The bandh was called by the Banderdewa Circle Intellectual Forum in protest against shifting of the site of the greenfield airport from Karsingsa to Hollongi near Itanagar. This is the third call given by the organization on the issue. There was no report of any untoward incident from any part of the bandh-affected areas.
Shops, markets, banks, post offices and educational institutions downed their shutters and there was no movement of vehicles on the roads. Attendance in government offices was also very thin.
Police and district administration had earlier made elaborate arrangements for office-goers besides declaring the bandh “illegal”.
Superintendent of Police (Capital Complex) Hibu Tamang said that over 800 personnel of the State police and para-military forces have been deployed in all vulnerable areas in the capital to prevent occurrence of any untoward incident. Barring some stray incidents of stone pelting by bandh supporters, there was no major problem.
The Forum has demanded for immediate halt to all official procedures for construction of the airport at Hollongi besides cancellation of all official formalities including reports of the AAI technical committee on non-feasibility of construction of the airport at Karsingsa site.
The Forum last month also called a 12-hour capital bandh.