Bandh call against amendments

NEW DELHI: Normal life was affected in several states across the country in the wake of the Bharat bandh call given by some organisations against the recent amendments to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Here are the developments from few states:Most private schools and petrol pumps in Madhya Pradesh remained closed on Thursday, while markets and business establishments in parts of the state were shut in view of a bandh call. Police said the bandh has been observed in a peaceful manner with no reports of violence or clashes, so far. The state government has imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 in all the districts of the state as a precautionary measure.According to Brahma Samagam Sawarna Jankalyan Sangathan's national president Dharmendra Sharma, the bandh is effective in almost the entire state, especially Katni, Vidisha, Sehore, Dewas, Indore, Gwalior, Jhabua, Chhattarpur, Mandsaur, Sagar, Ujjain and other cities.Six policemen were injured in Uttar Pradesh during the bandh called by some upper-caste groups, but life remained largely normal across the state. Reports from districts across the state said life was by-and-large normal despite the bandh call, officials said here. Some bandh supporters had heated talks with another BJP MLA, Anand Swarup Shukla from Ballia Sadar, who refused to back them. Ballia Superintendent of Police Sriparna Ganguly said some people resorted to brick-batting in which six policemen were injured.However, normal life was affected in Agra . Shops in main markets remained shut and agitators in several parts of the city blocked traffic. The administration has deployed additional security forces to prevent any untoward incidents.Noida also witnessed protests where people, including representatives of some social and industry bodies, handed over a memorandum of their demands to district magistrate. The march began from the Noida Stadium with protesters chanting slogans. The march culminated at the camp office of the district magistrate amid beefed up security in the area.Normal life was hit in various parts of Bihar on Thursday and train services were briefly affected in the state capital and Rajgir town in view of the bandh. The bandh supporters staged a demonstration in front of the BJP state headquarters at Birchand Patel Marg raising slogans against the "betrayal by the very party we have been voting for."Shops and commercial establishments largely remained closed in most parts of Patna, but banks and government offices functioned normally. Many private schools, though, declared a holiday in view of the difficulties students and teachers were likely to face while travelling. The shutdown had a strong impact in Muzaffarpur, where bandh supporters blocked various points inside the town, besides the national highways running along.Bandh-related disturbances were reported from various parts of Bhagalpur, Nawada, Bhojpur and Sheohar districts as well.The call for 'Bharat bandh' evoked a good response in Rajasthan where many shops and business establishments, schools and other educational institutions remained closed on Thursday. The police said no untoward incident has been reported in the state so far.Shops were shut in Jaipur, Karauli, Pratapgarh, Udaipur, Pali, Nagaur and other districts. Schools too remained closed in view of the bandh.Meanwhile, members of Samta Andolan Samiti, an organisation which campaigns for changes in the caste-based reservation system, alleged 'suppressive action' by the state government as the police detained their leaders.Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had removed the strict provision of mandatory arrests under the Act. This decision had triggered nationwide protests by Scheduled Castes organisations, forcing the Centre to bring an amendment to the Act during the Monsoon session to overrule the SC order.The Gwalior-Chambal region in Madhya Pradesh had witnessed a large-scale violence on 2 April this year during the 'Bharat bandh' called by Dalit groups. Now, the upper caste organisations are staging protests against the amendments to the Act.Organisations that have joined the protest include Akhil Bhartiya Kshtriya Mahasabha, Rashtriya Brahmin Mahasabha, Garib Sena, Karn Rajpoot Samaj, Rajputana Youth Brigade, Anarakshit Samaj Party, and dozens of other groups.(With agency inputs)