A Political Encounter

On Saturday, we decided to go to a spa retreat outside of bangalore called Angsana. They have destinations all over the world . It was to be nice way to really relax,get a massage,swim etc... Staying in the center of Bangalore has been a bit overwhelming.

Hearing noises 24/7 takes a bit of getting used too. The sounds of cars, animals, people, horns,vegetable vendors, sirens is more than any city in the USA. Maya especially can’t get over the stray dog concerts that start at about midnight!

Unfortunately, one of the political parties decided to stage a state wide “Bandh” (pronounced bung). This is a form of protest used by political activists. Mobs of people, primarily men, gathered at major arteries and stand across roads. The objective is to block any type of vehicle from continuing on its journey! The protest was in response to the prosecution of a Chief Minister who partook in land scams.

My uncle was driving myself, Maya, my mother and father to the spa. Once we left the city proper we were stopped for the first time by a huge mass of bodies. He tried to argue his way through, utilizing my father’s age as an excuse. He explained to them that my father needed to get home for food and medication. As the argument got heated, the crowd began to grow around the car. People were peering inside and getting too close for comfort. Maya, myself and my mom became very worried and after much pleading, my uncle gave up the argument and turned the car around. In hindsight it was quite humorous to see and 81 year old and  75 year old man try to argue their way through a mob!

We made our way on some cow paths and ended up on the other side of the protest only to encounter another one! This time we drove directly to some more cow paths!

We eventually made it to the spa, but not in a relaxed state. Maya was able to swim but the spa treatments were all booked up. We sat outside in the quiet, had a very nice late lunch and coffee. Unfortunately we couldn’t leave until late, since the protest was going on “til 6:00 PM. It was an organized protest.

On the way home,there were police in busloads clearing up the streets. On the television that night we heard of many areas that experienced violent incidents and stone pelting of vehicles!

It was definitely an experience.