31st December, 2008 : Chittorgarh witnesses a bandh

What do you do when some stranger asks you to stop consuming your staple diet – whatever it may be – with immediate effect? And then go on trumpeting that you are the most cruel animal on earth.

This is exactly the situation in Chittorgarh district where India’s national protectors – the saffron outfits – asked nomads to stop eating beef to protect cows – which otherwise were dying of hunger and carelessness.

And when they protested against this diktat, a clash took place where 15 people were injured. And the saffron outfits gave a call for bandh. Fortunately the bandh did not have any response.

Well, next time if the nomads ask these saffron outfits to stop eating dal and rice because they worship these commodities, will they do it?

29th December, 2008 - Hartal ridden Kerala continues it tirade

How many murders take place in India? Do we have bandhs for each of those murders? If the logic of United Democratic Front has its way, this is possible. The UDF has called for a hartal in Neyyattinkara town following the death of the manager of a guest house there. The police said Bhuvananchandran, 53, had an altercation with Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers over parking of a vehicle inside the guest house earlier in the day. He was allegedly assaulted. The body was found hanging from a ceiling fan inside the guest house. See the connection? He had an altercation with Communists.

29th December, 2008 - Why not end the year with a bandh

Now there is a bandh even on dialogues which means talks across the table is not feasible but solutions can only be found by violence. This seems to be the message of a state wide bandh convened by Jana Chetna against the tripartite dialogue on the Darjeeling imbroglio in north Bengal.

“We want the Centre and the state government to clarify their stand on the foreigners’ issue first before venturing for the talks on the sensitive issue. The aliens among the Nepalese community must be screened from the genuine Indian citizens and only then a rightful dialogue can commence on the vexed issue,” Jana Chetana leader in Siliguri, Mr Mridul Chakravarty said.

Well, why not end and begin a year with bandh.

25th December, 2008 : UP under bandh cloud

It is any body’s guess what an opposition party will do if they get such a juicy matter on a platter. The Samajwadi Party just did that - call for statewide bandh.

This after a ruling Bahujan Samaj party (BSP) legislator was named in a police case for lynching a government engineer.

BSP legislator Shekhar Tiwari was arrested near Kanpur in the evening after he and his supporters lynched M K Gupta, an engineer with the public works department (PWD), in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district allegedly after he refused to pay extortion for Chief Minister Mayawati's birthday celebrations. She just completed her nursery and is celebrating her infancy. What a joke

23rd December, 2008 - Cooch Behar could be in bandh grip

Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party has called for an indefinite bandh call in Cooch Behar from 23 December. The GCDP has threatened an indefinite clampdown alleging police atrocity against its supporters.

But political parties reacted sharply at this call. The Trinamul Congress district secretary Mr Mihir Goswami said: “We know the police harass and torture people. If the cases brought against the GCDP men are false those should be withdrawn. No movement should be stopped by repression. The GCDP should review its bandh call too.”

23rd December 2008 : Traders in Pune observe bandh

Wholesale markets for foodgrains and grocery in Pune district will remain closed as part of a state-wide market bandh call to protest against the government's order on collection of levy from the buyers instead of farmers. The bandh call has been given by a consortium of 42 traders and merchants organisations,
The levy refers to a 30 per cent amount of the total labour charge collected by commission agents at the wholesale markets and deposited with the Mathadi Board, a state body for labour welfare. The amount is used for welfare schemes like provident fund, medical aid etc., for the workers in the market yards. So cut short one day in your Christmas shopping.

18th December, 2008: Can the year end without a Kerala bandh?

Why should an entire district suffer if a small time office of a party is attacked by a rival party? The answer is to take revenge the same way. But who will listen in Kerala, the bandh capital of the world. The CPM is observing a hartal in Shoranur to protest against the attack on its local committee office. Stones were pelted at the victory demonstration taken out by Janakiya Vikasana Samiti. The attack towards CPM local committee office is considered to be retaliation to that.

17th December, 2008 : Turn of Jalpaiguri for a bandh

Yet another 12-hours bandh was convened by the district Congress following a clash with CPI-M in Alipurduar on 28 November. Congress members alleged that police had failed to arrest the perpetrators of the violence within a time frame.
All the schools, collages and other institutions remained closed. The work at the offices and banks remained stalled and markets wore a desolate look. The train services were also disrupted owing to the bandh call. A true and well deserved democracy.

17th December, 2008 : Turn of Jalpaiguri for a bandh

Yet another 12-hours bandh was convened by the district Congress following a clash with CPI-M in Alipurduar on 28 November. Congress members alleged that police had failed to arrest the perpetrators of the violence within a time frame. All the schools, collages and other institutions remained closed. The work at the offices and banks remained stalled and markets wore a desolate look. The train services were also disrupted owing to the bandh call. A true and well deserved democracy.

17th December, 2008 : How about an year-end bandh?

As the year 2008 passes by, how can parties like JMM not call for yet another bandh? A 12-hour bandh is called by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in Baraipada with a slew of demands like setting up of a government medical college and hospital, provision of BPL cards to all needy and eligible families, completion of broad gauge from Baripada to Bangiriposi and completion of Subranerekha irrigation project.

17th December, 2008 – Another Telangana bandh

When will this state come into force? The number of bandhs are not ending. Now Andhra Pradesh BJP unit is to support to a "state bandh' call given by the Forum for Intellectuals and teachers of Telangana region on December 17.

The attempt is to mount pressure on the state and central governments for creation of a separate statehood for backward Telangana region.

12th December, 2008 – TRS Bandh on for statehood

Old issue but new vigour. This is what the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is aiming as it has called for a bandh by various Telangana-based organisations in the region on December 12.
The bandh to be organised to protest against the delay in granting Statehood to Telangana should be an eye opener to the UPA government and the All India Congress Committee which have betrayed the people of Telangana after promising the separate State, said TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

11th December – Bandh time is here again in north east

Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad (ABAVP) has called for a 24-hour Dooars bandh on against the state forest official's alleged torching of adivasi huts at Birsamunda Basti under Malbazar police station in the Dooars on 4 December.

The shutdown has been convened demanding an immediate arrest of the forest beat officer concerned Mr Maite Biswakarma and his team, who had allegedly carried out the torching. The adivasis are also demanding adequate monetary compensation for the victim families. The ABAVP has also announced protest rallies across the Dooars at 2 p.m. tomorrow, laying siege to the forest offices there on 12 and 13 December and an indefinite Dooars-Terai shutdown from 15 December.

Balu, the savior of hartals and bandhs

The Supreme Court has called for tapes of Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, T R Baalu's speech, to decide whether he committed contempt of court or not. The Court has issued notices to two news channels, and also to their reporters and camerapersons to submit the original tapes of T R Baalu's speech on October 1, 2007 at Chennai during the Sethu Samudram bandh, according to news reports.

The Supreme Court is currently examining the contempt cases against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Union Minister Baalu and others. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) had filed a petition in the apex court for contempt action against six people, for violating Supreme Court orders which had banned the Sethu Samudram bandh.

7th December, 2008 : Bandh woes continue in Kerala

Communist Party of India (CPI) [who else] sponsored a dawn-to-dusk hartal, protesting against an attack on the party office in Adoor town.

The situation turned violent when a group of hartal-supporters tried to close the shops in the fish market.

The CPI office in Adoor town was attacked alleged by a group of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Students Federation of India (SFI) activists. The attack was in the backdrop of a tiff between activists attached to the All India Students Federation (AISF) and the SFI at Adoor Boys High School, earlier.

29th November, 2008 – South Bengal bandh saga continues

The South Bengal bandh called by Jharkhand Party (Aditya) continues today. The reason apparently is the government negligence and apathy in the jungle villages across Midnapore West, Bankura and Purulia.

A Statesman report quoted Mr Kisku as saying “The tribal people have always been exploited by the LF. Whenever we raise our voice we are given different names like militia or Maoist. We don’t bother whatever they may say. We just want to let them know that the tribal communities won’t allow any more atrocity and exploitation.”

28th November, 2008 – South Bengal bandh

Imagine calling for a bandh in Maosit infested place and then talking peace. Bandh is the origin of all violence and peace cannot be sprouted from hartal or bandh. Once upon a time Gandhi used it against British and he used this tool successfully. But that was because the British were decent and mannered while Indians are not. British never harmed any Indian during the bandhs or other protests because they knew the protest was for freedom. What are the hartals and bandhs today for? Well, that was some lecture which is a waste. The matter of fact is that Aditya Kisku, the chief of Jharkhand Party (Aditya) declared a 48-hour bandh in three Maoist-infested districts of south Bengal today and tomorrow and then claiming he doesn’t want to choose the path of violence. The tribal cadres have already started blockades in several new locations since 21 November.

28th November, 2008 – Ulema in bandh mood

If everyone is in hartal mould, why cant we? This seems to be the dilemma that Ulema Council in Uttar Pradesh is in and therefore has called for a state wide 'bandh' today to protest harassment of youth of the community on the pretext of tackling terrorism.

Convener of the Council Maulana Amir Rasadi Madani said the bandh is to draw the attention of the people on the growing menace illegal arrests and harassment of innocent Muslim youth in the name of countering terrorism. But how can the bandh stop such harassment is a question that Madani has no answer to.

25th November, 2008 – Tamil Nadu bandh? Well almost

If India doesn’t interfere inside Sri Lanka, then Tamil Nadu will observe total bandh today to protest against the Indian Government’s inability to facilitate the declaration of a ceasefire in the island nation.

If Pakistan enters India in the same vigour for the same reason but for different community, there will be again a protest march.

Who is right and who is wrong. Well, read a resolution adopted by the participants from fringe parties which questioned the silence of the UPA Government on the ceasefire issue and urged it to act speedily for clinching a truce between the Tamil Tigers and the Lankan Army.

25th November, 2008 - Ranchi bandh called

BJP's district vice-president, Om Prakash Upadhayay's killers are at large and this becomes yet another reason for the party to call for a bandh. BJP said the party workers would hit the road to launch a campaign against the government highlighting the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

“Owners of all business establishments and heads of all educational institutions will be requested to suspend their programmes for the day. This apart, all sections of society will be urged to extend support to our bandh,” the BJP officials declared.

21st November, 2008 - Even a new bus terminal can stall a district

When a busy bus terminal shifts to a new and wider space, the biggest losers are the shops in and around the old terminal. But why should every one in that particular municipal limits suffer? Yes, it is very much possible in Kerala where traders and business houses in the municipal limits observed a day long hartal against the move to shift the entire bus fleet to the new bus terminal.

The Forum for People, taking up the bus passengers cause have also opposed the move to shift bus operation to the new terminal even as the private bus owners refused to operate covering both the bus stations citing traffic snarls along the narrow roads connecting the two.

19th November, 2008 – Unusual Bandh in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar

Humans are protesting against the god’s will. This can be summarized to a bandh call given by newly formed ‘mandir bachao samiti’ to protest against demolition of temples in Gandinagar

Ironically all the 80 temples demolished were illegal and encroached public or private land.

