Trivedi is the president of the Maharashtra Indian National Trade Union Congress. Normal life in Maharashtra came to a grinding halt today. The government is also moving to ease restrictions on imports.
Farmers producing for the local market see their livelihoods under threat from the latter policy.
The new economic policies of the government have affected everyone. The strike had a big impact on Bombay, a fast-growing city of 18 million people and the country's financial center. Taxis and buses were not running. Factories and other industry was frozen. The strike and associated protests affected train services, and forced the rescheduling of many flights.