Why Buddha is against bandhs

In 2008, West Bengal has seen five state-wide bandhs, of them three called by the Left 8212; the Forward Bloc, the Left Front and the CPIM8217;s labour wing CITU. If the Forward Bloc called a bandh in the wake of the police firing on its supporters in Dinhata, the CPIM announced a bandh to protest against the arrest of its Hooghly leader Suhrid Dutta in the Tapasi Mallik murder case of Singur, while there have been several bandhs on the fuel price hike.

Each bandh has paralysed city life. Vehicular transport went off roads, train services were severely disrupted, shops downed shutters all through the day and even public offices registered poor attendance. Each bandh, there were calls for keeping Information Technology 8212; the sunrise sector 8212; out. But during each bandh the functioning of these 24X7 service providers has been affected.

The ripple effect of such bandhs has been quite remarkable, with cancellation of foreign business delegations arriving in the city. There have been instances where Kolkata has been dropped off from the itinerary of business delegates.

In 2006, there were around five bandhs in West Bengal, with at least three being scheduled in December 2006. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had to suffer the ignominy of seeing US Ambassador David Mulford leave the city on November 30 to avoid the first bandh on December 1. This was followed by the news that a high-level Romanian trade team had cancelled its December 6, 2006, programme.

The recurring bandhs take a heavy toll on the state8217;s economy. According to estimates of the chambers of commerce, the state suffers a loss of around Rs 10,000 crore on each bandh it observes.

The Calcutta High Court has in the past expressed helplessness in executing its own orders for the lack of an administrative machinery. In July 2004, for instance, a division bench of former acting chief justice A Roy and Justice A K Mitra said 8220;the judiciary is impotent as far as bandh is concerned and the court has no administrative authority to take action against bandh supporters8221;.

In June 5, 2002, a division bench also observed while disposing of a similar petition that the court could pass an order banning the bandh but it was the duty of the administration to execute it. Hearing a PIL, a division bench presided over by former chief justice A K Mathur observed that the 8220;court is helpless8221; in tackling a bandh. 8220;The courts can do little,8221; Justice Mathur said, 8220;if members of political parties are not conscientious enough about the consequences for ordinary people during a bandh8221;.