But rest assured, this bandh will not be the kind of bandh observed in other parts of the country especially on Kerala model. No body will even know there was a bandh today.

18th November, 2008 – Thrissur hit by hartal

Calling hartal during Sabarimala season is something that calls for strict condemnation but the very group advocating Hindu causes are doing exactly this.

A dawn-to-dusk hartal was observed in Thrissur to protest the killing of BJP worker. The hartal was called by the BJP, RSS and BMS. Shops remained closed; except for vehicles carrying Sabarimala pilgrims and some private vehicles plying, most KSRTC and private buses have kept off the roads.

13th November, 2008 - It's bandh time again

High Range Protection Committee(no dearth of committees in Kerala. Wonder if there is a count on it) has called for yet another bandh in the hilly town of Munnar to protest against the police baton charge on its workers. Imagine if there was a firing. It would have been an all India bandh. Thanks to police they didnt attempt to fire.

The High Range Protection Committee further accused the, Special Task Force for violating the assurance given by Chief Minister VS Achuthanadan and Cabinet Sub Committee; by issuing evacuation notices to small-scale traders and home stays.

3rd November, 2008 - Blasts, bandhs and chaos & AASU

It seems blasts results in more bandhs than casualties. After VHP bandh on 1st November against the unknown perpetrators of blasts, it is the chance of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) to call for another bandh today.

1st November, 2008 - Blasts, bandhs and chaos & VHP

The VHP made the best out of the blast as it has done what it knows the best. Today a bandh to protest against the serial blasts that claimed 77 lives and injured more than 400 people is observed. Now what gain will this bandh achieve is a question that only VHP can answer. It will neither give any relief to the injured and dead nor it will desist terrorists from doing another blast.

31st October, 2008 - Tamil bandh on Lanka issue

Traders observed a bandh to show their solidarity with the Eezham Tamils and as a result all shops and commercial establishments in Tamil Nadu shut down. How can this solidarity save Lankan Tamils is a different issue.

29th October, 2008 - Yet another Hartal in Kerala

The same call, same action, same response and yet another hartal in Kerala. This time in Chalakkudi, called by Chalakkudy River Protection Forum and Athirappilly Action Council in protest against the alleged registration of false cases against the activists of these two organizations

What else do you expect other than closed markets, shops, educational institutions, and other establishments and buses and autorickshaws off the road.

29th October, 2008 - Manipur - Hot bed for bandhs

Protesting against a Guwahati bound passenger bus from Imphal burnt down by Kuki Liberation Army (KLO/ KLA) at Loharijan in Assam on October 23 claiming two lives, the All Manipur Inter State Bus Association has called a 12 hour Manipur bandh today.

25th October, 2008 - MNS sparks Bihar bandh

Now is the time for all men to come to the aid of the party. The students' wings of almost all political parties gave a Bihar bandh call on 25th October in protest against attack on Bihari students in Maharashtra. Students' wings of JD(U), RJD, NSUI, LJP and NCP took out joint protest march to vent their anger over the attack on Bihari students and exhorted all sections of society to cooperate in making the bandh a success.

23rd October, 2008 - Ranchi bandh turns violent

People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI),an extremist organisation, gave the bandh call to protest the killing of its district commander Sikandar Yadav in an encounter at Hazaribagh last week. The bandh had major impact on Murhu of Khunti district, around 40km from here. PLFI activists fired in the air this morning to terrorise public and set ablaze three trucks. A tanker driver died in the melee.

23rd October, 2008 – Steel plant now a cause for bandh

Maoists is making a dough of democracy as they have again called a 12-hour bandh in Midnapore West, Bankura and Purulia districts over the proposed steel plant at Salboni in Midnapore West by the Jindal group of industries.

21st October, 2008 - Bandh for bench

A dawn-to-dusk district hartal called by the action council campaigning for a state capital bench of the Kerala High Court hit normal life in the city and suburbs of Trivandrum. Shops and hotels remained closed and taxis, autorickshaws and city buses were off the road. The state-run KSRTC, however, plied most of its city services. Needless to say educational institutions went without classes and the examinations scheduled for the day postponed.

20th October, 2008 – Bandh is not a novelty to Trinamul Congress

For some parties staging a protest is a district wide bandh. Trinamul Congress is enjoying a 24-hour bandh at Deocharai in Tufanganj of Cooch Behar against alleged police atrocities committed on the villagers.

17th October 2008 : Crosswords or cross swords

The political and bloody battle between BJP and Left parties in Kerala is one of the major reasons for making it hartal's own country. Here is yet another one. This time, the BJP is observing a dawn to dusk hartal in Thiruvananthapuramto protest against the killing of a RSS worker. And this bandh was swift and fast since the murder took place only this morning. Wonder if Malayalees work for their state in the same manner.

15th October, 2008 - Assam grips with bandh

A day-long bandh call given by six tribal organisations to demand scheduled tribe status for the tribals, affected normal life in upper Assam s Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar and Jorhat districts as well as in Bongaigaon district of lower Assam.

15th October, 2008 : Assam Bandh over ST status

Irked at not being accorded Scheduled Tribe status, the Moran Students Union (MSU) and other organisations representing the community have called a 12-hour bandh in the state. Six communities, including the Morans, are demanding ST status, a cause for which there had been widespread agitation in the run-up to the panchayat polls held last December and January this year. The five other communities are the Muttocks, Chutias, Tea Tribes, Tai Ahoms and Koch Rajbonshis.

14th October, 2008 Margoa Bandh

A call for bandh evoked overwhelming response at Cuncolim with almost all commercial establishments remaining closed throughout the day. The bandh was against the inaction of the administration in nabbing the accused in the ‘ghumti’ desecration case. Banks, pharmacies, hospitals, clinics and essential services were however not affected by the bandh. Though private buses remained off the roads, KTC and KSRTC buses along the NH17 Margao — Karwar highway plied as usual.

12th October, 2008 - Bandh in five Orrissa districts

A string of left wing parties which includes The CPI (ML), CPI (ML) New Democracy, CPI (ML) Liberation, SUCI, Samajwadi Jana Parishad is observing a bandh to protest against the communal violence in Kandhamal district. Now, this is someting they should have done and only they know why they are doing it now. A release jointly signed by Mr Bhalla Chandra Sadangi of CPI (ML) New Liberation and Mr Bishnu Das of SUCI said the bandh will be observed in five districts of the state including Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal and Ganjam. The Statesman reported that theyaccused the state BJD-BJP government of conducting a Gujarat like experiment in Orissa by spreading communal poison. The Kandhamal violence was a planned one with minorities being targeted, they alleged. The minorities are being told to choose between death and re-conversion, they charged. Maoists have claimed responsibility for the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Sara-swati but the Sangh Parivar continues to spread hatred against minorities and holds them responsible for the crime, they alleged.

11th October, 2008 - Kannur bandh makes headway

Protesting against the killing of aAn RSS activist by suspected CPI-M workers with crude bombs in Thalassery town of Bandh's own country, Kerala, the BJP/RSS has called for a day-long hartal in Thalassery taluk limits but Vehicles have been kept out of the purview of hartal.

6th October, 2008 - Manipur is now bandh capital

A 36-hour statewide bandh sponsored by the Manipur University Tribal Students’ Union turned violent with protesters clashing with police and damaging property of the university. The students’ union, which has been agitating over the demand for increase in job quota for tribal candidates in the university, called the bandh against holding of interview for the appointment of three guest lecturers in the history department. The union, backed by the All Tribal Students Union, Manipur, is demanding that the present quota of 7.5 be increased to 31 per cent. The All Naga Students’ Union, Manipur, and Kuki Students’ Organisation supported the bandh.

5th October, 2008 - What is there in VAT for a bandh now?

A UP-wide bandh called by Uttar Pradesh traders body against the state government's decision to hike the VAT rates on about dozen-odd goods had little to no response - perhaps because no party was involved. Traders staged anti-government dharnas and raised slogans and kept the shutters down in the major markets for a few hours.

4th October, 2008 - Bandh in Beena town in MP

A BJP Lok Sabha MP got the taste of his own medicine after being beaten up by Railway Protection Forces in Beena town in MP. The MP, Virendra Kumar was critically injured when a group of RPF personnel surrounded him and caned him in full public view when he tried to stop an ongoing drive to demolish illegal shops. Now what he has to do with this illegal encroachment is a question that the enquiry will reveal but once he regains his composure, he will certainly know what common people get from the policemen on a day to day basis. But to protest this, there is a bandh in Beena and its adjoining areas. Some railways properties may be targetted. Avoid railway station today.

4th October, 2008 - Nano Bandh in Trinamaul Bengal

If Tatas stays in Singur, Trinamul calls for a bandh and if they withdraw, the CPI-M will call. And yes, the CPI-M is making life difficult for Bengal as yet another Bandh is called to protest against the Tata Motor's decision to pull out the Nano project from West Bengal.The party's Singur zonal committee secretary Amar Chanda said that party supporters will also lay a siege on the Durgapur Expressway running beside the plant. He said the Tata's announcement has shocked residents here and questioned why 10,000 land-givers should now suffer.

3rd October, 2008 - Dungarpur in the grip of a bandh

Dungarpur is a place where all Ramas come - those who work as domestic help in almost all the western regions of India. A violent clash that took place between two communities on late Thursday night forced the police to impose Section 144. And lo, this was the best opportunity for opportunists to come to the aid of the party. And here they came in the form of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) which announced bandh against the incident.

2nd October, 2008 - Gandhi Jayanti laced with hartal

Kerala's Manajapra Forane Units of the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM) and Christian Life Community (CLC) observed a dawn-to-dusk hartal to condemn the alleged police atrocity on the parishioners of Sebipuram under the Kalady police station limit. Though the shops and establishments remained closed and the vehicles went off the road, no untoward incident was reported. Hail hartals.

1st October, 2008 - Bandh in Behrampur

Several associations including Berhampur bus owner's association, tractor and Mahendra owners, Aska Road merchants, Tulasinagar merchants, new bus stand bus owners, old bus stand small merchants association and several other associations (phew - wondering how many organisations do we have even in small places) observed a Bandh protesting the attack on the congress leaders office and demanding arrest of Minsiter Surya Narayan Patra alleging his involvement in the attack that took place on Tuesday.Though there was no untoward incident reported during the Bandh on Wednesday, tension prevailed in the town and normal life was partially affected.

29th September, 2008 - Bandh by lawmakers themselves

What do you do when law makers themselves become law breakers? Yes, they have democracy to cover their failures and right to protest to cover their inaction. The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has called for a statewide bandh on September 29 to protest the burning of the Chief Minister's effigy by the 'so-called' Shiv Sena activists in Siliguri over his alleged dual nationality. Now, the state has the power to arrest them, why the hell they are making a mockery of staging a bandh?

