Bangalore, March 30 (IANS) With the ‘mother of all battles’ between India and Pakistan underway at Mohali, this tech hub shut early Wednesday evening to watch the action live on TV.
Thousands of office-goers and commuters rushed home, leaving thoroughfares across the city deserted.
‘The traffic movement in the central business district is only 25 percent of what it is during the evening peak hour on a working day,’ a senior police official told IANS.
‘We were expecting this as everybody rushed home early to watch the match live,’ he said.
Though no holiday was declared in IT or other private firms, hundreds of employees were allowed to leave early to catch up with the do-or-die encounter for both India and Pakistan in the World Cup.
The excitement mounted as India chose to bat first.
‘I am lucky to get relieved early. My boss too was keen to go home and watch the match. Many staff on the first shift (till 3 p.m.) were allowed to leave an hour early,’ Ganesh Subramaniam, a junior executive in a logistics firm, said.
Hundreds of constables heaved a sigh as the usual chaotic jams and grid locks were conspicuously absent at traffic signals and junctions.
State-run BMTC buses were plying near empty in contrast to the overflowing rush of commuters.
Similarly, hundreds of autos remained in the parking bays with not many customers coming their way.
In the otherwise busy markets and shopping malls, business was dull with minimum footfall.
The cricket frenzy caught up with even politicians and lawmakers.
Chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa took time off from his busy schedule to watch the match live at home in the company of family members.
Leaders of the opposition Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), including former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and state Congress president G. Parameshwar, however, were away from the city on poll campaign till late evening in the three assembly segments where by-election is due April 9.
Hundreds of government employees also left Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, two hours earlier.
The city’s several pubs, restaurants and star hotels reported unusual rush, with hundreds of customers making a beeline for quick drinks and dinner as many outlets had arranged special live coverage of the match on big screens.
Hundreds of students appearing for pre-university college and Class 10 exams had a tough time concentrating on their study.
Some of them decided to take a break and got glued to the television set.
