Offices shut, roads deserted, markets closed as Bharat Bandh hits life in Odisha

Vehicular movement came to a halt with the supporters of the Bharat Bandh blocking highways and major roads, and staging demonstrations holding placards and banners.Train services were also affected as activists of farmers organisations, trade unions and political parties held sit-ins on railway tracks in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bhadrak and Balasore, leaving passengers stranded for long hours.

Normal life was disrupted in Odisha on Tuesday as Congress and Left supporters blocked roads and railway tracks along with trade unionists to enforce the nationwide shutdown, called by farmers' unions seeking repeal of three new farm laws. Vehicular movement came to a halt with the supporters of the 'Bharat Bandh' blocking highways and major roads, and staging demonstrations holding placards and banners.

Train services were also affected as activists of farmers' organisations, trade unions and political parties held sit-ins on railway tracks in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bhadrak and Balasore, leaving passengers stranded for long hours. The shutdown was largely peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the state, a senior police officer said.

Around 500 protesters, including 200 in the state capital, courted arrest and were held in preventive detention while staging demonstrations in different places, the officer said. Describing the bandh as a ''complete success'' in Odisha, CPI state secretary Asish Kanungo said the shutdown, backed by many organisations including Left parties and Congress, evoked spontaneous response from all sections of people.

In the state capital, movement of vehicles was disrupted as the bandh supporters blocked roads by burning tyres at different places, including Master Canteen Square, Rajmahal square and Jaydev Vihar. They also picketed on the tracks at Bhubaneswar railway station. While a large number of passengers were seen stranded at Baramunda bus terminus in Bhubaneswar, many trucks and buses were stranded on the highway near Jaydev Square. The movements of auto-rickshaws and taxis were also hit.

Vehicular movement was also hit in Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak, Sundargarh, Bhawanipatna, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda and Puri. Activists of Nabanirman Krushak Sanghathan staged demonstrations in Jagatsinghpur and Hansapal near Bhubaneswar.

While essential services were kept out of the purview of the shutdown, markets, shopping malls and petrol pumps remained shut in most places. The state government offices remained closed in view of the shutdown. However, essential services provided by the government remained functional, official sources said.

The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has rescheduled General Studies Paper I and II of the State Civil Services, Main examination, which was scheduled to be held during the day, to January 2. Dubbing the new farm laws brought by the BJP-led government as ''anti-farmer'', CPI leader Narayan Reddy said, these should be repealed to safeguard the interests of the farming community of the country.

Meanwhile, BJP state unit president Samir Mohanty hit out at the Congress and other parties, accusing them of ''misleading'' farmers and ''creating hurdles'' in the development of the farming community. Listing a number of measures taken by the Narendra Modi government for the benefit of farmers, he said, ''middlemen are up in arms against the new farm laws as the Centre has made them powerless and freed the farmers from their clutches''.

State Congress president Niranjan Patnaik said, both the BJP and the ruling BJD in Odisha are working against the interests of farmers. The BJD said, the regional party has all along been working for the welfare and empowerment of farmers.

''Our stand is very clear, we are with the farmers,'' senior BJD leader and state minister Padmanabha Behera said. The BJD, which has always demanded doubling of Minimum Support Prices (MSP) as suggested by the Swaminathan Committee, will always work for safeguarding the interests of farmers, said party MP Sasmit Patra.