Unions call all India strike

A squad or Border Security' Force men patrol the silent railway tracks at Sabarmati, in Abinedabad, during India's national rsil striike.

From Michael Hornsbv

.upnli, may 14

Militant trade unions today called for a one-day general strike throughout India tomorrow in support of striking railwaymen, while the Government claimed that the situation on Asia's largest national rail network was "returning rapidly to normalcy".

The call for the general strike was issued by the communistcontrolled All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). Seieral smaller trade union federatioons, both left and right wing, also came out in favour of the "Bharat Bandh ( (India strike).

The general strike was opposed, however, by the Indian National Trade~Union Congress (INTUC), which is affiL;ated to Mrs Gandhi's ruling Congress, Party. Both the AITUC and the INTUC caim memberships of a little over two million workers each.

The strike is likely to cause extensive disruption of normal

commercial and industrial activity at a tine when the country can least afford it. Hospitals, water and electricity supplies and some other essential serv;ces wil2 be spared. Most newspapers are also expected to appear.

The entire Opposition, with some minor exceptions, walked out of -the Rajya-Sabha (Upper House) in Deelhi in protest today as Mr L. N. Mishra, the Railways Minister, reaffirmed the Government's refusal to reopen negotiations with the militant railwayren unless thley call off tpieir week-old strike first.

*Mr Mlshra, who claimted tfiat

70 per gent of railwaymen were

back at work and a further 20 per cent were being kept away only by intimidation, also said that even if talks were resumed, the Government would not be able to grant the strikers' two main demands.

These are for an annual bonus equal to one month's pay and a 75 per cent wage increase to give railwaymen parity with workers in nationalized industries.

Mass arrests continued today under wartime emergency regulations.

The Government today gave details of acts of sabotage by striking railwaymen, including the placing of boulders, logs and explosives on the railway track