Nation wide general strike against price rise evokes mixed response
merisarkar news service
New Delhi, April 27, 2010
Bandh was called by non NDA non UPA parties
The nation-wide bandh called by 13 non-NDA and non-UPA parties today to protest against price rise evoked mixed response. Air and rail services in Left-ruled West Bengal and Kerala were hit while the bandh evoked a partial response in some states.
The 12-hour 'Bharat Bandh' that ended at 6 pm in the evening on Tuesday had some impact in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Jharkand. Normalcy prevailed in Delhi and in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu barring a few protests tand traffic disruptions.
Besides the four Left parties, the 13-party grouping which gave the call for the bandh consists of RJD, SP, RLD, LJP, JD-S TDP, INLD, BJD, and AIADMK. The grouping is pressing for a roll-back in the hike in prices of petrol, diesel and fertiliser.
Roads in West Bengal and Kerala where educational institutions and offices were closed wore a deserted look. Thousands of arriving passengers at airports and trains were stranded till evening and faced hardship. More than 4,000 bandh supporters, including LJP president Ramvilas Paswan and other opposition leaders, were rounded up in Bihar.
Hundreds of outstation passengers coming to Kerala as well as domestic commuters were caught unawares as the protesters picketed trains in various stations including at the entry points like Palakkad and Kasargode leading to late running of long-distance trains up to two hours.
Rail services were disrupted in many parts of Uttar Pradesh and three buses torched in Lucknow. SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's son and MP Akhilesh Yadav was detained in Lucknow while leading protestors.
In West Bengal, road and rail services and flight operations were badly affected and shutters in commercial areas were down. Hundreds of passengers were stranded at railway stations and airports for want of transport.
Airport sources in Kolkata said only ten out of 25 domestic and international flights took off this morning.
In West Bengal train services were disrupted at Howrah and Sealdah division. Long-distance trains were stranded at various stations as bandh supporters sat on the railway tracks.
Movement of heavy vehicles was affected across BJD-ruled Orissa as bandh supporters blocked national highways, state highways and other roads, putting a halt to plying of passenger buses, trucks, taxis and auto-rickshaws.
Normal life in several parts of Jharkhand was affected due to the bandh and the 48-hour shutdown by the CPI (Maoist) and Naxals.
