Condemning the conviction of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa by a special court in Bangalore, as many as 58 trade associations – big and small – led by the Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants’ Association and Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association, downed their shutters from dawn to dusk on Tuesday.
As a result, roadside tea/coffee outlets, restaurants, grocery shops, cinema houses, textile showrooms, spare parts shops, small and tiny units in the industrial estates in and around the city and peripheries remained closed till 6 p.m. Some of the educational institutions had also joined in the bandh.
The State-owned bus services were operated but for a large part of the day, the city bus stands wore a deserted look since shops were closed. The government offices functioned as usual. Banks and private offices were open. By and large, the working day looked like a holiday.
Since, the bandh call was announced a day earlier, people had time to plan for the day.
Human chainMeanwhile, the AIADMK members continued with their protests at different places by roping in public as well in demonstrations and token fasts. In the morning, when some of the sympathisers burnt the effigy of the DMK leader M. Karunanidhi in front of the court, police found it tough in putting out the fire. “Normally, shops and restaurants would be open nearby from where we bring a buckets of water to put out the fire. But, with all establishments closed, it took long time to put out the fire,” a policeman on bandobust duty said.
In the evening, the AIADMK men organised human chain in Periyar bus stand, Arapalayam, Tallakulam and K. Pudur among other locations to condemn the conviction against their party supremo. Many women and children also had joined in the stir.