A hartal is a mass protest, often involving a total shutdown of workplaces, offices, shops, and courts of law, and a form of civil disobedience similar to a labour strike.
The term comes from Gujarati (હડતાળ, haḍtāḷ, or હડતાલ, haḍtāl), signifying the closing down of shops and warehouses with the goal of satisfying a demand.
[2] The contemporary origins of this form of public protest date back to the colonial period of Indian history.
Unpopular policies, particular regarding taxation by the colonial authorities and princely states often triggered such localized public protests, as in Benares (present day Varanasi) and Bardoli.
[3] The term was revived in modern Malaysia to the Hartal Doktor Kontrak, a strike by doctors in July 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to the lack of permanent employment opportunities provided for them.