President Ram Nath Kovind is in Assam on a three-day visit, and he is visiting key places there. On Saturday, on his way to Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, a sixty 60 year man was run over by a government escort vehicle that was following President’s convoy. Many were stranded on roads for several hours due to traffic blockades.
It’s 5 pm. Since noon, we have been stranded at a bypass near Uriagaon in Nagaon district of Assam. Myself and many other co-passengers who have set out from Guwahati on public transport to different destinations-home, offices, schools, hospitals, to name a few. Many others who have been there before us said that the roadblock is from 5 am.
No, it’s not a Path Bandh or Assam Bandh announced by any organizations in a protest that the CM Biswa Sarma often complains of hurting the Assam economy. It’s neither an accident nor a disaster that has damaged the road.
A middle-aged man appears distressed. Over the phone he is heard informing perhaps someone in his family “President has come to Tezpur” uttering a cuss word. “and therefore the Police are not allowing us to pass. It could be night. You people do not wait for me if I don’t show up on time”.
President Kovind, along with the first lady, is on three days tour to Assam during which he would visit different important places in Assam. Kamakhya Temple, Convocation at Tezpur University, and the Kaziranga National Park.
Suddenly a commotion is heard at the crossroad. A lorry carrying rice bags hurriedly attempts to pass the intersection evading the police blockade. The shopkeeper of a nearby tea stall says. “The President is not going to come through a rural road through Rupahi; they could have allowed that to pass. See now they will run after that lorry to make money”. Three-four policemen hurriedly jump in a Tata Sumo and start following the lorry. “It’s their day”, he said.
Another female shopkeeper was heard saying that the police personnel stationed there had dragged a driver from a stall and canned him, for he stopped his vehicle ahead of the assigned mark to eat at a roadside Dhaba.
One fellow traveller who is supposed to visit a doctor at Tezpur and since has been waiting laments, “ They should not make us suffer this way! ”
A few months back, a video of Assam CM went viral in which he was seen rebuking the DC of Nagaon publicly for the latter jammed the Nagaon road for the CM to pass. “Am I a King? How dare you do this? You shouldn’t have done this. Dhuttt !!!!” he scolds the DC. Many have lauded him as a people’s leader whose heart beats for them. People thought that the CM had set a good precedent when there were many “VIPs” who did not care about the difficulties faced by ordinary people.
While people are seen rejoicing at the President’s visit to Assam, it turned out to be a day of suffering for many others. It costs us both in terms of money and time. A one hour journey becomes 6 hours. Those who couldn’t wait had to hire private vehicles to reach destinations on time, thus spending extra. There are students from places like Majuli who would not catch the ferry if they did not reach on time. Drivers of passenger-carrying vehicles expressed dissatisfaction for they have to suffer loss as they are made to sit idle for almost the whole day, which could have been otherwise productive.
As we wait, tired and exhausted without food and water, waiting for the imposed roadblock to be lifted, local media –Time 8 reports that one person was killed in Bokakhat by a speeding vehicle of the President’s convoy. Ordinary citizens have to endure the sufferings (sacrifices!) of a President’s visit to the periphery.
