Barring demonstrations and attempts to disrupt traffic by stating road roko, the nationwide strike called by trade unions did not affect routine life in the district on Wednesday.
A total of 1,546 protesting trade union activists, including 409 women, were arrested in various parts of the district even as they blocked road in protest against the “anti-people and anti-worker policies” being pursued by the Centre and the “unprecedented and unbearable inflation”.
When the protesting trade union activists tried to take out a rally towards Tirunelveli Railway Junction to block train services, they were stopped by police at the starting point itself and arrested.
When the protestors tried to breach the police cordon, it led to minor and brief altercation between the agitators and the law-enforcers.
As a group of protestors staged an agitation in front of a train at Nanguneri railway station, the police arrested 168 persons, including 64 women.
The police arrested 1,475 persons, including 409 women, when they tried to stage road roko at Valliyoor, Ambasamudram, Mukkoodal, Tenkasi, Alangulam, Puliyangudi, Tiruvenkatam, Sankarankovil and Karivalamvanthanallur and two places each at Shencottai and Sivagiri.
The protestors also organised demonstrations at 10 places in the district to highlight their demands and reflect the “growing dissent” against the Central government among the people.
Work in all banks, except State Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank, was completely paralysed by the strike. Autorickshaws and lorries were almost off the road while buses were operated to all destinations.
As major trade unions had called for the strike, the police had made elaborate security arrangements across the district.
Nagercoil
Unidentified miscreants damaged windscreens of three buses, including one KSRTC bus, near Marthandam on Tuesday midnight.
A total of 718 persons, including 200 women, were arrested for blocking road at 11 places in Kanyakumari district.
The Joint Council of Trade Unions (JCTU) staged a mammoth demonstration in front of the Head Post Office here. It was presided over by JCTU president S. Ramachandran.
Over 700 trade union members participated in the demonstration. Trade union member also staged demonstrations in 14 places across the district. Major trade unions of banks, AIBOC and NCBE, did not participate in the strike, and a few banks, including State Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank, functioned with full attendance. Other banks functioned with skeletal staff.
Tuticorin
As many as 1,059 members of various trade unions courted arrest after staging road rokos and rail rokos in Tuticorin district.
While cadres of DYFI blocked railway track at Tuticorin Melur station, farmers attached to All India Kisan Sabha resorted to rail rook at Kadambur station.
Several banks wore a deserted look as most of the employees joined the strike.
Employees affiliated to trade unions in V.O. Chidambaranar Port, BSNL and Department of Posts also did not turn up for work. However, public transport including buses of transport corporations and auto-rickshaws plied as usual.
