Ahmedabad, 4 September 2013

When Gujarat Congress gives one-day state-wide bandh call, it must be considered a daring step. That is because, the state has largely anti-Congress wave on the ground.

Any bandh call needs following things to get success:

(1)A grand heading on the front page and last page of Gujarati newspapers declaring ‘Gujarat bandh today’ on bandh call day.

(2)A really appealing issue to which people across the state want to react.

(3)Strategic meetings of party men in every city,town,district,locality a day before the bandh call.

(4)Foot soldiers on the streets early in the morning to ensure shut down of markets, schools, colleges.

So, the first thing that is publicity in newspapers is guaranteed. Major newspapers will have no problem to carry the ‘bandh call’ headlines in next two editions.

But the second point which is the essence behind the bandh call is weak in this case. So Congress shouldn’t expect natural support to bandh call.

About the third point, well Congress is second largest political party and it has its organization intact in major part of the state. Its organization is not as big as BJP, and energy is lacking too, but small meetings are likely to be held to chok out the programmes to make bandh successful.

About the fourth point, Congress cadre will move to markets, railway stations, ST stands, highways in small groups, disrupt the normal life for half and hour or so, and cater ‘breaking news’ headlines to Gujarati news channels. News photographers will get good clicks here and there. That’s it.

So some photo opportunities, a few breaking news like ‘ST bus stopped’ etc, print media’s positive coverage will do the job. This job will be done like this. Suppose if there’s less than 25% response, the dailies may title the story as ‘partial response’, if there’s 25% response, the title could be ‘mix response’, and if there’s 30-40% success, the title could be ‘major response’.

But the most striking point is Mahavir Jayanti holiday on Friday. Jain traders keep their businesses closed on Mahavir Jayanti day anyway. It is their biggest festival of year. So if you go to New Cloth market or Panchkuva market of Ahmedabad on Mahavir Jayanti day, you find shops closed almost completely. Or suppose you go to HB Kapadia, Shardamandir, CN schools on Mahavir Jayanti day, they are closed anyway. So what is the point of bandh call on holiday? Especially when a day after, there’s a week-end!

It should be mentioned here that Gujarat Congress President Shri Arjun Modhwadia was called to Delhi early this week by party high command in this connection. When BJP was in opposition in Gujarat, successful ‘bandh calls’ were more frequent, but ever since BJP has come to power, ‘Gujarat bandh’ calls have become matter of past. One reason is lack of issues, and the other reason is weak opposition party that lacks number of enough foot soldiers who can ensure the success of bandh.

It has to be seen, what kind of response this rare bandh call on Friday attracts. In recent years, Gujarat has joined NDA and BJP’s national bandh calls against Congress-led UPA government in centre. The last statewide bandh call against the state government was given perhaps in year 2008 by one ‘Jagega Gujarat’ organization. It was against Asaram Bapu, in connection with mysterious deaths of two children of Asaram ashram Gurukul. That bandh call had evoked no response beyond some localities of Ahmedabad.

Instead of Mahavir Jayanti (tomorrow) Guj Cong should have called for bandh on Sunday for even more response. ;P 😀 @arjunmodhwadia #fail

— Pankaj Bengani (@pbengani) September 5, 2013