RTC JAC intensify stir, call for Telangana bandh on October 19

Two suicides in the last three days

Hyderabad: The strike by the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) employees on Monday has entered the 10th day. The strike has further intensified with two employees having committed suicide. The RTC JAC has framed its future course of action and has called for a Telangana bandh on October 19 (Saturday).

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the TSRTC employees announced its plan of action to mount pressure on the TRS government. The JAC is holding public meetings across the state.

"The JAC will take up several types of protest. Rasta roko, the human chain on Tuesday, rallies across the state on October 16, Dhum Dham programme on October 17, Bike rallies on October 18 and Telangana state bandh on October 19, etc.,” said Mr Ashwathama Reddy, RTC JAC convener.

Opposition parties have extended support to the Telangana bandh on October 19. The Congress, the BJP, the Telugu Desam (TD), Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India (Marxists) CPM and several student unions are extending support to the striking RTC employees.

Several student organisations tried to stage dharnas in front of Bus Bhavan in Hyderabad. However, the police arrested the student leaders and dispersed the students.

RTC unions staged a dharna at Ibrahimpatnam bus depot in Rangareddy district. Congress MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy also participated in the dharna. Children and other family members of the RTC employees held placards while protesting against the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government.

Unfazed the RTC employees are further intensifying their strike across the state. Over 48,000 employees, along with their family members staged dharnas and shouted slogans at various bus depots, bus stands and main centers of towns and villages. JAC leaders are appealing to employees, not to get nervous about the future and to not commit suicides.

RTC employees paid homage to RTC driver Srinivas Reddy and conductor Surendra Goud, who committed suicide in the past two days, at the Mushirabad bus depot.

Mulugu MLA Sithakka expressed solidarity with the RTC employees and the total strike success in Mulugu district.

"We don't have any intention to politicise the RTC strike. We're supporting the RTC employees," said Sithakka.

Meanwhile, the Osmania Hospital doctors completed the post-mortem on Surendra Goud, 46, another RTC employee, who committed suicide by hanging himself. The deceased conductor hung himself at his residence at Banjarewadi in the city. The Kulsumpura Police registered a case under section 174.

RTC driver Srinivas Reddy died at Apollo DRDO hospital, Kanchanbag, on Sunday morning. His body was shifted to Khammam and cremated the same night.

It may be recalled that the Telangana martyr Srikantha Chary was also admitted to Apollo DRDO hospital after a self-immolation attempt at LB Nagar on December 1, 2009. Chary struggled for over three days before he died on December 3, 2009.

In the last three days, two RTC employees have committed suicide: Srinivas Reddy from Khammam district and Surendra Goud from Mushirabad.