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Call to unite against hartals

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 6. Educationist S. Guptan Nair has called for a united movement against hartals in the State. Inaugurating a meeting on people's resistance against hartals organised by the Nehru Centre here this evening, Prof. Nair said though hartals cause heavy loss to the exchequer, little is being done to prevent them.

Firm decision

The Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi State president T. Nazirudeen said it was high time that people took a firm stand against hartals. He accused the media of giving wide publicity to hartals.

Pathanamthitta district was exempted from a hartal recently to avoid hardship to Sabarimala pilgrims.

However, 5,000 vehicles carrying pilgrims were held up in Kottayam district and around 3,000 in Kollam, he said.

Mr. Naziruddin said the samithi had decided to open shops on hartal days and urged the public to cooperate with the traders.

The samithi is not opposed to democratic forms of protest, but it should not be thrust on the public against their will, Mr. Nazirudeen said.

The former Minister M.M. Hassan, in his welcome speech, said his discussions with the Leader of the Opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, regarding avoidance of demonstrations in front of the Secretariat did not succeed since the latter was unwilling to change the venue of protests.

Hassan's charge

No other State Government will allow political parties to hold demonstrations before the State Secretariat, he said. Ban on demonstrations is always in force even in the precincts of the Writers' Building in West Bengal. Kerala is the only exception, Mr. Hassan said.

"The time has come for the national parties to change their mindset about bandhs and hartals," he said.

Hartal is one's last weapon and should not be used on flimsy grounds," he said.

Mr. Hassan said he had staged a fast at the Martyrs' Column on December 12, 1995 against holding bandhs and hartals.

It took nine years for the public to react.

Now, various sections of society, including traders, private bus operators and school managers, have come out openly against such forms of agitation, he said.

Mr. Hassan said he had even opposed the hartal calls given by the Congress and the UDF.

Considering the changes taking place the world over, political leaders should take a firm decision against such agitations, he added.

The MLAs B. Vijayakumar and K. Mohan Kumar, Congress leader T. Sarathchandra Prasad, Kerala Watch president T.N. Jayachandran, noted actor Madhu, lyricist Bichu Tirumala, Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce president S. Pottivelu Pillai and Kerala Vikas Party leader K. Sankara Narayana Pillai were among those who attended the meeting.

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