Lukewarm response to Oppn bandh call in TN, stir continues

The dawn to dusk bandh call given by MDMK, VCK, MMK over prohibition and backed by Left parties and a traders' federation, evoked a lukewarm response today in several parts of Tamil Nadu, though the stir continued state-wide with minor incidents being reported.
Shops, business establishments and banks by and large remained open and train and road transport services remained unaffected in most parts of the state, officials said.
MDMK, VCK and MMK had given the bandh call yesterday, demanding prohibition in Tamil Nadu after the death of Gandhian Sasi Perumal on July 31 in Kanyakumari district during a stir against a liquor outlet.

Shops, retail outlets and small businesses were however shut in some parts of this city and suburbs, pockets of Kanyakumari, Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam districts. Stone-pelting incidents were reported from Coimbatore district.
The bandh call did not evoke any response in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Nilgiris, Madurai, Theni, Tirunelveli, Sivaganga and Ramanathpuram districts, the officials said.
Continuing their protest, family members of Sasi Perumal, including his son and 11-year-old daughter wore black bands around their eyes. They refused to take back the body of their father for the funeral and demanded an assurance from the government on implementing prohibition.

"Our minimum demand is that liqour outlets near places of worship, educational institutions and hospitals must be shut," they told reporters in Salem.

In Chennai, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi chief Thirumavalavan, CPI(M) State Secretary G Ramakrishnan and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi leader Jawahirullah were detained by police after they resorted to a protest in Mylapore area.
Students of Madras Dr Ambedkar Government Law College took out a procession before they were stopped by police. "Idhu Gandhi Desama, illai Brandi desama, (Is this the country of Gandhi or brandy?)" were among the slogans they raised.
At Pattinappakam area in the city, women resorted to a novel stir by seeking liqour at outlets.
In Coimbatore, some 200 activists of MDMK, CPI(M), CPI and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi were arrested when they tried to stage a picketing before a TASMAC shop in Gandhipuram and also demanding total prohibition in Tamil Nadu.

About 100 workers were held in Ukkadam in the city for the same reason.