Kerala tops in India’s 100-year-old-history of hartals.

India has been witnessing hartals for 100 years. Kerala has scripted history by topping as the state which witnessed the largest number of hartals.

Protesting against Rowlatt Act, Mahatma Gandhi has called for the first hartal on April 6, 1919. Calling for the first hartal, Gandhi had strictly asked to follow rules. The first rule had mentioned that none should be harmed and help the needy. In the second rule, all protesters were asked to observe fasting.

Average 100 hartals are being staged in Kerala every year. In 2018, 120 hartals were observed in the state. Among the 120 hartals, 97 of them largely affected the normal life of the public.