The anti-reservation bandh across the country did have an impact in a few districts of Odisha like Bolangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi and Dhenkanal districts on Tuesday.

No major untoward incident was reported in the state baring stone pelting by rival groups at a place in Nuapada district. Elsewhere in the state, the supporters of the bandh resorted to rasta roko for a brief while and raised slogans against the quota system.

A report from Bolangir district said the bandh was successful as educational institutions, government and private establishment, business organisation and market remained closed. Goods carrier and bus service remain off the road fearing damage to vehicles.

For a while, train services were affected as some of the probandh activists squatted on the railway tracks at Bolangir. They were removed and train services resumed within half an hour. The state government had issued instructions to ensure that no violence takes place and adequate police arrangements made.

Tuesday’s bandh which is originated from a message circulating in social media as a counter-reaction to the Bharat Bandh organised by dalits recently.

Interestingly, no major organisation or political outfit was involved in the anti-quota bandh on Tuesday. Earlier in the day some hundreds of youth came out to street to mark their grievance against cast base reservation system.

They carried placards in support of equality and merit. They did picketing in front of various office and squatted on dharana before collectorate beside burning tyre to obstruct road.

“We demands reservation for economically backwards, disable person,family member of martyrs and not on caste basis,” said youth leader of Rudranarayan Sena narayana sena who had organised demonstration in front of collector building.

A report from Kalahandi district said the bandh by anti-quota activists evoked mixed response in the district. Several places under Dharamgarh Sub division of the district like in Junagarh, Dharamgarh, Kalampur, Jaipatna, Mathura, Koksara, Bijmara there was total bandh.

Traffic on NH- 26 was disrupted due to road blockade in several places. There was no movement of truck, buses and other 4 wheelers and shops and business establishments remained closed. No untoward incident was reported.

The bandh however did not have any impact in Bhawanipatna. At the state capital Bhubaneswar, there was no sign of any bandh on Tuesday. The morning movement of passenger buses in and out of the state capital was thin but it picked up.

Office, business establishments functioned normal. There was a negligible response in some of the other districts like Mayurbhanj and Dhenkanal while the industrial belt of Angul, Sundergarh, Paradip remained unaffected. Police had been deployed at various points in the town area of different districts to keep strict vigil.

Incidentally, caste politics has never been a factor in Odisha till date, though during the anti-Mandal agitation there was violence by the student community.