Widespread violence marked the dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Kerala on Friday.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bore the brunt of the party’s ire against the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) sweeping arrests of its leaders under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on Thursday. Hartal supporters smashed the windscreens of an estimated 72 buses.
The wanton violence brought public transport to a near standstill, prompting indignant passengers stranded at bus terminals to harangue KSRTC officials. Masked and helmet-clad persons travelling on motorcycles targeted buses, vehicles, shops and hotels. Many attacks occurred near surveillance camera blind spots, indicating pre-meditated action.
The High Court urged the government to protect lives and property, reinforcing the perception that the police were found wanting in upholding public peace. State Police Chief (SPC) Anil Kant said “the situation was under control.”
At Payyannur in Kannur, local traders took the law into their own hands. They shoved PFI workers who attempted to force the closure of shops. The politically sensitive district seemed the epicentre of hartal-related violence.
Unknown persons hurled a petrol bomb at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office at Mattannur. An airport employee, A. Nived, narrowly escaped a petrol bomb hurled at him when returning home from work.
At Valapattanam, hartal supporters damaged an inter-State KSRTC bus, injuring a 15-year-old passenger, Anakha. They burned tyres to block traffic on the Peravoor-Bangalakunnu road. Residents stopped an alleged PFI worker found in possession of two petrol bombs and handed him over to the police.
In Kollam, hartal supporters on a motorcycle rammed a police patrol, injuring two officers. In Kozhikode, a KSRTC driver, Sasi, suffered an eye injury when hartal backers smashed the windscreen of his vehicle. The police baton-charged PFI protesters at Irattupettah in Kottayam.
The hartal upended everyday life. For one, it hit online food delivery. PFI workers fanned out across the State, forcing the closure of shops and fuel outlets. Many hotels remained closed, fearing hartal violence.
Hartal supporters attacked vehicles heading for airports. Autorickshaws and taxis remained off the road. Commercial activity grounded to a halt. The hartal's ferocity receded by 5 p.m. and everyday life resumed haltingly.
