Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW Vol. 5 Num 382 Fri. June 24, 2005       Letters to Editor Hartal and a few alternatives Md. Khairul Islam Gulshan -2, Dhaka 1212 In general term 'hartal' means suspension of work and business for political protest. The call for Hartal worked well during the British colonial period and later in the pre-independence days to mobilise public support through non-cooperation. However, in those days the call for hartal generally cut across party lines and was based mostly on patriotic grounds. Hartal gained popularity as it gave a sense of unity for a good cause against a common foe. To the general mass hartal appealed as a tool to fight against exploitation, vent frustration, project legitimate grievances and demand lawful rights. Post independence period was marked by change, both in the political arena and players, with disappearance of many of the past ideologies and conditions. Accordingly, the spirit of hartal underwent a few convulsions and later its power was conveniently redirected and unleashed in the cauldron of power struggle. Inevitably in the midst of the democratic reforms it became a formidable tool, especially to be used by the opposition to snatch power from the government before their term was over. There seems to be a feeling among most politicians and some quarters of the public to detach them from the notion of hartal as the ultimate weapon. Over the years the true sprit of hartal has regressed and degenerated to pander to the whims and interest of the political system. Parties in opposition to protest against the ruling regime especially use it in a hostile and destructive manner. Peaceful and non-violent way of settling political differences seems to be unattractive. This is in sharp contrast to the practice followed by most democratic countries of the world, where a fair and functional judicial system usually addresses such disagreements. Constitution and the due process of the law should be utilised to solve problems whether political or criminal. Evidently in the absence of an independent judicial system the ruling government is squarely blamed for most problems since very little option is available to the opponents. Today political parties use hartal and its affiliates as a show of public support. And the yardstick of that recognition is usually measured in the size of the destruction and pain it can inflict on already beleaguered public. Ironically the general mass is held hostage to witness the unrest and those calling hartals expect that votes will come their way in the next election. This idea is self-defeating since people normally would like to elect their representative to protect them from such abuse and disruption of their daily life. In the name of hartal, a section of people is handed over the right to damage public and government properties without impunity. Mysteriously the rule of law comes to a stand still and sadly the authorities seem to accept that as a norm. What is done in the name of people is unlawful, undemocratic and is a form of terrorism. After decades of misuse of this previously potent political tool, time has come to challenge its legality. It is the basic right of every citizen to work and make a living whether hartal or not. A taxi or a bus driver may be the only wage earner in his family and harming him or her gives the nation a black eye. It is the utmost duty of all the branches of the government, especially those in the law enforcement agency, to ensure that the rights of the people are upheld. Lawmakers must redefine hartal and should not let the status quo to continue any more. May be it is time to rename parliament boycotting by it's member as hartal since during those periods peoples hopes and aspirations are not represented in the sacred house. We preach what is good for the nation but hardly practice it. We say what we should do but actually do less of it. Hartal is not written in indelible ink in our social book and therefore it must be eliminated; for how long will the public have to wait for the cycle to end? . PHOTO: AFP