While burning the effigy of the State government at Lansdowne Chowk on Tuesday, one of the protesting e-rickshaw drivers tried to set himself on fire. He claimed that he took the step because he was infuriated due to the apathetic attitude of the state government towards the problems being faced by e-rickshaw drivers.
On Tuesday, Ravi Phukela, one of the protesting e-rickshaw drivers tried to immolate himself near the burning effigy by pouring inflammable liquid on himself. However, he was saved by fellow protesters who prevented him from setting fire to himself. According to Phukela, “The bank is regularly asking for the loan repayment installments.
They have even started sending police to our home and our families are on the verge of starvation but the government is still apathetic towards our problems. Today, I was saved by my fellow brothers but next time I will burn myself when no one is around and only the state government will be responsible for my death.” “Tomorrow it will not be just Ravi but we all will immolate ourselves. If the government and the department will keep ignoring us then this is the only choice we have to bring our ministers and officials to their senses,” added Rahul Kumar, another protesting driver.
“The protesters are aggravated by the hollow assurances of the government and also at how we are being fooled by the traffic department. First, they set our routes and announced it through the media without discussing it with us and claimed it happened with our agreement.
Secondly, they gave us 31 routes to operate our e-rickshaws which were almost the same as before, except they reduced our route in some areas,” said the district president of Devbhoomi e-rickshaw welfare society Ravindra Tyagi. He further added that they have been given time on Thursday by the department to meet them regarding the drivers’ concerns but the way the department is making excuses to avoid the meeting for past few days, they are not too hopeful.It is pertinent to mention here that e-rickshaw drivers have been protesting for more than 20 days against the restrictions imposed on the operation of e-rickshaws on the main roads of the city. They have also started a a relay hunger strike to escalate the protest. However, Tyagi said that if no decision will be taken on Thursday, the protesters can start a fast unto death too.