Bandh: YES or NO

The NO Argument

A day of lethargy, ultimately, this is what a Bandh day turns out to be, to most of the common people. Added to this is the stagnancy of business, at all strata- Starting from the monopolies, to the lay man working for day wage... Disruption in normal activities, to protest against something which wouldn't even be corrected by this act of 'protest'. Also, if observed well, it is again being manipulated by the politicians as a political gimmick.

How many of us really care about the Bandh and it's significance, if it has any? Don't most of us greet it as a day of respite; a sudden sober holiday;Isn't this the way most of us contemplate a bandh? So, with such a mindset of people around, does calling a nation-wide bandh do anything?

What is the purpose of calling a bandh?
It is supposed to unite all the affected people, and take up their causes to tell their government what is right and, what is wrong... But, unfortunately the ones who really care about this are few,most others use it to their advantage, while the rest stay numb! So, do we need a nation-wide bandh?!

The YES Argument

Government is an embodiment of the collective decisions made by people, to serve the people's interests.  Ideally, the actions of the Government must be under the vigil and control of its entities: People; But, in today's system the Governmemt has grown bigger than the it's entities and has obtained a supreme image, instead of being reachable to its people. When it has grown so big, and is trying to push policies which are anti-people, there is little that the masses can do to express their disconent. They need their appeals to be heard, if not more such atrocities will be pushed down their throats.

If voting once in five years is the only chance of opinion for the people, then what about the duration of the term of Government and its wrongdoings against its people during the term. People can't wait for five years to show their discontent against the government. If the term of the government is not prone to 'performance based sustenance', then people need a channel to show their united opinions on the policies served to them. If such a platform is not provided, a bandh is what people would opt for, although reluctantly,for, it affects their day's life and it is about their day's survival. People risk a day's wage to express their anguish, hoping for some empathetic retraction of the policies.

To be effective, Bandhs or protests must be organized by people, and shouldn't be called by opposition parties, because if given a chance, the opposition would also do the same, unless they are empathetic about the people at a principle level.

If people have to make their voices heard to the government, by stalling their lives, and consequently the country, then SO BE IT! The governemnt should have it's people and their interests as its prime concern for all policies and rules it frames, as that by definition is what they are there for....