Harthal

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Hartal signifies closing of offices and shops in India as a mark of public protest or sorrow.

This form of public protest dates back to days of British colonial rule in India. Repressive actions infringing on human rights by the colonial British Government and princely states against countrywide peaceful movement for ending British rule in India often triggered such localised public protest

After the British conceded independence to India on 15 August 1947, Hartals in free India were often observed mostly as a mark of public sorrow to mourn the demise of public men and great leaders. It is also observed to mourn the deaths as a consequence of calamities, man-made or natural, that leave many people dead and injured.

Towards the end of 1980s, public policy in India began to turn towards the right with the Government embarking on many measures to what are termed as "liberalisation" policy. This policy is being pursued with more vigour since the turn of 1990s. The new policy gave more freedom to entrepreneurs both domestic and foreign, to set up business in India and to import goods and services. The Government's control on such activities became minimal. Trans-national companies were able to expand their business into India and to capture Indian market for goods, services and capital. These developments led to jobless economic growth and fall in prices of primary commodities exported by India. The new economic situation adversely affected workers and marginal farmers due to severe unemployment and fall in incomes. The disparity between the rich and the poor also widened because of these policies.