Hartal, being a tool of protest, need not be per se banned. However, the right of a person who does not wish to support the call is as much as the right of the person who gives the call and hence needs to be protected. In addition to provisions in the proposed bill I have suggested formation of a committee at Taluk/District level to assess the loss claim and award compensation from the deposit made by the organisers (as proposed in the bill), non cancellation of examinations by PSC, Universities etc scheduled on the hartal day, prohibiting KSRTC from cancelling schedules on Hartal day etc. If these are done, I am sure the ordinary man will not sit back at home and relax on the Hartal day. It is also important to monitor the attendance position in government and PSU offices to avoid proxy attendance.
Hartal, being a tool of protest, need not be per se banned. However, the right of a person who does not wish to support the call is as much as the right of the person who gives the call and hence needs to be protected. In addition to provisions in the proposed bill I have suggested formation of a committee at Taluk/District level to assess the loss claim and award compensation from the deposit made by the organisers (as proposed in the bill), non cancellation of examinations by PSC, Universities etc scheduled on the hartal day, prohibiting KSRTC from cancelling schedules on Hartal day etc. If these are done, I am sure the ordinary man will not sit back at home and relax on the Hartal day. It is also important to monitor the attendance position in government and PSU offices to avoid proxy attendance.
I support the ban of harthal though I am supporter of Left parties in Kerala. Even for minor issues, the political parties, particularly theCPM start harthal. Because of this, almost all the people are suffering in one way or other. Even 90% of people, even if they are the supporters of a particular party, against harthal. It affects every body - educational institutions, hospitals, industry, transport etc. Only because of fear, the people close their shops or schools. Dear communists, please understand this. Otherwise, you will not be having any supporters.
All forms of group activities which can in any way affect the normal life of citizens shall be banned; Else they will name it as something else and continue. Kerala's is the most bizarre example of how political leaders the misguiding of citizens only about their rights and forgetting their responsibility by a political system which has failed the world over forcing majority of able bodied to go far away places from their home to seek work for a living.
Every opposition party, the working class, the students use it as a tool to draw attention of the concerned to certain (real and imaginative) issues that confront them. The number of people who resort to hartal are limited, but the number of people who would be affected are quite enormous. When I visited Gangtok some time ago, I alighted in Bagdogra and tried to reach Gangtok by road. The next day was a bandh organized by the ruling party CPIM (?) Fortunately, a vehicle driver saw my condition with luggage, etc. and charged twice or thrice the normal fare, but dropped me safely in front of a hotel, where my accommodation was booked. The leftists take vicarious pleasure in other's suffering, as they think that their right is more valuable and important than other's basic freedom. I wonder whether this menace will ever get stopped.
It is really a good proposal from the present UDF govt. to ban hartal in kerala. I have my own doubts whether ban could be implemented in kerala. The central/state govt./PSU and the employees working in other organised sectors really welcome the hartal because they get holidays on hartal days. It is the daily wages workers and the employees working unorganised/ pvt sectors who face the brunt of the hartal. The hartal at the drop of a hat concept is very deep routed in kerala society and therefore it is a difficult task for the govt. to impose ban on hartal.
Hartals are menace to the people. The employees not only destroy property but the working hours are lost, people who do not have any relation to the cause of Hartalies are affected most. But this is irony of the this country that no rule is adopted in true means, only pick and choose way is adopted by the ruling govts. and so by the agencies.
Cannot understand the concept of only not allowing flash hartal. any one preventing others from commuting/working is illegal even without the bill. the bill indirectly gives proper authority for planned hartal ?
Even if the bill is passed, rest assured it will never be enforced If you go by "acts & reules " Keral or for that matter India, will be " Ram Rajya" ! No corruption , no scams.....
