Itanagar: Normal life in East Siang district was totally paralysed on Friday as a 12-hour bandh was called by the All Bogong Students’ Union (ABSU).
The bandh was called to protest against the union’s failure to meet its many demands, one of which was renaming two educational institutions after state’s prominent personalities.
All business establishments, schools, and banks were closed during the bandh, and public transport was completely off the roads. Government offices also witnessed thin attendance as citizens adhered to the strike. But emergency services such as healthcare and police were exempted from the bandh restrictions.
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In spite of the general disruption, the bandh was largely peaceful. The only reported incident was a clash between protesters and administrative personnel in Berung. No cases of violence or property damage were reported.
The ABSU had earlier submitted a memorandum in January to the East Siang Deputy Commissioner, requesting that the GNM School and the Government Polytechnic Institute be renamed after Tagoli Jamoh and Kuttik Moyong, respectively.
The union also requested the incorporation of members from the Bogong Banggo Kebang (BBK) into the District Land Allotment Committee and in the management of three newly constructed urban development buildings at Pasighat market.
In response, the Deputy Commissioner, in a letter dated February 5, directed the union to go and see the local MLA, since the district administration cannot take a decision on the matter. The response, however, did not satisfy the ABSU, and thus the bandh as a protest.
