Baripada observed a 12-hour dawn-to-dusk bandh on Tuesday in response to a call given by the Mayurbhanj Adivasi Youth & Student Association in support of its demand for establishment of a Santhali University or Santhali Education Council at Baripada at the earliest.
Due to the bandh, buses, trucks and auto-rickshaws were off the roads and shops and other business establishments remained closed. Banks, courts and some other offices and institutions, however, functioned as usual. Emergency services were excluded from the purview of the strike.
In fact, almost all business houses of Baripada remain closed on the last Tuesday of every month. Thus, this Tuesday became an added advantage to the bandh supporters. Intermittent rains that lashed the town throughout the day also resulted in disruption of normal life.
Earlier on Monday evening, a bike rally led by association president Arjun Murmu and working president Dharamraj Hansdah had gone through the main streets in support of the bandh. Different other Santhali organisations like the Mayurbhanj Adivasi Students Association have also long been demanding setting up of a Santhali University at Baripada.