The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the Nithin Raj Action Council and various dalit and adivasi organizations, demanding the arrest of those responsible for the death of a BDS student at Kannur dental college, disrupted normal life in Kerala. Incidents of vehicle blockades, protests, and sporadic police action were reported across the state.
Impact on Students and Travel
Several students scheduled to write the VIT entrance exam were unable to reach their centers on time due to the hartal. Police sources confirmed that 29 cases were registered in Kerala over hartal-related incidents, and 100 people were taken into custody.
Mixed Impact Across Regions
The hartal did not disrupt normal life across Malabar uniformly. Public transport remained largely unaffected in many areas, while shops, business establishments, and government and private institutions functioned as usual. However, rural areas saw a greater impact, with protesters blocking traffic and forcing shops to shut in several places.
Despite organizers assuring that vehicles would not be forcibly stopped and shops would not be forced to close, the situation escalated as protesters blocked vehicles at many locations. In the state capital, hartal supporters blocked a KSRTC bus at Thampanoor. At Kaniyapuram and Nedumangad, buses were stopped mid-route, disrupting public transport. Vehicles, including an ambulance, were caught in a blockade at Thirunakkara in Kottayam. In Adoor, police used force to remove agitators who blocked cars. The hartal was complete in Pathanamthitta, where private buses kept off the roads. Strike supporters closed shops, banks, and government offices that had opened in the morning.
Incident at Adoor Bus Stand
At Adoor, a verbal altercation occurred between Pathanamthitta resident Rincy and some protesters at the KSRTC bus stand. She had arrived from Bengaluru with her baby and two relatives and was upset when protesters blocked the bus they were supposed to board. Rincy told them they had been traveling since midnight with a sick baby and were unaware of the strike. The protesters responded that information about the strike had been provided in the media 10 days ago. She argued with them and eventually called her relatives, leaving in a private vehicle later.
Blockades in Kozhikode
In Kozhikode, incidents of vehicle obstruction by hartal supporters were reported in Balussery, Perambra, and Ulliyeri. In Perambra, shops were shut, and protesters forced private and government institutions and banks that had opened to down shutters. In Koorachundu, hartal supporters shut shops and establishments that were open. Police intervened in Perambra to remove those blocking vehicles. In Ulliyeri, there was a complaint that a bus passenger assaulted a hartal supporter. Police said no violent incidents occurred within Kozhikode city and rural limits.
Private buses and KSRTC operated services. Barring a few routes where services were slightly reduced in the morning, buses ran as usual, said Bus Transport Association's district general secretary Thualsi Das. Autos, taxis, and goods vehicles were seen on the roads. In the city, hartal supporters held a march from BEM School to the commissioner's office in the morning. They were later taken into preventive custody.
Protests in Kannur and Kasaragod
In Kannur, protesters blockaded Caltex junction and staged a sit-in. Police arrested them after 30 minutes. Police also took protesters who tried to forcibly close shops in Payyannur into custody. In Kasaragod, hartal supporters tried to stop private buses at Cheemeni and Cheruvathur for some time, but police intervened to restore traffic. Police took a protester who tried to block vehicles at Little Flower School in Puthiyakotta. KSRTC buses and vehicular traffic were stopped at Panathur and Parappa, where shops remained closed in some areas.
Blockades in Ernakulam, Thiruvalla, and Chengannur
In Ernakulam and Thiruvalla, hartal supporters blocked vehicles at key junctions. In Chengannur, protesters gathered outside the joint RTO office, opposing the conduct of learner's licence tests. The Motor Vehicles Department confirmed that all 33 candidates who appeared for the test were allowed to complete it. In Thiruvalla, protesters blocked a cancer patient on his way to Kottayam Medical College, demanding to see his medical documents. Another vehicle ferrying medicine was blocked. Police intervened and allowed the vehicles to pass.
