Relying on the time-honoured traditional folk art form to articulate their charter of demands, the striking TSRTC employees worshipped ‘Gangireddu’ (decked-up bull) as part of a demonstration held in front of the bus station here on Tuesday — the 39th day of their strike, coinciding with the auspicious Karthika Pournami festival.
The striking employees of the public transport entity kept a memorandum containing their charter of demands, including merger of the Corporation with the State government, at the feet of Gangireddu, revered as Nandi (the vehicle of Lord Shiva) by devotees, in a symbolic gesture invoking divine intervention to fulfil their demands.
The festooned bull performed impressive feats under the supervision of the members of Gangireddu community, providing an impetus to the demonstration and leaving curious onlookers spellbound.
Addressing the demonstration, TSRTC-JAC Khammam bus depot co-convenor Madhava Rao said the women employees offered prayers to Gangireddu considered Basava (Nandi), on the occasion of Karthika Pournami. “We hope wisdom will prevail on the part of the State government, which is adopting a rigid attitude towards the strike by the TSRTC employees who are spearheading the agitation since October 5 in pursuit of just demands to save the public transport entity and uphold the interests of public at large,” Mr. Madhava Rao said.
He alleged that the ruling dispensation was resorting to tactics of intimidation to suppress the indefinite strike without holding talks to resolve the long-pending demands of more than 48,000 striking employees of the TSRTC.