25th September, 2008 : Dow Chemicals face bandh scare

It was just waiting to happen. Dow Chemicals R&D centre near Pune is up for a major showdown from the people - mainly members of the Warkari community, the followers of saint Tukaram and saint Dnayneshwar - in and around the towns of Alandi and Dehu, 30 kilometres north of Pune. Since Maharashtra strongman Sharad Pawar has supported the project, it was but natural that political parties like Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) joined the fray in supporting a bandh. The protestors claim that the company's operations would lead to severe enviromental crisis and pollution within the Dehu-Alandi belt known for its religious importance.

22nd September, 2008 - Jammu bandh hits indefinite blocks

Jammu made history as it observed the longest bandh ever in the world which lasted for weeks. Now the bandh season seems to have begun again as SAYSS - Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangrash Samiti - sponsored bandh entered second day and disrupted life in Jammu. The official reason is to protest against the police firing on its members but the real reason is not given. Business and trade establishments remained closed and traffic was off the road.

21st September, 2008 - Jammu at its bandh best again

SAYSS - yes, this is the short form for Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangrash Samiti, a font fighting for land at Amarnath for the pilgrims. But more than that they are now the biggest bandh callers as yet another bandh called by SAYSS makes it headway in Jammu today.

18th September, 2008 - Manipur is becoming bandh capital

Bandhs or hartals are shifting from its headquarters in South India to North-East. In yet another bandh, The Committee on Land and Natural Resources (COLNAR) has called for a 12-hour Manipur ‘Chakka Bandh’ on September 18 next from 6 am to 6 pm, for persistence disregard to the call for total scarping of the Tipaimukh Hydroelectric (Multipurpose) Project and Review of the Mapithel Dam (Thoubal Multipurpose) Project by the government.

16th September, 2008 : Bandh now turns Saffron

After a Christian sponsored bandh, it was the turn of saffron. Educational institutions and shops remained closed and roads were deserted in Karnataka's coastal city of Mangalore as Sri Rama Sena, a Hindu group called for a shutdown to protest the stabbing of one of its activists.

15th September, 2008 : Christian Bandh in Mangalore

The bandh had very little response but the agony was clear. The Christians were attacked for reasons that saffron forces say is grave and so in retaliation they claimed to have attacked the Churches. The attack by right-wing Hindu groups was to protest alleged conversion activities by Christians and distribution of literature insulting Hindu gods, specifically by a sect called the New Life Fellowship. The sect leaders have refuted the charges.

When hartal is the only option

By PARSHURAM BAHINI, Orissa
Nobody desire to go on hartal, unless the situation compels to to do so.Before going to said topic, i need to say something.Why the people seems "hartal" to be an untouchable matter,whereas some judicial and administrative functionaries termed this to be a thing of unlawful,unethical etc.But it was happened to be the weapon of Mahatma Gandhi and their disciples during pre-independance era. Following it we have owned freedom with the help of this weapon. In present day everywhere people are suffering and government and political bodies are busy in making their vote-bank.Nobody is ready to hear the suffering and grievance of public.In such a situation it is the only option that peole do follow.In western Orissa, people of this region have been exploited by coastal belt region in all the times.At this present day,state governmentt have cheated the people of Kalahandi district on the issue of establishment of Central University,the people of this region in i.i.t.,high court bench etc.Entire governmental machineries, judicial,constitutional and media centre have been confined with in coastal belt.The political leaders from Capital and Cuttack have threatened the representativs from western orissa to shut their mouth mourn in assembly whenever a problem of this region needs to be raised its head.Further there is a well organised plan from coastal belt people to put into end the raising voice of W.O.,its social recognition,culture, language,rites and rituals etc.In future all pradhan,bhoi,dip,sahu, mallick,munda etc surname holder people will follow to mohanty, pattanaik and other imported from Ctc and BBSR in the name of Odisha.So coastal people do not opt for hartal because high court of orissa is there.They can do everything by sitting there.As the Cuttack Lawyers have caused lathicharge, merciless beating by police upon south and west orissa lawyer by making a writ petition before their Cuttack High Court.As we have nothing "hartal" is the only option for the people of western Orissa.

9th September, 2008 - Purvanchal Bandh

There are some organisations in India whose primary duty is to see how the country crawls. Vishwa Hindu Parishad is one among the many. The latest salvo from VHP is a complete shutdown in Eastern Uttar Pradesh over the attack on BJP MP Yogi Adityanath. Yogi Adityanath's cavalcade was attacked by angry mob (jaisi karni vaisi bharni) while he was on his way to address an anti-terrorism rally in Azamgarh district.The VHP has called for a "Purvanchal Bandh" to oppose against "Islamic terrorism".

8th September, 2008 - Valley of bandhs

Kashmir has become a valley of bandhs. The place from where the phrase 'an apple a day keeps doctor away' was coined has now become 'One bandh a day keep people away'.
After a marathon bandh, here comes another jolt. A bandh is called today by separatists in protest against Election Commission's move to decide the date for Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Now this is something that calls for no protests. Some seperatist leaders should now be given the post of Election Commissioner so that they decide the dates according to their toilet convenience. As usual shops and other business establishments, educational and semi-government institutions remained closed, while attendance in government offices was thin. All modes of transport were off the roads in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley and work in banks and courts was affected.

3rd September, 2008 - Bandhs seems to be shifting more to northeast

After pioneering hartals, Kerala seems to have passed on the baton to north east where every day there is a bandh on trivial issues. Today taking strong exception to the forcible demolition of all shops, houses and other structures located at Tampha Bazar, Canchipur and Leishang Hiden by the Government on August 20, the Joint Action Committee (again a copy of Kerala hit and run unions) against Reconstruction of Leishang Hiden, Kyamgei a 24 hour bandh is observed along National Highway-39 with effect from midnight of September 3. 

Costliest bandh

The Jammu & Kashmir shutdown will go down as the costliest shutdown in the history of India. Times of India quotes regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) that the cumulative losses of the shutdown is as large as Rs 10,000 crore during the two-month long agitation.

It further says that  the CCI, Jammu, has submitted a detailed proposal to S S Bloeria, advisor, J&K governor, for compensation. Bloeria, who had assured the Sangharsh Samiti of looking into the losses, has formed a working group headed by chief secretary S S Kapoor for the purpose, which will also have presidents of different organizations — from tourism, trade and industry. During the two months of the bandh, tourism, trade, industry, agriculture, transport and retail sectors suffered cumulative losses of Rs 9,988 crore, which has knocked the wind out of the region’s economy. Providing the break up, CCI said that while industry took the brunt of the losses totalling Rs 3,850 crore, sectors like hotels, cinemas and restaurants accounted for Rs 2,850 crore. Trading was down by Rs 1,050 crore, agriculture by Rs 930 crore, and the automobile sector was set back by Rs 600 crore. 

Now the question again comes to the fore of who gains from these bandhs? When the entire economy ends up in mess and the entire population is affected, why call for a bandh at all?

1st September, 2008 Ghatshila closes down

A 24-hour bandh called by the CPM to mark its protest against police atrocities in Burudih paralysed Ghatshila. As happens in all bandhs, everything to anything was closed and one more day lost for some areas of progress. 

POEM ON STRIKE

THIS POEM GOT FIRST PRICE IN SINO-INDIAN INTERNATIONAL STRIKE FESTIVAL


When I born, there was strike
When I grow up, strike follows me
When I go to road, strike blocks me
When I scared, strike is the reason
When I travel, strike falls on me
When I sick, strike doesnt allow me to hospital
And when I die, I am still struck up in a strike

And you Leftist fellow
When you born, you were taken care from strike
When you grow up, you go abroad for studies
When you go to road, comrades protect you
When you scared, ideology saves you
When you travel, you know in advance when to avoid
When you sick, hospital comes to you
And when you die, you are given red salute and escorted

And you calling me your supporter? No way

(This is copied from a famous poem - you calling me colored?) Do not feel offended.

29th August, 2008 - 12-hour W Orissa bandh by lawyer

The central action committee (CAC) of the Western Orissa Bar Association (WOBA) has called for a 12-hour western Orissa bandh on August 29 to mobilise opinion over the establishment of a permanent HC bench in the region.

27th August 2008 - Small town bandhs, big time harassment

How do you communicate about a bandh call to the people? If no newspaper reports about the call, if no television breaks this news, any bandh will remain unsuccessful. Bandhs are made highly successful by the media because it gives prominent space to the call and thereby people stay indoors - especially in areas where newspaper penetration and literacy is high like Kerala, West Bengal etc. That is why a 12-hour bandh at Narhatta gram panchayat in protest against the murder of a CPI-M worker to mentioned in Kolkata and automatically those who called for bandhs got their due and recognition. Then why is this blog putting up this news is the next natural question. This is a documentation and not news gathering which means documenting bandhs happen after the bandh is over.

Nothing wrong till hartals boomerang on you

It is easy to call for a bandh because it takes just a moment of frenzy and a pinch of ideology. It is also very easy to find reasons for bandhs as there are plenty in this country. But it is not as easy to solve those problems and when your own weapon pinches you, it takes a new twist. This is exactly what happens to the Left parties who live in Stalin era in China and former USSR. Economic Times has reported that Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who was being feted as West Bengal’s Deng Xiaoping by his admirers, has blamed his party for the image deficit of his government. He also came down heavily against his party’s practice of calling bandhs at the slightest provocation. “I am against bandhs. Unfortunately I belong to a political party which calls bandhs. I have kept quiet. But from now on, I’ll not keep quiet,” he said. The self-criticism did not end there. “Gherao is illegal and immoral. It is our contribution to the English language. It will not be allowed in the state,” he said. The chief minister was replying to a query by Biswadip Gupta, joint managing director and CEO of JSW Bengal Steel, who wanted Mr Bhattacharjee to react on state-sponsored bandhs and those called by different political parties at an Assocham interactive in Kolkata. This is not the first time that Mr Bhattacharjee has spoken out against strikes. Following a nation-wide strike in 2006, Mr Bhattacharjee had apologised to the infotech companies in Kolkata for the inconvenience caused by the strike. The chief minister also wanted his party’s polit bureau to decree that the IT industry should be kept out of union activities as it was not a traditional industry and could not be governed by the same rules. But Citu leadership forced party general secretary Prakash Karat to announce that unions had the right to organise themselves even in the IT sector.

27th August, 2008 - Jharkhand Bandh scheduled today

The Jharkhand Disom Party (JDP) is all set to make a debut albeit with a flimsy reason - into the Indian bandh arena. It has called for Jharkhand bandh in protest against the Jharkhand government's decision to appoint 4401 Urdu teachers, including 1074 posts reserved for scheduled tribe candidates knowing Urdu, in the state - sounds crazy??
Now the question JDP is asking is valid. How can the government reserve seats for scheduled tribe candidates knowing Urdu when it had not recruited a single Adivasi teacher ever since a separate Jharkhand state was created.

25th August, 2008 - Indefinite bandh in some Imphal areas

While the central government is promoting north east by putting it into the central government LTC scheme, the people in the region seems to be least interested to economically boost their regions from being cut off from rest of the country. That is the reason an indefinite bandh has been called from 6 am in the areas of Sangaiporou, Malom, Ningomthong, Mongsangei and Konjeng Leikai which the expansion of the Tulihal airport would affect, decrying the state authorities move to acquire lands for the expansion purpose. The bandh will also covered the Tidim road and Mayai Lambi road.

