Rachna says

I was away to Hyderabad for the weekend and what a total mess of a visit this was. There is an agitation about the formation of Telangana state which has been going on for a while which picked up momentum when the students joined or were used by the politicians to join. Thus began a free display of hooliganism where the arsonist had a free hand throwing stones, damaging property, harassing an innocent person and the law upholder in the form of police is told to handle them with kids’ gloves. It seems that everyone except the common peaceloving citizen has rights. We can be pushed around, told to close our shops even if our livelihood depends upon it, we have to suffer inconvenience in case God forbid any emergency befalls us or if we have to travel by the bus or taxi — we are on our own. The government mouths empty words about “law and order will be maintained and no harm will come to public property etc.. etc.. “.

In Hyderabad itself, schools and colleges were shut, shops were closed either out of fear or coercion and we had a tough time finding an auto because auto drivers want to fleece passengers during these times turning our fun trip to Tank Bund one of a nightmare on Saturday. I cannot for the life of me understand how such arson is allowed in Indian law. Why if a bandh is called, we fear that if we step out no matter how important the reason, we can be hapless targets to some miscreants. Luckily, we did not face any such incidents but we read about other people who were caught in these displays of power by mobs. Are they really trying to get public support for their cause or does this give them a right to take law into their hands and resort to looting and arson. And what happens in the aftermath? Who suffers the loss of damage and time? Trains and buses and public vehicles are stoned. Why? We, of course.This kind of blatant goondaism makes one feel nauseous and helpless and frustrated.

Luckily, we managed to reach the railway station without any trouble for our journey back to Bangalore. After having spent two days indoors when even certain cable channels were blacked out just like that, it was a welcome relief to be leaving for home. Our train also got delayed for more than 3 hours thus pretty much spoiling our Tuesday morning schedules too. Maybe it was delayed or stopped on the way due to disruptions in the schedules of the other trains. But, really every time a bandh a called by a political outfit, it is actually a call for a complete breakdown of services and normalcy and gives an open rein to anyone to do anything illegal and get away with it in the name of a cause.

I have nothing but contempt for such people and all political parties including those ones who act as just bystanders and allow people to get hurt. Ban these bandhs!