Even so, yesterday's dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the lawyers passed off not without leaving a question-mark on the public mind. Was it not superfluous, was it not avoidable? Most people would ask. For, although the righteous indignation was directed against the government, in reality it is the public who suffered for it.

Why bring life to a standstill when the government's failure to protect judges against terror attacks is well-formed public knowledge and the outrage felt is universal and pronounced across the country. Voices have been raised from all corners of the country to eliminate the militant threats against judiciary posing the greatest danger of destroying all that the state stands for, holds dear. When the entire country is up in protests against terror bombings targeted at the judges and the judiciary as an institution, was there any need for the strike? What purpose has the strike served except to deal a blow to the country's economy and cause public hardship?

To our mind, any boycott of courts will be self-defeating. Bringing any part of the judiciary to a halt is what the militants wish to see happen. They are out to put the system in jeopardy. And let's not forget, it's by constant vigil and robust counter-action based on latest combat tactics that we can defeat the terrorists, not by protests alone.