There was anger and annoyance as the first day of strike brought Kerala to a stop. People were seen stuck at many places. Some ventured out, as they could not afford to miss work, while some stayed put at home. But everyone had the same concern: What will happen on Day 2?
Walking 7km to work to support family
Kochi: Mariya Peter, 53, a housekeeper at a private firm in Kochi, had no choice but walk nearly seven kilometres from Bolgatty island to Kaloor as private buses and autorickshaws stayed off the road. Not at liberty to take a day off due to weak finances, she said the strike has left many daily wagers like her in agony. It took her one hour 45 minutes to reach the office. “The strike has affected daily wagers badly. My husband works at a construction site. We have no other option but work whatever the situation. Our salaries are not good enough to run the family smoothly,” said Mariya. “Due to the strike, my husband will not have work for two days. Hence, I had to walk to the office. We can’t afford to keep off work together,” said Mariya.
Bandh worsens Daily struggle to survive
Kasaragod: Ibrahim K, 58, a resident of Melparamba, was spotted loitering in Kasaragod town looking for casual work. Earlier, he used to do stone work. “After three surgeries, I cannot do heavy lifting,” he said. He usually gatecrashes weddings and parties and offers to serve food or clean tables and vessels. “It is difficult but once in two or three days, I find a job and earn around I500,” he said. His wife Maimoona and their six-year-old son depend on this meagre income. On Monday, when trade unions shut down Kerala, Ibrahim could not find work. “I will come (to town) tomorrow too,” he said.
Not everything could be put on hold
T’Puram: Zaithoona V P, 30, was waiting at the railway station here with her family. Her train would arrive at night. “The strike disrupted our schedule,” said the Udma native, here for a follow-up checkup at the Regional Cancer Centre. For the past two years, Zaithoona has been shuttling between Kasaragod and the capital after a tumour was detected in her ovary. The chemotherapy ended in January and Monday’s follow-up could not be postponed. “We arrived on Saturday itself,” she said. “Now, after the blood test and check-up, we have to wait at the railway station. The strike has led to unwanted expenses and trouble,” she said. Several people arriving for treatment at the RCC were hit by the strike.
NO truck with strike
Kasaragod: Shafeek, a truck driver, was seething after protesters stopped him in Kanhangad. Transporting 25 tonnes of dates from Maharashtra to Kannur, he had only 60km more to go to reach his destination. “They did not even allow me to park in the shade. The dates may get spoiled now,” he said. “We don’t mind if they stop us for 10 minutes. But detaining us for an entire day is wrong,” he said.
Bad time for a 1st visit
T’Puram: It was Nicolas Edmond’s first journey to Kerala. The 25-year-old France native reached the capital on the day of the strike. “We have plenty of strikes in France. But it is the first time I was caught unawares during travelling,” he said. After learning how a strike plays out in Kerala and the services that get disrupted, Nicolas said he would have to change his itinerary. “I was planning to leave on Tuesday. Looks like I might have to stay here for another day. I will visit a few places and go for a swim. I have to reach Kovalam, where my stay has been arranged. I think it is going to cost me a lot. It is not a really good feeling but I feel this city is good,” he said.
G7k & long way to Kattappana
Kochi: Sukhdev Soran, who arrived at Ernakulam Junction railway station from Jharkhand with family, including a child, had no idea that their journey to Kattappana would be so expensive due to the nationwide strike. Sugdev’s family, which includes his wife and sister-in-law who work in a cardamom farm, had to pay nearly J7,000 to get a vehicle from Kochi to Kattappana. “It took us nearly two days to come to Kochi from our village of Dumka in Jharkhand. We might have changed our plans had we known about the national strike. I found out about the strike from another train passenger,” Sugdev said. The police officers posted near the railway station arranged a private cab to take them to Kattappana. “Since we did not have enough money to spend on the vehicle, the plantation owner informed us that he would pay the charge. We’re not sure if he’d deduct the money from our pay,” Sugdev added.
Out of breath after 7km trek
Kanhangad: It was nearing 4pm. Abdul Kareem, 62, was sitting on the base of a streetlight at Kattakkal on the Kanhangad-Kasaragod state highway. He looked much older than his age. “I stopped to catch my breath. I have been walking from Kasaragod and have to reach Kanhangad before night. My wife is alone at home,” he said. He took nearly an hour to trek 7km and had another 20km more to walk. Abdul arrived at Kasaragod on Sunday to visit his sister. He did not know about the strike. Abdul, who was a jeep driver till 1994, had to stop working after he was hit by a truck. Now he has a steel rod in his left arm and survives on government schemes. It was only because of Abdul Sattar, a good samaritan who gives lifts to stranded people on his scooter, that Abdul reached Kanhangad on Monday itself.
4,800/32 In government secretariat, only 32 out of 4,800 employees worked on the first day
Rs 13cr Amount KSRTC would lose, equivalent to two days’ collection, as entire fleet of buses remained in garages
95% of government employees join strike on Day 1. Government services totally paralysed.
95% of the 15 lakh shopkeepers in the state lost business due to the two-day strike
Rs 600cr Loss the state will suffer owing to the strike, as per the estimate of Kerala Management Association
2018 to 2020
As per Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kerala lost 2.2 lakh man days owing to 20 strikes from 2018 to 2020
Rs 50cr Estimated loss that will be suffered by traders during two days