Tamil Nadu bandh: Essential services to be affected

While the farmers from Tamil Nadu have temporarily terminated their protests in New Delhi, the southern state of Tamil Nadu is gearing up for a state-wide bandh on April 25. Spearheaded by the opposition part-DMK, the bandh is called to build up pressure on the Centre and the state to address the issues faced by farmers hit by a drought, which is considered to be the worst of its kinds in 140 years. Apart from the DMK, the farmers have the support of the Congress, CPI and the VCK. Several workers' union and bodies have also pledged their support for the bandh.

The bandh is likely to hit essential services like buses, autos, lorries and shops. 20,000 buses are also likely to be off roads on Tuesday.  A Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leader warns, "The government may find people to man close to 100 buses just to make it seem like the city is functioning. But 70% of the employees working in this government sector will remain absent."

In a conjoined effort to back the farmers of Tamil Nadu, 4.5 lakh lorries carrying essential items like vegetables, raw material for construction and iron will remain off roads. Even the Koyambedu market will remain closed from 6 am to 6 pm. According to the trade union who support the bandh, "21 lakh members in Tamil Nadu and 5 lakh members within Chennai itself will be shutting their shops tomorrow in support of farmers." 

Close to 60 lakh stores across the state, including medical and vegetable shops will remain shut the entire day tomorrow. According to the Hindu, in an all-party meeting convened by the DMK on April 17, party supremo M K Stalin had said, "To express our solidarity with the farmers and urge the Centre and the State to take immediate action on farmers’ issues, we have decided to observe a State-wide one-day general strike." He had also appealed to youngsters, students, traders and students to support the bandh for their farmer brothers.
 

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