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Kathmandu,Thursday March 30, 2000 Chaitra 17, 2056.
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Bandhs take people for a ride
I logged on to my computer and went straight
into the web to read some news from home. What a shame, another Nepal Bandh planned.
Bandhs, it should be realised by all Nepalese by now, are only a game played by
politicians and not ordinary people. Let us be honest, who, apart from the politicians
(paid for by the national treasury) wants to have a bandh? Would ordinary folks like you
and me walk from Kathmandu to Pokhara or Mechi to Mahakali? We all need means of transport
that we can afford. Politicians can afford planes, helicopters etc but not you and me. If
you feel sick you must wait for a bus or a taxi but, if the bandh leader needs treatment,
I am sure he will be airlifted from his residence to the best-equipped hospital in the
country or to Thailand. This bandh does not affect him.
So why are we following these bandhs? Why cannot
we analyse the outcome of this and many other bandhs of the past. What have we achieved by
rallying for a bandh? Yes, we have seen changes in the executive body, parliament etc and
almost every party has been given opportunity to build the nation after the demise of the
Panchayat. But what have they given us in return? Some more bandhs, competition to become
ministers, rocketing inflation and disruptions to our lives.
In developed countries they do not have bandhs.
Before someone plans a bandh he also analyses the advantages and disadvantages of doing so
and people do not follow them blindly. We are far behind them, we go for it first and
regret its consequences later. If bandh organisers have genuine points to make why cannot
they go to the appropriate body and propose a dialogue, discuss openly on prime-time
television or in the worst case, organise a silent protest; that way you can still make
your point without jeopardizing people’s lives and they will follow you if you are
there to address their concern.
When you are in power you do not organise a
bandh and when you are not, you always want it. This only means that bandh organisers are
selfish, power-hungry creatures. We must realise this
Bhojraj Baral
Pokhara |
