ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

JMM strike hits life in south Bihar

Life was paralysed in 18 southern districts of Bihar and tension ran high following a 12-hour general strike called by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha today.

The strike was called in protest against the alleged delay in introducing a separate state bill in Parliament during the budget session and demanding immediate release of its chief, Shibu Soren, now in judicial custody.

All business establishments and markets remained closed, while vehicular traffic was thin, official sources here said.

Sporadic incidents were reported from several parts of the region. Backers of the strike also set off a dozen bombs in different areas.

The Central Coalfields Limited in Ranchi remained shut and strikers squatted before the office.

Meanwhile, JMM vice-president Suraj Mandal and senior leader Ramdayal Munda claimed support for the strike came spontaneously. They also accused the Bharitya Janata Party of politicising the region's age-old demand for statehood.

Tell us what you think of this report