Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 12 (IANS) While much of the country witnessed limited disruption during Thursday’s Bharat Bandh, Kerala came to a near-total standstill, reviving debate over the state’s bandh culture and allegations of selective enforcement, but some CPI(M)-linked units functioned at a few places in the state.

Across districts, shops remained shuttered and public transport services were suspended.

KSRTC and private buses stayed off the roads, with only a handful of private vehicles, mostly two-wheelers, venturing out.

In several towns including Kalpetta, Bathery and Mananthavady in Wayanad, activists from both Left and Congress workers were seen blocking vehicles.

In Kalpetta, a verbal altercation broke out between INTUC workers and a goods lorry driver, while a private bank that attempted to function was forced to close by AITUC activists.

However, reports from Mananthavady triggered controversy.

A factory owned by a CPI(M) area committee member, functioned as usual, with around 100 workers on duty.

The development drew criticism, especially in light of allegations that establishments opened elsewhere in Wayanad were compelled to shut by party activists.

The incident has reignited long-standing criticism that bandh calls in Kerala often translate into coercive shutdowns affecting daily wage earners, small traders and ordinary commuters, even when participation elsewhere in the country remains muted.

Though not referring to specific incidents, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor termed it “an unfortunate irony” that the Bharat Bandh effectively became a “Kerala Bandh”, arguing that the state continues to be held hostage by organised groups imposing shutdowns on the wider public.

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan also voiced strong displeasure over the manner in which normal life and livelihoods are disrupted during such calls, stressing that political protests should not come at the cost of citizens’ right to work and move freely.

With Kerala once again witnessing a complete shutdown while other states reported routine activity, the debate over protest methods and the balance between political expression and public inconvenience has returned to the centre of the state’s political discourse.

–IANS

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