India’s historic strike challenges Modi’s pro-US, pro-corporate laws
[India: nationwide general strike 2026]
On 12 February, a joint platform of 10 Central Trade Unions (CTUs) in India organised a nationwide strike to protest the [Modi][1] government’s anti-labour, pro-corporatisation, and pro-USA policies. [Those organising the general strike include the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS).][2]
## Industrial shutdown
There were [disruptions across key sectors such as][3] coal, banking, transport, and agriculture. The workers heeding their calls of the CTUs shut down thousands of coal fields, refineries, factories, and banking operations countrywide, the [*People’s Dispatch*][4] reported.
This came as a huge blow for Modi’s profit-driven economy.
And despite the scale of the protest, Western media has kept its distance.
Meanwhile, [Claudia Webbe][5], a former UK Labour MP and ally of Jeremy Corbyn, is breaking the silence:
> 300 million workers just shut down India.
>
> The largest strike in human history, and most of the Western media barely whispered it. That silence is complicity in Modi’s war on workers’ rights.
>
> India’s general strike is the future that the billionaires and ruling class fears most [pic.twitter.com/5vh5eRrVfR][6]
>
> — Claudia Webbe (@ClaudiaWebbe) [February 13, 2026][7]
## Reclaiming India’s sovereignty
Claudia Webbe shared a post featuring Brinda Karat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who had this to say:
> It seems Modi has adopted Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan for himself. Instead of ‘Make India,’ we have ‘Make America Great Again’—that is what has come through in the Indo-US deal. It is shocking, and this strike action is timely. Workers and peasants are not fighting for their own interests alone. They are fighting for the interest of India. They are fighting for the sovereignty of India.
Local coverage by *Wire Hindi* shone the spotlight on protests in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where workers rallied against the [Modi government’s controversial labour laws][8], introduced in 2025, for eroding their rights.
> दिल्ली के जंतर-मंतर पर गुरुवार को मोदी सरकार द्वारा हाल ही में लाए गए चार लेबर कोड के ख़िलाफ़ ज़ोरदार प्रदर्शन देखने को मिला. 1/2[https://t.co/xiMbtAUa0Q][9] [pic.twitter.com/arhmpzq5FB][10]
>
> — The Wire हिंदी (@thewirehindi) [February 13, 2026][11]
## A “historic success”
The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) posted several pictures and updates throughout the day, declaring the strike a “historic success.”
AIKS, among other groups, have not held back in their criticism against Modi’s government. They censured the government for crushing workers rights, bowing to US corporations, and threatening India’s secular fabric.
> [#12thFebruaryGeneralStrike][12] a Historic Success
>
> The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) congratulates crores of Indian workers, agricultural workers and toiling peasantry for making the 12th February 2026 General Strike a historic success. The anger of working people against the (1/n) [pic.twitter.com/jfItzhDVeg][13]
>
> — AIKS (@KisanSabha) [February 12, 2026][14]
According to Maktoob Media, the strike was met heavy handedly after Modi sent in his henchmen.
They made sweeping arrests against hundreds of IT workers, trade union leaders and activists in Bengaluru.
And unsurprisingly, the crack down was captured on camera — *we see you*.
> The Karnataka IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) said hundreds of IT employees were arrested on Thursday in Bengaluru, along with other leaders and activists from various Central Trade Unions, during the Bharat Bandh against the Narendra Modi government’s alleged anti-worker labour… [pic.twitter.com/qYYm1p8ml0][15]
>
> — Maktoob (@MaktoobMedia) [February 12, 2026][16]
## International endorsement
We have also seen expressions of solidarity emerge internationally. London-based protesters [gathered ][17]at London’s Parliament Square on Thursday evening.
They condemned Hindutva’s “fascist bulldozer raj” and demanding the withdrawal of punitive labour and farming policies.
As Brinda Karat put it, India’s sovereignty is cracking beneath Modi’s divisive policies and the working class, unafraid and unwavering, is reclaiming their nation.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [The Canary][18]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/02/02/modi-liberalises-indian-tariffs/
[2]: https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/trade-unions-hold-nationwide-strike-against-labour-codes-126021201629_1.html
[3]: https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/trade-unions-hold-nationwide-strike-against-labour-codes-126021201629_1.html
[4]: https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/02/12/300-million-on-the-streets-in-a-historic-national-strike-in-india/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/02/10/your-party-weaponsing/
[6]: https://t.co/5vh5eRrVfR
[7]: https://twitter.com/ClaudiaWebbe/status/2022335916640268450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://frontline.thehindu.com/news/workers-strike-labour-code-protest-india-modi-government-unions/article69796937.ece#:~:text=The%20four%20labour%20codes%20currently,action%20against%20these%20labour%20codes.
