RTC employees, owing allegiance to the National Mazdoor Union, got their heads shaved partially and squatted on the National Highway at Maddilapalem junction on Thursday in protest against the proposed bifurcation of the State. A 72-hour strike was launched by electricity employees on the banner of Vidyut Udyogula Samaikhya JAC on Thursday. Power breakdowns are said to have occurred in rural areas of the district on Thursday.
The agitating employees got their heads shaved to mark the completion of 30 days of their agitation for Samaikyandhra. They held a human chain and held up traffic for sometime. The participants protested against the provocative statements made by a police constable from Telangana region at the ‘Save Andhra Pradesh’ rally held in Hyderabad and asked the Telangana leaders to stop such comments in future failing which they would have to face the wrath of their counterparts from Seemandhra region. The leaders who got their heads shaved were T.S. Rao, N.M. Krishna, B. Demudu, K.A. Raju, Bangarayya, M.U. Rao, Ch. Haribabu, K. Ramesh and S.R. Rao.
NMU leaders P.V.V. Mohan, K. Nandagopal, P.N. Rao, M.V.R. Murthy and A.K. Shivaji participated.
Andhra University employees took out a rally to Maddilapalem and stopped traffic for about half-an-hour. They raised slogans in support of Samaikhyandhra and held placards “Kalasi vunte, kaladhu sukham, vidipothe vishadham” stressing on the need to remain united the problems associated with division of the state.
Visakha Muslims JAC launched relay hunger strike at the Gandhi statue at Asilametta on Thursday. Doctors S. Naveen and K. Rambabu, women employees Venkatalakshmi, B.B. Lakshmi, Rajeswari, Dhanalakshmi, Lalitha, Bharathi and Sirisha participated in the relay fast on Thursday.
JAC leaders Dr. P. Shyam Sundar, Dr. Babju Shyam, N. Appa Rao and Eswara Rao attended. A rally was organised by employees of the Commercial Taxes Department in support of Samaikhyandhra. Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Employees Union will organise a Samaikhya Sankharavam at Gandhi statue near GVMC from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday. APNGO s have a given a call to stage protests at Central Government offices on Friday as part of the movement.
Garjana put off
The Visakha Samaikya Garjana earlier scheduled for September 17 by Non-Political JAC has been postponed to September 21. The JAC sought support from all Samaikyandhra activists for the garjana. The postponement of the event at Ramakrishna Beach was made owing to immersion of Ganesh idols taking place from around September 17, it was learnt. Meanwhile, representatives of the JAC, including Chairman V. Balamohandas, MLC K V V Satyanarayana Raju, general secretary P. Vishnu Kumar Raju and co-convener Sunkari Ravindra visited various protest camps being held at the university, GVMC and by APNGOs, Electricity and Judicial employees and by political parties extending their support and seeking participation in the garjana.
