55 years on, families evicted for setting up ISRO-VSSC await jobs

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As India gears up to set up a space station much above the Earth, commoners on the land are left jobless. Fifty-five years and three generations have passed since families were evicted from their land in Veli here, for what is now known as the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). Considering the issue, the High Court had directed the VSSC in August to look into the issue and solve the job crisis within four months. Over 550 families were displaced from 1962 to 1975, for setting up the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS, as it was known before renaming as VSSC) here, said local people. In return, the people were told that one person from each family would be given a permanent job here within three generations, as per a meeting held in 1970, which was even attended by Vikram Sarabhai. Decades down the line, promises remain unfulfilled as 47 eligible candidates are yet to receive any intimation about their jobs. From these 550 families, 301 people were employed in various fields initially. Willing people from close to 200 families stopped trying for this, as they felt that efforts were futile, leaving the future of the remaining 47 in ambiguity, said Veli Varghese, president of the ISRO Evictees Labour Contract Co-operative Society. Varghese had been at the forefront of the legal battle for this since 2018. My grandfather decided to give the land for the development of our country, to which we dont have any issue. But arent we worthy of getting something back? asks Reshma R S, 35, a job-expecting candidate. Belonging to the third generation of the evictee, she herself has attended VSSC interviews seven times. Had we started a small shop or business in whatever land we had, we wouldve been able to survive our crises today, added Reshma, whose father still drives an autorickshaw for a living, at the age of 63. Tahira Beevi, 58, a second-generation candidate, had nearly lost all her hope after attending eight interviews, when she asked her son to apply for the vacancy. Even if our names pop up on the rank list, they would never take us for the job, she said, adding that officers have asked her not to contact them anymore, as she will be informed if selected. Another eligible candidate from Pallithura, Rose Delima, 40, shared that she is hopeful of the court directive, as it will help them overcome her familys financial crunch. When India successfully lands space vehicles on the moon, there are people who were displaced from their homes for ISRO-VSSC, and remain jobless, Varghese sighed. Responding to the court order, a higher official working with the VSSC rescinded the directive that had been forwarded to the Department of Science, from where a final decision will be taken. The evictees will have to apply for the job once the vacancy is notified, and go through the regular procedure, the officer mentioned. He also added that the group C posts have reduced over the years, and many of them had already been outsourced. As per the minutes of the 1970 meeting, it is mentioned that we will consider the people for future vacancies, and have not assured any jobs, he said. However, no clear answer was provided by the officer upon being asked about the consideration the evictees are bound to receive when they have to follow the procedure like any other candidate.