Constable on patrolling said “people are fed up of sitting home; this long lock down was the biggest Bandh of their life forever. Somehow people chose to resume their work, we did not see any activities related to Bandh”. Extra police force of up to 600 constables and nine platoons of SRPF have been deployed in the city. “Forcible closure of establishments will not be allowed. Action will be taken,” police said. Key farmers and trade unions in the state held demonstrations at district and tehsil headquarters for a very short time. People’s movements, women’s groups and student associations took part too but not for a long time.
Buses and trains were running as usual, shops and restaurants were open and nothing was closed or stalled in support of Bharat Bandh. There are few places like APMC market that was closed to support the Bharat Bandh for farmers but still fruit and vegetable supply to the city was not much impacted. Buses, autos and taxis were working. Smaller taxi and rickshaw unions, though, joined the strike but transport was not affected in the city. Retail shops and banks remained open. Members of the key union, the Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation, supported the bandh by wearing badges and holding morchas and demonstrations but they were working. Transporters’ unions were on strike, but supplies of essentials were not squeezed.
Sangita Rasal, working women and mother said, “Schools are closed, local trains are closed, many things are already closed what more one need to witness the Bandh, government has made s follow Bandh for six long months during lockdown, now people have no interested in following these bandh, but that does not mean they don’t support farmers.”
Banks were functional, most retail shops were open. “If any individual wants to keep a bandh, it’s their call,” but the biggest crisis for common man is survival, they can’t afford to waste a day” said Dilip Redij, a Mumbai based fabrication work contractor.
