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| Using muscle against Govt employees would backfire | | |
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, May 24: In nocturnal raids the State Government arrested senior leaders of the employees in Srinagar city and other places of the Valley.
Those prominent among the arrested employees leaders are Khursheed Alam, Abdul Qayoom Wani, Shabir Langoo and others. Despite these arrests the employees have gone ahead with their agitational programme bringing work to a standstill in most of the State Government offices in the Valley.
The agitating employees propose an hour long sit-in outside the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar and a massive rally from the Press Enclave to State's Raj Bhawan.
The State Government had discussions with the employees leaders before the strike programme was started by them. The State Government representatives tried to persuade the employees to cancel their strike, but the employees representatives refused to give up the protests maintaining that the State Government needed to be more serious towards the demands of the employees.
Except for the essential services like hospitals, electricity and PHE, work at all other Government run institutions was paralyzed today because of the strike.
The fact that the State Government in its wisdom chose to arrest the employees' leaders gives one a feeling that the present crisis is far from over. There is going to be a backlash that could throw the functioning of the State Government haywire during the coming days in addition to the three days strike that has already halted the functioning of the Government offices in the State.
The agitating employees have said clearly that the September 2011 agreement between the employees and the State Government must be respected. The mood of the Government as it became clear by its decision to crack the whip on the employees leaders indicates the negotiations between the two could still be a distant possibility. How would the Government address the demands in light of its apparent decision to delay the implementation of the demands of its employees needs to be seen? But, there seems to be no doubt about the fact that somebody somewhere at the very top of the State's political hierarchy is trying to sabotage a peaceful resolution of the present crisis.
The muscle flexing tactics against the State Government employees has been tried in the past with disastrous results. On the face of it, there is no single demand that does not stand the test of reason.
If the superannuation age of the Central Government employees is 60 why should not the State Government employees be brought at par? If daily wagers have been engaged in various departments under lawful orders why should their services not be regularized after so many years? When proper and routine filling up of posts is not done on a timely basis why should not the contractual and adhoc appointees be regularized against the posts they have been discharging their duties against for so many years? Why should pay anomalies continue at various levels in Government pay structures? These are the basic demands over which the employees have been agitating and the State Government has no justification for turning a blind eye towards these genuine demands.
Using force against its own employees is something the State Government can never justify. There has been no breach of peace by the agitating employees. Yes, if the demands are contested by the State Government that also has to be done on the negotiating table and not through the arrests and intimidation of the agitating employees. |
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