By Jenniefer Dkhar
The unexpected announcement of a 36 hour bandh in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills Districts created chaos and pandemonium on the streets and in the hearts and minds of the people as they were caught unawares. We have been warned of agitations to be intensified once the school and college examinations were over but none were really prepared to be dumped with this hegemonic call of public closure so soon and that too for two consecutive days. It became almost impossible to move around the town especially the roads that led to Iewduh and Police Bazar. The scenario at Iewduh was clearly chaotic. All were trying their best to reach their destinations as soon as possible and stock victuals for the 36 hr house arrest that has been imposed on us by those who claim to be fighting for our cause.
The call for a bandh at the drop of a hat and holding at ransom the state and its people is no less than a show of strength and might of the pro-ILP groups. We seem to surrender and make ourselves vulnerable by staying indoors while at the same time we tend to grumble amongst ourselves over this insidious agitation that has resulted in us being forcefully kept indoors. While some were unhappy that such agitations are disrupting the festive season that is just round the corner still others were annoyed about the bandh called at a time when the schools and colleges are to be declaring their final and selection results. However we were given a respite when the groups decided to shorten their bandh call from 36 hours to 12 hours. A sigh of relief indeed! But the question is who has benefitted from the 12 hour bandh? The groups may be elated with pride to the thought that they are a conscientious lot as they have paid heed to the requests of the church and others to reconsider their 36 hour bandh and had therefore shortened it to only 12 hours. Very well and thank you very much! But again let me remind one and all that there are no gainers but certainly only losers in the 12 hour unasked holiday. The state exchequer lost revenue, the daily wage labourers lost a day of their livelihood; the students lost their peace of mind over the delay of their results, or let us just say that one and all experienced a certain amount of loss in one form or the other.
As reported in the news daily, more than two dozen marriage celebrations would have been affected and disrupted by the bandh. Thankfully those exchanging vows and holding any kind of celebration on the 11th were saved from harassment and tension. But come to think of those who had theirs on the 10th. It was indeed a day of great agony, mental stress, anxiety and heartburn. Certainly for them it was a test of patience because all that they could do was to wait and watch. For the groups to simply say that tying of balloons on vehicles would imply that they are celebrating an auspicious occasion seems simplistic indeed. But is that really simple? Perhaps they need to step into the shoes of the harassed lot to understand the nerve-wracking and nail-biting feeling caused by no fault of theirs.
Yet at the same time, it gives me a feeling of happiness and immense pleasure to see that in some parts of the town like the civil hospital there were a few vendors who opened their little corners catering to the inmates and the attendants of the hospital as well as to a few who took a stroll. In fact the city may have worn a deserted look with the shutters down but there were people taking a stroll on the road walking freely and naturally bereft of any noise and smoke pollution. Nonetheless the fact of the matter remains that the bandh did bring about a halt to various movement and activities of the people.
Isn’t it ironic that the very people who are working towards the protection of our security and identity are the same people who are creating fear, insecurity and a prohibition to the very same people? What was evident on every ones faces was fret and fume. At least a few, I met wore a face of tiredness and anxiety. They really want nothing less than a little peace of mind. To a certain extent they no longer want these unasked and unwarranted holidays. Whether it is the office goers or anybody they are simply dejected over the state of affairs. On the one side there are the agitating groups who are not taking anything less than the Inner Line Permit while on the other side there is the state government which just waiting and watching. Sandwiched between the two are the common persons like you and me. The question that each one needs to ask is who will listen to our voices? Does either of the two have the remotest idea as to what exactly do WE THE PEOPLE want? Well certainly at the moment all that we want is a break from this menace that has created havoc in our lives for more than three months now. Besides everything else that is feared is a further loss in every aspect of life that the agitation will bring for the people and the state. If it happens it will only take us to peril and doom.
Yet again I am forced to ask the pro-ILP groups to find better legal and democratic ways to put their demands across. I would like to suggest and pray to the callers of the bandh to ponder and weigh the pros and cons that come along with bandhs in the future as it does affect the lives of all. Spare the people from all the chaos and confusion which leaves them high and dry. In fact it is not only the state government but also the centre that has made it very clear that bringing the Inner Line Permit into force is out of the question. According to the centre there is no way by which any state in the country could work towards implementing one as it is unconstitutional. As lay people we look forward towards a happy, peaceful and prosperous life. Are we asking for too much?