Punjab School Holiday: Punjab schools to close on August 9 amidst bandh call by Dalit and Christian communities

Punjab School Holiday: The Punjabi Dalit and Christian communities have called for a bandh, and the state administration has decided to close all schools on August 9, 2023. This response joins the widespread demonstration against the mistreatment of women and ethnic violence in Manipur.

On August 9, a state-wide bandh will be organised by the Christian and Dalit communities to draw attention to these pressing problems.

The Christian Brotherhood publicly announced the Punjab bandh at a news conference they conducted at the Jalandhar news Club in order to raise awareness of their protest. Surjit Thapar, the president of the Manipur Insaaf Morcha, described the strategy and said that the movement in the state would be paused on August 9 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The state government has decided to keep schools closed on the designated day due to the possibility of disruption and to protect children’s safety. The choice attempts to stop any undesirable situations and safeguard the students’ safety.

Punjab School Holiday: Reason

The underlying reason for this demonstration is a disturbing occurrence that was made public via a video that was shot on May 4. The shocking event, which caused considerable national indignation, showed two ladies from different communities in Manipur being paraded naked by a group of men.

The bandh campaign is a reaction to the May 3 outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur, which is part of a bigger, continuing problem. The violence happened after hill districts organised a “Tribal Solidarity March” to protest the Meitei community’s request for Scheduled Tribe (ST) designation. The appeal for a bandh resonates as a powerful demand for justice and awareness in light of the more than 160 lives lost and numerous injuries.