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Bandh disrupts life in Orissa

M I Khan in Bhubaneswar

Normal life in Orissa Friday was partially affected by the bandh call given by the Utkal Sammilani to demand the reintegration of two formerly princely states of Sareikala and Kharasuan with the state.

Barring the ruling Biju Janata Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party, all political parties supported the bandh call.

The bandh evoked a good response in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, where all business establishments remained closed.

A large majority of educational institutions also remain closed. The roads were deserted, while attendance in state government offices was poor.

Central Government offices, however, worked normally.

In Bhubaneswar, local buses ran their normal schedule, though autos and taxis stayed off the roads.

All long-distance Orissa Road Transport Corporation services were, however, suspended. The bandh affected train services too.

State home department sources said about 1000 people were arrested in coastal Orissa districts.

Home Secretary T K Mishra told rediff.com that except one or two minor incidents of stone pelting, the bandh passed off peacefully.

The state government, which is sympathetic to the Utkal Sammilani's cause, did a tough balancing act - on one side urging people to defy the bandh, and on the other making it amply clear that it supports the demand for reintegration of the two ex-princely states with Orissa.

Police arrested several opposition leaders - prominent among them being expelled BJD leader Bijay Mahapatra, Janata Dal (S) state unit chief, Ashok Das and CPI and CPM leaders Abani Boral and Shivaji Patnaik.

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