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Profile of Lalit Basnet
Vice-Chairman, GEFONT

Com. Basnet was born on January 1955 at Khalanga, Salyan- the western hill district of Nepal. He has been just retired from a Chemical Factory located in Hetauda, Makwanpur-Central South part of Nepal.

Com. Basnet is married. He has been working as a union activist since 1979. During the time when Chairman Neupane was Labour Minister, he had shouldered responsibility of Acting Chairperson of GEFONT. At present he is heading GEFONT's new & biggest federation-Federation of Agricultural Workers of Nepal (FAWN) and assisting the chairman.

Com. Basnet spoke on his life and work with GEFONT official organ the Workers' News just his election in the parliament. Interestingly he had defeated with landslide margin during election to his nearest compotator from Ruling party who was from business community. Following is the excerpt of the text:

"I came to Kathmandu from Salyan in 1971/72 for education. While in Kathmandu, I learned watch-repairing work from a Lahure (Nepali who had joined foreign arm-force) and became a watch mechanics. I spent four years in Kathmandu. During the period, I heard, the government was going to distribute land under Rehabilitation programme in Hetauda and I arrived here. My pocket was empty, thus stayed in one of the friend's home by sharing his meal and bed for six months. During that period I could get a job as plumber in Mahashakti Soap industry under contract. My performance impressed factory owners very much; thus he offered me a new job. This was my departure point in the world of work", said Comrade Basnet, recalling his past.

Born in 1955 in Salyan, one of the militant figures of Nepali Trade Union Movement Com. Lalit responses a question on how he entered the trade union activity. "It was 1975-77, we had toil hard almost 24 hours just like a bonded labourer. There was no provision of overtime nor we could get more than Nrs.100 (US$ 1.5) per month as salary. When I started to stay out from factory premises one of the salesman of the factory inspired us to raise voice against the exploitation. We put forward our collective demands and surprisingly gained some achievements. From this event, I get involve in union."

His achievements were not as all of sudden, he has travel a long journey. First and foremost event was his involvement in newly launched trade union-Nepal Independent Workers' Union-NIWU in 1979 as vice-president of its Makwanpur district committee. He led several agitations with this capacity. Then he was elected Central Committee treasurer in 1981. Rapidly he claimed the ladder of leadership and was elected president of central committee by the first national conference held in 1988.

This position dragged him to a focal point of union movement. Within a year he became uncontested founder president of the GEFONT. The historical day was July20, 1989. Now he is Vice-chairman of gefont; this position is in continue since 1992, first national Congress.

Com. Lalit is shouldering different responsibility in Union movement. One of the challenging jobs is to lead Agricultural labourers, which are vast majority in numbers. This group of toiling masses includes bonded-forced and illiterate workers. They are denying from basic trade union rights and are surviving under severe exploitation. This is challenging and difficult job; however Com. Lalit is comfortably leading the FAWN.

As a respected leader of Nepal's trade union movement, he has been elected as honourable Member of Parliament and is in a new responsibility now. The man could exhibit his performance by defeating an employer contesting in Upper House (National Assembly) of Parliament from ruling party's ticket with large margin.

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