Bandh by a new name

 

 

Hartal has become a regular phenomenon in Kerala. Last year, Keralites enjoyed a forced day off as there were 144 hartals in total; the figure includes both statewide and local bandhs. Six of these were statewide hartals. In 2006, the ratio was 9 : 212! In 2005, the ratio was 5 : 115! In 2008 Kerala has already witnessed one statewide bandh even though barely two months have passed.

And then came the turn of the trading community. The association of traders, a powerful group, carried out a state-wide hartal last week; it was against the foreign as well as domestic retail networks. Fortunately, it affected only shops and markets though people were inconvenienced by the downed shutters. Vehicles, however, were plying as normal and offices remained unaffected. Milk, medicines, hospitals were also exempted.

According to a rough estimate, a day of traders' hartal costs to the tune of Rs 700 crores. Kerala incurs an estimated loss of Rs 1500 crores per annum due to strikes. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) alone loses about Rs 2 crores due to a single statewide bandh.

Then there are zonal and taluk-level bandhs, which are quite common, which can cause inconveniences even to people residing in other areas as they are denied access to the particular district or town. Many academic days are lost hampering education. Sometimes even public examinations are affected. Old timers believe bandhs were imported to Kerala in the 960s. When Kerala was under President rule, Communists and the Congress called for a statewide bandh on the same day concerning shortage of rice. When the seven-party alliance, led by EMS Namboodiripad took over in Kerala, they resorted to an interesting strategy of “Administration and Agitation Together”. Then the ruling alliance itself called for the bandh. Around 9 years back the High Court of Kerala delivered a landmark judgment declaring bandhs illegal and encroachment of the citizens’ constitutional rights. The High Court's decision was later upheld by the Supreme Court. Activists, however, outwitted the law by recasting bandhs in its new avatar – the hartal. A Kochi-based NGO has filed a petition before the court praying for stringent actions against the leaders and organisations calling for the hartal.