The Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian leftist parties have announced 12 hours (6:00am to 6:00pm) Bharat bandh on 5th July, 2010 which is a big India Strike today to protest against recent price hike of the petroleum products by the UPA government. The strike is much disrupted to Indian people’s life.
During the 1998, the Supreme Court of India had banned Bandhs back, however political parties still organize them. Still all Bandhs although being illegal are carried out which proves how weak is our judiciary system and politicians are not abiding highest court orders. Why Supreme Court failed to punish them? Despite all this the Bandh continues to plague our day to day lives. And today it is badly going to affect normal life in many cities. Is this right way to protest by disrupting the common man’s life? What will happen to poor daily wages workers and people who depend upon daily business or workforce? Will the Bandh decrease the price rise?
Opposition parties prepared for an all-India strike tomorrow on the issue of high fuel and food prices, with the working head of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, L K Advani, claiming after a meeting of its leaders that “this may be the first time in the history of India’s politics that almost all political parties will participate in the Bharat Bandh”.
Advani credited NDA convenor and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav with bringing together non-NDA political parties for the strike. Though the Left parties have given a call for a ‘Bharat bandh’ separately on Monday, RJD, SP, LJP and some smaller parties will not be part of the strike.
Governments run by the ruling party prepared to ensure the bandh did not prevent anyone who wanted to work from reaching their offices. In Maharashtra, the Congress-led state government promised to make arrangements for overnight stay of workers in their offices on Sunday night, including offering to arrange food and bedding.
All important public places, including railway stations, airports and bus stands, would be provided police protection, they said, adding protection would be provided to running buses, if necessary. The government had warned of severe action against those who attempt to disrupt normal life.
The Union government also refused to countenance any reversal of the recent increase in fuel prices. “No question of roll back,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters on the sidelines of an Assocham function in Kolkata, when asked if the government could review its June 25 decision.
Yadav gave figures of prices of petrol in different countries to argue that its cost in India was very high. He claimed that the cost of petrol was only Rs 16.50 but after several taxes, it was sold for Rs 53.05.
Emergency services will not be disrupted during the strike. Advani appealed to all NDA members participating in the strike to ensure that it was conducted peacefully.
Rising petroleum products prices are proving to be the most unfair tax, this is very affected to the poor and the middle-class patrons. Already, the common man is feeling the pinch, be it in the high price of food commodities, transport, or other basic necessities.
”We are protesting against the UPA Government’s decision to deregularise fuel prices. The bandh has been called for the people, so that they can register their protest against the government,” said a Delhi BJP leader.
Advani said the increase in the price could not have come at a worse time. “Food inflation is approximately 18 per cent, a whopping rate by international standards. The Government’s assurances of controlling prices are increasingly sounding like a cruel joke. Knowing full well the cascading effect of fuel price hikes on all commodities, the Government, which claims it has the best economists of the country running the system, showed utter contempt for the concerns of the aam admi, in whose name it sought votes just one year ago.”
The NDA charged that decontrolling prices at this stage would leave ordinary people at the mercy of international oil refiners.”When global crude prices are soft, it defies logic why the Government of India is bent on burdening people repeatedly by hiking retail prices,” it said.
The Petroleum Ministry released advertisements in newspapers to send a message that the ‘Bharat bandh in not a solution’. It said the government will have to ‘bear a financial burden of Rs.53,000 crore’ even after the price increase, and added that 80 percent of the country’s crude oil requirements was met through imports.
In India, Bandhs or Strikes are a general weapon used by the political parties to express their protests against policies mostly levied by the Government. Even though these bandhs are supposed to be voluntary, but with the kind of shocking impact the political parties impose, people are forced to take part in these strikes. The Bandhs not only lead to paralyzing of normal life, but also force people to stay at home. Schools, Shops and offices are forced to close and the transports are put off the roads and life comes to a halt.
People who are in need of emergency medical attention get affected the most. If they die who would be held responsible for the mishap? Only some cases get media attention while so many cases go unnoticed.
Due to this strike, the offices and schools are forced to close and it is resulting in loss of work and studies. With paralyzing work for the day it seems for them bandhs are more important than work. At that time political parties will not compensate the financial loss that the people of India will incur in one day. They do not think about economic loss, which happens on a huge level because again the common man- the taxpayer will pay the amount and suffice for the loss.
Protesters motivated by these political parties destroy public properties; uproot railway lines, burn buses and destroying shops. One question that arises is that why are they destroying public property and what will they get from this? How easy it is to ignite other people’s properties? But who will be the one to get affected when rails and buses stop to ply?
The Left parties said the “Bharat Bandh” should serve as a warning to the government not to heap burden on the people like decontrolling petrol price. In the statement, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau appealed to all sections of the people to join the bandh and make it a big success.
In a joint appeal, the four Left parties said they along with other secular democratic parties and opposition have called for the country-wide hartal to fight against the menace of price rise and government’s “inaction” to tackle the issue.
In Delhi, IGI Airport and New Delhi Railway Station are not affected by the bandh call. However, autos and buses are not plying on the road. The Left parties will block the ITO after 11 AM. In Andhra Pradesh, BJP and TDP are spearheading the strike. Over 1,200 buses are off the road in the state, while four buses were vandalised by the protesters.
Violent incidents were reported from Maharashtra. Shiv Sainiks have gone on a rampage in several parts of the state. At least 15 buses were vandalised in Pune. For the first time in six years, the bandh looked total in Karnataka. Bangalore is worst-affected. All buses and autos stay off the road.
I am not saying that the common man should not protest. But all such means of protest will not at all affect the government. The protest should to be more selective and bear some positive results. Moreover, for whom are we observing all India close, for those lazy people who would enjoy a day off than to resolve issues of social interest.
If the politicians are so worried, why don’t they go on a hunger strike, that will also force the government to reconsider the decision but it will not be at the loss to people of India. Political parties no matter whatever ideologies they follow, their main duty is to work for the welfare of this nation & its people.
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