Psychology of hartal

Would the majority of the sufferers vote for this party? Our experts on psychology may enlighten the masses on the hartal psychology, and its positive and negative implications (long-and short-term). Hartal is effective when it is spontaneous and non-violent, and others are not disturbed.

As far as I can guess as a laymen, the current spate of hartals is a vengeance weapon directed at the people, to make them realise that the current regime is unable to control the situation. Make them angry and irritated, time and again.

The other aspect is that violence and destructive activities (by hired hooligans and secret directive to party workers) have been deliberately planned secretly, to discourage people to go about their normal daily routine activities. It reminds us of the dog-in-the manger policy.

The point is that enforced hartals have the opposite effect or reaction. It has to be voluntary to be effective, and countable. Why an individual's right not to observe a particular call by any group is not respected? How to have confidence in such undemocratic leadership, which forces a person, offices, shops, or transport system to be immobilized against their consent and cooperation? Call a referendum on hartal?

Then again, what are the alternatives or options to hartal of violence, intimidation, and coercion? Why these leaders do not go to jail voluntarily by breaking the law, without disrupting the normal public life? It is an easy way to be famous? Why we citizens have to carry the donkey's load?

The message is: You observe hartal, and I will watch it, and may or may not participate in it. Why my private vehicle or business property has to be damaged, and buses burnt? Why politics cannot be conducted in a non-violent manner by the politicians only, if others (non-politicians) do not join? It means that the spectators in a gallery in a stadium have to enter the field and play the game too. Sounds absurd (in particular examples).

When the political teams cannot follow the rules of the political games, why harass and involve the public (voters) forcibly and against their will?

Why drink alcohol and force me to follow? This argument is out of context, but how to drive home the message from the dissidents to the hartal mongers? I will not vote for any of these parties indulging in unnecessary hartal.