Date:03/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/03/stories/2008050355420400.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Hartal throws life out of gear

Special Correspondent

Stray incidents of violence reported from Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 12-hour hartal called by the Kerala unit of the BJP, as part of a nation-wide hartal, to protest against price rise, turned into a virtual bandh in the State.

The hartal affected normal life and caused much hardship to tourists and commuters. Taxis, autorickshaws, private cars and buses were off the road in most places. Most of the shops and commercial establishments remained closed.

Supporters of the hartal threw stones at a bar at Pathanamthitta leading to a scuffle with the police. A bar, a shop and an autorickshaw were stoned in Thiruvananthapuram.

Arrests made

The police arrested a few people at Balaramapuram near here who tried to block KSRTC buses.

Minor incidents and tension were reported from several places.

Some establishments in Technopark and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre arranged transport for their employees and hence their functioning was not affected. Attendance was only around 50 per cent in government offices.

Passengers stranded

Tourists and passengers were stranded at many places. While train services operated normally, a ship service to Lakshadweep from Beypore was delayed as the captain could not reach the ship. The hartal was partial in Malappuram district.

Service sector hit

The service sector in the State suffered considerable loss. Production in many small scale units was also hit. The hartal came in the way of unloading of rice that had arrived from Andhra Pradesh in Kollam.

BJP supporters took out marches in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode cities and other major centres. Party State general secretary M.T. Ramesh, who addressed a march in Thiruvananthapuram, demanded that the Central and State governments should quit in view of the price rise.

Government blamed

State president P.K. Krishnadas said in a statement that Kerala was the worst hit by the price rise as it was a consumer State.

This was why the hartal was total in Kerala.

The government should take steps to ensure supply of foodgrains and check the prices, considering public opinion.

“The KSRTC ran skeletal services from almost all depots in the State in convoy with police protection, a senior KSRTC official said. The response to the services operated by the KSRTC, including those in the State capital, was poor. There was no traffic demand,” he added.

Poor patronage

There were only a handful of commuters in the five long-distance services that left in a convoy from the central bus station at Thampanoor even around 1 p.m.

The police personnel were seen providing escort to these super fast and express buses in their jurisdiction fearing possible attack from supporters of the hartal.