THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Left in the lurch, the 500-odd empanelled conductors have been on a protest mode for the last 46 days. Though there is little backing from the government, many trade unions and individuals are coming forward offering help to these conductors to meet their day-to-day requirements.
"When thousands come to protest, where will they stay? What about their food? Not many think about these aspects," said a protestor. But, there are kind noble minds out there who come to their aid. "We help each other when one of us is in trouble. If someone has a financial issue at home, we collect money among ourselves and send it to him, sometimes without the person's knowledge," said S D Joshi, who was working with KSRTC's Ernakulam depot.
From a lottery seller and an auto driver to a nearby hotel and shop owner, help is pouring in from different quarters."We usually walk 2.5 km from where we stay to the protest pandal," said Priyaraj, an empanelled conductor."Sometimes we are forced to take an auto, but the drivers never take money from us. "The people here are saviours," he said.
The struggle
According to Joshi, it has been almost two-and-a-half months since they have been terminated from the KSRTC. "We now live a hand-to-mouth existence. But, we do get help from people to carry out our basic needs, including food. Various trade unions, including AITUC and INTUC, provide us with food and accommodation," said Joshi.
Around 300 of them, including women, spend the night at the KSTEU office. At times, food needs are met by the funds collected from the public who visit the pandal. AITUC general secretary MG Rahul said they provide the protestors with food supplies like rice, grains and vegetables.
A group of fisherwomen pitched in by contributing a day's lunch. "Normally, we have rice porridge but on that particular day, the fisherwomen served us rice and fish curry that was prepared here itself," said Surjith from Perinthalmanna depot.
Many elder women and men come to our pandal to spend time with us. "Their hope and prayers helped us come this far. Else, our only option is to end our lives," said Geetha S Raman, one of the agitators. There is little government intervention. This forced conductors to start a hunger strike. The protestors arrive at the pandal at 8 am and leave at 6 pm.