Patna Unlivable; Protestors Hijack Entire City
Patna: March 17, 2008
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Patna Unlivable
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Photo by Shashi Uttam |
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Monday was one of those days when getting out of the bed simply did not pay. If there was any leftist outfit in Bihar, it was on the streets of Patna protesting, and consequently disrupting the normal life, to press for their own unique demands while being herded by leaders with too much political clout without any responsibility.
From Ashok Rajpath to Kargil Chowk to Dak Bungalow Crossing to Hartali Chowk to Station roundabout to Income Tax roundabout to Hartali Chowk - if there was a place to shout slogans and block traffic - the protestors under various banners took the entire city hostage making it impossible for non-political entities to move without being stuck in traffic for hours.
With the familiar Communist red flags covering the entire state capital, Monday was a day that reminded people why they were sick of Bihar and why there was a massive exodus to other states.
Communist Party of India (CPI-ML) activists, temporary teachers' union, ungazetted state employees, Anganbari Employees Union, Bihar State Dai-Naukar Sangh, Nationalist Congress Party, Musafirkhana Shop-owners Association, and at least a dozen more obscure unions representing various interest groups brought the city to its knees leaving the mere mortals wishing for a complete ban on such disruptive means of government arm-twisting.
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