G Geethakumary, a former employee at Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple here, who was sacked from her job at the temple three years ago, is still fighting for justice.
Geethakumary of Geethabhavan, Mundela PO, Nedumangad taluk in the district, a tailor-in charge cum-computer operator who was working at the Sree Padmanabhaswami temple for over 22 years as a daily wage worker for a paltry salary, lost her job as she resisted the alleged advances of a security officer. Geethakumary who got employment from November 28,
1987, on the orders of erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, was given additional responsibility as computer operator from May 6, 2008.
She was the seniormost daily wage worker when she was terminated from service for opposing the then security officer’s alleged advances to outrage her modesty. Her complaint to the administrative officer Jayasekharan and then to the executive officer Sadanandan yielded no result.
Instead, she was terminated from service on September 12, 2009, without assigning any reason.
Her compliant to Fort Police seeking justice failed to evoke any effective response initially. Following the court’s direction, an FIR was filed. Meanwhile, Geethakumary’s efforts to get reinstated in her job has not succeeded yet. According to her, the temple administration had little concern for the plight of its staff members.
‘’They had not cited any reason for my removal. I had not done any wrong during my 22-year service for a paltry salary. I will go to any extent to get justice’’ she said.
Speaking to Express, Manakkad Chandrankutty, former general secretary of the Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple Staff Organisation (INTUC) said that the temple authorities were acting as if they were still under the rule of the royal family.
He said that he was also forced to quit the post of the general secretary following pressure from his own party as the temple authorities had influenced its leaders.