Calling for Bharath Bandh or Mangaluru Bandh – Will it Serve any Purpose other than Huge Loses?
Mangaluru: While calling for “Bharath Bandh” or “State Bandh” or “Mangaluru Bandh”, seems like our politicians and Union organizations leaders are affected with this disease. While an MLC has decided to go on a One-Day Hunger strike on 8 January, and on the other hand, a Youth Congress leader has called for Mangaluru Bandh on 9 January – all for ONE issue pertaining to ONE Bank? Does it make any sense? I don’t think so, as many of you. Staging a hunger strike or calling for a Bandh is nothing but a political publicity stunt and just a Nataka. I am wondering even if these two leaders have an account at Vijaya bank? So having a Bharath Bandh on 8 and 9, and Mangaluru Bandh on 9th- Every businessman is having a TWO DAYS OFF- Time to take a quick vacation to a nearby foreign destination, either Dubai or Thailand? Calling for a Bandh- What nonsense!
Let’s get to the point. Okay, Vijaya Bank a locally born bank is in the issue now, being merged with Gujarat-based Bank of Baroda, which during a press meet held by Mithun Rai, president, District Youth Congress on 6 January said, “The Union Govt has snatched our own Vijaya Bank and merged it with the Gujarat-based bank which is running under a huge loss. Nalin Kumar MP has surrendered our district to Narendra Modi. We strongly believe that MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has played a major role in the merger of Vijaya Bank. Obeying the Gujarath lobby, he is trying to get good marks from Narendra Modi. At any cost, we have to retain Vijaya bank which is our existence and pride. On January 9, we are requesting to people of the city to participate in the bandh”.
Okay well said by this Youth Congress leader- but how many of these leaders who have called for Bandh have really an account at Vijaya Bank? I bet not many. And how many citizens of Mangaluru have an account at Vijaya Bank? Not all Mangaloreans. Then why there should be a Mangaluru Bandh and Why should Mangaloreans support this Bandh? This issue is only regarding ONE bank and should be dealt in a different way through other means and not call for Mangaluru Bandh, which will affect the life of a daily wage worker and also result in huge loses in business and trade. Are our politicians hooked on stupidity or what? We have seen bandh and what not in the past- but the result of such Bandhs have shown no positive results other than losses.
Now added to Mangaluru Bandh, there has been a call given for ‘Bharat Bandh’ by various labour organizations demanding their pending issues, on January 8 and 9, which will result in more loses. Sources reveal that Auto Drivers Union of Dakshina Kannada district, Organization of Unorganized Labourers and many other organizations have come forward to support the bandh. But city bus and private bus owners have decided to stay away from the Bandh, and run as usual. But the kind of risky though- if a few buses get stoned, then the buses will stop plying too. Even the Dakshina Kannada Street Vendors Association will participate in the strike, who are demanding implementation of The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014.
Udupi District Pensioners Association also is supporting this Bandh, which is demanding minimum monthly pension of Rs 6,000 along with applicable dearness allowance. Even the association of bank employees supporting the bandh call, there are chances of bank operations being affected, putting customers in inconveniences. It is also learnt that District Auto Rickshaw Drivers Association, CPM, Communist Party of India, Motor Transport and Engineering Workers Union, Dakshina Kannada district DYFI, Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha, Joint Committee of Trade Unions, All India Janavadi Women’s Organization, and Karnataka State Pensioners Union, All India Beedi Federation (CITU) are also supporting the Bandh call.
Are all these organizations and leaders proud of their decision to close India and Mangaluru for TWO days, thereby putting the citizens, hard-working people, and businessmen/traders in hardship? Does it make any sense, when bandhs/strikes/hunger strikes in the past have shown no results at all, rather than a waste of time and huge money loss? And for the fact, even when Supreme Court has issued orders not to call for any Bandh, then what good is to have a Supreme Court and their ruling, when people give a damn about it.
But even if the Bandh is going to be a Success-what will anyone Accomplish? NOTHING. The perspective behind the ‘Bandh’ will be totally lost, it will look like it is just used to showcase the political strength of parties/Trade Unions in India. Now, who will benefit from this bandh? Bale Watis Parka! Mainly bars, who will make a brisk business, also pubs packed with students and youngsters saying “cheers” to the bandh, which will serve booze illegally. Who will not benefit from this bandh? The government will lose crores in revenues; businesses will lose the day’s profits; daily-wage workers/labourers and their families will suffer due to the loss of one-day wages; farmers also will suffer huge losses; etc etc; We always tend to evaluate the success by the immediate material gain, and that is not our fault but our minds are shaped in that direction. After this ‘Bandh’, many Indians will be still disappointed because the next day they still have to pay for their commodities/fuel with no price difference. This obviously makes them say that this ‘Bandh’ was sheer useless. So then why even call for Bandhs when it doesn’t even serve the purpose.
The first person to suffer due to this ‘Bandh’ will be the daily wage worker, he/she will lose one-day wages, and some workers will keep hungry for three days in Mangaluru. Even travelers who want to reach their respective destinations will be stranded in bus-stands and other places and cursing the people behind this bandh. This will be democracy as its worst, where people will be stranded like anything without normalcy in the country. While the citizens are going to be taken for a ride, I don’t know what our government is doing by allowing parties to issue bandh calls which is disrupting everything. Don’t our law enforcement authorities follow the rules of Supreme Court, not to allow bandhs.
One funny thing is that, just because the shops and other establishments decide to close during the ‘Bandh’, doesn’t mean that they really supported the bandh- they just don’t want to face any untoward incidents. All this bandh is a political nataka- where a few party/Union leaders along with their party members try to stage a protest/dharna during the Bandh, raise some slogans against the government, and get wide publicity in the media, that’s it!.
Other than calling for Bandhs or the funny way of Hunger Strike, there are many other ways to protest against the government decisions/wrong-doings, but we restore to the easiest and most lunatic way of doing so. If you see other developed countries nowhere you will such kind of bandh carried out. By committing to the most idiotic way of protest, “Bandh” we are not only jeopardizing the normal life but also creating chaos. We should restrain from getting influenced by such moves and use our common sense and exercise the best way out to make the government realize its mistake. Period!
What we need to see is have government/systems become people friendly like in other nations. I think ‘Bandhs’ are not the solution to solve issues, instead of transparency and reasoning/justification that we should be asking for. We should ask for why the government is taking such decisions and help the government with alternate solutions in case the government is unable to look for an appropriate solution. But this 2-day Bharath Bandh including Mangaluru Bandh’ will not solve any issues or problems. Trust me! Vijaya Bank will still be merged with Baroda Bank- It is Union govt decision, and they won’t back out just because of a few hunger strikes or few Bandhs. And for that matter, many Mangaloreans will not care even, when they don’t have an account at Vijaya Bank. This is a single Bank issue, why even include the whole community and make them suffer by calling a Bandh. Bah humbug. The bottom line is ‘Bandhs’ will flame inflation for sure and will increase income disparity-making poor poorer. All I have to say is that “Bandh” is useless, waste of time and energy, huge losses and disruptions to normal life. I bet many of you will agree with me. What do you have to say?
