Protesters hold black balloons during the Bharat Bandh against the new citizenship matrix in Ranchi on Wednesday. (PTI)
A sit-in against the CAA, NRC and NPR in Dhanbad on Wednesday. (Gautam Dey)
The dawn-to-dusk Bharat Bandh called on Wednesday by the Bahujan Kranti Morcha against the new citizenship matrix evoked lukewarm response in state capital Ranchi, and the state’s industrial and coal capitals Jamshedpur and Dhanbad.
Kolhan in-charge of Bahujan Kranti Morcha (an offshoot of the All India Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation) Navin Murmu said their aim simply highlight the ills of the CAA and NRC not only for minorities but for all communities.
Most schools were closed due to Saraswati Puja. But institutes of higher educational, offices and most shops remained open in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad. Traffic was normal, again except a few pockets, where autos and buses did not ply.
In Dhanbad, some parts including Nayabazar and Bhuli were affected for brief periods due to roadblocks at Azad Nagar and Nayabazar. A separate group of protesters started an indefinite satyagraha at Dhanbad’s Nayabad area from Wednesday. The Wasseypur dharna, on since January 2, reached its 27th day.
Ranchi saw one roadblock at Irwa on NH-33, Ormanjhi police station area, and another at Pithoria Chowk on Ranchi-Patratu Road under Pithoria police station by protesters, and suspension of bus services from Birsa Munda Bus Terminal at Kantatoli.
Ormanjhi OC Shyam Kishore Mahto said the roadblock in his area with around 200 bandh supporters was on for an hour from 10.30am. “It was symbolic,” he said. Pithoria OC Vinod Ram echoed Mahto. “The roadblock at Pithoria Chowk lasted for 30 minutes from 11.30am. Around 300 bandh supporters assembled at the roundabout. Traffic became normal soon,” he said.
Lower Bazar OC Satish Kumar said only Kantatoli locality felt a major impact of the bandh. “Not only was the bus service was stopped, autos stayed off the road and shops remained closed in Kantatoli. But everything was peaceful.”
Bariatu OC Sapan Kumar Mahatha pointed out that he filed an FIR against some protesters. “Section 144 was enforced in city area but despite that around 300 people took out a procession against CAA and NRC from Bariatu hills. So, an FIR was filed against protesters for violating prohibitory orders,” the OC said.
On the bandh, the secretary of Muslim social outfit Edar-e-Sharia, which was among those that had extended its support to the bandh, said the bandh was against “the black laws”. “The bandh was only a reflection of public opinion against the new laws,” secretary Maulana Qutubuddin Rizwi said.
In Jamshedpur, public transport was affected in minority-dominated areas Azadnagar (in Mango), Dhatkidih (in Bistupur) and pockets of Jugsalai.
Shyam Kinkar Jha, the general secretary of Sikshit Berozgar Tempo Chalak Sanchalak Sangh, an outfit representing over 20,000 auto-rickshaws plying on city roads, said most Muslim auto drivers did not bring out their vehicles on the road.
Sanjay Pandey, general secretary of the Jamshedpur mini-bus operators association, said except Azadnagar, buses plied normally.
Both the Jamshedpur city SP Subhash Chandra Jat and SDO Chandan Kumar said the bandh was “peaceful, with no report of disturbance”. “We deployed security both along the highway (NH-33) and city roads. However, no incident of trouble was reported. No arrest was made,” Jat said.