By Dev Kotak. Photograph by Azad Shrivastav
The nationwide Bharat Bandh called for by Congress was to protest against and draw the currently ruling BJP government's attention to the spiraling fuel prices was a far cry from success as the agitation drew a lukewarm response in select pockets of South Mumbai. Certain areas, considered a Shiv Sena or MNS stronghold observed the bandh, fearing vandalism by party workers. Ensuring that traders and shop owners downed their shutters, the business class and small-time traders were not particularly happy about the situation. They hardly had any choice, but to comply out of fear.
MNS workers in Mumbai forcefully shut down shops and establishments at Bharatmata Junction Naka, Parel.
In Worli around Gopal Nagar and BDD chawl area the bandh was effectively followed as party workers on bikes asked open shops to shut down or bear the brunt. Cabs too stayed away from the roads and only appeared post 3:00 pm that too very few in number.
While for some it was business as usual who were hardly deterred by the bandh and sought quick business even with half shutters open.
Tushar Trivedi who runs a general provisions and snacks shop, came all the way from his home in Dahisar. With his half shutter open he asks customers to stay away and place their order from a distance not wanting to invite the wrath of workers.
“When I was in the train that time itself I received messages of shops in VP Road area being shut. People came to my shop this morning asking me to shut down,” he says.
The Congress, NCP, both communist parties, Samajwadi Party and Republican Party of India along with several other parties extended their support to ensure the success of the countrywide 'silent' protests. They were anything but silent.
As per statistics received from the Mumbai Police, 882 people were detained and released subsequently 6 persons were arrested and 08 cases registered in various police stations with no serious incidents reported.
MNS and Congress workers were detained in Mumbai and also for their rail roko (stop railways, halt trains) demonstrations at Dadar, Andheri and Wadala railway station and metro rail line between Ghatkopar-Andheri at DN Nagar metro station. Train services were briefly affected, but the track were cleared soon after to ensure smooth operations.
While most shop owners complied by keeping shut, one of them jokes saying “This is Sikka Nagar area and here even a shut down of one day can prove to be expensive for us. These are all Gujarati, Marwari and Kachhi traders and they mean business. Post 3 pm everything will open up.”
No one in the VP Road-CP Tank- Sikka Nagar stretch seemed to be really bothered. The protest drew a mixed response with vegetable vendors and fruit sellers open. Pharmacy stores too had been ordered to remain open and were kept out of the bandh's ambit.
A vegetable vendor is miffed with the forceful closures. He says “I am not worried by this. Whatever happens to others will happen to me as well. I sell essential items so cannot afford to stay shut. If the bandh was serious enough then the Vashi APMC market would have not remained open.”
A wedding card shop owner says that cooperating in times like these satisfies their ego as they feel that they are fighting for us, but all we are thinking of business.
The owner of a tailoring shop in Sadashiv Lane, Shah says, “Closing our shops in no way help bring down petrol and diesel prices so then what is the point of all this? People (petrol pump owners) who are selling fuel are not protesting or affected by it then why are we, who are not even this business being asked to incur losses. The pumps are open today. This logic hardly makes sense,” mocking the ineffective bandh.