Bharat Bandh: Life partially hit in Assam; AIKS calls for 12-hr strike

Fourteen Opposition parties in the state, including Congress, All India United Democratic Front, Left parties and the newly formed Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad, have extended support to the strike

Updated on: Dec 8, 2020, 09:25:50 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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Normal life in several parts of Assam was affected partially on Tuesday morning due to the Bharat Bandh call by farmers’ organisations against the Centre’s alleged anti-farmer policies.

While the strike has been called from 11am to 3pm across the country, the state unit of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has appealed for a 12-hour strike, from 5am to 5pm.

There was much less traffic on the streets of Guwahati, the state’s biggest city, on Tuesday morning. Students who have examinations have been exempted from the strike and so have services like drinking water, milk supply and medical emergencies.

Fourteen Opposition parties in the state, including Congress, All India United Democratic Front, Left parties and the newly formed Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad, have extended support to the strike.

“If the agriculture sector goes into the hands of corporates, it can endanger the food security programme of the government. Farmers have not got their due for their produce,” the parties said in a joint statement issued on Sunday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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