25th August 2008 - Orissa to bear the brunt of bandh

The killing of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader and some others by Maoists in Kandhamal district of Orissa is putting Orissa back to burner. Though the Church in India has already condemned the killing and mourned the death of the 82-year-old Hindu activist, a section of pro-Hindu groups are blaming Christians for the killings and called for a bandh today. The reaction is swift as two churches have been ransacked already.

23rd August, 2008 - Kashmir continues to burn

Bandh calls are given in Jammu & Kashmir the way pegs are ordered in a bar. Every day one group or the other is giving a bandh call and the situation has reached to such a boiling point that it has divided the state in religious lines. Now The Hurriyat Conference-led Coordination Committee called for a three-day general strike beginning today. The transport services, though, has been exempted from the bandh call. Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq reiterated the demands, including right of self-determination. He also demanded the withdrawal of troops and revocation of all the laws granting special powers to the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

22nd August, 2008 - Hills go the bandh way

A bandh has been called by the CPRM to mark Betrayal Day. “It was on this day in 1988 that Subash Ghisingh had signed the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council accord which sealed the fate of the demand for a separate state. We have decided to protest against the Betrayal Day through a general strike. The strike has also been called in support of Gorkhaland,” said D.S. Bomzom, the spokesperson for the CPRM. The bandh is also a demand for the speedy trial of Chattrey Subba, who has been accused of masterminding the assassination attempt on Ghisingh in February 2001 and has been lodged in Jalpaiguri District Correctional Home since then.Ghisingh in February 2001 and has been lodged in Jalpaiguri District Correctional Home since then.

20th August, 2008 - India again goes to dogs today

Again an all India bandh and again India goes to dogs. One wonders when will this protests end because these protests have no bearing and no impact. Gone are the days of British government which respected such protests. Today's administration hardly cares for such a call. Then why call for a bandh? A national time pass.

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) — the CPM-backed trade union — is enforcing a strike at Haldia Petrochemicals Limited (HPL) plant from August 18 to 20. The three-day strike has been called by the CITU-backed Haldia Petrochemicals Employees union, demanding regularisation of 183 casual employees who they say are working with the company since 2000. Now this one plant hartal will spread to other parts of the state and imagine that millions will get affected for the plight of 183 people and that too against an establishment who sits in one single office. Long live democracy.

20th August, 2008 - Bihar - Can any one help?

What is the role of an opposition party? Does it mean that you have lost majority to form a government means you don’t have any responsibility towards a few section of people who gave you the votes? Well this is happening in India today. If you are not able to form the government means your job is to disrupt the governmental procedures and its functioning. Take the case of Bihar where a bandh is declared today. The bandh is to protest against price rise, crisis in agri sector, irregularities in BPL lists, black-marketing of ration and kerosene and waterlogging in the state capital. Cant these people who call for bandhs take efforts to minimize these problems?

20th August, 2008 - Bihar - Can any one help?

What is the role of an opposition party? Does it mean that you have lost majority to form a government means you don’t have any responsibility towards a few section of people who gave you the votes? Well this is happening in India today. If you are not able to form the government means your job is to disrupt the governmental procedures and its functioning. Take the case of Bihar where a bandh is declared today. The bandh is to protest against price rise, crisis in agri sector, irregularities in BPL lists, black-marketing of ration and kerosene and waterlogging in the state capital. Cant these people who call for bandhs take efforts to minimize these problems?

20th August, 2008 - Punjab AITUC to have bandh today

India's economic policy is the new reason for a bandh by Punjab AITUC and they say it will be a countrywide "bandh" during which rail and road traffic would be blocked. Now this is a policy that hampers economics. So who protests against whom and for what?

19th August, 2008 - M for Manipur and Monika's hartal

Manipur was shut today to protest against the exclusion of Monika Devi from the Olympics in what the Manipuris believe was a consipiracy hatched by Indian Olympic Association Chairman, Suresh Kalmadi and Director of SAI, R.K. Naidu. That may not be true because Kalmadi could not hatch a single sport person even after warming up the IOA seat for years, how can he hatch a conspiracy??

18th August, 2008 - Mayurbhanj celebrates another bandh

Bhanja Sena(sounds weird??), a newly formed social outfit organised a dawn-to-dusk bandh in Mayurbhanj district in protest against the alleged demand of Jharkhand Mukti Murcha (JMM) to transfer three districts~ Mayurbhanj, Sundergarh and Keonjhar of Orissa for creation of a greater Jharkhand state. Many more such bandhs are in the pipeline. The irony is that earlier political parties used to search for issues to disrupt public life. Now issues are made first and outfits are formed later to protest and disrupt the poor public.

18th August, 2008 - Jharkhand, Maoists and Bandh series

Maoists seems to be calling shots in Jharkand again and again even for petty causes. The Telegraph reports that death of a rebel in Hazaribagh in an encounter and disruption of road and rail traffic marked the 24-hour midnight to midnight bandh of CPI(Maoist) even as Naxalites blew up a petrol pump at Chatarpur in Palamau couple of hours before the strike began.

15th August, 2008 – Mizoram ritual bandh on I-Day

To counter a bandh call by four groups — the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation, Manipur Peoples Liberation Front, Tripura Peoples Democratic Front and Ulfa- on the Indian independence day, the Meghalaya government has lined up a series of programmes on Independence Day, including rock concerts and a freedom run, to send out a message to the militant groups.Rock bands from the state, Mizoram and Nagaland will belt out hit numbers to celebrate the day.

14th August - Assam get into bandh gear

A 12-hour Assam bandh called by Muslim Students Union of Assam was marked by violence at a few places but the MUSA-sponsored bandh did not have much impact in the district today. Schools, colleges and business establishments and government offices in Udalguri town, Tangla, Harisinga, Khoirabari, Bhergaon, Orang and Mazbat functioned normally.

Hartal - offence under IPC?

Political parties waste a lot energy and time calling for hartals, people conserve a lot of energy and time by sitting at home, business establishment burn a lot of manhours by the total paralysed situation and now the judiciary is wasting its time and energy on hartals. Everyone knows this is not going to help because a hartal struck party will always use it as their potent weapon - whether the courts give its verdicts for or against it. A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court referred to a Full Bench a batch of writ petitions against holding of hartals by political and other parties in the State. The writ petitions were referred to a Full Bench by a bench comprising Chief Justice H. L. Dattu and Justice A.K. Basheer. The court was dissatisfied with the arrangements made by the government during hartals.The court orally observed that hartals were causing untold difficulties to people. People did not have confidence to come out of their homes on hartal days. The State was unable to create confidence among the public, it added.The petitions included those filed by Sathyavan Kottarakkara and the Anti-Hartal Campaign Committee. Mr. Sathyavan Kottarakara said that though bandhs and forced hartals were declared unconstitutional, political and other organisations still held such hartals.He sought to make forced hartals an offence under the Indian Penal Code. He also sought a direction for creating a separate fund for paying compensation to the victims of violence during hartals and bandhs and to recover the costs from persons who called such hartals by invoking the provisions of the Kerala Revenue Recovery Act.

12th August, 2008 - Assam's Barpeta under bandh grip

A 12-hour Assam bandh called by All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) turned violent as the bandh supporters pelted stones at vehicles and manhandled commuters. Well what else can any bandh supporter do other than this?

Bandh against Olympic gold

No, this is not real but imaginary bandh. The left parties will leave no stone unturned to call for such a bandh because in one such event, India beat China. If India continues to deny China its gold medal tally from going up, gear up for such an eventuality. Brace upto such bandhs in future. Plus there could also be bandhs against individual glory that medal winners are bringing rather than team effort. The Left will ask for a Olympic Politburo to tackle these issues since left leaders believe individualism is against their ideology.

12th August, 2008 - Tea strike in Darjeeling

No, this strike is not for sipping trea but a call for the tea strike by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is to protest against the planters’ refusal to accept proposed wages for workers. Going by its earlier assurances to keep the hills strike-free till Pujas for tourists, the Morcha has promised that the protest will not spill out of the gardens.

11th August, 2008 – Power project invokes protests

A group of organisations including the All Idu Mishmi Students’ Union, Downstream Anti Dam Committee, Dam Affected Citizens’ committee, All Assam Tai Ahom Students’ Union and Takam Mising Porin Kebang has called for a 12-hour bandh on Monday in Lower Dibang Valley district and Sadiya sub-division of Assam’s Dibrugarh district in protest against the construction of the proposed 3,000MW Dibang Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project in Lower Dibang Valley district.

10th August, 2008 - Imphal at its best again

So north east is becoming a hub or hartals, especially Imphal. From today All Tribal Students` Union Manipur, ATSUM is 'celebrating' a state-wide 96-hour total bandh pressing the state government to fulfill their demands which have been put forward since long. The demands of the ATSUM include state government`s intervention into the reduction of the quota of the tribal students from 31 percent to 7.5 percent after the conversion of the Manipur University into a Central university.

9th August, 2008 – Ranchi take a bandh call

The Jharkhand state capital of Ranchi was affected during a dawn-to-dusk bandh called by Adivasi-Moolvasi Janadhikar Morcha (AMJM) demanding cancellation of examinations for appointment of primary school teachers till the state government come out with a policy defining local citizenship on the basis of 1932 land records. Majority of the shops and markets, business establishments downed their shutters while road traffic was badly hit due to the bandh. Educational institutions were closed and university examinations were cancelled in view of the bandh, which evoked near total response, official sources said.

8th August, 2008 – Monika forces Manipur Bandh

Angry Manipur students today took out a rally to protest the ouster of Manipuri weightlifter L Monika Devi from the Indian Olympic contingent to Beijing on charges of doping. A civil organisation has also called for a 24-hour bandh on Aug 8

7th August, 2008 – Nandigram shuts down again

The CPI-M has called a 24-hour bandh in Nandigram and Khejuri blocks I and II and Chandipur for murder of one of their cadreds.

7th August, 2008 – North Chhotanagpur bandh by Maoists

A 24-hour bandh was ‘celebrated’ in North Chhotanagpur on a call by the Maoists to protest the killing of three of its cadre in an encounter in the district last week. But the bandh was peaceful.

7th August, 2008 : GJMM to reimpose bandh in Darjeeling

So the lull is over. Here is the Bandh time again. After postponing the Bandh again and again, it is the season again. As the GJMM re-imposes its declared bandh from 5 July in the Darjeeling hills, traders in Sikkim have started storing essential commodities to meet the impending crisis that would follow the bandh. So the trouble is back.

5th August, 2008: Literate state, literate bandhs

What do you do when a state is cent per cent literate? Yes, conduct education bandh because this is the only bandh that gels with the state of education that Kerala has. The more educated you are the more innovative you become – but only in destructive sphere. Today, functioning of educational institutions in Kerala was hit following the 'education bandh' called by pro-congress Kerala Student's Union (KSU) against the "wrong" educational policies of the LDF government and demanding withdrawal of the 'controversial' seventh standard social science textbook. All government run and aided education institutions and schools run by various private managements reamined closed following the bandh call. Now one wonders if the school students will be able to complete their curriculum because of these literate bandhs.

