Agartala, July 9: The state witnessed a significant response to the nationwide general strike called by ten central trade unions, claimed CITU Tripura State Secretary Shankar Prasad Dutta in a press conference held on Tuesday.
The strike, held across the country on July 9, aimed to protest against various anti-labour and anti-people policies of the Central Government. Addressing a press conference, Dutta stated that people from both urban and rural areas of the state participated spontaneously and wholeheartedly.
According to him, the strike had a notable impact across various sectors including transportation and education. “Around 80% of the transport operators supported the strike. Vehicles did not operate from major stands such as Kailashahar, Radhanagar, and Udaipur. In some areas, vehicles were forcibly brought out under pressure from the ruling party, but due to a lack of passengers, they returned midway,” he alleged.
He further added that drivers were reportedly threatened with a seven-day suspension of operations if they did not ply their vehicles. “Even those who took their vehicles out found no passengers,” Dutta claimed.
Providing more statistics, he said that usually, 55 e-rickshaws receive clearance to operate from the Nagerjala stand by 10 am daily, but on the strike day, only 12 could obtain clearance. Buses from Udaipur, which normally run every eight minutes in the morning, were down to one per hour — with hardly any passengers on board.
The strike also impacted the education sector. MBB University had preemptively announced closure through a notice. Most school buses in the city remained empty. Dutta claimed that 60% of bank employees across the state supported the strike. While some branches remained open, they operated with minimal staff. The insurance sector reportedly saw 72% participation, and BSNL recorded 82% of its employees joining the strike.
CITU leaders also alleged that the ruling party tried to instill fear and suppress the strike. However, defying intimidation, people from both rural and urban areas came out in support, they asserted.
Meanwhile, State Secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) Pabitra Kar, stated that even farmers supported the strike. “Daily supplies of vegetables from villages to towns were disrupted as farmers refrained from their usual activities,” he said.
Former minister Manik Dey, who was also present at the press conference, criticized the ruling party’s alleged coercive tactics. “Over the past month, efforts have been made to terrorize the public. Drivers were forced to operate their vehicles; shopkeepers were threatened and brought out from their homes to open shops — or else face a permanent shutdown,” Dey alleged. Despite such threats, the public’s overwhelming support made the strike a success, he said.
