KOCHI: The UDF- and LDF-sponsored hartal on Monday witnessed a near-total shutdown in Paravoor despite local MLA V D Satheeshan openly coming out against observing the hartal at a time when the state is limping to normalcy after the flood havoc. Many of the shops which defied the hartal call were forcibly shut down by the hartal supporters.
"Not many shops opened. However, after coming to know the flood-hit areas will be exempted from the hartal, some traders opened the shops. By 11 am a group of people came and shut down all of them," said Bejoy, a resident.
Several shops and houses in the area are undergoing rebuilding works. However, the hartal brought the rebuilding works to a halt as building materials could not be procured. Besides the migrant workers chose to stay back home on account of the hartal.
In Paravoo r market, even though it is market day on Tuesday, only a couple of shops functioned. One of them is undergoing renovation while the other is replenishing the stock. A couple of small hotels and bakeries at Manjaly Junction, though, stayed open.
"We expected to restock and do the rest of the refurbishing works. We will now be one day late in opening our business. Even the shutters of my shop are damaged. Every second is valuable and the hartal was inconsiderate to flood victims," said Suresh, a shop owner.
In neighbouring Aluva and Kalamassery also, the hartal was total. Only a few shops selling knick-knacks remained open. Even they started functioning only by late afternoon. The travelling public was hit hard as there was no conveyance available, with buses and autorickshaws staying off the roads.
Halted
Many of the shops which defied the hartal call were forcibly shut down Rebuilding works of several shops were affected as migrant workers chose to stay back home Travelling public was hit hard as there was no conveyance available, with buses, rickshaws staying off the road