SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: People of Barak Valley witnessed three bandhs in quick succession, one called by ACKHSA against Mizo aggression, the second by Unemployed Youth Federation to back up the their demand for jobs to the growing number of jobless and the third one by farmers for scrapping the recently passed legislation by the Parliament for the welfare of the peasantry class. The sponsors of bandhs might gloat over the success that they have upset the normal life, but fail to realise in their emotional buoyancy how hard hit are the marginalised sections of society whose livelihood is put at stake.
From a cart puller to rickshaw puller and daily wage earners on the streets cry hoarse whenever a bandh is called, raising question about the justification behind such shut down. But it were mostly the left oriented political parties and trade union bodies who champion the cause of the poor and the down trodden took the centre stage on campaign trail. This was the identical scene in Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi towns. Along with that, all the non BJP political parties have been working hand in glove to make bandh a success. The peasantry agitation has been virtually hijacked by the political parties who have united to exhibit their unity.
The bandh has paralysed normal life across the valley of Barak. In fact, this kind of culture has come as convenient tool for the opposition to corner the ruling party, the BJP alliance at the Centre, knowing full well nothing can shake a democratically elected government with record majority. But, the opposition in disarray shied away from a sharing common platform during the campaign. CPM, SUCI, Congress and AIUDF as well as twelve trade union organisations, CITU, AITUC, INTUC, AIUTUC, AICCTU, TUCC, AIKS, TEUCC, NTUI, EWTCC, AMSU and ASH figure in the campaign list. This crops up the relevant question, whose bandh is it where the peasantry class is just a shadow of it.
Bandh, in fact, has a psychological effect on peace loving people who dare not venture to come out, fearing assault and intimidation. Two wheelers were seen but in scanty on roads. People of Barak Valley still remember when during Bal Thackeray dominance in Maharashtra, one man floated Shiva Sena without any followers in the valley, Dibakar Bhattacharjee, called a12-hourbandh on some burning issues which led to total shut down. The call of bandh brings with it dark images which make people stay safe indoors to let the parties and organisations fish in trouble water. Should not legal options be explored to end the menace of bandh-culture?