WSN Bureau

NEW DELHE: Life all over India was disrupted by a general strike, and an estimated 100,000 protesters were arrested in different parts of the country as the National Front sponsored Bharat Bandh was Observed all over India on August 30.

The call for the Bandh was by the National Front as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist parties to press for the resignation of Rajiv Gandhi in the wake of the indictment of his government by a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Bofors kickback scandal. Over 100 opposition members had resigned from the Lok Sabha the lower house of Indian parliament when Gandhi refused to step down after the report.

At least 12 people were killed and 50 wounded in clashes between opposition and Congress I supporters in different parts of the country. The deaths were reported from Tripura (8) Kerala and West Bengal (4) where the day to day activities of the people were totally disrupted by the Bandh.

In opposition governed states of Kerala, West Bengal, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Tripura the attendance in government offices was very thin. Political workers squatted on rail road tracks to force trains to stop and set road blocks to disrupt transport. Business establishments and educational institutions were closed, not only in these states but also the Congress I governed states of Bihar and Orissa.

The nation’s capital wore a deserted look as most of the business establishments remained closed. BJP leader Atal Bihari Najpai and Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh were amongst the thousands arrested by the police. They were later released.

5,000 people were arrested in Bombay including the trade union leader and member of parliament Datta Samant. Normal life in the city was distributed.

The Rajiv regime had gone all out in an effort to prevent participation in the strike. Government servants were warned they would face disciplinary action if they failed to report to work. Offices were asked to make arrangements for their overnight stay on August 29, and a thinly veiled attempt was made to bribe them with a Rs 100 food expense.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 8, 1989