The trade and industry in Kerala is up in arms against the frequent hartals called by political parties and other organisations. A shutdown is scheduled on Thursday over the Sabarimala issue.

The Kerala Trade & Industries Coordination Forum has decided not to keep business establishments shut tomorrow. The anti-hartal coordination committee formed by 49 trade bodies also decided to keep the shops open and defy all hartals in future, said the coordination committee Chairman VE Yousuf. He requested the government and the police to provide adequate security to the shops remaining open on hartal days.

Tourism industry

Joining hands with merchant organisations, the tourism industry said that the sector would function as usual during the hartal day in view of the severe damage to tourism sector in the recent floods, causing huge revenue loss.

Kerala Tourism Task Force Convener Abraham George, Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) Society President Baby Mathew and Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry President EM Najeeb urged the government, political parties, other organisations and the public to cooperate for the smooth functioning of the tourism sector. They pointed out that after the floods, the tourism industry is slowly returning to normal.

Following the aggressive campaign by Kerala Tourism and those in the tourism sector, the tourist flow to Kerala has increased. December-January is the peak season and a hartal at this time will cause hardship to the tourists who have already made their travel plans, they added.

A meeting of 28 organisations in the tourism sector here recently passed a six-point resolution to ensure that the industry is not hit by shutdowns.

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