul Razak divisional secretary, railway workers union, Bhasaval branch to Com Aradhia Prasad, Div sec GIP railway workers union. 5^th July 1937. Bombay police archives special branch 6080/L of 1937: Abdul Razak.
• Mararthi leaflet under signature of Purandhare. Translation, GIP Railwaymen’s Union, What Militant Workers should do. Marathi leaflet under signature of Purandhare, Ranadive, Desonza issued by GIP Rlymens union, distributed at the Matinga workshop when V.P Rele Gen Sec of GIP Kamgar Union stopped circulation and drove the man away. 46 of 1929 para 2041.
• Research notes from Bombay police archives special branch file 6044/L of 1936 about the observance of Meerut Day.
• Newspaper clippings from the Bombay chronicle 21-2-35 c of p archives special branch file 6051/L/VIII of 1936.
• Newspaper clipping, ‘39,000 men thrown out of work’.
• The accounts of the Bombay provincial congress committee for 12 months ending 30^th September 1922. 904(15) B.S.A of 19-5-23.