This was on 4th of July I started from Pune to Jabalpur at 9:00pm in the evening. Next morning when I woke up at 5:30 a.m. we had reached Khandwa. Knowing that Khandwa was Late Kishor kumar’s home town I got gown on the platform and was singing “Musafir hun yaro”. I had a cup of tea and started walking on the platform.
Suddenly I saw a lot of policemen on the platform. I was surprised why so many policemen? Is there a VIP in train of something wrong? Or my singing was so bad that people had to call the police.
I realized it was the morning of 5th- the nationwide Bandh.
I saw a couple with an infant walking towards the exit. They had some luggage too with them. I wondered whether they will get any transport today ?. It reminded me of an incident took place more than 22 years ago.
It was way back sometime in 1980 or 81, I was walking towards home after playing cricket in the evening. The road and railway track ran parallel at a point for a stretch of 1 and a half k.m. Suddenly I saw a huge crowd which gathered on the railway track with red flags. They were shouting slogans and all sat on the tracks. I curiously waited there to watch what was happening. Someone told me that these people belonged to a political party and were calling for a “Bandh” for some reason.
The train arrived after sometime and was stopped. The whole episode lasted for more than 3 hours.
Next morning when I was getting ready for the school, I saw an ambulance stopping at one of the house in the opposite lane of my house. They took out a stretcher from the ambulance on which I could see a person covered with a white sheet.
In no time people gathered there and some started crying. Later I came to know that it was the father of the political party worker who died of a heart attack ( the same party which called for Bandh). He was being brought from some small town to Lucknow for better treatment and was in the same train which was stopped during the protest and Bandh.
His father could have been saved had he been admitted a little earlier.
Bandh ki wajah se ek dhadkan Bandh ho gai.
There may be many stories like this but the sad part is people do not learn from previous lessons.
Bandh for what?
Bandh for whome?
Bandh kab tak?
