Stir: Four employees take ill

Hunger strike enters second day; one shifted to hospital

One of the agitators has been shifted to hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, the indefinite stir entered second day on Wednesday.

The protesters who have remained jobless since the past six months launched protest on March 1, after the institute authorities tried to recruit more than 160 persons on contract basis. This had irked the retrenched employees who decided to go on strike till their demands were met. In all, eight men and six women began the protest. By Wednesday afternoon, Srinivas, Madhusudhan, Honnegowda and Venkatesh fell ill. Doctors from government hospital  examined them. Srinivas was shifted in an ambulance to the government hospital for further treatment.  Bhagya and Manjulamma who complained of weakness were seen lying at the hospital premises. The hunger strike, which started with 15 people, has now increased to 45. But, unfortunately nobody has bothered to call on the agitators.