Around 50 people were today injured in group clashes during an industrial strike called by Left trade unions which brought West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura to a halt and partially hit several eastern states but life in rest of the country remained largely unaffected.
With the ruling Left Front governments backing the day- long stir called to protest against surging inflation and the Centre’s “anti-people” economic policies, the shut down in West Bengal and Tripura was complete.

While life was paralysed in Kerala, air services remained unaffected in the state.

Normal life was hit in parts of Assam, Bihar, Orissa, Meghalaya and Manipur with markets, business establishments and banks remaining closed in many areas there.

In Coochbehar in West Bengal, around 50 people were injured in clashes between CPI (M) and Trinamool Congress activists in four places when Left supporters attempted to enforce the shut down, police sources said. A police force has been rushed to the troubled area, they said.

Flights to Kolkata were cancelled due to the strike by airport employees. The strikers did not spare the vital IT sector in Salt Lake in the city.