5th August, 2008 – Bandh in Mussoorie

If law and order situation can be a reason for bandhs, then the entire country should be under the spell of bandh. Today a bandh was called for the same reason by the Mussoorie unit of the Congress.

Another bandh case and another salvo from SC

No matter whatever the rulings or judgements from courts may be, India's bandh culture will never stop. We are ruled by a class who thinks of today. They dont have a tomorrow at all. Now another bandh case and another salvo from supreme court. The Supreme Court threatened to issue arrest warrants against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Union Transport Minister T R Baalu and four others for ignoring its contempt notice. The case relates to the DMK Government organising a bandh in the state on October 1, 2007, in support of the Sethusamudaram Project though the court had forbidden it do so. Now the case is filed by no angel but opposition leader and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa who is also notorius in such activities. The Supreme Court served a contempt notice on Karunanidhi and others in October 2007 but only the Chief Secretary and DGP gave their replies.

4th August, 2008 - Jammu bandh extended by 5 days

A Cabinet Secretary can gets extension, your life can be extended by little care and anything and everything can be extended. But now even the bandhs are extended. The never ending bandh in Jammu has got another extension. Well, enjoy the protests, violence, tear gas shells, firing, stone pelting and other nation building activities for another week.

4th August, 2008 - One for Meghalaya - today and tomorrow

Annoyed by the lack of response from the Meghalaya government on its long-standing demands, the Garo Students’ Union (GSU) announced a two-day bandh, beginning Monday, in the three Garo Hills districts.

2nd August, 2008 - Jammu bandh may end tomorrow

Though the call of a week long bandh by Amarnath Yatra Sangrash Samiti which continues with protests and problems reported from all over is likely to end tomorrow, the controversy will not. So expect more bandhs and protests in days to come

31st July, 2008 - Keonjhar in Orissa takes the brunt

Shibu Soren has done what he could not do even with his bribery allegations. In just one statement, many areas are responding with bandhs and here it is once again. Normal life in Orissa's mineral rich Keonjhar district was affected today in a bandh by ruling Biju Janata Dal to protest against JMM president Mr Sibu Soren's proposed division of Orissa for creation of a Greater Jharkhand.

31st July, 2008 - Jammu bandh continues

The week long bandh called by Amarnath Yatra Sangrash Samiti, continues with protests and problems reported from all over.

30th July, 2008 - Jammu still simmers

The bandh length in Jammu seems to have gone beyond anyone's imagination. It is a week now and Jammu remains tense for the eighth day with protests continuing against the revocation of the Amaranth Yatra Land transfer deal. The protestors clashed with the police at parade area in the old Jammu city on Tuesday pelting stones. The police had to resort to tear gas shelling to control the crowds. Amarnath Yatra Sangrash Samiti, later, extended the Jammu bandh call for three more days, till Sunday.

29th July 2008 - Imphal gets hit again

Now this is a call by All Tribal Physically Handicappeds' Association (ATPHA) for a total bandh in Chandel, Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Senapati and Ukhrul districts from 6 pm of July 29 to 6 pm of July 30.The bandh is called as the Government failed to respond positively to the demands of the association. The association said that their demands include financial assistance, unemployment allowance, issuance of disabled certificates at district headquarters, travelling fare concession, instituting of State Channelising Agency (SCA).

28th July, 2008 - Now Church is in the hartal business

A day-long hartal in Changanassery town, called by the Catholic Church sponsored Minority Rights Protection Committee in protest against the attack on participants as total. What elsed do you expect bandhs in Kerala to do other than complete obedience. Shops and other commercial centres remained closed while vehicular service remained unaffected.The bandh and a rally was organised by the Archdiocese against the alleged attempt by the LDF government to propagate atheism through textbooks. The rally called for recall of the controversial Class VII Social Science textbook.

28th July, 2008 - Siliguri under bandh grip

Breakaway congress leaders had difficult time in finding alphabets to name their newly found Congress party. And many of them still struggles. Communists had different ideas. They did not make any alphabets but named the founders name in full. So tomorrow you can expect CPM(Somnath), CPM(Karat), CPM(Raja) etc. It is one of these breakaway factions that called for a Siliguri bandh. The CPI-Ml (Mahadeb Mukherjee faction) called a bandh to mark the death anniversary of Naxalite leader Charu Mazumdar. The bandh call by the Naxalite faction also had a major impact in North Dinajpur district.

28th July, 2008 - Jalpaiguri also observes a bandh

The town of Jalpaiguri observed a bandh today in protest against the non-functioning of the tea auction center in the town. The ‘Jalpaiguri Tea Auction Centre Bachao Committee’ had sponsored the bandh. The bandh in Jalpaiguri over the dormant tea auction centre however, evoked a total response. Business establishments, markets, office and educational institutions remained shut and passenger transport remained suspended.

28th July, 2008 - Imphal NH-39 to have a bandh

Even failure to release monthly quota of rice can lead to bandhs. Today Rationing Agent Association (RAA) of 42 Tengnoupal A/C will observe an indefinite bandh along NH-39 between Pallel and Moreh from 6 pm The agreement made between ADC Moreh and LDC (FCS) Chandel Th Leiran and RAA on July 23 at Pallel Police station was not changed into action is the reason for this bandh. For those who doesnt understand what all these are about, take note that NH-39 is in Imphal and being cut out of the country, very few will know what the bandh is all about.

27th July 2008 - Jamshedpur with hartal made of steel

Life in the steel city came to a standstill due to the 12-hour bandh, called by the district Congress. The bandh was in protest against the incidence of firing in front of the district president Ravindra Kumar Jha’s office on Friday. UPA allies, especially the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), also supported the bandh. Public property was vandalised at a number of places and shops downed shutters across the city for the better part of the day. Bandh supporters targeted those roadside vendors and shops that violated diktat and kept their shops open.

27th July 2008 - Soren sparked another hartal in Orissa

The Shibu Soren demand is gaining momentum in Orissa as far as protests are concerned. Today it is the turn of Jharsuguda district which observed hartal against his demand. Normal life was affected in view of the bandh as shops and business establishments downed their shutters.

26th July, 2008 - Jammu curfew and bandh goes hand in glove

If there is a bandh in Jammu, it has to go with a curfew and what if the bandh is as long as the present on on Amarnath land transfer? Well, the curfew also continues and ultimately the common man suffers.

No punishment can stop hartals

Pay Rs 10 lakh, call for a hartal and destroy property worth Rs crore and waste priceless man hours. This may turn to be true as Kerala law commission has suggested that organizations in Kerala calling for a hartal, or strike, without the government’s permission may have to pay a Rs10 lakh fine or its leaders would face up to three years in prison and they are advocating for shaping this into law. In 2007, Left-ruled Kerala saw more than 200 hartals, most of them political. So much so that leaders with following of only their family members are calling shots in hartal sphere.

24th July, 2008 - Hartal ordeal in Kerala continues

If there was a Nobel for hartals, it would have gone to CPI(M) since they have called yet another day long hartal in Thalassery assembly constituency limits and nearby Mahe enclave of Puducherry to protest the murder of a party activist. CPI(M) worker U K Saleem was stabbed to death, allegedly by activists of National Development Front, a Kerala-based Muslim outfit, at New Mahe area near Thalassery last night after a clash between the CPI(M) and NDF workers over pasting of party posters.

23rd July, 2008 - Hartal in poverty struck Baripada

There was a time when only the opposition parties called for bandhs. The ruling party never used to call for bandhs since they would be at the receiving end during the bandh. But now a days the oppositions are sidelined and ruling parties are destroying the properties for which they had vowed to protect. Take the case of tribal dominated Mayurbhanj in Orissa where the ruling BJD-BJP observed a 12 hour dawn to dusk bandh to against the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)’s recent demand to take three districts - Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh from Orissa - and merge it with a greater Jharkhand.

23rd July, 2008 - Yet another hartal in Kerala

A 12-hour hartal was called by the district unit of the BJP in Malampuzha constituency to protest against the death of one of their activists who was attacked allegedly by CPM workers.Altercations between CPM and the BJP activists arose last Sunday evening over the tying of flags by BJP activists. A BJP activist, Aruchami, 42, was attacked with weapons allegedly by CPM activists when he was returning to his house that night after attending the BJP Malampuzha mandalam convention. The sudden call for the hartal put the commuters in great hardship. Malampuzha is the constituency of Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan.

23rd July, 2008 - Punjab & Haryana Bandh today

Godmen around the country are making a hell out of their godly activities. The Gurmat Siddhant Parcharak Sant Samaj & the Damdami Taksal has called for a bandh in Punjab & Haryana on July 23 demanding the arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The demand is not new but the goverment is in a dilemma. Protesters are also demanding the sealing of Naam Charcha centres of Ram Rahim , besides initiating an inquiry against him. They stated that the Dera chief should be arrested allegedly for killing three Sikhs, two in Punjab & another in Maharashtra. Harman Singh Khalsa, head, Damdami Taksal, said, “It’s shameful on the part of the Centre & the state government to shield the Dera chief and fail to initiate an action against him”.The Sant Samaj appealed to people of Punjab & Haryana to observe bandh on July 23. Only the trains will be allowed to run. The Sant Samaj will organise the bhog ceremony of Harmandir Singh killed by Dera followers in Dabwali yesterday. The samaj will hold a meeting in Ludhiana on July 30 to plan further action.

22nd July, 2008 - Can Communists do anything other than bandh?

Bandh is now a national obsession and for the Left parties, it has become a national duty. They call bandhs even for petty matters. For instance if you are beaten by your neighbour because you peeped into his wife's room, they will observe a bandh in your locality- Trust them, they will do it. The today there was a bandh in Kaliyaganj town of North Dinajpur districtn in protest against the recent clashes in Kaliyaganj college. And this was supported even by the Congress

22nd July, 2008 - Now Maoists' turn to oppose Nuke Deal

After all the parties in India called strikes, protests and even came to bringing down the UPA government over the nuclear deal, it is the turn of Maoists. Jharkhand and its neighbouring states will have 24 hour bandh. Hopefully their counterparts in Nepal doesn't ink such a deal to make Nepal a nuclear nation.

21st July, 2008 - Bandh fever grips Gujarat

In what was seen a normal murder mystery is now taking an ugly turn snowballing into a major controversy. Gujarat is now under the grip of bandhs as organisations are calling at their will a bandh and the people voluntarily accepting it. This would have swallowed the government in any other state but here the Modi government is not even bothering to respond to this agitation and none of the ministers have even consoled the grieving family of the cousin duo who died in mysterious circumstances in the ashram of a sect run by Asaram Bapu. The rivalry between different sects are also the reason for the controversy to get bigger. Today an amalgamation of 15 social organisations led by Jagega Gujarat Sangharsh Samiti (JGSS) has called for a Gujarat Bandh to register their protest.The Gujarat unit of the Congress has also extended its support to the bandh. They will also protest against the state government for not responding to the demands of handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

21st July, 2008 - Bandh now graduates

Kerala's school text book row will not end so easily, it seems. A school headmaster, with no political affiliations, was hacked to death in Malappuram as he was attending a training course. Now this has become another reason for an education bandh in Kerala on Monday. Dont be under the impression that education bandh means closing educational institutions. It means the entire state shutdown. Well, yet another feather to Kerala's cap.

