GUWAHATI, Jan 8 - The 24-hour nationwide general strike called by ten central trade unions affected normal life throughout Assam with several sectors witnessing a total shutdown, along with protest rallies and picketing across the State.
In the capital city Guwahati that had a mixed response to the strike, public transport and banking services were affected the most, and markets remained closed during most of the daytime. Attendance in government offices, however, was near normal and most of the employees came to their offices.
The 24-hour strike against the Union government�s anti-people policies as well as those on disinvestment, privatisation, labour reforms, etc., was supported in Assam mainly on the issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act which is being opposed spontaneously by majority of the people.
Rallies were taken out against the government�s bid to privatise NRL and NEEPCO, price rise and government policies supporting the corporate at the cost of welfare of workers and employees. The protesters also demanded repeal of the controversial CAA.
The protests mostly remained peaceful throughout the State and no untoward incident was reported. The strike also partially affected train services in the region.
In some of the places under Lumding and Alipurduar divisions of the Northeast Frontier Railway, protesters picketed on the railway tracks and at some places, a few trains were temporarily detained. �However, no trains were cancelled or short-terminated. Services are now normal,� said NF Railway PRO Nripen Bhattacharya.
�The CAA, which is unconstitutional and against the spirit of Indian democracy, was strongly opposed during the strike. Also, the spiralling prices of essential commodities, unemployment and fixing the daily wage of tea garden workers at Rs 351 were some of the main demands that drew spontaneous response to the general strike from all sections of the people,� said the Assam State Committee of the Centre of India Trade Unions.
The bandh had a total impact in the tea garden areas of the State with workers abandoning their work and joining the strike. �Rallies and protest meetings were organised in most of the tea gardens of upper Assam. Shops and other establishments in adjoining areas also remained shut,� said sources in the All Adivasi Students� Association of Assam.
Banking business throughout the northeastern region remained suspended as the bank employees observed the strike to protest against merger and privatisation of public sector banks. The bank employees� demands also included stringent action against wilful corporate defaulters and adequate recruitment in banks. The Bank Employees Federation (NE Region) stated here that the employees of RBI, NABARD and AGVB also joined the strike.
The All India Reserve Bank Employees Association and All India Reserve Bank Workers Federation representing the entire workman staff of RBI joined the strike in solidarity with the country�s working class. The grade III and grade IV employees of the RBI, Guwahati observed the strike that affected the functioning of the bank office here.
The All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) and United Workmen Union picketed in front of the Guwahati Refinery affecting the work of the refinery. Apart from disinvestment and price rise, the protesters also shouted slogans against the BJP-led Union government for weakening the roots of Indian democracy and adopting a tyrannical attitude. The attack on JNU students was also strongly criticised by the agitators.
