5 hurt in Mumbai melee, Kolkata flights resume

The strike by Airport Authority of India (AAI) employees against the privatisation of Mumbai and Delhi airports was marred by violence with police resorting to lathi-charge to disperse workers on a sit-in at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus here.

According to the police, at least five persons, including a policeman, were injured after the police resorted to lathi-charge to stop employees from breaking the police cordon in their attempt to enter the airport terminal
building.

"Five persons were injured in the commotion following the lathi-charge, but no one was injured," deputy commissioner of police Ravindra Shengaonkar said.

AAI employees union claimed that about 25 persons were injured and taken to Nanavati Hospital and other nearby medical centres.

Police resorted to lathi-charge thrice - first to prevent workers from breaking the cordon, then to stop them from entering the airport and the third time to disperse the agitators as they blocked the car parking area to
disrupt passenger movement.

Nitin Jadhav, joint secretary of AAI employees' union, condemned the lathi-charge, and claimed it was unprovoked.

Describing the strike as "total", Jadhav claimed that three thousand airport employees in various sections like  maintenance, aerobridge, electricity and communications joined the agitation.

A spokesman of Indian said: "Due to the unavailability of aerobridges, step-ladders were used. The airlines also asked the passengers to travel light."

Normal flights from Kolkata airport resumed in the evening after air traffic controllers withdrew the notice to declare the airport non-operational following the agitation.

"Notam (notice to airmen) has been withdrawn by the ATCs, and flights from the N S C Bose International airport was getting back to normal," an Indian source at the airport said.

Indian has already worked out details for operating three flights to Agartala, Mumbai and Chennai, the source added.

The services were were badly affected after 2.30 pm when ATCs were forced to issue Notam after fire services personnel and runway lightmen also joined the agitation.

The nationwide strike today evoked a mixed response even as the government hinted at invoking ESMA if the strike continued for a longer period.

While the AAI Employees Joint Forum described the strike as "successful", civil aviation secretary Ajay Prasad said the domestic flight operations remained normal in large parts of the country though passengers complained of flight delays and baggage clearance.

Issuing a warning to the agitators, Prasad said: "As of now there is no plan to invoke ESMA. We are watching the situation. If required, we will think about it."

On a day of protests, the union cabinet approved the contracts for the Delhi and Mumbai airports awarded to the consortium of GMR-Fraport and GVK-South African Airports yesterday.