Nationwide Strike Hits Indian Coal and Banks Over Modi’s Reform Push

Hundreds of thousands of workers across India walked off the job on 9 July, joining a one-day nationwide strike called “Bharat Bandh” to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s privatisation drive and recent labour-law changes. The action was organised by a coalition of ten major trade unions and backed by several farmers’ groups. Organisers said the protest aimed to force the government to halt the sale of state-run companies, roll back new labour codes and raise public-sector wages. Farmers supporting the strike pressed for higher minimum support prices on staples such as wheat and rice. The stoppage brought coal mining to a standstill in several states, blocked rail lines in Kolkata and elsewhere, and curtailed operations at banks, insurance firms and supermarkets. Shops, offices and schools were shuttered in parts of Kerala and Odisha, and traffic snarled on major highways. A prominent union leader, A. Soundararajan, said police detained about 30,000 demonstrators in Tamil Nadu. New Delhi has not issued an official response to the walkout.