Indians frustrated by strike action

As a one-day national strike disrupts transport and daily routines across India, the BBC News website spoke to people around the country about how they were affected by the action.

Abhik Nandi has missed lectures as a result of the strike

But we have still felt the effects of the strike.

Our professors, librarians and administrative staff have not been able to come.

We don't have lectures, we can't renew books, very little is happening here.

People are afraid to venture onto the road because of fear of violence. If you take your car out onto the street there is the real possibility that somebody could damage it for no reason.

Many people are just not bothering to go to work unless there is a very pressing need.

I don't sympathise with the strikers. These changes have to take place if India is to establish itself in the world economy.

Privatisation has to go ahead. Protesting against such matters won't benefit India as a whole. These parties are just out to gain popularity among the masses.

Strikes will just harm the process.

I have no complaints as I haven't encountered violence

There are always rumours. I heard that a bus was burned today in Bangalore.

Usually, I take an auto rickshaw to work but there are absolutely none whatsoever on the road today.

We wanted to buy some food, but all the shops were closed.

I did find one tiny store open near my home; the owner lives just behind the shop so he opened it up briefly in the morning.

My girlfriend's sister is at a sports camp about 20km away and is just about to go for a national basketball meet. I really wanted to go and wish her goodbye and good luck.

I couldn't go - and that was really bad.

But the city is quiet and considering that it is a strike day, that is a good thing because I have been in the midst of real trouble before this.

During one earlier protest in Bangalore, I found myself on a bus intercepted by a mob. They punctured our tyres, entered the bus and forced us off. I had to go back to work, taxis were refusing to go through that area of town. It was real chaos.

So even though essentials have been cut down entirely, I have no complaints as I haven't encountered violence.

This is a very political state and we are well used to rallies and strikes, but I think people are very upset now.

People feel as if they have been effectively forced to join in the strike. There is no way they can get to work

This isn't about my political views. I do sympathise with the workers' concerns. But this will affect so many people who come from villages far away to get treatment at hospital.

I've had to stay at home today because there is absolutely no transport. Everything is at a standstill.

We have an important puja festival coming up, and I need to organise a workshop on domestic violence. But I haven't been able to do anything for it and life for the next few days is going to be incredibly hectic.

People feel as if they have been effectively forced to join in the strike. There is no way they can get to work. And even if they wanted to protest, how could you walk to town?

I feel bound by all of this action.

It was closed and that was disappointing.

There are a number of shops in this area all run by the people who are strongly affiliated to a Communist Party agenda.

This is not surprising considering that I live in an industrial zone, always a hub of activity for Communist worker unions.

I got to work on the state transport bus. But one colleague comes to work by car and said his journey was particularly smooth as there was no traffic.

But somebody else who came in a bus described how some people tried to stop vehicles.

If the strike was intended to antagonise the general public, then it certainly was successful.

But I recognise that blue collar workers feel deprived of opportunities. It reflects a growing disconnect between the "haves" and "have-nots".

While I feel that this strike is just another nuisance, the unemployed and blue collar workers feel it is an important occasion to voice their dissatisfaction.

My suppliers and the printers for the event's publicity are shut or are waiting for basic materials, which won't be delivered because people aren't working.

Now that I am in business and employing technicians, I find myself thinking twice before hiring people as my organisation grows.

If you have over 100 employees they can form a union. There is so much bureaucracy; it is easy for us to hire but we can't fire workers even with valid reasons.

Labour laws protect only labourers and do very little for companies.

By striking these employees are not helping anyone. So much for thinking that India will be reformed and modernised!

I guess Marx still lives.

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