Bengal Bandh Tomorrow: What Will Be Open and Closed During BJP’s Strike?
West Bengal is up for a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-sponsored statewide bandh on Wednesday. This is in response to what party workers have described as police atrocities on protesters during the recently concluded Nabanna Abhijaan. While the BJP has called the shutdown, the government of West Bengal has requested citizens to continue with their usual activities so that public services are not hampered. Here’s a closer look at what is supposed to pan out with the bandh in place.
Protesters Versus Police
The Bangla Bandh comes on the heels of a day of pitched battles between the police and protesters in Kolkata and Howrah. The clash started on Tuesday when activists of the Pashchimbanga Chhatra Samaj and the BJP tried to break police barricades for a march to the West Bengal Secretariat, Nabanna. The rally was a demand for the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee amid public criticism over the gang rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College.
At the rally, the tension mounted as the protesters clashed violently with the police. The police used water cannons, tear gas, and lathi charges that kindled sharp attacks from the BJP leaders. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, who had led the protest, could not escape the tear gas fumes and had to withdraw for health reasons.
Arrests, Allegations of Police Excesses
These clashes resulted in the arrests of 94 protesters, the police said. The BJP condemned these acts and termed them as “brutal repression” by the police against peaceful protesters. Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, lashed out at the state’s administration for such “brutalities,” which he said must stop immediately, or else the party would take more severer action to disrupt the state.
“Police are using water cannons on peaceful protestors at Santragachi, burst tear gas shells on the students at Howrah Bridge and lathicharged them at College Street. Please stop these brutalities immediately,” Adhikari told to the press correspondents at Milan Mela ground with a penultimate sense of urgency in his voice.
Response of Government and Stand on the Bandh
The West Bengal administration said it would not support the strike after the BJP party called for a bandh. The state government, in a statement, called that people should continue with their daily work as usual and assured all sorts of steps for keeping order. The state government said that officially the bandh would not be supported, and the functioning of public services should be normal.
“The state administration will make sure normal life is not affected because of the bandh,” the government spokesperson said concerning the pledge to keep the essential services operative and ensure less disruption.
Education Institutions Badly Affected
The shutting down of schools and colleges has always been the stumbling block of a bandh. But West Bengal said the shutdown of schools and colleges will not be. The decision is part of the government’s move to see to it that the effects of the bandh do not take a toll on normal life. Schools and colleges in Kolkata and other parts of the state would remain open as usual in observance of their schedule.
It’s expected that students and parents follow the usual routines since no official holiday has been declared. “The district administration and the government have refused to declare a holiday to the bandh.”
Government Offices to Remain Open
On the day of bandh even schools and colleges will be open. The state government had directed all its employees to come to work without fail as no administrative work should suffer in the wake of this strike. Even more or less, the government’s point of view is a bigger strategy to continue in normalcy and let the bandh hamper normally in the state.
Public Transport and Healthcare Services
Another very important area that can be affected during a bandh is that of public transport. However, the state government has mentioned that there will be no restriction and buses, trains, and other public transports will function as normal. The move aims at ensuring that people would be commuting smoothly and that businesses are conducted fully.
Healthcare services are also expected to go about their regular work, including the working of hospitals and clinics. In fact the government has hinted that health and hospitals services shall not be disrupted. It stands to reason therefore that even if the government were to come under pressure because of some protests, healthcare could not be allowed to break down altogether.
The Larger Dimensions of Bandh
The BJP-called Bangla Bandh is representative of the increasing political tension in West Bengal. The party’s call for a bandh is after a series of incidents that have raised several questions relating to law and order in the state. The recent violence during the Nabanna Abhijaan rally and the police action thereafter have triggered debates about the government’s handling of dissent and protest.
While of the view that the bandh would mark a necessary public argument against perceived injustices, however, the fact that the state government refused to support the strike hinted at the deep political divides this would create. Since the result and success of the final shutdown will potentially have an impact on the political life of West Bengal, this will also condition the public opinion and even future electoral dynamics.
Conclusion: A Day of Uncertainty
The day is thus likely to witness a mix of protests and normalcy as West Bengal gears up to face the Bangla Bandh. While the strike by BJP presses on, the firmness of the state government to ensure a continuum of order and routine functioning aims at offsetting the effect of the stir. For the residents of West Bengal, the bandh is an expression of political engagement and at the same time a challenge for the state’s ability not to be seriously disturbed by the conflict it originated from. How parlous a tightrope walks between the requirements of public order and the right to protest will be seen in the next few hours by the way Government manages the situation.
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