Bandh and its Metaphors

A strange sense of euphoria was on display, by some of the political groups who felt that a Bharat Bandh was the most potent method to confront the government on the issue of the increase in the prices of Petroleum products. The hike certainly would have an impact on the prices of the essential commodities that will add to the existing woes of the common masses, who are already reeling under the vagaries of price rise.

So a series of cover stories were splashed in various newspapers and TV channels vied for very comprehensive coverage of a bandh which went on to be projected as a new national festival. So a panoramic view of various political parties, their supporters and cheer leaders on the TV screens tried to provide some 'succor' to the famished masses of India. The daily wagers got some space to narrate their ordeal, while the air travelers lamented the lack of governance and order, whilst seeking to emerge as a responsible power in the international order.

The bandh got translated into a 'national festival' foisted by the anger of the opposition, alleged indifference of the state, growing civic unrest, rising gulf between the rich and the poor and poor management of the nation’s economy. It was debated on the lines of having witnessed a carnival akin to the soccer world cup mania that had gripped many Indian fans eagerly remaining awake all through the midnight to watch their favorite teams and icons in action. The bandh not only witnessed governance going for a toss in some regions, but resulted in the issue concerning law and order being treated like a ball that was repeatedly tossed around by various actors in the political arena.

With disruption of train services, trucks and buses off the roads, educational establishments and markets shut down, life came to a stand still in various parts of the country in order to register a protest against the hike in fuel prices. While the response to this bandh varied from state to state, the most striking point which turned into an appetizer for many media channels were the 'similarities' in the impact of the strike called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Left parties in the states governed by them. Hence a scenario of an alleged political alignment of the Left and Right captured the attention of many analysts, pontificating on the utility and futility of such hypothetical political ideas.

The barometer for this bandh was being defined by more visuals of desolate road, empty market places, students not being able to go to their schools and colleges, anguished faces of daily wagers outside offices, malls, multiplexes and other places across India.

These developments were complemented by another set of visuals highlighting the challenges to governance in the nation. A chain of incidents ranging from the para military personals getting ambushed and passenger trains being derailed by naxalites, khap panchayats giving diktats against lovers opting for inter-caste unions and same gotra marriages to angry mobs in Jammu and Kashmir pelting stones to express their outrage over killing of protestors also competed to capture the attention of the aam admi.

A nation at the cusp of a new economic order, seeking a long awaited recognition in the comity of nations as a responsible regional power can ill afford to let signs of disorder linger and has to ensure adherence to the norms of good governance and an adequate space for the civil society to tackle the tremors emanating from within.