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A substitute for hartal

They gathered in a hall in Kannur to explore an alternative to hartal as an expression of public protest. A suggestion that came at the end of the session was that hartal as it is observed by political parties can be substituted by what they called `free hartal'. The suggestion for the alternative mode of protest was made at a convention organised by a newly formed forum Hartal Virudha Munnani. `Free hartal' gives freedom for everybody to join or not to join in the protest, which does not disrupt normal life.

A shopkeeper who supports the hartal can display a protest poster or a black flag in front of his shop that remains opened. He can keep a book for his customers to convey their support for the hartal. The book will be handed over to the organisation that calls for the hartal. Vehicle drivers and owners who support the hartal should display similar posters and flags in the vehicle.

Retired judge P.K. Shamsuddin, who inaugurated the convention on Monday, said the hartal as it was now being observed in the State was a violation of the freedom of movement enshrined in the Constitution.

The organisers of the convention are aware that the substitute hartal model conceived by them may not gain wide acceptance immediately because among those who did attend the convention were political leaders. It was high time we looked for some alternative, they say.

Mohamed Nazeer

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