The Wave Andaman said it will lodge a formal police complaint after several commercial hoardings across South Andaman were vandalised overnight in connection with the February 16 bandh call, including a paid advertising display belonging to SearchAndaman.in, a sister concern of The Wave Andaman group.
According to The Wave Andaman, unidentified persons tore down multiple privately installed advertising hoardings during the night and replaced them with posters supporting the bandh. One of the affected structures was the SearchAndaman.in hoarding, for which full commercial display charges had already been paid for the entire month. The organisation said the hoarding was removed without its knowledge or consent in the dead of the night, amounting to theft and destruction of private property.
The Wave Andaman said it will be lodging a complaint against unknown persons and has urged the police and the administration to immediately examine CCTV footage and undertake video surveillance checks in the affected areas to identify those responsible. The publication said the incident reflects a serious lapse in protection of private assets and has called for swift action to restore confidence among businesses and advertisers.
Inputs received by The Wave Andaman indicate that the vandalism was not limited to a single location. Several other hoardings in commercial areas, including around Golghar Chowk, were also reportedly damaged or replaced with bandh posters. Local traders and advertising operators suggested that the scale and pattern of the damage indicates coordinated action rather than isolated mischief.
The Wave Andaman stated that while peaceful protest is a democratic right, destruction of private property cannot be justified under any circumstances. It added that maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the authorities and that the police must explain how such incidents occurred despite prior knowledge of the bandh call.
The bandh has been called by certain political and student-linked groups protesting the proposed transition of higher educational institutions in the islands from affiliation with Pondicherry University to a deemed-to-be university framework. The issue has triggered demonstrations in recent days, even as the administration has appealed for calm and urged that protests remain peaceful.
The Wave Andaman said it will pursue the matter until those responsible are identified and action is taken, stressing that businesses, advertisers, and citizens must not be made to bear the cost of unlawful acts carried out under the cover of protest. It has also urged the administration to strengthen night patrolling and surveillance to prevent further incidents.
