All have a role to play in promoting stability
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Mourtaza Kamal
The leaders of the business community have voiced their concern about the hartal programme that is called by the country's opposition party -- no matter which particular party is there in the opposition -- from time to time. 'Hartal' has been there as a political weapon of action by those political parties remaining outside power, over past many years in succession, barring the interlude of the caretaker government.
There is, however, no denying that a day of hartal causes substantial losses at the level of the individual business operators and also for the national economy. But the moot question remains as to whether there is any way for just wishing away hartals for good. Everybody agrees on the need to banish hartal from our political system. But this banishment can be achieved only when all major players in the political system understand their responsibilities properly and act accordingly.
The country now appears headed for a wave of hartal afresh. More of such hartals may be called with the political situation coming to a boil. Needless to say, such programmes should be best avoided. It is also proper in this context to ask why the political situation has heated up so undesirably.
The hartal programmes have lately staged a comeback centering on the 'eviction' issue of Begum Khaleda Zia from 'her' former cantonment 'residence'. The issue is understandably an emotional one for the opposition leader and her party. But it is also a legal issue since the leader of the opposition sought redress to it in the court of law. Now that the court has given its verdict, it is not known as to how the issue will henceforth be pressed by the opposition. On its part, the ruling party should also exercise its utmost restraint and act responsibly, so that no handle is given to the opposition to call for a hartal on any logical ground.
All concerned should ponder over the matter -- the nourishment of hartal culture and its adverse economic consequences. All parties should behave in a responsible manner to help nurture a democratic political culture, effectively backed by compliance with the standard rules of the game. This stability is sine qua non for sustained socio-economic progress of the nation.
The leaders of the business community have voiced their concern about the hartal programme that is called by the country's opposition party -- no matter which particular party is there in the opposition -- from time to time. 'Hartal' has been there as a political weapon of action by those political parties remaining outside power, over past many years in succession, barring the interlude of the caretaker government.
There is, however, no denying that a day of hartal causes substantial losses at the level of the individual business operators and also for the national economy. But the moot question remains as to whether there is any way for just wishing away hartals for good. Everybody agrees on the need to banish hartal from our political system. But this banishment can be achieved only when all major players in the political system understand their responsibilities properly and act accordingly.
The country now appears headed for a wave of hartal afresh. More of such hartals may be called with the political situation coming to a boil. Needless to say, such programmes should be best avoided. It is also proper in this context to ask why the political situation has heated up so undesirably.
The hartal programmes have lately staged a comeback centering on the 'eviction' issue of Begum Khaleda Zia from 'her' former cantonment 'residence'. The issue is understandably an emotional one for the opposition leader and her party. But it is also a legal issue since the leader of the opposition sought redress to it in the court of law. Now that the court has given its verdict, it is not known as to how the issue will henceforth be pressed by the opposition. On its part, the ruling party should also exercise its utmost restraint and act responsibly, so that no handle is given to the opposition to call for a hartal on any logical ground.
All concerned should ponder over the matter -- the nourishment of hartal culture and its adverse economic consequences. All parties should behave in a responsible manner to help nurture a democratic political culture, effectively backed by compliance with the standard rules of the game. This stability is sine qua non for sustained socio-economic progress of the nation.