The marriage season ahead and division among the traders have come as big respite for the common man in Chhattisgarh as the food retailers have called off their four-day strike in protest against the food security bill.
The bandh was called under the banner of Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Even as the traders were giving final touches to make the bandh a grand success, the state authorities were in a fix as common man were going to strive for a packet of milk besides other food items for the next four days.
The ensuing marriage season and the alleged division among the chamber office bearers however avoided a crucial shut down in Chhattisgarh. The four-day bandh was supposed to start from April 16. As all grocery, protein, bakery, sweets shops, hotels and restaurants would remain close for four days in succession; people started hoarding food grains and essential commodities.
In the meantime, the state authorities took a serious note of the four-day bandh that would have created havoc especially among the poor people purchasing food item daily with the earning in the day. The marriages ahead also sent an alarm bell for the authorities as it would have created a big problem for the organizers.
Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Chief Minister Raman Singh Sunday morning called the chamber office bearers and discussed about the situation. Unconfirmed reports said that Singh expressed his reservations for organizing a four-day bandh in a sequence. The chamber later announced to call off the bandh. “The chief minister has assured that he will take up the issue with the Government of India,” chamber general secretary Jitendra Barlota told Business Standard. On the call of chief minister and marriage season ahead, the chamber has called off the bandh that was starting from Monday, he added.
The decision of chamber to call off the strike just a day before was also powered with the simmering differences within the chamber office bearers. A senior office bearer said that a section of traders did not buy the theory of organizing a four-day bandh as it would not only affect the business but also force common man to face hardship.
The fraction that works against chamber President Sreechand Sunderani was planning to use the issue to level the score. The office bearers said chamber office bearers were also finding it hard to defend the decision of four-day bandh as they feared it would backtrack against them.
