Kerala ISRO commotion
Kerala ISRO commotion, On September 5, several people stopped a truck transporting goods for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, asking them to bear the unloading fee and pay “nokkukooli” or “increased wages.” This practice is outlawed in Kerala. Two days ago, the Kerala High Court also ordered the state government to stop this practice altogether. But on Sunday, people crowded the place and made requests, causing an uproar. After the mediation of police, people were dispersed, and vehicles were permitted to pass through ISRO.
The police stated that they received a complaint from ISRO. They reached the scene and found that workers stopped the truck from entering the area of Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) in Thumba. An official from the Thumba police station said that with the intervention of police and the chief, the problem was solved, and workers left the area. As per the source, there were 184 tons of cargo on the truck, and the person who blocked the truck demanded 2,000 rupees per ton. Also stated that they had signed an unloading contract with Tata. This is heavy tools and cranes, and other machineries are required to unload. It can’t be done manually. Although the vehicle has now entered, they are worried that there will be more trouble on Monday.
Residents allegedly demand a “salary increase.”
As per the reports, when the VSSC seized part of the land; people in the area were frustrated with the work they promised. This led them to oppose the use of machinery for unloading and claimed; that if such machinery is used, they should be paid nokkukooli. The Minister of Labor V Sivankutty has ordered district labor officials to take action against the troublemakers.
As per the court, Nokkukooli will create a negative image of Kerala which should be eliminated. It will cause misunderstandings in the country. At the same time, the rights of head-loaded workers should be safeguarded. The state government prohibited this practice on May 1, 2018. In April last year; during the first COVID19 shutdown in Kerala. This practice was reported in various locations in Kerala, and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the practice.