Wednesday, August 2, 2006

DATELINE:
Restraint needed!

Niraj Aryal

The hair-raising acts committed by some officials of the Nepal Army in the recent times have seriously raised concerns and induced fear among the lay public. At a time when the country is making a smooth transition towards peace and stability, restraint was expected from a legal and revered institution like the Nepal Army. Not to be so, repeated acts of human rights violence from the men in uniform has ultimately inducted fear locally and offered enough space for foreign powers and their stooges in Nepal, firstly to malign the internationally acclaimed credentials of the age-old institution and lastly to see a complete collapse of the institution as a whole. Achtung!

Has the leadership in the Nepal Army completely failed to teach the lessons on how to keep restrained among their less educated men? How the Nepal Army in the future would try to stop these frequent unfortunate events? These are the questions that onlookers would prefer to ask to the men who are given the authority to save the nation from internal and external security threats. Is the COAS listening?

In yet another incident, the Nepal army chief’s absence before a high-level panel, summoned over his role in curbing the April's pro-democracy protests, is being interpreted by a group of tainted media as a deliberate act of seeking confrontation with the new powers-that-be in Nepal. Whereas, the army chief sending a letter to the commission had already indicated his inability to be present before the commission due to his preoccupation on that very fateful day in advance.

To remember, a few weeks back the army chief swearing allegiance before the parliament has already shown his respect to the people’s verdict to the recent changes in Nepal.

But keeping the army chief’s commitment in one hand, if onlookers carefully watch the growing jagged behavior exhibited by the low ranking officials in the NA, cannot directly rule out a rupture creeping up in the NA rank and file. If it is not already a rupture then this in disciplinary sad event can in no way bode well for the army itself and finally prove to be a barrier for attaining long term peace in the country. If these were mere speculations, unless the army chief takes in control over the growing aggression, that would ultimately mean a disrespect for the peoples verdict within the NA.

It is time to act COAS Shri Thapa and that too fast in order to control the damage caused by this sad event.