Head-load workers, locals blocked ISRO’s heavy, high-tech cargo in Kerala, demand money

In an embarrassing incident that took place in Kerala’s capital, locals and head-load workers blocked a crucial piece of high-tech, heavy equipment that was being transported for the Indian Space Research Organization. The consignment weighing nearly 180tons was being carried on a special heavy-cargo hauler truck and moving towards ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Center(VSSC) in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram when the incident occurred. VSSC is India’s lead centre for the development of rockets and related technologies and is named after the Father of the Indian Space Programme. 

Despite the high COVID-19 cases in Kerala (over 26,000 cases on Sunday and a TPR of over 17%) and the Sunday total lockdown restrictions, locals and those from politically affiliated trade unions had gathered in large numbers around the truck and created a ruckus. Unmindful of the fact that ISRO’s cargo was being wheeled in with special security, the locals halted the vehicle’s movement for nearly two hours. 

In Kerala, the locals and workers unscrupulously demand unreasonable charges for unloading any cargo that is brought into their locality. Even if the owners of the cargo off-load it by themselves, the Head-load workers demand exorbitant money for literally doing nothing. In Malayalam, this practice is known as ‘Nokku Kooli’, it loosely translates to gawking fees or gawking charges. It essentially means that workers will stand and stare, while the hapless people work and also shell out money to the workers. The workers consider that this unfair practice is their absolute right.

Zee Media has understood that the locals and workers(who possessed no equipment and had nil expertise) wanted to unload the 180-ton cargo, had demanded anywhere between Rs.2000 per ton, which is upwards of Rs3.6lakhs. Some reports also say that the demand was as high as Rs.10lakhs. They made this unrealistic demand for money, despite knowing fully well that such heavy cargo could only be unloaded using specialized equipment and cranes. The concerned cargo was a component of a new Trisonic wind tunnel equipment that ISRO is building at its facility. A trisonic wind tunnel facility enables testing of aircraft and rocket prototypes at different speeds of airflow - subsonic(less than the speed of sound), transonic(close to the speed of sound) and supersonic(faster than the speed of sound). Simply put,  Wind tunnels are large air tubes used to study how model aircraft or rockets would actually fly.

It is learnt that this is, unfortunately, a routine issue in Kerala and in this case, the Police had to intervene after ISRO raised the matter seriously with the highest Office in Kerala. It was only after the Police convinced the gathered persons that the crowd dispersed and let the cargo into ISRO, after a delay of nearly two hours. 

The oversized cargo had arrived in Kollam, Kerala from Maharashtra via ship and it was being transported by a heavy-hauler truck to Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram. 

Reports alleging that ISRO did not honour its promise of providing jobs to the local population, despite having acquired land from there are found to be entirely baseless and untrue. It is noteworthy that ISRO acquired land for VSSC, back in the 1960s. Zee Media has understood from ISRO sources that the space agency has been employing people from the locality, spanning three generations. Several contract works worth lakhs of rupees are also handed to the locals. 

According to the Kerala High Court, the practice of ’Nokku-Kooli was damaging the image of Kerala and the Court called for its eradication. While the Kerala Government banned the practice in 2018, it is still rampant and ongoing. Such practices have been adversely impacting the Southern India state’s capability to attract investments and help sustain small local businesses, despite the State Government’s tall claims of being “business-friendly”.

The greater irony and tragedy in this entire incident is that, it is this very Kerala and this very local population(of thumba) that gave up their coastal land and church to establish ISRO's Thumba equatorial rocket launching station(TERLS) in the early 1960s.

The sacrifice of that little hamlet consisting of fishermen has led to so much advancement in India's science and technology capability and space-faring prowess.

It is worthy to recall that India's space programme and indigenous space technology has saved countless lives of fishermen, sailors and those living on the coast and beyond. ISRO has even made an ultra-portable device that helps fishermen send distress signals to satellites, in order to receive immediate help and rescue at sea.

It appears that a significant number of people who blocked ISRO's cargo and demanded money have not come across these lesser-known facts and chapters of India's history.