RailEnquiry

GUWAHATI/AGARTALA/AIZAWL: The two-day BharatBandh called by 11 trade unions evoked mixed response in the northeast on the first day on Wednesday. While life was affected in Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya and Assam, the strike failed to have any impact in Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.Tripura was the worst hit where the strike paralyzed life and the ruling Left Front extending its support. Markets, government offices, railway, banks and insurance sectors were affected. Vehicles stayed off the roads and educational institutes were also closed.The bandh was partial in Guwahati with public transport off the roads and some educational institutions closed. Private vehicles plied and commercial establishments in the city opened after much hesitation.Though flights were not affected, train services were disrupted for about an hour when bandh supporters blocked tracks at Guwahati railway station in the morning. The protesters climbed on to the engines of trains, waved flags and raised slogans against the state and Centre.

"The bandh had minor impact on the running of the trains. Protesters blocked tracks in Guwahati and some small stations. Other than this, train operation was not hampered," said S Hajong, chief public relations officer of Northeast Frontier Railways.

"Students couldn't attend their respective classes. Since we are conducting exams at the higher secondary level, candidates had to reach the venue no matter what," said Niroda Devi, the principal of Cotton College. The students who had to appear for the exams were the most affected in Guwahati as they faced problems in reaching their respective exam venues.

In Meghalaya and Manipur, too, life was affected with commercial establishments and educational institutions remaining closed. Public transport system was paralyzed and attendance in government offices was thin.

There was no impact of the bandh in Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh where all government offices and educational institutions were closed for Statehood Day celebrations. Shops and business houses were open and traffic flow was normal in Aizawl and Itanagar.

In poll-bound Nagaland, the bandh had no impact with people engaged in campaigning for the February 23 assembly election.

Barring the tea gardens, the bandh was total in the Barak Valley. Silchar and other towns were shut, but work in tea gardens was as usual. In Upper Assam, the bandh evoked mixed response. Though shops were closed and public transport was paralyzed, private vehicles were seen on roads.

In Kokrajhar, the strike evoked total response. All business establishments, markets and government offices remained closed in the town. The bandh also cripples life in Gossaigaon, Dotma, Serfanguri, Kachugaon, Salakati, Fakiragram, Patgaon in Kokrajhar and Basugaon, Kajalgaon, Bengtol, Runikhata, Bijni and Gurubhasa.

The national highway wore a deserted look in lower Assam and there were reports of trains being stopped at different stations of West Bengal and Assam.

CITU said the strike would continue on Thursday to press for a 10-point charter of demands of the central trade unions. It, however, pointed out that thousands of labourers will participate in the strike. Slamming the UPA government for its anti-people policies, CITU said it will launch an extensive agitation to fulfil the demands.