Bandh: Common man bears the brunt

The 48-hour Telangana Bandh took a heavy toll in its wake. It did cost not only the Exchequer but proved unbearable to the poor including scores of push-cart vendors who had to go to sleep on empty stomach as they and their BPL families depended on daily wages.

That included small retailers who eke out their living on daily sales. They suffered with none to console or come to their rescue. The bandhs, called too often under the pretext of bifurcation of state came under severe criticism from all walks of life.

What did the people who called for the 48-hour band achieve? Did they successfully project that they could call the shots whenever they desired?  According to the people spoken too, the bandh was successful in taking the innocent for a ride. Among these innocents were the aimless students who were the main targets of the police forces known for their highhandedness. The violence left scores injured while students deserted their class rooms.

However, the leadership made gains in terms of accruing political mileage. Apparently, those at the head of the agitation courted arrest and made news for themselves while leaving the gullible students to fend for themselves. But the distant parliament hardly took cognizance of the Telangana boil as it was averse to any advances made by the TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and actress Vijayashanthi on the Floor of the Lok Sabha.

Not surprisingly, both KCR and Vijayashanthi stole the lime light at the cost of the daily earners' heartburn and empty stomachs. There was much to highlight the repercussions of the bandh. The petrol bunks made a killing. Bunks not accessible, the helter-skelter vehicular traffic turned to fuel sold in the black market.

The black-markets played havoc with every shutter downed including those of the petrol bunks for fear of attack by the Telangana protagonists. Less said the better about the alcoholics. Here too, the black market held sway over their spineless consumers collecting 'extra' for their 'disservice'.

On the other hand, the common man was overawed by the massive figures quoted in the budget. Figures upward of Rs one lakh crore will overawe even the wealthy, let alone the common man. For a day, the common man forgot that the huge outlay of a budget was devoid of net and immediate results.

He was taken in by a Minister who went on a boastful line sporting magic figures presenting a fabulous and rosy picture throughout his speech. Prima-facie the aggrieved could hardly discern the mounting burden of state debt - 10 percent in excess of the annual budget. The commoner no way followed the upswing in the industrial and farm sectors' robust growth. If so, would it fill the belly instantly?