SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 1: An indefinite bandh call given by the District Chamber of Commerce Association in protest against the firing on a trader completely paralyzed business activities in the coal belt on Wednesday.
Big and small business establishments across the district especially in the posh Bank More market, Purana Bazar, Hirapur Park Market, City Centre, Kerkendra, Kendua, Jharia Katra, Nirsa, Sindri, Steel Gate Saraidhela remained closed since morning.
The commerce chamber’s officials and members took out a bike rally from Bank More which passed through different routes in the coal city to enforce the bandh.
The District Chamber of Commerce Association had given a call of an indefinite Dhanbad bandh from Wednesday in protest against the firing on Dipak Agrawal in his Bank More-based ‘Car Centre’ in the evening of October 28. Agrawal is admitted to a hospital in Kolkata.
The Jharkhand Industrial and Trade Association (JITA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) district chapter, Barbadda Krishi Bazar Samiti, Dhanbad District Chemists and Druggists Association, Jharkhand Petroleum Dealers Association and other organizations supported the bandh.
Commerce Chamber association’s office bearers, Chetan Goenka (president), Prabhat Sureliya (general secretary), and others said that they are pained as the bandh call has caused trouble to people of the coal belt but the safety of life and property of traders have compelled them to take the drastic step as criminals have made businessmen a soft target.
JITA general secretary Rajiv Sharma while claiming mass support to the bandh against the firing on the trader, said that businessmen want a fearless environment to run establishments for people. “But in such situations where criminals call the shots, traders have no option but resort to bandh and demonstration for safety as well as a congenial atmosphere.
“Traders have a single demand i.e. perfect law and order in which businessmen could live peacefully,” said JITA general secretary Rajiv Sharma.
