With civil mobility affected following the 24-hour nationwide strike called by Left trade unions, business is almost standstill in Kerala. The only sector insulated in Kerala through police-backed vehicle service is the IT parks, including Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram and Infopark in Kochi.
Travel industry was indirectly affected. Passengers at both domestic and international terminals of the three international airports – at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode – are left stranded. Flights are on schedule, but public transport, including taxis and autorikshaws, kept off the roads. Kerala has an overseas diaspora of about 22-25 lakh, its bulk settled in Gulf countries. In the wake of holiday season in Gulf, flow of families is at its highpoint in Kerala airports. About 13,000-15,000 Gulf passengers use Kerala airport every day in this season, say travel industry sources. These families in transit took the brunt of the strike.
At many places in Kerala, train services were disrupted. In North Kerala, 11 train services were cancelled.
The strike took band-like dimensions in the LDF-run state as shops and business establishments downed shutters. According to informal estimates, business worth Rs 6,500 crore is affected in Kerala on a shutdown day. Attendence in governmet offices were also low.
As the state-run KSRTC too refused to ply bus services, Oppositon Congress-led UDF has dubbed it a state-sponsored strike.