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Bharat Bandh has little impact in city
Naresh Kamath
Naresh Kamath
Mumbai
The Bharat Bandh called by workers’ unions did not affect the city much on Wednesday. Except nationalised banks, insurance companies, manufacturing units and some public sector units, the city did not face any shutdown.
The all-India strike was organised by various trade unions to protest against the labour policies being adopted by the Narendra Modi-led Central Government. Trains and buses, along with taxis and rickshaws, functioned normally throughout the day. Thousands of workers gathered at Azad Maidan in solidarity with the unions. Demonstrations were also held at Lalbaug, Mahul, Andheri and Vile Parle.
Vishwas Utagi, co-convenor, Trade Unions Joint Action Committee (Maharashtra), which organised the strike, said, “We were clear that we will not organise a rasta roko or use force to shut shops. We wanted people to voluntarily participate in this agitation and they did.”
The unions held peaceful demonstrations, even as the police force was out in full force to prevent any untoward incident.
The Bharat Petroleum Refinery employees shut down their establishments at Sewri, Wadi Bunder and Uran. Pandurang Tikam, president, Petroleum Worksmen Union, said that refinery workers also protested against the government’s move of strategic disinvestment from Bharat Petroleum. “It is a question of our livelihood,” said Tikam.
Both the railways and bus employees supported the strike, but did not participate as these services fall under the Essential Services and Maintenance Act (ESMA).
Schools and colleges remained open as per their schedule. “We are not affected as all our teachers turned up to work,” said the principal of a school in Vile Parle
Anil Garg, president of the school bus owners association, said buses were plying as usual.
Colleges, too, remained unaffected. Teachers affiliated to the Bombay University and College Teachers’ Union (BUCTU) and Maharashtra Federation of University and College Teacher’s organisations (MFUCTO) wore black badges. A school in Ghatkopar said its secondary section did not have any teachers working on Wednesday. “Our senior students managed classes like they do on Teachers’ Day, but we kept the school open,” said an official from the school.
