He wanted a job, but got locked up instead

According to the norms, the minimum qualification for providing a job on compassionate grounds is Class VIII pass. But in Mukesh’s case, when the family approached the GSRTC after he passed Class VIII, they were told that he would be given a job once he passed Class X.

Now, more than four years after he passed his Class X exams, Mukesh is still waiting for the job that should have been rightfully his six years back. Now, even his younger brother has passed Class X. Still no compassion from GSRTC is forthcoming for this family.

"We have been running from pillar to post in the Transport Department but they are yet to pay attention to our request which is very much as per the norms of the government," Khemchand Parmar, a relative of the Makwana family alleged. It was in such a situation that Mukesh wrote to Pandya, which was promptly forwarded with some notes from the Secretariat on Saturday to Senior Inspector of Vejalpur police station asking him to intervene.

And intervene he promptly did. On Sunday around noon, a team of Vejalpur police came to the Jai Ambenagar residence of the Makwana family and picked up Mukesh who was alone in the house with his blind grandmother.

A case under section 151 of CrPC was also registered against him by the police for threatening to commit suicide.

"We started searching for him as his grandmother only said that some people came and took him away. Only this morning we came to know that he is in the police lock-up," Mukesh’s younger brother Jayesh said. Mukesh was bailed out on Monday afternoon.

"The policemen asked me about the letter I wrote and advised me to keep silent and not do anything in haste," Mukesh said. When asked about the arrest, Senior Inspector Solanki said, "Any person who threatens to commit suicide can be booked and we only did that."

However, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Transport Minister Bimal Shah told Indian Express on Monday, "Once I get details of the case and claims, I will definitely do the necessary formalities to help the family."

But he was critical of the approach adopted by Mukesh and said, "Instead of writing such a letter, he should have approached me directly at my office."

However, Mukesh counters, "It is difficult to meet a big-shot like the minister as I do not have any contact who could take me to him. And anyway, the officials of GSRTC always discouraged me whenever I told them to help me meet Bimalbhai at least once."

A little co-operation from the part of the government and its mandarins will go a long way in bringing some consolation to this family. If only the will was there.