The Hindu : Front Page : Taximen take to the streets

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Taximen take to the streets

Special Correspondent

— Photo: PTI

show of strength: Taxi drivers protesting against the attack on their union office in Mumbai on Thursday.

MUMBAI: Incensed tax drivers in the city took to the streets for a while on Thursday after their union office was attacked in south Mumbai.

The union which was formed in 1954 by George Fernandes to fight for taximen’s rights was the target this time by a group of young men who shouted “Raj Thackeray Zindabad,” while unfurling the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) flag.

While the MNS has been targeting north Indians, one of the five people injured in the attack was Abhijeet Patil, a Maharashtrian.

Home Minister R.R. Patil confirmed that Patil was the one who filed a police complaint on the attack.

Since last Sunday, taximen have been the target of MNS ire as the bulk of the 55,000 taxis are driven by north Indians. According to A.L. Quadros, general secretary of the Bombay Taximen’s Union, who was present during the attack, 20-25 persons entered the office and started abusing the people sitting there.

“They told the staff not to move and they disconnected the telephone on my desk. Then they started throwing chairs and the office computer. They smashed the glass above the door and the clock. They had sticks in their hands,” he said.

“This is goondagiri, political parties do not behave like this, only criminals do. If they continue with these attacks, they will lose the sympathy of the people,” he said.

For Rajnath Yadav, a managing committee member of the union for 30 years, the attack came as a shock. “We thought these young men wanted some information. They came in small groups and started shouting abuse at all of us. I could not understand what was happening.”

Chandrashekhar Nair was injured on the neck when a chair was thrown at him. “We were seven or eight of us in office and we had no idea that things would take such a turn. It was all over in a few minutes. They were going to attack Mr. Quadros, instead they hit me. Before that they snatched the phone from Mr. Quadros and did not allow him to call anyone,” he said.

Some of the union members alleged that the men threatened the office staff with knives. “They shouted ‘break everything’ and abused us,” says Ramesh Ganshyam.

In the attack, Mr. Quadros’ son Arun, who was working in the office, was also injured, though not seriously. “These are uncultured people,” said Arun.

Since the violence broke out, about 50 taximen were attacked and 32 taxis were damaged, Mr. Quadros said. The State government had agreed to compensate the losses, he said.

The government has stepped up security for Mr. Quadros.

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