Jharkhand shutdown evokes mixed response, traffic hit by road blockades in several districts

Ranchi: A statewide shutdown called on Wednesday by activists of the separate Jharkhand movement for pensions for agitators, jobs for dependents, among several other demands, evoked a mixed response across the state.

Protesters blocked roads and disrupted traffic in districts such as Palamu, Giridih, and Bokaro, while normal life remained largely unaffected in several urban centres, including the state capital Ranchi.

The bandh had a relatively stronger impact in Medininagar of Palamu , where agitators carrying bows, arrows and other traditional weapons took to the streets and blocked the busy Redma Chowk.

Several protesters sat on the road as a mark of protest, causing long queues of vehicles on both sides. The blockade inconvenienced school children, commuters, and long-distance travellers.

In Giridih, activists blocked the Giridih-Dumri main road near the old toll plaza at Paparwatand and raised slogans while sitting on the roadway. The blockade was later lifted following talks with the police.

In Bokaro, protesters staged a road blockade at the ITI Mor area in Chas, disrupting the movement of local as well as goods-carrying vehicles for some time.

The impact of the shutdown was hardly visible in Ranchi. Protesters briefly disrupted traffic near Albert Ekka Chowk in the morning, but the situation returned to normal after police and administrative officials intervened.

The agitators later staged a sit-in at the nearby CPI office premises. Most markets in Ranchi remained open, while buses and autorickshaws continued to operate normally.

Reports from Chatra and Garhwa indicated disruptions in the movement of buses and heavy commercial vehicles. In some parts of Ramgarh and Dhanbad, protesters appealed to traders to support the bandh, while local transportation was affected at some locations.

The most impacted by the bandh were the long-distance bus services. Some services operating from Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Dhanbad and Hazaribagh to Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and various districts within Jharkhand were affected. They remained off roads largely as a precautionary measure.

However, train services on major railway routes remained normal. Autorickshaws and e-rickshaws continued to operate in most towns and cities, although traffic congestion at key highway intersections caused temporary disruptions.

Leaders of the agitation, including Pushkar Mahto and former MP Bhuvneshwar Prasad Mehta, said that several demands of Jharkhand movement activists remain unresolved even 26 years after the formation of the state.

They warned that if the government fails to take a decision on their demands soon, an indefinite hunger strike would be launched across the state from November 15, the Jharkhand Foundation Day.

IANS