Founded: March 15 2002
Last updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2002

Demonstration and Dharna By Bodhgaya Shopkeepers
Gaya Office, Gaya 19 September. The Bodhgaya Branch of the District-Footpath-Shopkeeper-Barrow-Hawker Union in pursuit of its demands has been on a group Dharna and hunger strike which is entering its third day today. The Chairmanship of the Dharna was performed by Shakeel Akhtar. Whilst Radhamohan Singh, Bhupendra Kumar, Pusphakar Kumar Singh, Krishna Chaudri and Deepak Kumar also addressed the Dharna.

Hindustan, Patna Edition, Sunday, 20th September 1998, p. 3.

Context
In preparation for the ‘Buddhist Festival’ held from the 4th to the 12th of November 1998 in Bodh Gaya the administration carried out a program of beautification of the central area in front of the main temple. This involved turning the road in that area into a pedestrian precinct. This had a number of benefits, in particular the noise and chaos of the bus and auto-rickshaw stand was removed to a greater distance from the temple compound. Unfortunately it also led to the removal of the fruit and vegetable market which had formerly been on the road in this area and displaced around 150 or more small shops and businesses. Local business people protested against this 'beautification' program by staging a sit down protest, a Dharna, and demonstrations outside the offices of the temple management committee.

 

 

Texts and Translations © Peter G. Friedlander unless otherwise indicated.