dignity of labour speech in urdu

Essay On Labour Day In Urdu

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مزدوروں کا عالمی دن

مزدوروں کا عالمی یکم مئی کو منایا جاتا ہے۔ اس روز ان مزدوروں کی چھٹی ہوتی ہے جو بڑے بڑے سرکاری عہدوں پر فائز ہوتے ہیں اور شاید نجی ادارے والے بھی خود کو مزدور ہی سمجھتے ہیں لیکن دراصل جو مزدور ہیں جن کا چولہا روز کی کمائی سے جلتا ہے وہ اس روز بھی کام کرتے نظر آتے ہیں کیونکہ ان کے چھٹی کرلینے سے اس روز ان کے گھر والوں کو بھوکا سونا پڑے گا۔

مزدوروں کے عالمی دن کی تاریخ

اس دن دراصل امریکہ کے شہر  شکاگو میں کام کرنے والے مزدوروں کو یاد  کیا جاتا ہے۔ وہ مزدور شکاگو شہر میں ۱۸۷۰ء میں کام کرتے تھے۔ سب مزدور وہاں تقریباً بارہ سے سولہ گھنٹے کام کیا کرتے تھے اور انھیں ڈیڑھ سو یا دو سو روپے تنخواہ دی جاتی تھی اور ان صنعتوں کے مالکان جو تھے وہ یہ کوشش کیا کرتے تھے کہ یہ مزدور اپنے حقوق کے لیے کسی قسم کی کوئی تحریک نہ بنالیں۔

ایسے میں اگر کوئی مزدور باقی مزدوروں میں شعور پیدا کرنے کی کوشش کرتا تو اسے نوکری سے نکال دیا جاتا تھا۔ ان سب سازشوں کے خلاف مزدوروں نے مختلف تنظیمیں بنائیں۔ ایک تنظیم کا نام تھا “کائنٹز آف لیبرز” یعنی “مزدوروں کے سپاہی”۔ ان لوگوں نے یہ مطالبہ کیا کہ وہ لوگ آٹھ گھنٹے کام کریں گے۔ ۱۸۸۴ء میں یہ تنظیم بنی تھی اور تب اس تنظیم میں ستر ہزار مزدور شامل تھے۔ پھر ۱۸۸۶ء میں یکم مئی کو تقریباً پانچ لاکھ مزدوروں نے پورے امریکہ میں ہڑتال کی اور شکاگو میں تقریباً اَسی ہزار مزدوروں نے ہڑتال کی۔

چار مئی کو تقریباً تین ہزار مزدور ایک فیکٹری پر ملے جہاں پچھلے روز چھ مزدور مارے گئے تھے اور وہاں اپنے رہنماؤں کی تقریریں سنے لگے۔ اگلی صبح مزدوروں کے آٹھ رہنماؤں کو گرفتار کرلیا گیا اور مزدوروں کی تحریک کے خلاف ایک تحریک شروع کردی گئی۔ ان آٹھ لوگوں کے خلاف اکیس جون ۱۸۸۶ء کو مقدمہ شروع کیا گیا اور وہ مقدمہ گیارہ اگست ۱۸۸۶ء تک چلا۔ جج گیری سرمایہ داروں کے ساتھ تھے اور انہوں نے تقریباً ایک سو اٹھارہ لوگوں کی گواہی سن کر ان آٹھ رہنماؤں میں سے سات کو سزائے موت اور ایک کو پندرہ سال قید کی سزا سنا دی۔

جن آٹھ لوگوں کو سزا سنائی گئی ان میں سے دو لوگوں کے علاوہ باقی لوگ تو بمب پھینکنے کے وقت وہاں موجود بھی نہ تھے بس پولیس کی کوشش یہ تھی کہ ان رہنماؤں کو سزا سنادی جائے تاکہ مزدور اپنا آٹھ گھنٹے کام کرنے کا مطالبہ واپس لے لیں۔ گیارہ نومبر ۱۸۸۷ء کو چار بڑے رہنماؤں کو سزائے موت کے لیے لے جایا گیا وہاں ان رہنماؤں نے گیت گائے اور تقریریں بھی کیں۔ ایک  رہنما نے با آواز بلند کہا کہ. “ ایک وقت آئے گا جب ہماری خاموشی ان آوازوں سے بھی اونچی ہوگی کہ جن کا گلا آج آپ گھونٹنے کی کوشش کررہیں ہیں..”

جب یہ خبر پھیلی تو ایک رہنما جو جیل میں تھا اس نے خود کشی کی کوشش کی لیکن وہ بھی چھ گھنٹے تڑپنے کے بعد مرا۔ جب یہ خبر لوگوں تک پہنچی تو بین الاقوامی سطح پر مزدوروں کی تنظیموں اور تحریکوں نے ہڑتالیں شروع کردیں۔ اب مزدوروں کی تحریک کی نشانی لال رنگ کا جھنڈا تھا۔ ۱۸۹۰ء کو  یہ فیصلہ کیا گیا کہ یکم مئی اب بین الاقوامی سطح پر منایا جائے گا۔ اس دن تمام مزدور باہر نکل آئیں اور آٹھ گھنٹے کام کرنے کا مطالبہ کریں۔

مزدوروں کی ہڑتال کے اثرات

مزدوروں کی ہڑتالوں کے باعث اب یہ آٹھ گھنٹے کام کرنے کا مزدوروں کا مطالبہ مان لیا گیا ہے اور اگر اب کوئی مزدور آٹھ گھنٹے سے زیادہ کام کرتا ہے تو اسے زیادہ پیسے دینے پڑتے ہیں۔ اسی وجہ سے دنیا کے بہت سے ملک یکم مئی کو چھٹی دیتے ہیں لیکن امریکہ اور اسرائیل اب بھی یکم مئی کی چھٹی نہیں دیتے۔

ہمارا اخلاقی فرض

یہ ہمارا اخلاقی فرض بنتا ہے کہ ہر روز یا کم سے کم یکم مئی کے دن جس بھی غریب شخص کو کام کرتے دیکھیں جو اپنے گھر والوں کا پیٹ بھرنے کے لیے دن رات محنت کررہا ہے اس کی مدد کریں۔ اگر ہم اسے مالی امداد نہ دے سکیں تو کم سے کم سورج کی تپتی دھوپ میں کسی کو کام کرتا دیکھ اسے پانی ہی پلادیں یقیناً اس کی دعا ہماری کامیابی کا راز بنے گی۔

Labour Day Speech In Urdu

Here you will get Labour Day Speech in Urdu : On 1st May Mazdoor day in Pakistan is distinguished for the integrity of Labor about to highlight his rights, needs, and current condition. You may also know that it is a general public holiday in Pakistan, but now the question is, so everyone knows the real purpose behind distinguishing this day? I am sure that most of us are not aware of the true purpose behind the veracity of this day. On this day, various rallies, processions, and Labour union sessions in the form of marches are arranged in order to get the real rights of the Labour and what is the loophole are currently running with this stratum in our country. Yes of course! Labor is the hardest working person but his income is not enough as compared to his work. That is why he is all the time constraint to for a hand to mouth living. This is really a teasing reality of our society but there is no any type of checks are present which can over root these issues from the labor’s life.

