More than 18 crore workers from at least 10 central Left-affiliated trade unions (CTUs) (except BJP-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh) participated in the ‘Bharat bandh’ on Friday. The trade unions are joined by five bank unions who are protesting against government’s new labour and investment policies.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had on Tuesday announced that the government will release state employees’ bonuses for the last two years, and increase minimum wages for unskilled labourers, reports NDTV.
According to a report by Indian Express, essential services such as banking, public transport and telecom have been hit.
However, in Mumbai, it was business as usual for public transport as the suburban trains, autorickshaws, taxis and city buses continued to operate normally, without affecting the daily schedule of lakhs of commuters of the city and its suburbs.
In Kerala, shops and establishments were shut and public transport vehicles stayed off roads.
There were some angry reactions in the public:
@karthikganpathy #BharatBandh what profit. Nobody gains from a bandh. Only losses from the violence and loss of productivity.
— Tapas Kar (@seektk) September 2, 2016
No need to pay extra attention to #BharatBandh – where ‘Bandh’ is just surname!
— Jigar Pandya (@JigarPandyaa) September 2, 2016
Today we need #Bharat Banao rather than #BharatBandh . We have lost decades in corruption and such strikes, it is time we build Bharat again
— Truth Prevails (@Anurag4Bharat) September 2, 2016
However, some seemed rather happy about the mega strike:
Here are some happy reactions:
HaPpY #BharatBandh There is no traffic, No Jam. Reached at hospital in 20 minutes.
— Vivek shivran (@VivekShivran) September 2, 2016
It just took 15 min to travel from Koramanagala to Mg Road which earlier used to take 50 min. They should do it regularly. #BharatBandh
— Abhinav Prashant (@abhinavprashan) September 2, 2016
#BharatBandh Thanks to the Bandh, my history exam got postponed!!!
— Vikhyathraj Shetty K (@VikhyathrajK) September 2, 2016
And then some funny reactions:
#BharatBandh Trade union strike in faridabad.. teen patti ki bazi haq ki ladai par bhari pad rahi hai😂😂 pic.twitter.com/g4PGv8f6jc
— Dr piyush pandey (@DocPiyush4) September 2, 2016
जब तक ये तस्वीर ट्वीट नहीं होती #BharatBandh की कोई इफेक्ट नहीं होगी 😂 pic.twitter.com/95jXZVTl5D
— lagharvagharamdavadi (@vlvareloaded) September 2, 2016
Real #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/QfXh7Go5jw
— Sir Jadeja (@SirZadeja) September 2, 2016
(Feature image source: Twitter| Indiacom)
(With inputs from PTI)