The day the busmen played truant!
Published November 24, 2009 | Today, school children (at least those who depend on Kerala’s private bus service to reach school and back home) will be late. So will quite a few office workers. So what’s new, one might ask, tongue-in-cheek.
To be frank, there is, and (it seems to me) will be, nothing new. The private bus owners have declared a ‘token’ strike, putting thousands of commuters to distress.
As the buses stay off the roads, people are resorting to forced ‘Long Marches,’ irrespective of their political affiliations (red or otherwise!). Meanwhile, another segment of the ‘Working class’ the autorickshaw drivers are making hay.
A 10-minute ride from North Overbridge to Ernakulam South makes me poorer by Rs. 30. Quizzed about the fairness (or lack of it) of it all, my middle-aged driver is all support for the striking busmen.
And he has his reasons: the ’rich’ students who have money to splurge on everything except bus tickets, an unsympathetic transport minister who sees no reason to hike the fares to match the recent fuel hike; so on and so forth.
The man is so passionate about the whole issue that I restrain myself (with great difficulty) from asking him a moot question: Dear sir, what about us public, who are at the mercy of you and your ilk?
Meanwhile, he departs, with the cheering information that should the talks with authorities fail today, we can all expect an ‘indefinite’ strike by the busmen.
And going by his enthusiasm, I am left with a nagging doubt: will the autorickshaw drivers join the busmen, just for the fun of it all?
Men (not) at work!
Published November 16, 2009 | The labour and trade unions of Kerala have always been any industrialist’s nightmare come true. Nowhere in India can you come across a labour class which is more aware and willing to fight hard for its ‘avakaashangal’ (rights) than that flourishing in here. Their demands are quite often out of this world, and would surely make even a saint lose his halo. Strange and unheard of labour practices are their stock-in-trade, the worst of which perhaps is the ‘nokkukooli’ or a levy in return for literally watching over some one else doing their job of loading or unloading of goods.
You can find the members of this ‘smart working class’ at almost very junction in any city of Kerala. A red (or blue or green or khaki) shirt, depending on their political affiliation is their trade mark; a carelessly wrapped colourful lungi completes their working clothes. Arrogance marks both their walk and talk. Smug in the security of their numbers, they personify the age old principle of co-operation: “One for all, all for one”.
And now, it is the turn of the All Kerala Elephant Workers Union to go on strike. Their demands are heavy – they want their job contracts to be reviewed and wages raised.
Keeping in view the ever-rising prices and cost of living in Kerala, one can hardly blame the guys, but on the other hand, there may be few amongst us who have not witnessed the wanton cruelty meted out to the animals that these men are entrusted with.
No wonder then that over the years, there have been umpteen instances of elephants turning on their ‘paappaans’ (mahouts) from sheer desperation.
Now, as these elephant handlers are all set to stop work (even to the extent of leaving their haples charges chained and hungry), shouldn’t the authorities take this opportunity to make these ‘aanathozilaalis’ (elephant caretakers) accountable for their actions and link their benefits to the proper care of the gentle animals they depend on for their livelihood?
Hartal the complementing factor of Kerala
Published February 22, 2008 | 
Kochi, February 22
Well if you are a Keralite or are frequently in touch with Kerala, or your relative or friends live in Kerala then you may have heard many a times the word Hartal (Strike) from them. This term has been a prime element of Kerala, and sooner or later has some how been in news at least once in every two months. With so much of such hartals Kerala is also gaining a new name, the land of hartals.
The situation has become so grim that the lives of the normal man have been put to unrest every time such strikes get going. The so called government which is said to be the law body elected by people, who are liable to help out and guide general public from all situations, themselves are the heroes who gives air to these hartals for one or the other reason. The story does not end here, even during these unofficial strikes public property are damaged and general public faces stiff challenge.
It seems the hartal saga will remain with this state always and this time it’s the small and big traders in Kerala who have planned to not to open their shops on Saturday 23rd February, to protest against the entry of retail giants. This protest has been called on by the Kerala Vyapari Vyvasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) and the Kerala State Vyapari Vyvasayi Samithi (KSVVS). They are demanding the ruling government to pass a law to stop the entry of these retail giants in the state.
It is learnt that as per the present rule any of the retail giant can open up their retail trade here without any barriers. This will affect the state retail sector and will make them to bear huge loses. Even the price of commodities has jumped a lot due to the entry of such retail giants. In recent years the scenario of retail industry in the state has changed a lot hampering the business of the local retailers.
To voice against this growing problem the shops through out Kerala will remain closed on 23rd February. Where else can one witness the frequent spectacle of silent cities? Hope now you may know the answer.
Harsh Fact: Kerala has to bear a loss of 650 crores on a single hartal day.