12 People Injured In Bihar During Yesterday's Anti-Quota Bharat Bandh, Know The Updates

Just a week after the nation saw a country-wide protest by Dalits against the Supreme Court’s dilution of the SC/ST Act which resulted in violence and death of at least nine people, a Bharat Bandh was called on Tuesday to protest against caste-based reservations in education and jobs. Supporters of the strike, mostly from upper castes, blocked roads and railway tracks and forced markets to shut down in nearly half-a-dozen districts.

The Union Home Minister issued a statement which said that adequate security measures were taken by the government to ensure that no violence takes place. The bandh was not endorsed by any known or big outfit.

Little-known groups, such as Sarv Samaj from Rajasthan have also issued statements calling for the bandh. Special security measures have been put in places like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh. These are the states where violence erupted during the April 2 Dalit protest. The Bandh failed to reach traction in southern states, west and north-east India, officials said.

Response to the anti-quota bandh

According to The Indian Express, reports say that over a dozen people have been injured in clashes between Bharat bandh supporters and pro-reservation groups in Bihar.

In Madhya Pradesh, the bandh evoked partial response while some shops were closed in Bhopal. Schools were open but they shut their bus services. The authorities announced a daytime curfew in Morena and Bhind, besides enforcing prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in Gwalior, Bhopal, Sagar and some other sensitive towns of the state to avoid any untoward incidents.

In Rajasthan, the internet was suspended from Monday 10 PM to Tuesday 10 PM to prevent any untoward incident. “Karni Sena has not called for a bandh but we are not responsible if any individual decides to act on his own,” said Mahipal Singh Makrana, state president, Shree Rajput Karni Sena, reported The Indian Express. Internet services were blocked in Uttar Pradesh as well.

The earlier Dalit protest

Massive protests on April 2 rocked the whole nation. As per reports, at least nine persons lost their lives and many others were injured in the violence ensued from protests at different parts of the country against the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding changes in Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribes Atrocities Act. Trains were blocked in several places, public properties were vandalised and at some places, violent clashes between the police and the protestors were reported.

In some places, public and private transports were suspended and schools and colleges remained shut.

From states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab curtailed communication, blocking of transport services including trains and incidents of vandalism were reported. Many protesters, including both men and women, thronged the roads with some even carrying swords, sticks, baseball bats and flags, forcing the establishments to shut down. Clashes between the police and the protesters, shootings etc were reported from various places.

According to reports, six people were killed in the cross firing in Madhya Pradesh, whereas two people in Uttar Pradesh and one person in Rajasthan died. Curfew was imposed at several places.