Though many of the 1.76 lakh dismissed Tamil Nadu government employees were reinstated today following a Supreme Court directive, the agony continues for some 35,000 others, say employees’ unions.These employees were not allowed to rejoin duty on the ground that FIRs were registered against them under ESMA when the strike began on July 2. Union sources said FIRs had been registered against 7,174 employees all over Chennai though only 579 people were arrested. Those turned away today include 81 senior officials, right from a Joint Secretary to Under Secretaries.An eerie silence prevailed at the Secretariat with the shocked employees huddled in groups, discussing their fate. They were asked to leave the premises and they did so, hoping that Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa would take them back sooner than later. Heavy police deployment was made at the Secretariat to avoid any untoward incident. A woman typist reportedly fainted after she was refused permission to join duty. President of the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association K. Pandurangan, who met Chief Secretary Lakshmi Pranesh along with other senior union leaders, said they handed over a letter addressed to Jayalalithaa seeking her directions to allow all the arrested and those whose names figured in the FIRs to join immediately. They sought an appointment with the CMto discuss the issue.Elsewhere, most employees were allowed to rejoin duty after they handed over letters offering unconditional apology for participating in the strike and an assurance they would not do so again..Meanwhile, 15,000 people recruited during the strike throughout the state would continue in their services for now.
