THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dramatic scenes ensued in front of the Secretariat after the indefinite agitation for immediate appointment by Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) Last Grade Servant rank holders turned violent on Monday. Two rank holders even went to the extent of threatening to commit suicide by pouring kerosene on themselves. It was only the timely intervention of police and fire force that averted a possible tragedy.
The 100-odd rank holders have been protesting in front of the Secretariat for the past two weeks. According to the rank holders, the government had not even called the representatives for a discussion and so they decided to take the drastic step at least to gain attention from the government.
Pradeep Kumar and Riju poured kerosene on themselves and lay down on the road raising slogans. However, the policemen stationed at the spot were quick to act and they took them to the general hospital. Later, they were taken to AR camp and the Cantonment police recorded their arrest before releasing them on station bail.
Other protesters were booked under various sections pertaining to unlawful assembly, rioting and for disrupting the duties of a public servant.
The fire force cleaned the road where the kerosene was poured.
Vineesh Chandran, a rank holder, said, "We began the strike on January 26. Even after 14 days, no government representatives gave us any assurance. We had met all the ministers and leaders since we have been waiting for the appointment letters for the past two and half years. They sent us away with false promises that the appointments will be made soon. The government has only made 12 percent of appointments so far. We also have families and children. Now, our future looks bleak. Two rank holders had to resort to the threat of taking the extreme step. We will stage a statewide protest if the government is not ready to address our grievances after this."
The rank list for the last grade servants was published on June 29, 2018. The Public Service Commission has sent advice to only 5,524 rank holders. In the previous list, the PSC had appointed over 11,000 rank holders. Even though 46,285 persons were included in the list, the PSC has not even made appointments for half of the total number of rank holders.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)