People from all walks of life participated in the State-wide human chain organised by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) to mark their protest against Centre’s neglect and discrimination towards the State.
Thousands joined the 59-km leg of the protest, in Kollam district, which stretched from Oachira to Kadambattukonam raising slogans and taking an oath. Apart from the elderly and youth, cashew workers, farmers, teachers, traders, artists, writers and priests were part of the protest. Large crowds thronged the national highway to witness the human chain.
Scores of people from all parts of the district reached the designated centres by afternoon. At 4 p.m. the participants began taking their positions on the national highway. A trial was conducted at 4.30 p.m. and by 5 p.m. the participants joined hands to complete the chain.
Padmavati, the wife of late CPI(M) leader N. Sreedharan, formed the first link of the human chain in Oachira while poet Kureepuzha Sreekumar completed the Kollam stretch at Kadambattukonam.
CPI(M) central committee member and former Minister K.K. Shailaja, who was in the district to attend an event, joined the human chain at Chavara. At the city centre in Chinnakada, actor and MLA M. Mukesh administered the oath in the presence of senior CPI(M) leader and former Minister P.K. Gurudasan, senior CITU leader N. Padmalochanan, CPI(M) district secretary S. Sudevan, Kovoor Kunjumon, MLA, Kerala Congress (B) district president Shaju, Mayor Prasanna Ernst, district panchayat president P.K. Gopan and DYFI central committee member Chinta Jerome. KSFE chairman K. Varadarajan, M. Naushad, MLA, CITU district secretary S. Jayamohan, senior CPI(M) leader and former Minister P.K. Gurudasan, actor Jayaraj Warrier, former Minister J. Mercykutty Amma and Kerala Media Academy chairman R.S. Babu also joined the chain at different locations. Public meetings were also held in 20 centres.
