hartal

hartal
/hahr tahl"/, n.
(in India) a closing of shops and stopping of work, esp. as a form of passive resistance.
[1915-20; < Hindi hartal, var. of HATTAL, equiv. to hat shop (Skt hatta) + tal locking (Skt talaka lock, bolt)]

* * *

▪ Ceylonese labour strike
      in Ceylon, general strike, organized in 1953 by Marxist parties to express public dissatisfaction over the rise in the cost of living, especially the cost of rice. (Generically, the word hartal means “strike” in most North Indian languages.) Because of a chronic shortage of rice, the Ceylonese government since World War II had rationed rice and instituted government rice subsidies to keep the price of rice stable in the face of a fluctuating world market. By 1952 the subsidies accounted for 20 percent of government expenditure. In July 1953, Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake of the United National Party drastically reduced the subsidies, causing the price of rice to triple.

      The hartal followed, and, in order to end it, the government employed repressive measures, resulting in 10 deaths. Senanayake was forced to resign, and, soon after, the new prime minister partially restored the subsidy. The hartal symbolized the general public dissatisfaction with the rule of the United National Party. As an issue, it was employed to the advantage of the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party, which rose to power in the next general election in 1956.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hartal — (also hartaal) is a term in many Indian languages for strike action, used often during the Indian Independence Movement. It is mass protest often involving a total shutdown of workplaces, offices, shops, courts of law as a form of civil… …   Wikipedia

  • Hartal — (Gujarati: Har = alles , immer , Tal / Tala = verschließen ) bezeichnet eine Form von Streik. Das Wort bezeichnet einen Tag der Trauer oder des Protests, an dem alle Läden geschlossen bleiben, die Menschen nicht arbeiten und nicht einkaufen.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • hartal — [ hα:tα:l, hə:tα:l] noun (in the Indian subcontinent) a closure of shops and offices as a protest or a mark of sorrow. Origin from Hindi haṛtāl, haṭtāl, lit. locking of shops …   English new terms dictionary

  • hartal — n. the closing of shops and offices in India as a mark of protest or sorrow. Etymology: Hind. hartal, hattal f. Skr. hatta shop + talaka lock …   Useful english dictionary

  • Hartal 1953 — was a country wide demonstration, hartal, held in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) on 12 August 1953 in protest of the policies and actions of the United National Party government, which resulted in the resignation of the Prime Minister, Dudley… …   Wikipedia

  • Hartal (Begriffsklärung) — Hartal steht für Hartal, eine indische Form des Streiks Personen namens Hartal Paul Hartal (* 1936), kanadischer Künstler Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselben Wort …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • hartal — noun The closure of shops and offices, typically as a strike …   Wiktionary

  • hartal — Inglish (Indian English) Dictionary a general strike or bandh declared suddenly …   English dialects glossary

  • Hartal — Har|tal das; s Kunstw. aus dt. hart u. dem Zeichen Al für Aluminium> feste, leicht bearbeitbare Aluminiumlegierung …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • hartal — n. work that is shutdown by means of protest, closing of stores in protest; general strike …   English contemporary dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”