Well, here if we talk about the background history of Labor Day or Mazdoor day in Pakistan, then we will come to know that since 1972 when the first Labour Day in Pakistan was celebrated. The purpose of specifying this day is to bring old age benefits schemes, workers welfare fund, and other labor rights. And you feel good to know that the Pakistani government along with the International Labour Organization (ILO) is working good to make it sure that the Labour is getting his true rights. The keen authorities and even a general public are joining hands together to grant labor rights.

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Pakistan is a growing country, however the cutting-edge state of affairs has stepped forward as compared to preceding times. However, workers nonetheless do no longer experience as many rights as enjoyed through workers in extra advanced/industrialized countries. Many prepared road demonstrations take location on Labor Day, in which employees and exertions unions protest towards hard work repression and demand for greater rights, better wages and advantages.

Conclusion:

The conclusion of my Labour day speech in Urdu and English is that the Labour in Pakistan is now getting improved his condition. Their duty timings are getting less and their rates are getting higher. Moreover, the rights from the government are also given to the labor in order to promote and appreciate their hard works. In the end of this speech, we suggest you to add your own reviews so that you can present a unique speech.

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• labor dignity in the eyes of islam

Labor Dignity In The Eyes Of Islam

(Imran Mangrio, Sanghar, Sindh)

LABOR DIGNITY IN THE EYES OF ISLAM LABOUR is an important factor of production and plays a vital role in economic development of all the countries of the world including our country. It is considered as an active element of production, because the major portion of her national income is derived from labour, the importance of labour cannot be ever emphasised.   Dr S M Akhtar, a well-known economist of our country states that without labour it would be simply impossible for us to have numerous dishes at our dinning table or to have various kinds of clothes to wear or to be able to reside in beautiful houses. Abraham Lincoln, in his message to the Congress on December, 1861 said “Labour is prior and independent of capital.   Capital is only the fruit of labour and would never have existed if labour had not first existed. Labour is superior to capital and deserves much higher consideration.” There are two classes in the world (i) Haves (capitalists, landlords, etc) (ii) Have-nots (labourers, workers, peasants, etc). There is no religion or ideology except Islam, which guarantees the rights of the workers and peasants ie the poorest and oppressed classes of the world. Islam not only guarantees the rights of labour but also of the capitalist class. Islam respects all kinds of work for ensuring one’s livelihood so long as there is no injustice involved. The economic aspect of life envisaged by Islam is based upon sound foundations and divine instructions. Earning one’s living through decent labour is not only a duty but a great virtue as well. The Holy Qur’an provides guidance for all human beings and is a complete code of life. There are clear instructions for the capitalists as well as labours regarding possession of wealth. There are two basic principles laid down in the Holy Qur’an and Hadith for the master as well as the servant. The master shall pay fully for the services rendered and the servant shall work faithfully and honestly. Islam gives directions about the attitude of the employers for equal treatment with servants and subordinates. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: “Your brothers are your servants whom ALLAH has made your subordinate, he should give them to eat for what he himself eats and wear for what he himself wears and do not put on them burden of any labour which may exhaust them. And if you have to put such burden on yourself (in these works). Hazrat Abu Hurrairah (RA) reported that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said “ALLAH says there are three persons whose adversary in dispute shall be on the day of resurrection, a person who makes a promise in My name then acts unfaithfully and a person who devours prices and the person who employes a servant and uses fully the labour from him and then does not pay the remuneration.” Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did business, but he set personal examples of upholding the dignity of labour. He performed a number of tasks that are today considered humble. The ‘King’ of Arabia, and in fact of the entire universe, he would kindle a fire, sweep the floor, milk goats, patch his clothes, mend his shoes and help in household chores. That is why Carlyle regarded him as “the greatest man” and yet the “greatest worker” of the world. His love for manual labour is evident from one of his Traditions. Once when Jabir (R.A.) shook hands with him, he (the Prophet) noted some scars and roughness on his (Jabir’s) palm. He enquired about it. Jabir explained that he was a farrier (one who makes and fits horseshoes). Listening to this, the Prophet kissed his hand. Again it is related on the authority of Ibn Majah (RA) that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “The wages of labour must be paid to him before the sweat dries upon his body. “In another Hadith the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “It is the duty of employer to take only such work from the employees, which they can do easily. They should not be made to work so that their health is impaired.” The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: “He is not Momin (true Muslim) who eats full stomach while his neighbour is hungry.” The Holy Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said: “Never has anyone eaten a better thing than when he eats of his own hands. “The Holy Qur’an says, “And that man will have nothing but what he strives for.” (53.40). The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) worked with his own hands. Previous Prophets also did labour for their livelihood. Islam fully guarantees the rights of labour and gives direction to the master for fair and good treatment to their subordinates. Employers have been given the rules of conduct in their day- to-day affairs with the employees. The latter have to be treated justly and kindly (Al Qasas:27). The wages should be reasonable — commensurate with time, skills, and the labour involved. Wages have to be settled at the time of employment and paid “before the sweat of the workman dries up” (promptly). Employees are not to be burdened with excessive workload beyond their capability as Shoaib (A.S.) said while employing Musa (A.S.), “...I intend not to place you under difficulty. ALLAH willing, you will find me one of the righteous” (Al Qasas:27). In the words of the holy Prophet (SAW), “A worker is a friend of God.” Workers rights in Islam, All people are equal. It does not make any difference to what race they belong, what color they have, what country they come from, what their gender is or what their occupation is. Young and old, rich and poor, white and black, citizens or foreigners with legal work permits are all equal; and they all should be respected, honored, and treated equally. Almighty ALLAH says: [ O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of ALLAH is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And ALLAH has full Knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)] (Al-Hujurat 49:13). Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said the following words in his last sermon: "O people, indeed your Lord is one and your father is one. Behold, there is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over an Arab, nor for a white person over a black person, nor for a black person over a white person, except through piety." (Musnad Ahmad) High Regard for Work and for Workers On the treatment of workers there are general and specific teachings in Islam. The following five points must be emphasized: 1. Clear and proper agreements. All agreements, whether oral or written, must be clear and transparent. The agreements must be just and lawful. Employees should know their duties and responsibilities and they should be told their rights in terms of vacations, leaves, compensations, etc. ALLAH says in the Qur'an [ O you who believe, fulfill your contracts] (Al-Ma'idah 5:1). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Muslims must abide by their agreements, unless there is an agreement that makes halal what is haram or makes haram what is halal" (At-Tirmidhi). This means that illegal terms and conditions are not valid under Islamic law. It is the duty of both the employers and the employees to fulfill their agreements to the best of their capacities. 2. The dignity of workers. Islamic law allows all human beings the right to enter upon any lawful profession or occupation and to conduct any lawful trade or business. The workers should be treated with dignity and honor. No work is menial or degrading. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kissed the hands of a laborer who showed him his rough hands due to his hard labor. He prayed for him and spoke very highly of those who labor over against those who sit idle or go begging. Islam teaches that workers should be treated with kindness. ALLAH says [ Serve ALLAH, and make not any partners with Him in His divinity. Do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the way-farer (you meet) and those whom your right hands possess (your workers): for ALLAH loves not the arrogant, the vainglorious. (Nor) those who are stingy, or enjoin stinginess on others, or hide the bounties which ALLAH has bestowed on them; for We have prepared, for those who are ungrateful, a humiliating punishment] (An-Nisaa' 4:36-37). 3. Kindness to workers. Workers are our brothers and sisters. They are our helpers. We need them; we depend on them for many things that we cannot do for ourselves. Workers should not be given work beyond their capacity. They should have a humane and safe environment for work. They should be compensated if they are injured on the job. They should have time for work and time for themselves and their families. Children or minors should not be used for labor. Women should have proper environment for hijab without jeopardizing the rules of khalwah (privacy). They should not be employed in vocations that are unsuitable to their gender, and they must be ensured maternity benefits in their employment. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Your brothers are your responsibility. ALLAH has made them under your hands. So whosoever has a brother under his hand, let him give him food as he eats and dress as he dresses. Do not give them work that will overburden them and if you give them such task then provide them assistance" (Al-Bukhari). 4. Proper and timely wages. Workers should be given proper and just wages. Exploitation of any person is not allowed in Islam. ALLAH says [ To the Madyan people We sent Shu`aib, one of their own brethren. He said: "O my people, worship ALLAH; you have no other god but Him. Now has come unto you a Clear (Sign) from your Lord. Give just measure and weight, nor withhold from the people the things that are their due; and do no mischief on the earth after it has been set in order: that will be best for you, if you have Faith] (Al-A`raf 7:85). ALLAH warns those who take full measure but give less to others: [ Woe to those that deal in fraud. Those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full measure. But when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. Do they not think that they will be called to account? On a Mighty Day. A Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds] (Al-Mutaffifin 83:1-6). Workers should also be paid on time. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Give to the worker his wages before his sweat dries" (Ibn Majah) 5. Freedom to form unions. Based on all the above principles, we can also infer that workers in Islam have a right to exercise the freedom of association and the right to form unions. Special trade unions and associations help workers in their work and socialization. They can also help workers to seek justice for their rights and bargaining power to receive proper compensations. However, employers and employees all must fear ALLAH in the exercise of their rights and duties.

