HYDERABAD: I am still in a state of shock, says Sankeertan Goud. A day after his father and former TSRTC conductor Surendar Goud committed suicide on Sunday, the 23-year-old is yet to come to terms with the load of responsibility that has suddenly fallen on his shoulders. Goud had abruptly ended his life late Sunday evening, unable to make sense of the fact that he stood dismissed from the TSRTC.
Goud had taken the extreme step when his son and wife were away from home. Though he was taken to the hospital as soon as possible, he was declared dead on arrival. Now, as everyone from RTC workers, neighbours and relatives to politicians and bureaucrats gather at their home to offer condolences, Sankeertan, his mother and his 21-year-old sister sit cluelessly. How did things go this far, they ask.
“We hail from a small village in Nizamabad and have been living here on rent for almost 20 years. My father was the only one in the family with a stable government job. I think losing that stability was what pushed him to this,” Sankeertan told Express.
Surendar is the second victim to the shocking events that had unfolded after the strike announcement. The verbal orders from Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to suspend the striking employees, and not pay them the salaries for September, had emotionally pushed them to the brink. According to Sankeertan, there were no immediate financial burdens for the family. He had just begun working as a salesperson at a local store, while his mother took to tailoring to make ends meet. However, the uncertainty and stress of losing his job pushed his 44-year-old father into taking this extreme step. “He had been watching the news for the past week and constantly worrying about the situation. But none of us thought he would do this,” said Sankeertan.
“All of us feel trapped. In addition to the verbal threats of dismissing us from our jobs, they are also withholding our salaries. It is a bad phase,” said Usha Kiran, a woman conductor and Surendar’s colleague at the Ranigunj depot.
Meanwhile, Goud’s relatives urged the government to lend a patient ear to the workers. “They have lost an earning member of their family due to this. The government should give them compensation and a government job. It must soften its stand on the matter, as it is about the lives of 50,000 employees and their families,” said a relative.
Mild scuffle amid funeral procession
Tension prevailed after the police attempted to stop the funeral procession for RTC employee Surendar Goud, who committed suicide late Sunday night, in Kulsumpura on Monday. After a mild scuffle, however, the RTC workers were allowed to continue the procession
With 3.6 lakh footfall, Metro beats own record
Hyderabad: A record number of commuters utilised the Hyderabad Metro on Friday evening. HMRL had to increase 100 more trips in addition to the pre-RTC strike frequency of 810 trips to manage the footfall. Until 9 pm on Friday, Metro recorded a footfall of 3,63,000 passengers. NVS Reddy, managing director of HMRL, said, “We have recorded a footfall of 3,63,000 passengers, and a forecast was estimated for over 3,08,000 passengers”
OU students stage protests, detained
Hyderabad: Students of Osmania University on Monday staged a protest at the Arts college road against the chief ministers verbal orders to sack 48,000 striking employees of TSRTC. They also attempted to conduct a gherao protest at the Ministers Quarters on Banjara Road Number 12. Tension prevailed after around 15 students headed to the quarters and attempted to barge in. The cops pushed back the students and detained some of them
Not against the RTC strike: Employees JAC
Hyderabad: Telangana Employees Joint Action Committee (JAC) chairman K Ravindar Reddy and secretary general V Mamatha said on Monday that they were not against the RTC strike. “We hope all the problems faced by RTC workers would be resolved with the strike,” the Employees JAC leaders said, while urging the State government to resolve the issues of striking RTC employees. They asked the RTC workers not to be disheartened
Jagga Reddy warns of siege to min’s house
Sangareddy: Senior Congress leader and MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy on Monday warned that he would lay siege to Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar’s house, if the government failed to make their stand on the RTC strike clear within two days. “I will be accompanied by the 600 RTC workers from Sangareddy,” he stated. Extending his support to the protesters, he alleged that the statements made by ministers were hurting the workers