ABSTRACT
As a left-wing Bengali journal wrote in 1967, trams and tramwaymen have long occupied an important position in the public and political life of Calcutta since numerous political struggles have made them highly visible. The reorganized CTWU wore a new look under the leadership of experienced organisers. The 1940s initiated an era of glorious struggles. This chapter presents the history of the tram workers in that decade. It also makes an attempt to discern how the Calcutta tramwaymen became an integral part of the political and social life of the city. With the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, the Government of India, using the pretext of war, clamped down the Defence of India Rules. Civil liberties were suppressed and it was declared that any kind of working class protest would be dealt with stern punitive measures.
