The Bandh culture is back to haunt the city of Kolkata and the state of West Bengal. This time around almost all the Opposition Parties in the State Legislative Assembly have come together to bring West Bengal to a standstill. All of it in protest over the atrocities allegedly committed by the West Bengal government, their administrative wing and the State Government controlled police force, and most importantly the alleged waves of attack using human shields on the followers of BUPC(Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee).
Local newspapers have reported that CPM controlled cadres have used hostages – captured BUPC supporters, and left-supporting residents of Nandigram who were rendered homeless when BUPC started becoming a force to reckon with in the early part of 2007. Violence and lawlessness ruled and civilians were dropping like flies.
It needs a protest. The so-called intellectuals of Kolkata protested. Some of them were even detained at Lalbazar, the police Headquarters. More to reason, than to arrest, I am sure.
The Trinamul Congress Party which has openly been rallying for the BUPC and supporting the movement against CPM followers in Nandigram moved back. The charismatic leader of TMC, Mamata Banerjee even resigned as an MP in protest. But somehow, the parties could not stop calling a Bandh to paralyze the state.
All of it when the State was just recovering from the SUCI bandh on 30th October and the TMC bandh on the 31st in protest over the high handedness of the state administration in the Rizwanur Rehman case and Nandigram. This was followed by an extended weekend due to Diwali and Bhai Dwuj or Bhai Phonta celebrations from last Friday to Sunday.
Come Monday we find the Congress calling a 24 hour Bandh, the SUCI initially calling a 24 hour Bandh and then extending it to 48 hours, the BJP calling a 48 Bandh and the best one from TMC – INDEFINITE.
Of course, these days Bandhs are pretty successful. What with a government bus being set on fire at Moulali, Kolkata this morning and another one torched in Durgapur. Passengers are few, vehicular traffic is minimum, train services are hit and almost all major markets are closed. Is this shutdown on the part of the people in support of the protests at Nandigram?
Would you drive your car around the city when buses are being torched? Would you risk your child’s health and life by sending him/her to school today, when a stray fight or shrapnel could cause fatal harm? The people are staying in, neither in support of the Bandh nor in protest over Nandigram but because of fear of loss of life and property.
The politics of fear and the culture of Bandhs need to cease. A Supreme Court verdict has rendered all Bandh calls by political parties illegal and fines have already been imposed on some parties in other states. People have a right to carry on with their life normally. This is a fundamental right and depriving a citizen of this right is an outright violation of the Constitution of India and a major blow to human rights. The right agencies should take up the matter seriously, as also the political parties.
Whereas I totally agree that the culprits of Nandigram should be booked and brought to justice and my heart pains for the lives lost in the struggle there, whereas I want peace to dwell in Nandigram and all across the State, I don’t agree to the fact that Bandhs are the means to achieve such goals, and I protest this blatant violation of my right to get on with my work and daily life.
Local newspapers have reported that CPM controlled cadres have used hostages – captured BUPC supporters, and left-supporting residents of Nandigram who were rendered homeless when BUPC started becoming a force to reckon with in the early part of 2007. Violence and lawlessness ruled and civilians were dropping like flies.
It needs a protest. The so-called intellectuals of Kolkata protested. Some of them were even detained at Lalbazar, the police Headquarters. More to reason, than to arrest, I am sure.
The Trinamul Congress Party which has openly been rallying for the BUPC and supporting the movement against CPM followers in Nandigram moved back. The charismatic leader of TMC, Mamata Banerjee even resigned as an MP in protest. But somehow, the parties could not stop calling a Bandh to paralyze the state.
All of it when the State was just recovering from the SUCI bandh on 30th October and the TMC bandh on the 31st in protest over the high handedness of the state administration in the Rizwanur Rehman case and Nandigram. This was followed by an extended weekend due to Diwali and Bhai Dwuj or Bhai Phonta celebrations from last Friday to Sunday.
Come Monday we find the Congress calling a 24 hour Bandh, the SUCI initially calling a 24 hour Bandh and then extending it to 48 hours, the BJP calling a 48 Bandh and the best one from TMC – INDEFINITE.
Of course, these days Bandhs are pretty successful. What with a government bus being set on fire at Moulali, Kolkata this morning and another one torched in Durgapur. Passengers are few, vehicular traffic is minimum, train services are hit and almost all major markets are closed. Is this shutdown on the part of the people in support of the protests at Nandigram?
Would you drive your car around the city when buses are being torched? Would you risk your child’s health and life by sending him/her to school today, when a stray fight or shrapnel could cause fatal harm? The people are staying in, neither in support of the Bandh nor in protest over Nandigram but because of fear of loss of life and property.
The politics of fear and the culture of Bandhs need to cease. A Supreme Court verdict has rendered all Bandh calls by political parties illegal and fines have already been imposed on some parties in other states. People have a right to carry on with their life normally. This is a fundamental right and depriving a citizen of this right is an outright violation of the Constitution of India and a major blow to human rights. The right agencies should take up the matter seriously, as also the political parties.
Whereas I totally agree that the culprits of Nandigram should be booked and brought to justice and my heart pains for the lives lost in the struggle there, whereas I want peace to dwell in Nandigram and all across the State, I don’t agree to the fact that Bandhs are the means to achieve such goals, and I protest this blatant violation of my right to get on with my work and daily life.
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