Straightening Kerala Out: No More ‘Flash Hartals’ As High Court Bans Strikes Without Seven-Day Prior Notice

The High Court of Kerala, today (7 January), passed an order to ban ‘flash hartals.’

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar have ordered that no hartal can take place without prior seven-day notice. The court held that any citizen could challenge the hartal within the seven days.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry against hartals was being considered by the Kerala High Court. It was stated in the petition that in 2018, as many as 97 hartals were conducted in Kerala, which resulted in tremendously affected business, depleted livelihood of workers and loss of crores of rupees.

Furthermore, the petition sought police protection for shops and commercial establishments during hartals. The court expressed strong discontent at the practice of calling for hartals at the drop of a hat, reported Live Law.