The Hindu : Kerala News : Signature drive against hartal

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Saturday, Sep 29, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala

Signature drive against hartal

Special Correspondent

1,00,000 postcards to be mailed to
Chief Justice

KOCHI: “I oppose the anti-people hartal as a form of expression of protest. I request you to ensure the safety of those who disagree with the hartal, protect their right to work and travel and also to protect public property on the days of hartal.”

The Campaign for Peace, a recently-formed NGO based as S.L. Puram in Alappuzha district, plans to send 1,00,000 postcards with these words written on them to the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court on October 2, the Gandhi Jayanti day.

“Majority of the Malayalis hate hartal,” Dileep P.C., convener of the campaign, told The Hindu. “But, they are unable to even express their voice for fear of reprisals by political parties.” He noted that the High Court had banned the bandh. “When the court banned the bandh, the political parties reinvented it,” he said. “The hartal is the reincarnation of the bandh.”

The campaign has asked all associations and movements, NGOs, students, teachers and social organisations to join the drive. He reminded people that a hartal becomes ‘successful’ only if the people meekly surrendered their right to move about. “Stand up for your right to fundamental rights,” he said.

“We are not against the hartal, we are only against the harassment of those who hold a different view; we are against denying them their fundamental right to work and travel,” he said. “Let those who support the hartal strike work or cancel their travel plans; but why should the hapless, innocent millions be punished?”

‘Like cancer’

He warns those who do not act against the hartal: “The hartal is growing like cancer in Kerala; if you think that it does not concern you, it will one day destroy all your dreams.”

October 2 was selected because the United Nations has declared the day as the Day of World Peace. This October 2 is the first Day of World Peace, he said.

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