Ranchi: Maoists forced a shutdown against alleged police atrocities in Jharkhand on Saturday. The 24-hour shutdown call disrupted road and rail traffic.
“We are facing a lot of problems. I have to go to Palamu, but there is no train available. The government is not able to do anything. Not only me, all the passengers are facing problems,” said Rahul, a rail passenger.
Bus services to and from Ranchi have been completely snapped, and passengers remained stranded at the bus stands. Residents said that they were fed up by the frequent shutdown calls that adversely affected their livelihood.
“We run these buses for our livelihood. There is a shutdown here at least once in a week on one pretext or the other. What will the citizens do?” asked Guddu, a bus driver. Shops and business establishments also remained closed. Maoists, who are banned in several states including Jharkhand, say they are fighting for the rights of farmers and the poor. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the rebels the biggest challenge to the country’’s internal security.
Source: www.nhatky.in
