Bharat Bandh LIVE: Stones Hurled at Bengaluru Bus, Tension Grips Bengal's Asansol as Trade Unions Protest

Protests Break Out in Karnataka I Protestors have gathered outside Bangalore's Town Hall for the strike and trade union workers in Chitradurga have taken out a protest.  As of 10 AM, 1508 out of 3763 Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses, 854 out of 3226 Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses, 219 out of 2248 North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation buses and 231 out of 2059 North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation's buses are plying. 

BEST Buses Remain Off the Road Today I As of 9 AM, all of the 2808 Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) buses scheduled to ply today did not turnout. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has pushed out 37 buses from Kurla, Dadar, Panvel, CSMT and Thane. Last night 10 buses were damaged in stone throwing incidences, injuring one bus driver.

Mumbai: Bus services affected at the CSMT due to the indefinite strike by BEST(Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply&Transport) over demands of implementation of the merger of the BEST budget with principal budget of the BMC, employee service residences etc. pic.twitter.com/SXlTfiZDeB

— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2019

Left party-led protests took place across West Bengal in places like Jadavpur and Sealdah. Railway tracks were filled with protestors, which affected incoming trains. In separate incidences buses were ransacked in Asansol in Burdwan District and North 24 Parganas's Barasat. Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty was detained the protests in Jadavpur.

Clashes Erupt in West Bengal | Tensions erupted  in Asansol during the band called by the left trade unions against the policies of the central government. An SBSTC bus was allegedly ransacked by the supporters of trade unions .  On the other hand there was fresh tension at Hutton road of Asansol city after the band supporters forcefully tried to shut down the shops and private buses. Clashes intensified after the members of the Trinamool Congress went to resume bus services. A ruckus like situation ensued near the Hutton road, as left party and TMC suppoters both opposing and favoring the bandh, charged at one another. The police had to later intervene to take control of the situation. 

West Bengal: Clash between TMC and CPM workers in Asansol during 48-hour nationwide strike called by Central Trade Unions demanding minimum wages, social security schemes & against privatisation of public and government sector. pic.twitter.com/5oM6TWxnx7

— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2019

Kerala, too, is gripped with Bandh related protests against the Modi government's policies. 

#Kerala: 48-hour nationwide strike called by Central Trade Unions demanding minimum wages, social security schemes & against privatisation of public and government sector; Visuals from Kochi (pic1&2) and Trivandrum (pic 3) pic.twitter.com/cuKkicTzJW

— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2019

All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) members hold protest in Patparganj industrial area against privatisation of public and government sector in Delhi. 

Delhi: All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) members hold protest in Patparganj industrial area against privatisation of public and government sector and demanding minimum wages, social security among others pic.twitter.com/jbfilCAwYN

— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2019

BMTC Bus Attacked in Bengaluru | Bandh tensions grip Karnataka, after stones were pelted by miscreants on a BMTC bus near Basaveshwaranagar, Bengaluru. The Karnataka government has given indirect support to the bandh and almost all state run institutions except hospitals are shut down. However, the tech firms in the IT capital are functioning normally. 

Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) buses will not ply from 5 am today (January 8) as nearly 35,000 workers are on strike after talks with the management failed on Friday evening. The BEST management has invoked MESMA (Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act), and the Industrial court has also  restrained the union from going ahead with the strike. However, not a single bus has left the depots across Mumbai in the past five hours. 

All India Kisan Sabha has also called for a bandh in rural areas. In Maharashtra, no factories are operational and have been declared shut for the day. The Shahpur-Mumbai Nasik Highway will be blocked from 11.30 onwards as the protestors are organizing a 'raasta roko.' Apart from this, several other national highways will be blocked after 11 am today, including prominent ones such as Charhoti highway and the Mumbai-Ahemedabad Highway. 

The two-day nationwide general strike, which begins today, is likely to disrupt normal life as transport, bank and other services have been affected in several cities.

Assam Bandh | The strike in Assam is not related to the trade unions. Here, the students' bodies of the north-eastern region have decided to observe a bandh in support of the call given by an influential students' union to protest the proposed Citizens Amendment Bill, 2016. According to guwahatiplus.com, some private educational institutions such as Sanskriti The Gurukul, Royal Global School and Don Bosco will remain closed today, while transport services may be hit.

