The Hindu : Kerala News : Court verdict will go a long way in curbing hartal-related violence Discernible change

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 11, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

Court verdict will go a long way in curbing hartal-related violence Discernible change

The Kerala High Court has, by means of a recent judgment, sought to impose a certain level of accountability on the part of political parties and organisations that give a call for hartals, and to compensate the victims of hartal-related vandalism. Will this lead to better discipline and adherence to fair means by the proponents of hartals? Our readers respond:

Discernible change

Hartals and bandhs that are thrust on the people violate their fundamental rights. Successive Governments have abdicated their duty to protect the life and property of the citizens. Therefore, the people are forced to seek judicial intervention to enforce their rights.

The recent High Court order imposing a fine on the organisers of hartals has had a salutary effect on the attitude of political parties. There is a discernible change in the mindset of some of them. There has been a respite from the spate of violent protests and hartals. This shows that only the threat of punitive action will deter political parties from disrupting normal life in the name of organising protests. In future, the authorities should enforce the directions of the court in letter and spirit.

The Representation of the People Act should have a clause requiring registered political parties to undertake in writing not to disrupt normal life under any circumstances. Subsequent action to the contrary should invite deregistration of the party concerned.

Processions should not be allowed on main thoroughfares. As protests cannot be banned in democracy, a separate place should be earmarked in the city suburbs for holding protest meetings. Thus, the public will be spared of the inconvenience caused by rallies and processions. Political parties should evolve a model code of conduct for their cadres and educate them about the need to respect the rights of the ordinary citizen.

V.N. Mukundarajan

Vattiyoorkavu

Implement judgment

The High Court judgment will have its impact. The success depends on its effective implementation. The responsibility should be clearly fixed and the various alternatives for realising the compensation should be spelt out, so that the guilty do not escape on one pretext or the other. The procedure for realising the compensation should be made simple.

A. Jacob Sahayam

Thiruvananthapuram

Welcome move

At last, the courts have come to the rescue of the citizens. I was wondering why our courts, Lok Ayukta, human rights commissions, etc., do not take up the cases on their own on the basis of press reports. It is also a wonder why our so-called intellectuals, human rights activists and cultural leaders keep mum over the hartals. How can this gross violation of human rights be ignored? If the Government takes action based on court verdicts, this menace will stop.

Kiran Koshy

By e-mail

Worthy decision

It is an appreciable move to impose a certain level of accountability on political parties and organisations that call for hartal. The success of hartals is never because the public support them but merely out of fear.

Announcements are made to the effect that hospitals and emergency services will be exempted. But the fact remains that hospital staff and patients are the worst affected. A life lost owing to the delay in getting medical services cannot be compensated with any amount of money from the party concerned.

The decision of the court, if it creates some motivation among the public to move about and carry on work fearlessly, is worthy.

Mary P. Skariah

Dublin, Ireland

Impose hefty fines

The court ruling is sure to be welcomed by the public. Hartals have always been a nuisance to the public. They are said to be in public interest, but the parties involved resort to violent means, causing trouble and destroying private property. The judgment will hopefully restrict political parties that resort to violence. Instead of imposing petty penalty, a good sum of money should be levied from them.

Destruction of public property must be treated more severely. Hartals especially affect students, as they result in loss of crucial schooldays. Measures need to be taken to restrict the number of hartals in a month to help the student community.

Archana V

Kollam

Punish offenders

The meaning of democracy and freedom has been misinterpreted in our country, especially in Kerala. A handful of people, in the name of religion, caste or community, holding the public to ransom has become a way of life here. Though courts have banned bandhs, it has taken different `avatars' such as hartal, demonstration and marches, giving a free hand to rioters to damage public and private property. It is not safe even to park a vehicle by the roadside during processions.

Setting off fires and damaging vehicles and buildings are common during bandhs and hartals. The pity is that these anti-national elements go scot-free. The Government machinery remains a mere spectator to such atrocities.

The judgment is a welcome move. Offenders should never be allowed to go unpunished.

M. Sensiluvai

Kollam

Curb violence

The judgment of the court is welcome. Nowadays, the main weapon of political parties is hartals.

If we wish for a developed society, we must wipe out anti-social activities that take place in the name of hartals. First of all, the Government or the political parties concerned must educate their members about the aftermaths of the hartal.

A good country needs good political parties, which are disciplined and can lead a progressive nation.

Everybody is responsible for adhering to the court order for the good of the State.

Richy D. Alexander

By e-mail

Much-needed decision

The recent judgment of the Kerala High Court has come as a great relief to all law-abiding citizens of the State. Anyone with some knowledge of political science will admit that the High Court was forced to act because the executive (State administration) failed miserably to maintain law and order on hartal days.

If the proponents of hartals committing acts of vandalism are not charged/punished under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the result will be anarchy.

S. Paul Dhason

Thiruvananthapuram

Nail the guilty

The court verdict has not proved to be effective so far. It did not take a week before the city witnessed blockade of traffic and offices by LDF workers. The chain of events since the verdict proves that the High Court verdict and punishments meted out by subordinate courts in separate cases are not enough to make political parties eschew strikes and hartals.

Their mindset cannot be changed overnight. It will take a long time for things to change, for none of them seems to be interested in the welfare of the people.

Instead, they want to protect the interest of their respective parties and maintain the morale of the cadres by calling such strikes and hartals.

The only way to nail erring politicians is to make them answerable for the wrong doings of their cadres and followers.

Prosecution and suits for damages against State leaders at various local courts by the affected people en masse will have the desired effect.

A successful outcome to the ban depends on the reaction of the citizens and their enthusiasm to force politicians to act in tune with the court order.

Zacharia Chandy

By e-mail

Vattiyoorkavu

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