Congress and Left Parties Call for Odisha Bandh Over Soumyashree Self-Immolation Case. Roads Blocked, Markets Shut Down, Trains Halted. Demand for Judicial Inquiry Intensifies, Public Sentiment Angered.
Odisha Bandh Protest: The self-immolation of student Soumyashree BC in Balasore district has shaken the entire state of Odisha. The victim had attempted to register her complaints at multiple levels, but received no assistance. In protest against this incident, the Congress and Left parties (INDIA alliance) called for a statewide Odisha bandh on Thursday, July 17th. The bandh witnessed a widespread impact.
Widespread Impact of the Bandh, Silence on the Roads
Due to the Odisha bandh, everything remained closed, from national highways to major city roads, markets, shops, schools, colleges, and courts. Protesters took to the streets in major locations like Balasore, Soro, and Jaleswar, blocking roads and completely disrupting traffic.
Long Queues of Vehicles on National Highways
National Highway-16 was blocked near the Utereshwar intersection in the Soro area of Balasore district, stranding thousands of vehicles for several hours. Local residents and travelers faced immense difficulties. Protesters also blocked the road near Lakhanath in Jaleswar. The protesters demanded a fair judicial inquiry into this serious matter.
Train Halted at Balasore Railway Station
The Odisha bandh also affected railway traffic. The Kharagpur-Khorda local train was stopped for a while at Balasore railway station. However, the situation was brought under control by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel led by in-charge Deepak Kumar, and the protesters were removed from the railway premises within 10 minutes. Rail services were then resumed.
Allegations of Ignoring the Victim's Voice
Protesters alleged that Soumyashree had appealed for help from both the central and state governments several times before her self-immolation, but no one listened to her. They said that this tragic incident could have been averted if the administration had acted in time. A judicial inquiry is now the only way to uncover the truth.
Political Parties Conducted Protests
Several leaders and workers of the Congress and Left parties participated in the protests in Balasore. Balasore District Congress President Sanjeev Giri, senior leaders Arun Jena, Gourang Panigrahi, Nirmal Nayak, Gopinath Padhi, Archana Nandi, Hemlata Das, Basanti Nayak, and Joshna Senapati, among several other leaders, took to the streets to protest. During the demonstration, they demanded justice for the victim and action against those responsible.
Public Outrage
The bandh received widespread support from the general public. Many locals said that this was not just a fight for one student, but for every voice that is ignored by the system. People say that if justice is not served, there will be even bigger movements in the coming days.
Since the incident, no concrete statement has been issued by the state government yet. However, the administration has deployed sufficient security forces in the district to maintain law and order.