20th July, 2008 - Malappuram in Kerala on hartal mood

The ruling LDF is observing a 12- hour hartal in Malappuram and Kozhikode districts on Sunday in protest against the death of the school headmaster. The hartal will be from 6 am to 6 pm. As a sequel to this, there is another hartal on Monday. So make the most of now.

20th July, 2008 - Imphal Bandh continues

Abduction of three Muslim youths by police commandos from Loklaobung on July 12 and their brutal torture is the reason for a general strike in the Thoubal district beginning July 19, 6pm to July 21, 6pm. In a meeting at Lilong bazaar on the issue, a resolution had been drawn up demanding among other things the dismissal from service the involved police commandos.

19th July, 2008 - Telangana Bandh series continue

A bandh call by TRS against the Congress-led UPA government’s betrayal on Telangana is to take effect on 19th. TRS is seeking BJP support to its call which the right wing party has not yet decided.

19th July, 2008 - Telengana starts bandh series

Whether Congress has betrayed the people of Telangana is a matter that only people in this particular regions knows. But it it taken granted by TRS who have given a call for Telangana bandh on July 19 as the culmination of its five-day protest programme to ‘expose’ the Congress for betraying the people of Telangana after promising them a separate State. Party president K Chandrasekhar Rao announced with great pride that the party cadre would organise prayers in temples, churches and mosques on July 15, ‘rasta roko’ in Assembly constituencies on July 16, demonstrations before the houses of Congress MPs in the region on July 17 and boycott of colleges on July 18. So get ready........

18th July, 2008 - Ahmedabad bandh - for a change

Religious cult leaders in Kerala are on the run and here is a case in Ahmedabad where two students dies under mysterious circumstances. Very strangely there is a bandh in Ahmedabad on Friday against the lukewarm investigation process - as alleged by the parents of the boys - and the support is extended even by the Congress party - a rank outsider in Gujarat. Well, it is always to join the entire country in bandh spree or else the city will miss its Metro status. Unfortunately the schools have already declared a holiday and the ferry vans have made their support to the bandh.

17th July, 2008 - Kerala's obedience is the key to Hartal

A hartal was observed in Kasagod district in Kerala (yes Kerala again) following a call by the Fishermen Protection Council in protest against the absence of facilities here to rescue fishermen who meet with accidents at sea. The hartal affected fishing activities in the district. Shops also remained closed in some areas.

16th July, 2008- Bandh time in Jammu again

A shutdown was observed in Jammu again on Wednesday after the same Hindu groups, demanding that a controversial plot in the Kashmir valley be handed over to a temple trust, rejected Governor N N Vohra's call for a dialogue on the issue. An indefinite shutdown to protest the government move cancelling the land transfer to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) was suspended last week. Expect more bandhs from Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti (AYSS) as they now start venturing out with no other work than calling Bandhs.

16th July, 2008: Bandh against Bandh - Keralites join the protest

This is a protest with a difference. This was reported by The Hindu. Frustrated over frequent hartals disrupting normal life, people here are coming together to form a Citizens’ Forum against hartals. A meeting of the forum held here decided to begin its protests with a satyagraha in front of the Quit India Memorial at Zero Junction in Mullackal here on June 16 from 3 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. In a statement, forum convener and former principal of Ernakulam Maharaja’s College Abraham Arakal said hartals sponsored by various political outfits were violating the fundamental rights guaranteed to every citizen by the Indian Constitution. Though they are called hartals, these protest forms are nothing but ‘bandhs’, which have been declared illegal by the Supreme Court. The actual purpose for which hartals were called for was being defeated by the fact that these hartals literally brought life to a standstill, often failing to convey or reflect public sentiments.
More than often, hartals are called for without adequate notice, resulting in untold inconvenience to the public, Mr. Arakal said.The forum, which has educationist Kalleli Raghavan Pillai as its chairman comprises mostly senior citizens from various walks of life, including M.N.V. Nair, R. Jithendra Varma, G.P. Nair, K.P.Unnikrishnan Nair, C.K. Arumukhan, C.B. Shantappan, A. Sainulabdil, G.Viswanathan, Joseph Kottaparampan, M. Haridas, M.R.B. Menon, K.V.Ramesan and A.K. Kochukunju as members.

16th July, 2008 - Bandh ordeal in Jammu continues

Even nondescript organisations can now take state to ransom. The government may have fallen over its descition to revoke transfer of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, but the bandh call continues. Now it is on July 16.

11th July 2008 - Nagaland bears the brunt

A bandh called by a local tribal students union protesting against the continuing killings among different factions of Naga rebel group, the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), brought life to a grinding halt today at Dimapur in Nagaland.The Sumi Students’ Union called for a 12-hour bandh in Dimapur district demanding immediate halt to feud between the NSCN factions that have so far claimed lives of about 50 persons, including rebels and civilians in and around Dimapur. The students union castigated the Naga rebel groups for violating human rights and criticised the state government for failing to protect lives of citizens in the face of belligerence shown by the rebels groups. The students’ union in a statement said the recent chain of killings among the rebel groups has become a great threat to the people living in and around Dimapur and demanded action on part of the administration to restore normalcy in the area by containing the rebels brandishing weapons.All the offices, business establishments, financial institutions, educational institutions remained closed during the bandh period.There was no vehicular traffic on the road and the usually busy Dimapur-Kohima Road wore a deserted look throughout the day.Rival Naga rebel groups - the NSCN (IM), NSCN (K) and NSCN (Unification) - have been fighting among themselves for supremacy and the clashes have taken a heavy toll on all sides. It all started with a faction of the NSCN (IM) breaking away from the group to form NSCN (Unification) early this year. The rival NSCK (K) extended prompt support to the NSCN (Unification) much to the chagrin of the NSCN (IM).Both NSCN (IM) and the NSCN (K) are in truce with the government forces but that doesn’t deter the rebel groups from attacking each other’s camps and hideouts in an around Dimapur in Nagaland and elsewhere in the state.(Reported by The Tribune)

10th July 2008 - Bandh time in Jharkhand

The BJP-led NDA has called for Jharkhand bandh tomorrow in protest of the killing of former minister and JD(U) MLA Ramesh Singh Munda near Bundu today.Ramesh Singh Munda, two of his bodyguards and a student were killed by suspected Naxalites. Now how the Bandh will help nabbing the culprits can only be answered by the culprits of this bandh.

10th July, 2008 - Hartal is here again

Come and hit me. This message is writ large in the tiny state of Kerala as it observes yet another hartal on 10th July, 2008. The Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi has asked even medical shops to down shutters and they are doing this just to get numbers for their state meeting. When the entire country has abandoned protests against allowing retails, here is an organisation that is reviving it. People buy essentials ahead of hartal-- naturally sales boom a day before hartal. Again vested interests??
There is a slight welcome change here. There is a synchronised hartal as one association - Kerala Vyapari Samithi- is holding a Trivandrum only hartal with an assembly march, the other one is spreading across the state.

9th July, 2008 - Bandh in Kandhamal

The Viswa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal have called a bandh in Kandhamal district on Wednesday following an attack on an inmate of an ashram and a Baba at Jalespata under Tumudibandha Police station limits of the district on Tuesday. Reports said some people reportedly assaulted Bula Baba of Jalespatta ashram, run by Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, in village Malipada with weapons when the Baba protested slaughtering of cows.Immediately the news spread and the inmates of the ashram along with VHP activists blocked the main road. Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, who was present in the ashram, started a dharna in front of the Tumudibandha police station demanding arrest of the accused persons. Security has been tightened in all the churches.(This was reported by Express News Service)

9th July 2008 - Trinamul exists to call for bandhs

The Trinamul Congress, the party with the sole agenda of disruption, called a 24-hour bandh at Natabari in Tufanganj as a mark of protest against the atrocities by the CPI-M and the police jointly on Trinamul Congress supporters.(What else) A clash between CPI-M and Trinamul Congress supporters , at Natabari on Saturday night injured five. Abdar Ali and his minor son were arrested and sent to the court yesterday in connection with the incident. Abdar Ali is an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police engaged at Falakata police station in Jalpaiguri district. He visited his village at Natabari when he was on leave. CPI-M sources alleged that Ali he took sides of the Trinamul Congress though party sources denied the allegation.
Vice-president of the district Trinamul Congress, Mr Niranjan Dutta said, the CPI-M unleashed a reign of terror in several areas in Tufanganj sub-division. Condemning the violence that took place on Saturday Mr Dutta said, “Tomorrow we will observe a 24-hour bandh at Natabari to stage protest against the terror tactics of the CPI-M and police”.(Statesman Reported this article)

Hartal boosts liquor sales

Well, if hartals are well planned move orchestrated by the liquor companies by bribing the organisations calling for it is not clear. But the fact that people queue up before hartal is a testimony to the problems that Kerala will witness in future. Read The Hindu report here

Guess what? Keralites drink more on the evening before every hartal. Liquor bars do roaring business and the Beverages Corporation outlets have longer lines in front of them on the hartal eve, if the experience and the statistics of the Hartal Virudha Munnani are anything to go by.

The munnani activists have also noticed that there is a substantial rise in drinking at home on the hartal day, says Francis Perumana, secretary of the munnani. This shows, according to him, three things: one, people take it for granted that the hartal day is a day to stay at home; two, people think that they are helpless to prevent the hartal, though they feel outraged by it; and three, they have accepted hartal as a way of life.

Apart from the inconveniences and pain (even injuries and deaths) it causes to millions of people, a State-level dawn-to-dusk hartal causes a loss of Rs.4,000 crore to Kerala, the munnai has estimated.

This includes losses to the government, public sector bodies such as the KSRTC, industries, businesses, shops, offices and individuals. If the woes caused to millions of people are monetised and put a price to, the loss could run into several billions of rupees.

In 2006, there were 168 hartals in Kerala - local ones, town-specific, district-level and State-level included. This was in spite of the specific orders by the High Court against holding bandhs and asking the government to ensure that the public is not inconvenienced. So far this year, Kannur district alone witnessed nearly ten hartals, in various towns.

The munnani wants the Kerala society, especially the political parties, to find an alternative, non-intrusive means of expressing protest and disagreement in a democratic way. It believes hartal is a barbaric form of protest that hurts people’s fundamental human rights and causes pain, injuries and violence.

To gather support for getting hartal banished, the munnani is holding debates, seminars and other forms of public awareness programmes in each district. It has so far organised debates in Kozhikode, Idukki and Kannur. On February 15, a photo exhibition that depicts the sufferings of the ordinary people on hartal days will be put on show near Subhash Park in Kochi.

