CPI(M) to fight against hartal ban

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 2. The CPI(M) State secretariat has made it clear that it would explore all available means to oppose the Kerala High Court's ban on forced hartals.

# The CPI(M) State secretariat termed the High Court verdict an onslaught on democratic rights and said a situation in which the people are denied the right to protest against injustice could not be called democracy. The hartal ban would encourage the autocratic bid to suppress people's dissent against State tyranny. "Hidden behind the ban on forced hartals is the more dangerous message of despotism. In effect, it would ban all types of hartals," a CPI(M) statement said.

# The statement rejected the contention that hartal is an anti- people agitational method. It is an agitation in which the whole population participated. If anybody indulges in violence in the name of hartal, legal action should be taken against them. There are laws and enforcement mechanisms to ensure this.

# The fundamental principle of democracy is the people's control over the State through their collective will. Any attempt to take away the right of the people to protest is tantamount to murder of democracy. Unfortunately, a court verdict is coming in handy here for such attempts, the statement said.

# The CPI(M) secretariat recalled that the Father of the Nation himself had led a civil disobedience movement in the country's fight against colonial rule. The Indian masses had also created history by offering brave resistance to Emergency. India is now faced with attempts to impose anti-people policies, undermine the Constitution and restore foreign supremacy.

# The May 11 country-wide general strike had unnerved many. They are getting ready to bridle expression of such protests. The Kerala High Court verdict would prove helpful to such attempts. That would be dangerous. However, there is no instance in Indian history of the authorities having succeeded in suppressing the people's enthusiasm for resistance through threats or use of force. And nobody need be under the illusion that they would succeed in such attempts now. The CPI(M), on its part, would explore all avenues to defeat the hartal ban, the statement said.

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Section  : Southern States
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