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Essay, Paragraph or Speech on “Dignity of Labour” Complete Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Dignity of Labour

Dignity of labour is a concept that indicates that all types of jobs are equally important and that one job is not greater than another, as long as it is not under-paid. The term chiefly stands for or denotes respectability of manual labour. This is the most essential culture all individuals should develop. It is better to be employed in something productive than remain idle.

The concept should be carefully examined by the scientific, academic, and literary circles. The importance of dignity of labour has to be understood to make it an engine for social progress. Every profession is important, and while profession fulfills the ambitions of an individual, it should also benefit the poor and needy in the society.

God created man for a purpose. Many people think that only a blue collar job is dignified but one shouldn’t forget that it is more dignified to earn money from honest work than getting it free or through wrong means. The value of dignity of labour should be inculcated in students and children as well so that they appreciate hard work. One of the surest safeguard against evil is useful occupation while idleness is one of the greatest curses for vices; crimes and poverty follow in its wake. A stagnant pool becomes offensive but a flowing brook spreads health and gladness over the land. While one is a symbol of idleness, the other of the industrious.

All forms of work, manual or intellectual are called labour. Tilling of land or carrying a load by hand is manual labour. But when a man reads a book or writes a letter he is engaged in intellectual work. Manual labour is of cultivators who produce the food that people take. Likewise, houses, the automobiles and other industries that are so essential to meet the requirements of man’s daily life, are products of the manual labour of millions of workers. The dignity of their toil thus has to appreciated. Work should be such that does not demean the labourer.

In India, the educated youth are generally averse to manual labour under a false pretext of dignity, whereas, in western countries even university students often work as small part-time or full-time manual helps during school or vacations in order to meet their expenses. This concept is yet to take flight in our country and can prove to be immensely helpful in inculcating the value of labour and. it’s dignity amongst our youth.

The dignity of manual and small self-employed workers is often erroneously judged. All manual works require a certain amount of mental input. E.g. the potters who make earthenware from a lump of clay use a considerable amount of sensibility and imagination and the hand-work of an artisan may also be as fine as a classical lyric. We just cannot consider any vocation high or low, dignified or humble.

Even in modern days, the importance of the manual labour cannot be undermined as the people are dependent on it in some area or the other. It is they who keep the society on the tail. We must admit that manual labourers also have a place in society, and we must give them their due honour. Manual labour can never be replaced by machines There are certain areas where manpower will always be required.

One must recognize and respect the dignity of work; pause for a moment and appreciate the love that has been put into the hardest, smallest, unnoticed and unacknowledged pieces of work which make and move the human society.

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E-Paper | September 20, 2024

Global dignity day: dignity is our right.

GLOBAL Dignity Day is celebrated to make everyone realise that each citizen living in this world has their rights and deserves respect. Dignity means the state or quality of being worthy of honour and respect, or human rights. Some examples of dignity are dignity of labour and dignity of education, etc.

Dignity day is celebrated throughout the world since 2006. Three friends — Professor Peekka Himanen from Finland, Founder of Operation Hope John Hope Bryant from United States, and HRH Crown Prince Haakon from Norway — first thought about this day when they met as Young Global Leaders at the World Economic Forum in 2006. This led to the first Global Dignity Day being observed on October 20, 2008.

This Global Dignity movement has grown in this short time and while last year, in 2013, 50 countries celebrated this day and this year more than 70 countries have celebrated this day on October 15.

Global Dignity Day is celebrated to make people realise their rights, which really means human rights — the right to do anything people want as they are born free and they cannot be forced for anything. They have the freedom to exercise their rights and even fight for it.

The symbol of Global Dignity, the force behind the observance of this day, is two hearts attached to each other. It also symbolises that everyone is equal in this world and that everyone has equal rights.

There are five principles of dignity: every human being has a right to lead a dignified life; a dignified life means an opportunity to fulfil one’s potential, which is based on having a human level of health care, education, income and security; dignity means having the freedom to make decisions on one’s life and to be met with respect for this right; dignity should be the basic guiding principle for all actions; and ultimately, our own dignity is interdependent with the dignity of others.

In my opinion, every citizen in this world should celebrate this day to make themselves and others realise their rights and those of others. So give respect to the rights and freedom of others and get respect from others. Every person, no matter which economic class they belong to, deserves respect if they are doing honest work.

So my dear readers and friends, I would like to request you to be respectful towards everyone, even if they are your maid, driver, cleaner or watchman or the junior staff of the school. They are humans like us and have as much rights as citizens of this world as we do; they deserve all the facilities of health, education, security and income as we and others do.

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'All Labor Has Dignity': Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Fight for Economic Justice

Beacon Press

While researching at the Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta in 1992, Washington University professor Michael Honey found an inconspicuous folder marked "King's Labor Speeches." He opened it, and found a trove of King's addresses to labor unions and workers' rights coalitions—most of which had never been published.

