KOZHIKODE: “I came to know about the hartal through the morning newspaper. By that time I had left home and reached KSRTC bus stand to find that not even state buses are running. My Wayanad trip had to be abandoned and walked all the way from the to my Vellimadukunnu home,” says S. Janardhanan, a retired government employee. The sudden hartal call on Sunday has many victims like Mr Janardhanan. Adding to their woes KSRTC buses too went off the road after a stoning incident in Kollam. Another major travel mode, the Railways was already hit between Kannur and Kozhikode by the maintenance work on the stretch. No 56657 Kannur-Kozhikode passenger was cancelled, and Mangalore-Kozhikode passenger (56654) was partially cancelled.
Besides, No 56324, 56323 pair trains didn’t run between Kannur and Kozhikode. The cancellation of trains led to an unexpected rush on the long distance trains. At Kozhikode railway station, passengers could not find a vehicle to reach their destination. A voluntary group, ‘Karma’ arranged two-wheelers and cars to help them. The job fair ‘REBOOT’ 17’ of Calicut Forum for IT (CFIT) was going on at Cyber Park, and the job seekers were the worst hit. However, police intervened and arranged pillion rides for them. CAFIT general secretary Abdul Gafoor K.V., however, told DC that though the number of participants was less, it went on.
“We expected at least 6,000 to take part as we received 7,500 registrations. But only 4,000 turned up,” he said. KSRTC conducted only ten services in the district before 6 am, before stopping their operations for the day. “Cops were unable to provide protection, and after the stone pelting incident in Kollam, it was decided to end the service,” said KSRTC zonal officer Manoj Kumar V. KSRTC suffered close to Rs 1 crore revenue loss.
‘What do parties benefit?’
Prominent citizenry and various passengers’ forums came out against the unexpected hartal call by the BJP on Sunday, terming it as hostile to the public as well as to the state. “We have already had more than 60 hartals this year of which BJP tops the chart with 24. Do they think that their popularity will increase with such an anti-people attitude?” was the question posed by the Confederation of All India Rail Users Association working chairman CE Chakkunni. He told DC that all parties should declare a moratorium on hartals.
Dr PP Venugopal of MIMS hospital told DC that it was time the enlightened in the state should came out against recurring hartals by political parties of all hues that have dogged the state. “As a developed state which attracts many foreign tourists as well as international conferences, such an unexpected turn of events will compel event managers and tour operators to choose other better locales”, he added.
“This is how political parties react to the ban on hartals”, said noted scholar Dr MGS Narayanan. “Now they have converted it into a total bandh arresting all human movement”, he added. “Such a blatant attack on human rights that too announced at midnight hours is uncivilized”, he added. “I am not blaming a particular party for this culture. If it is BJP today, tomorrow it would be the turn of the CPM”, he added.
Kerala Startup Mission coordinator Moosa Mehar MP told DC that such irresponsible steps would affect the fledgling IT sector in the state. “If this was a working day, many IT companies that extend backup support to overseas clients would have been affected”, he said. “For those who call a hartal it would be over within 24 hours. But if a company fails to execute the duties it promised an overseas client, not only would the client terminate the agreement, but also may seek a huge compensation”, he added.
