300 million on the streets in a historic national strike in India

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peoplesdispatch.org/2026/02/12/300-million-on-t…

300 million workers, farmers, students, and professionals from various fields took to the streets across India on Thursday, February 12, in defense of their rights and to denounce the policies of the ultra-right-wing government in the country.

Workers went on strike shutting down thousands of coal fields, refineries, factories, banking, and transportation in remote corners of the country, heeding the call of the Central Trade Unions (CTUs), a joint platform of major trade unions in India, including the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), among others.

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One of the major demands of the strike was the withdrawal of the trade deals India has recently agreed to with the US and the EU. The CTUs, SKM, and left parties in India have called the deals a surrender of the country’s sovereignty and harmful to the interests of the millions of farmers in the country as they allow open access of Indian markets to foreign farm products.

As someone not from India I think I must be missing context. It sounds like they would like India to remain a semi-closed market, as I have heard it has been for a very long time.

Usually trade deals are a viewed aa good thing, at least in the west. Of course, you can have situations where contries assets are owned and controlled by foreign entities while lining the pockets of politicians, which is bad. Not sure if that’s the concern.

Anyone want to add some context?

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Comments in World News@lemmy.world

While this is certainly interesting news, I am somewhat sceptical of the number which corresponds to about 1/5 of the country’s population. I have been looking for another source, but it’s not clear where that number comes from. Maybe the unions have reported it?

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Agreed. I would think 300 million would be the largest strike in human history and would be a huge deal.

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OP edited

The source is from the unions

More than 30 crore workers, farmers, agricultural workers, and other groups of employees participated in the general strike on Thursday (February 12, 2026) to protest against the four Labour Codes and the free trade deals being struck with the United States, European Union, and the United Kingdom, the central trade unions said.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/30-crore-workers-farmers-participated-in-general-strike-trade-unions-say/article70625346.ece

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It says on the streets, but I see people on train tracks

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