West Bengal affected by bandh as TMC plays soft

While the TMC-backed INTTUC did not participate, the cadres of the party were absent from the streets leaving the bandh supporters with an open playing field

Realpolitik took the front seat as Trinamool Congress tacitly allowed the Left Front to take the control of the streets of Kolkata as the state shut down because of a day-long strike called by central trade unions to protest against the Centre's proposed labour reforms. 

While the TMC-backed labour union INTTUC did not participate in the strike, the cadres of the party were absent from the streets leaving the bandh supporters with an open playing field. This is in contrast to the TMC's aggressive policies while tackling bandhs called by the opposition.

Mamata Banerjee had repeatedly announced before that her governmentis 'in-principle' in opposition of any strike. That the strike called by the trade unions was basically against the labour reforms of the central government played a major part in TMC taking a back seat because party leaders felt that a staunch opposition could send a wrong signal to the working class before the assembly elections in 2016. 

12 central trade unions had given the strike call over a 12-point charter of demands, including withdrawal of the proposed"anti-worker" amendments in labour laws and stopping the disinvestment and privatisation of PSUs. Formally though the government kept up its anti-strike face with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeesaying that the people had rejected the call for bandh.

"The party that has made the state unproductive for 34 years had called the strike and people have defeated it, except a few sporadic unrests," she said. According to the chief minister, attendance percentage was higher in government offices than normalday.

The government employees were earlier issued circulars to employees asking themto be present in office except in unavoidable circumstance.Sporadic incidents of violence were reportedfrom the districts with the industrial belt of Asansol and Haldia seeing apartial impact of the strike. A worker from Haldia Petrochemicals said thatthere have been no hindrance to work in the plant. State secretary of CPI(M) and leader of opposition Suryakanta Mishra claimed that the strike was successful. " Not only workers but normal citizens too came out in our support," he said.