[9]: https://t.co/xiMbtAUa0Q
[10]: https://t.co/arhmpzq5FB
[11]: https://twitter.com/thewirehindi/status/2022182323446591748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/12thFebruaryGeneralStrike?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13]: https://t.co/jfItzhDVeg
[14]: https://twitter.com/KisanSabha/status/2021969857399730441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15]: https://t.co/qYYm1p8ml0
[16]: https://twitter.com/MaktoobMedia/status/2021872283413852222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[17]: https://x.com/sfi_uk/status/2022042168626753997
[18]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/02/17/india-historic-strike-challenges-modi/
[India: nationwide general strike 2026]
On 12 February, a joint platform of 10 Central Trade Unions (CTUs) in India organised a nationwide strike to protest the [Modi][1] government’s anti-labour, pro-corporatisation, and pro-USA policies. [Those organising the general strike include the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS).][2]
## Industrial shutdown
There were [disruptions across key sectors such as][3] coal, banking, transport, and agriculture. The workers heeding their calls of the CTUs shut down thousands of coal fields, refineries, factories, and banking operations countrywide, the [*People’s Dispatch*][4] reported.
This came as a huge blow for Modi’s profit-driven economy.
And despite the scale of the protest, Western media has kept its distance.
Meanwhile, [Claudia Webbe][5], a former UK Labour MP and ally of Jeremy Corbyn, is breaking the silence:
> 300 million workers just shut down India.
>
> The largest strike in human history, and most of the Western media barely whispered it. That silence is complicity in Modi’s war on workers’ rights.
>
> India’s general strike is the future that the billionaires and ruling class fears most [pic.twitter.com/5vh5eRrVfR][6]
>
> — Claudia Webbe (@ClaudiaWebbe) [February 13, 2026][7]
## Reclaiming India’s sovereignty
Claudia Webbe shared a post featuring Brinda Karat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who had this to say:
> It seems Modi has adopted Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan for himself. Instead of ‘Make India,’ we have ‘Make America Great Again’—that is what has come through in the Indo-US deal. It is shocking, and this strike action is timely. Workers and peasants are not fighting for their own interests alone. They are fighting for the interest of India. They are fighting for the sovereignty of India.
Local coverage by *Wire Hindi* shone the spotlight on protests in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where workers rallied against the [Modi government’s controversial labour laws][8], introduced in 2025, for eroding their rights.
> दिल्ली के जंतर-मंतर पर गुरुवार को मोदी सरकार द्वारा हाल ही में लाए गए चार लेबर कोड के ख़िलाफ़ ज़ोरदार प्रदर्शन देखने को मिला. 1/2[https://t.co/xiMbtAUa0Q][9] [pic.twitter.com/arhmpzq5FB][10]
>
> — The Wire हिंदी (@thewirehindi) [February 13, 2026][11]
## A “historic success”
The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) posted several pictures and updates throughout the day, declaring the strike a “historic success.”
AIKS, among other groups, have not held back in their criticism against Modi’s government. They censured the government for crushing workers rights, bowing to US corporations, and threatening India’s secular fabric.
> [#12thFebruaryGeneralStrike][12] a Historic Success
>
> The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) congratulates crores of Indian workers, agricultural workers and toiling peasantry for making the 12th February 2026 General Strike a historic success. The anger of working people against the (1/n) [pic.twitter.com/jfItzhDVeg][13]
>
> — AIKS (@KisanSabha) [February 12, 2026][14]
According to Maktoob Media, the strike was met heavy handedly after Modi sent in his henchmen.
They made sweeping arrests against hundreds of IT workers, trade union leaders and activists in Bengaluru.
And unsurprisingly, the crack down was captured on camera — *we see you*.
> The Karnataka IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) said hundreds of IT employees were arrested on Thursday in Bengaluru, along with other leaders and activists from various Central Trade Unions, during the Bharat Bandh against the Narendra Modi government’s alleged anti-worker labour… [pic.twitter.com/qYYm1p8ml0][15]
>
> — Maktoob (@MaktoobMedia) [February 12, 2026][16]
## International endorsement
We have also seen expressions of solidarity emerge internationally. London-based protesters [gathered ][17]at London’s Parliament Square on Thursday evening.
They condemned Hindutva’s “fascist bulldozer raj” and demanding the withdrawal of punitive labour and farming policies.
As Brinda Karat put it, India’s sovereignty is cracking beneath Modi’s divisive policies and the working class, unafraid and unwavering, is reclaiming their nation.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [The Canary][18]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/02/02/modi-liberalises-indian-tariffs/
[2]: https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/trade-unions-hold-nationwide-strike-against-labour-codes-126021201629_1.html
[3]: https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/trade-unions-hold-nationwide-strike-against-labour-codes-126021201629_1.html
[4]: https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/02/12/300-million-on-the-streets-in-a-historic-national-strike-in-india/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/02/10/your-party-weaponsing/
[6]: https://t.co/5vh5eRrVfR
[7]: https://twitter.com/ClaudiaWebbe/status/2022335916640268450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://frontline.thehindu.com/news/workers-strike-labour-code-protest-india-modi-government-unions/article69796937.ece#:~:text=The%20four%20labour%20codes%20currently,action%20against%20these%20labour%20codes.
[9]: https://t.co/xiMbtAUa0Q
[10]: https://t.co/arhmpzq5FB
[11]: https://twitter.com/thewirehindi/status/2022182323446591748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/12thFebruaryGeneralStrike?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13]: https://t.co/jfItzhDVeg
[14]: https://twitter.com/KisanSabha/status/2021969857399730441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15]: https://t.co/qYYm1p8ml0
[16]: https://twitter.com/MaktoobMedia/status/2021872283413852222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[17]: https://x.com/sfi_uk/status/2022042168626753997
[18]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/02/17/india-historic-strike-challenges-modi/
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