Bharat Bandh call evokes mixed response in Amritsar district
Neeraj Bagga
Amritsar, February 16
The Bharat Bandh call evoked a mixed response from people of different walks of life here on Friday. Both government and private transport services remained off the roads causing undue inconvenience to passengers and tourists.
Besides, many private and society-run educational institutes were also closed. A strict police bandobast was chalked out with police personnel deployed in a large number to man different parts of the city.
Normal life was partially thrown out of gear as main retail markets, including shops, petrol pumps were closed. The bandh passed off peacefully with no untoward incident reported.
Commercial units in many areas were completely closed while in some other areas shops were open for some time. For instance, traditional markets in the walled city were closed, but shops on internal roads were open. Markets on the GT road from the link road outside the railway station up to Chheharta were completely closed. Upscale commercial establishments in the rest of the city were partially closed.
Commercial hubs inside the walled city, including the Hall Gate, including wholesale textile markets like Katra Ahluwalia, Shastri market, Tahli Wala Bazaar, Pratap Bazaar and nearby streets were closed. Similarly, stationery items market, Mai Sewa Wala Bazaar, gold and silver ornament market Guru Bazar, Bhandiyan Wala Bazaar, Chaurasti Attari and Batti Hatta were closed.
Grain markets like Daal mandi, Mishri bazaar, Swank mandi, Wadi Dhab, Dhab Wasti Ram, Lachchmansar chowk and surrounding areas were also found completely shut. Commercial establishments and filling stations were also closed. Like routine days, traffic was lesser on city roads.
As the State transport services remained off the roads, the Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Inter-state Bus Terminus (ISBT) wore a deserted look.
Passengers arriving at the ISBT were shocked to learn that all buses were off the roads. They were seen waiting inside the ISBT and walking out with their bag and baggage to return to their hotels and houses. Tourists were at the receiving end as auto rickshaws endorsing the strike call kept their three-wheelers off the roads.
Members of the Auto Union, Amritsar, along with Rehri Farhi Union, Vegetable and Fruit labour unions held a sit-in outside the ISBT and blocked vehicular traffic on the GT road.
Workers of factories, transport and other establishments took out a rally on the GT road, which also passed the Bhandari Railway overbridge. Amarjit Singh Asal, a labourers’ leader, said demands of labourers including Rs 700 daily wage, introduction of the MGNREGA scheme in the urban areas, reintroduction of old pension scheme of government employees and others should be met.
Jagdeep Singh Randhawa of the Khalra Mission Organisation (KMO) slammed the use of pellets on the agitating farmers. He said the BJP failed to comply with the socialist and secular democratic norms enshrined in the Constitution by appeasing the majority and favouring corporate houses.
There was a complete response to the bandh call in the border area of Attari. Farmer organisations held a protest at the bus stand, Attari. In their address, farmer leaders said the 10-year long rule of Narendra Modi increased the unemployment rate in the country and national policies favoured private companies being run by corporate houses.
