[WindRide]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

In Palakkad at least, I've found that using private vehicles does not create any issues.

True. Am from the "granary of kerala" too and i have driven to Guruvayoor once during a bandh in a white board 4-wheeler. Wasn't stoned to death, Taliban-istyle.

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

IPS : @SupremeBaleno - Kerala may be God's own country, but is filled with Devil's Own People

If what the ad-man says is true, then God must be an uber-MCP.

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

... I used to do the same thing but now it's something like a state holiday/festival. Prepare a feast, watch regional movies on TV with family.....

Agree. No idea why OP had to venture out on a hartal a.k.a. holiday.
Good grief, if kerala-based IT cos. are forcing employees to risk death and come in to office during a bandh, it's about time red flags are raised and shouts of "Inquilab Zindabad" reverberates thru the smoke filled air ... tongue firmly where it should be ;-)

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by WindRide

Agree. No idea why OP had to venture out on a hartal a.k.a. holiday.
Good grief, if kerala-based IT cos. are forcing employees to risk death and come in to office during a bandh, it's about time red flags are raised and shouts of "Inquilab Zindabad" reverberates thru the smoke filled air ... tongue firmly where it should be ;-)

That's basically the mood here. Although it's a hardship for travelers and entrepreneurs, it's good for salaried employees. I work in an IT firm and we are working tomorrow. For the past one year I havent taken my car out for work during hartals. It's these hartals that I make use. But for each and every thing declaring hartal is really horrible. I have no hope that this will stop in Kerala. There's even a site for this giving the schedules of hartals
harthal, Hartal, Bandh, Work stoppage of Kerala and West Bengal crippling the daily life and economy - www.harthal.com

[junaid12345678]

All kerala hartal on 2nd august, announced by CPIM in response to Jayaraj arrest. Its really frustating for every single common man including me. Today evening, me and my car managed to narrowly escape an attack by hartal activists at Attingal. They were about to set my car on fire. I regained sense for a moment, and floored the car. I felt alive only after reaching my home safe.

[mallumowgli]

On the Palakkad-Walayar highway the hartal activists were blocking all commercial vehicles near Pudussery. All private vehicles were let through. No public transport on the road, but I saw a KaSRTC Airavat coming towards Palakkad. I dont know whether it was let through at Pudussery.

[StarrySky]

I usually take my own car to office on hartal days. Since I live only 10mins away from office, I also make it a point to reach office before the 6am starting time for the hartal.

Due to the nature of the issue for which the hartal was declared today, I chose not to take out my car this time. No, not because I support the issue or the hartal. But there have been reports of violence since yesterday (mostly in Kannur), so I didn't want to risk going out today. Worse still, I didn't want to risk getting stuck in office if things get out of hand on the streets. Who would want that?

[supremeBaleno]

I hear from Mallu colleagues that the scene is quite serious in Kannur (and other parts of Kerala) today - lots of violence, arson etc. All because a murder-case suspect was detained by the cops, which to anyone would be the routine to follow in such cases. Wonder how much public (and private) property would be destroyed in today's hartal by the goons set loose.

[supremeBaleno]

And as if one day in a week was not enough, there is a hartal today also at Kasargod (where a guy was killed in yesterday's clashes) and in my town Mavelikkara (where there were clashes yesterday between the left and the right wing parties). Due to the hartal, my Dad came to the station to pick me up by bike, instead of by car as is the usual practice.

BTW, looks like these morons have finally tested the patience of the folks too much and there is angst brewing in cyber-space. I read in the paper today about a new Twitter tag called "AvanteAmmedeHartal" which is getting very popular among those who are fed up with the numerous hartals.

[sharoncr_17]

Three days back I had the misfortune of having to travel on a bandh day.

I was in Munnar with my family (260 kms from home), when out of the blue came "the proclamation" for a bandh. All the restaurants were closed and we were constantly at the risk of a stone coming from anywhere. Moreover I had to be back in office the same day.

Earlier bandh was called harthal in Kerala. Finally The Hon'ble Court banned harthals. So the political parties rechristened it as bandh.


If my understanding is correct, then, 'freedom of movement' is a right guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. Political parties declare a bandh for everything from rising fuel price to arresting a corrupt netah. They forget that its an encroachment on our constitutional right

[sharoncr_17]

Today Kerala scores one more harthal.

On my way to office, there was a rally and had to take a detour to office.

My kids have started loving the concept of harthals.

[junaid12345678]

Originally Posted by sharoncr_17

Today Kerala scores one more harthal.

On my way to office, there was a rally and had to take a detour to office.

My kids have started loving the concept of harthals.

Me too have been to Kollam today morning. I made it early at around 7 before those hooligans could capture everything. All the way from Attingal to Kollam,I saw lot of cops at every junction and some group of those brainless so called 'activists'. I returned from Kollam before things could warm up. Good time for kids. Frequent holidays out of nowhere.:-D

[deetjohn]

I went for a walk in the morning here in Tripunithura. Not many vehicles on road except for 2 wheelers and some cars/ vans to Sabarimala. No cops to be seen as well. Another day wasted!

[CliffHanger]

Got stuck for almost 2 hours this Saturday. I was on my way to Wayanad only to be flagged off by the localites orchestrating the Harthal.

It's not just the goons, even the localites were happy to be part of the strike. Right from 7 to 70, therewhere people of every age group who were happy to see other people suffer and being threatened.

Almost all of them were very drunk, and near one checkpost, they were fighting with each other.

There were couple of buses with Christian missionary Nuns and loads of teenage females. In any other South Indian state, I would see women and children being taken to safety. But here, checkpost after checkpost the buses were made to stop for indefinite time. No one was bothered to even think about how the women and the children would suffer. They had no access to water, food, toilets, etc..

It was very shameful to see all the people being absolutely cruel even to Women and Children, not just in one town but in every other town. I'm still unable to comprehend it. Couldn't see even a bit of humanity in any one of them.

God's Own Country should be renamed as Devil's Own Country!!!

[darklord]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

God's Own Country should be renamed as Devil's Own Country!!!

You should google and see who were the active backers of this particular harthal and then the irony of your statement will hit you like a ton of bricks.

[sharoncr_17]

I can understand the situation Cliffhanger faced especially since he was in Wayanad (the epicenter of that particular harthal).

Let us not go into the politics of the particular hartal. The Hon'ble High Court has made a statement yesterday about the parties orchestrating the harthal.

And moreover WEBSTERS should redefine harthals as "particular days when the law and order of a state is being handled by goons".

[sgiitk]

I think the hartal propagators should be penalised heavily. I think there is an HC order to this effect somewhere. Needs immediate implementation.