City life came to a standstill on Monday, thanks to a spate of rallies organised by the CPI (M)-led Left Front and the Congress. Both sides were desperate to show their political brinkmanship, commuters were harassed with the twin rallies choking parts of the city and its business districts.
The CPI (M) rally, protesting the deteriorating law and order situation in the State along with the Centre’s decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail and a hike in diesel prices, was organised on Rani Rashmoni Road, choking the city centre and parts connecting the north and south of the city. The adjoining central business district too bore the brunt.
The Congress’ rally on the other hand began from the MP Birla Planetarium in central Kolkata and ended with a public meeting at Hazra crossing, a stone’s throw away from the Chief Minister’s residence. The rally was an ‘image-building’ exercise to counter the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Jantar Mantar dharna in Delhi and her opposition to FDI in retail. Southern parts of Kolkata were gridlocked as a result.
“I can not believe it. This is the first day of the week and we are stuck with rallies and traffic snarls,” Rahul Sharma, a medical representative said.
Commuters were further irritated with both rallies beginning at the near same time. While the Left Front rally saw workers and supporters congregate near Rashmoni Road from around noon, Congress workers started assembling near the planetarium around 1 p.m.
Home-maker Ridhima Banerjee’s words too echoed a similar exasperation as she had to walk for nearly 5 km with her 10-year old child to return home from school.
“How is this supposed to work out for us common people. One cannot hold public life to ransom like this. The Metro Railway is too crowded and buses and taxis are bound to get stuck in this traffic,” she said.
Political one-upmanship
Fresh from back-to-back strikes from September 17 to 20 (a three-day bus strike followed by a Bharat bandh) that had reduced the working week to just two days, it was déjà vu for Kolkatans.
Apart from these four days in September, a Trinamool Congress rally protesting FDI in retail and the hike in diesel prices on September 15 had thrown the city’s traffic off gear for nearly three hours.
This apart, other protests supported by some political parties had stalled afternoon traffic again last week.