ON the call of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation Joint Action Committee (TSRTC JAC), thousands of workers lay siege to the famous Tank Bund in Hyderabad on November 9, braving unprecedented repression and police restrictions. Barricades, fences and lathi-wielding policemen could not deter the workers who challenged the government and shouted slogans like “this is the beginning of KCR’s downfall”. Hundreds of people joined the workers in their protest. Police used teargas shells and lathis to stop the workers from reaching the site. Arrests started days in advance in districts only to prevent people from coming to Hyderabad. Thousands were arrested in various districts. Many people fell on the road with bleeding bodies, broken heads and limbs. The injured were dragged to police vans with abuses and made to climb. CPI(M) leaders P Jangareddy, M Srinivas and M Dasaradh, and New Democracy leader Hanmesh were gravely injured. There was curfew-like atmosphere near Tank Bund. CPI(M) State secretary T Veerabhadram, state secretariat member B Venkat and other mass organisations leaders were arrested when they were going to Tank Bund.  Earlier CPI(M) Central Committee member Cherupalli Seetha Ramulu, G Nagaiah, state secretariat member Julakanti Rangareddy were arrested. All shops around Tank Bund were shut by police. And vehicles were diverted without advance warning.

The police atrocities reminded many of the repression let loose by then chief minister Chandrababu Naidu in 2000 on people protesting against power tariff hike. There is no difference between chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Chandrababu Naidu when it comes to suppressing the working population.

The ‘Chalo Tank Bund’ movement was a huge success. The transport workers’ strike entered 39th day on November 12. The workers went on strike demanding merger of the RTC with the government, pay revision, recruitment to various posts among other demands.  The demand for merger of the corporation with the government was also meant to stave off any move by the government to privatise road transport. The employees without wages for two months are facing threats of dismissals and ultimatums. The CPI(M) has been collecting donations for transport workers all over the state.