Normal life came to a standstill across districts of Odisha on Thursday as the Congress and Left parties observed a 12-hour statewide bandh demanding justice for the 20-year-old girl student of FM Autonomous College in Balasore who died of self-immolation over alleged sexual harassment by a teacher.
Public transport services were suspended across the state with hundreds of buses staying off the roads. While the bandh caused inconvenience to the public, no major incidents of violence were reported.
In Balasore, the epicentre of the protest, shops, educational institutions, government offices, banks and fuel stations remained shut from 6 am to 6 pm. Congress workers picketed at FM Golei and Station Bazaar squares while blocking traffic on NH-16 at Remuna and other key points.
In Mayurbhanj, commuters remained stranded at Baripada bus terminal. Congress workers staged protests in Baripada, Karanjia, Udala and Rairangpur with Bhanja Sena also joining the agitation.
The bandh also affected coal production and dispatch at eight mines in Talcher. Though power and aluminum sectors operated in the first shift, the second shift witnessed a thin attendance. Major highways like NH-55 and NH-149 were blocked. About 10 platoons of police force were deployed to maintain law and order. No untoward incidents were reported during the bandh, said IG, north central range Satyabrata Bhoi.
Similarly, normal life came to a halt in Koraput’s Jeypore, Semiliguda, Kotpad, Borrigumma, and Laxmipur. No vehicular movement was reported on NH-26 and NH-326. Congress and CPI workers picketed across the district. Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati led a dharna near Jeypore bus stand, criticising the BJP-led government’s failure to protect women.
Complete shutdown was observed in Bhawanipatna, Kesinga, Junagarh, Dharamgarh and other blocks of Kalahandi district. Streets wore a deserted look, government offices were non-functional, and highways were blocked.
In Jajpur, protesters blocked NH-16, NH-20, and NH-53 at multiple points including Sathipur, Panikoili and Chandikhole. In Malkangiri, district Congress president Govind Patra and CPM leader Braja Majhi led the protests. Though schools were open, most students stayed home. Malkangiri town wore a deserted look as vehicular movement was completely disrupted.
Rourkela and other parts of Sundargarh district also wore a deserted look during the bandh. Congress and Left parties picketed at key junctions and blocked NH-143 and SH-10. Mining activities were disrupted in Koida and Hemgir. In Sundargarh town, agitators garlanded commuters, asking for solidarity.
Bandh supporters blocked roads at Tinimuhani, Balagandi, and other key areas in Kendrapara, burning tyres and stopping vehicles. Additional district magistrate Rabindra Mallick said no untoward incidents were reported during the bandh.
The bandh had a strong impact in Balangir, Titilagarh, Patnagarh and Kantabanji, where protestors burned effigies and blocked roads. Congress workers also blocked roads and highways including the Nuagaon-Cuttack NH and Paradip-Chandikhole NH in Jagatsinghpur district.
The effect of the bandh was also felt in Ganjam, Rayagada, Boudh and Kandhamal districts. In Ganjam, the Congress staged bike rallies in Berhampur. Congress workers led by Sanakhemundi MLA Ramesh Jena blocked NH-59 and picketed at several strategic locations. Police had made elaborate arrangements to prevent untoward incidents, and the bandh remained peaceful in the region.
In Sambalpur, the protesters briefly blocked railway tracks as part of a symbolic rail roko demonstration. Though government offices including the district collectorate functioned initially, Congress leaders entered the premises and requested the staff to vacate in support of the bandh. Intra-city bus services were fully suspended, though essential services remained unaffected.