The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Treat teachers' protest plan only as law and order issue, police told

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Treat teachers' protest plan only as law and order issue, police told

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, OCT. 13. The police must consider an application by the Tamilaga Asiriyar Koottani to hold a fast here, only as a law and order issue and not with reference to the Tamil Nadu Government Servants Conduct Rules, the Madras High Court has said.

Justice D. Murugesan, passing orders on a writ petition filed by the association general secretary, V. Annamalai, directed the petitioner to give a fresh representation to the Chennai City Commissioner of Police seeking permission to observe a ``peaceful hunger-strike.''

The petitioner-association had prayed for permission to observe a day's fast on October 11 at Chepauk. The city police had refused permission citing Section 22 and 22A of the Tamil Nadu Government Servants Conduct Rules 1973. The Rule prohibits government servants from engaging themselves in strike or in similar activities, including fast.

The petitioner said the programme was to express the employees' grievances relating to bonus and ex gratia payment, surrender leave facility and the release of pension benefits and grant of dearness allowance arrears. He sought to declare Rule 22 ultra vires of the Constitution and to direct the police to permit the association to observe fast as planned.

According to the petitioner, the impugned Rule offended the freedom of speech and expression of the members of the association. Reiterating that fast was an accepted mode of expressing one's grievance, Mr. Annamalai said his forum was part of the Joint Action Council for Tamil Nadu Teachers and Employees Association (JACTTEA). He said the stir was planned after their failure to get the problem solved through negotiations.

The association, hailing the finding of the court, later in the day said its executive committee would be convened soon to announce a new date for the fast programme.

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