"HARTAL is interes-I ■I ting, isn't it?" so A A said my nine year old son. I don't have to go to school, no homework, no reading, no maths. Wahi What an interesting day". All these he said at a breakfast table on a hartal day. My wife, who hardly wants to go out of home. said. "We will go out for a walk in the afternoon". My sister, a university student. told she would miss her friends and gossips in the campus. However, hartal was pleasant in a way that the roads would be clear from jams, no unnecessary honking of vehicles, no smoke pollution, no rattling sounds of worn out trucks and minibuses, and no unnecessary shouts and yells of rickshawallahs, Best of all, we would not listen to incessant loud songs of the restaurants and music recording shops. These comments throw light in quest of a different meaning of hartal.
Strikes and hartals are democratic rights; it is a part of our political culture, and perhaps, a part of our life. I don't know when did hartal really begin. After the industrial revolution and with the growth of workers class, strikes have been called to register protests or bargain for wages, etc. It is not a new culture in human civilization. But nowhere hartal was used as frequently as was in this sub-continent In the days of unpartitioned India. Gandhiji popularised hartal as one of his weapons of non-violent, non-cooperation movement aimed at the British Government. Later. Bangabandhu used this against the Pakistani regime, also as a means, primarily to press for demands The principle of hartal proved to be a successful weapon, of late against the autocratic Ershadiari era.
Hartal has become our political culture It s taking root in our social life, too People make their plans in accordance with the hartal schedules Visiting friends who live within walking distance, drawing room gossips with friends and relatives, etc are becoming popular. Women.
specially working women, get an opportunity to attend to their backlogged household work. Working fathers give time io their children. The children feel happy as if it wete a holiday. Serious students get an opportunity to complete their HWs. The young men play cricket and football in the streets while the boys and girls join them or ride bicycles around.
Day before longer hartal days, railway station, bus terminals, and launch terminals become busy with people going to their village homes. Railway, bus and lunch wallas get a bumper sale on the eve of hartal. City shopkeepers specially grocers, butchers, poultrymen, fishermen, all make some high profit — a sort of Eid sale.
Usually mornings are more politically active than afternoons. In the afternoons, men. women, and children stroll in and around the locality. Elderly people, specially those t hat doctors prescribe walking a must, find it an ideal time free from crowd.
My friend, a university teacher and his family were with our party. After the lights were on. the streets of our city looked really beautiful with a very small number of rickshaws plying. "How nice the weather 1st", he said. "At least we can take a deep breath, now"
Who does not know that Dhaka is a last growing city with environment pollution caused from putrefaction of kitchen wastes thrown out on the streets. Fume-belching minibuses piercing sound of one stroke engine scooters and tempos and their ghastly black smoke release mingled with unplanned market places, specially the veg etable, fish and meat mar kets. and the continuous digging of roads by different departments make the envi ronment anil the atmosphere simply unhealthy Rickshaws are a great hindrance to the speedy movement oi traffic
Dhaka is expanding fast; dependence on rickshwa as the chief source of public transportation is definitely an outdated idea.
Whether hartal Is good or bad is a political question. There are arguments for and against. All governments are against hartal. In democracy, today's govt is tomorrow's opposition: they will use the same weapon- of hartal to press for demands, and vice versa, unless we discover an alternative. You may doubt these arguments, but doubt not i hat hartal obliquely does at least one good thing — it gives a clean and healthy atmosphere. and a chance to city dwellers to walk and breathe, at least temporarily.
Our politicians do not seem to have any plan to save Dhaka. We have not seen any party manifesto on this issue. Of late, in Thailand, the party which own In the election had given people a clear programme to save Bangkok from traffic jams and, consequently. environment pollution. The party got people's mandate
Recently. The Dally Star started "Save Dhaka" campaign. This is a recognition of the people's growing concern for a healthy atmosphere. The atmosphere or the sphere of breathing Is vital to human, animal and plant existence. Polluted air causes great bodily distress.
The environment we live in is also the stage for scenes of great beauty, sometimes quiet, sometimes gorgeous: think of the deep blue sky, the passing clouds, the won derous variety of flowers, the lush green trees and plants, the running streams, the sunset glow, the lunar haloes, the shooting stars, the mammoth mountains, the surfing seas all are nature s gift to us This realm of beauty can be craved to be viewed with the eye of poet or a painter a romantic or even a scientist but alas not by our politicians Once the political differences are met. will our leaders give serious thoughts to this growing problem of ours, besides I heir own — hartals?