ESMA reduced to hukm-e-nawwab ta dar-e-nawwab

Trade union leaders set up ‘War Control Room’ at CAPD hqs; shutdown continues

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Apr 8: Even as authorities have detained nearly 50 trade union activists in what are locally ridiculed as ‘ornamental arrests’, Omar Abdullah government’s decision of invoking the draconian Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) has been reduced to a joke. As over 95 percent offices and all educational institutions remained locked on the fourth consecutive day of the strike sponsored by Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) of the employees, prominent trade union leaders have established a control room for running and monitoring the strike at CAPD headquarters while holding daily press conferences to browbeat the Government.

Reports available from different sources suggested that there was near-total shutdown in government and public sector undertaking offices besides educational institutions all over Kashmir valley on the fourth day of strike. JCC, which comprises both factions of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) and constituents of almost all trade union alliances, with the support of premier organization of the non-gazetted staff working as Civil Secretariat, has been demanding release of pay arrears which have become due to over 450000 employees on account of the implementation of 6th pay commission recommendations in 2009.

Employees on strike have also been seeking enhancement of the age of superannuation from 58 to 60 years, House Rent Allowance and regularization of the services of all the incumbents engaged on daily-wage, adhoc, contractual and consolidated arrangement.

Reports said that Police managed to pre-empt demonstrations and assemblies of the trade union leaders and employees at several places in Valley. DC Budgam said that 11 of the trade union activists were detained by Police as they had gathered at Budgam and were attempting to form a rally. He said that “99 percent” of the District Officers were present at their offices. Similar claims poured in from other districts all over Valley. However, independent reports said that less than 50 officers at each district headquarters enjoyed an idle day at respective DC’s offices and guesthouses as all of their offices remained locked.

Trade union activists were spotted entering even the fortified office complexes and dragging out skeletal class 3 and class 4 employees who had been drawn by officers mainly to serve them tea and cold drinks. Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir and all DCs in Valley called it “successful attendance” and conveyed to Chief Minister that “almost all the offices are open and functional”. Two of the junior officials, who had opened their office, and were ready to discharge duty, were scolded by a DC’s PA as to why they were violating the strike. “There are serious complaints that you people have opened the office and you are on duty”, they were purportedly told by the officials who themselves remained busy in doling out lies to the highest authorities.

According to reliable reports, even a few hundred officials, who reached their offices, did not do any work in absence of their subordinate staff. They did not have even keys to open their offices. Trade union leaders were seen flashing their writ over mobile phones to ensure that there was no business at offices. It is believed to have demoralized more than 50 percent of the employees who looked convinced over Government’s argument, as published in paid advertisements, and were ready to attend duty. As against the government propaganda machinery, trade union leaders have even dominated all local newspapers and cable television channels to convince the masses over the agitation and float a virulent counter-information campaign against the government.

Reports said that health and medical services, besides other essential services, remained affected to a large extent notwithstanding the visit of a ministerial delegation to different hospitals in the summer capital. Shutdown remained complete even as Chief Minister had taken a serious note of the “total strike” and made it clear on senior government functionaries at a high level meeting last evening that any lackadaisical attitude in enforcement of ESMA would not be tolerated by him. Informed sources said that Police and intelligence agencies have informed Chief Minister that a number of Heads of Departments, particularly some Chief Engineers, besides KAS officers of 1977 and 1984 batch, who were in age group of 55 to 58 years but had not been inducted into IAS, were openly supporting EJAC and JCC not only with lip service but also material contribution.

Ironically within hours of Chief Minister’s meeting with the officers, Police was forced to release the most important trade union leader and head of a faction of EJAC, Khursheed Alam, late last night. Reports said that over the telephonic orders of a Ministrer from Jammu, Khursheed Alam was released within an hour of his arrest and handed over to his family. Plush with high level of morale and confidence, Alam today addressed 2nd consecutive press conference. He has already established a control room of the JCC and EJAC at CAPD headquarters and Director CAPD is said to be providing complete support to the trade union leaders addressing virulent news conferences against Chief Minister and one particular Minister of the 5-member Cabinet Sub Committee dealing with the agitation.

Highly placed authoritative sources revealed to Early Times that two of the Cabinet Ministers were aggressively against giving any relief to the agitating employees. They were reportedly in favour of strict enforcement of ESMA. However, two more of their colleagues were completely tight-lipped. Last member of the Cabinet sub committee was now widely perceived to be in favour of reconciliation and conceding 58-60 year demand. In absence of clear-cut instructions to the law enforcement agencies, decision of invoking ESMA is being dismissed as a joke which, analysts believe, had the potential of causing huge damage to the coalition government’s credibility and competence in implementing its sensitive decisions.

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