Traders call for hartal in Bathery today

Seek steps to resolve stir by farmers

An all-party meeting, convened by the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) Sulthan Bathery taluk unit, has called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the taluk on Saturday in protest against the alleged apathy of the State government in resolving an indefinite hunger stir by a group of farmers of Vadakkanad region in the district.

The farmers, under the aegis of the Vadakkanad Grama Samrakshana Samiti, launched the agitation in front of the office of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary warden on March 17 with a slew of demands. Milk supply, newspapers, long-haul buses, and hospitals will be exempted from the hartal.

Demands

While the representatives of the United Democratic Front, Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Communist Party of India attended the meeting, the Communist party of India (Marxist) kept away from the meeting.

The meet also sought steps to realise the Nilambur- Sulthan Bathery-Nanjangud railway line and to lift the night traffic ban on Karnataka’s part of National Highway 212.