Total shut down in Kerala

Despite assurance by the Kerala government and the police that adequate security will be provided to vehicles and shops during the two-day trade unions’ general strike, the strike badly hit life across the state.

From early hours of the day itself, the agitators blocked trains at various parts of the state, including the capital Thiruvananthapuram. While the majority of the public transport system, including Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses, remained off that roads, protesters forcibly stopped some auto rickshaws that tried to operate.

Though some traders tried to open shops in Malappuram and Kozhikode districts, protesters forcibly shut the shops. Isolated incidents of attacks on commercial establishments were also reported. Government offices, including Government Secretariat, and schools also remained defunct.

This was the second shut down in Kerala in a week. The previous one was on January 3 in connection with the entry of two women at Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. Over the last couple of months, Kerala witnessed a series of shutdowns in connection with Sabarimala women entry row.