Clashes, rail blockades, and protests mark Bharat Bandh in Bengal over anti-worker, anti-farmer policies

United News of India

09-07-2025

Kolkata, July 9 (UNI) West Bengal witnessed widespread unrest today as Left parties and affiliated trade unions enforced a nationwide general strike across the state, protesting against what they termed as anti-worker and anti-farmer policies of the central government.
The bandh, which was part of a larger nationwide protest, led to significant disruption in public transport, clashes with police, and the detention of several protesters across districts.
From early morning, Left Front supporters hit the streets in large numbers, particularly in Kolkata and South Bengal districts, blocking railway tracks and attempting to shut down markets and offices. According to the police, 20 people have been arrested so far for destroying government property and breaking the law and order situation in the state.
Violent scuffles broke out at several locations, with the most high-profile incident taking place at Gangulibagan in Jadavpur, South Kolkata, where SFI's All India General Secretary Srijan Bhattacharya was allegedly injured during a confrontation with police.
According to party sources, Bhattacharya was dragged away from the protest site, his shirt torn in the melee. He later accused the police of manhandling him and slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for attempting to sabotage the strike to appease the BJP.
In response, TMC remained firm in its opposition to the bandh. The state government had earlier issued a notification mandating attendance in government offices and ordered all schools to remain open, indicating its intent to maintain normalcy.
In multiple areas, including Belgharia and Barrackpore in the North 24 Parganas district, Krishnanagar in the Nadia district, and Jadavpur, protesters blocked railway lines, forcing trains to a halt and causing major delays during peak office hours.
A similar disruption was reported at Talpur station in Tarakeshwar, where Left-affiliated agricultural workers obstructed the Arambagh-bound local train.
The unrest was not confined to Kolkata. In South Dinajpur's Buniadpur, tensions escalated when a local CPM leader, Majedur Rahman, was allegedly slapped by the Officer-in-Charge of Banshihari police station during a picketing protest.
Rahman was later detained, sparking angry demonstrations and fresh allegations of police excess and political vendetta. Left leaders decried the act as a 'blatant misuse of power' and threatened a larger statewide agitation.
The bandh was part of a coordinated nationwide strike involving more than 250 million workers, aimed at highlighting long-standing grievances, including price rises, erosion of labour rights, and declining rural employment opportunities like MGNREGA.
Speaking to the media, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) General Secretary Amarjeet Kaur said, 'We were compelled to take to the streets because the government continues to ignore our 17-point charter of demands. In the past decade, not even one annual labour conference has been held.'
Essential services across India—including banking, postal services, coal mining, and government-run industries—faced disruptions.
In Bengal, however, the spotlight remained firmly on the streets, where political confrontation and public resistance clashed head-on with state authority.
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