A CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: Barak bandh called by Barak Democratic Front was almost total in Cachar and Hailakandi but there was no impact in Karimganj. In Silchar as well as in other parts of Cachar, there were no picketers in the streets, even the shops were closed. A few private vehicles were seen moving but public transport vehicles were completely off from the road. Private schools were closed and though some government educational institutions were open, no student turned up. Even teacher attendance was very less. Main market areas like Fatak Bazar, Central Road were completely closed.
Though Opposition parties like Congress, TMC, CPI and organisations like Asom Majuri Shramik Union, Forum for Science supported the bandh, no picketer from any outfit was seen. A few BDF cadres were detained by police.
In Hailakandi town, bandh had large impact though some shops were seen open. But in the rural areas and suburbs, bandh was total and spontaneous. The local supari or betel nut cultivators were badly affected due massive police drive against smuggled Burmese supari. This had caused serious impact on the local supari markets as on one hand price of supari had dipped down and on the other hand traders feared that their products might be confiscated by police. No public transport vehicles were seen plying on the road.
In Karimganj, however, bandh had no impact. From offices to schools, from private and public vehicles to rickshaws, were on the streets like any other day.
BDF had called the bandh alleging that the State government had discriminated with the candidates of Barak Valley in recently held examinations for III and IV grade posts. Further the bandh was called as a mark of protest against recent incident in Shillong where a Khasi group had harassed and tortured non tribals, mainly Bengalis.
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