ANSU bandh disrupted normal life across Arunachal Pradesh’s Itanagar Capital Region on Thursday as the All Nyishi Students’ Union enforced a 12-hour shutdown over education-related demands. The bandh began at 5 am and will continue until 5 pm.
The shutdown affected traffic in Itanagar, Naharlagun and nearby areas. Police, however, allowed vehicles carrying patients and people appearing for examinations to move. Security personnel also deployed across key locations to prevent clashes and maintain order.
The shutdown continued despite the district administration declaring it illegal and unlawful on September 23. The administration directed organisers and others not to enforce, support or participate in the bandh.
Police keep emergency routes open
The ANSU bandh restricted regular traffic, but police prioritised essential movement. Itanagar Capital Region Superintendent of Police Jummar Basar said officers would allow vehicles involved in medical emergencies and examinations to pass.
Police teams also monitored sensitive areas and urged people to maintain peace. Authorities warned against damaging public or private property during the shutdown.
Reports from the capital region indicated that bandh supporters stopped some vehicles at different points. Police subsequently focused on keeping essential traffic moving while managing the wider disruption.
Meanwhile, the district administration invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, before the bandh. Officials cited possible hardship for patients, daily-wage workers and businesses as well as concerns over public safety.
Administration asked union to withdraw bandh
The administration’s decision followed talks between government representatives and ANSU leaders. The district magistrate also instructed the police in Itanagar and Naharlagun to enforce the order and protect life and property.
Despite those instructions, ANSU proceeded with the shutdown on Thursday. The development has created a standoff between the administration’s order and the student organisation’s decision to press ahead with its demands.
ANSU bandh focuses on education demands
The ANSU bandh centres on demands related to education infrastructure in Nyishi-inhabited areas. The student organisation has demanded the renovation and upgradation of 56 identified schools.
ANSU submitted a representation to the Education Department and later issued a seven-day ultimatum. The union said the department had not provided a satisfactory response to its demands.
The organisation has also raised concerns over Toru Engineering College, Pakke-Kessang Special Needs School and the early advertisement of B.Ed courses at Neelam Taram Government College in Yachuli.
ANSU has called for concrete action on infrastructure, funding and other education-related issues. The government, meanwhile, has pointed to steps already under way.
Government presents action taken report
Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona met ANSU representatives on September 22 as the government tried to avert the bandh. During the meeting, the Education Department presented an action-taken report and explained measures taken on the issues raised by the union.
According to reports, the government said it had more than 200 school infrastructure proposals under process. It also said officials had taken up more than half of the schools identified by ANSU after verification.
However, the meeting failed to settle the dispute. ANSU maintained its position and went ahead with the planned shutdown.
Security forces monitor capital region
The ANSU bandh has prompted increased police deployment across the Itanagar Capital Region. Officers are monitoring sensitive points and working to keep emergency routes open while preventing confrontations.
The shutdown has also brought two competing concerns into focus. ANSU wants faster action on education infrastructure, while the administration has highlighted the disruption that a bandh can cause to residents, patients, workers and businesses.
For residents, access to hospitals and examination centres remains a priority. Police have therefore continued to facilitate essential movement despite the wider restrictions.
As the 12-hour ANSU bandh continues, the next focus will fall on talks between the government and the student organisation. A fresh dialogue could help address the outstanding education demands and ease the disruption across the capital region.
For now, traffic remains affected in parts of Itanagar and Naharlagun. Police continue to allow emergency and exam-related movement while monitoring the situation.