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Bhubaneswar, Sept 2: The Bharat Bandh Friday saw the flawless re-enactment of expected travails, and drew reactions against the protest from the protesters.
The commuters Orissa POST spoke with were disgruntled with this form of protest, which inconvenienced them greatly. Kumar Biswas had reached the city by bus early in the morning. The vehicle was stopped by a group of protesters near Jaydev Vihar. They threatened to attack if the bus proceeded.
Though the bus driver complied with the protesters’ demand and parked the vehicle by the road, another group followed and tried to attack the parked bus. They left only after an elderly passenger begged for mercy.
“They threatened to attack our vehicle. Our children were frightened and we requested the driver to park the vehicle. This is insane and the government must strictly enforce rules to protect the fundamental rights of civilians,” Kumar said.
Debasmita Barika and her two-year-old daughter had to spend the entire day at the railway station. Debasmita found the experience harrowing and the bandh an illogical form of protest. “I am not against their right to protest, but what is the logic behind creating inconvenience to the public for the fault of the central government,” she asked.
Air travellers were also inconvenienced by nationwide bandh. Airline operators had to make boarding calls for many passengers in certain instances more than four times as these flyers arrived later than expected.
Those who arrived by air also got stranded at the airport. “I was unable to get a taxi from the airport as services were unavailable. Considering the inconvenience a bandh causes to the public and property political parties must abandon this outdated strategy,” Debashish Roy Choudhury, who had flown in from Kolkata for a conference in Bhubaneswar, said.
The elderly were particularly affected by the shutdown. “The enquiry counter at Baramunda Bus stand had one man on duty but he could not say when the bus service would start. If I didn’t get the bus, I will have to spend the whole night at the bus stand. I would like the politicians to consider the inconvenience they are causing the public when they effect such protests,” SK Panda, a senior citizen, said.
What bandhs should not be
Judgments of the Supreme Court and High Courts lay down the following:
n Organisers of bandhs must make it clear in their call that nobody will be compelled to participate in them
n They must make it clear that traffic will not be obstructed
n They must allow those willing to go to work
n They must make it clear that the fundamental rights of people are not compromised by the protest
n They must instruct supporters to not coerce or force people to participate in the strike or ‘hartal’
