Bhubaneswar: Normal life in Odisha was on Wednesday disrupted as members of Dalit and Adivasi organizations resorted to the dawn-to-dusk ‘Bharat Bandh’ over their demand for stronger representation and protection for marginalised communities. They halted all movements of trains, trucks, and other vehicles, thereby causing inconveniences to commuters and movement of essential goods.
Reports from different places in the state said the protestors picketed on train tracks, bus stands, and major stops stalling the movements of vehicles.
Passengers and office-goers had a torrid time as no buses were found running on roads. Public transportation services were affected as the protesters held picketing at railway stations and bus stops in Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Rayagada, and several other places.
In the western Odisha city of Sambalpur, the agitators halted the Sambalpur-Puri and Sambalpur-Rayagada trains at Khetrajpur station for 30 minutes. Later, the trains departed for their respective destinations.
Shops, shopping malls, and other traders’ associations in Bolangir, Subarnapur, Jajpur, and Angul have also extended their support to the Dalit and Adivasi organisations.
Opposing the Supreme Court judgment, the National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR) has released a list of demands and urged the government to reject the judgment, arguing it threatens the constitutional rights of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SCs and STs).
The organisation has also called for enacting a new Act of Parliament on reservations for SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), which it said would be protected by inclusion in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. The NACDOR is getting support from the Bhim Army, the National Confederation of Dalit Organisation, and Odisha Adivasi Kalyan Mahasangh.
