Kozhikode, Feb 12 The 24-hour nationwide strike called by central trade unions on Thursday has reignited a familiar debate in Kerala, where shutdowns continue to draw criticism for paralysing public life.
Interacting with media in Kozhikode as part of the UDF’s 'Puthuyuga Yathra', Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan questioned why national strikes assume the character of a total bandh only in the state, even as normal life remains largely unaffected elsewhere in the country.
Incidentally, while Satheesan’s yatra is on, the three yataras of the Left are on hold on Thursday.
Satheesan said that while the Congress supports the broader demands raised by trade unions, the method of enforcing strikes in Kerala is outdated.
"In neighbouring Tamil Nadu, one may hardly notice that a strike is taking place. In Karnataka, Maharashtra, or even Delhi, public life does not come to a standstill. Why should Kerala alone shut down as if it were a bandh?" he asked.
The Congress leader called for a broader public debate on the practice of enforcing total shutdowns in the name of national strikes.
He alleged that the ruling CPI-M, which backs the strike in Kerala, did not adopt such tactics when it governed West Bengal and Tripura.
According to him, protest methods that disrupt daily life without clearly communicating the demands to the public have lost relevance.
The UDF, Satheesan said, favours taking issues directly to the people through outreach programmes rather than paralysing essential services.
The strike, spearheaded by central trade unions including the CITU, has been projected as a warning to the Narendra Modi government over what organisers describe as pro-corporate and anti-people policies.
The agitation has drawn participation from Central and state government employees, and workers in banking, insurance, coal, electricity, and defence sectors.
Farmers’ and agricultural labour organisations have also joined.
While strike organisers claim it could mark a new chapter in India’s protest history, the sharper impact in Kerala has once again placed the state’s political culture of shutdowns under scrutiny.
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