21. Feb.2013 - Like yesterday, today is also an idle day for us in Kerala. There is no work. In fact we could not go to work. Or, to be more apt, we are not keen to go to work. Yes, it is yet another Hartal and this time as a novelty, it is for 48 hours. For many of my less fortunate friends who are working for big corporates in cities outside Kerala it was business as usual. In their busy schedule they, understandably, have failed to take note of the All India Hartal which invariably transforms into a Bandh at least in Kerala. This is why we in Kerala are really lucky. Savouring the sweet feeling of Hartal solitude is much richer than a weeklong vacation to a distant hill station.
As on all Hartal days (since my childhood), I took a midmorning walk along the highway (NH-17) to gauge the Hartal spirit. The summer rains, which lashed a couple of days back, have brought a fresh energy on everything around. And today this freshness is enriched by a profound silence. The otherwise overcrowded road is in a desolate mood. The buses which fume around spitting their smoke are silently observing a penance in their stands. A few private vehicles ply occasionally. Otherwise the surroundings are completely calm, composed and ideal for a road side meditation. An old man peddaled past me on his bicycle – in a rhythm of a sweet lullaby. The policeman on guard near a Government office is enjoying a leisurely time with the newspaper. At an otherwise busy junction, which has a big mango tree, children are all over the branches plucking its raw mangoes. Today, instead of the disgusting shrill of speeding vehicles I heard the melodious resonant call of a cuckoo perched on a distant tree. Today, instead of the usual stench of burning fuel, I felt the whiff of budding jackfruit flowers. Today, instead of the frantic rush, everything around felt so poetic. It is the special vibes of this sweet little expedition to a nostalgic world which makes Hartal in Kerala so special.
So who is feeling Hartal is so bad? To be frank, to this day, I am yet to find someone who has a genuine dislike for non-violent Hartals carried out in a professional manner with due respect to critical services (like Hospitals, Ambulances). Who is not happy to get a break from an otherwise monotonous grind? Hartal is probably the only time when all the family members are at home having the breakfast, lunch and dinner together. It is not about being lazy. It is not about being complacent. It is an occasional reward for our hard labour and an opportunity to rejuvenate ourselves.
Let us take yet another perspective. Hartal is the only day where we all collectively contribute to our environment. Carbon emission gets decimated on these Hartal days. There is less soot, less litter and relatively less use of power (as shops and offices remain closed). Let us give our Mother Earth a breather! The road accidents are few and the emergency aid vehicles or ambulances need not worry about traffic jams.
But in spite of the benefits of these non-violent peaceful solitary Hartals, we still find reports of revenue loss which are in crores. Like the revenue loss reported by our ever-weeping super rich petroleum companies, this arithmetic of revenue is difficult to conceive (unless if it is due to violence or sabotage). For big corporates, loss due to a Hartal is just a trifle – or they take it as an opportunity to ensure their Risk mitigation plans are in place. For small companies, closing their business for a day is not going to be end of world. For hotels and tea shops this is the best time to do some cleanup – plastering the rat hole there, cleaning the sewage here – nowadays the Food Inspectors are on a prowl. For shop owners and street vendors closing their business during Hartal is a happily accepted collective loss (since all the shops are closed, no one feels any grudge). In fact they are the ones who use this time for much needed break – like my neighbor, a shop owner, who used this break for a pilgrimage to Tirupathi. Now don’t tell Hartal results in a loss to Government exchequer in Kerala. The Beverages Corporation’s liquor sales before the Hartal is enough to make sure our exchequer is safe, strong and peppered with profits.
Though Hartal is now used as a form of civil disobedience, time is not far for this Gandhian concept to take a new role for a greater cause. Looking at the reckless exploitation of our natural resources and the progressive pollution trend, a peaceful, non-violent implementation of occasional Hartals might become a necessity to save our Environment as well as our families!
