Hyderabad, October 12: The Employees and Workers JAC chairman and TNGO leader, Mr Swamy Goud, has made it clear that their single-point agenda was achieving separate Telangana State and their strike would continue as it is.
Speaking at the Secretariat media point after meeting the Group of Ministers and submitting a letter comprising three demands, Mr Swamy Goud profusely thanked the employees for their wholehearted cooperation for the Sakala Janula Samme on the occasion of 30 days’ completion of the strike. After 30 days of strike, the government invited the employees’ JAC for discussions on one hand and slapped sedition case against the employees’ JAC. He also said that he came to know that the Chief Minister was forwarding a file to the Governor for dismissal of 10 employees’ JAC leaders from service.
“I sought clarification from the GoM on the news about removal of employees. The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Damodar Rajanarasimha, told them that the government had no such idea’, he added. Questioning how it was right for the government to invite the employees JAC leaders for talks while booking cases against them, he asked why the government, which took an initiative for deletion of 14(f) clause, was not showing same commitment in the matter of introduction of Telangana Bill in Parliament. He also alleged that the government was trying to eliminate the Employees JAC leaders. He said that they put forth three demands — lifting of ESMA and cases filed against the employees, withdrawal of 177 GO (no work no pay) and inquiry into the police attack on him at the RTA office. He also urged the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to intervene in the matter and announce a clear road map on formation of separate Telangana State.
Claiming that the employees JAC was always ready for talks with GoM, he felt that the government should create congenial atmosphere for holding discussions. Reminding that the government was claiming that the Telangana statehood was not in its hands, the Employees JAC secretary general, Mr Srinivas, asked why the government did not react positively to the demand of Telangana MLAs for postponement of Group-I main examination and Group-II examinations, which were in its hands.
Terming the protest of some parents of the students against closure of schools as tutored ones, he pointed out that their strike was for bright future of the students and permanent solution to the issues of the farmers in the Telangana region. Stating that the government’s attempts to scuttle the APSRTC strike were failed, he said the government would face same experience if it makes efforts to scuttle Sakala Janula Samme.
He also strongly objected to the call given by the Chief Minister, Mr N Kiran Kumar Reddy, to revolt against the JAC leaders for their actions creating hardship to the farmers. He pointed out that the Employees JAC has not given any such call to Telangana employees to act against the Seemandra employees. He made it clear that their conditions were only for coming for talks with the government, but not for withdrawal of the strike. The strike would continue until a clear announcement from the Centre on formation of separate Telangana state made. The Chief Minister, Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy should convey the feelings of the Telangana employees and the people to the Centre, he demanded. He averred that the employees plunged into separate State agitation only after the failure of the politicians to fulfill their promise to Telanagana people.
—-AGencies