A 12-hour dawn-to-dusk bandh call has brought Lanjigarh to a standstill today. Commencing at 6:00 AM, the strike has shuttered schools, colleges, government offices, and local markets. Protesters, dressed in symbolic black attire, intensified the agitation by locking the Biswanathpur Tehsil office as early as 4:00 AM.
The shutdown, organized by local residents to press for a charter of long-pending demands, saw demonstrators patrolling the streets to ensure total compliance. While commercial activities and public transport remained crippled, emergency services and hospitals were exempted from the strike's purview.
"We will not back down until our voices are heard and our demands are met," stated a lead protester. Authorities have deployed police personnel to maintain law and order, as the town remains under a blanket of silent protest until 6:00 PM.