Shops, offices and educational institutions were closed, public transport stayed off roads and roads looked deserted in Kerala with the 24-hour all-India general strike organised by trade unions to register their protest against the central government's perceived anti-labour policies.
With the strike starting Tuesday midnight, cutting across cities, towns and villages, the CPI(M)-governed southern state is experiencing a shut down. Private cars alone were seen traveling on the state roads, and many people were stranded at bus stops and railway stations in many areas.
Police officials rushed to their rescue in many such areas and transported them in police cars to their respective destinations, including hospitals.
Protesters belonging to different trade unions organised marches with slogans against the union government throughout the state and obstructed buses and autos that attempted to ply. Agitators obstructed the service of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses during the morning in Kochi and Kollam and had arguments with its employees.
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In Kochi, the bus staff claimed to be members of the Bharatiya Janata Party's trade union BMS and they chose not to assist the agitation. But the police failed to provide them with proper support to undertake the journey, they complained.
A picture of a KSRTC driver driving the bus wearing a helmet, went viral on social media sites. The driver, Shibu, subsequently claimed he was not participating in the protest and he wore the helmet out of fear of attack at the hands of protesters. The Pathanamthitta-bound bus to Kollam driven by him, was also obstructed by the protesters later.
Although a few auto rickshaws were seen running on roads in Thiruvananthapuram during the morning hours, these too were obstructed by protesters. Roads presented a deserted appearance as public transport remained off the roads, and labourers in all walks of life remained absent from their work in solidarity. However, services such as healthcare, emergency services, and the delivery of milk have been exempted from the strike to prevent public suffering.
The trade business also came to a standstill as all shops, from small wayside shops to supermarkets and shopping centres, lowered their shutters. The officials have already issued a dies-non to government staff not to go on leave on the day of agitation. But attendance in state-owned offices and institutions was the lowest, as the countrywide strike had very strong backing from trade unions and Left-leaning organisations in the CPI(M)-controlled state.
The nationwide general strike has been issued by the Joint Platform of Trade Unions that consists of 10 central trade unions (CTUs) and independent all-India sectoral federations and associations.
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