Agartala: A partial impact on the Bharat bandh called by the 10 trade unions was felt across the state since morning as most of the office, schools, banks and shops remained closed on Wednesday.
Speaking with reporters, CPI-M West district secretary, Pabitra Kar, said, “We did not have to do any picketing. People themselves have come down in support of the strike called across the state. The School teachers were warned to remain present in the school but not a single student was present in class.”
“The support of the people shows how much they hate the government. The Biplab Deb-led BJP government has attacked the trade union office in Narsingarh and they have vandalized the East Agartala Local committee office in Dhaleshwar,” Kar said.
The opposition leaders and former chief minister Manik Sarkar was also seen riding a bike as pillion rider as on his way to Dhalwshwar local party office which was vandalised by some miscreants in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Sadar BJP president, Dr Alok Bhattacharjee, said the people have rejected the bandh and the schools, markets are running smoothly.
“This is an attempt to stop the development in the state and people reject this move of the opposition. By obstructing the movement and life of the people they cannot make this a successful Bharat Bandh. We the BJP and the common people condemn this act of the opposition,” Bhattacherjee said.
Ten central trade unions have called for Bharat Bandh, a nationwide strike against the government’s disinvestment, privatisation and labour reform policies.
According to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), which is affiliated to the CPI-M, over 25 crore workers will participate in the nationwide strike. The strike has hit banking sectors, including ATM services, as bank unions have asked their employees to boycott their work.
The Bharat Bandh 2020 has been called on 12-point charter of demands, which include central government’s recent banking reforms and policies, raise in the minimum wage to Rs 21,000-Rs 24,000 per month, stopping the privatisation of public sector undertakings, and the repeal of the Citizens Amendment Act, National Register for Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).
The trade unions in Tripura highlighted a 12-point charter of demands including protest against CAA, NRC and NPR. The divisional committees of CPIM had organized rallies in different parts of the state prior to this general strike.
Meanwhile, the state government in a notification from the general administration department informed all government employees to perform their duties as usual on the strike day. The government undertakings and organizations under the state government should function normally on the day of the general strike and also all government employees and employees of all such undertakings and organizations should perform their duties as usual on that day.
“Any violation of the above instructions by the government employees and employees of all such undertakings, organizations will be viewed seriously. All additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, secretaries, special secretaries and heads of departments are requested to bring this instruction to the notice of all employees under their administrative control. A report regarding attendance in different offices, undertaking, organizations on the day of the general strike should be sent to the general administration (AR) department by 12.00 noon on January 08, 2020 positively. The director general of police is requested to make law and order arrangements on the day of the general strike i.e. tomorrow in all Government Offices and Government undertaking, Organizations premises,” the memorandum reads.
