Stray violence marks hartal in Alappuzha

SNDP Youth Movement workers take out a march in Alappuzha on Monday, in connection with the dawn to dusk hartal called by them to protest against the roughing up of their workers by candidates and their relatives who attended an examination of TDB, when they disrupted earlier on Sunday. Photo: Special Arrangement

The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Youth Movement on Monday was near-total with minor incidents of violence reported from various parts of the district.

The workers had called a hartal following roughing of some of its leaders and workers by relatives and candidates of the examination conducted by the Travancore Devaswom Board here on Sunday, which was earlier disrupted by the SNDP Youth Movement workers.

The KSRTC operated its normal services on the day, while other vehicles including private vehicles operated. However, private buses did not operate in many parts of the district including Erumallur, Cherthala and Kayamkulam.

The SNDP Youth Movement workers, who took out a march in the town on Monday morning, forcefully tried to close down shutters of shops that were open. The irate workers also damaged the glass panes of the municipal office here. They also tried to close down the taluk office here. The canteen at the KSRTC bus stand here was also attacked.

The workers participating in a march disrupted the examinations of the fourth semester B.Tech students of Kuttanad Engineering College at Pulinkunnu Kuttanad of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT).

The workers barged into the examination hall and tore to pieces question papers and answer papers of the students. The workers forcefully tried to close down shops in many parts of the district.