The nationwide bandh called by the NDA and Left parties over the recent fuel price hike disrupted normal life across India on Monday, but with the exception of Maharashtra and Rajasthan, its impact was felt mostly in states ruled by the NDA and Left parties.
As protesters damaged public and private property and stopped people going to work in cities and towns, the loss to the national economy amounted to thousands of crores. Assocham estimated the cost of Monday’s shutdown at Rs 10,000 crores, while CII said it was over Rs 3,000 crores. Economists noted that the worst hit by the agitation, professed to be on the aam aadmi’s behalf, were daily wage-earners and small traders, whose entire day’s livelihood was destroyed.
Over 250 trains were cancelled and over 300 others disrupted in many areas, including all traffic through West Bengal and parts of eastern India and Uttar Pradesh. Many flights were affected too: not a single one could operate to or from Kolkata, while Mumbai airport wore a deserted look. Over 30 flights were also cancelled at Delhi airport, mostly due to disruptions elsewhere.
As bandh supporters went on the rampage, some buses were set ablaze in Mumbai, private cars attacked and commuters harassed. Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan called it “sheer goondaism”, while the Opposition said it was a “wake-up call for the government”.
BJP, JD(U) and Left leaders held protests and courted arrest in different cities. In New Delhi, some shops were forcibly closed by bandh supporters at Connaught Place and posh Khan Market, while market areas in Chandni Chowk (the hub of protests) and a few places in Janakpuri, Uttam Nagar and Moti Nagar were shut. Delhi Metro services were affected too for some time at stations like Rajiv Chowk, Karol Bagh and Patel Nagar.