Agitating PSC rank-holders keep their spirits up with fish sales, somersaults, crawls...

Job aspirants in the civil police officer rank list, who have been agitating for two weeks, sold fish on Friday as a mark of protest.
Job aspirants in the civil police officer rank list, who have been agitating for two weeks, sold fish on Friday as a mark of protest.
Job aspirants in the civil police officer rank list, who have been agitating for two weeks, sold fish on Friday as a mark of protest.
Thiruvananthapuram: The series of varied protests by PSC rank-holders continued in front of the Secretariat in the Kerala capital on Friday.
Job aspirants in the civil police officer rank list, who have been agitating for two weeks, sold fish on Friday as a mark of protest. The protestors said that they resorted to this mode of protest to convince the government they would be forced to earn a living by fish mongering, if they did not get the jobs they are eligible for.
The fish brought from the Shankumugham coastal area was sold at the protest venue. UDF convener M M Hassan bought the fish and inaugurated the symbolic protest.
The job aspirants are also seeking donations from the public to continue with the day-night stir.
The National Games medal winners, who have not got jobs even 16 months after the government's order on postings was issued, protested by crawling on the knees and somersaulting on the road. The protests continued even as the CPM asked the government to hold talks with the agitating job aspirants.
LGS candidates to start hunger stir
Those featuring in the Last Grade Servant (LGS) rank list are gearing up to start a hunger stir from Monday if no favourable decision is taken.
The LGS candidates met Governor Mohammed Arif Khan along with BJP leader Shobha Surendran on Friday, the 25th day of the stir. They later went to the Youth Congress' protest venue and held talks with former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. They had also gone to the DYFI office the other day and held talks.
Shobha Surendran ended her 48-hour hunger stir on Friday by drinking the lemon juice offered by LGS candidates.
Youth Congress' protest
The Youth Congress held a ‘name plate’ demonstration in front of the Secretariat to protest the police lathicharge during the KSU march. The cops had reportedly removed the name plates from their uniforms during the lathicharge to prevent from being identified.
With name badges pinned on to their chests, the Youth Congress protested along with the injured KSU leaders.
Youth Congress national general secretary Abraham Roy Mani inaugurated the demonstration, which was presided over by district president Sudheer Sha Palode. National secretary Pushpalatha, state vice-presidents Riyas Mukkoli, N S Nusoor, S M Balu and Rigil Makutty spoke at the event.
Pledging support for the PSC rank-holders' stir, state president Shafi Parambil and vice-president K S Sabarinadhan have been on a hunger stir for six days.
Youth Congress national president B V Sreenivas too reached the protest venue along with its activists from various districts. While criticising the CM’s stance towards agitations, he alleged that PSC has become 'Pinarayi Service Commission'.
Shafi Parambil said that the government should apologise to the agitating job aspirants before holding talks with them. He also made it clear that a decision on ending the stir would be taken based on the outcome of the talks.
Oommen Chandy, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and Adoor Prakash MP also visited the protest venue.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala condemned the police lathicharge. “The cops hit the youths on their heads. When I was the Home Minister, I had strictly instructed that the protesters should not be hit on their heads. The fact that cops without name plates lathicharged the protesters gives rise to suspicions. But I do not support the counter-attack on cops either."
AICC general secretary secretary K C Venugopal said that new laws would be framed to stop the back-door appointments if the UDF came to power.
"Steps would be taken to ensure that vacancies are mandatorily reported to the PSC. The public will respond to Pinarayi, who is not even ready to hold talks," he added.