When the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) says “hartaal” on Friday, it actually means a “bandh.” The ruling party, which seemed to be in a dilemma of sorts over its spur-of-the moment decision to call for a strike against the UPA Government, is now out to confuse the public and make the most of it by deriving an impact.
First, it declared a “bandh” to protest the step-motherly attitude of the Centre, but was quick to backtrack and downgraded it to a “hartaal” apprehending legal hassles.
While it cleverly maintained that emergency services will not be affected during the 12-hour agitation on Friday, the party has not completely ruled out forcible shutdown of all businesses.
Examinations, hospitals, schools and colleges, drinking water and power supply have been kept out of purview of “hartaal” and will function as usual, party vice-president and Panchayati Raj Minister Kalpataru Das said. Train services, another crucial service for thousands, however, will be stopped for three hours.
“Hartaal” literally means a mass protest involving total shutdown of workplaces, shops, courts as a form of civil disobedience and involves the voluntary closing down of places of business. But the BJD has made it clear that certain commercial operations must not operate as part of the agitation.
“We will not force anyone. The party has urged people to make the hartaal a success on their own,” the BJD vice-president said. However, the party has requested commercial establishments to shut shop and bus operators not to ply as part of the agitation to protest the step-motherly attitude of the Centre towards the State. This will mean public transport, which is demonstrative of a general strike, will be hit big time on Friday. The BJD, which has already issued a Press statement to notify the modification in its agitational plans, has since been ill at ease explaining what forced the change of mind at the last moment.