SAMBALPUR /BALANGIR / SONEPUR / BHAWANIPATNA: Normal life was paralysed in several districts of western Odisha region due to a 12-hour-bandh called by the Koshal Raej Milita Kriyanusthan Committee over the demand of a separate Koshal state, on Saturday.
In Sambalpur district, the impact of bandh was evident in Kuchinda and Rairakhol areas where government and private offices besides educational institutions, banks and financial institutions, shops and other business establishments remained closed and movement of public transport including buses and rickshaws were prohibited. Agitators were also seen picketing at main locations.
Similar protests were seen in Bargarh, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Balangir and Sonepur where the streets wore a deserted look. The impact of bandh was seen in almost all major towns like Balangir, Patnagarh, Kantabanji, Bangomunda, Saintala and Titilagarh. Besides, the impact of the bandh was also felt in smaller towns, block headquarters and panchayats.
Balangir MLA Narasingha Mishra, who has been openly supporting the demand, warned the government against the alleged step-motherly attitude towards the region. Koshal Raej Milita Kriyanusthan Committee leader Pramod Mishra said “The bandh saw a large participation of people from all walks of life in the region. We also got support from political groups and many voluntary organisations also extended support to the bandh. We got a positive response and we will continue our agitation till our demand for a new state is fulfilled.”
On the other hand, while the impact of the bandh was negligible in Jharsuguda, Sundargarh and Deogarh districts, Sambalpur city remained unaffected due to the bandh as the Hirakhand Samukhya and Sambalpuri Bhasa Sanskruti Parishad had appealed to the people to refrain from the bandh due to ideological differences.
Vice-president of Hirakhand Samukhya Deepak Panda said “We are not against the demand for a separate state, but we are not in favour of the use of the words ‘Koshal’ and ‘Koshali’. Sambalpuri is our original root which has given us our language, identity, dignity and culture.”Reportedly, though some Koshal supporters had staged road blockade at Ainthapali in Sambalpur, police removed them from the spot.
Meanwhile, in Kalahandi’s Narla, Kesinga, M Rampur, Bhawanipatna, Junagarh, and Dharamgarh, protests led by mostly Congress workers resulted in shop closures and road blockades along NH, affecting traffic movement in various towns. Notably, Bhawanipatna’s weekly market operated normally, with businesses in the town’s interiors remaining unaffected.