Massive support to bandh in Odisha in memory of martyrs
Minati Singha | TNN | Feb 18, 2019, 23:14 ISTBhubaneswar: The nationwide trade bandh call given by traders to show solidarity with the family members of the 40 martyred CRPF jawans at Pulwama got massive support from business communities across the state on Monday.
Since morning, shops kept their shutters down. No commercial activity was reported in either the wholesale or the retail markets of the state. In several places, traders observed a fast; in some markets, they wore black badges and held prayers throughout the day.
The Odisha Byabasayee Sangha carried out a huge candle light rally from Unit-6 to the Raj Bhavan in the evening.
“The bandh call got unprecedented support. Not just the urban centres, the people of the rural areas also joined the bandh and paid heartfelt tribute to the brave soldiers of India. We thank the general public for supporting us,” said Sangha secretary Sudhakar Panda.
Panda said 194 associations across the state were members of the Sangha and all of them joined the bandh. Interestingly, many small-time vendors and makeshift shops also participated in it.
“Initially, we had decided against including petrol and diesel dealers as their products are essential commodities. But they decided to join the bandh till 2 pm. Many traders and vendors joined us of their own accord and shut their shops. This shows the kind of anger people have for terrorists and also their love for the martyrs,” Panda added.
The traders associations have also been collecting financial assistance for the families of the martyrs from the state. They urged the Centre to increase import duty on Chinese products, as it has done for products from Pakistan.
“The government cannot ban the import of products from China or Pakistan but it can increase import duty on them. We, the citizens of India, should not use Chinese products as it supports Pakistan,” Panda pointed out.
Medicine shops and milk booths were open in some places in the city. There was no disruption in transportation and vehicular movement because of the bandh.
Since morning, shops kept their shutters down. No commercial activity was reported in either the wholesale or the retail markets of the state. In several places, traders observed a fast; in some markets, they wore black badges and held prayers throughout the day.
The Odisha Byabasayee Sangha carried out a huge candle light rally from Unit-6 to the Raj Bhavan in the evening.
“The bandh call got unprecedented support. Not just the urban centres, the people of the rural areas also joined the bandh and paid heartfelt tribute to the brave soldiers of India. We thank the general public for supporting us,” said Sangha secretary Sudhakar Panda.
Panda said 194 associations across the state were members of the Sangha and all of them joined the bandh. Interestingly, many small-time vendors and makeshift shops also participated in it.
“Initially, we had decided against including petrol and diesel dealers as their products are essential commodities. But they decided to join the bandh till 2 pm. Many traders and vendors joined us of their own accord and shut their shops. This shows the kind of anger people have for terrorists and also their love for the martyrs,” Panda added.
The traders associations have also been collecting financial assistance for the families of the martyrs from the state. They urged the Centre to increase import duty on Chinese products, as it has done for products from Pakistan.
“The government cannot ban the import of products from China or Pakistan but it can increase import duty on them. We, the citizens of India, should not use Chinese products as it supports Pakistan,” Panda pointed out.
Medicine shops and milk booths were open in some places in the city. There was no disruption in transportation and vehicular movement because of the bandh.
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