Ranchi/Jamshedpur, May 2: Bollywood and folk songs seemed to be more powerful than Maoist bandh in rebel hub Simdega today, as the first day of the 48-hour bandh called by the CPI(Maoist) from midnight across Jharkhand, Bengal and Bihar proved.
Called by Maoists to protest what they termed the Centre's anti-labour policies as well as to demand a price revision of kendu leaf and other forest produce, the bandh had no impact this evening at the 25,000-seater Albert Ekka Stadium, Simdega district headquarters, where the Ramrekhadham Mahotsav is on, till 7pm when the report was filed.
According to district public relations officer S.N. Baraik, the crowds this evening were set to fill the stadium.
Singers Malini Awasthi and Puja Chatterjee were to perform late in the evening with local artistes," SP Rajeev Ranjan Singth said.
Elsewhere, so far the bandh was peaceful amid heavy police and paramilitary patrolling, especially across highways and railway tracks.
The state's urban pockets were unaffected. But, movement of long-distance buses and trucks on highways was held up.
Interstate and intercity buses, which started last night before the bandh commenced reached their destinations this morning. But, Jharkhand Bus Owners' Association president Krishna Mohan Singh said long-distance buses would not run this evening.
"Those who booked seats in advance will either be refunded or get the choice to book their seats some other day," Singh said. Echoing this, Jamshedpur Bus Owners' Association president Ram Uday Pratap Singh said: "Passengers, especially those from outside, are facing immense problems, but we are helpless.
Passengers were also circumspect. A senior official of BSNL, who works in Ranchi, but had gone to Bokaro over the weekend to visit his family there, remained stranded in the steel town. "Today I did not get a Ranchi-bound bus in Bokaro and my family did not allow me to drive on a bandh day," he said.
Train services were peaceful till this report was filed, except for the recovery of a bomb near railway tracks in West Singhbhum (see box). "Trains are running smoothly on time. So far, no cancellation or diversion has occurred due to the Maoist bandh," said Ranchi rail division senior DCM Neeraj Kumar.
| BOMB DEFUSED |
| CRPF personnel recovered a 20kg can bomb from near railway tracks in Kiriburu, West Singhbhum, 140km from Jamshedpur, on Monday morning. Jawans of CRPF 197th battalion found the improvised explosive device (IED) from Topari village in Karampada block at 8am during patrolling. It was defused immediately. Confirming the incident, West Singhbhum SP Michael Raj added that except for the IED, no untoward incident was reported from the district. |
In suburban pockets and villages, most shops and business outfits were shut.
Industrial hubs Chandil and Chowka in Seraikela-Kharsawan were partially closed. East Singhbhum rural SP M. Arshi said they had intensified patrolling on rebel hubs and were providing escorts to commercial vehicles.
In Giridih, despite yesterday's fierce Maoist encounter with the police near Parasnath hills, bandh day was peaceful, confirmed SP Akhilesh B. Varier, but said combing operations were on.
Latehar SP Anoop Birtharay admitted the bandh paralysed normal life in the sensitive Upper Shankh-Koel area.
But in Simdega, culture took precedence over fear yesterday too, SP Singh stressed.
"Even last night, knowing that the bandh would be clamped at midnight, people enjoyed the ongoing Ramrekhadham Mahotsav at the stadium," SP Singh said.
