While hartals might seem a justified way of protest under a democracy, studies have revealed that nearly 95 percent of those in the unorganised sector – fish workers, construction workers, other daily wage workers – are deprived of a day’s work and wages as a result. We hence must question their usage in society.

Protest against protest might sound strange but this is what is happening in Kerala lately. Organisations that reject the idea of ‘imposed will’ of a section on the society in the name of hartal have proliferated. Hartal Virudha Munnani (HVM) is one such organisation formed under Humanist Movement.

Sushant NP, a member of HVM, told me that in a hartal people are not really protesting, yet they become the victims of might and fear that is propagated. A minority imposes their intentions on others for their petty political gains. Nobody gains and everybody loses including those who impose it.

During the hartal, public life is paralysed not because of protest but because of fear of losing life and the property.