THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The dawn to dusk "harthal" called by various dalit organisations against the alleged move to dilute the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has evoked mixed response in the state. Police took several dalit leaders, including
Adivasi Gothramahasabha leader
M Geetanandan, in custody for allegedly trying to stop vehicles at Kochi.
The shutdown was called by various dalit organisations like Cherama Sambava Development Society (CSDS), Akhila Kerala Cheramar Hindu Mahasabha, National Dalit Liberation Front,
Dalit Human Rights Movement,
Kerala Cheramar Sangham,
Social Liberation Front,
Bahujan Samaj Party and Dravida Varga Aikya Munnani.
Though CPM and CPI decided not to support the harthal, Congress party organized meetings to express solidarity to the harthal. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and other senior Congress leaders walked from their residence to the KPCC office to show their solidarity.
Harthal supporters staged blockade of roads in several areas. Most of the shops in Thiruvananthapuram remain closed. Though KSRTC planned to operate services, it was stopped due to protest. Stone pelting were reported against KSRTC buses at Thrissur and Guruvayoor and was not allowed to ply at Attingal. Interstate services too were affected in the harthal.
Dalit activist Dhanya Raman said that dalits in the country are facing several forms of violence such as rape, arson and public flogging. “The move to dilute the SC/ST act was by people with casteist mentality. This is our protest against such moves,” she said.
When asked about violence in the protest, Raman said that they were grandchildren of Ambedkar and Ayyankali who fought against injustices without any bloodshed. “We are not in for any violence. We suspect others have intruded in the protest and are creating violence. Arrest of Geethanandan was unfortunate. Such cases are not reported during harthals of other organisations. Now police are all around us. This is another form of casteism that they are showing against our protest,” she said.
