Some netizens have been spreading the message on the strike via social media platforms.
Kerala is known for its long-term relationship with the culture of strikes. Often, while walking down the streets, one can find a group of just five people shouting slogans to protest something and calling for a strike. Sometimes, the protesters can even number in thousands.
But keeping in sync with the changing times, Kerala may soon witness its first-ever digital strike. Some of the state's netizens have been spreading messages primarily through social media platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp, asking supporters to, ironically, boycott internet on October 31 to protest the frequent hike of tariffs by cellular companies.
Though the message is being forwarded by many, it is not yet clear who the organiser of the strike is.
One such message says, "Come, let's teach the telecom companies a lesson. Recently, the telecom companies have increased the price of mobile data by a huge margin. Earlier, the internet pack used to cost Rs 58 for 2GB of data. Now we are getting 1GB for Rs 155. To add to the misery, last week, the companies have increased the price again. (We now have to pay) Rs 155 for 500 MB data. We have to make them realise that the people of India are not asleep; we will take a stand on this."
Those sharing the messages have taken upon themselves the onus of "teaching the mobile operators a lesson".
Another message in support of the strike says, "We taught Maria Sharapova a lesson for her comment on Sachin Tendulkar, now we will teach these companies a lesson."
Mobile phone networks claim that they are not worried by the ' digital strike' and that they are not expecting too much of a response for this "anonymous internet hartal".