Itanagar, Sep 24 Normal life was disrupted in Arunachal Pradesh’s capital Itanagar on Thursday, as the All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) enforced a 12-hour bandh over the government’s alleged failure to act on its key education-related demands.
The dawn-to-dusk bandh brought most commercial activities to a standstill here, with shops, markets and business establishments remaining closed, officials said.
The ANSU demands include action on 56 identified schools in seven Nyishi-inhabited districts, early commencement of the Government Engineering College at Toru in Papum Pare, and establishment of a school catering to children with special needs at Pakke-Kessang district.
Attendance in government offices was also thin, while traffic movement was severely affected as bandh supporters stopped vehicles at several locations. Emergency services were, however, kept outside the purview of the shutdown, the officials said.
The Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) administration had declared the bandh unlawful, but ANSU went ahead with the shutdown despite the warning, they said.
ANSU representatives had held a meeting with State Home Minister Mama Natung and Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona on Wednesday. However, the talks remained unfruitful, following which it proceeded with its bandh call on Thursday.
ICR SP Jummar Basar said the bandh was largely peaceful, barring a few stray incidents in which a vehicle and a scooter were allegedly set on fire by bandh enforcers at Itanagar and Naharlagun during the early hours.
He said police personnel escorted passengers to the Donyi Polo Airport at Hollongi, and assisted officials of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) and the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB) to ensure their safe movement.
Heavy deployment of police and security personnel was made at key locations across the capital city to maintain law and order, and prevent untoward incidents, the SP said.
Meanwhile, ANSU president Ashok Doka told reporters after the bandh that the union would observe a 48-hour “democratic shutdown” across Arunachal Pradesh from September 28 if the state government failed to respond to its demands.
(PTI News)
