Day-long strike paralyses nation; Transport, banking worst affected

New Delhi, Dec 14 (UNI) Normal life in several parts of the country, particularly in the Left ruled states, was affected today as the trade unions affiliated to the Left parties went on a 24-hour strike to protest against the economic and industrial policies of the UPA government.

Rail, banking and insurance services were the worst-hit with more than 50 million people across the sectors including those in the pharmaceutical and retail businesses partcipating in the general strike.

In some parts, small shopkeepers also joined the protest against the government's decision to allow FDI in the single band retail sector.

Even as the strike evoked a mixed response in the northern parts of the country including the national capital, the red region of West Bengal remained virtually cut-off from the rest of the nation.

The state remained isolated by road, rail and air as all modes of transport were immobilised, prohibiting anybody to leave or arrive.

Factory gates remained closed in the industrial areas of Barrackpore, Durgapur and Hooghly, while farmers and agricultural workers also stayed away from the fields.

Claiming that the strike was ''total and spontaneous'', CITU state president Shyamal Charkaborty said employees and workers in the state and Central Government offices, banks, insurance companies, factories, coal mines, tea gardens, railways, airports and ports took part in it.

''It was a spontaneous strike. All sections of working people participated in it and no force was used, '' he said.

Mr Chakraborty, however, admitted that the working in the IT hub in the city's Salt Lake Sector Five was ''apparently normal'' with offices making arrangements for overnight stay of their employees.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharrjee also said that functioning of the state's IT industry was ''more than normal'' as employees participated in work.

Industry body Assocham estimated the losses to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore on account of the 'Bandh' in Kerala and West Bengal.

''The nation has not only suffered a loss of hundreds of crores because of the strike but has given wrong signal at the juncture when the economy is on a growing path,'' it said.

Postal services throughout the nation remained paralysed while the operations in as many as 39 Ordnance factories and coal mines remained closed, CITU chief M K Pandhe said quoting initial reports from various parts of the country.

While 30 lakh organised workers and lakhs of unorganised workers partcipated in the strike in Andhra Pradesh, more than 25,000 people, mostly volunteers of the Left parties were arrested when they attempted to stage demonstrations and block traffic in various parts of the state.

In Chennai, more than 5,000 people, including 748 women, were arrested when they tried to stage demonstrations and block traffic, defying prohibitory orders in different parts. Communist Party of India (Marxist) Legislator G Magendiran was among those arrested in the city.

A report from Ludhiana said road traffic was affected from 1200 hours to 1400 hours in the state. Protestors squatted on NH-I and other highways and as a result, traffic to New Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Ferozpur remained suspended for two hours.

In the Union Territory of Chandigarh, daily commuters faced many problems as the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) remained off the road till 1400 hours No untowardly incident has, however, been reported following contingency measures by the state governments.

The left leaders said million people joined the general strike.

The Left had called the strike to press the government to accept its 16-point charter of demands, including comprehensive legislation for the unorganised sector workers and a ban on outsourcing of jobs among others.

The demands also include a legislation to protect 370 million people in the unorganised sector, checking violation of labour laws and stopping the move to disinvest profit-making PSUs.

The RSS-backed Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and the Congress affiliated Indian National Trade Union Congress refused to join the strike.

UNI TEAM CS RAI1814