The Left Democratic Front (LDF)-sponsored dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district, protesting against Thursday’s police lathicharge against the DYFI-SFI marches in the town, was total in the district on Friday.
Barring stray incidents of stone-pelting, no untoward incident has been reported from any part of the district on Friday.
The hartal supporters hurled stones at a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus at Pandalam. There was also an alleged assault attempt on the bus driver in the morning.
The KSRTC had operated a few services from the Pathanamthitta and Thiruvalla depots in the morning hours. Non-availability of KSRTC service had put the commuters to much hardship in all the towns.
Though many commuters reached the bus depots at Pandalam and Adoor in the early morning hours, expecting operation of services before the beginning of the hartal at 6 a.m., the authorities failed to operate any fixed schedules prior to 6 a.m.
The long-distance services of KSRTC that passed by the towns of Thiruvalla, Adoor , Pandalam, and Pathanamthitta were the only options for the passengers during the hartal time.
All shops and business establishments remained close in view of the hartal call. Heavy and light motor vehicles, except those carrying marriage parties and hospital-bound patients, kept off the roads across the district.
Government offices and banks across the district, too, witnessed lean attendance. The hartal supporters have taken out protest marches in the towns of Pathanamthitta, Thiruvalla, Pandalam, Adoor, Ranni, Konni, Kozhenchery, and Mallappally in the forenoon.
The protest march in Pathanamthitta town was led by K.P. Udayabhanu, CPI(M) district secretary A.P. Jayan, CPI district secretary Alex Kannamala, LDF district convener N. Sajikumar, T.K.G. Nair, and
V.K. Purushothaman Pillai, all CPI(M) leaders.
The hartal supporters forcefully closed the KSFE branch office in Thiruvalla. The hartal supporters blocked vehicles at Pazhakulam and at the High School Junction in Adoor.
In Mallappally
The Mallappally-bound bus services from Kottayam were terminated at Karukachal in view of the hartal from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday.
The KSRTC has completely stopped operation of services from its Konni depot from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Even the private vehicles, too, kept off the road in Konni.
However, KSRTC has resumed services from all its depots in the district after 6 p.m.
