City residents had a nerve-racking experience on Wednesday as Trinamul Congress supporters put up road-blockades on 22 important crossings across the city during rush hour in protest against the Nandigram violence.Mamata had warned that it would be a "free for all". It was very nearly the same.
Each blockade lasted for fifteen minutes, but the combined effect threw traffic out of gear for hours. There were long jams at almost all crossings, with Diwali shoppers and office-goers equally harassed Trinamul supporters started blocking roads in the city from early morning. They even squatted on railway tracks. The effect of the blockades lasted till late evening. Three trains were cancelled in Sealdah North section.
Traffic was disrupted on all key roads in the city, including CR Avenue, BB Ganguly Street and SN Banerjee Road. Police arrested 27 protesters from near Writers' Buildings, 20 from Kidderpore and 11 from Raja Bazar area.
The condition in towns was just as bad. Trinamul and Naxalite outfits blocked national highways and stopped trains. Clashes erupted in a few towns between police and Trinamul men.
Source: The Times of India,8th Nov,2007