This discovery led to "All Labor Has Dignity": King's Speeches on Labor , a collection edited by Honey and released in January by Beacon Press as part of their "King Legacy" series. The book shows an eerily prescient Dr. King, a clear-eyed visionary who speaks prophetically about the host of issues facing our nation today. In the eloquent, mythic language for which he is famous, King lambastes economic forces growing the gap between rich and poor, the massive tax resources used for war spending while domestic programs languished, and the knee-jerk demonizing of progressive social reform as "communist." He even criticizes the conservative senators—he calls them "Neanderthals"—who abused their filibuster privilege to block meaningful legislative change.

The collection demonstrates that historical considerations of Dr. King's contributions have overlooked his dogged dedication to the organized labor movement, and his fight on behalf of the working poor across racial divides. I spoke with Honey about King's work for workers' rights, the historical context of the speeches, and the relevance of King's conclusions to ongoing 21st-century American labor disputes.

How do these speeches collected here help us reevaluate King's legacy?

The book contains 15 different documents from 1957 to 1968, and they all present a somewhat different side of King that most people don't know about. Almost all of these speeches are unknown to the general public. Until recently, King's economic justice platform and his relationship with workers and unions has been an almost entirely neglected topic.

The civil rights movement was not just about civil rights—it was about human rights, and that means labor rights. The book is really about a period when King was trying to use the momentum of the civil rights movement to help the labor movement, the cause of public employee workers, and people in the service economy. And those are the areas where unions have grown tremendously in the last 20 or 30 years—in part because of Dr. King's sacrifice in Memphis.

Your collection shows King's systematic, concerted effort to yoke the predominately black civil rights movement with the predominately white, and sometimes socially conservative, labor movement. Why was this so important to him?

You have to ask: Why is he making these speeches in the first place? At that time in our history, there were a lot of very strong unions. He's asking them to donate money to the civil rights movement, which was an emerging movement, and he makes an interesting plea: You have a lot more power than we do, but we have the moral agenda—and the attention of the nation that you're losing. The business community and the media had been propagating this idea of big labor and union bosses, separating the unions from the workers, making them appear to be corrupt. And there were some corrupt unions. And some unions that were not only ignoring people of color, but totally excluding them. King wanted to convince the unions that the civil rights movement was not only important on its own—but that its success was crucial to the labor movement's success, too.

In a 1968 speech, King asks: "What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesn't earn enough money to buy a hamburger and a cup of coffee?" Had he started to feel that race reform was doomed without economic reform, and vice versa?

He did say that the civil rights that we'd attained from Brown vs. Board of Education to the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts were a remarkable change, but after that he really did emphasize economic issues. The urban areas were exploding all across the country. There were riots, police brutality, and National Guard occupation of black communities. The fact was, in the urban areas, civil rights didn't do anything to change the economic situation for the mass of working class people. Those were people that should have had jobs and union wages, who should have been advancing themselves. Instead, factories were shutting down. Jobs were being shipped overseas. The urban areas were being stripped of all economic activities. It was like stranding the millions of people who'd migrated to the cities for jobs. So, without an economic program—yes, that's what he was saying—the civil rights we've gained won't be meaningful for most people.

From "All Labor Has Dignity," March 18, 1968

Many of these speeches criticize the robustness of the American war machine. King is widely known as a Pacifist and a practitioner of non-violence, a student of Gandhi, but do these speeches give new dimensionality to his critique of violence?

There's a speech in here, given in 1962, where he says: "There are three major social evils in our world today: the evil of war, the evil of economic justice, and the evil of racial injustice." He goes on to show how these things are linked together, and gives a similar critique throughout the book. He particularly links the problems of poverty and economic injustice to the continuing escalation of war and foreign military intervention—you have to remember, he was giving these speeches in the context of the American invasion of Latin American countries, Vietnam, and the mass bombing in Indo-China. Sure, these efforts created some American jobs, but they also wreaked havoc all over the world.

What he's saying is this: militarism is not the way to economic prosperity for people in the United States. He saw it as a moral abomination that the U.S. was using its power this way in the world. And he thought it was also creating a nightmare at home.

The speeches, and your notes in the book, demonstrate that King often battled accusations that he was Communist—something of an elided historical fact.

The big campaign in the South was to frighten away middle-class, white support by calling King a Communist. Anybody who worked on civil rights was called a Communist. And some were. But King was of the opinion that if somebody sincerely supported the civil rights movement, they had a right to their political opinions. He wasn't going to turn people away who wanted to work seriously for justice because someone called them a Communist. He was always under attack for that.

In one speech, King invokes the biblical parable of Lazarus and the rich man Dives—like Dives, he says, America will go to hell if it turns its back on the poor. I was amazed by this—in our current political atmosphere, saying "America's going to hell" would be off-limits to any mainstream figure.

It was off limits then! King had reached a point in his life where he felt it was more important to speak the truth, even if it condemned him to death. It wasn't acceptable for anyone to say what he was saying. You didn't see very many civil rights leaders making linkages between racism, poverty—condemning the nation for what it was doing in moral terms, and in a prophetic rhetorical style. I don't think you can find as scathing an indictment of the United States in the rhetoric of any mainstream person at that time. But he wasn't speaking that way because it was acceptable—he was doing it because it was unacceptable , and he felt he had to speak the truth, and he felt his time was running out.

King was working on an important Poor People's Campaign in New York City in early 1968. Why did he leave for Memphis?

The sanitation strike was reaching a crucial point, where the workers could possibly lose. They'd been holding mass meetings every day for over a month in different churches around the city. They'd been having picket lines two times a day. Marches downtown, every day. 1,200 workers on strike, for well over a month. They were running out of food. They were losing their homes, their automobiles.

The black community was in strong support of the strike. The AFL-CIO was supporting the strike. But they had a totally intransigent mayor, a fiscal conservative who was totally against unions. He wanted the city to spend less, and he wanted to take that out of the backs of workers. So you had this confrontation between labor and civil rights on the one hand, and fiscal conservatism and anti-unionism on the other. The strikers felt they weren't getting any attention, and that it was a really important battle—and that's why they brought King in.

How could he not go to Memphis? Here was a good example of local people organizing around the very issues he was trying to mobilize the country around. So, his staff told him he shouldn't go—but he went against their advice.

In the "Mountaintop" speech, the speech given in Memphis, King seems aware of the imminent threat of violence against his person, saying, claiming that while "longevity has its place," he would prefer to pursue his work than be assured safety. The whole coda of the speech is a meditation on danger and the transience of life. What was it about the climate in Memphis that had King so aware of the danger of his being there?

When he flew to Memphis the day before he gave that speech, there was a bomb threat. They had to hold the plane in Atlanta while they searched for bombs, and it was because he was on the plane. He'd told his family before he left Atlanta that someone was trying to kill him, and that they should be ready. We know from the House Committee on Assassination that there was a reward of $50,000 put up by some businessmen in St. Louis for somebody to kill him. He definitely had premonitions that it could very well happen at any time. He was always being attacked by the right wing, neo-Nazis, and segregationists. But when he came out against the war, the opposition to him went right up the ranks to the President of the United States, and certainly the FBI—which had been trying to destroy his career since 1963, at least. The whole atmosphere around King was tainted by real hostility to what he was saying and doing.

