By IANS
Ranchi : Statewide shutdowns frequently called by the Maoists and political parties have made it difficult for weddings to take place in Jharkhand.
Some political parties and tribal organisations in the state called a shutdown Monday to protest the violence against tribals in Assam. Several marriages were scheduled on the day and hosts found it difficult to arrange for vehicles to bring guests to the venues.
“We had put up a poster on our vehicle stating there was a marriage in the family but the strike supporters did not allow us to move. We could not attend the wedding,” said Satish Kumar, a resident of Ratu in Ranchi.
Ravi Pandey, another resident whose brother was married Monday, said: “We found it difficult to decorate the vehicle of the bridegroom. We managed to arrange some flowers only.”
In the last 10 days, Jharkhand has witnessed four shutdowns. The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) called a two-day shutdown Nov 19-20 to protest the violence in West Bengal’s Nandigram.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party had called a shutdown on Nov 22 to protest the killing of the party’s Ranchi Mahanagar Scheduled Tribes cell president Anand Kashyap.
Long distance buses did not ply and railway services were affected. The shutdown crippled life in the state. Passengers remained stranded at railway stations.
“I could not attend the wedding of my brother. I remained stranded at Dhanbad and could not reach the wedding venue on time,” rued Sabita Khare.
The worst affected were the families of the bride and the groom. “It was indeed difficult to purchase vegetables and meat as all shops were closed,” said Gaurav Singh, whose daughter was married Monday.
After the creation of Jharkhand in 2000, the state has witnessed more than 130 shutdowns — 40 called by the Maoists alone. According to an estimate, the state suffers a loss of around Rs.600 million per day due to shutdowns.
Even the businessmen are now calling for shutdowns in Jharkhand. In August, the Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries called one to protest rising crimes against them and removal of anomalies in Value Added Tax (VAT).
“We do not support shutdowns. Since the inception of Jharkhand as a separate state, shutdowns have become the order of the day. Political parties and different organisations should seriously think over the issue,” said Kawaljeet Singh, a businessman.