Nation-wide shut down cripples life in Tripura

Agartala: A 12-hour country-wide shutdown called by 10 central trade unions on Friday to protest against the NDA government`s "anti-labour" policies have crippled life in Tripura.

Shops, business establishments, markets, banks and financial institutions, government offices and educational institutions were closed and vehicles were off the roads.

"No untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the state," police spokesman Uttam Bhowmik said.

Railway services within the state and with other states were disrupted as shutdown supporters organised picketing at the Agartala railway stations and Dharmanagar.

Trade between Tripura and Bangladesh was also affected as the workers remained absent in the land customs stations along Bangladesh.

"The strike was total and successful. People from all walks of life spontaneously supported the strike to denounce the BJP led central government`s anti-people labour policies and demanded increase of wages," Centre of Indian Trade Unions` (CITU) Tripura unit President Manik Dey said.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) led Left Front government in Tripura is supportive of the strike, which has been called to press the 12-point charter of demands submitted before the central government by the ten trade unions.

CPI-M affiliated CITU and Congress allied Indian National Trade Union Congress are among those 10 trade unions called the strike.

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led trade unions have termed the strike uncalled for and urged the people to reject it.