Mumbai: Leons Thomas Joseph, a second-year LLB student at Siddharth College, Fort, left from his residence on Wednesday with a belief that the State machinery is well-equipped to handle the protest, and he could make it to the examination centre on time. The 24-year-old was, however, disappointed when he had to return halfway, despite several attempts.
Mr. Joseph had his exam at 3 p.m. at a college in Vikhroli. At around 12 p.m., he left Vartak Nagar in Thane, and as there was hardly any buses or autorickshaws, his brother offered to drop him at Thane railway station on his bike.
“We reached Panch Pakhadi before being stopped by protesters, who told us that there was a bandh and that we should turn back. We told them that I had an exam, and managed to proceed. My father, who had left half an hour ago, called me to say that he had returned home as Mulund check naka was blocked. We took the inner roads to reach the Eastern Express Highway and were stopped at three different locations,” Mr. Joseph said.
His brother offered to drop him at his examination centre. As the Eastern Express Highway was jammed, the brothers turned to LBS Road. They encountered another mob at Bhandup.
“We sought help from some policemen at Bhandup, who were only watching as the mob intimidated people. They did not help, but instead asked us to return. I decided to take a train, and my brother dropped me at Nahur railway station,” Mr. Joesph said.
This was not the end of his trouble. The clerk at the counter refused to issue him a ticket, saying that trains were not running. He also saw a train standing at the station and people walking on tracks. After arguing with the clerk, Mr. Joseph started walking on LBS road towards Vikhroli. He made it as far as Kanjurmarg before another mob stopped him.
“There was people driving around on bikes, shouting slogans, and warning people that they should go back home. The policemen remained mute spectators. I sought help from a policeman, asking him if he could drop me at Vikhroli as I had an exam. The cop told me that the city was closed and he was sure that my exam would be cancelled,” he said.
He also saw around 15 buses parked by the roadside, all of them vandalised. “I was taking a video of the buses when a boy, not more than eight years old, told me to stop unless I wanted my cell phone to be smashed.”
He ultimately decided to return home, but even that decision came with its own problems. In the absence of buses, autorickshaws were charging exorbitant fares. Mr. Joseph had to walk all the way from Kanjurmarg to Thane, and reached home at 6:30 p.m.
“It was later that I came to know that those who missed their exam would be allowed to appear at a later date. I don't know when this will be. I had been tweeting to the Education Department since Tuesday, asking them about the bandh, but there was no response,” said the law student.
