Jamshedpur : Barring stray incidents of violence , the dawn-to-dusk bandh called by Jharkhand Vikas Morcha ( JVM) evoked a mixed response.
Normal life was paralyzed in the city as opposition parties’ activists hit streets the shutdown. Over 300 political workers were arrested.
Shop and commercial establishments barring medical stores and hospitals downed shutters in all the major localities of the city.
At Bistupur and Sakchi, bandh supporters pelted stones and damaged wind screens of mini buses and
auto-rickshaws.
“We are overwhelmed with the response to the bandh. We thank the shopkeepers, and people for extending
their support in making the bandh a complete success,” said Firoze Khan of JVM.
The bus terminus also wore a deserted look as long distance government and private buses stayed off
the road. Several passengers had to cancel their trips.
According to the police, in all over 300 bandh activists were taken into preventive custody only to be released later in the evening.
JVM leader said : “We struggled for the formation of a separate state and areproud to be in a state with the richest mineral reserves.
But owing to central norms, the state cannot utilize its own resources. Several thousand people havealready expressed their willingness to join the movement.”
The opposition parties called for a shutdown in protest against Land Acquisition Bill. The leading opposition party led by Jharkhand Vikas MorchaPrajatantrik (JVM-P) supported by Congress and JMM in enforcing the shutdown evoked mixed response.
Meanwhile, JVM activists turned violent as they were arrested while trying to break glasses of private vehicles on road near Mango and Baridih.Schools and colleges remained open as usual.
Another leader said the Land Bill that has been introduced by the Union government was aimed at
promoting the commercial interests of corporate houses at the expense of the farmers.
He accused the Narendra Modi government of dividing the country on communal lines and also widening
wealth inequality among the industrialists and the common man.
City SP Chandan Jha said that over 300 political activists from different political parties were taken under preventive custody from different police stations and later released on personal recognizance (PR) bonds
in evening.
Senior leader Alok Bajpaye described the day’s bandh as a complete success. “The best part of the bandh
was that people voluntarily kept their shops closed.
All sections of the society have cooperated in making the bandh successful. This only goes to show that people are in support of our drive against injustice.
We are really very thankful to the people at large,” he noted.