CHANDIGARH: Life virtually came to a standstill in most parts Of Punjab March 16 as the state observed a near-total bandh in response to a call given by six Panthic organizations in protest against the installation of a Congress government in the state.

In Ludhiana, the BJP unit had given a separately for a bandh in Protest against the March 14 killings.

A spokesman of the Punjab Government said there was a mixed response to the bandh. The Doaba region was a partially affected. The response was better in Ludhiana, Ropar, Sangrur, Faridkot, Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts,

The state-owned Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation operated buses on important routes though there were fewer passengers.

He said government offices, banks, central government organizations, railways and other organizations functioned normally In some office the attendance was thin, the maintained that no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the state.

“Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann), has thanked the people or “their overwhelming response” to the bandh cal.

A spokesman of the Dal said the people had once again expressed their solidarity with six Panthic organizations which boycotted the elections by joining the bandh, it said the Union Government was now left with no option but to redress the grievance of the Sikhs and solve the problems facing Punjab,

 AMRITSAR: The impact of bandh a call for which was given by Panthic and militant organizations was total in the district. The bandh hit the normal life as no commercial and industrial establishments, shops, markets, dhabas and cinema houses were open.

Although, the attendance at government offices was thin the university worked partially as its teaching departments were closed. The functioning of banks was totally disrupted as no business was transacted.

All educational institutions also remained closed. The buses from link roads were totally withdrawn while Punjab Roadways operated buses on the main routes with heavy armed escort. The train services, however, were “normal” with very few passengers boarding the trains. The vegetable and fruit market was totally closed due to a fire Sunday when more than 50 kiosks were burnt. These were no supplies of milk, fodder and. vegetables from nearby villages to the city,

The tehsil headquarters of Tarn Taran, Patti, Ajnala and other towns also observed a complete bandh. The police and paramilitary forces maintained utmost vigil and were patrolling the sensitive areas round the clock. There were no reports of any untoward incident from the entire district.

 LUDHIANA: There was a complete bandh in Ludhiana Monday in response to the call given by the six Panthic groups in protest against the installation of a “minority” government in Punjab.

All the business centers remained closed and even the industrial units were completely shut. There was no activity in the local industrial areas,

All education institutions and banks remained closed. Petrol filling stations and cinema houses also did not open.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 27, 1992