Lawyers for Jantar Mantar-like ground in Guwahati

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 8: Most of agitations like strike, dhar, bandh, fast etc., are mostly for seeking demands for the welfare of the public. However, the public have to face a harrowing time due to traffic srls and other problems when there are such agitations in Guwahati. In order to put an end to such a situation in Guwahati, the Lawyers’ Association, Guwahati (LAG) has moved the State Government with a proposal to fix a particular location or filed in the city in line with Jantar Mantar in Delhi, for staging such agitations.

Addressing the press at its office in the city today, LAG president Sailendra Das and general secretary Benudhar th said: “Agitations are meant for the welfare of the public. However, as often as not, most of such agitations harass the common public. Every citizen in India has the freedom of speech, and as such everybody can raise his/her protest against any decisions taken by the Government. There various organizations and parties in the State that raise protest against the government on its various decisions and steps. We have nothing to say in this matter. However, what we want to bring home is: most of such agitations are called from 10 am to 12 noon when there’re heavy rush of vehicles and people everywhere in the city. City roads teem with vehicles, nose to tail, during this period due to school and office goers, vehicles meant to take them to their destitions and the like. Apart from city dwellers, people from other districts of the State and elsewhere in the country also come to Guwahati for one or the other reasons. The Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) being the major hospital in Assam and most of other medical institutions also being located in Guwahati, the rush of patients in the city is too heavy. In such a situation when any procession is taken out in the city, traffic jams in the already congested city roads are very common, leading to harassment to the common people.”

“In Delhi there’s Jantar Mantar for staging such protests. In Guwahati also there are such fields at Khapara, Bhartalumukh, Chandmari, Geetagar, Maligaon, Boripara etc. Such agitations can be staged there without creating any problems for the commoners. People from the State administration who are supposed to listen to the demands of the agitators or to receive their memoranda can go to the spots. This is just an appeal from our end so as to put an end to the congestions in the city roads. When there is dhar there’s not much problems. However, when there are processions traffic jams for hours together are certain. Sometimes life comes to a standstill in the city,” they said.

The two LAG leaders further said: “We laud the step taken by Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal to shrink his convoy, a step that is set to ease traffic congestion to an extent. Going in the same line, we also appeal to various organizations and parties in the State to minimise traffic congestions in the city to the extent possible. The organizations should see reason in the fact that their demands never lose their importance if a dhar is not staged on the road or roadside. We’re taken aback as to why the intellectuals in the State, who air their views on many issues, have missed this issue. We’re going to move the Kamrup(M) Deputy Commissioner with a memorandum on this issue. We’re also contemplating on filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in this regard in the Gauhati High Court.”