Truckers Strike, Called off by Evening

After a series of regional strikes, a big truckers’ strike started on 2 Jan, leading to major panic buying in northern and western India. Long queues formed in front of petrol pumps and grocery stores, especially in Panjab and Mumbai. The protest was against Section 106(2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS), which is set to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code. The new rules have provisions for even stricter penalties in hit-and-run cases. Earlier, the penalty was two years imprisonment; it has now increased to ten years plus a penalty up to $8500. Given the panic in society, and the upcoming Ram Mandir inauguration, to prevent any disruption to the larger public, the Ministry of Home Affairs immediately met with the All-India Motor Transport Congress. The government assured the unions that it would consult stakeholders before implementing the contentious law against hit-and-runs. By evening, the countrywide truckers' strike was called off. Though this was a flash strike, it was akin to Farmers Protest 2020-21 in that the government agreed to consider the new rules. Both these strikes — one for a day, another for over a year — indicate that power is in the hands of the workers. If they could unite, they could force the government to take back any draconian law it tries to enact. However, just as  after the Farmers’ Protest ended, the government failed to uphold its promises, the truckers too need to be vigilant that new laws are not notified without their consent. Meanwhile, eighteen farmer bodies from across North India along with Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) organized a big rally in Amritsar on 3 Jan demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission Report. They have announced a march towards Delhi on 13 Feb.