New Delhi: On Friday, the Mumbai Police arrested over a hundred striking employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) for allegedly attempting to barge into Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s residence in South Mumbai. The workers have been on strike for five months, and nearly 250 bus depots across Maharashtra have been affected. Lakhs of commuters dependent on buses have been impacted, and the public transport system paralysed as a result. Nearly all the 250 bus depots across Maharashtra have been shut since November 9 last year, paralysing the public transportation system and affecting lakhs of people who depend on state buses for travel.The protest was triggered when several MSRTC staffers died by suicide as the corporation struggled to pay the already delayed salaries of the workers after the nationwide coronavirus lockdown between March and June 2020. One of them, according to media reports, even blamed chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in his suicide note. On Thursday, the Bombay high court had disposed of the contempt plea filed in a writ petition by the MSRTC against striking employees, directing the corporation to drop charges against the staffers. The court also directed that those who had been terminated should be reinstated, provided they resume work by April 22.About 90,000 employees of the MSRTC have been on a strike since October 2021 demanding that the corporation be merged with the state so the employees can avail benefits of government employees. As many expected the strike to be withdrawn on Friday, a group of protesters gathered outside Pawar’s residence around 3:15 pm. According to the police, the protesters started raising slogans, accusing Pawar of neglecting their issues and concerns. The protesters were stopped by security when they tried to enter the premises, which led to the protesters allegedly turning violent and breaking the security barricades.Uddhav Thackeray condemned the striking employees as the incident created ripples in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The state home minister Dilip Walse Patil called on the police brass to investigate their failure in anticipating the violent protest.Mumbai police detained the protesters who had turned violent and also registered a case against 132 people. The security at the residences of state ministers in Mumbai, including transport minister Anil Parab was also tightened as a safety measure. The entrance and exit gates of Azad Maidan, where MSRTC staffers are protesting, have been barricaded. Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule – who is Pawar’s daughter – tried to calm the situation down but to no avail, she said while speaking to the media. She said, “I am thankful to the Mumbai Police for their prompt reaction… What has happened today is very unfortunate…”Claiming that Pawar did not help them, a protester told the Indian Express, “We have been protesting at Azad Maidan for over five months now but nobody listened to us. Pawar is responsible for the suicides of the workers…”The workers described the protest as a form of mourning for the 120 colleagues who have died over the past 18 months, allegedly due to financial stress. While the workers at Azad Maidan blame Pawar for their distress, Pawar says that he is on their side and the protest’s leaders are “misguiding” the workers.If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. The Suicide Prevention India Foundation maintains a list of telephone numbers (www.spif.in/seek-help/) they can call to speak in confidence. You could also refer them to the nearest hospital.