Another reason why protest rallies should be banned

City railway station abode for workers
The workers who had come to the City from various parts of the State for a CITU protest rally had no place to go to.
Deccan Herald

Picture this: Thousands of Anganwadi workers seemed lost in Bangalore City with no place to go to, no food to eat, no water to drink, no money and not even a place to answer nature’s call. They soon found a place.

They promptly made Bangalore City Railway station their home.
Scores of Anganwadi workers, who had come to the City to participate in a protest, organised by the CITU and other organisations, were left in the lurch. Having no other alternative place to go to, they moved bag and baggage to the City Railway Station triggering off utter chaos and confusion at there.

According to top railway officials, about 8,000 workers are camping at the city railway station.

They were seen eating, sleeping, littering and even answering nature’s call on railway platforms.
They converted railway toilets into bathrooms.
This inconvenienced the passengers, who couldn’t even move around to buy tickets or board railway coaches.

Pushpa, an Anganwadi worker from Banawara of Arasikere alleged, “The organisers promised they would get us more wages if we took part in the protest. They said the protest would be for four days. Now they say the protest was only for one day.

The return tickets have been booked, by them only after four days (return tickets booked only on September 6). We have no other option but to stay on the platform.” These workers came in on September 2.

Kodanda Rama of Haveri said, the organisers had not provided them with any food or shelter. “The organisers had taken Rs 300 from us. The organisers say that they would pressurise the government to regularise our services.”

M Praveen Kumar, an employee at the GKW Engineering works, who travels from Kolar to the City everyday said the City railway station had become chaotic and the stench unbearable.

Prabhakaran, an engineering student who was waiting for Kaveri Express, said, “The police or the authorities concerned should prevent the railway station from becoming a Thabela (cow shed).”

The police had a tough time controlling the crowd. P Manjappa, police constable, City Railway Station, said, the police had to work over time to control the crowd so that the situation did not get out of control.

A senior police officer said, “We had no other option but to let the workers stay on the platform lest they become unmanageable.”

When Deccan Herald contacted the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) regarding the accommodation facilities made for the aganwadi workers, Mr Prasanna Kumar, State Secretary of CITU said the respective district unions were supposed to make the arrangements. When specific details were asked, Mr Kumar brushed aside the questions and said, “We thought the workers would make their own arrangements.”

However, Ms S Varalakshmi, State Secretary and Aganwadi Workers Union General Secretary, who was more forthcoming said, “Four choultries were booked for people coming in from other districts.” The CITU authorities are unaware of how much longer the workers will camp at the railway station. The indefinite strike of the CITU began in Bangalore on Friday.