As expected there will be a complete shutdown in Gujarat and rest of BJP ruled states. Buses, cars, autos and most schools and colleges would remain shut. Truckers will also expected to stay off the roads.
THE BJP and its allies have called for a Bharat bandh on today to protest against escalating prices. Everyone knows that inflation is in double digits and fuel prices have risen since the government deregulated oil prices. Left is also protesting against the fuel hike and demanding a rollback.
As expected there will be a complete shutdown in Gujarat and rest of BJP ruled states. Buses, cars, autos and most schools and colleges would remain shut. Truckers will also expected to stay off the roads.
In Mumbai, the authorities are taking elaborate security measures. The police have even made some preventive arrests and there is extra security for trains. “Anyone who takes law into their hands and attempts to paralyse the city shall be dealt with strictly,” warned Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjeev Dayal. In Andhra Pradesh state transport buses will not run on Monday to avoid vandalism.
NDA has tried to bring as many parties on board as possible but they have failed to convince RJD chief Lalu Yadav and LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan to support the strike.
The participating parties are BJP, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, JD(U), CPM, CPI, Forward Block, RSP, AIADMK, PMK, MDMK, TDP, BJD, JD(S), AGP, Akali Dal and INLD.
All this drama is going to be enacted in the name of common man, However, the irony is, the strike to protest will hurt common man below the belt who has lost his bearing. He will be the ultimate victim of this nasty disruptions.
What is the difference between an enemy who bombs and destroys country’s installations and fuels instability. He sends people across the border to strike terror. What he fails to achieve is public sympathy. Public knows the culprit. In contrast when a political party or group organizes a bandh “in protest” and paralyses country life we are deluded by sympathizers poseurs. In fact these bandhs are organized to make a political statement and have a political purpose.
These parties test their strength, show their muscles and announce their political relevance. If the country’s exchequer is dealt a heavy hit, who cares? Huge economic losses and appalling inconvenience to people is not a problem for them. Its not that they are unaware of grave repercussions for the state’s economy with production in factories coming to a grinding halt and offices closed across the affected regions. Gandhi taught us Satyagrah, these bandh organizers are turning the country into Goondagrah.
It is difficult for us in India to imagine that there could be a country in the world where all protests are held during the lunch hour so that production does not suffer and work in offices is not affected. Japan is a shining example of exemplary sense of responsibility from which we have much to learn.
The country has to face enemy not from across the border but from within also and the poor helpless daily labourer is unprepared to face them. He is worried about his next meal. He doesn’t know how would he bring the bread for his family today.
