Cool spots cut off during bandh

While most of Delhi suffered because of road blocks and unreliable transport during the shutdown on Thursday, Delhi University students had a different kind of problem on their hands.

While most of Delhi suffered because of road blocks and unreliable transport during the shutdown on Thursday, Delhi University students had a different kind of problem on their hands.

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The students, staying in the varsity hostels and rented accommodations outside DU, had no place to beat the heat and study for their semester exams.

“We usually go to one of the many restaurants in Kamla Nagar to study in an air-conditioned place. I don’t have an AC and the power cuts mean that I can't study at all in my room. I have an exam tomorrow and, because everything in the market is closed, I have no place to go and study,” said Mahima Jha, a Kanpur resident who lives in Kamla Nagar.

All eateries and hang-out joints in Kamla Nagar were closed on Thursday and those people who managed to open their shops for a while were bullied into pulling down their shutters.

“We were in a coffee shop in Kamla Nagar to eat and revise when two persons walked in and threatened to lock us in. They also threatened the owner, saying they would vandalise the shop. We were locked in for 15 minutes,” said Jennifer David, who lives in an apartment in Vijay Nagar.

Students in Kamla Nagar were not the only ones affected. Those who had come to the North Campus to attend the Open Day were also troubled by the bandh.

“My daughter and I were on our way from Gurgaon to the North Campus when she thought of eating something in Kamla Nagar. We, however, couldn't even get to drink a cup of coffee because of the bandh. We also failed to find a bottle of water,” said Shalini Jain, who had come to the Open Day to clear her doubts about the admission process.