Thiruvananthapuram
There are reports of stray incidents of violence in the initial hours of the dawn-to-dusk hartal called by Dalit organizations in Kerala toda.
Dalit organisations called the hartal in protest over the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and demanding a judicial probe into the police firing on Dalit agitators during the Bharat Bandh on April two.
The hartal supporters blocked bus services in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode leading to minor tussles, affecting the normal life.
Dalit Action Council Convener M Geethanandan was taken into custody in connection with the blocking of vehicles in Kochi this morning.
Hartal supporters pelted stones on KSRTC buses in some places including Pathanamthitta and also blocked civilian vehicles in a few places. Most of the shops and business establishments remained shut, despite announcing that all shops would remain open.
Essential services like milk, newspaper, hospitals, ambulances and medical stores were exempted from the hartal.
Examinations scheduled for Monday have been postponed by the Kerala University, MG University and the Kannur University.
Meanwhile, Kerala DGP Loknath Behera warned that stringent action will be taken, if vehicular traffic is disrupted. He also cautioned role of anti-socials to create unrest during the hartal.
Though the hartal has no support of any major political party in the State, as many as 30 Dalit organisations, including Cheramar Sambavar Development Society (CSDS), Akhila Kerala Cheramar Hindu Mahasabha, National Dalit Liberation Front, Dalit Human Rights Movement, Kerala Cheramar Sangham, Social Liberation Front, Bahujan Samaj Party and Dravida Varga Aikya Munnani have extended their support to the agitation.
Muslim Youth League (MYL), youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Welfare Party and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have extended their support to the hartal.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the Kerala Private Bus Operators’ Federation have sought police protection to operate the services. The Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti (KVVES) and the Federation of Indian Trade Unions (FITU) State committee have rejected the support for the hartal.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) said that they will observe a ‘black day’ today to protest against the police firing on Dalit agitators.