Thursday, Nov 28, 2002
Thursday, Nov 28, 2002 |
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Kerala
By Our Staff Reporter
Though the strike was against the UDF Government, the agitationists blocked both the gates of the adjacent Accountant General's office preventing the entry of staff. Small groups of headload workers arrived before the main gates of the Secretariat for the `siege' called by the Joint Action Council of Headload Workers at 4 a.m. However, the siege commenced around 6-30 a.m. with hundreds of headload workers affiliated to the trade unions CITU, AITUC, UTUC and BMS squatting in front of the three main gates of the Secretariat. Later, the headload workers of these unions who arrived from all over the State moved to the Secretariat gates in small groups raising slogans against the UDF Government, the Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, and the Labour Minister, Babu Divakaran. The three gates, two along the arterial M. G. Road and the other near the YMCA, were blocked by the workers. The volunteers' effort to reach the fourth gate of the Secretariat situated near the Cantonment police station was not successful as the police had erected barricades along the road leading to it at Jacob's junction to prevent the movement of the headload workers. Following this, the agitationists sat on the roads leading from Spencer junction, Bakery junction, Vanross junction and near the Press Club. The VJT Hall-Pulimoodu junction was also out of bounds for the people from morning as the protestors prevented them and even abused pedestrians who moved along the stretch. The police remained mute witness even when women were blocked. The headload workers prevented presspersons who arrived to cover the agitation in front of the Secretariat. The cameraman of `Jeevan TV', K. P. Sajan, fractured his left elbow in the assault near the Press Club and had to be hospitalised. The agitationists also attacked the Press Club building and the glass-panes of the main hall was damaged in stone-throwing. The working of Government offices and other institutions in and near the Secretariat was also affected. Following the agitation, which virtually turned into a road blockade around the Secretariat, the officials and other staff could not enter the Secretariat and AG's office premises. However, Mr. Antony, his Cabinet colleagues and top officials entered the Secretariat through the gate near the Cantonment police station Inaugurating the Secretariat siege, the Leader of the Opposition, V. S. Achuthanandan, said the LDF would take over the strike of headload workers if the Government failed to withdraw the legislation. Stating that the legislation was ``anti-worker'', he said the legislation would only help the police in harassing the headload workers. Mr. Antony and his Cabinet colleagues were acting to the tune of the ADB, he added. The workers dispersed from the gates of the Secretariat, AG's Office and from the Spencer junction-Statue junction by 4 p.m. A huge posse of police was deployed at all the gates of the Secretariat, main junctions enroute since morning and traffic was diverted from the main entry points of the MC road and National Highway 47 by the police on account of the agitation.
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