The Hindu : Strike total in State, normal life disrupted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 22, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Strike total in State, normal life disrupted

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM May 21. Life came to a virtual standstill in the State today as the 24-hour countrywide general strike called by pro-Opposition trade unions and service organisations evoked an overwhelming response among industrial workers and government employees.

In the only untoward incident reported in connection with the strike, Philip Kutty Abraham (36), the driver of a KSRTC bus plying in the Alappuzha-Changanassery route, is reported to have died of a cardiac arrest after strike supporters pelted stones at the bus he was driving, at Ponga near Nedumudy, injuring a passenger. The deceased is reported to have developed chest pain on seeing the condition of the passenger. Still, he drove the bus to Changanassery and got the passenger admitted to a hospital. Though he too was admitted to the hospital, the doctors could not save his life.

In Pathanamthitta, 36 persons were taken into custody following an altercation between strike supporters and their opponents and an alleged attempt to ram a lorry into a demonstration taken out by the hartal supporters.

In Thrissur, 33 persons were also placed under preventive detention. Only very few instances of attempts at erecting roadblocks were reported from different parts of the State.

Functioning of banks, insurance companies, Central public sector units, telecom and postal services, the public transport system and various State Government departments were hit as workers and employees stayed away from duty in response to the strike call. Shops and markets across the State remained closed and roads wore a deserted look as the strike, called to protest against the `anti-people' economic policies of the Central and State Governments, assumed the dimensions of a bandh.

The strike was total at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) here and hit the clearing-house operations. Employees of Nabard regional office here also participated in the strike en masse. The striking employees staged a demonstration on the office premises. Most of the customer service centres of the BSNL remained closed and functioning of the offices of general managers, divisional engineers and sub-divisional engineers was hit. Different sections of telephone exchanges and telegraph offices also could not function normally.

The strike did not affect train services in Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad division. Both incoming and outgoing trains ran on time. However, there was only 30 per cent occupancy in most trains on account of the absence of road transport facilities. Freight movement was not affected. However, unloading of cement wagons and rice wagons were seriously affected at Kalamassery, Aluva, Ollur, Ankamali and Ernakulam.

Loading of oil tank wagons was maintained at Irumpanam in Kochi as staff of the Kochi Refineries Limited report for work. The attendance of staff in open line was 80 per cent. Seventy per cent employees reported for work at the divisional offices. The Senior Deputy General Manager (Headquarters), Thomas Varghese, had been specially deputed to Kerala to ensure smooth operation of railway services.

With port and dock workers joining the strike, loading and unloading operations at the Kochi port were hit.

Five ships had to be anchored in the outer sea. In the Eloor industrial belt, 70 to 80 per cent workers stayed away from work. The State secretariat here was mostly deserted.

The strike also hit the functioning of universities and departments and educational institutions in both the public and private sectors.

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