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103rd Birthday of
H.L. PARVANA – THE PRECIOUS JEWEL
(3-11-1923 – 18-4-1975 )
Central Committee Member of AIBEA : 1950
Vice President : 1951
Asst. Secretary : 1954
Secretary : 1964 till his death in 1975A small life sketch of Com. Parvana, the great
Com. H. L. Parvana was born in a
poor middle class family on 3-
11-1923 in a remote village in
Punjab.
His name was Harbans Lal.
He studied in Rajpore Bhaiti upto
middle school. He did his High
School education at Badden-a
place 10 kms. away. He used to
walk daily to go to the school.
The sweep of the freedom
movement, the Jallianwala Bagh
incident, the inspiration from Lala
Lajpat Rai and Bhagat Singh, -all
had their natural impact on the
young and sensitive Parvana. His
instincts were pushing him away
from routine studies and towards
active public life. The seed had
been sown in him.
Alongside, he took keen interest
in literature. He was especially
attracted to Urdu literature due to
its realistic depiction of the
commoner’s plight and the naked
exposure of the exploitation
existing in the social set up. He
began writing small Urdu couplets
and adopted the pen-name
Parvana.
Though he completed
Matriculation with very high
marks, his family could not afford
his further higher education.
Com. Parvana, volunteered to
seek a job to support the family
suppressing his desire and urge
to prosecute higher education.
This was the beginning of the era
of sacrifice for Com. Parvana. At
the age of 16, he started to hunt
for a job and after lot of
difficulties, through the
introduction of a friend, he got a
job in Punjab National Bank. But
he was posted as a Daftary even
though he was a first class
matriculate.
After about 3 months, he was put
on probation as a clerk with a
salary of Rs. 16 per month. After
joining the job, he continued his
studies in an evening College and
passed B.A. with honours in Urdu
from Punjab University.
Every week end, Com. Parvana
used to visit his elder brother who
was employed in a textile mill. His
brother was a Trade Union worker
of that Mill and Com. Parvana
found that through the efforts of
the Unions, the problems of theworkers were being mitigated and
resolved.
Com. Parvana took no time to
found a Union in Punjab National
Bank at Lahore. But as a
consequence of this “crime” he
was dismissed by the Bank in
1944.
Then Com. Parvana came to Delhi
in search of job again. With the
help of his friend, he got a job in
Bharat Bank Limited as an unpaid
apprentice. Due to his efficiency
and hard work, he was soon
promoted as a supervisor and
again as Superintendent.
Undeterred by the bitter
experience of victimisation by the
previous employer, Com.
Parvana, as a result of his deep
convictions, soon formed a Union
in Bharat Bank, Delhi.
He organised strike actions in
1946, 1947 and 1948 and the
Union made spectacular
achievements including
recognition of the Union by the
Management.
Later, he organised a day’s strike
on 8th March, 1949 in support of
the Railway employees, setting
example for fraternity and
solidarity of workers. But the
Management reacted sharply by
getting 450 out of its 527
employees arrested by police.
Com. Parvana fought back
against these repressions and
there was a strike for 21 days.
Management terminated 35
activists of the Union including
their leader Com. Parvana. Com.
Parvana was again on the streets
and underwent sufferings.
When the Sen Tribunal was
appointed, it also heard the
dismissal of the 35 employees of
Bharat Bank. Com. Parvana
himself argued the case on behalf
of the victimised employees. The
Bank’s side was represented by
the eminent lawyer Setalvad. The
Tribunal awarded reinstatement
of all the 35 employees but the
Bank went on appeal to Supreme
Court and obtained a stay.
But in the final hearing, the
Supreme Court confirmed the
reinstatement of these employees
including Com. Parvana.
But that was not the end of the
tribulations. The Bharat Bank
decided to purchase the Punjab
National Bank but cunningly
dissolved the Bharat Bankrendering the 1,300 employees
jobless.
It was March 1951. Com. Parvana
had organised a Union in Punjab
National Bank with the help of
Com. P. L. Syal (later Vice
President of AIBEA).
The Punjab National Bank Union
went on strike against the Bharat
Bank’s decision to throw out its
employees.
Punjab National Bank Manage-
ment dismissed 159 of its
employees for this.
