India has recently seen 2 Nationwide Strikes in the past month on the issue of Inflation and Food Insecurity.These Strikes have been called by Opposition Parties and Trade Unions leading to a complete halt of the Economy on Both Occasions.These Strikes are a regular feature of the Communist Ruled States of West Bengal and Kerala.These Strikes which are known as “Bandhs” are called at the drop of the hat,sometimes on trivial issues.Despite the Judiciary warning Political Parties indulging in such aimless Strikes,they continue with gay abandon.Most of these Strikes have no popular support but people stay indoors due to hooliganism and vandalism of the Striking Party Supporters.The Police remains a moot spectator as burning of buses and bashing of anyone brave enough to work goes unpunished.India has a large poor population with 80% of the country’s citizens living with wages of under $2/day.Many of these people are dependent on daily wages and have to go without food on days of strikes.But India’s Political Parties which are ostensibly calling these Strikes on behalf of these poor people are indifferent to their woes.
From State Wide Phenomemon,Strikes take on a National Strikes Form
While West Bengal and Kerala have long been infamous for their strikes,this totally stupid form of protest has migrated to a nation wide form.What is troubling is that All Political Parties like the BJP,CPI (M) and Congress are explicitly and implicitly supporting these strikes.What is totally funny and tragic at the same time,is that sometime Political Parties which are ruling call these strikes.West Bengal which has been ruled under Communist Parties for the last 30 years has made Bandh a monthly hobby.India is progressing at a breackneck speed but India’s political misgovernance is a major threat to the country’s progress.Narayan Murthy arguably India’s most respected business leader alluded to India’s dysfunctional governance as one of the biggest threats to India’s Growth.This Strike is a Warning Signal to all those who think that India will continue to a 9-10% GDP growth over the next 2 decades.
A strike called by trade unions in India on Tuesday to protest against rising prices and alleged anti-labour policies crippled life in the east and south of the country in Communist-ruled states.Most other areas were largely unaffected by the protest which came nearly two months after a successful nationwide shutdown led by opposition parties to protest against rising fuel prices.In New Delhi, some branches of nationalised banks shut for the day and Dow Jones Newswires reported that the Indian factory of German engineering group Bosch had shut “for certain national issues”.