AJIT DUTT STABBED WITHIN ITI (INDIAN TELEPHONE INDUSTRIES) PREMISES

The late 1960's  and the early 70's were in some form a tumultuous period for ITI to some extent. The mood and scenario within ITI was largely vehement. To my knowledge when I was a baby there was a stand-off within ITI premises and employees were not let out of the plant for the fear of creating law-and-order problems. The CMD of ITI who ever was at helm at these times had a difficult task at maintaining law and order. Note that ITI had its own elaborate Watch and Ward staff who were used to maintain order. I think there was a full fledged unrest in 1977 and a lock-out of the factory for few months in 1981. My father had a great quality of understanding the circumstances around him and acting and reacting to it in a quick and placid manner which saw him basically put up with the vagaries of the environment. Adjusting switches of Strowger exchanges came handy to him from years of experience and he enjoyed doing it day-after-day which saw our family basically put up with economic challenges of these times. Mrs. Indira Gandhi declared Emergency during these times also due to the inputs of Industrial unrest which she was getting from time to time.

 

By and Large definitely I must say ITI had a peaceful climate barring few incidents which spurted up occasionally and there were times when matters were serious.

 

But the pinnacle of such events was the stabbing of the Works-Manager Ajit Dutt who was the works-manager of ITI -I dont remember the exact year but must have been in 1971. Mr.Dutta Gupta was the GM I think and Iam not fully sure who was the CMD...most possibly it was Shri I K Gupta.. Earlier few employees were suspended from work who organized themselves one morning..some four of them..and inflicted serious injuries on Mr.Ajit Dutt who was the then Works Manager..Ajit Dutt used to live in the house adjacent to the main road that passes through Circle to Ramamurthy Nagar near to the ITI theater.The assailants escaped in panic as there were many employees who were walking to work from the ITI colony who possibly intervened and Mr.Dutt must have been rushed to the ITI hospital  with injuries but out of danger. Later these employees were removed from service and the matter must have become a criminal case.

 

Discipline was even more tightened thereafter with no such bizarre incidents thereafter. The Central Govt. considering the situation started satellite ITI plants in Rae-Bariely,Mankapur and Palghat to decrease the dependence solely on the ITI Bangalore plant for Telecom work.