Facing the true colour of police – An experience by IT employees

We recently published a post about a public protest organized by IT employees of MEPZ Tambaram opposing the hydrocarbon project at Neduvasal and supporting the farmers and people of that area. They assembled on the side of GST road in front of MEPZ. They showed placards and raised voice of support. After sometime police came there.

They forced the protesters to disperse immediately saying “You should have got our permission for conducting the protest. If you had asked for the permission we would have given it”.

The IT professionals assembled there  accepted and dispersed. They decided to organize the protest after getting Polices permission.

A few days later, they went to Tambaram police station to submit letter request for conducted the protest meeting.

There Police showed its true face. “We can’t give permission anywhere near MEPZ. Collector has given us instruction not to give permission to conduct any event near MEPZ. If anything happens there, we will get memo”. It was a shock.

They also told, “If you insist, you can request permission for conducting the protest at Shanmugam Road and we will grant the permission”.

Then IT employees decided to settle for the venue given by police thinking that it could result in taking issue to the public. accordingly they wrote the letter and gave it to the Police.

It became again clear on whose side Police stands.

Now they made another ‘about turn’ saying, “You cannot directly give the request letter to us.” Police plan was to make them run from pillar to post. They told “You go to Commissioner’s office and give it there. They will forward it to us”. The other day, the same police sang a different tune.

If they don’t have the authority to give permission and if no police would give permission to protest in front of MEPZ, why police inspector of Tambaram and his subordinates had made us waste their time coming to them? Is it not to foil the attempt by the IT employees to show their social responsibility of supporting the farmers’ struggle?

IT friends, this experience makes us clearly understand how the police work and whose friend they are.

Translated by : Nesan