Thiruvananthapuram: On the 13th day of their ongoing agitation, women Civil Police Officer (CPO) rank holders staged a dramatic protest in front of the Secretariat on Vishu day, holding placards written in their own blood.

Dressed in black as a symbol of protest, the demonstrators drew attention to the imminent expiry of the rank list on April 19. With just five days remaining, the rank holders said they have repeatedly tried and failed to initiate talks with the authorities.

As part of the symbolic protest, they collected their blood to write the message "Save WCPO 585/2022," underlining their urgent appeal for action.

The women CPI rank list holders have been staging protest alleging that the government is willfully ignoring the rank list as only a few persons have received appointment from the list came into existence in 2022.

Last week, the protestors attempted to meet the Chief Minister by visiting his office in the Secretariat, but had to return as they failed to secure an appointment.

On Saturday, the protesting women Civil Police Officer (CPO) rank holders staged a symbolic demonstration by performing a mime in front of the Secretariat, drawing attention to their ongoing struggle. Many of the protestors shared that they overcame significant personal challenges, including studying during pregnancy and quitting jobs, to secure a place on the rank list.

Of the 967 candidates on the list, only about 30 per cent have received advice memos (recommendation letters) from the Public Service Commission (PSC), and just 213 have joined the service so far. The rank holders alleged that the government has failed to fulfill its promise of increasing women’s representation in the state police force.