The two-day nationwide strike called by the trade unions against the spiralling prices of essential commodities and the economic policies of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government evoked a muted response across the State on the second day.
Though banking and insurance services were hit, most schools and colleges functioned normally and most PSUs too functioned. According to the police, no violence was reported from any part of the State.
Rail roko
The members of Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU) disrupted the movement of the trains Gulbarga.
Members led by president of the Karnataka Prantha Raith Sangha (KPRS) and state secretariat member of Communist Party of India (Marxists) Maruthi Manpade squatted on the tracks and obstructed movement of Chennai-bound Mumbai Mail for some time.
However no untoward incident was reported. Railway police cleared the tracks later and no arrests were made.
Another group of the JCTU members led by Shoukat Ali Alur, secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), staged demonstration near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Chowk.
Life in the city and other parts of Gulbarga district remained unaffected as shops and business establishments remained opened. The North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) resumed its operations on Thursday and cement manufacturing units functioned normally.
Normality in Mangalore
Normality returned to Mangalore and bus services resumed on the second day. Though shops and business establishment remained open, a few public sector banks remained closed. Educational institutions functioned without any disturbances. Scant traffic was seen on National Highway-66 that connects Kerala.
Activists of Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) held demonstration in front of the office of the district office and submitted memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner. A large number of headload workers out a protest procession from Old Bundar Road.
Muted response in Mysore
But for the total shutdown of the banking and insurance services in the public sector and a few industries the response for the strike was relatively muted.
Buses were back on the roads and autorickshaws and taxis plied as usual. Both the city and bus-stands were beehive activity and government institutions remained opened. Managements of a few schools closed as they don’t wanted to take risk. But most of the colleges remained open, as also various government and semi-government offices.
Small and medium scale industries functioned normally, while some of the major industrial units remained closed, according to Suresh Kumar Jain, general secretary, Mysore Industries Association.
Activists of AITUC and CITU and other trade unions, supported by bank and insurance employees took out a rally in the city and staged dharna at Gandhi square.
Protest march
Hundreds of trade union workers took out a protest march in Mandya. Shops and business establishments remained open. Services of buses, autorickshwas and private cabs were restored and people problems faced because of drying up of ATMs in the city.
