ITAK’s call for Hartal in North, East not an entire success

By Thevatharsan Sukinthan   

A full hartal (shutdown) protest was held yesterday in the Northern and Eastern provinces, following a call by the Ilankai Tamil  Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) demanding the withdrawal of military presence from  these areas.  

While the hartal protest received support in several areas  of the North and East, normalcy was observed in a number of key  locations.  

This protest comes in the backdrop of allegations that the  Sri Lankan military was involved in the recent death of a young man, whose body was recovered from the Muththu Aiyankattu tank. The ITAK  alleges that such incidents are a result of the growing military  presence in the region. As a response, ITAK General Secretary M. A.  Sumanthiran called for a complete shutdown in the North and East.  

Originally, the Hartal was scheduled for August 15. However,  due to the annual festival at the Madhu Church in Mannar on that day,  the protest was postponed to August 18.  

Several trade unions, the Jaffna University Student Union,  and other public organisations, particularly in Jaffna, declined to  support the protest, claiming they were not consulted in the  decision-making process.  

Although shops, markets, and other establishments remained  closed in parts of Jaffna yesterday morning, normal life continued in  many areas, including the Jaffna city area.  

Despite the lack of full participation in Jaffna, the Tamil  National Alliance (TNA) stated that the Hartal was successful in other  areas outside Jaffna.  Speaking at a protest held in Jaffna yesterday, ITAK  General Secretary M. A. Sumanthiran said that this hartal is a symbolic  protest and that further protests will continue in the future to demand  the removal of military camps from the region.