Bharat Bandh: 25 crore workers protest against Modi’s fascism
This is not just a strike but indictment of Modi's govt
New Delhi: The “Bharat Bandh” of 25 crore Indian workers on July 9, 2025, was a historic protest against the anti-worker policies of the Modi government, including privatization of public assets, rising unemployment and violation of workers’ rights.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the nationwide strike of 25 crore Indian workers brought banking, construction, industry, postal and transport systems to a standstill. Workers are demanding that the Modi government repeal anti-worker laws and stop privatizing public assets.
The new labor laws, which have increased working hours and restricted the right to strike, while imposing an unfair pension system, are increasing unemployment, leaving government departments vacant and millions of people facing job insecurity. Yet the government is handing over public assets to private corporations.
In Assam’s Dhubri district, the houses of more than 2,000 Muslim families were demolished to make way for Adani’s 3,500 MW power project. This is a clear example of corporate and state violence and communal evictions.
The main demands of the strike, supported by ten Indian trade unions and farmers’ organizations, include repeal of new labor laws, end of privatization of railways, banks and coal sectors, job protection and fair wages, immediate measures to control unemployment and inflation.
The Indian government has not responded to the 17-point charter of labor organizations. Several states, including Kerala, West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar, were shaken by the “Bharat Bandh”. Railways were closed, businesses came to a standstill and roads were deserted. But the most painful aspect in this regard is the silence of the international community. While 250 million workers in India are fighting for their dignity and survival, Western governments, international organizations and human rights organizations have remained silent spectators because they have strategic and economic interests linked to the Modi government.
This silence is not neutrality but direct partnership. Observers say that the United Nations, the International Labor Organization, the G7 and Western powers should not give the Modi government a free pass in this regard and should not adopt double standards. If democracy is really important, then it should be demonstrated in practice.
Observers say that this was not just a strike but an indictment of the Narendra Modi government, which has adopted a policy of “corporate first, people later” by taking away the rights of workers.
Trade unions have warned that the Modi government’s economic legislation is once again reminding the working class of the era of colonial slavery because there is no consultation or dialogue, only decisions are being imposed in favor of the powerful class.
They said that, on one hand, the wealth of billionaires is increasing at a record rate, and on the other, the workers of India, the “backbone of the country”, are struggling to survive. They said this is not development but a new name for exploitation, this is actually state-sponsored looting and fascism in the name of economic reforms.
The Western world should support true democratic principles, not support governments that violate them.
