Bandh halts life in Arunachal Pradesh

Life came to a grinding halt on Friday in Arunachal Pradesh following a 24-hour state-wide bandh called by the All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union.

The bandh which began at 0500 hours remained peaceful throughout the state barring a few incidents of stone pelting by bandh activists at Naharlagun here, SP Hibu Tamang said.

All business establishments, educational institutions, private and central government offices remained closed. Attendance in state government offices remained thin.

All sorts of private and public vehicles remained off the road except a few state transport buses seen plying in the road with police escorts.

According to reports, the bandh was total in other parts of the state without any incidents of violence.

The AAPSU called the bandh in protest against the state government's failure to fulfill its five-point charter of demands including publication of a white paper on the state's financial position by the government.

The other demands were improvement in the law and order situation, appointment of an independent home minister, early solution to the decades-old border row between Arunachal and Assam and an early settlement of Chakma and Hajong refugee issue.