Call for U’khand Bandh receives limited response
By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 10 Feb: The lathicharge resorted to by Dehradun Police on agitating youth outside the Gandhi Park yesterday resulted in a state-wide protest today. Youth in every city of the state came out in large numbers to register their protest and a large number of them reached Dehradun to join the agitation here.
The youth started raising slogans against the government while sitting on a dharna outside the Collectorate. Then they entered the DM’s office in Dehradun and started raising slogans against her. After which, a very heavy police deployment was ordered. Even so, they created a ruckus in the Collectorate premises.
On learning of this development, District Magistrate Sonika reached the site and tried to convince the protestors to stop their agitation but she failed to pacify them even after a long effort.
In view of the possible movement of unemployed youth, the district administration had also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in an area of 300 metre radius around the Parade Ground. This continued till evening. Gatherings of five or more people were banned in this perimeter. The police forcibly picked up the unemployed youths sitting on dharna.
Earlier, the City Magistrate, the ADM and even the President of the Bar Association tried to convince the agitating youth but they did not succeed. SP City and SSP, thereafter, reached the spot with additional force.
It may be recalled that, in all, 13 youth, including the president of the Berozgar Sangh, Bobby Panwar, were arrested yesterday for rioting and stone pelting. All of them were presented before the court today even as the situation outside the court remained very tense. The youth agitating today were demanding immediate release of Bobby Panwar and the others.
It may be recalled that the youth had given a call for an Uttarakhand Bandh today. Although most of Dehradun remained open today, shops around the Clock Tower and Rajpur Road remained shut for most part of the day, apprehending a repeat of the earlier violence. Heavy police deployment was seen today around the Clock Tower area, around the collectorate and other important establishments. The effect of the bandh was seen only in a few places. In view of the bandh, police remained deployed in all the cities of Garhwal and Kumaon region.
In protest against the lathicharge, Congress leaders also took out a rally towards the Police Headquaters where they had declared that they would burn the effigy of Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar. However, they were stopped near St Joseph’s Academy. This was followed by a scuffle between the Police and the Congress workers. As a result, many Congress workers were taken into custody by the Police.
All the political parties in the Opposition have lent their support to the agitating youth and they also turned out to express their support to the protesting youth, even as the Police claimed that many outside elements were responsible for yesterday’s incidents.
