Yesterday ( 05.06.08) we observed state sponsored ‘bandh’ in Calcutta …oops Kolkata. This was called by the ruling party of the state to protest against hike in prices of petroleum products by the Central Govt. The ‘bandh’ was a 100% success. Not that, all those 100% residents of Calcutta supported the cause of the ‘bandh’ but the sponsors of the ‘bandh’ were 100% successful in terrorizing citizens to stay indoors. There were different impacts of the bandh on the common man.
First the positive ones.
· There was no pollution, whatsoever on the ‘World Environment Day’ in the otherwise one of the most polluted cities of the world.
· It resulted in saving precious fuel for the country.
· Some brave hearts reached their workplaces on foot or bi-cycles, burning more calories and other harmful substances accumulated in the body.
· Kids played cricket on the roads un-interrupted
· The lazy bums and the timid ones had a nice holiday at home.
Now the negative ones:-
· The patients could not reach the hospitals except for a few ambulances running here and there as a mere show off.
· Passengers could not reach the airports or the railway stations or even if they did, they got stranded in transit for more than twelve hours (thankfully it was not a twenty four hour bandh).
· Students could not reach the schools and colleges.
· In one of the glaring instances a groom could not reach the bride’s home for their marriage ceremony.
· The daily laborer could not earn his wages.
· No transactions took place in the Banks.
· The office goers could not reach the offices.
· The shops remained closed.
· No production took place in the industrial sector.
· IT sector was hit hard.
· The total loss to the exchequer was to the tune of Rs 600 crores.
To add insult to the injury, the opposition party too has declared a twelve hour bandh today ostensibly for the same cause but certainly to compete with ruling party. Today's bandh seems to have met 80% success. With two back to back bandhs followed by Saturday and Sunday, one has to imagine the plight of the public who have got four closed days thrust upon them.
And all this to show solidarity towards the common man, after the hike in the prices of petroleum products.
What a shameful sham.
First the positive ones.
· There was no pollution, whatsoever on the ‘World Environment Day’ in the otherwise one of the most polluted cities of the world.
· It resulted in saving precious fuel for the country.
· Some brave hearts reached their workplaces on foot or bi-cycles, burning more calories and other harmful substances accumulated in the body.
· Kids played cricket on the roads un-interrupted
· The lazy bums and the timid ones had a nice holiday at home.
Now the negative ones:-
· The patients could not reach the hospitals except for a few ambulances running here and there as a mere show off.
· Passengers could not reach the airports or the railway stations or even if they did, they got stranded in transit for more than twelve hours (thankfully it was not a twenty four hour bandh).
· Students could not reach the schools and colleges.
· In one of the glaring instances a groom could not reach the bride’s home for their marriage ceremony.
· The daily laborer could not earn his wages.
· No transactions took place in the Banks.
· The office goers could not reach the offices.
· The shops remained closed.
· No production took place in the industrial sector.
· IT sector was hit hard.
· The total loss to the exchequer was to the tune of Rs 600 crores.
To add insult to the injury, the opposition party too has declared a twelve hour bandh today ostensibly for the same cause but certainly to compete with ruling party. Today's bandh seems to have met 80% success. With two back to back bandhs followed by Saturday and Sunday, one has to imagine the plight of the public who have got four closed days thrust upon them.
And all this to show solidarity towards the common man, after the hike in the prices of petroleum products.
What a shameful sham.
1 comment:
I feel bandh should be banned completely, so much of productivity wastage and countless people who have an emergency suffer.
Why cant we show our solidarity by working extra? why we have to be negative in everything, like stopping work, or damaging property etc.
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