UDF, LDF hartals near total in Wayanad

Kozhikode: The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by UDF and LDF in Wayanad against the Centre's delay in granting special assistance to rehabilitate landslide survivors, was near total in the district on Tuesday. Shops, business establishments and educational institutions were closed on Tuesday and attendance was low in govt offices. Though no taxis or autos were seen on the roads, some people ventured out in their own vehicles.

The protests intensified on hartal day over former Union minister V Muraleedharan's remark on the impact of the disaster. Congress and CPM accused the BJP leader of trivializing the disaster and said his remark ‘just three wards of a panchayat were washed away in the landslide' amounted to insulting the landslide victims. KSU activists burnt him in effigy at Kalpetta.

Both state govt and UDF had asked the Centre to categorize the landslide as L-III disaster and Muraleedharan's remark came after the Centre refused to declare the incident as a national disaster. While LDF called a hartal to protest against Centre's failure to give a special assistance to Wayanad, UDF's hartal call was against the lapses on the part of central and state govts in ensuring the rehabilitation of survivors.

UDF workers blocked vehicles at the entry point of the district at Lakkidi in the morning following which long queues of vehicles were seen. Following police intervention, the vehicles were allowed to pass. They also blocked vehicles at Kalpetta, Chundale and Sultan Bathery. UDF workers took out a march to the head post office and hartal supporters barged into the office compound. LDF workers closed down two banks at Mananthavady.

DCC president ND Appachan said UDF waited for Centre and state govt to act after the unprecedented calamity and now after 100 days both did nothing. He said the two govts are deceiving the people.

Meppadi panchayat standing committee chairman Nasar B said Muraleedharan did not bother to understand the extent of the disaster. "Thousands of people are still living like refugees. Hundreds of people lost their lives and bodies of 47 persons are yet to be recovered. Muraleedharan's words amount to mocking the affected people," he added.