Normal functioning of Gvoernment offices in the state came to a grinding half as 500,000 employees and teachers started an indefinite strike in protest against the United Front Governments austerity measures, which affected them badly. The strike was total in all departments, but essential services like transport, electricity and water, milk supplies were spared. Service and teacher organisation, irrespective of party affiliations, have participated in the strike.

Their demand is restoration of benefits like leave surrender facility removed by the Government. Security has been tightened all over the state and police said there is no reported violence. The striking employees took out morcha in the state capital. The state Cabinet willmeet on Wednesday afternoon to take stock of the situation. Strike was total in all the Government offices in Kochi. Various schools, Universities and colleges did not function normally.

The High Court was not affected by the strike as the Government has declared it an essential service. Court Employee Associations are not participating in the strike.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, February 5: The politics of violence is continuing unabatted in the state. In the latest incident, a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) member was brutally hacked to death in the Panur area today.Ashraf, an autorikshaw driver, was killed by a group of assailants allegedly belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The autorikshaws kept off the roads in the afternoon protesting the killing. CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI-M Parliamentary Party deputy leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and district secretary EP Jayarajan visited the area.The murder ends the fragile peace prevailing in the area, which had witnessed running feud between the Marxists and the Hindu extremists claiming several lives, for more than a year.

Compensation for Nadapuram violence victims

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, February 5: Kerala government has sanctioned Rs 834,500 as compensation for 35 families who were victims of communal violence in Chekyad panchayat, Nadapuram, Kozhikode district in June last year.

Nadapuram MLA Binoy Viswam the CPI leader said he had received intimation from the government informing him that the amount had been sanctioned from the Chief Minister' Distress Relief Fund.

He said the amount would not be enough to compensate all those who uffered losses and demanded similar compensation for the riot victims in Kummanod, Valayam, Theruvamparampu, Kallachi, Kakkattil and Mokeri areas in the area also. Four people were killed and many injured in the violence and arson involving the activists of the Indian Union Muslim League and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).