KOCHI: Life in Kochi came to a standstill on Tuesday as the 12-hour hartal called by various political parties on the Mullaperiyar issue converged with the traders’ protest against the Central Government’s decision to open up the retail sector to foreign direct investment.Kochiites suffered heavily as all the shops remained closed and private buses and autos stayed off the roads. Attendance was low in government offices. Educational institutions remained closed too. Various political groups and associations, including groups of television artistes, held out protest marches in support of the hartal seeking immediate resolution of the Mullaperiyar dam dispute. Hundreds of Vyaapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi members led a protest march to the Telephone Exchange and staged a dharna there.There was strict police patrolling in the city and no hartal-related untoward incidents were reported except a few road-blocking instances by BJP activists. The few canteens, small eateries and wayside fruit stalls which were open in some parts of the city were a solace to those who showed up at work. “I had to depend on my neighbour for conveyance since I could not take leave. Since my hostel does not provide food, I had to be content with fruits as that was the only food available,” said Gilsha P, who works at a government office.No KSRTC services operated from Kochi except a few city services and the special services to Sabarimala. “The few buses which came from the other districts (which were left out of the hartal) had to return as convoys were accompanied by police squads in order to avoid untoward incidents,” said P X Antony, controlling officer, KSRTC, Ernakulam. The KSRTC resumed its service after 6 pm.Though the hartal was generally peaceful, there were isolated incidents at some parts of the city. A couple of shops which were functioning at the Broadway market were allegedly closed by BJP activists. The Kerala Congress activists took out a protest march through MG Road.Most of the passengers who came to the two railway stations at Ernakulam South and North, the KSRTC bus stand and the Mobility Hub at Vyttila were stranded as they could not find autorickshaws or taxis from there. Almost all shops remained closed on MG Road. Isolated wayside eateries which were opened in some parts of Kochi witnessed heavy rush as there were no restaurants operating in the city on Tuesday.Though major government offices and other establishments in the city functioned on Tuesday, the attendance rate was below average. The number of advocates who came to the Kerala High Court was less. Many employees at the High Court arrived in the court vehicle.Hartal did not make any impact on the IT sector in the city. Most of the IT companies at Info Park operated without fail. A couple of companies at the park operated vehicles for bringing in their employees.
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