Bharat Bandh Called on July 9: Nationwide Strike Hits Transport and Services in Several States
A massive Bharat Bandh has been called today, July 9, 2025, by a joint forum of 10 central trade unions, sparking widespread protests and disrupting public transport and essential services in several states. The strike is aimed at opposing the Centre’s policies related to labour reforms, contractualisation, and the privatisation of public sector undertakings (PSUs).
According to Amarjeet Kaur of the All India Trade Union Congress, over 25 crore workers, including farmers and rural workers, are expected to participate in the nationwide strike. The impact is particularly visible in parts of West Bengal, especially in Kolkata, where workers affiliated with Left party trade unions lit fires, blocked roads, and entered Jadavpur railway station to halt train services. Heavy police deployment was seen at Jadavpur 8B bus stand to manage the situation.
The transport, banking, postal services, coal mining, and factories in several regions have been impacted due to the strike. The Bengal Provincial Bank Employees Association confirmed that banking services in West Bengal would be hit, as many employees are participating in the strike.
The forum organizing the Bharat Bandh has strongly condemned what they call the “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-national pro-corporate policies” of the central government. In a joint statement, they have urged the people to make the strike a grand success.
Meanwhile, in Kerala, Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar announced that the state-run KSRTC buses will continue to operate despite the bandh. However, minor disruptions in public services are still expected.
Educational institutions are largely functioning normally, although some schools in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry have remained closed as a precautionary measure.
The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha has also joined the strike, demanding a daily wage of ₹800 for MGNREGA workers, resumption of work in West Bengal, and scrapping of digital systems like NMMS and ABPS, which they say hinder worker payments.
The protesting forum has alleged that the government’s economic policies have increased unemployment, driven up the prices of essential commodities, and led to reduced funding in crucial sectors such as education, healthcare, and basic civic services. They claim that these trends are widening inequalities and deepening the economic burden on the poor and middle classes.
