All-India General Strike Completely Successful in Balasore; Public Life and Business Hit
Balasore, Feb 13 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty): The nationwide general strike observed on Thursday was completely successful in Balasore, significantly affecting normal public life and business activities.
The strike was called in protest against what organisers described as anti-worker and pro-corporate policies, including the four labour codes, privatisation of public sector undertakings, unchecked rise in prices of essential commodities, and failure to fill vacant government posts.
Major demands included fixing the Minimum Support Price for farmers’ produce in accordance with the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, ensuring women’s safety, preventing the destruction of social harmony in the name of communalism, granting worker status to scheme workers, adherence to the federal structure as envisaged in the Constitution, withdrawal of the V.B.G. Ramji Bill, revival of the old Mahatma Gandhi guaranteed employment scheme, and procurement of all paddy from farmers through mandis. In support of these demands, the Balasore bandh was observed with total participation.
Early in the morning at around 6 am, three trains were stopped at the Balasore railway station under the leadership of labour leader Gouranga Panigrahi, CPI district secretary Bhagabat Pratihari, Chasi Ekata Mancha leader Arun Jena, and women’s leader Bandana Patra.
Later, hundreds of activists from various organisations blocked vehicular movement at Station Square. Picketing and slogan shouting continued for a long time in front of the District Sessions Judge’s gate.
Several leaders and activists from different political and trade union organisations participated in the picketing across the town.
Due to the bandh call, all schools and colleges in Balasore city, along with banks, insurance services, postal services, and state government offices, remained closed. Markets and shops were voluntarily shut, with only a few two-wheelers seen on the roads. All buses and trucks remained off the roads throughout the day.
The bandh witnessed active participation and leadership from several trade union and mass organisation leaders, making the shutdown peaceful yet effective.
