"Even when we come out during a bandh call by the AASU, the boys rough us up midway and throw away all our stuff. I hope there are no bandhs because we cannot even afford to buy 1 kg of rice," - Joonmoni Bora, a vegetable vendor from Jokai (could be Jokiasuk)
_______________ Bandhs a bane for daily-wage earners >From our Reporter DIBRUGARH, Sept 6: Bandhs have become the order of the day in Assam. With every organization under the sun calling for a bandh at the drop of a hat, it has become a common practice. On an average, at least three Assam bandhs are declared every month by various students and youth bodies as well as other socio-political organizations. To start with, September 1 witnessed a bandh called by the Lok Jagarn Manch to protest against the killing of RSS worker Sukleswar Medhi by militants in Nalbari on August 30 last. Two more bandhs are in the offing. On September 8, the ULFA has declared a 12-hour Assam bandh to register its protest against the death of 'Major' Robin Handique, founder-member of the ULFA, who, the banned organization claims, died of slow poisoning. The Assam Sangrami Chak Shramik Sangha (ASCSS) has called for a bandh in the tea gardens of Assam on September 29. Interestingly, on the pre-bandh day, the wine shops as well as the video parlours — which rent out CDs — do brisk business. Their sale jump up. However, everybody suffers due to bandhs — be it the salaried class, the students or the business community. A survey in Dibrugarh revealed that the worst sufferers are the daily-wage workers. They are always at the receiving end. This segment of people depend primarily on their day-to-day earnings to keep the home fires burning. Be it the vegetable vendors, the cobblers, the cart pullers or the rickshaw puller — this underprivileged section of society is bruised and at their tethers end whenever a bandh is declared. For Dipak Shah of Amolapatty, Dibrugarh, a bandh means a double loss. Vegetables worth Rs 50 get spoilt and he suffers a loss of Rs 50 (per day). Dipak brings the vegetables daily from Bogibeel. Bandh means nightmarish times for Joy Dey of Shantipara. He suffers a loss of Rs 200 to Rs 300 if there is a bandh. Joy buys vegetables from the wholesale market and also from the villagers. Joonmoni Bora, an unemployed graduate from Jokai, says that if the bandh call is given during the month-end (when people do not go in for brisk buying) he suffers a loss of Rs 80 (approximately) per day. However, if the bandh call is given in the beginning of the month, I suffer a huge loss." Joonmoni sells vegetables grown in his own backyard. "Even when we come out during a bandh call by the AASU, the boys rough us up midway and throw away all our stuff. I hope there are no bandhs because we cannot even afford to buy 1 kg of rice," he rued. Though Joonmoni is unmarried, he has to look after his parents and sisters. For Ranjit Sonowal, again of Jokai, it is rainy day sometimes. But, usually, he does good business by selling vegetables. Ranjit says, "An Assam bandh leaves my pocket thinner by Rs 400." The Ranjits an the Joonmonis sell vegetables grown in their own gardens. Be it rickshawpuller Mogal Jadu, cartpuller Dhanoy Jadu or cobbler Santosh Ram (all from Bihar), whenever there is an Assam bandh, they suffer losses of Rs 50 to 100 per day at an average. And, sometimes, they do not even earn a penny. Especially, the cartpullers. They all say in unison that bandh is the last nail in the coffin for the poor. As a frustrated rickshawwallah in Thana Chariali summed up, "Bandh or no bandh, it is always the poor who suffers." _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
