)
The infamous ‘bandh’ culture of Bengal came back to haunt the state once again as the city woke up to empty roads even as the government went all out to foil the strike.
The 12 and 10-hour strikes called by the Left and the BJP against “rigging in polls” coincide with a countrywide strike called by the trade unions against a central transportation bill.
The 12 and 10-hour strikes called by the Left and the BJP against “rigging in polls” coincide with a countrywide strike called by the trade unions against a central transportation bill.
The administration has arranged for a large number of buses to make up for the absence of private buses. While state government buses are plying as usual, they were mostly empty with very few passengers. Prominent parts of the city bore a deserted look. Shops were closed in the busy areas of Gariahat, Esplanade, Park Circus and Jadavpur.
The suburban and metro facilities were functioning normally but passenger numbers were substantially thin. Various incidents of disruptions in train movement were reported as bandh supporters demonstrated on railway tracks.
Taxi services were the most affected as (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) CITU-backed taxi unions kept their vehicles off the road. “This is a movement against the draconian transportation bill and also against the undemocratic civic polls, it has been well supported by the public,” claimed state president of CITU ShyamalChakraborty.
Kolkata has around 35,000 cabs, most of them are affiliated to the Trinamool-backed Bengal taxi Union. People in the know said that transport minister Madan Mitra’s absence had a profound impact as Mitra used to be the pivot between the government and the taxi unions. Stray incidents of violence were reported from the districts as Trinamool Congress supporters clashed with opposition cadres and many CPI(M) workers were arrested by the police.
The bandh is being seen as a prestige war by both the government and the opposition camp. If the strike is successful the Opposition will see it as public support to their claims of violence.
There were public announcements by the government to keep life normal. “Do not support the bandh, the administration is responsible for your safety and we will compensate any shops or cars ransacked in the strike,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said yesterday.
