Peaceful partial bandh in
Goa
Sandesh Prabhudesai
26 September 2002
Goa was largely peaceful today, except minor incidents of stone throwing
around Panaji, while the BJP-ruled state partially
observed the bandh in response to the nationwide call
given by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Shiv Sena,
in protest of attack by terrorists in Gujarat.
The closure of shops in the main cities and towns was near total, but
either voluntary in nature or precautionary. Many
shops and petrol pumps were however opened later in
the evening. The industries and other establishments
were running as usual.
The strength of employees in the national capital however got affected
with stray incidents of four buses being stoned in
and around Panaji in the morning. It resulted into
the public transport going totally off the roads initially,
though many buses came on the roads later, with the
police started patrolling the highways.
Schools and colleges preferred to declare holiday in advance rather
than taking any kind of risk. However, the schools
that remained open could run without any trouble.
The air and rail transport, including the Konkan railway, could also
run smoothly without any trouble.
Members of the Shiv Sena burnt the flag of Pakistan in the city of
Mapusa, after taking out a protest march against the
terrorist attack on a temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
