16th July, 2008: Bandh against Bandh - Keralites join the protest

This is a protest with a difference. This was reported by The Hindu. Frustrated over frequent hartals disrupting normal life, people here are coming together to form a Citizens’ Forum against hartals. A meeting of the forum held here decided to begin its protests with a satyagraha in front of the Quit India Memorial at Zero Junction in Mullackal here on June 16 from 3 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. In a statement, forum convener and former principal of Ernakulam Maharaja’s College Abraham Arakal said hartals sponsored by various political outfits were violating the fundamental rights guaranteed to every citizen by the Indian Constitution. Though they are called hartals, these protest forms are nothing but ‘bandhs’, which have been declared illegal by the Supreme Court. The actual purpose for which hartals were called for was being defeated by the fact that these hartals literally brought life to a standstill, often failing to convey or reflect public sentiments.
More than often, hartals are called for without adequate notice, resulting in untold inconvenience to the public, Mr. Arakal said.The forum, which has educationist Kalleli Raghavan Pillai as its chairman comprises mostly senior citizens from various walks of life, including M.N.V. Nair, R. Jithendra Varma, G.P. Nair, K.P.Unnikrishnan Nair, C.K. Arumukhan, C.B. Shantappan, A. Sainulabdil, G.Viswanathan, Joseph Kottaparampan, M. Haridas, M.R.B. Menon, K.V.Ramesan and A.K. Kochukunju as members.