N-E bandh hits life in 5 states

In Guwahati, the gateway to the region, all educational institutions, business establishments and banks remained closed, while attendance was thin in government offices.

The picture was not very different in the rest of the state, in which the banned NDFB and ULFA have killed at least 43 people since Saturday. The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), a major constituent of NESO, had supported the bandh today to protest against this spurt in violence, as well as to press for the withdrawal of the Act. Flights from Guwahati airport were rescheduled, while trains left only after the bandh was over. AASU advisor and NESO chairman Samujjal Bhattacharya said the bandh was total and peaceful.

The bandh also affected life in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur, while reports from Tripura said there was very little impact in that state.

In Manipur, reports said markets, shops, business establishments remained closed. Attendance in government offices was ‘almost nil’ in spite of the government’s order that strict disciplinary action would be initiated against employees absent today, the reports said.

In Arunachal Pradesh, where Assembly elections are due on October 13, the bandh affected poll campaigns of various political parties. In Nagaland, the Naga Students’ Federation has called for a separate bandh on Friday to register a protest against the October 2 twin blasts in Dimapur, which had claimed at least 36 lives.