Kochi, Feb. 6 :    Kochi, Feb. 6:  The bugle has been sounded by the BJP's Yashwant Sinha but the first battle is being fought by the Congress' A.K. Antony. Antony's Kerala has emerged as a test ground for a more radical version of the Union finance minister's job policy unveiled yesterday with government employees and teachers across the state launching an indefinite strike from today. The showdown began after chief minister Antony vowed to enforce a raft of belt-tightening measures to prevent the social-sector showpiece state from turning into India's Argentina. Teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, the state government decided to downsize staff, defer payment of salary in March and April by 15 days and abolish uneconomic schools with less than 100 children. It was the first time in the history of the state that a government has decided to default on salaries. The unusual steps were seen as sacrilege since they touched the powerful, and highly politicised, combine of government employees and teachers, once the bulwark of the Left parties in the state. However, initial public opinion appeared tilted against the strike - a new trend in a state, like its political cousin Bengal, once known for its hartals and bandhs. 'The government employees are a pampered lot,' said Thomas, a rubber tapper who lives in Kottayam. Thomas, who considers himself a 'Left-leaning' voter, said he was with the Congress-led government on the cost-cutting measures. The view is echoed in several pockets of Kerala, largely due to Antony's reputation and his relentless campaign highlighting the Congress' case that the nine-month-old government inherited empty coffers from its Left alliance predecessor. The Antony government is now banking on the public mood to break the resolve of those behind the strike. But the first day of the strike crippled offices and schools. All employees' unions, including those affiliated to the ruling Congress, participated in the strike. The state's two leading Malayalam television channels beamed unannounced blockbusters in the afternoon for the 'captive' audience who stayed at home on a working day. The leadership of the unions claimed that every single employee in the state has joined the strike. Kerala has around 4,50,000 government employees and 1,50,000 government school teachers. Representatives of the government, Antony, and that of the employees' unions had held talks yesterday to avert the strike. The talks failed as both the government and the employees stuck to their stands. The union leadership insisted that they would discuss and evolve ways to cooperate on the cost-cutting measures if the government first suspended the decisions. But Antony said he would not retract the orders, even if the strike dragged on for a month.