Shimla: In protest of a cow slaughter at a village in Nerwa on Thursday, right wing organizations with support of BJP and VHP enforced a complete half day bandh in the city that passed off without any untoward incident.
Shops on The Mall, the city’s main shopping street had their shutters down till 2 pm. Other markets in the city also followed suit. Later the shops opened up and the evening had normal shopping hours for the weekend crowds.
District magistrate, JS Rana said that the 
bandh passed of peacefully and there was no untoward incident.
Traders along with DRM, VHP members took out a procession and demanded stern action against those responsible for the cow slaughter. They were also demanding a complete ban on cow slaughter in the state. After the procession, the agitators held a demonstration at Sher-e-Punjab Hotel, close to The Mall road.
Meanwhile district police superintendent RM Sharma who is camping in Nerwa, which saw a flare of communal violence on Friday when an unruly mob burnt down two structures of the minority community said “the situation in Nerwa was fast returning to normal.â€
Chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who is out of the country, has appealed for maintaining peace and communal harmony. He has asked the administration to ensure the property and lives of all.
On the other hand Communist Party of India (Marxists) have deplored the right wing forces for perpetrating communal violence in Nerwa. Tikender Panwar, member state secretariat CPI(M) held that the government did intervene in time to prevent violence and vandalism in Nerwa on Friday, when the administration was aware of the tension because of the cow slaughter incident on Thursday.
The state does not have a history of communal violence, said Panwar, and the government must act in an impartial manner to book those responsible for the violence in Nerwa.
Dharam Raksha Manch,a umbrella body of 50 Hindu organisaton, to protest against “cow Salughter” at Nerwa,in Chopal Sub-division of Shimla.
Photos by Amit Kanwar
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
The tendency amongst the farmers now a days is the `cow’ is mine as long as she gives milk, the day she becomes unable to produce milk, the cow becomes nobody’s property and keeps on wandering on roads in search of food. Then these Cow bachao walas want taxpayers to pay for her survival this animal – why should I as a taxpayer, pay for this? One just have to look on the roads how the starving cows are wandering and damaging crops/ghasanis – who is responsible for this loss? If the VHP is so much in love with cow, why doesn’t it take care of all these cows and save everyone – the shading of crocodile tears after a cow is found dead is of no use. If the VHPwalas are so much in love with cows, I request them to spend money from their own pocket and look after them otherwise don’t shade tears.