Bandh fizzles out

The call for a nationwide bandh given by various civil society organisations failed to have an impact on the city on Thursday as all services continued to function as normal. The bandh was called in support of the 23-year-old paramedical student who lost her life after she was gang-raped in Delhi on December 16.

Even as protests against government inaction continued in Delhi, the call for a bandh was seen by many as doomed to fail since it wasn’t supported by any major political party. On Thursday, schools, buses, hospitals and banks were open and working normally.

“We were confused yesterday about whether buses would be running in the morning but we managed to reach office without any problems,” said Trisha, a commuter. She added that there was no notification in her office about any holiday.

However, most people also seemed tired of the long series of bandhs called by various organisations in the past few months and just chose to show up to work.

“We have protested, we have raised our voices. Even today there are protests going on in Delhi and elsewhere, what is the purpose of a bandh?” asked Kaushik, who works with an MNC in the city.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, MD, Biocon said: “Our country has a silly way of dealing with things through a bandh. Fast track courts need to be set up, people need to put pressure on the system and reach a consensus on the anti-rape law. A one-day protest would be pointless and achieve nothing.”

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The New Indian Express
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