Political hartal, on the other hand, is different in nature and take place on political issues that concern the whole nation and raise public conscience for or against the demands at issue. The only way to resolve political hartals is to reach understanding and agreement through dialogue and negotiation between the government in power and the opposition to resolve the issues that sparked off the hartals.
Historically political hartals as part of non-cooperation movement by the people against the colonial rulers with the objective of realizing the goals of self government, autonomy or independence. Since the interest of the colonial rulers and the people of he colonies were diametrically opposite, hartals were inevitably used as a major instrument to demonstrate the united action of the people in protesting against the arbitrary action and undemocratic rule of the colonial powers. The national cause at that time was to gain freedom and independence and the effect of the hartals were a demonstration of protest against the government and its failure to govern the country peacefully. Hartals in the colonial days were also to make the rulers realize that they cannot continue to rule the country denying the people their aspirations for democratic rights.
After the independence of the country and the emergence of Bangladesh the context has changed and the protection and promotion of national interest have become the supreme concern for each and every citizen and more so for all political parties and the leaders in a constitutional and democratic system. However, in an autocratic and undemocratic regime where the government is not formed through the constitutional process by a fare and free election, hartal is recognized as a legitimate instrument to demonstrate people’s protest against and disapproval of an democratic government.
In a democratic regime also hartal remains an instrument of protest against the ruling government to demonstrate disapproval of certain action of the government in power or to realize demands in respect of the political process. Bu the use of hartals must, at the same time, be viewed differently in a democratic system of government so that least harm is caused to the economy and the society. Here the objective should not be to take any means to take oust the government which has got the legitimacy and the backing of the people. Hartals should not be in such cases be observed in such a manner that national interest is severely damaged and the life and the property of the people (or of state) are at stake. Here the purpose and the means cannot not be the same as is justified in throwing out colonial rulers.
In a constitutional government, hartals may be constructed as a democratic right, necessary to demonstrate protest and disapproval and to register public opinion on certain demands. But, at the same time, hartals should not be taken in such a manner that the national economy is severely damaged and the life of the community seriously jeopardized. According to a newspaper report (The Daily Star Nov. 11, 1995), at least 144 hartals ranging from 6 hours to 96 hours were held between January to 1st October 1995. According to other news report the loss due to hartal comes to about 250 crore taka par day. The ill effect of such hartals are obvious. Classes are closed hampering education at all levels, movements of people is restricted, transportation of goods is stopped, shops and business houses are closed, small income earners, paddlers, rikshaw-pullers, home-product sellers are deprived of their wages and incomes. Trade and industry are closed leading to loss of production, so no sale and no exports. The sick cannot have access to medical treatment and so on and so forth.
While recognizing hartal as a democratic right, there is a need for certain ethics to be followed by all political parties in observing hartals so that our supreme interest, that is protecting our national economy and social stability, is not seriously disturbed and harmed and normal life of individuals and the community is not severely dislocated; causing miseries to the people.
It is, therefore, imperative in our national interest, for all political parties, to formulate and agree on a Code of Ethics for political hartals. Some ideas about such a Code of Ethics for hartals are given below:
The above is only an idea. The important thing is for political leaders and social thinkers of all shades of opinion to realize the situation created by hartal and to promote a national consensus for the establishment of the concept for Ethics for hartal in the national interest. There is a need for national conscience in such hours of crisis.
After all it is through dialogue and understanding between the contending parties that political issues should be resolved under a constitutional and democratic system.