Shutter Down, Dhukaan (India) Bandh!

July 5th 2010, India shut down: India Bandh. And you know its pretty darn serious when #bandh is trending on Twitter. Now, this isn't the first time the country has shut down. In the past, the country has shut down for various reasons. This time, the country has come out and is protesting against the rising inflation in the country. Just like the rest of the world, inflation has hit double digits in India and with the deregulation of oil, fuel prices have hit an all time high. So of course, the opposition party has come out in favor of the "aam aadmi" (average person) claiming to be their voice. In turn this means, the country comes to a halt. To those who decide that they would like to boycott the bandh, you basically put yourself in danger. Cab drivers have seen their tires punctured and a number of protests have broken out all over the country. But those are just the logistics. Is this an achievement?

I sit on the fence with this one which is rather odd especially since I always take a firm stand on every subject. So this may not be a completely awesome achievement but technically speaking, this demonstrates the need for serious change -- that I keep howling about nonstop. However, for some reason, it also manages to instill fear into its citizens who from some reason stay home when the country shuts down. Is it fear or camaraderie? Who knows. And the amount of chaos this causes in the country is numerous. It not only forces businesses to shut down but prevents the common man from going on with its regular life. The country will suffer monetarily in millions. Is it worth it?

What the country requires is a serious revolution. This is merely a small trailer into what can change the country.Will it have any effect? I honestly doubt it. Tomorrow India will awake to no change. Fuel prices will be same and so will the price of your regular amenities. Bandh or open, it will take more than a mere shut down to make a difference and it will require the entire country to change India. As UTV said, "I Change. India Changes."