Buses to run, shops to be open on hartal day

It will be business-as-usual for private buses and shops, the two segments that usually get affected on a hartal day, on April 9 when several Dalit organisations will be going on a hartal

Bus owners’ bodies have jointly decided to operate buses on the day. There are around 1,600 route buses in the district and almost all of them would be on the road, defying the hartal call.

K. Radhakrishnan, district president of the Bus Operators' Organisation, told The Hindu that the bus owners had decided to operate the buses in view of the upcoming Vishu festival week. The Vishu week was one of the busiest shopping seasons in the city and hence a key revenue earning week for the bus operators. He said that his organisation and the Bus Operators Association had jointly taken the decision. Meanwhile, the Kerala Vyapari Vyvasayi Ekopana Samithi, the largest union of retailers in the State, has said its members will not observe the hartal and that all the shops will be open. T.Nazirudeen, its president, said in a statement that the samithi had decided to open shops as the organisations that had called for the hartal were in no way associated with the business sector.

He warned that these organisations would be fully accountable for any damage caused to shops and businesses during the hartal.

Not to cooperate

Our Special Correspondent writes from Kochi:

Kerala Private Bus Operators Federation will not co-operate with the State-wide hartal called by Dalit organisations on Monday. Lawrence Babu, general secretary of the federation, said that bus services will not be affected on Monday. This was an incident that occurred in North India.

“We have decided not to co-operate with unnecessary hartals in the State anymore,” he said.

Chamber protests

Our Staff Reporter writes from Thrissur:

The Thrissur Chamber of Commerce will not co-operate with any hartals hereafter. The shops and establishments will function during all hartals in future, including that on Monday, the Chamber of Commerce said.

“Our decision is not against any political party or organisation. The frequent hartals have been badly affecting the trading sector,” the Chamber sources noted.