SILCHAR, Sept 7: The dawn to dusk bandh, called by Left Democratic Front and supported by peasantry, youth and women sister bodies, was total in Barak Valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi.
According to Rafique Ahmed, CPI leader, hundreds of activists across the valley
picketing before the central and state establishments courted arrests. Reports from the three districts say that all the schools and colleges as well as other educational institutions were closed. Functioning of government offices were paralyzed.
Banks and commercial establishments, shops and business houses downed their shutters. All sorts of vehicles were off the roads. Train movement inside the valley and beyond came to a standstill. Air services too were disturbed. The bandh was called by left and
democratic trade unions in protest against the anti people policies of the UPA government and the failure of the state governments to address itself seriously to the burning issues of price rise, mounting corruption, faulty implementation of welfare schemes and projects.
The strike was also to express the dissatisfaction of working class people against the failure of the government to provide social security to workers of unorganized sectors, implementation of labour laws as well as non declaration of economic packages for industries affected by global recession. (The Sentinel)