Political activities of railway workers in Arak

Translated by M. B. Khoshnevisan

2023-6-15

I started taking the leaflets, and their distribution and reproduction in Dey of 1356 (December 1977) when an insulting article was written about the Imam. When I [Mohammed Javad Gerami] and other railway workers were at work and commuting to Qom by train, we took the leaflets from the offices of Mr. Pasandideh, the brother of Imam Khomeini, Ayatollah Golpayegani and Ayatollah Shariatmadari, brought them to Arak, and then reproduced and distributed them. I got most of the leaflets from railway employees like Mr. Eshraqi and Mr. Hussain Badi. When I arrived in Qom by train, I told them, "What's up?"

Then, they brought the leaflets quickly, giving to me

The railway workers were active and delivered the leaflets all over Iran. They were good trustees. The leaflets that were given to the locomotive drivers and the heads of the train were distributed by them without anyone knowing. My colleagues in Arak Railway who participated in these activities with me were few in number, including Mr. Ashtian, Mr. Pourmajid and Haj Moslehi. Mr. Pourmajid was an old man who was very active. I also took the leaflets to my home. My brothers and sisters took the leaflets with them and distributed them in the neighborhoods, schools, mosques and other places.

They were less suspicious of us for distributing leaflets because our work did not have a specific hour, we had to get ready and move immediately until the summons officer came to us, that is, we were always on the move. This had become routine for the guards. When we showed our ID card, they had nothing to do with us anymore. Since the railway employees were mostly dealing with trains, there were few office employees, so there was no strike in the railways. On the other hand, the director of the railway was one of the owners of Sarband, a member of the Rastakhiz Party and a very good man. He was against the strikes and was not willing to shut it down.

Source: Islamic Revolution in Arak as narrated by people, V. 3, interview and compilation by Maryam Hajizadeh and Sareh Mashadi Miqani, Andisheh Sadeq, pp. 124- 125.