Hartal hits normal life in Malabar

KANNUR: The dawn to dusk hartal called by the United Democratic Front (UDF) on Monday in protest against the 'anti-people' policies of the Central and state governments affected the normal life of the public in Malabar region. Though the Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, the largest collective of the merchants in the state, had declared that they would not take part in the hartal, most shops remained shut. The hartal supporters forcefully shut down the shops which opened in the morning. 

The main branch of State Bank of India in Kannur town was made to down the shutters after DCC office-bearers including president Satheesan Pacheni demanded the closure. One of the malls in the town that remained open also had to close down owing to the protest by the hartal supporters.  Incidents of vehicles including the ambulances being stopped on road by the hartal supporters were reported from Kasaragod.  Buses and other taxi services remained off the roads, while private vehicles were seen on the roads.

An old man flips through the newspaper as shops remain shut at an otherwise busy Mananchira in Kozhikode on Monday.

The team of a news channel was blocked by the hartal supporters in Market road junction in Kasaragod town.  In Kozhikode, Akshaya centre in Link Road junction was asked to close down. Despite police arranging security for the KSRTC buses to ply to the Government Medical College hospital and MVR Cancer Centre, the passengers who reached the railway station from other states especially students were stranded in the absence of public transport.