The “near total” Bengal bandh called by the left, the BJP and a cluster of trade unions threw normal life on Thursday out of gear in most sectors, except the jute and coal belts of the State. The bandh called in retaliation to the large-scale violence by the ruling Trinamool Congress in the recently-concluded civic polls ended amid incidents of stray violence in which both left and BJP workers were attacked, there party offices damaged by the anti-bandh Trinamool cadres. A number of vehicles were damaged and more than 3,000 bandh supporters were arrested across the State, police said.
Though train and metro services were normal, road transport was largely affected and shops remain closed in most parts of the State. Attendance in State Government offices was about 55 per cent while all schools and colleges remained closed. IT sector saw about 70 per cent attendance while engineering, cement, textile and tea sectors saw almost total bandh. Only about 10 per cent staff was present in the banking and insurance sectors sources said.
State’s jute and coal belt however remained an exception where production was normal. Though the State Government plied more number of buses, the number of passengers was negligible, strikers claimed. “The bandh was complete and we must congratulate the people for expressing their protest against the State’s repression” Biman Bose, left Front chairman said, adding: “Though the State Government had issued a circular threatening breakage in service in case of non-attendance, only about 55 per cent of Government staff had reported for work.”
The BJP which took out a long procession against the State repression promised legal help to the Government employees who could be victimised by the Government for not coming to work. “This is a Government of the goons who have looted people’s votes and now are trying to stifle their voices” State BJP president Rahul Sinha said. However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the bandh was a “complete failure. like the way the Opposition has forfeited its deposit in the civic elections their bandh call has also been ignored by the people.”
There were incidents of stray violence throughout the State from Purulia, Kolkata and Asansol in the south to Siliguri, Raiganj and Alipurduar in the north where the left and BJP workers were attacked by anti-bandh Trinamool men, who beat up Opposition workers who were picketing at various points.
A BJP leader’s house was bombed at Bhatpara in North 24-Parganas, while another worker was brutally beaten up at De Ganga. CPI(M) party offices were vandalised and workers, including women, were beaten up at Kasba in south Kolkata. Buses were vandalised at many places in Howrah, Raiganj and Malda, sources said. While the bandh supports stoned buses plying on the roads, those of Trinamool Congress damaged stationery buses which had not ventured out.