Members of Dalit organisations stage protest in Thiruvananthapuram over the SC/ST Act issue. (Express) Members of Dalit organisations stage protest in Thiruvananthapuram over the SC/ST Act issue. (Express)

A week after Bharat Bandh, various Dalit outfits in Kerala have called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal to condemn the alleged violence against the community during the protests held across north India on April 2. The Dalit outfits are also protestng the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

According to media reports, outfits including the Cheramar Sambavar Development Society (CSDS), Akhila Kerala Cheramar Hindu Mahasabha, National Dalit Liberation Front, Dalit Human Rights Movement, Kerala Cheramar Sangham, Social Liberation Front, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Dravida Varga Aikya Munnani have extended their support to the bandh.

While security has been beefed up across the state, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has sought police protection to run its buses on the road. The Kerala Private Bus Operators Federation has also said that it will operate its bus services on Monday. Read in Malayalam