BHUBANESWAR: The two-day nation-wide Bandh has paralysed normal life in the Capital. The worst hit are the young masses who live in hostels and as paying guests. Youngsters living in these facilities in Damana, Madhusudan Nagar and Laxmi sagar are facing untold difficulties due to the strikes. Orissa Post interacted with a few of them to delve deeper into the subject.
Swati Majumdar, a resident of a renowned Girls hostel in Damana, said, “How can the protestors force shutdowns of shops? In the morning, I along with few of my roommates ran out of basic ration. We came out to buy some groceries near Damana Chhak. Many people supporting the strike vandalised a small grocery shop before our very eyes which is quite disgusting. The matron of our hostel is unwell. We are quite perturbed by the unwanted aggression of these people. Getting food is proving to be a Herculian task due to the strikes.”
Trupti Hansda, a youngster who refused to be photographed, said, “I am quite upset due to the difficulties people are facing due to the strikes. I returned from Kolkata today. However, I couldn’t find a single auto or car to take me back to my hostel at Madhusudan Nagar. My uncle who came to my rescue at Bhubaneswar Railway Station was threatened by anti-socials to go back. They event threatened damaging the car. This is the level of harassment faced by youth of the Capital.
Abhishek Panda, a paying guest residing at Nayapalli, was a relieved person as he was able to procure meals from the place he is staying. “Due to my busy schedule as a production manager in a movie firm, I couldn’t stock the much-needed grocery and food items. Hence, I was at the mercy of my landlord who helped me a lot. Nevertheless, a strike should continue for a maximum of a day as a two-day bandh cripples normal lives severely,” he said.