The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Hartal against ADB loan partial in city

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Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Hartal against ADB loan partial in city

Staff Reporter

Public transport vehicles keep off the road; protest meetings held

KOCHI: The State-wide hartal called by the CPI (ML) on Thursday was partial in Kochi.

The hartal was called in protest against the State Government's decision to avail itself of a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for sustainable development in five corporations.

Barring an incident of stone-throwing at Perumbavoor early Thursday, no untoward incidents were reported from the district.

Shops remain closed

A majority of shops on the arterial roads in the city remained closed during the day. The hartal was observed from Wednesday midnight to 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Public transport vehicles kept off the road and attendance at offices was thin.

CPI (ML) leader T.C. Subramaniam claimed that the hartal was a success in spite of the Government's efforts to run transport vehicles.

He said this was a warning from the public against policy decisions that surrendered to "imperialistic dictates."

The Kerala Congress (Secular) also observed Thursday as `black day,' urging the State Government to annul the ADB loan pact.

A protest meeting led by its district president Kuruvilla Mathews burnt a copy of the loan agreement in a symbolic gesture.

Activists of the Anti-Asian Development Bank Campaign hoisted a black flag in front of the Kochi Corporation office urging the State Government to reject the financial support from the Asian Development Bank.

Geo Jose, Purushan Eloor, Jyothi Narayanan, C.A. Vijayachandran, Jacob Lazar, M.N. Giri and R.K. Damodaran were among those who participated in the march and rally.

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