In a major climbdown, the RTC Joint Action Committee and the opposition parties that are supporting it have decided to temporarily withdraw their main demand seeking merger of the corporation with the government to pave way for negotiations to resolve the RTC strike which entered 41st day on Thursday.
At a meeting, the JAC and leaders of various parties took the decision to withdraw the demand as the government projected it as the reason to back out on talks. “So, we decided that we will not insist on merger if it helped to begin the talks. There are other demands too which have to be discussed,” Telangana Jana Samiti president M. Kodandaram said.
He added that the meeting also decided to forge more coordination between the unions and the parties to highlight the struggle and the woes of the striking employees. As part of this, the next phase of agitation has been finalised, which includes a campaign in villages to save the RTC on Friday.
JAC convenor E. Aswathama Reddy, co-convenor K. Raji Reddy and other leaders Chary and Sudha would go on an indefinite hunger strike from November 16 and the RTC workers would stage mass hunger strike in front of all bus depots on November 17 and 18.
On November 19, the meeting decided to organise road blockade at several points on the highway from Hyderabad to Kodad.
The meeting was attended by BJP leaders A.P. Jitender Reddy and B. Mohan Reddy, Congress former MP V. Hanumantha Rao, Telugu Desam- Telangana president L. Ramana and another party leader Ravula Chandrsekhar Reddy, and leaders from CPI, CPI (M) and CPI (ML-New Democracy).
Mr. Aswathama Reddy told the media persons that a JAC activist, Krishna Reddy, was arrested by plain-clothes policemen and shifted to an undisclosed place, and he demanded his immediate release.
The JAC had sought an appointment with Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to present to her the family members of RTC workers who died after the commencement of the strike. Another appointment with the National Human Rights Commission has also been sought, he said.
He regretted that neither Ministers nor officials visited the kin of dead workers till now.
Meanwhile, the RTC workers staged demonstrations in front of depots as part of bandh in Mahabubabad district to express resentment over the suicide of Naresh, an RTC driver, on Wednesday. A demonstration in front of Parkal depot lasted for nearly four hours. A worker was rushed to hospital when he fell ill at the dharna in front of Yadagirigutta depot.