Then, to go to Memphis in the middle of a very tense situation, where there'd been a strike that had been going on for nearly 60 days, where police had attacked people repeatedly, and several people had been killed ... it was a very violent atmosphere. So all of that brought out that meditation on April 3rd. These were the things that were flashing through his mind.

Of the speeches in the book, is there one you feel best captures the spirit of King's labor and economic effort, the way his "I Have a Dream" speech captured his civil rights work?

The one that I like the best, I guess, is the one the book is named for: "All Labor Has Dignity," a speech to the Memphis sanitation workers. It's not a scripted speech—and it's marked by constant cheers and uproarious approval, and chanting. He's talking straight from the heart—it's King at his best. He talks about the problem of two Americas, one poor and one rich. The gulf between people with inordinate, superfluous wealth and the people suffering in abject, deadening poverty. He talks about the working poor—people who work what he calls "full-time jobs at part-time wages." He talks about hospital workers being as important as the physician, and sanitation workers being as important as the doctor. How labor is not menial until you're not getting adequate wages—all jobs are important. The question is do you have dignity, and respect, and a decent livelihood, based on what you do? I just think it's a marvelous speech, and it deals with a lot of the issues we're still dealing with today.

What might King have thought of our current political climate, especially in regards to our economic and labor practices?

He'd be aghast. And appalled. He had high hopes for the United States. He was really focusing on the promise of the American Revolution, and "all people are created equal," and the inherent rights we have. He would often say—and he says in these speeches—that the promise of America is equality, and he believed in that until he died. He really saw the U. S. as a place of great hope. I think in some of his sharpest criticisms of the U. S. in '67 and '68, he's incredibly disappointed with the way things are going. If he were transported in time 40 years after his death to see what's happening now—he'd be shocked and appalled at the backward direction of the thinking of so many people. How so many people fail to take in the lessons and experiences of history. We're in a pretty sad time—a lot of the unions King fought for have been destroyed, and the civil rights movement is kind of in abeyance in many ways. If he was here now, he'd be really searching—how do we rebuild a movement that brings everybody in? And really, that's the challenge before us.

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Lebanon Death Toll Rises as UN Experts Condemn Israel’s Attacks as War Crimes

Ivf bill blocked by gop filibuster, even as republicans claim they support ivf, uncommitted declines to endorse harris as campaign continues to back genocide, for-profit us health care system still ranks last among peers on key metrics, martin luther king, jr.: all labor has dignity.

In his introduction to the newly published anthology of MLK’s speeches and writings, Cornel West writes, “This book unearths a radical King that we can no longer sanitize.”

In his introduction to the newly published anthology of King speeches and writings, Cornel West writes, “This book unearths a radical King that we can no longer sanitize.” West writes of a charismatic leader who was “anti-imperial, anti-colonial, anti-racist” and embodied “democratic socialist sentiments.” Donate now for the book The Radical King by clicking here.

The following is chapter 21 from The Radical King:

On February 12, 1968—President Lincoln’s birthday—as Dr. King traveled from state to state, garnering rousing support for the Poor People’s Campaign, more than a thousand sanitation workers in Memphis walked off the job. A month into the strike, on March 18, strikers and their supporters packed Bishop Charles Mason Temple of the Church of God in Christ in what the Reverend James Lawson would describe as a “sardine atmosphere.” With few notes, King addressed the overflowing church by connecting the localized strike to the plight of all workers, especially those in the service economy.

[The following speech was delivered by Dr. King in support of the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike, just two weeks before he was assassinated in the same city.]

My dear friend James Lawson and to all of these dedicated and distinguished ministers of the gospel assembled here tonight, and to all of the sanitation workers and their families and to all of my brothers and sisters—I need not pause to say how very delighted I am to be in Memphis tonight, and to see you here in such large and enthusiastic numbers.

As I came in tonight, I turned around and said to Ralph Abernathy, “They really have a great movement here in Memphis.” You are demonstrating something here that needs to be demonstrated all over our country. You are demonstrating that we can stick together and you are demonstrating that we are all tied in a single garment of destiny, and that if one black person suffers, if one black person is down, we are all down. I’ve always said that if we are to solve the tremendous problems that we face we are going to have to unite beyond the religious line, and I’m so happy to know that you have done that in this movement in a supportive role. We have Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, members of the Church of God in Christ, and members of the Church of Christ in God, we are all together, and all of the other denominations and religious bodies that I have not mentioned.

But there is another great need, and that is to unite beyond class lines. The Negro “haves” must join hands with the Negro “have-nots.” And armed with compassionate traveler checks, they must journey into that other country of their brother’s denial and hurt and exploitation. This is what you have done. You’ve revealed here that you recognize that the no D is as significant as the PhD, and the man who has been to no-house is as significant as the man who has been to Morehouse. And I just want to commend you.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a situation like this and this lets me know that we are ready for action. So I come to commend you and I come also to say to you that in this struggle you have the absolute support, and that means financial support also, of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

You are doing many things here in this struggle. You are demanding that this city will respect the dignity of labor. So often we overlook the work and the significance of those who are not in professional jobs, of those who are not in the so-called big jobs. But let me say to you tonight, that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth. One day our society must come to see this. One day our society will come to respect the sanitation worker if it is to survive, for the person who picks up our garbage, in the final analysis, is as significant as the physician, for if he doesn’t do his job, diseases are rampant. All labor has dignity.

But you are doing another thing. You are reminding, not only Memphis, but you are reminding the nation that it is a crime for people to live in this rich nation and receive starvation wages. And I need not remind you that this is our plight as a people all over America. The vast majority of Negroes in our country are still perishing on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. My friends, we are living as a people in a literal depression. Now you know when there is mass unemployment and underemployment in the black community they call it a social problem. When there is mass unemployment and underemployment in the white community they call it a depression. But we find ourselves living in a literal depression, all over this country as a people.

Now the problem is not only unemployment. Do you know that most of the poor people in our country are working every day? And they are making wages so low that they cannot begin to function in the mainstream of the economic life of our nation. These are facts which must be seen, and it is criminal to have people working on a full-time basis and a full-time job getting part-time income. You are here tonight to demand that Memphis will do something about the conditions that our brothers face as they work day in and day out for the well-being of the total community. You are here to demand that Memphis will see the poor.

You know Jesus reminded us in a magnificent parable one day that a man went to hell because he didn’t see the poor. His name was Dives. And there was a man by the name of Lazarus who came daily to his gate in need of the basic necessities of life, and Dives didn’t do anything about it. And he ended up going to hell. There is nothing in that parable which says that Dives went to hell because he was rich. Jesus never made a universal indictment against all wealth. It is true that one day a rich young ruler came to Him talking about eternal life, and He advised him to sell all, but in that instance Jesus was prescribing individual surgery, not setting forth a universal diagnosis.

