Strike at Pollachi
Protesting against giving 79 km of Pollachi and Kinathukadavu areas to Palakkad railway division, as part of the compromise formula for the new Salem division, all shops and commercial establishments downed their shutters in Pollachi town, about 40 km from here, today.The call to close the shops for 12 hours from 6 a.m. was given by the ruling DMK, various trade bodies and commerce associations resulting in the town wearing a deserted look.Autorickshaws, tempos and other commercial vehicles were off the roads, to express solidarity with the agitators. Cinemas were also closed, police said.A few shops and commercial establishment were closed in Kinathu kadavu and Anamalais also.Meanwhile, braving heavy rains, about 1,000 AIADMK workers staged a protest demonstration in front of the tahsildar office there on the same issue.With Kerala opposing inclusion of Coimbatore and Tirupur in the newly carved Salem division, bifurcating Palakkad railway division, the MPs of both states and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad had arrived at the compromise formula.As per the formula, 79 km of Pollachi-Kinathukadavu, coming under Madurai division, was given to Kerala. This has led to large-scale protests from all sections of people in the area.Meanwhile, MDMK general secretary Vaiko has planned to stage a rail roko at Pollachi tomorrow.
