Hartal

The term comes from Gujarati (હડતાળ, haḍtāḷ, or હડતાલ, haḍtāl), signifying the closing down of shops and warehouses with the goal of satisfying a demand. Mahatma Gandhi, who hailed from Gujarat, used the term to refer to his pro-independence general strikes, effectively institutionalizing the term.

Hartal is step 118 in Gene Sharp's 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action.

History

The contemporary origins of this form of public protest date back to the colonial period of Indian history. Unpopular policies, particular regarding taxation by the colonial authorities and princely states often triggered such localized public protests, as in Benares (present day Varanasi) and Bardoli.

In South Asia

Hartals are still common in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and in parts of Sri Lanka, where the term is often used to refer specifically to the 1953 Ceylonese Hartal.

Bangladesh

Hartals in Bangladesh are sometimes held for more than 200 days. Bangladesh's law states that hartals are legal as long as violence is avoided. This law was formulated due to the notable lawsuit Khondker Modarresh Elahi vs. Government of Bangladesh (2001).

In Southeast Asia

The word is used to refer to various general strikes in the 1940s, the 1950s, and the 1960s such as the All-Malaya Hartal of 1947 and the 1967 Penang Hartal riot.

The term was revived in modern Malaysia to the Hartal Doktor Kontrak, a strike by doctors in July 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to the lack of permanent employment opportunities provided for them.