THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the state government moved swiftly to offer Kerala Blasters footballer C K Vineeth a job after he was fired by the AG’s Office recently, the plight of one of his predecessors presents a huge contrast. Former Kerala Santosh Trophy defender and city-based football coach Ebin Rose has alleged he is being unfairly treated by his employer Travancore Titanium Products, but is yet to have his voice heard by the powers that be.
Titanium had signed on the rock solid defender while he was plying his trade at the State Bank of Travancore team and was given the post of a store assistant in the company in 1999.
Now, in the twilight of an impressive career in which he won numerous honours with the Titanium XI and was part of the state team which last won the Santosh Trophy in 2004, Ebin has been deployed since June 8 as a process operator at Titanium’s production processing plant instead of his original post which involves desk work.
In the new post, Ebin has to handle strong acids and chemicals which he has no experience working with. “I am willing to work for the company, but not in these conditions which endanger me. Many fatal accidents had happened in the plant in the past,” said Ebin. “Process operator should be a graduate in Chemistry and is given a month-long training before starting the job. But I was a BA History student in college and was never given any training for this,” he said alleging it is personal vendetta that has led to this transfer.
Ebin said he had a disagreement on footballing issues with the new Titanium coach which led to him quitting the team. “There are also people inside the organisation who run academies which compete with Kovalam FC where I work as a coach and want to scuttle our plans,” he said.
Ebin said he would advise all youngsters who want to take up football as a career not to join departmental sides. “The amount of money you make working for a department for 25 years can be made playing professional football for five years,” said Ebin.
“A lot of mental and physical torture is meted out to those who don’t tag the department line. And I am willing to fight to any extent against this injustice,” said Ebin, who also played for the now defunct Viva Kerala FC in the I-League.