Indian police open fire to clear strike protests

Indian police fired live rounds yesterday to break up a protest by strikers taking part in nationwide action against government economic policies, officials said. The strike, called by unions which claim 250 million members, disrupted public transport, public-owned banks and some auto-industry factories across several states.

West Bengal was the worst hit, with police firing live rounds in the air to break up protesters who set fire to police vehicles and threw rocks at security forces in Malda district, north of the capital Kolkata, a senior police officer told AFP. They also fired tear gas and baton-charged other protests in the eastern state, where many roads and railway lines were blocked. Police said more than 150 arrests were made.

Ten unions called the one-day strike to oppose what they called the “anti-worker and anti-people policies” of right-wing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They were demanding increased minimum wages and pensions, and a halt to the privatisation of state firms and  natural resources. Farmers and students joined some of the protests called by the unions—who said “millions” joined the strike—piling pressure on an administration already confronting nationwide opposition to a new nationality law that opponents say is anti-Muslim. The government had warned of “consequences” for anyone who stopped work, but could not head off the disruptions. Apart from West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, Maharashtra in the west, Haryana in the north and Kerala and Karnataka in the south were worst hit by the action.

 

Indian police open fire to clear strike protests

Indian police fired live rounds yesterday to break up a protest by strikers taking part in nationwide action against government economic policies, officials said. The strike, called by unions which claim 250 million members, disrupted public transport, public-owned banks and some auto-industry factories across several states. West Bengal was the worst hit, with police firing live rounds in the air to break up protesters who set fire to police vehicles and threw rocks at security forces in Malda district, north of the capital Kolkata, a senior police officer told AFP. They also fired tear gas and baton-charged other protests in the eastern state, where many roads and railway lines were blocked. Police said more than 150 arrests were made. Ten unions called the one-day strike to oppose what they called the anti-worker and anti-people policies of right-wing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They were demanding increased minimum wages and pensions, and a halt to the privatisation of state firms and natural resources. Farmers and students joined some of the protests called by the unionswho said millions joined the strikepiling pressure on an administration already confronting nationwide opposition to a new nationality law that opponents say is anti-Muslim. The government had warned of consequences for anyone who stopped work, but could not head off the disruptions. Apart from West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, Maharashtra in the west, Haryana in the north and Kerala and Karnataka in the south were worst hit by the action.