Minimum of essentials on a bandh day 
An isolated street in Kolkata
Where are the passengers?
Crows feeding on heaps of uncollected garbage
A rickshaw puller plying for his livelihoodStrikes for whatever reasons happen throughout the world.These
strikes do not necessarily paralyze the economy in such a scale as witnessed in India because unless these strikes are accompanied by violence, the country do not close shops. The country has to thrive. Its citizens have to eat.They are by all means, peaceful strikes.
I have been reading and following the news items about India. I find it interesting that a once obscure nation more known for its street beggars is now one of the top countries in the world . I find it interesting because of its political culture.
Bandh. The philosophy of a bandh. I just thought to pen down a thing about the implications of the bandhs that seem to be so commonly happening in India. What do the organizers of such bandhs hope to achieve? Bandhs are not solutions . Bandhs can aggravate an existing problem. Bandhs can stall an act. It cannot stop a decision .
What I read lately is a raise in the price of petrol and cooking gas .To be in tune with the world economy, the government says the decision is inevitable . The common man is intelligent enough to understand that the repercussion of such an increase is an increase in prices of everything. Except the salaries and wages of the workers who are the major taxpayers.
We all have witnessed the steady increase in prices of almost everything. It happens everywhere because 'everywhere' are countries living under the roof of one world. Life goes on. Better for some . Worst for the most. Nothing is inevitable . But nothing can be more worst to the lives of the common man than a decision which would have been taken at stages is now taken as a drastic measure.This can be avoided if those people representing them in the government would have exercised wisdom to take decisions in the interests of the common man rather than the vote banks. In times especially close to elections , decisions were stalled. An increase of Rs 1 in stages won't hurt but an increase of Rs 5 to cover up the deficit will certainly hit.
This government, the Congress, deserves the kudos because it has shown that it has what it takes to run a government although in all probability , this price increase will turn out into a major electoral plank. I read the next general elections is close at hand.The Prime Minister calls for austerity measures and conservation of energy. The government is all out educating the people why a decision was taken. By so doing, it had proven that the interests of the country comes first.
The organizers of such bandhs are a selfish lot whose only concern is to make a loud noise with an intent to keep people's minds that " Hey, here we are. We still exist. Our flag still flies. Our party is in contention for the elections.Listen to us,now." What they do not care is the economic losses the country entails nor the fact that many poor families go hungry during these days. These are dog days but a majority wouldn't even understand what dog days are. They wouldn't understand the need to save for tomorrow because they have to survive today.
That the rights of each citizen for information on government decisions are to be respected and guaranteed becomes the responsibility of their elected representatives. A democracy as large as India is run with a government by its people. It is for the people and not by a few whose major interest is to win an election by fanning on the emotions of a people and mint money under the guise of a man for the masses. Of course the masses is the most important because the masses become the tool for minting money. Don't we know all these tactics? Haven't we learned them?
Politicians, organizers of these bandhs, can you hear? Do you see? I'm sure not because for in these these few moments , they have consciously become deaf and blind. Most are probably counting their fingers inside their pockets dreaming of the fortune they could make in exchange for the hunger of others. Still few are those who belong to their own leagues, decent and sincere. The rule? In a society, the majority rules. Unfortunately.
The people of India is no longer intimidated by outsiders. Its people is no longer intimidated by its own politicians who promise the heavens and the earth but not full stomachs. Its people is its strenght and that is what India is today. A global power to reckon with.
And these bandhs ? Clearly, there are no winners.
