The Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi to-day deprecated bandhs and stressed the need for eradicating violence and maintaining communal harmony at a series of meetings with leaders of youth organisations, political parties and the INTUC here [Calcutta, Aug. 31]. She told a six-member deputation of the State INTUC led by its President Mr. Kali Mukherji that the bandhs tended to paralyse national economy and cripple the State administration. At this juncture it had also the effect of hampering relief to the millions of Bangla Desh refugees and flood-stricken people. She gave the assurance that the Union Labour Minister, Mr. R.K. Khadilkar was looking into the grievances of labour and they would be remedied early. Mrs. Gandhi arrived here from Cooch-Behar by an I.A.F. plane after visiting two refugee camps there and making an aerial survey of the flood-stricken areas of North Bengal. She told a large gathering of refugees at Betaguri camp that India fully supported the freedom struggle in Bangla Desh.