The munnani urged the UDF to abandon its February 19 State-level hartal. Schoolchildren will be asked to send postcards to UDF leaders pleading for dropping the agitation.

8th July 2008 - Imphal has the bandh fever

Stray violent incident of burning effigies of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and confrontation between the strike supporters and the police forcing the latter to fire tear gas canisters were witnessed on the second day of the State-wide 48-hour general strike being called by the JAC Against the Extra Judicial Killing of Langpoklakpam Bimolchandra alias Angouba of Haobam Marak Ngangom Leikai to register protest.(The Sangai Express reported this article)

7th July, 2008 - Tirupur weaves a bandh for itself

The Pattali Makkal Katchi had called a bandh on Monday with a charter of demands, including putting an end to dyeing units polluting the Noyyal river. PMK had sought support from all parties, traders associations, hosiery units, exporters association, schools, colleges, shops and others. However, the main parties like DMK, AIADMK, Congress and Communist parties did not relent.Outfits like Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, Tamilazhaga Vivasayigal Sangam and Manitha Neeti Paasarai joined in the bandh.Normal life was not affected as all establishments, including schools and colleges functioned as usual. Strong police pickets were posted in and around Tirupur.

Come and observer hartal here

Come and observer hartal here. This seems to be the message that Kerala is giving instead of come and set up your business here. Read the PTI report below to know why and how Kerala is now a Manchester of hartals.

Kerala has earned the dubious distinction of being the only state in the country where shutdown calls by any political party will be a sure success.


Staging over a 100 hartals annually in recent times, causing loss of hundreds of crores of rupees to the state exchequer, Kerala has earned the dubious distinction of being the only state in the country where shutdown calls by any political party will be a sure success.

That the BJP, a less-dominant political force in the state, has called the most number of hartals in recent past - 31 of a total 57 this year alone -gives a clear indication of the fact that the protests in this parts do not necessarily require mass support.

The people of the 'most-literate' state are so scared of hartal-related violence that they mostly remain indoors, indirectly helping the cause of the hartal observers.

The real beneficiaries, if any, are the state-run shops, where liquor is sold at nominal rates compared to licensed bars, and the mutton stalls which in particular witness roaring business on pre-hartal days.

Ironically, it is the Kerala High Court which banned bandhs for the first time in the country in 1997, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court also.

But after the court refused to stay hartals in 2004, the political parties are enforcing virtually bandhs in the name of hartals as normal life is always thrown out of gear during every such occasion.

A handful of NGOs have recently come forward to create public awareness on the ill-effects of observing hartals but they are also handicapped by the fact that the affected do not get any compensation in case of damage to property or life.

"We are doing everything to create awareness, but there is little legal remedy in case of damage to property or life so the public do not dare to venture out on a protest day', says Haridas, President of 'The Proper Channel', an NGO.

Registered under the Charitable Act in 2005, the NGO has been fighting for the cause relentlessly, moving a series of petitions against hartals that do not conform to the court directive.

Upholding the fundamental right to organise hartals, the high court in 2004 had, however, asked government to strictly adhere to a nine-point directive that include ensuring normal life and transport, protection to properties and lives and compensation from hartal organisers in case of damage.

Though most of the hartals have resulted in serious damage and in some case even loss of lives, the affected parties had not approached the court for compensation fearing 'backlash' from the organisers.

"Since Court directives alone do not help the cause, we are approaching various quarters including the media to put an end to this form of protests," K Chandrababu, General Secretary of the Anti-Hartal Front, a state-wide association based in Kannur, said.

"When Saddam Hussain was sentenced to death, there was a hartal in the state and opposing the US President's visit to India, the CPI (ML) has staged a near-total hartal here," he said.

A total of 223 hartals were observed in 2006, resulting in a revenue loss of over Rs 2000 crore, he added. The state-owned transport always happens to be the first target for the agitators as that keeps the public movement in total check, Haridas said.

"While the KSRTC suffered about Rs 10 crore loss in 2006, it was 8.75 crore last year," he said.

During a day-long hartal called to protest a murder during the Chavakkad municipal chairman polls in 2006, public property to the tune of Rs 1.10 crore was destroyed in Thrissur, he said.

The NGOs have adopted a novel method to ease the public pressure by sending SMS messages to hartal organisers. "We call upon prominent personalities to send messages so that the public confidence is lifted," Chandrababu said adding they were also in touch with several humanist movements and Gandhian organisations to take up the cause more effectively.

"Dr Vasudevan, who was seriously injured in stone-pelting during a hartal here five years ago is still under treatment," T K A Aziz of the Anti-Hartal Front said. Vyapari Vyavasayi Associations, representing traders across the sate, who were vehemently opposing hartals earlier had also fallen in line with political parties in giving hartal calls seeking redressal to their problems, he said.

Kozhikode-based Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, the leading traders body in the state, had given a shutdown call next week to protest the 'growing influence' of MNC's.

Though state-wide hartals are relatively less in number, local-level hartals have become the order of the day with a least one hartal called on an average in a panchayat in a week.

5th July 2008 : Kodungallur does an Ekta Kapoor in Hartals

Ever heard of parties waiting in queue to call hartal? Yes it is now serialised and it is very true in Kerala where in a place called Kodungallur, life came to a standstill during the last three days with hartals, violence and attacks on shops, vehicles, residential houses, media persons and pedestrians reports the New Indian Express. The violence and stone throwing at shops and vehicles forced shops, markets and other establishments in the town to down their shutters and private buses and autorickshaws to discontinue their services abruptly.A dawn-to-dusk hartal was called on Thursday by the LDF to mourn the death of the DYFI activist. The hartal supporters attacked parked vehicles and closed shops, threw stones at pedestrians and smashed cameras and threatened media persons. The hartal supporters smashed the statue of Sree Narayana Guru in the Sreekumara Samajam at the West Nada.Since Wednesday afternoon, over 40 houses were attacked, and more than a dozen shops and vehicles had been damaged. Top police officers and over 500 police personnel are camping in the area. Though the police have registered 40 cases, no one was arrested so far.A hartal was called on Thursday by the SNDP Yogam and the Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi to protest against the smashing of the statue of Sree Narayana Guru and the attacks on shops.The private bus operators struck work in Kodungallur-Thrissur, Ernakulam- Kodunallur-Guruvayur routes on Thursday to protest against attacks on vehicles. The town also witnessed protest demonstrations one after another organised by the SNDP Union, Merchants’ Association and the Press Club.

How can perpetrators rein in themselves?

The SC has criticized the state governments of not doing enough to prevent bandhs. How can they do it since they themselves are the perpetrators of these bandhs.

Perhaps the only way Supreme Court or any other court can do is to legally black list the parties or organizations that calls for a bandh and whenever a hearing that pertains to them appears, they get a negative marking which can go against them in the final hearing.

Read the Times of India report here.

The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed state governments for going into an election-year stupor and failing to rescue lakhs of people held hostage by influential groups which frequently block road and rail traffic through violent displays of muscle power.

Venting the commoners' grievance against inaction in dealing with law and order situations, the court said the governments' oft-repeated statements of "stern action" against those who break the law was a mere tool to "fool the people of this country".

‘‘The entire country is going to be ruined,’’ a bench comprising Justices Altamas Kabir and G S Singhvi said, while continuing its sniping at the governments’ unexplained reluctance to act sternly against those who disrupt normal life.

It said the governments were holding back in the fear of antagonizing potential votebanks in an election year even if these groups breached law and order, putting lakhs of common people to inconvenience. And when the courts step in to give people relief, the executive cries "judicial overreach", the judges said.

What started as a critical comment on a local issue — frequent blockades of National Highway 31A, the sole link between Sikkim and the rest of India, by pro- and anti-Gorkhaland agitationists — soon developed into a torrent of criticism from the apex court.

While directing the governments of West Bengal and Sikkim, the Centre and the Gorkhaland agitationists to keep NH-31A open to traffic round the year, the court counted the incidents — regional jingoism in Maharashtra, uprooting of rail tracks and blockade of highways during the Gujjar agitation, blockade of NH-31A and the recent Hyderabad bandh — and said governments have not acted sternly against those who throw normal life out of gear.

Those who were required to act in accordance with the mandate of the Constitution were parties to all these disruptions, the court said, adding: ‘‘Rajasthan faced the music for 45 days. Those who have muscle power can hold everyone to ransom. Whether lakhs of commoners suffer is of least concern to the authorities. It takes just 15 students in a university to bring the entire institution to a stand still. During the Hyderabad bandh, seven persons lost their lives because all supplies, including food and medicines, were hit,’’ it said.

3rd July, 2008 : Hail Gujarat for you have shown how bandh can be tackled

As the entire nation will be held to ransom by nondescript organisations in the name of bandh, Gujarat will show how it can stay away.
The ruling BJP in Gujarat said on Wednesday that it will not join the nationwide bandh call given by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on July 3. The bandh has been called to protest against the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board land transfer issue in Jammu and Kashmir. "The decision of not joining the bandh was taken by the party, keeping in mind the efforts put in by the organisers and devotees of Rath Yatra, to be taken out in more than 150 places across the state on July 4," state BJP president, according to news reports.

3rd July, 2008 : Its Bihar and Jharkand's turn for Bandh

The Communist Party of India (Maoists) has called for a 24-hour long bandh across Bihar and Jharkhand. The bandh comes into effect from midnight of July 2 (very punctual about timings) and will continue to remain in force till midnight tomorrow(this can be prolonged). East Central Railway and South Eastern Railway authorities have cancelled more than eight pair of trains and have diverted the running routes of sever along distance trains passing through the two states, in view of the bandh, reports Statesman

3rd July, 2008 : After Kashmir it is all India bandh

It is the turn of an All India bandh after a Kashmir Bandh against the withdrawal of land given to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal have called for a bandh on and very interestingly from July 3. Kashmir ki batein kasmir mein ya to Dilli mein. Why disturb the entire country who doesnt even know the organisation calling for the bandh. Yes, some places like Kerala will certainly enjoy this call.

1st July, 2008 :Goa's Quepem to have a bandh

Why should this small hamlet be left behind? All Goa Temple Safeguard Committee (AGTSC) has called for a Quepem bandh on Tuesday protesting desecration of idols in the temples and the government's failure to nab the culprits.

30th June, 2008 : Bandh saga continues in Kashmir

Jammu-based parties like the BJP and the Panthers party have opposed the decision of state government of taking over the task of conducting the Amarnath yatra from the shrine board and so what is the logical conclusion?? A Bandh.

30th June, 2008 : You dont need a reason to strike in Kerala

Even a small hamlet's co-operative bank's election can lead to protests and subsequently a hartal in one of the most prosperous districts of Kerala cannot be fathomed by many outside the state. But as far as the people of Kottayam is concerned, they gleefully obeyed to a hartal by UDF protesting against the violence during the elections to the Kattappana Service Cooperative Bank. Now this may not be the end of road as parties have got a good excuse to extend this hartal further. Hail Kerala

28th June, 2008 : Even Goa is not spared of a Bandh

Several Hindu organisations led by BJP observed a bandh in Margao protesting against a sporadic attack. Now the tourist centre made little impact as roads were not as deserted as you see in Kerala. Kudos to tourists who never knew there was a call.

