Photo: Shrayan Sen
The nationwide Bharat Bandh called on Thursday against the Centre’s alleged “anti-farmer” and “anti-worker” policies brought road transport to a standstill and forced shops to shut across Kerala, causing widespread inconvenience to the public. Protesters blocked vehicles in several districts, leading to visible disruptions on major roads.
The strike was called by various labour organisations demanding the withdrawal of what they termed anti-labour codes and the restoration of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The United Farmers’ Front, farmer-labour groups and political parties including the CPI(M) and CPI extended support to the bandh.
In Kerala, KSRTC buses, private buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis remained off the roads, with some areas witnessing a near-total blockade of private vehicles. “CITU workers blocked the roads and wouldn’t even allow private cars to pass. I couldn’t get to work,” said Lija Joy, a daily wage worker in Kochi.
Despite disruptions, the overall situation in Kochi remained largely peaceful. While most shops were closed and public transport was paralysed, a few restaurants stayed open and Kochi Metro services continued to operate.
In Wayanad, however, tensions were reported when strike supporters allegedly confronted a lorry driver who refused to halt his vehicle. An argument ensued, and despite police presence, protesters reportedly did not allow the lorry to proceed.
At the KSRTC Thampanoor depot in Thiruvananthapuram, protesters stopped a bus upon its arrival. Depots in Palakkad and Chittur suspended operations for the duration of the strike. Only long-distance services that had departed before the midnight shutdown were seen operating.
Meanwhile, as part of the nationwide bandh, CITU workers staged protests in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, demanding the withdrawal of public-private partnership (PPP) pipeline projects across central infrastructure ministries and various states and Union Territories.