Title - With the pro-Kannada activists stopping trains, rich cultural hubs in and around Mysore stranded

With the pro-Kannada activists stopping trains coming from Chennai, a group of five tourists from Holland who had come to India to see the rich cultural hubs in and around Mysore were stranded. The Shatabdi train they were travelling in was stopped at City Railway station. The tourists were seen checking with other travellers how to reach Mysore. With private taxis also on strike, the stranded group was clueless on how to go ahead with their journey forward.

No Metro, no shopping

Nilotpal Samanta, a financial analyst with an MNC, found his plan to go shopping around MG Road derailed - for there was no Metro service at 1 pm. "I had to pick up a friend from KR Puram and go for lunch on Church Street. We though we would take the Metro from Baiyappanahalli. But after waiting for almost 20 minutes, we heard talk of some violence at MG Road station. Soon the guards said that the services were shut till 6pm," he said. He decided to drive to MG Road but saw protesters gathered near Binnamanagala and returned to his friend's house. Samanta's plan to venture out in the evening too was washed out due to rain.

The long walk

When Preethi, a housewife from the Kadukondanahalli, ventured out to her cousin's house in Sanjaynagar on Saturday morning , she was relieved to find buses plying. She boarded a bus and went to her cousin's house. But it was a different story on her return journey, for the roads were empty. With no transport available, she was left with no option but to walk back home. "There were no autos available too. I really regret getting out in the morning," she said.

Trouble on road

When 25-year-old Naushad took his bike out from his house in Ramamurthynagar towards Yelahanka on Saturday morning, he didn't expect it would break down and ruin his day. Stranded near the Canadian Public School on Bellary Road, after his bike ran out of engine oil, Naushad had to push his vehicle for a couple of kilometers before he could find a safe parking place. With no mechanics and pumps closed, he said even his friends could not manage to get engine oil. "Looks like I will be stuck here till evening," he said.

Sick child walks to hospital

An eight-year-old down with fever and her mother had to walk almost 4 km from Frazer Town to the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Shivaji Nagar on Saturday afternoon. "My daughter had been running fever since yesterday. My husband is out of station and the general physician in our area was not available too. No autos or buses were plying, so we had to walk down," said Gowramma, adding, "We don't have a vehicle and I felt very helpless." The mother-daughter duo had to walk back home too. "My daughter was feeling very giddy but at least she got proper medical treatment," said Gowramma.