Come harthal, Hosangadi not in Kerala!

Sorry, Harthal supporters in Kerala, irrespective of which party or front calls for Harthal in the State, it will be affected only from Uppala to Southwards. When Harthal comes, Kunjathur, Udyavar, Manjeshwar and Hosangadi will not be in Kerala but they ‘come under Karnataka’. And Wednesday was also not different when the entire State wore a deserted look 'adhering to' the dawn to dusk harthal call of Left Democratic Front (LDF) barring the bordering towns of the northern tip of the state.

Being close to Karnataka border, people here depend more on Mangalore for their needs. Harthal calls in Kerala are not a big issue in Manjeshwar and Hosangadi except State transport buses (Both Karnataka and Kerala) will keep off the road and a few of the schools and offices down shutters.

“No party workers will come here to forcibly shut down shops or other institutions. The day will pass as usual for any harthal announced by any party in Kerala. Some government offices and schools will not function for the absence of staff as they used to come by bus,” Bhaskara, a shop owner in Manjeshwar told Deccan Herald.

But some were of the opinion that some schools and offices are being shut because of the laxity on the part of staff and teachers. “There are schools nearby which can function if the concerned took interest. Though the teachers and students are localites and though the school buses are also available, the teachers find harthal as an excuse to sit at homes,” fumes P H Ahamed, whose two grandchildren are school going.

Government High School Bangra Manjeshwar, Jamaat Higher Secondary School Posot, Udaya Private Higher Secondary School are the schools in the vicinity. A few among them functioned on Wednesday. The only two public sector banks in Hosangady also remained closed. But markets, shops, auto stands were busy as usual in Hosangady as well as in Manjeshwar and Kunjathur. There was no dearth of patients in Manjeshwar government taluk hospital too.

Vehicles stuck at checkpost

On harthal days in Kerala, trucks with national permits from Karnataka will pass through Thalappady checkpost, but will stuck in and around Uppala checkpost for fear of stone pelting.

On such days, Uppala checkpost premises will be jam packed with lorries which always cause traffic congestion for other private vehicles plying on the National Highway, said driver of a National permit lorry coming from Udupi to Kozhikode.

` 5.75 lakh loss for states

On a daily basis, 472 trips of Karnataka and Kerala buses are plying on Mangalore-Kasargod route including return trips. This include 256 trips of Kerala and 216 trips of Karnataka. Kerala has 34 buses in the route whereas Karnataka has 32.

According to KSRTC sources, the daily average collection of Kerala Transport Corporation in this route is Rs 3 lakh whereas that of Karnataka is Rs 2.75 lakh. Thus on a harthal day, both Transport Corporations are losing approximately Rs 5.75 lakh. Trip loss to Sullya, Virajpet and other places in Karnataka are in addition to this.

What if a harthal announced in Mangalore? “It also doesn't affect us. Then instead of going to Mangalore, we will go towards south (Kasargod side),” quips Sameer, an electrician who didn't go to work yesterday for the simple reason that 'it's harthal, so I should sit in door'.

All shops in Hosangady were opened on Wednesday except jewellery shops. When asked, a man commented, “jewellery shops may have expensive glass doors but they are most vulnerable to stones.”