If you will go on and read that parable in all of its dimensions and its symbolism you will remember that a conversation took place between heaven and hell. And on the other end of that long-distance call between heaven and hell was Abraham in heaven talking to Dives in hell. It wasn’t a millionaire in hell talking with a poor man in heaven, it was a little millionaire in hell talking with a multimillionaire in heaven. Dives didn’t go to hell because he was rich. His wealth was his opportunity to bridge the gulf that separated him from his brother Lazarus. Dives went to hell because he passed by Lazarus every day, but he never really saw him. Dives went to hell because he allowed Lazarus to become invisible. Dives went to hell because he allowed the means by which he lived to outdistance the ends for which he lived. Dives went to hell because he maximized the minimum and minimized the maximum. Dives finally went to hell because he sought to be a conscientious objector in the war against poverty.

And I come by here to say that America, too, is going to hell if she doesn’t use her wealth. If America does not use her vast resources of wealth to end poverty and make it possible for all of God’s children to have the basic necessities of life, she, too, will go to hell. And I will hear America through her historians, years and generations to come, saying, “We built gigantic buildings to kiss the skies. We built gargantuan bridges to span the seas. Through our spaceships we were able to carve highways through the stratosphere. Through our airplanes we are able to dwarf distance and place time in chains. Through our submarines we were able to penetrate oceanic depths.”

It seems that I can hear the God of the universe saying, “Even though you have done all of that, I was hungry and you fed me not, I was naked and you clothed me not. The children of my sons and daughters were in need of economic security and you didn’t provide it for them. And so you cannot enter the kingdom of greatness.” This may well be the indictment on America. And that same voice says in Memphis to the mayor, to the power structure, “If you do it unto the least of these of my children you do it unto me.”

Now you are doing something else here. You are highlighting the economic issue. You are going beyond purely civil rights to questions of human rights. That is a distinction.

We’ve fought the civil rights battle over the years. We’ve done many electrifying things. Montgomery, Alabama, in 1956, fifty thousand black men and women decided that it was ultimately more honorable to walk the streets in dignity than to ride segregated buses in humiliation. Fifty thousand strong, we substituted tired feet for tired souls. We walked the streets of that city for 381 days until the sagging walls of bus segregation were finally crushed by the battering rams of the forces of justice. In 1960, by the thousands in this city and practically every city across the South, students and even adults started sitting in at segregated lunch counters. As they sat there, they were not only sitting down, but they were in reality standing up for the best in the American dream and carrying the whole nation back to those great wells of democracy, which were dug deep by the founding fathers in the formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

In 1961, we took a ride for freedom and brought an end to segregation in interstate travel. In 1963, we went to Birmingham, said, “We don’t have a right, we don’t have access to public accommodations.” Bull Connor came with his dogs and he did use them. Bull Connor came with his fire hoses and he did use them. What he didn’t realize was that the black people of Birmingham at that time had a fire that no water could put out. We stayed there and worked until we literally subpoenaed the conscience of a large segment of the nation, to appear before the judgment seat of morality on the whole question of civil rights. And then in 1965 we went to Selma. We said, “We don’t have the right to vote.” And we stayed there, we walked the highways of Alabama until the nation was aroused, and we finally got a voting rights bill.

Now all of these were great movements. They did a great deal to end legal segregation and guarantee the right to vote. With Selma and the voting rights bill one era of our struggle came to a close and a new era came into being. Now our struggle is for genuine equality, which means economic equality. For we know now that it isn’t enough to integrate lunch counters. What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesn’t earn enough money to buy a hamburger and a cup of coffee? What does it profit a man to be able to eat at the swankiest integrated restaurant when he doesn’t earn enough money to take his wife out to dine? What does it profit one to have access to the hotels of our city and the motels of our highway when we don’t earn enough money to take our family on a vacation? What does it profit one to be able to attend an integrated school when he doesn’t earn enough money to buy his children school clothes?

And so we assemble here tonight, and you have assembled for more than thirty days now to say, “We are tired. We are tired of being at the bottom. We are tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of oppression. We are tired of our children having to attend overcrowded, inferior, quality-less schools. We are tired of having to live in dilapidated substandard housing conditions where we don’t have wall-to-wall carpets but so often we end up with wall-to-wall rats and roaches. We are tired of smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society. We are tired of walking the streets in search for jobs that do not exist. We are tired of working our hands off and laboring every day and not even making a wage adequate to get the basic necessities of life. We are tired of our men being emasculated so that our wives and our daughters have to go out and work in the white lady’s kitchen, leaving us unable to be with our children and give them the time and the attention that they need. We are tired.”

And so in Memphis we have begun. We are saying, “Now is the time.” Get the word across to everybody in power in this time in this town that now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to make an adequate income a reality for all of God’s children. Now is the time for city hall to take a position for that which is just and honest. Now is the time for justice to roll down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. Now is the time.

Now let me say a word to those of you who are on strike. You have been out now for a number of days, but don’t despair. Nothing worthwhile is gained without sacrifice. The thing for you to do is stay together, and say to everybody in this community that you are going to stick it out to the end until every demand is met, and that you are gonna say, “We ain’t gonna let nobody turn us around.” Let it be known everywhere that along with wages and all of the other securities that you are struggling for, you are also struggling for the right to organize and be recognized.

We can all get more together than we can apart; we can get more organized together than we can apart. And this is the way we gain power. Power is the ability to achieve purpose, power is the ability to affect change, and we need power. What is power? Walter Reuther said once that “power is the ability of a labor union like UAW to make the most powerful corporation in the world—General Motors—say yes when it wants to say no.” That’s power. And I want you to stick it out so that you will be able to make Mayor Loeb and others say yes, even when they want to say no.

Now the other thing is that nothing is gained without pressure. Don’t let anybody tell you to go back on the job and paternalistically say, “Now, you are my men and I’m going to do the right thing for you. Just come on back on the job.” Don’t go back on the job until the demands are met. Never forget that freedom is not something that is voluntarily given by the oppressor. It is something that must be demanded by the oppressed. Freedom is not some lavish dish that the power structure and the white forces in policy-making positions will voluntarily hand out on a silver platter while the Negro merely furnishes the appetite. If we are going to get equality, if we are going to get adequate wages, we are going to have to struggle for it.

Now you know what? You may have to escalate the struggle a bit. If they keep refusing, and they will not recognize the union, and will not agree for the check-off for the collection of dues, I tell you what you ought to do, and you are together here enough to do it: in a few days you ought to get together and just have a general work stoppage in the city of Memphis.

And you let that day come, and not a Negro in this city will go to any job downtown. When no Negro in domestic service will go to anybody’s house or anybody’s kitchen. When black students will not go to anybody’s school and black teachers . . .

[After conferring with his aides, King returned to the microphone briefly to say he would return to Memphis to lead a mass march within a few days.]

Delivered at the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees mass meeting, Bishop Charles Mason Temple, Church of God in Christ, Memphis, Tennessee, March 18, 1968.

