[Assam] Bandh, Government and the People - Sentinel editorial

[Ram Sarangapani]

I guess, this was a very successful bandh. Everyone came out on top -
well, except a few, students taking exams, day/hajira laborers,
businesses, the economy, the traders, schools, colleges, etc etc. But
we certainly don't have to worry about them, they don't really count.
The saviors of Assam have showered yet another blessing on Assam.

Don't know why the Sentinel is so uptight about the bandh. It ought to
have just enjoyed the day off - just like the rest of an almost mute
populace?

--Ram
___________________________________________________________
Bandh, Government and the People
ULFA has remained blind to the plight of scores of widows and orphans
whose lives are in a shambles just because they had to pay the price
of a 'revolution' now orchestrated from Bangladesh.
By a Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, April 4: The ULFA today called a 12-hour bandh in protest
against the handling of the wives of missing ULFA leaders by the State
police. The police had arrested the wives of the missing ULFA leaders,
who were on a fast-unto-death to know about the whereabouts of their
missing husbands, and confined them at the Guwahati Medical College
and Hospital in view of their deteriorating health conditions. All
these are 'atrocities' in the eyes of the ULFA. But the banned outfit,
as usual, has chosen to see and exploit situations of only one kind,
such as the case of the wives of missing rebels, and has remained
blind to the plight of scores of widows and orphans whose lives are in
a shambles just because they had to pay the price of a 'revolution'
now orchestrated from Bangladesh. So the outfit created a fear
psychosis in the minds of the general public by triggering blasts in
Guwahati and upper Asom in the run-up to today's bandh.
However, despite being aware of the fear factor that precedes and
marks every bandh called by the ULFA, the Tarun Gogoi government
remained a mute spectator to the making of that fear factor. It is as
if the government had no clue as to how the bandh effect could be
neutralized except for a mere circular.
It is a fact that banking plays a vital role in the movement of people
and their business. The government must have ensured that the banks
operated normally under full security cover, and that the bank
employees reached their respective offices under safe conditions. Did
the government talk with the bank authorities, assuring them of full
security cover during the bandh period, and then ask them to keep
their branches open for the public so that there would be at least
some movement of people, to begin with? That could have prompted the
rest of the people to also come out of their homes and go about their
business, thus defeating the very purpose of the bandh.
Did the government ever thought it necessary to talk with the Sadau
Asom Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) so as to ensure the presence of
government employees in their offices after having worked on a
convincing security arrangement? Not that we know of. The SAKP is not
an anti-national organization to support the ULFA's bandh call. A mere
circular, just for the sake of formality, directing that all
government offices and services throughout the State should function
normally during the bandh period is a big joke, given the attitude of
the people towards bandhs — as extended holidays. Does the government
think that such a circular can at all be effective in countering the
ULFA fear factor in the minds of the general public? What did the
government do to provide security to its own employees and arrange for
their safe transportation? Did the government even think of talking
with bus, autorickshaw and rickshaw associations so as to evolve a
mechanism to ensure normal movement of vehicles and people under full
security cover?
As a matter of fact, today, during the bandh period, the ministers and
bureaucrats must have been within the safe confines of the
Secretariat, working hard through the day, and should have relieved
the security personnel on VIP duty to provide security to ordinary
citizens.
As for the ULFA's so-called revolution, it is nothing but a
multi-crore business house operating from Bangladesh. It overlooks the
annexation of Asom — the outfit's actual homeland — by Bangladesh.
Therefore, as an outfit whose voice is not its own but that of the ISI
and Bangladeshi forces, the ULFA should not be under a wrong
impression that the people of the State are supporting its multi-crore
business house in the name of Asom's liberation. The fact remains that
people are just afraid of the ULFA, given the outfit's choice of soft
targets — even children — and the government's inability in providing
security to ordinary citizens.
What is the bottomline then? By not ensuring security to ordinary
citizens and a smooth functioning of banks and other establishments,
the government also contributed to the 'success' of today's bandh. It
is such bandhs that not only disrupt normal life but also lead to the
State's daily financial loss running into crores of rupees. Who is
going to compensate for all that? Then just think about the poor daily
wage-earners losing their meagre daily earnings during such bandhs.
Who will compensate for them? The government or the ULFA?
Meanwhile, when contacted, SAKP secretary Basav Kalita told The
Sentinel that the government's directive to the district
administration in regard to today's bandh did not make any sense. "The
government should provide transportation facility to the employees
coming from remote areas. Besides, security cover should be given at
the offices in remote areas during the bandh period," Kalita said,
adding that if the government does not take these initiatives, then
the directive to take action against those abstaining from office does
not make 'any sense'.
However, Chief Secretary PC Sarma told The Sentinel: "We have taken
all possible measures from our side. The Rhino buses were plying on
the road. We also asked the private bus associations to continue their
bus service during the bandh period." He also said the government
cannot force the banks, private institutions and other establishments
to remain open during the bandh period. He, however, said that enough
security was provided during the day.