The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the United Democratic Front (UDF) evoked partial response in the district with sporadic incidents of violence being reported from various parts.
In stark contrast to hartals observed in the past, private vehicles moved unimpeded along the city roads in large numbers. Besides, the plying of autorickshaws and taxis brought great relief for many commuters, especially those who arrived in the city for various purposes, including appearing for Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) examinations.
While the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) conducted normal services within the city, many depots in other parts of the district were forced to discontinue services owing to stiff opposition raised by hartal supporters.
Such incidents were reported in Neyyattinkara, Nedumangad, Vellanad and Vithura. A group of activists hurled stones at buses that were parked at the Aryanad depot as they prepared to commence services. The windshield of a KSRTC bus was broken after a few activists pelted stones at the vehicle as it reached Poovachal by around 6 a.m.
In the city, very few passengers could be seen in most KSRTC buses, except in long-distance services that were headed for places such as Kanyakumari, Nagercoil and Kaliyikkavila. Private vehicles were blocked in Poovar and Kovalam, paving way for tense moments when activists clashed with the police. Several protesters blocked vehicles that came from Tamil Nadu as they reached Parassala. Vehicular traffic along the route remained disrupted for around an hour.
While the hartal progressed peacefully during the initial hours, hartal supporters began to forcibly close shops later on. A department store at the Ayurveda College junction and a vehicle showroom near the Statue junction were forced to down their shutters owing to protests raised by activists.
The police left no stone unturned in the city to prevent untoward incidents. Close to 500 police personnel were deployed in various parts, including major junctions. Transportation facility was ensured for those who arrived in the city at the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station and Thampanoor bus terminal and were headed for the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology as well as the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Vehicles carrying employees of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Technopark also undertook normal services with police escort.
UDF activists took out a demonstration from the Palayam Martyrs’ Square to the Secretariat in connection with the hartal. One among them, Janata Dal (United) leader V. Surendran Pillai had to be hospitalised after he tripped over a cable and suffered minor injuries.
