hartal
/ˈhɑːtɑːl
/ /ˈhəːtɑːl /noun
(In South Asia) a closure of shops and offices as a protest or a mark of sorrow: the town observed a complete hartal [mass noun]: the valley was paralysed by hartal or curfews...
- Since then there have been nine major strikes and hartals [the closure of shops and businesses] against government policies.
- In defiance of their trade unions, the workers were striking for improved working conditions and the release of a co-worker arrested for campaigning for a hartal (strike and shop closures).
- The next day, the LTTE and other Tamil parties called a hartal [strike and shop closures] throughout the north and east of the island which lasted for four days.
Origin
From Hindi haṛtāl, haṭtāl, literally 'locking of shops', from Sanskrit haṭṭa 'market' + Hindi tāla 'lock'.