Bharat Bandh: Despite court intervention, attendance low in Kerala govt offices on day 2

Normal life and businesses across the state were hit for the second consecutive day as protesters prevented bus services from running and forced shops to down shutters.

On Monday, the government was forced to issue an order saying that unauthorised absence of employees and teachers during the general strike would be treated as dies non following an intervention of the Kerala High Court. A division bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar, acting upon a PIL, had directed the government to issue orders to prevent employees from engaging in the general strike against the policies of the Union government.

The order issued by the chief secretary said that pay for the days on which the strike is taking place would be withheld from the salary for next month. No leave would be granted to employees and teachers on strike days except for unavoidable reasons. It said people indulging in violence during the strike days would be prosecuted. Provisional recruits who keep away from duty during the strike would be removed from service. The order directed the state transport corporation to ensure service to enable employees to reach offices.

The order, however, did not appear to have much effect on ensuring attendance at government offices. At the state secretariat, less than 200 employees turned up for duty against a staff strength of 4,800. In many other government offices, agitating employees, belonging to both the ruling LDF and opposition UDF, allegedly prevented others from appearing for duty.

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Shops and establishments continued to remain closed in most parts of the state, with agitators allegedly stopping trucks and even private vehicles. The state transport corporation could only operate a few services on the second day of the strike.

Although the court said trade union activities, pertaining to statutory provisions under the Trade Unions Act, cannot be allowed to impede governance, leaders of the ruling CPI(M) came out against the high court directive. Party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan compared the court’s attitude to saying “shut your mouth and do your job”. “Employees should be ready to strike, abandoning their salary for two days. The court intervention is a challenge to the democratic system. However, the strike is not sponsored by the government,’’ he said.

CPI(M) Kannur district secretary M V Jayarajan said a ghost of the British era has caught hold of the judiciary. “What has come through the words of the court is the voice of the Emergency era,” he added.

Meanwhile, even as CPI(M) leaders allegedly prevented the movement of people and forced closure of offices in several places, they ensured that works related to the Party Congress, slated for next month, continued in Kannur. “Only minor works are underway. Most of the work is over. Only some finishing work of the venue is going on,” Jayarajan said.