The First Bandh of 2009

Book Fair bandobast has got what the business of information (IT) technology has not — exemption from the first bandh of 2009.

The 12-hour bandh on Thursday called by the SUCI has turned a blind eye to the essential service tag given to the IT sector by the government.

“All these companies are into business. We have never given any exemption to the IT sector during our previous bandhs…. Besides, none of them approached us seeking a waiver. The Book Fair organisers approached us and they got an exemption,” said Tapan Roy Chowdhury, a state committee member of the SUCI.

If the bandh organisers have refused to recognise the IT industry as special, most Sector V companies are refusing to recognise this bandh as a serious threat to business as usual on Thursday.

“There was a meeting at Webel Bhavan and it was decided that no special arrangements would be made to ferry employees to offices. As SUCI leaders have said that they will not enforce the strike, there shouldn’t be much of a problem,” said the CEO of a city-based IT firm.

Unlike on other bandhs, airlines have not altered their schedules and railway officials confirmed that they would run normal services. Bus and taxi operators said their vehicles would hit the streets like any other day.

“But in case of violence, we would be forced to withdraw services,” said Swarna Kamal Saha, the president of Bengal Bus Syndicate.

Senior police officers said “all arrangements” were in place to ensure there was no disruption. That even the cops are not taking the strike call too seriously is evident from the deployment figures.

On most bandh days, around 8,000 policemen take up position on the streets of Calcutta. But the deployment on Thursday will be around 4,500, said a senior officer.“With the Trinamul Congress not supporting the bandh, we expect the impact of the strike to be minimal and restricted to Hazra, Kalighat, Rashbehari, Shyambazar and a few other pockets,” he added.Bandh panic prompted some schools like St James, Mahadevi Birla, Frank Anthony and Loreto (Dharamtala) to suspend Thursday’s classes.But Calcutta University (CU) and West Bengal University of Technology have decided not to change their exam schedules. “All 22 postgraduate and undergraduate exams will be held on Thursday,” said Onkar Sadhan Adhikari, the controller of examinations at CU.