Kerala Bandh | Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is not operating in the state, while train services have also been delayed and disrupted due to the bandh called by trade unions. According to initial reports, trains were blocked in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode.

In Odisha, Members of Central Trade Unions hold protests and block commuters in Bhubaneswar demanding minimum wages and social security schemes among others.

Odisha: Members of Central Trade Unions hold protests & block commuters in Bhubaneswar demanding minimum wages and social security schemes among others. Central Trade Unions have called a 48-hour nationwide strike over several demands. pic.twitter.com/5LgEWntTEQ

— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2019

Bandh in Kolkata | Police in Kolkata have detained CPM workers protesting in support of 48-hour nationwide strike called by Central Trade Unions. Their demands include minimum wages and social security schemes among others.

West Bengal: Police in Kolkata detain CPM workers protesting in support of 48-hour nationwide strike called by Central Trade Unions. Their demands include minimum wages and social security schemes among others. pic.twitter.com/Bub5airQ1Y

— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2019

Farmers Will Join Road Jam, Protests: Union Leader | Atul Kumar Anjaan of the CPI's peasant wing said that the action committee of farmers in their meeting decided that when the workers, employees and common people are protesting against the Modi government's policies, the farmers will also join them. "The farmers will join road jam, demonstration, protest meetings throughout the country to make the nationwide strike a success and register their disenchantment with PM Narendra Modi and his policies," said Anjaan. Anjaan said that the farmers organisations who last year organised a massive march on November 29, 30 in front of Parliament were of the opinion that four-and-a-half years of the Modi government failed to fulfil promises made by the BJP.

Farmers to Join Bharat Bandh | Farmers across the country under the aegis of the Left peasant wings would join the two-day nationwide general strike on January 8 and 9 called by central trade unions against the alleged repressive policies for workers adopted by the Narendra Modi-led BJP government. "AIKS and Bhumi Adhikar Andolan will observe 'gramin hartal', rail roko and road roko on January 8 and 9, the day trade unions are observing the nationwide general strike. This move is against the Modi government's failure to address rural distress issues, to save rural farmers' lands from the corporates. The farmers will extend all support to the ensuing general strike," said Hannan Mollah, general secretary of the CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha.

Mumbai police says Mumbai BEST buses will not ply for 5 am today.

As per the latest information from BMC control room, BEST buses will be on an indefinite strike from 5 am this morning.

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) January 7, 2019

BEST Buses Remain Off Roads Today | Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) buses will not ply from 5 am today (January 8) as nearly 35,000 workers are on strike after talks with the management failed on Friday evening. The BEST management has declared the strike “illegal” and issued internal circulars warning staffers of strict action against all participants. It has further admonished to invoke the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) under which union leaders can face imprisonment. To avoid damages to its buses, BEST has put wire mesh on windshields of several buses, but no information has been released about the steps taken for the convenience of passengers.

What Have Public Sector Banks Said on Bandh | In a stock exchange filing, Allahabad Bank said the issues and demands are of industry level and strike call is also given at industry level.  "Therefore, if the strike takes place, the functioning of branches of the bank may be affected. The bank is taking all the necessary steps in terms of the existing guidelines for smooth functioning of bank's branches/offices on the day of strike(s), in the event the strike materialises," it said.  Public-sector Bank of Baroda said "in the event of AlBEA and BEFI proceeding on strike on January 8-9, 2019, the functioning of bank's branches/offices in some of the zones may be affected". Private sector Karur Vysya Bank said if the strike call materialises, "the workmen of our bank may take part in the proposed strike on the said date, in which occasion the normal working of the branches/offices of the Bank may get affected during the day". 

Banking Services to be Hit | Banking services are likely to be affected today and tomorrow (January 8-9) as a section of PSU bank employees would go on a two-day strike in support of the nation-wide strike call given by 10 central trade unions against the government's alleged anti-worker policy. The All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and Bank Employees Federation of India has informed the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) of the two-day nationwide strike on January 8-9, 2019, IDBI Bank said in a filing to the BSE.

Why Are Trade Unions Observing Bandh | Ten central trade unions — INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, LPF and SEWA — have also called for a nationwide general strike on January 8-9 against what they call "anti-people" policies of the Centre and have placed a charter of 12 demands before the central government.