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| Prolonged Jammu Bandh: losses coupled with gains | | | Gareeb Dass
Jammu | July 5
During the current prolonged phase of total shutdown in Jammu people suffered tribulations,pain,and wounded psyche.People had no other alternative but to remain indoors brooding.A large number of families had to bank on pulses.Children had to go without milk.Vegetarians felt upset when they could not buy vegetables of their choice.Mutton and chicken eaters felt upset because the shops were shut.Kids felt peeved when they could neither go to the schools nor could remain glued to the television for entertainment.Cable operators would immediately shut down the relay with prolonged power cuts.Those suffering from hypertension and diabetes failed to buy the required drugs.Those ailing could not visit the doctors in their clinics.
Those whose gas cylinder were exhausted suffered the most because the gas companies too had to keep their establishments closed.They could have afforded the luxury of switching on heaters in their kitchens for cooking food but power shutdown forced many to borrow cooking gas cylinders from their relations and neighbours.Indefinite curfew restrictions caused added woes to people.Many experienced the pangs of money shortage because they could not go to the banks for encashing their cheques.Those ekeing out their livelihood from working as labourers,masons and,carpenters were forced to borrow money from the contrctors with whom they were working.Those addicted to newspaper reading felt depressed when the vendors and hawkers too responded to the Bandh call.Roads and lanes remained littered with dirt and filth as safai karmacharis dared not to violate the Bandh call.
For all these days doctors were the worst losers alongwith those running diagnostic laboratories and X-ray clinics.Imagine the loss of those doctors who earn anything between Rs.2000 and Rs.5000 a day.Milk suppliers,including those who would bring milk in cans in their load carriers from the rural areas and,vegetable vendors also suffered heavy losses.Since there was no power available to them they could not store vegetables and milk in cold storages and deep freezers.Kids suffered because the icecream vendors too had joined the protest demonstrators in their campaign against the revocation of the land diversion order.Those who suffered mental agony were the boozers for whom the bars were shut and the liquor shops closed.And those who could drive,in their cars for sightseeing remained confined to their houses as the petrol pump owners too had to shut their fuel stations.Those who had the permission for keeping their stations open by the District Magistrate were not allowed to operate by the police.The number of morning and evening walkers dwindled as most of them were afraid of the erratic behaviour of the police.
If you count the benefits of the Bandh there are many.Imagine Jammu saved about 5000 litres of petrol and 10,000 litres of diesel a day.A big saving for the vehicle owners but a heavy loss to the owners of fuel stations, trucks , buses and matadors.The level of pollution in Jammu had been rising at a menacing speed.However,during the days of shutdown there was neither pollution of air nor that of noise.Roads and streets wore a deserted look.No car emission and no chimney fumes in the industrial estates.The atmosphere remained relaxed though tense because of violence.Women employees tiptoeing the city roads early morning for attending to their jobs with a frown on their face seemed to have enjoyed rest in their houses.Kids being dragged by the parents to the schools in the morning hours may have tasted rest and relaxation.One thing people could not understand.Why curfew restrictions had not been imposed in Kashmir which was rocked by violence ?Why such restrictions were imposed in Jammu just with the drop of the hat?Chief Minister,Ghulam Nabi Azad,has given an answer.He told a newsmen "I do not want people to get killed in Jammu." He said more than six people were killed in Kashmir where no curfew restrictions had been imposed.Does this show how much he loves people of Jammu? |
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