Partial response in Bangla Bandh, 4000 arrested

Kolkata, Oct 9: The 12-hour West Bengal bandh, called by the Trinamool Congress against acquisition of farm land by Tata Motors, only partially affected normal life while no major incident of violence was reported.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said more than 4,000 bandh supporters were arrested throughout the state for obstructing vehicular movement and squatting on railway tracks.

The bandh call was given by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in protest against acquisition of famland for the Tata Motors' small car project at Singur in Hooghly district. While a section of the state Congress leadership extended support to the bandh, the SUCI and the CPI(ML) Liberation gave separate calls for bandh on the same issue.

Most of the shops, markets and business establishments remained closed, while vehicles plied in lesser numbers as people decided not to venture out.

However, a strong fleet of government buses plied in the city, even though most private operators went off the roads. As the day progressed, transport in the city became even scarce and streets wore a deserted look.

The suburban train services from Sealdah and Howrah station were seriously affected because of obstruction of railway tracks.However, air services to and from Netaji Subhash Chandra International Airport and movement of metro railway were normal.

The situation was normal in the minority dominated areas like Garden Reach, Metiabruz and Chitpore as people were shopping for the coming Eid festival.

While attendance in Government offices was less than the average, normal functioning was reported from the state's industrial belts and the tea gardens in North Bengal.

Normal functioning was also reported from the IT sector in Salt Lake city's sector five where offices of a number of multinational companies are located.

Describing the bandh as a total success, Trinamool Congress General Secretary Mukul Roy said it reflected the people's spontaneous support to the cause the party was fighting for. He alleged that the Government had tried to foil the bandh by force.

Left Front Chairman Biman Bose said the bandh had evoked mixed response, but the situation was normal in industries even though the Trinamool congress was trying to scuttle the process of industrialisation in the state.

In stray incidents, a railway cabinman and a bus driver were kidnapped by bandh supporters at Rishra and Hooghly respectively.

Two Trinamool workers were injured as police resorted to lathi charge to quell violent agitationists who set afire to two Government buses at Nabazar.

Police also resorted to lathi-charge after Youth Congress supporters staged demosntrations and put up a blockade on Howrah bridge.

Eds: here pick up suitably from earlier series.

UNI