Editorial

The ongoing 72 Hour Assam Bandh has paralyzed the life in Assam. Bandh- A word meaning closed is now a part of the English Dictionary due to its widespread use in the name of protest by various organizations involved politically by someway or the other. Though Supreme Court has banned bandh and had made bandhs illegal, it is not followed or enforced by Government when a bandh is called in any state or the whole nation. Bandh is termed peaceful if there had not been any violence but has left common man suffering from its ill effects. It is being said that Bandhs and Rains in Assam cannot be predicted easily. They often come at a very short notice. Bandh disrupts normal life and affects millions of people. Most of us are self employed who earn their wages on daily basis. Very few people in society have permanent job who can absorb the shock of One day’s “Bandha”. Even professionals are paid on hourly & daily basis these days. They are not employed, rather hired. Think about the people on street e.g. Auto Rikshaw Driver, Rikshaw Puller, Tea Vendor, Cigarette vendor etc, the list is endless. They have to go literally without any earning on the day of Bandha. They too have family members & dependents to feed. In fact in today’s date we are struggling to survive. The age has come that we have to buy even water to drink.

Bandh is a destructive way to protest. I think people who like to protest shall try some creative ways to protest. If you are not so creative, search the internet and you will find lots of creative ideas. Government should also enforce the law and adhere to Supreme Court ruling at any cost. Everyone should be educated on the loss of time and money to the nation and to the public as a result when a bandh is called for. It’s usually lack of knowledge which leads people to do such acts.

Hoping that Bandh Culture ends soon enough.

Signing Off

Pramathesh Borkotoky
Executive Editor,
Fried Eye

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