Excerpted from The Radical King by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Edited and Introduced by Dr. Cornel West (Beacon Press, 2015). Not to be reposted without permission from the publisher.

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Dignity Of Labor (Speech)

Speech on Dignity of Labor

A very Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening to Honorable Sir/Madam, respected seniors and my dear friends, Warm Greetings to Everyone!

Thank you all for taking out time and being present at this seminar session. We all are gathered here to talk about the topic “Dignity of Labor” .

Today, we are living in an independent and democratic age. It has been realized by most of the people that all forms of labor contribute to the welfare and development of society. The laborers through trade unions and different groups have gained success in attaining a recognized position in society.

The word “labor” meaning is “physical hard work’ work for others and get paid’ physically perform different jobs”. A laborer is one who physically works very hard and get a little payment, a laborer is one who serves the nation but stay unremembered, a laborer is one who physically participates in the development of a country but lives a hard life, a laborer is one who has a part in the construction of every building every monument and every mall. But he always lives a very tough, tense and poor life. The value of a laborer cannot be defined in little words.

The dignity of Labor means respect and value given to all forms of work. It refers to equal respect towards the jobs that involve manual labor. In earlier times, daily several slaves were bought and sold openly in the markets. They lost their dignity and performed all sorts of hard and laborious works. The dignity of labor is because of the laborer. When a laborer does his work honestly and sincerely than the dignity of labor gets higher and higher. History has witnessed the sacrifices of laborers when many laborers were killed only because they were asking about their rights, and the day was saved as “laborer day” and celebrated each year on 1 st May.

When we talk about basic rights, the working classes do not enjoy that respect which is enjoyed by business executives, white-collared people, and merchants. Many learned people do not appreciate and practice the principle of dignity of labor. They prefer high profile jobs. Place of labor and laborer is on the highest rank because if we are studying in a good college with beautiful construction, it is because of the labor of those laborers who participated in the constructions of that building. If the white house and Pisa tower are famous buildings of the world then it is only because of the hard work and skills of laborers. The dignity of labor is obvious from the word “hard work” because hard work is a symbol of success and respect.

But, our society didn’t award the true respect to labor and laborer, our society needs to be educated about the dignity of labor. We should respect laborer and we should accept labor as the most respectable job. We should understand the true meaning of labor if we celebrate 1 st May, because, only big banners and words are of no value.

Thank you all.

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Urdu words for dignity, dignity के उर्दू अर्थ, dignity کے اردو معانی, related searched words, tags for dignity.

English meaning of dignity , dignity meaning in english, dignity translation and definition in English. dignity का मतलब (मीनिंग) अंग्रेजी (इंग्लिश) में जाने | Khair meaning in hindi

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Essay on “Dignity of Labour” for School, College Students, Long and Short English Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12, College and Competitive Exams.

Dignity of Labour

Essay No. 01

The dignity of labour means respect and value given to all forms of work. It refers to equal respect for the jobs that involve manual labour. In earlier times, daily several slaves were bought and sold openly in the markets. They lost their dignity and performed all sorts of hard and laborious works. Today, we are living in an independent and democratic age. It has been realized by most of the people that all forms of labour contribute to the welfare and development of society. The labourers through trade unions and different groups have gained success in attaining a recognized position in society.

When we talk about basic rights, the working class do not enjoy that respect which is enjoyed by business executives, white-collared people and merchants. Many learned people do not appreciate and practice. the principle of dignity of labour. They prefer high-profile jobs. For example, a science graduate, who is the son of a wealthy farmer, would like to take up any job in a nearby city rather than to follow his father’s occupation. Thus, it is not wise to look down upon manual labour.

Manual labour is extremely important and necessary for the smooth functioning in society. Although today most of the work in industries and factories is done by machines, production can be paused without the manual assistance of the workers. Lakhs of labourers work imines, agricultural sectors, construction fields and industries. Although they work with the help of machines, it is their duty to operate and maintain the machines. Invention and introduction of machinery have given rise to a new class of industrial workers. If the workers slow or stop the manufacturing of the essential goods even for a few days than the entire nation can suffer a severe setback. Thus, it is our main duty to show them respect and offer dignity.

In many western countries, the dignity of labour is recognized. Young people do not mind in earning money by doing pan-time work as food delivery boy or waiters at the restaurant. Much of the domestic work like cooking food and washing clothes is done by the members of the family. However, in countries like India, domestic servants are scarce and their demands for wages are very high. Many middle-class families pay more to servants to maintain their prestige in society.

A sense of dignity of labour should be conveyed to students in schools and colleges. They should be encouraged to participate in various kinds of programmes. If their minds are cleared of the view that none of the works is undignified and humiliating, the problem of unemployment will be solved to some extent.

Essay No. 02

A domestic help- she cleans, she washes, she even runs house errands but at the end of the day, she is yelled at for leaving a small little mark on the otherwise clean floor. Lenin founded Communism. Mark came up with the idea of socialism. But in a democracy like India, people have the right to do what they want, right? They can treat people of so-called lower stature in any which way.

An honest day’s work does not earn a person’s respect. And not much money either. So in the modern-day and age money earns respect, not the job you do. A mechanic, a domestic help, a driver cannot walk with their heads held high. Even though they work an equal amount of time (sometimes even more), they are looked down upon.

Who decides which work is better? Who decides which form of work deserves respect? Shouldn’t an honest and descent job be enough? But it’s not the case. The dignity of labor is a thing of the past, seems as though it never even existed. The definition of the dignity of labor is no work should be looked on upon. No one should be treated with any less respect just because of the work they do.

In a democratic system, the rights of the people are protected. Everyone is equal in the eyes of law, the government, and the country. But no one is equal in each other’s eyes. Of late the present environment of the society, the dignity of labor is considered one of the major topics dealing with laborers. The ongoing debate on this topic has reached its peak with people coming to know about their rights. Society has come to terms with the act that every job performed by a laborer is a tough one. Also, it has been understood that he is specialized in these jobs and these jobs are an integral part of the functioning of society. These jobs might be considered menial but think about it. Will you get up and wash the utensils every day? Will you wash your car?

The answer to all of the above is that we have to respect every form of work and thus the solution to all of this is Dignity of Labor. Respect people who work, as this will help not only increase employment but also provide the basis for a healthy society.

Essay No. 03

Nature provides us with everything we need, but not in usable forms. With our various activities like agriculture, trade, industry, and learning, we transform the gifts given to us by the Almighty into products useful to us. As a common feature of all these activities, labour in one form or another is an important factor that makes such transformation possible. It is, in fact, the key factor to our very existence. The variety labour matches a variety of our needs. Therefore, each form of labour is important to us in its own way while few people among us work the iron is in nature to make steel, which builds our industries, some others generate power from water, coal or oil, to run them. If another group tills the land to raise crops, yet another transforms them into vital food. It is such distribution of labour among ourselves that helps us survive. We cannot imagine what our lives would be like. If we were unwilling to work or unprepared to engage in different occupations.

