12-hr bandh in five South Orissa districts affects normal life

Normal life was on Monday affected during a dawn-to-dusk bandh in five south Orissa districts called by some Left parties and tribal organizations in protest against the communal violence in Kandhamal district.

This bandh call was given in Kandhamal, Gajapati, Rayagada, Ganjam and Koraput districts of south Orissa by CPI-ML (New Democracy), CPI-ML (Liberation), CPI-ML (Kanu Sanyal), SUCI and Samajwadi Jana Parishad . Tribal organization Lok Sangram Manch LSM) supported this Bandh call. Activists of these organizations also held protest demonstrations in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack.

Vehicles went off the road and shops remained closed in Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Koraput districts during the bandh. The state-owned Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) cancelled all long-distance buses from Berhampur while private bus owners kept their vehicles off the road. Shops and business establishments were closed in Raikia, Daringibadi, Kotagada, Tumudibandh, Nuagaon, Tikabali and Udaygiri areas of Kandhamal.

Activists disrupted train movement Khurda road and Berhampore for two hours in the morning through blockades near Rambha and Khalikote in Ganjam district. At least 26 bandh supporters were detained at Rambha in Ganjam while resorting the railway services. Roads were blocked near Aska and Bhanjanagar. In Gnajm district the effect of the bandh was more evident in Sorada, Dharkote, Sanakhemundi and Shergarh blocks. The protesters took out a rally in Berhampur shjouting slogans for communal amity and demanding action against communal forces.

In Kandhamal district vehicular traffic was affected throughout the district but effect of the bandh was more apparent in Daringbadi, Raikia, Brahmanigaon areas. At Daringbadi a tussle occurred between the CRPF personnel and the supporters of the bandh. The CRPF personnel resorted to lathicharge. In the afternoon a public meeting was held organized at Daringbadi which was attended by the state secretary of LSM, Kusanath Pradhan and leader of CPI(ML)-New Democracy, Akhil Pradhan.

In Koraput district banch affected day to day life in Narayanpatna, Bandhugaon and Laxmipur blocks. The road transportation between Korpaut and Parvatipuram of Andhra Pradesh was disrupted.

Road blockades and other other impacts of the bandh was observed in Gudari, Gunupur, Padmapur, Ramnaguda, Bisamkatak, MUniguda areas of Rayagada district.

In Gajapati district tress were cut at some places to block roads. Vehicles ramined off road throughout the district.

These organizations’ demands including action against organisations instigating violence in Kandhamal in the aftermath of killing of Laxamananda Saraswati and security to the riot victims.