Maoists' bandh over Senari cripples life in parts of Gaya

GAYA: Whereas the Magadh bandh called by CPI (Maoist) against Senari massacre judgement virtually crippled life in Dumaria, Imamganj, Banke Bazar and Raushanganj areas in Gaya district, the 'Aakrosh Diwas' observed by non-BJP parties, except JD(U), to protest demonetisation of Rs500/1,000 notes evoked mixed response elsewhere in the state.
Reports reaching Gaya district headquarters said Dumaria witnessed total bandh as even government offices and commercial bank branches remained closed due to the Maoist fear.The Maoists complain that innocent people have been wrongly punished for Senari massacre in which 35 people of a particular caste were butchered in 1999. A Jehanabad court recently awarded death penalty to 10 and life imprisonment to three in the case.
In Gaya town, JD(U) activists sat quiet while its alliance partners Congress and RJD took out processions to denounce the demonetisation and its after-effects. Whereas the Congress march was led by its district chief Chandrika Yadav, RJD district president Md Asir led a separate procession of his party activists. Rail traffic on Patna-Gaya section remained disrupted for several hours early Monday morning. Area officer Sandip Kumar said the traffic disruption had nothing to do with the 'aakrosh' as the overhead wire between Chakand and Belaganj stations had got snapped, thereby affecting movement of trains for about two hours.
Gaya DM Kumar Ravi said no untoward incident was reported and no one was arrested in connection with the protest marches organized in different parts of the district.
Train traffic disrupted, shop ransacked: The CPI(ML) and Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) supporters paralysed train movement for some time at Ara railway station and blocked Ara-Patna road as part of the nationwide bandh. Protesters also ransacked some shops in the town on Monday. Many private schools remained closed. The CPI(ML) members stopped Lokmanya Tilak Express while the JAP (Loktantrik) supporters squatted on the track in front of Patna-Kurla Express at Ara. They also stopped buses from plying on the roads. Local CPI(ML) functionary Kayamuddin said demonetisation created financial anarchy in the country. Police sources said the protest took an ugly turn when some bandh supporters ransacked a shop on Jail Road. "They were trying to forcefully shut down my shop. When I refused, they ransacked it," said the shop owner. RJD MLA Anwar Alam led the 'aakrosh march' in the town.
Chhapra: The bandh call remained ineffective at Chhapra on Monday. After initial apprehensions, shops opened without any opposition. However, supporters of JAP(L), RJD, CPI(M) and Congress took out separate rallies with slogans like 'Notebandi wapas karo'. Members of CPI(M) burned the effigy of PM Narendra Modi at Rajendra Chowk.
Bagaha: The bandh evoked almost no response in Bagaha. All the shops remained open and rial and road traffic was normal. Non-BJP parties took out protest march. In the afternoon, a rally was taken out by Congress, led by its district president Anurudh Singh.
Nawada: The bandh call drew a lukewarm response in Nawada district. Barring an hourlong blockade at Sadbhavna Chowk by the RJD's minority wing, a busy intersection on NH-31, the bandh passed off largely unnoticed in the backdrop of normal life at schools, markets, government offices, bus terminals and railway stations.