THE call given by thirteen parties for a countrywide hartal against price rise on April 27 has met with a big response in most parts of the country.
The thirteen parties’ call was joined by other parties in the states.
The success of the hartal shows the anger and discontent among the people at the failure of the central government to check price rise.
There was a complete hartal in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Orissa, Kerala and Tripura. In Andhra Pradesh, there was a successful bandh all over the state with the strike being partial in Hyderabad. In Tamilnadu too there was a hartal all over the state with Chennai having a partial strike.
In West Bengal, there was a total stoppage of work and movement of traffic. In Uttar Pradesh, in all cities and towns, markets were closed and rail and road traffic were affected in many places. In Bihar there was a total hartal in all the districts. Rail and road traffic was disrupted due to rail roko and rasta roko. Markets, commercial establishments and educational institutions remained closed.
In Kerala, all shops and commercial establishments remained closed. Road and rail traffic were paralysed. In major cities and towns, LDF workers held demonstrations in support of the hartal.
In Tripura, there was a complete strike with all offices, markets and educational institutions being closed. All vehicular traffic also came to a halt.
In Maharashtra, all the districts observed rasta roko and rail roko for various periods.
In Jharkhand, markets were closed and rail and road traffic came to a halt. Several state government offices remained closed.
In Orissa, all central government offices, central public sector undertakings, banks, railways were paralysed. State government offices in many districts were also closed. Road and railway traffic was paralysed.
In Karnataka, more than 50,000 people protested against price rise in Bengaluru and the strike was a success in other districts. In Madhya Pradesh, there was hartal in Gwalior, Moreina, Shivni, Bind, Rewa, Singrauli and Indore.
In Himachal Pradesh, markets remained closed in Shimla and rasta roko was observed in various parts of the state.
In Chattisgarh, there was hartal in the state capital Raipur. Shops, commercial establishments, hotels and the main markets remained closed. In many parts of the state, rasta roko and rail roko was also observed.
In Punjab, there was rasta roko in twenty places in the state. In Haryana, in all towns, there was hartal with markets remaining closed.
In Delhi, there was a strike in many industrial areas by the workers. There was rasta roko and picketing in 25 spots in the city, Ghaziabad, and Noida.
Source: People’s Democracy dated 02-05-2010 (www.pd.cpim.org)
