Thiruvananthapuram: The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the BJP brought the life almost to a standstill in the state capital even as the second hartal in a week drew flak from the public. Private vehicles including autorickshaws plied in the city giving some relief to the public. Around 60 per cent of the employees turned up for work at secretariat and the collectorate.
BJP workers received an angry response from shopkeepers and public across the district.
Selvam T, an auto-driver from Nettayam, said recurring hartals are ruining the life of common man. “We live on daily wages and this is the second one in the same week. I am scared to wear khaki fearing violence from party workers,” said Mr Selvam, who arrived at Thampanoor hoping to get a couple of rides to save his day.
Many people who arrived at Thampanoor bus terminal got stuck all the day as KSRTC kept its services off the road. An elderly couple, who came from Bangalore, said they came to know about the hartal only after reaching the station at 6.30 am. “We are from Palode, Nedumangad,” they said. “There is no bus service till evening. We have no other way but to stay here.”
Even Ayyappa devotees were not spared on the hartal day. Hari Singh, a young Ayyappa devotee from Kattakkada, had a harrowing time waiting for the day to end so that the hartal will be over. “I reached at the bus station in the morning. There is no public transport,” he said.