Life is a struggle; one must fight the battle of life valiantly. Everybody who takes birth has to die one day. Therefore, one should make the best of life. Time at our disposal is very short. We must make the best use of every minute given to us by God. Life consists of action, not contemplation. Those who do not act, but go on hesitating and postponing things, achieve nothing in life. Such persons as going on thinking and brooding can never attain the height of glory.

A short life full of action is much better than a long life of inactivity and indolence. Tennyson has rightly remarked that one crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name. A man lives in deeds, not in years. Age or longevity does not matter. What matters is what one makes of life. Ben Jonson, the scholar-poet writes :

“It is not growing big in bulk like a tree Doth make man better be.”

Life is not an idle dream. Every beat of our heart is taking us nearer to our death. We must not lose any time in crying over the past or worrying about the present. H.W. Longfellow writes in his ‘Psalm of life’ :

“Trust no future, however pleasant; Let the dead past bury its dead Act, act in the living present Heart within, and God overhead.”

Though originally all occupations that were necessary and useful to humanity were encouraged and respected. However, as time passed some prejudices developed against certain occupations especially against those occupations that were relatively unimportant or unpleasant, and those that involved more physical effort than the others, were discriminated against. This tendency, along with the practice of deciding the social status of people, on the basis of their occupations, created unrest in society. Thus before long, the concept of distribution of labour, so essential for the health of society, ended up as its main bane. The unfortunate consequences of the distribution of labour and the deep-rooted prejudices against certain occupations were the main causes of casteism and untouchability, which have been plugging the Indian society for centuries. Through the efforts of many philanthropists and social reformers, who upheld the dignity of labour and restored respect for occupations, much of the prejudices have been eliminated.

However, much more needs to be done before we can realize the ideals of egalitarianism and social amity. Modern education, which helped change the outlook of people, was another factor that revived the dignity of labour. The life of Mahatma Gandhi is a typical example of the contribution of modern education in revolutionizing living. Though Gandhiji was born in a traditional, orthodox Hindu family and had a career as a successful lawyer the exposure he had to the outside world, earned him respect for all types of occupations. Gandhiji’s example is all the more important, because, unlike most others, he practiced the virtues of labour that he preached. It was his practice of cleaning his toilet, which was normally the job or scavengers, that ensured a sense of dignity for that job. He willingly did menial jobs on the farm, and while in jail, learned to cobble shoes. He virtually glamorized the occupation of spinning to the extent, that people of all classes and castes adopted the practice in their lives. Gandhiji’s identical respect for all occupations and his willingness to do or learn all manners of work, helped him establish self-sustaining communities, in India and South Africa. To this day the members of these communities honour the dignity of the labour and do all their work themselves, with no dependence of any kind on others. Thus, respect for labour and ensuring its dignity, give us a sense of independence. If nourished in all the members of community property and that too at the proper stage of life, the dignity of labour will help foster healthy relationships among them, thereby contributing to the strength of the community.

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• Dignity Meaning In Urdu Dictionary

Dignity Meaning In Urdu

Dignity Meaning in English to Urdu is جاہ, as written in Urdu and Jah, as written in Roman Urdu. There are many synonyms of Dignity which include Aalam, Address, Cachet, Character, Culture, Decency, Decorum, Elevation, Eminence, Ethics, Etiquette, Glory, Grace, Grandeur, Gravity, Greatness, Hauteur, Honor, Importance, Loftiness, Majesty, Merit, Morality, Poise, Quality, Rank, Regard, Renown, Respectability, Seemliness, Significance, Solemnity, Splendor, Standing, State, Station, Stature, Status, Virtue, Worth, Propriety, Prestige, etc.

[dig-ni-tee]

Definitions of Dignity

n . The state of being worthy or honorable; elevation of mind or character; true worth; excellence.

n . Elevation; grandeur.

n . Elevated rank; honorable station; high office, political or ecclesiastical; degree of excellence; preferment; exaltation.

n . Quality suited to inspire respect or reverence; loftiness and grace; impressiveness; stateliness; -- said of mien, manner, style, etc.

n . One holding high rank; a dignitary.

n . Fundamental principle; axiom; maxim.

Form Noun, Plural Dignities.

How To Spell Dignity [dig-ni-tee]

Origin of Dignity Middle English: from Old French dignete, from Latin dignitas, from dignus ‘worthy’.

Synonyms For Dignity , Similar to Dignity

Antonyms for dignity , opposite to dignity, more word meaning in urdu, free online dictionary, word of the day.

[ni-glekt-fuh L]

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Labour Day Speech

 speech on labour day.

In order to honor the contribution of working women and men, we celebrate Labour Day. On the first day of May, we observe Labour Day in India. Moreover, we also know it by the name of May Day.

This day corresponds to the International worker’s day that is celebrated around the world. In 80 countries around the world that include India celebrate this day and observe it as a national holiday.

Origin of Labour Day

It was first celebrated in Chennai (then Madras) in 1923 and its history dates back to 1886. This was the day on which labour union of the United States of America takes the decision to go on a strike for the fulfilment of their demands.

Even though the protests in the U.S. didn’t lead to any immediate result, however, it helped to establish the 8-hour workday norm in India and other countries of the world. From there onwards, Labour Day is observed as the day for parades and demonstrations all around the globe.

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Celebration in India

We celebrate it as a day for protests not only in India but around the world. Also, this is when the working men and women participate in parades to preserve their rights and safeguard their interests.

Moreover, various labour organizations and trade unions come up with their parades so that the economic reforms they’ve proposed become effective in a short period of time. Besides parades, you’ll find contests being organized for children to participate and understand the bond of togetherness.

In addition, this teaches the strength of unity that is the spirit of the marches that are part of the Labour Day celebrations. To celebrate the spirit of May Day many leaders of various political parties conduct public speeches during the parades.

In 1960, on this day the state of Maharashtra and Gujarat attain their statehood. That’s why they celebrate it as Maharashtra Diwas and Gujarat Diwas in the state of Maharashtra and Gujarat respectively.

It is a special occasion when the people of the world celebrate the true essence of the working class. On this day workers get together and showcase their strength that indicates how efficiently they can struggle to bring in positive improvements for the working of the society.

Some facts relating to Labour Day

• May Day or Labour Day is known by many names such as ‘Kamgar din’ or ‘Antarrashtriya Shramik Diwas’ in Hindi, ‘Uzhaopalar Naal’ in Tamil and ‘Kamgar Diwas’ Marathi.
• Annually we celebrate this day for the achievements and to encourage the workers.
• On the International level, they celebrate it as a holiday for the working class.
• In the province of Madras (now Chennai) India celebrated its first Labour Day in the year 1923.
• The Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan was the first group that organized the May Day celebrations in India.
• It first began in Chicago as a protest campaign to support an 8-hour workday for workers.
• In more than 80 counties of the world that also includes India, we celebrate it as a holiday.
• In addition, it has its origin in the labour union movement in the United States of America in the 19th Century. At that time, industrialists used to exploit the labour class and made them work up to 15 hours a day.

To sum it up, we celebrate Labour Day all around the world to recognize the efforts of millions of labours and helpers. They make our work easy and work tirelessly to contribute a little to society. So, on this day we thank all the workers around the world for their efforts and hard work.

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