The general strike called by the 10 central trade unions evoked partial response in Bengal with all establishments except a large portion of the banking sector and some industrial belts reporting near-normal business, sources said.
The Mamata Banerjee Government which had opposed the strike however claimed that the bandh call had failed to evoke any response in the State.
The supporters of Left trade unions like CITU and AITUC as also the students’ and youth wings of CPI(M) — and in some cases members of the Congress backed Indian Trade Union Congress — came face to face with the police even as they went about blocking roads and railway traffic in various parts of the State from Durgapur in West Burdwan, Lalgola in Murshidabad, Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas and Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas, Haldia in East Midnapore besides Konnagar in Hooghly and Domjur in Howrah districts.
The police and members of the Railway Protection Force had a trying time to clear the Railway tracks, sources said. Though the Left claimed that the banks were completely closed in many places the employees worked inside by keeping the main gates locked, sources said. Supporters of CPI(M) students’ arm Students Federation of India (SFI) held protests outside the Calcutta University where students’ attendance was thin though teachers and other staff attended in full strength apparently following a previous order from the State Government asking all employees to report for work or face disciplinary action. “We have reported for work as we were forced to come by the State Government which had warned breakage in service,” said a section officer at State secretariat Nabanna, adding “despite near-full attendance very few files moved.”
Back in North Bengal CPI(M) supporters blocked traffic at various places from Malda in the north Dinajpur and Alipurduar and were prevented by the police from doing so. A number of agitators were arrested and later released police said. Government transport services, particularly in South Bengal were largely affected, sources said adding in many cases the staff would not turn up for work. The strike evoked a good response in the tea gardens as also the industrial belts and coal mines around Asansol and Durgapur region, sources said.
Back in Kolkata CPI(M) supporters burnt tyres in support of the strike at Jadavpur. While attendance in Jadavpur University was thin the members of SFI engaged in a scuffle with the police outside the Calcutta University in their bid to close the campus. Some SFI members were arrested in the act” sources said.
The traffic in Kolkata was near normal with the exception of some Government transport which plied far and few between” sources said.
The private transport was almost normal, sources said.
In some places like Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas the members of the Trinamool Congress descended on the streets and assaulted the strikers with police joining them in the act. The railway service was near normal though some trains including those running in the south suburban area and Howrah route plied a tad late.
When asked about the success of the bandh CPI(M) State Secretary Md Salim said that it met with “overwhelming response”from the working classes despite the State Government’s coercive policies. “Banks, factories, shops and markets were closed in many places defying the diktats of Mamata Banerjee Government and the TMC goons,”Salim said wondering why the Bengal Chief Minister was trying to oppose the strike when it had been called against the polices of the Narendra Modi Government.
“That Mamata Banerjee used the entire administration to oppose the bandh, it proved her nexus with the BJP,”he said. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh however called the bandh a complete failure as “the people of Bengal have not only rejected the CPI(M) brining it down to a big zero but also its destructive policies, they ruined Bengal’s economy by indulging in the culture of bandh for three decades of their rule, now Mamata Banerjee is trying to revive the economy and they are trying to stop her from doing so.”