27th June, 2008 : Hartal is here again in Kerala

All because of a small book. The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the BJP to protest "attack'' on its youth wing workers allegedly by DYFI activists - yes you guessed it right - hit normal life in the state capital and suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram. Given the culture Kerala follows, the shops remained closed in the city, buses kept off the road and schools and colleges went without classes.

27th June, 2008 Bandh in East Khasi Hills over power deal

This band seems to be sensible. Angry over the delay in scrapping the power deal with private companies, the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) has announced a 12-hour bandh in East Khasi Hills district from 5am on June 27.It is alleged that despite several reminders, the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government remained non-committal on the issue of cancelling the power deal with the private companies.According to the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed at the end of last year, the state government has entered into a joint venture mode to develop power projects with six power companies. They are the Jaypee Group, Dharampal Satyapal Group, ETA Star Infrastructure Limited, Athena Project Private Limited, Seven Sisters Energy Limited and SEW Energy Limited. However, the NGOs in the state had pointed out that the state government did not go through the mandatory international competitive bidding before finalising the deal.

Profit & Loss Account - Kerala

The New Indian Express reports that a whopping Rs 264 crore is the loss that the KSRTC has suffered because of the hartals in the past two years.According to the figures presented in the Assembly, KSRTC buses had to remain in depots for 88 days owing to hartals. Not plying for a day means a loss of Rs 2.60 crore daily.But if you count the day previous to the hartal and the day that follows (a one-day hartal usually affects the services for a total of three days), this loss can be compounded as Rs 3 crore. True, languishing in the depots save diesel for the the KSRTC fleet, but that too would be a total of only Rs 50 lakh a day.

26th June, 2008 : VHP Wants Army Rule but only in Kashmir

Various right wing Hindu organizations have called for Jammu Bandh Thursday in protest against the ongoing agitation in Kashmir valley against the diversion of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), has given the Jammu bandh call while other affiliated organizations, Bajrang Dal, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have supported the bandh call.The demand is that since situation in the valley is volatile and Army should be given the charge.

26th June, 2008 - Now is the turn of Kashmir to hartal

The special committee nominated by the Hurriyat factions on the Shrine Board land transfer issue called for a one-hour Kashmir bandh on Thursday, 26th June, 2008 and three days of protests against the government move. Former High Court Bar Association president, Mian Abdul Qayoom, who heads the “Action Committee,” told a press conference here today that the government was playing politics with the Shrine Board issue and misleading the public by issuing contradictory statements.
He expressed surprise that the same people who facilitated the forest land transfer to the Shrine Board were now lamenting over the decision.
Holding the National Conference, the PDP, the Congress and other pro-India groups directly responsible for the decision, Qayoom said that all of them had played a collective role in handing over the land to the Shrine Board.

23rd June 2008 : HC's yet another salvo on hartals

A common knowledge but it takes courts and other organisation to make the people of Kerala realise in what folly they are in. Read the IE report below:

The Kerala High Court on Monday observed that the Kerala Government should take stern action to face the frequent hartals in the state.

In an oral observation, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice A K Basheer expressed displeasure at the attitude of the government in not giving “due regard” to the court orders.

Considering a contempt petition filed by ‘The Proper Channel’, the court observed that the state government should intensify its actions against hartals. The court expressed displeasure on the affidavit given by the Kerala Government regarding the issue. Steps taken by the government are not sufficient enough, the court observed.

The Kerala High Court said that government should take stern action so that the public will have the confidence to go to streets and open shops without fear on hartal days. Government should give protection to the life and property of the people.

After the High Court order on hartals, there were 32 hartals in the state. The court takes this matter seriously, they said.

On hartal days, even the High Court registers only 30 percent attendance. Therefore, what will be the situation in other offices? the court asked. Earlier, the court had issued directions including calling paramilitary forces to combat the hartal violence.

The state government had in its affidavit stated that the people enjoy hartals. Explaining the government stand, Advocate- General C P Sudhakara Prasad said that examinations which were scheduled on hartal days were postponed “only to avoid unnecessary problems.” The State Government will take all actions to maintain peace, he said.

It was on June 19, 2008 that ‘The Proper Channel’ submitted another affidavit stating that the government was challenging the court through its affidavit. The government had violated all the nine directions given by the court regarding hartals. Some of the facts given in the government affidavit are misleading, they said.

“The State Government had been trying to say that court’s intervention in this matter was unnecessary. But we said that such an affidavit was a challenge to the court. By failing to obey the nine directions issued by the court, the Kerala Government had committed contempt of court,” said M K Haridas of Proper Channel. The case will be taken up for consideration after a month.

20th June, 2008 - Yet another hartal in Kerala

A dawn to dusk hartal called by the UDF in Trichur in protest against(yes you guessed it right) the police lathicharge on KSU activists and T N Pratapan MLA was again godsend for the people of the region as shops, educational institutions and other establishments remained closed, private buses remained off the road and government offices had only a thin attendance. The hartal was marked by minor incidents of stone-throwing, forced closure of banks and other establishments, in various parts of the district. Well done as the state is now very near to record books

19th June 2008 - Jharkand celebrates a Naxal bandh

Activists of the People's Liberation Front of India blew up a railway track near Pokla station here during the day-long bandh called by the outfit in Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa and Chhattisgarh to protest police action against naxalites.The activists of the banned extremist outfit used explosives to blow up the track around 3 am, Gumla Superintendent of Police Baljeet said.Five rear wagons were derailed as the activists triggered the blast when the goods train was moving slowly, he said, adding train services between Ranchi and Rourkela were disrupted following the damage to the tracks.The PLFI is observing the bandh in the four states to protest against "corruption, increasing price rise and action against naxalites".

18th June 2008 - Gorkha hartal continues

The indefinite hartal call by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha, spearheading the movement for a separate Gorkhaland state continues unabated and they are hoping that the state government and central government will heed to their request by force. But leaders of both Congress and Left ruling Central and state goverments respectively are busy saving a government fall.

17th June, 2008 - Armoor in bandh grip

A bandh called for by the all-party committee in Armoor sub-division in Andhra Pradesh was peaceful and total. The band was called to protest AP Seeds Development Corporation not budging to the farmers’ demand for purchase of red jowar at Rs. 1,540 a quintal. Officials led by APSDC Managing Director Arif Mohammad made it clear that they could not afford to pay more than Rs.1,200 a quintal and they came forward to purchase the red jowar only out of “sympathy” for the farmers. Moreover, the red jowar was not a notified seed, they told the farmers’ leaders.

16th June, 2008 - Indefinite bandh at Nambol, Imphal

The All Nambol United Clubs Organisation declared an indefinite Nambol bandh from midnight of 15th June, 2008 after a long wait for the Manipur government’s response to the demand to speed up development activities at Nambol in Bishnupur district. A bandh at Nambol, a sub-division of Bishnupur district, would mean snapping of road communication between Imphal and Bishnupur as well as Churachandpur districts. In a statement issued today, the secretary of the organisation, Th. Jayenta Singh, said it has decided to impose the indefinite bandh after the Okram Ibobi Singh government failed to respond to the demand to speed up development activities. The demands include strengthening the embankments and construction of retaining walls on the Nambol riverbank before the monsoon, inauguration of the Nambol community health centre, opening of a fire sub-station at Nambol bazar, completion of Khoriphaba water supply scheme and improvement of two district roads, Komkeirap-Chingmang Road and Kangmong-Nambol Mangjing Road.

16th June, 2008 - Chotanagpur to have a hartal

The Maoists have called for a 24-hour bandh in the districts of Jharkhand's North Chotanagpur region on 16th June in protest against the killing of four cadres in an encounter in Hazaribag last month. Police found maoist posters calling the bandh in the Chotanagpur region which covers the districts like Koderma, Giridih, Hazaribag and Bokaro, police said.

16th June, 2008 - Gorkhaland issue to paralyse East India

Though the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha, spearheading the movement for a separate Gorkhaland state said it was ready for tripartite talks with the Centre and West Bengal government even as it braced to enforce an indefinite shutdown in Darjeeling hill since the government is in no mood to relent

15th June, 2008 Tufanganj bandh by Trinamool

People change but cultures never change. So the band culture in West Bengal continues unabated. The Trinamul Congress sponsored bandh at Deocharai gram panchayat area in Tufanganj passed off peacefully. The bandh was called to protest against the alleged murder of a Trinamul Congress supporter. A large contingent of police along with BSF jawans were deployed in the area to maintain law and order during the bandh. Section 144 of the CrPC was promulgated in the area. It has not been withdrawn yet.

14th June, 2008 - Bandh in Darjeeling resumes

The indefinite bandh called by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) to demand a separate State comprising the Darjeeling hills and certain contiguous areas resumes today after a 60 hour relaxation. Let's see if the statehood materializes.

13th June, 2008 - Raichur shuts down for farmers death

Life in Sindhanur town of Raichur district was paralysed following a bandh observed in response to call given by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), Left parties and other pro-farmer organisations in protest against the death of a farmer in police firing in Haveri on Tuesday. The bandh was total and peaceful.The North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation withdrew its services on account of the bandh. Activists of the taluk unit of the KRRS, Hasiru Sene, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), staged dharna at the Mahatma Gandhi Circle in Sindhanur town blocking the movement of vehicles. They demanded that the Government pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the farmer who was killed in the police firing and Rs 5 lakh to each of those who were injured in the lathi-charge in Haveri.

13th June, 2008 - Compensate hartal 'ordeal'

This is a PTI story. Now there is a front against hartals fighting against 'frequent' hartals in Kerala, the 'Hartal Viruddha Munnani' has decided to seek legal intervention to help the aggrieved parties get compensation against financial losses and other ordeals during such 'sponsored protests calls.' The establishments and people who suffer heavy losses and damages during the frequent hartals on various pretexts should join hands to gather maximum evidence and help the anti-hartal front to produce it before court in availing maximum compensation from the political outfits responsible for such protest calls, Munnani State Secretary K Chandrababu said. The evidences on the losses and hardships faced by people and other establishments during the frequent hartals would be produced before an appropriate court to help the aggrieved parties get adequate compensation, he said in a release.

The concerned parties could sent the gathered evidence to the Kochi-based office of the Front, he said.The ruling CPI (M) led Left Democratic Front and BJP have called for statewide hartals today seeking immediate rollback of +steep+ hike in prices of petroleum products and the protest has affected normal life in Kerala.Kerala had been witnessing regional and district hartals called by political outfits for long and such protests appeared to have been getting 'overwhelming' responses with people in general seeming to have learnt to take things in their stride during such protests.

Now we have to see whether this front calls for a hartal protesting against frequent hartals.