Bharat Bandh today: Nationwide strike disrupts services as over 25 cr workers protest govt policies
New Delhi: A nationwide strike or Bharat Bandh called by ten central trade unions is underway today, with over 25 crore workers from both organised and unorganised sectors participating. The strike, which is also supported by several rural and agricultural labour organisations, is a protest against the central government’s economic and labour policies, which unions claim favour corporates at the cost of workers, farmers, and the poor.
Key demands of protesters:
► Withdrawal of the new labour codes,
► Increase in minimum wages,
► Creation of more government jobs,
► Hike in MGNREGA wages and workdays,
► A similar urban employment guarantee scheme,
► End to hiring retired officials over younger professionals in government departments.
A 17-point charter of demands has been submitted to the Union Labour Ministry, but union leaders allege no meaningful engagement has been initiated by the government so far.
Disruptions reported:
While banks, stock markets, and government offices are functioning as usual, disruptions are being reported in public transport across several states:
West Bengal: Protesters blocked railway tracks at Jadavpur railway station despite police deployment. Bus services continued amid high security, with some drivers seen wearing helmets as a safety measure.
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and parts of Delhi and Maharashtra reported sporadic disruptions in bus and train services.
Schools and colleges remain open in most places, though some institutions announced last-minute closures depending on local conditions.
Unions leading the strike:
The strike is being spearheaded by major trade unions including: INTUC, AITUC, CITU, HMS, SEWA, AIUTUC, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC, and TUCC.
The new labour laws, a major flashpoint, have drawn flak for allegedly weakening worker protections. Union leaders say the changes:
► Extend working hours,
► Restrict the right to strike,
► Undermine collective bargaining.
The unions have also criticised the trend of hiring retired officials instead of young jobseekers. With 65% of India's population under the age of 35, they argue that ignoring youth employment in sectors like Railways, steel, and education is both unjust and economically damaging.
This is not the first large-scale strike organised by the trade unions. Similar nationwide protests were held on:
November 26, 2020,
March 28–29, 2022,
February 16, 2024.
All of them focused on issues like the privatisation of PSUs, job insecurity, and the casualisation of the workforce.
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SC cancels bail to wrestler Sushil Kumar in murder case, orders surrender in a week
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled bail to Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar in the murder case of former junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar at the Chhatrasal Stadium in the national capital.
A bench of justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra set aside the March 4 order of the Delhi High Court granting bail to the wrestler.
The wrestler has been asked to surrender within a week.
The top court's order came on an appeal filed by Ashok Dhankar, father of Sagar Dhankar, challenging the order passed by the Delhi High Court granting bail to Kumar.
Kumar and others are accused of fatally assaulting Sagar Dhankar in May 2021 over an alleged property dispute.
Two of Sagar Dhankar's friends were also injured in the assault.
According to the postmortem report, the victim suffered cerebral damage from the impact of a blunt object.
Kumar was arrested in May 2021 and a sessions court had granted him a week's interim bail for his knee surgery on July 19, 2023.
The trial court in October 2022 framed IPC charges, including murder, criminal conspiracy, intimidation and rioting with a deadly weapon against Kumar aside from the Arms Act, among others.
The trial court noted that after being abducted and brought to the stadium, Sagar Dhankar was severely assaulted by several accused persons with baseball and hockey sticks.
