When 23-year-old Sankeerthan came home on October 13 and knocked on the door, he expected his father to open it, as usual. But when there was no response, he climbed the stairs of his home to peek into his father's room, expecting to see him asleep. Instead, he found a lifeless body.

44-year-old Surender Goud, a conductor with the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) for 15 years, had taken his own life.

"He had called me at 6.30 pm on that day and spoke normally. We were laughing together. I was at work, and he said that he had eaten lunch and was going to sleep. I didn't sense anything wrong," his wife Jyothi says, her voice shaking as she recalls what happened.

Surender, who lived in Hyderabad's Karwan area, was one of the thousands who took part in a massive strike undertaken by employees of the TSRTC, who have been boycotting duties from October 5. Their 26 demands included better wages, regulated working hours and a merger with the government, which would give them the same benefits as state government employees.

Surender was attached to the Ranigunj Depot in Hyderabad, and was also actively involved in the strike. He even attended a protest meeting the day he died. 

His death garnered a lot of media attention, and politicians from opposition parties flocked to his home. But 40 days later, Surender's family is still in shock and disbelief. 

"It feels like he has just gone out of town and will come back to us soon. He was always at the front when it came to fighting for people's rights. He used to talk others out of taking such drastic steps. All this just makes me weep now," Jyothi says, breaking down.

While she is still mourning, Jyothi was compelled to resume her tailoring work 20 days after Surender died. “He hadn't received his salary since September," she explains. “We still have rent to pay.”

Sankeerthan, who discontinued his studies, works at a boutique store and earns a pittance. "I feel very guilty now, because he always told me to study," he says.  

Sankeerthan and his mother, Jyothi

Anger against KCR

The state government led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, has been adamant in its response to the strike, refusing to hold talks with the Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is an umbrella organization encompassing all employee unions.

"Not one soul from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) even made a phone call to us. It makes my blood boil. He (Surender) was on the streets every day during the agitation for Telangana. Is this the blessing that KCR has given us?" Jyothi fumes, her grief turning to anger.

Ironically, it was KCR who had fought tooth and nail to defend workers’ right to strike during the agitation for separate statehood for Telangana. But now, he is the subject of the workers’ anger.

"How many lives will you take for your political greed? The workers are only asking for their basic rights. If you had guts, you would have spoken to the workers face to face. We have wasted our votes and he (KCR) has cheated us," Jyothi adds. 

The JAC says that close to 25 employees have died due to the direct or indirect repercussions of the TSRTC strike. Even protesting workers’ savings are fast depleting, making their helplessness evident. 

Bus Bhavan, the headquarters of the TSRTC, wears a deserted look

Questions for the state govt

Satish*, a conductor from the Dilshuknagar Depot, has been with the RTC since 1996 – even before the TRS was formed.

The state government has said that they have no money to bail out the RTC, while the corporation has admitted in court that it has no funds even to pay the salaries of its employees for September. 

Responding to this, Satish, who gets around Rs 24,000 in hand per month, says, "Many of us don't have any money left, but KCR is drawing a salary of several lakh along with his MLAs. Who increased his salary? He can find a way and do the same for us, but he doesn't want to do. This will come back to haunt him, and he should know this. We will not forget the injustice meted out to us."

"No Chief Minister in history has stooped so low, and refused to hold talks with the people of his own state, especially when our stomachs are burning. The same TRS leaders, who were invited on stage with us during our previous strike, now behave so indifferently. Don't they have a conscience? We are only asking for what is due to us," he adds. 

Earlier this week, the JAC decided to drop its main demand of merger with the government. On Wednesday, the employees said that they were willing to resume duties if the government took them back without any pre-conditions. However, the KCR government has left them in limbo. The state government has been silent for many days since the employees made the announcement. Meanwhile, the fear of unemployment looms large over 48,000 workers and their families. 

Mounting debt

Mahesh* has been a conductor at the Suryapet Depot for over two decades. Due to the ongoing strike, his savings have completely dried up, leaving him under significant debt. 

"The situation is such, that we have been forced to borrow a lot of money from friends and acquaintances. We have even been taking rice and other essential commodities on credit from a local kirana shop," he shares.

However, despite mounting financial problems, Mahesh does not plan to give in before the employees’ demands are met.

“We are not striking because some leaders have asked us to. It is a grass-root movement that has spread across the state. Drivers, conductors, cleaners and even mechanics are on strike. There are many systemic issues and we want the government to address them," he adds.

An uncertain future

On Friday, the employees received a major blow as the Telangana High Court disposed of a writ petition that was filed against the state government's decision to privatise as many as 5100 routes in the state. If the state government goes ahead with privatisation, employees fear that it will only put them in more jeopardy as they stand to lose their jobs – something they cannot afford right now.

Surender Goud and Jyothi

For families like that of Surender, there is no other choice but to go back to the same corporation.

"The government should give me a job in the RTC. Whatever the job is, I am willing to do, because our financial situation is such that we don't have a choice. I am the one who has to take care of my mother now, and I need a steady job," Sankeerthan says. 

"It may sound hypocritical for us to ask for a job for my son in the same corporation that killed his father. But what it reflects is our desperation. They can't bring my husband back, but they must ensure that they don't ruin our lives. Not just us, they should do the same for all families of workers who lost their lives in the strike," Jyothi says, holding up her photo with Surender as she wipes her tears.