Alappuzha, Jan 9: The houseboat of Nobel Laureate Michael Levitt was blocked in the backwaters here for some time by trade union activists, who were on a nationwide strike against the Centre's "anti-labour" policies on Wednesday.
Michael Levitt, an American-British-Israeli biophysicist and a professor of structural biology at the Stanford University in the United States, said the incident sent a bad message to tourists.
Levitt, who was in Kerala as a state guest, also said he felt as if a bandit had stopped his wife and him at gunpoint. Police said Levitt, who received the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was in Alappuzha with his wife and they were stopped by the protesters near Kainakary.
"Being stopped by criminals on the backwaters sends a very bad message to tourists. It is as if a bandit stopped us at gunpoint and delayed us under the threat of force for one hour," Levitt wrote in an email to his tour agent at Kottayam.
In the email, which was later released to the media, he also said the person who blocked them "ignored all arguments that tourists were exempted" from the strike.
"This person, who did this, ignored all arguments that tourists were exempted and that I am a VIP guest of the Kerala government. He was obviously acting, knowing that he was safe from prosecution. Sadly, this makes me fear that India is sinking into lawlessness," Levitt wrote in the email.
The police registered a case after the houseboat owners filed a complaint in this regard.
Reacting to the incident, state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the government would take strong action. "Strong action will be taken against those anti-social elements who stopped the boat. Levitt was here as a guest of the state government. The government had made it clear that the tourism industry was exempted from the strike," he said.
Trade union leaders had also announced that the strike would not affect the tourism industry.
Ten trade unions, including the INTUC, the AITUC and the CITU, had called for the nationwide strike to protest against the labour reforms, FDI, disinvestment, corporatisation and privatisation policies of the Centre and press for a 12-point demands of the working class, relating to minimum wage, among others.
Comments
instead of making new new small small gropus, better to \JOIN & ENCOURAGE\" the existing group (There are somany) at Mangalore itself!"
Masha Allah..
MAA SHAA ALLAH
Masha Allah great initiative!
May Allah accept it from them and grant them ability to do more work.
Aameen
Masha Allah great initiative!
May Allah accept it from them and grant them ability to do more work. Aameen
MashaAllah may Allah reward you
Masha Allah.. May Allah reward u.. ameen
Alhamdulillah.
Hazrat Khadija Radiyallahu Anha, Wife of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad(SAW) left behind a legacy of supporting and empowering people through her charity work.
Insha'Allah our sisters of HiF will carry forward the legacy .
Alhamdulillah, Hazrat Khadija R.Anha wife of beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW left behind a legacy of supporting & empowering people through her charity works.
Insha'Allah our sisters of HIF will carry forward the Legacy.
And matters relating to Non-mahram will be helped by their husbands.
Masha allah good work sisters (HIF womens wing) may allah accept it from you.
Aameen
Masha allah sisters (HIF womens wing) may allah accept it from you, may allah make this wing strong and helpfull in the society may bless and protect our muslim ummah.
Aameen.
Masha allah sisters (HIF womens wing) may allah accept it from you, may allah bless the muslim ummah,
Aameen
Alhamdulillah. May Allah accept all our good deeds ......ameen
Masha allah May Allah accept it from you and us
Masha Allah that's a good start. Need lending hands which is the need of the hour. Let make this women wing powerfull so they can face challenges in life.
Masha Allah. Good work. Keep it up.
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