While many stayed indoors in the comfort of their homes enjoying a rare mid-week off on Thursday, daily wagers, mainly porters and loaders, bore the brunt of the bandh. The Agricultural Produce Marketing Corporation yard at Yeshwanthpur was closed leaving hundreds of loaders, who depend on the market for their livelihood, were left jobless. A group of them was playing cricket on the empty streets.
Palani, a loader, told The Hindu that, on a good day, he earns around Rs. 300 but the bandh had hit his earnings. Rajesh, another loader, said that this week was pretty bad as the yard was closed even on Tuesday for Eid. Loaders on Avenue Road and B.V.K. Iyengar Road were also left jobless as most shops were closed. Porters at City Railway Station also had a lean day. One of them said that they were worried, as they had earned nothing till noon.