The statewide bandh called by the Opposition parties against police firing and proposed amendments in CNT- SPT Acts by the BJP-led Raghubar Das Government evoked good response on Monday.
Schools, colleges and shops remained shut across the State. long route buses and other heavy vehicles did not ply and movement of the private vehicles was minimal in urban areas.
A total of 5,442 protesters across the State, including former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi were arrested by the police. Maximum number of protesters — 1,079, was arrested from Jamshedpur while 472 protesters were arrested in Ranchi alone till 4 pm on Monday.
Other prominent personalities who also got arrested include former Ministers Bandhu Tirkey, Geetashree Oraon, Banna Gupta and MlAs Aroop Chaterjee, Rajesh Ranjan, Manoj Yadav, Irfan Ansari and former Hazaribagh MP Bhuvneshwar Mehta.
The dawn to dusk shut down was jointly called by the JVM, Congress, RJD, and was supported by the JMM and left parties.
These parties are opposing the amendments in changes in the CNT and SPT Act initiated by the State Government. They are also voicing anger over the three incidents of police firing at Gola (Ramgarh), Barkagaon and Khunti.
Meanwhile, several protesters came out on the roads and blocked Ranchi-Patna National Highway 33 in Ramgarh during the bandh. The villagers also blocked Ranchi-Chaibasa Main Road near Binda village under Murhu police station in Khunti.
A total of 1,079 preventive arrests of various local Opposition leaders and activists were made by police in Jamshedpur. JVM’s central secretary Abhay Singh who was arrested in Sakchi said, “Bandh called against the firing incidents in Barkagaon and Khunti, was a complete success. About 4,000 activists of various Opposition parties, including JVM, Congress, RJD, CPI and other left parties hit the streets to enforce the bandh in the steel city and it gave a strong message to the dictatorial rule unleashed by Chief Minister Raghubar Das.”
The bandh also evoked mixed response in Hazaribagh also where normal life remained halted in some parts on Monday.
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Bandh halts normal life in Jharkhand
As many as 327 protesters were arrested while they were trying to disrupt the traffic on NH-33 and NH-2. The bandh, however, got a good response at Barkagaon, Barhi and the coal belts of Hazaribagh district while at other places, very little or no effect was visible during the day.
Warning the State Government, Sahay called the current mobilization of opposition parties as second ‘ulgulaan’ (uprising) where the tribals and farmers have been fighting their last battle for their culture and land rights respectively.
“I can say that the people have kept their shops and business establishments closed on their own without any pressure from anybody. Khunti, Gola and Barkagaon firing-three incidents of firing in a row in just 55 days, is a history in itself where seven persons were killed and several others got injured. The State Government must get red alert from Sunday’s protest in Khunti else it will have to face the heat in the coming days,” said Sahay.
Babulal Marandi, on the other hand, said that Raghubar government was also taking lives of the poor along with their land, which was not acceptable.
“It is nothing but despotic attitude of the State Government where seven persons got killed within 55 days and dozens of people got injured in police firing. It is due to which people of this state took to the streets all over the State,” said former CM. The ongoing protest will go on till the current government of Raghubar Das was rooted out from state, he added.
In the wake of the confusion rife among the business class whether to open their shops or not, Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI) president Vinay Agrawal marched on the streets of Ranchi along with SSP Kuldeep Dwivedi appealing them to open their shops. They also ensured shopkeepers to extend all possible help to maintain peace during the bandh.
later in the evening, leader of all Opposition parties met Governor Droupadi Murmu and made her aware of the current scenario over the issue.