- Title: Striking Indian low-caste workers bring Mumbai to a standstill
- Date: 3rd January 2018
- Summary: MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (JANUARY 3, 2018) (ANI - NO ACCESS MEDIACORP/BBC) POLICE PERSONNEL STANDING ON ROAD PEOPLE GATHERING BEHIND BARRICADES POLICEMEN TALKING TO PROTESTERS MAN FILMING PROTESTERS AND POLICEMEN POLICEMAN TALKING POLICEMEN ON GUARD POLICE VEHICLE PARKED BY THE ROADSIDE CLOSED SHOP VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT OF A BUS STOP VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING IN A QUEUE (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) LOCAL RESIDENT SAYING: "This is wrong, it should not happen. There should be protests if there is an issue but that should be done peacefully. Disrupting life like this, vandalizing (public) property, buses and other vehicles does not help. Nothing can be gained out of it." EXTERIOR OF A SCHOOL PADLOCKED SCHOOL GATE OPENED GATE LEADING TO ANOTHER SCHOOL SIGN READING (English): "YOUNG LADIES HIGH SCHOOL" SCHOOL BUSES WAITING BY THE ROADSIDE GIRLS COMING OUT OF SCHOOL STUDENT LEAVING ON A MOTORBIKE (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi and English) ASSISTANT TEACHER OF YOUNG LADIES HIGH SCHOOL, KAILASH GIRE, SAYING: "We did declare a holiday. It was the parents' decision to not send their children to school. Hardly 50 students came so we called the parents to come and bring their children back." THANE, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (JANUARY 3, 2018) (ANI - NO ACCESS MEDIACORP/BBC) POLICEMEN RUNNING ON ROAD POLICEMEN WALKING WITH A GROUP OF MEN PROTESTERS SHOUTING SLOGANS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERING NEAR A BUSY ROAD POLICEMEN ON GUARD VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERING PARKED BUS WITH A BROKEN WIND SCREEN DAMAGED WIND SCREENS STONE AND GLASS SHARDS IN THE BUS POLICEMEN STANDING OUTSIDE BUS WITH BROKEN WIND SCREENS NAGPUR, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (JANUARY 3, 2018) (ANI - NO ACCESS MEDIACORP/BBC) POLICEMEN STANDING ON ROAD GROUP OF MEN STANDING VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN STANDING BY THE SIDE OF ROAD BARRICADES ON ROAD POLICE BUS TRAFFIC POLICEMEN STANDING AND TALKING
- Embargoed: 17th January 2018 08:40
- Keywords: Mumbai India violence Maharashtra shutdown Dalit protests
- Location: MUMBAI, THANE, NAGPUR, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA
- City: MUMBAI, THANE, NAGPUR, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA0017WK4E2T
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Many businesses and schools in the Indian financial hub of Mumbai closed on Wednesday (January 3) as protesters from a low-caste community went on strike, blocking traffic and forcing shopping malls to shut down.
The call for a general strike across the western state of Maharashtra led to largely peaceful protests, but life in many parts of Mumbai was disrupted with Dalits pelting buses with stones and deflating tires in some areas.
The Dalits called the strike after celebrations on Monday (January 1) in Pune were disrupted by right-wing Hindu groups and a 28-year-old man was killed in the clashes, according to the state government.
In parts of Mumbai, officials banned the assembly of crowds to control protesters. Schools shuttered their doors and sent students home while internet service was down in places to restrict social media access and the spread of rumours. Several offices also asked employees to work from home.
India has about 200 million Dalits, who were previously known as untouchables, and many suffer social deprivation and economic exclusion after being ostracised by upper-caste Hindus for centuries. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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