Maximum city halts on 'bandh' day

The maximum city, known for its vibrancy and fast-paced life, wore a different look today as streets were virtually deserted, while train and road traffic remained disrupted during a 'bandh' called by Dalit groups to condemn the caste violence in Pune two days ago.
Normal life was crippled in the financial capital, where people faced hardships due to closure of shops, commercial establishments and disruptions in the transport network.
The bandh in Mumbai was part of the Maharashtra-wide shutdown called by Dalit outfits to protest the state government's "failure" to stop the violence at Bhima-Koregaon village in Pune district on January 1.

Office-goers had a tough time reaching their destinations as the suburban rail network, the lifeline of Mumbai, was paralysed due to protests at various places in the metropolis.
Commuters' woes were compounded as most taxis and autorickshaws remained off roads. Services of civic buses were also adversely affected.
Business activities took a hit and people struggled to buy daily essentials like vegetables and milk as shops and markets remained shut.

Shekhar Athalye, a practising lawyer who travels around 35km on the Central line everyday from Mulund to his office at Fort, South Mumbai, said he had to spend around three hours to reach Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSTM) from Parel station, a distance that usually takes around 15 minutes.

"I left my home in Mulund for an official meeting at Worli early this morning. After the meeting, I could not find a single bus or taxi to reach the nearest railway station. I had to walk for about 3-4 kms to reach the station, from where I boarded a train for Parel," he said.
"I started from Parel at around 4pm and reached CSTM only at 7pm. This led to the cancellation of all important meetings scheduled for the day," Athalye added.
A media professional, who lives in Navi Mumbai and travels by the Harbour Line to reach his workplace in South Mumbai, said protesters blocked his train at a couple of places by squatting on the tracks.

"It took me almost three-and-a-half hours to reach CSTM from Nerul. Protesters blocked my train for about one hour at Mankhurd and for another 45 minutes at Govandi.
"The train started moving only after policemen intervened and cleared the tracks of protesters," he said.
Aakhil Khan, who runs a footwear manufacturing unit in South Mumbai, said the state government "did not do enough" to ensure the situation does not spiral out of control.
"The administration failed to take measures to minimise the impact of the bandh," Khan said.
"The day-long bandh resulted in losses to the tune of lakhs of rupees as our workers did not turn up for work and we could not finish a contract on time," he said.

Jamila Arsiwala, a homemaker, said she had just returned from a long vacation and the shutdown caused her family to go hungry in the afternoon due to lack of food.
"We just returned from a two-week vacation and there was no stock of vegetables at home. None of the vegetable sellers had turned up this morning and all the retail shops in our area remained shut. Hence, our family of six had to go without food in the afternoon," she said.
Violence erupted in Pune district when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwa's army. Right-wing groups have been blamed for the clashes which left one person dead.

Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory as it is believed soldiers from the Mahar community were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins and the victory is seen as a symbol of Dalit assertiveness.