Bandhisthan

In the late nineties I had the opportunity of popping in and out of Calcutta a few times. Once it was to buy Permytherin. This was an insecticide that we at the Nav Jivan Hospital Community Health programme used to dip mosquito nets in - and which was then only available in Calcutta - and that too only sold to walk-in customers.

Well, walk I did one day.

Bandhs are not only found in our country - here are some security forces during a bandh in Nepal

Because I happened to be in the great city when the ruling Marxists called a general strike. A bandh. A shut-down of everything. The ruling Marxists who had been democratically elected decreed that all should shut down. The famed 'Writers Block' (the administrative HQ of West Bengal) was duly padlocked. And their local CPM neighbourhood committees set up chairs in order to man vigilance points on every other block - to make sure no vehicles passed. And no vehicle passed.

I walked. Amazing to go through the streets of the great grey city on foot. A holiday of sorts. The office that I wanted remained partly open so I was able to slip in and out and get the work done. But it took me about 9 kms of walking to do so.

Tomorrow the scene will be repeated in Kolkotta (as that huge metropolis has been rechristened) since the Leftist parties have called for a 'Bandh' to protest the rise in petroleum prices. Strangely, they are being joined by most of the opposition parties, including those of the Hindu right - not only the relatively centrist BJP, but also surprise surprise our local cousins - the Shiv Sena and their estranged offshoot - the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. This means that Mumbai will be shut tomorrow. With happy friends like these - who show no compulsion to beat up, smash and ransack anyone / shop / vehicle that dares go about 'business as usual' it is unlikely that many will venture out tomorrow.

As an Indian it irks me no end when a 'bandh' is called. Whoever the 'sponsor' of such a call is always uses force to enforce their call. I have yet to see any 'bandh' where everyone shuts shop because they agree with whatever is being demanded. Most of the time it is out of fear - and the fear is real. Any party worth its salt has what are called 'activists.' These are agents of the party who roam around - often on motorcycles - making sure that things are like they want them to be. If they find shops open - or cars moving about, well, then stones and sticks are wielded to make sure that the bandh is obeyed.

It is stupid to even say this, but in this game of bandhs the poor are always the losers. A middle class person can spend the bandh day sitting at home and watching TV - or go out to play cricket on the street after 2 PM. But a poor man who has to work to eat - who needs his daily wages - is not going to get it. Period. And all because some so-called leader wants to be able to parade before TV cameras and announce that the bandh has been 'a great success' 'a spontaneous act of the people' etc.

Some states are worse off than others. Besides the political parties - many states have the Naxalites who are also quick to call a bandh. Two days before Sheba and I were to marry, a bandh was called in Southern Bihar to press for a seperate state of Jharkhand to be carved out. That was the day my parents, brother and I had to drive down to Orissa for my marriage - so we took the hospital jeep and drove. A number of road blocks hindered us - but the jeep's 4 wheel drive was put to good use and aided by our skilled driver Elias we managed to drive around them. At one point a local politician and his men stopped us. I explained that I was off to get married. He asked for proof. I gave him a wedding invitation. We drove on. Needless to say Mr.-Local-Politician didn't show up at the celebration that we had the next day in Rourkela.

In the north-eastern part of our dear land, we do not have the bandh formula of political parties + naxalites. Instead, we have political parties + a huge number of 'undergrounds.' These tribal/insurgent factions are vying for control - Manipur alone is said to have 45 different 'under-ground movements' going on. And when one of them calls a bandh people obey. Bullets have been used to enforce them. Not satisfied with one bandh at a time - when I was there in the mid 1990s we even experienced an 'Eclipse Week' where some of the outfits declared that the whole week will be a bandh.

Do we have anyone speaking up against this? Of course there will be the odd OpEd piece in the paper tomorrow. Thank God for small mercies. One of our friends - Shantanu Dutta has just posted a short commentary too. But the long and short of it is that we have no mechanism to boot out the bandh-wallahs. They have people who will beat normal people up. We do not have protection to go about our life as we should normally be allowed to do.

So along with most of my country-folk, I will grimace and try and get through tomorrow. As an organisation Jeevan Sahara Kendra will remain open. HIV/AIDS doesn't go away on Bandh days - and we will tell anyone who threatens us that we are a 'hospital.' Our family case managers will not use public transport, but rather do their morning visits on foot to nearby homes. In the afternoon we will go ahead with a planned staff training session on health education and behaviour change.

We have the luxury of doing this. We are not facing daily wage issues. For many it will be another hit in the family financial solar plexus. Some will borrow a little more - or take a little more on credit from the local shopkeeper. Others will go hungry. Some will spend what they have in the bar (which I will wager will not shut down for the bandh).

Welcome to Bandhisthan. It seems that we are due to live in this form of our country for some time yet at least. We hope this condition will not remain forever.