Tamil novel Mercury Pookal: the human stories behind Chennai's trade union movement

Set against the backdrop of the strike at various units of Simpson & Company Limited in Madras, the novel by Balakumaran chronicles one of the longest labour agitations in Tamil Nadu.

"The police began attacking the 2,000 workers who stood their ground, holding their flags. Some workers, hoping to escape, rushed through narrow lanes, crossed drains and made their way towards a small canal-like passage used to carry away excess rainwater," reads Mercury Pookal, a Tamil novel by writer Balakumaran that captures the tense moments of a police crackdown on industrial workers planning to march towards the Secretariat in then Madras.

Set against the backdrop of the strike at various units of Simpson & Company Limited in Madras, the novel chronicles one of the longest labour agitations in Tamil Nadu.

Balakumaran himself worked at Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE), part of the Simpsons Group, now known as the Amalgamations Group.

His experience as an insider enabled him to observe developments at close quarters and delve into the minds of workers, union leaders and their family members. He also explores the ambitions and aspirations of Rangasamy, the England-educated owner of the company, who is driven by a passion for manufacturing tractors.

The strike began in 1971 and continued for more than a year, recalling a period when strong trade unions articulated workers' interests and shaped industrial relations. While the unrest has been documented by trade union leaders and academics, Balakumaran has immortalised an episode that has largely faded from public memory.

CPI(M) Politburo member G. Ramakrishnan places the Simpson's strike in the context of the assertion of industrial workers' rights in Tamil Nadu from the late 1960s.

"Four workers were killed in police firing at Wimco, one worker was killed at Neyveli Lignite Corporation, and there were workers' strikes at the Ordnance Factory in Aruvankadu and unrest at Simpson's," he recalled.

The shifting political landscape of Tamil Nadu then -- the erosion of the Congress and Communist movements and the emergence of the DMK as a major political force that went on to form the government -- also finds expression in Balakumaran's narrative.

Though the author does not explicitly name the then ruling party or its Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, Mr. Ramakrishnan explains the DMK government's intervention in the dispute. "Karunanidhi imposed party members Kattur Gopal and Pratap Chandran as union leaders after the resignation of Gurumurthy, who found it difficult to lead the movement any longer," he said.

The arrangement, however, did not last long. Subsequently, a secret ballot elected R. Kuchelar and V.P. Chinthan as leader and deputy leader, respectively, of the Simpson's workers' union. They led the strike.

In the novel, Gopalan, the union leader, is based on Kuchelar, who joined the CPI(M) after the split in the Communist Party of India. By the time of the strike, he was no longer a member of the CPI(M), but continued to enjoy the party's backing. He later gravitated towards Naxalism before founding the Working People Trade Union Council (WPTUC).

The protagonist, Gopalan, steadfastly upholds Maoist ideals. When taken into police custody and questioned and tortured for his trade union activities, he declares, without flinching, that he was groomed by Mao Zedong and belongs to the People's Republic of China.

The novel also describes the visit of a "fair and bald-headed leader" to Ganesan's house. The description apparently refers to Chinthan, a CPI(M) leader and renowned trade unionist.

Ganesan is one of the workers stabbed to death by Arivukkarasan with a stiletto. Arivukkarasan, too, meets a violent end, in an episode that appears to echo the real-life killing of Pratap Chandran.

Chinthan, the architect of the tactics of the struggle, incurred the wrath of the State government and the ruling party, paid a heavy price for his role in the workers' movement. He was stabbed on a bus while travelling to address workers at the dairy farm in Madhavaram.

DMK trade unionist Pratap Chandran was killed in a clash between workers at Simpson's Sembiam unit. His killing may have inspired the episode involving Arivukkarasan's death in the novel. "There was violence and tension. Our leader P. Ramamurti entered the company premises and stood with them," Mr. Ramakrishnan said.

Sankaran, a company employee in the novel, is based on Balakumaran himself. A supporter of union activities and a follower of Gopalan, Sankaran is brutally beaten by the police. The novel even identifies Sankaran as its author. Towards the end, he decides to document the lives of workers and their families, the impact of the labour unrest and their confrontation with the police.

"Every life is special. Only a few are written about. What if we write about this? About how a family crumbled because of the closure of a company? About the disintegration of Ganesan's family, Savithri's widowhood, Gopalan's toughness, Rangasamy's stubbornness, and how Duraisingapperumal's (police inspector) ego dissolved?," he ponders.

Sankaran gives the novel the title Mercury Pookal, which becomes a metaphor for the beauty and fragility of human lives in an industrial world charged with political tensions. Beyond the factory floor and trade union struggles, the novel explores intimate relationships, revealing their tenderness, love and vulnerability with considerable nuance.

Savithri and Ganesan are drawn to each other from the outset and emerge as an ideal couple, while Shyamali and Dhandapani are poles apart. Dhandapani's neglect of Shyamali and his failure to recognise her personality and beauty drive her to seek love and understanding in Sankaran.

After her husband's death, Savithri initially retreats into darkness. Gradually, however, she finds herself drawn towards the union. Shyamali, meanwhile, asserts her individuality, gives wings to her romance with Sankaran and plans to elope with him.

Balakumaran shows remarkable sensitivity in portraying his female characters and their innermost thoughts, giving expression to their desires, yearnings and frustrations while capturing the complexities of their lived experiences.

Through his fine storytelling, Balakumaran shows how industrial conflict extends far beyond the workplace, transforming relationships and leaving its mark on the most intimate corners of human life.

Chennai is often called the 'Detroit of Asia' because of its automobile manufacturing facilities and allied industries. Yet, the city's industrial growth has overshadowed the history of its labour movement and the workers who helped shape it. Trade unions may no longer command the influence they once did.

Mercury Pookal serves as a reminder of a time when workers asserted their rights collectively and their struggles shaped not only industrial relations but also the lives of families far beyond the factory gates.