Strike turns near-total shutdown

Thiruvananthapuram: The nationwide strike called by trade unions on Thursday against the Centre's labour reforms and economic policies turned into a near-total bandh in Kerala, bringing normal life to a standstill across the state. While sporadic incidents affecting law and order were reported from different districts, officials said no major untoward incidents occurred.Govt offices, public transport, educational institutions and most commercial establishments remained closed. Major towns and cities wore a deserted look as vehicles stayed off the roads and shops downed shutters.
At the Secretariat, the administrative headquarters of the state govt in Thiruvananthapuram, attendance was minimal. Official figures showed that only 10.76% of employees reported for duty. Of the nearly 4,600 employees, only around 500 were present.The govt declared the day as ‘dies non', warning that absence would be treated as a break in service. However, the secretariat action council, which represents organisations that did not participate in the strike, alleged that the state govt had extended tacit support to the agitation.In a statement, its convener M S Ershad described the situation as a ‘govt-sponsored strike'. He alleged that the Left govt was implementing the Centre's ‘anti-worker policies' more aggressively while facilitating the strike called by organisations affiliated to it. He also claimed that the order to handle the strike, which began at midnight, was issued only 51 minutes in advance.The council further alleged that employees who managed to reach the Secretariat faced difficulties, as the canteen and coffee house remained closed, causing inconvenience. The statement was jointly issued by several Secretariat employees' associations.Incidents of obstruction were reported from various parts of the state. A section of teachers who reported for duty following the dies non order were prevented from entering schools and some institutions were forcibly shut. At Nedumangad GHSS, eight teachers were reportedly locked inside the premises by strike supporters.In Neriyamangalam, two workers who reported for duty at a district agricultural plantation were assaulted. At Neyyattinkara KSRTC depot, employees were prevented from entering, while in Angamaly a KSRTC bus that arrived with passengers was reportedly turned back.As public transport was severely disrupted, police arranged special travel facilities from Thampanoor to the Regional Cancer Centre for patients who were stranded.Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised the strike sharply in a social media post. He described it as a ‘lamentable irony' that what was billed as a Bharat Bandh effectively became ‘merely another Kerala Bandh.' "The right to strike does not include the right to enforce a shutdown on others," he said, adding that paralysing a state and disrupting daily life amounted to an assault on the liberty of common citizens.