Trade Unions’ Bharat Bandh Disrupts Transport in Parts of West Bengal and Kerala

A coalition of 10 central trade unions staged a nationwide strike, or “Bharat Bandh,” on 9 July to oppose what they describe as pro-corporate labour reforms by the federal government. Union leaders claimed participation by roughly 250 million workers across industries. West Bengal saw the most visible unrest. Protesters halted trains at Jadavpur and Hooghly, attempted to block buses in Midnapore and Howrah, and forced some state-run bus drivers in Siliguri to don helmets for protection. Police used lathicharge in Howrah and made several arrests while rail services were briefly interrupted. Despite the agitation, key parts of Kolkata and Burdwan reported normal traffic and open businesses. In Kerala, commercial hubs such as Kochi, Kottayam and Kozhikode observed widespread shutdowns, with deserted roads and closed shops. Kerala-bound buses were stopped in neighbouring Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, though Chennai’s public transport largely ran on schedule. The walkout’s impact remained patchy outside these hotspots, underscoring the uneven reach of the strike even as unions warned of further action if the government does not withdraw the contested labour policies.