ITANAGAR: A 12-hour bandh called by the Galo Youth Organisation (GYO) began early Sunday in Arunachal Pradesh’s Leparada district despite an order from the district administration prohibiting enforcement of the shutdown.
The bandh was scheduled from 5 am to 5 pm on September 6 amid differences involving the Galo Welfare Society (GWS) and Galo Luvv Baany Keba (GLBK). The administration had sought to resolve the issues through a round-table discussion.
The District Magistrate issued an order on September 5 under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, directing that the bandh should not be enforced. The order prohibited blocking roads, highways and other public passages or restricting the movement of people and vehicles.
It also barred forceful attempts to make shopkeepers, traders, businesses, educational institutions, transport operators or employees shut their establishments or join the protest.
The administration said essential services, including ambulances, hospitals, fire services, electricity, water supply, communications and public transport, must remain operational and accessible. It clarified that the order did not prevent people from expressing their views or holding peaceful protests within the law, provided they did not involve intimidation, coercion, violence or obstruction.
Despite the restrictions, the GYO bandh began in the early hours of Sunday. Hundreds of volunteers were deployed at various locations, with burning tyres, boulders and other objects reportedly used to block strategic points.
Security forces were deployed at key locations to maintain law and order and prevent escalation. No untoward incident had been reported till the time of filing this report, with the situation remaining peaceful and under close watch.
