The Bharat Bandh called by the joint platform of 10 central trade unions on Wednesday had a partial impact in Chennai and across Tamil Nadu, with public transport disrupted in many districts.
Photo: IANS
The Bharat Bandh called by the joint platform of 10 central trade unions on Wednesday had a partial impact in Chennai and across Tamil Nadu, with public transport disrupted in many districts.
The bandh was largely incident-free, barring minor incidents where police used force on workers and Left party activists demonstrating peacefully in Ramanthapuram and Villupuram. CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugham condemned the police’s high-handedness and demanded that the government take action against them.
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Demonstrations were held at all district headquarters and towns, with substantial participation from all trade unions, except the AIADMK-led Anna Thozhir Sangam (ATS), the RSS-backed BMS, and those affiliated with other NDA constituents like the PMK, who stayed away from the general strike.
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The ATS accused the trade unions that called the bandh of failing to raise issues concerning workers under the DMK government in the state. “While they are ready to protest against the Union government, they remain silent on the anti-labour actions and policies of the DMK government,” ATS general secretary R Kamalakannan said.
However, the Left parties, the DMK, and other INDIA bloc constituents claimed that the bandh was a huge success, with employees in Central Public Sector Undertakings, including banks and insurance companies, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd in Trichy, bringing normal work to a grinding halt.
Routine life in Chennai remained largely unaffected, although only a few city buses operated, with commuters opting for cabs and share-autos. Normalcy returned by evening.
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