Stranded passengers at the KSRTC station at Palakkad. Police vehicle parked inside the station to guard the buses can also be seen: Dhanesh Ashokan
Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi: Forcible bid to shutter shops, isolated disruption of vehicular traffic, and a debilitating effect on commuter movement marked the dawn-to-dusk hartal called by Dalit organisations in the state.
Passengers were forced out of the bus at Manacaud, Thiruvananthapuram.
The police arrested Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha leader M Geethanandan for trying to stop buses, a charge that he denied. The police also detained 50 others on this count. In Madavana, Kochi, the police detained 18 people while trying to stop buses.
Protesters took to the streets and tried to stall vehicular traffic in Kochi, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. In Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, protestors tried to force-shut shops. The Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi had announced that all shops would function in the state. However, shops predominantly remained closed on account of the hartal.
DHRM cadre block roads in protest outside the bus stand at Palakkad: Dhanesh AshokanSuresh Gopi MP, who was on his way to a public event in Chengannur was blocked by the protesters in Thiruvalla and Kuttoor at 12.50 pm. After half an hour, the police cleared the protesters.
Police protection
In Palakkad, 50 people were taken into custody for protesting at the bus stand. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses started services to Coimbatore with police protection. The state utility managed to operate 20 services from the Palakkad depot with police protection. At Koppam, in Palakkad, protesters attacked an autorickshaw.
Women and children took to the streets to participate in the Dalit protest: ManoramaIn Kasaragod, cars and public transport, including Kerala and Karnataka RTC buses and autorickshaws, plied. Isolated incidents of protesters stopping cars were reported from Periya, Bheemanady and Manjeeswaram.
Hartal lull at Kochi: Josekutty PanackalThrissur was the least affected district. Private buses and state transport bus services remained normal. KSRTC is also running special services to the Medical College Hospital. Protesters threw stones at an RTC bus in Thrissur, injuring the bus driver.
Stone-throwing on buses was reported from Muriyad in Thrissur and Kollam as well. At Sasthamkotta in Kollam two bike-borne attackers, with their faces covered, broke the rear glass of a KSRTC bus at 5.45 am. The 16 passengers in the bus escaped unhurt.
At Payyannur in Kannur protesters forced shops to shut down. Youth League activists protested at Sreekandapuram downing shutters.
KSRTC buses service in Wayanad with police protection: Photo|Ramesh EzhuthachanIdukki witnessed a complete shutdown. Shops remained closed and buses were stopped by protestors. At Munnar, some protesting parties also stopped vehicles carrying tourists.
Nattakam bypass at Kottayam was blocked by the protesters: ManoramaIn Wayanad, the police are on high alert to avoid any untoward incidents. Though shops and other establishments remained open in the morning several of them were force-shut by protestors.
At Kottayam, the strike remained strong with traffic hitting low volume and shops remaining closed.
Hartal road blockade at Thiruvananthapuram: Manoj ChemancheriProtesters blockaded roads and stopped buses in Thiruvananthapuram. Mild scuffles broke out at Chala market when the protesters tried to shut down shops.
Hartal road blockade at Thiruvananthapuram: Manoj ChemancheriWhy the Hartal?
Various Dalit outfits had called the hartal to condemn 'police atrocities' on protests held across north India by the community members on April 2 against the 'dilution' of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (SC/ST Act).
The hartal has been jointly announced by around 30 organisations, including Cherama Sambava Development Society (CSDS), Akhila Kerala Cheramar Hindu Mahasabha, National Dalit Liberation Front, Dalit Human Rights Movement, Kerala Cheramar Sangham, Social Liberation Front, Bahujan Samaj Party and Dravida Varga Aikya Munnani.
Leaders of Bhoo Adhikara Samrakshana Samithi, Adivasi Jana Sabha, Sambava Mahasabha and Akhila Kerala Mannar Sangh have also announced their support.
Human rights group Janakeeya Manushyavakasha Prasthanam also expressed solidarity with the hartal. Dalit organisations demand that the killing of Dalits in Madhya Pradesh, UP and Rajasthan in the clashes be inquired by a judicial committee. The other demands are that murder cases be registered, compensation be given to the families of the deceased, and that the SC/ST Act should not be diluted.
Back-to-back hartals
A Bharat Bandh, called by Dalit outfits over the Supreme Court's recent guidelines against the 'misuse' of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, was observed on April 2. There was widespread violence in Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and other northern states of India on the day, killing nine people.
On the same day, Kerala witnessed a total shutdown as trade unions in the state called for a general strike over the Centre's decision to extend the fixed-term employment to all sectors.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Sunday said that all services would operate as usual on hartal day. A circular issued by KSRTC managing director A Hemachandran asked all employees to be present for duty. He has also sought police protection for the services and sought status reports from depots.
Exams postponed
The Mahatma Gandhi University postponed all the exams, except 2nd year B.Pharm., to April 23. The B.Pharm. examination will be held on April 16.
The Calicut University has postponed the practical examination of sixth semester BSc Botany in Thrissur district to April 16.
Kerala, Calicut and Kannur varsities have also postponed all exams scheduled for Monday.
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