New Delhi: Labour Day or International Worker’s Day is observed across the globe on May 1, to celebrate the achievements of the working class. This day is also called May Day and is counted as a public holiday in many countries. Besides, in India as well, Labour Day is a public holiday, which is celebrated as Antarrashtriya Shramik Diwas (International Labour Day).
The day is known as “Kamgar Din” in Hindi, “Karmikara Dinacharane” in Kannada,”Karmika Dinotsavam” in Telugu, “Kamgar Divas” in Marathi, “Uzhaipalar Dhinam” in Tamil, “Thozhilaali Dinam” in Malayalam and “Shromik Dibosh” in Bengali. However, the day lost its significance as a holiday in North India.
International Labour Day History
First May Day was celebrated on May 1, 1890, after it was proclaimed by the first international congress of socialist parties in Europe on July 14, 1889, in Paris, France to dedicate May 1 each year as the “Workers Day of International Unity and Solidarity.”
The day was considered due to events happening on the other side of the Atlantic. In 1884, the American Federation of Organised Trades and Labor Unions demanded an eight-hour workday, that came into effect on May 1, 1886. This resulted in the general strike and the Haymarket (in Chicago) Riot of 1886 and also the official sanction of the eight-hour workday.
After three years, a French socialist party created an international day to honour the labour movement and marked May 1 in commemoration of the Haymarket Massacre.
International Labour Day in India
The first May Day in India was organised in Madras (now Chennai) by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on May 1, 1923. This marked the time when the red flag was first used in India. The day is tied to labour movements for communist and socialist political parties.
Interestingly, May 1 is also celebrated as ‘Maharashtra Day’ and ‘Gujarat Day’ to mark the date in 1960 when the two western states attained statehood after the erstwhile Bombay State was divided into linguistic lines.