The issue was referred to a
Tribunal which ordered absorption
of all the Bharat Bank employees
in Punjab National Bank. But the
Management went on appeal to
the Supreme Court.
After 12 years of legal battle, in
1963 the employees won the
reinstatement of all the
employees including Com.
Parvana.
By then, Com. Parvana had
immersed in the movement so
much that he decided not to
accept the reinstatement and
continued to work for the Trade
Union whole-time.
This was the ripening of Com.
Parvana into a Leader of
unparalleled dimensions.
Com. Parvana had become the
centre of activities of the Bank
employees’ movement in and
around Delhi and was responsible
in forming Trade Unions in
different Banks during the 1950s.
In 1951, he was elected as Vice-
President of AIBEA and in 1954 as
Assistant Secretary. In 1964, in
the Trivandrum Conference, in
recognition of his most invaluable
services to our organistion, the
post of Secretary was created and
he was elected as Secretary of
AIBEA which position he held till
he died in 1975.
Com. Parvana was always known
for his hard work. The more the
AIBEA movement grew, the
harder and longer he worked.
Whether it was the fight before
the Sastri and Desai Tribunals in
1950s and 60s, whether it was
the fight to achieve Bipartite
Settlement in 1965-66 or the
sustained struggle for
nationalisation of the Banks from
1960, Com. Parvana was
straining every nerve to gear up
the rank and file to back up theorganisation’s demands for their
eventual accomplishment.
This ever continuous and
tremendous strain had a
disastrous effect on his health
and he suffered from heart attack
in 1966. But much against the
advice of the doctors, he freed
himself from the hospital and
resumed work in AIBEA Office.
The hectic activities during the
First Bipartite struggle and
negotiations further affected his
health. But he refused to take
rest.
He suffered a second attack in
1970. After a slight recovery, he
plunged into his routine work
again.
He got a third heart attack in
1973. Doctors told him that his
health had deteriorated and
advised him to be very careful.
But with some little improvement
in his health, he was back to his
normal work and frequent tours
and meetings. His health had
become so bad, that he could not
climb the staircase of his house.
So he shifted to the house of
Com. Prabhat Kar who took care
of him as his younger brother.
Com. Parvana was managing to
live with heavy doses of tablets
daily. But this was not to be a
permanent solution.
On 13th April, 1975, he took
seriously ill and was admitted into
a hospital. Despite best medical
attention by eminent doctors, the
precious life of this hero could not
be prolonged any further. At
about 10-45 a.m. on 18th April,
1975, Com. Parvana passed
away.
Volumes can be written about
Com. Parvana about his sterling
qualities of leadership, about, his
outstanding contribution to our
movement at every point of time
and about the multi-dimensional
activities of this gentle colossus.
In short, he personified AIBEA.
There cannot be a better
acknowledgement of his services
than through the following words
of Com. Prabhat Kar, the father of
our movement who wrote in his
General Secretary’s report in the
Amritsar Conference of AIBEA :Com. Prabhat Kar wrote:
“ I am placing this report in a Conference where Com. Parvana is not
present. For me, this situation is almost unbelievable. Days in and days
out, throughout all these years he was a comrade who helped me in
discharging my responsibilities.
He was the life and soul of the AIBEA centre.
His dedication to the cause and thoroughness of minutest details are
unparalleled. In every dimension of work of AIBEA, he was
indispensable.
In movement, in agitation, in campaign, in negotiations, in settling
differences and solving problems his unique contribution was visible.
As an agitator, organiser, as a leader conversant with every sphere of
Trade Union movement, his imprint was distinct.
He was a comrade with clarity, with vision and a comrade who never
knew tiredness.
It is almost impossible to think of Central Office of AIBEA minus Com.
Parvana.
His amiable disposition brought everybody near him and he became the
closest friend, philosopher and guide of each and every bank employee.
He was a man of the masses. He was a man of the Trade Union
movement. He was a leader of the working class. He was a comrade
who cannot be replaced.
The movement is indebted to him which cannot be repaid.
I only wish to put on record our great gratitude for his able, mature
advice, dedicated service and unparalleled comradeship manifested all
the years he lived.”
This was our great Com. Parvana, the precious jewel of AIBEA.
“ Many times, our members feel that Union leaders are
magicians. Yes, true, but so long as members are active,
united and militant and implement all the Union’s call
effectively.” …………… Com. Parvana
