Complete bandh in Kerala, J’khand; clashes in WB
The 24-hour-long protest has been called against the Central government’s economic policies and contentious farm laws
KOLKATA/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/RANCHI: The nationwide called by various trade unions in protest against the BJP-led NDA government’s economic policies, was near total in the Left-ruled Kerala, in some parts of West Bengal, where violence was also reported, and coal bearing areas of Jharkhand on Thursday with shops downing the shutters and most buses keeping away from roads. In West Bengal, bandh supporters clashed with the police in multiple places.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, KOLKATA, BHUBANESWAR, AGARTALA: The 24-hour-long nationwide strike called by various trade unions in protest against the Central government’s economic policies and contentious farm laws affected normal life in several states on Thursday.
In Kerala, business establishments downed their shutters and the state-owned KSRTC buses kept away from roads, even as the strike hit all major sectors, including government offices, banking and insurance.
All government offices and major business establishments remained closed across Kerala, the lone state in the country ruled by a Marxist government. Private buses, auto rickshaws and taxis kept off from the road while private vehicles could be seen plying everywhere.
Leaders and workers took part in the state level inauguration of the protest by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) at the Gandhi Park in Thiruvananthapuram, following social distancing.
Bandh supporters in West Bengal, mostly activists of CPI(M)- affiliated outfits like CITU and DYFI, took out rallies in Jadavpur, Garia, Kamalgazi, Lake Town and Dumdum areas in and around Kolkata, disrupting vehicular movement and asking shopkeepers to pull down the shutters of their establishments, an official said.
They picketed outside Howrah railway station, asking vehicle operators to stop services but a large police contingent was deployed to ensure normal plying of vehicles, he said.
Left activists blocked roads in Central Avenue, Hastings, Shyambazar and Moulali areas of Kolkata, the official said.
Protesters clashed with the police in Barasat in North 24 Parganas district, he said.
Bandh enforcers also blocked roads in Coochbehar and Jhargram districts, burning tyres and breaking the windscreen of buses, the official said. Suburban train services in the Sealdah division were affected as agitators blocked railway tracks at several stations, an Eastern Railway spokesperson said.
Bandh supporters obstructed tracks at Dakshin Barasat, Baharu, Dhakuria, Joynagar, Champahati, Subhasgram and Betberia Ghola stations in the south section and Ichapur, Palta, New Barrackpore, Barrackpore and Dumdum Cantonment stations in the main section, he said. Flight services at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here also have remained unaffected so far, an official said.
In Odisha, vehicular movement was disrupted as protesters staged a road blockade in different places including state capital Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Berhampur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Khurda, Rayagada and Paradip to enforce the day-long strike that began at 6 am. The protesters, holding placards and banners, took out rallies and held picketing and demonstrations in different areas of the state asking business establishments to down their shutters.
Buses, trucks and other vehicles were stranded on highways and other roads in different places as the strike supporters staged demonstrations and road blockade.
In Bhubaneswar, the agitators held road blockade in some places including Acharya Vihar square preventing movement of vehicles, while many protesters staged picketing near the regional office of the Reserve Bank of India and other central government establishments.
Shouting slogans against the Centre’s economic policies, they demanded immediate steps for withdrawal of “antifarmer” and “anti-worker” laws and measures and privatisation of public sector units.
The agitators also demanded a halt to measures towards corporatisation of governmentrun manufacturing units as well as service entities like railways, ordnance factories and ports.
The strike remained peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the state, a senior police officer said.
In the state capital, necessary security arrangements including deployment of forces have been made in view of the strike, DCP Umashankar Dash said.
The strike call was followed in the north-eastern state of Tripura as well, as most shops and markets were closed and movement of vehicles was thin.
Government offices and banks were open, officials said, adding that attendance in the Civil Secretariat and government offices was normal.
Police officials said that there were no reports of any violence in the state. Flight services at Maharaja Birbikram Airport was unaffected by the strike so far, an official said.
ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICES AND MAJOR BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS REMAINED CLOSED ACROSS KERALA, THE LONE STATE IN THE COUNTRY RULED BY A MARXIST GOVERNMENT