Dhanbad Aug 30: Deoghar Bandh call given by the Panda Dharmrakhini Sabha for reopening Baba Baidyanath Temple for general devotees evoked a partial response today.
While the bandh was effective in the temple city area as traders kept shutters of their shops down and roads bore deserted look in lack of traffic movement in initial hours of the day, there was no impact of call in the outskirt of the township.
All shops remained open and private as well as commercial vehicles plied like any other day outside of the temple city in the district. However, in wake of the bandh call district administration had deployed a heavy police force under the magistrate in temple premises and at different centre points of the district.
A senior officer of the district administration deployed at temple premises for maintaining law and order told media persons that traditional Puja of Baba Baidyanath was performed like any other day and Panda Samaj cooperated in it.
Agitating Panda Dharmrakshini Samaj rued that the state government has adopted an apathetic attitude toward the demand of Panda Samaj.
Panda Dharmrakshini Sabha, the frontal organization of over 5000 registered Pandas ( priest) of Baba Baidyanath, had given a call of one day Deoghar Bandh today for opening the temple to general devotees. Ten other organizations of Deoghar had supported the bandh call of Panda Dharmrakshini Sabha.
Barring a few days, Baba Baidyanath temple has been closed for darshan of general devotees since March 20, 2020, by the state government order in wake of the Corona pandemic. The closure of the temple has created hand to mouth problem for the Panda Samaj who depends on the darshan of devotees.
However, the general secretary of Panda Dharmrakshini Sabha Kartik Nath Thakur claimed a successful bandh in Deoghar. “ Deoghar public, as well as devotees, supported the bandh and now the state government should open the temple for darshan of general devotees otherwise the Panda Samaj would compel to intensify the agitation,” he said.
Though the Panda Samaj did not force any establishment to shut down, it was a spontaneous bandh near the temple area. On eve of the bandh, Panda Samaj had taken out a torchlight procession on Sunday evening in the city for the support of the general public.
