Team Mangalorean - City Beat
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Mangalore: After a long break, the country as a whole is going through another round of 'bandh'.

Here in the coastal city, the effect was widely felt. Shops remained closed. There were not many buses plying.

The 'peaceful' and 'voluntary' shutdown may be called 'successful' if shops, establishments and public offices and banks remain closed until the end of the day.

Our correspondents spoke to many citizens. There was a common view that that if the city remains closed, it is not out of sympathy towards the motive behind the call for the bandh, but out of fear that those enforcing it on the public could hurt them or damage their property and vehicles.

Taranath, an auto driver, agreed that a message was to be sent to the authorities concerned that the people would not accept any price-rise lying down. But he also wondered in what way a national shutdown would help in forcing the government or oil companies to bring down the prices.

Other auto and taxi drivers too felt that while the problem of price-rise was universal, a day's earnings of poor people would be lost. People who call for bandhs are better placed moneywise and statuswise. But it is always the daily wage-earners who would suffer in the process.

Susheela, a young woman from the outskirts of the city, arrived quite early in the city to attend the office. She was stuck at Pumpwell as she could not get transport to go to the heart of the city.

There are similar stories from different sections of the city.

More updates and photographs will be added soon.

Udupi Report
by Michael Rodrigues
Team Mangalorean Udupi
 
Udupi: Protesting against the steep rise in petrol prices, the Leftist parties and the BJP-led NDA alliance have given a call for 'Bharat Bandh' on Thursday, May 31.
 
Essential services like milk and vegetable supply have been exempted. Most vehicles did not ply fearing the untoward incidents.  City buses owners and workers having declared their support to the protest, no city buses have been operating since morning.
 
Weddings and such social programmes having been given special concession, people attending such events are allowed to do so, provided such vehicles stick a notice to this effect on their vehicles, BJP has requested.  The police have posted extra personnel on duty to avert any untoward incidents of violence during the protest.
 
Speaking to Mangalorean correspondent Udupi SP Dr Boralinghaih said that bandh being observed at the national leval, police security has been beefed up throughout district as a precautionary measure. Strict surveillance is being kept in the interest of the safety of the public. Anyone's request for security would be suitably responded to.

Vehicles carrying people for occasions like weddings and such social events would not be troubled in any way. He expressed the hope that no unsavoury incidents like blocking the roads, tying ropes, setting tyres on fire would take place.

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