Agartala witnessed a spirited rally led by the state committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the farmers’ body, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), on Tuesday in solidarity with the impending nationwide industrial strike and rural shutdown scheduled for February 16.
Key figures from the state trade union and SKM, including Sankar Prasad Dutta, Manik Dey, Pabitra Kar, and other leaders, spearheaded the rally through Agartala’s capital town.
During the procession, Dutta emphasized that the strike on February 16 serves as a collective outcry against the Modi government’s alleged failure to deliver employment opportunities to the youth and welfare schemes for farmers.
Casting aspersions on the central government’s track record, Dutta lamented the escalating unemployment rate, highlighting the stark disparity between promises made and actual delivery. He underscored the disillusionment of youths, who were purportedly assured two crore jobs annually before 2018, yet remained largely neglected during the tenure of the Modi administration.
A joint coalition of trade unions and farmers’ organizations has issued a nationwide call for a general strike and rural shutdown on February 16, denouncing what they term the “anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-national policies” of the central government.