THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The sound of gun shots marks memories of their first day in office. Though a gap of 38 years separates the sunny morning on which they were stranded a few miles from the Travancore Titanium Products (TTP) Ltd at Kochuveli, the uncertainty that clouded the young minds is still vivid in their memories. Each of them had speculated on the pros and cons of joining Titanium later that day when the AIR bulletin at 2 pm aired news of the police firing on the premises. “The reports were that the local residents had attacked the facility demanding adequate local representation in the company’s employee list. We were unaware of the chaotic situation until we reached the area and were blocked by police barricades,” remembers Sreekumar, who now works as Quality Control Manager in TTP. He had also co-ordinated the get-together on Monday of the then greenhorns who had arrived from all over the State for the mass appointment scheduled for October 3, 1973. TTP, established in 1946, was the only manufacturer of anatase-grade Titanium dioxide in India. By the 1970s, it had turned into a blue chip company poised for huge growth. A massive expansion plan was conceived in 1973 which aimed to increase the production from a modest five tonnes to 40-45 tonnes per day. Accordingly, 143 process operators were to join the company on a single day, setting a record in its history. The brewing discontent among the local residents in the import of labourers from elsewhere erupted around this time. “There was hardly any truth in the allegation,” says Parameswaran Nair, who was then serving as the police officer in charge of the security of the facility. “On the other hand, a section of the local residents regularly created problems for the facility and its employees.” Despite threats from the miscreants and local leaders, the then Managing Director S Padmakumar had ordered the mass recruitment to be carried out. On the D-day, the company officials found a mob crowding the entrance on the western side of the facility which was easily accessible from the coast nearby. The overhead oil tank on the company premises was torched by the miscreants, forcing the police to fire. Stories abound on the aftermath of the firing, with one version even alleging the death of two locals. However, Parameswaran Nair clarifies that there was no casualty. “A general mood of tension prevailed and it helped to abate untoward happenings, which is one reason why the stories about the firing were allowed to do the rounds.” The government later imposed section 144 in the area. Meanwhile, the incumbent process operators were already on their way to Kochuveli. “I had boarded an early morning train from Kottayam to reach here on time, only to be caught up near All Saints’ College,” remembers B Indusekharan. Along with him was Purushothaman Namboothiri from Kannur and C N Sreedharan from Paravoor, and Peter Paul from Perumbavoor, who later launched the Pittappillil Agencies. “All we could gather was that there was some law and order issue at the company. We could hear the gun shot quite clearly that noon,” he says. Among the 143 who joined, a few went on to take up other jobs. But most of them continued to serve in TTP. “Twenty-five of us are still in service. Some took voluntary retirement when the company entered a bad phase and others completed their service. Eighteen others have passed away. We had organised a similar get-together on the 25th anniversary of the day,” says Sreekumar. “We have started a small fund to help those of us in need. After all, we stayed together through thick and thin for 38 long years.”
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