The bandh observed on Tuesday, as part of the nationwide general strike call given by the Left parties and various trade unions, was near-total and peaceful in the city. Barring stray incidents of damage of windscreens of RTC buses, no violence was reported from any part of the city.
Most of the schools declared a holiday but students of schools and colleges, which didn't declare the holiday, had a tough time in reaching their schools in the absence of autorickshaws and RTC buses also stopped by the bandh enforcers at some places.
The school children also had a tough time returning home as the school management declared a holiday at the eleventh hour.
Corporate colleges, which had internal examinations, closed for the day after holding the examination and the students had to trek home in the absence of autos.
Many of the shops downed their shutters voluntarily, while the others were forced to close by the bandh enforcers.
Railway passengers who arrived by various trains had to walk up to Dondaparthy junction, a kilometre away from the Railway Station, carrying their luggage and look for autos in the bylanes.
Some managed to get a lift on private vehicles.
Deserted look
Many of the busy junctions like Jagadamba, Dwarakanagar, Maddilapalem and Marripalem wore a deserted look with the bandh enforcers stopping buses and autos right from the early hours. College students and office-goers were seen waiting in large numbers at the bus stops.
CPI(M) Jagadamba Zone Committee secretary G. N. Rajeswara Rao said that the party activists staged a rasta roko at Jagadamba junction from 8.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Shops were made to down their shutters.
Buses on the busy Maddilapalem Road were stopped right from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. by activists of the CPI(M), according to the party Maddilapalem Zone Committee secretary RKSV Kumar.
“We have not withdrawn any of our services. Our services were stopped by the bandh enforcers at Paderu in the agency area of the district. The stoppage of RTC buses on the Maddilapalem – Venkojipalem stretch has resulted in the disruption of services on that route between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. There are, however, no major incidents except damage of the windscreens of one or two buses in the city,”
Deputy Chief Traffic Manager (Rural) A. Veeraiah Choudhury said.
CPI District Council secretary J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy, city council secretary M. Pydiraju, AP Mahila Samakhya district secretary A. Vimala and AITUC State executive member Padala Ramana were among those who were arrested by the Two Town Police for stopping the movement of RTC buses, according to CPI leader S. Murali.
A rasta roko was organised and rally was taken out by activists of the Visakha Zilla Auto Drivers Union (INTUC) on the National Highway near the Government Polytechnic junction. Union president M.K. Konda Babu and others were taken into custody by the police, according to a statement issued by the union.
