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Kathmandu Tuesday June 19, 2001 Ashadh 05, 2058.
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Banning bandhs
The government of Girija Prasad Koirala
has apparently decided to put a ban on Nepal bandhs and general
strikes throughout the country, citing security for life and property.
By extension of the same logic it has also prohibited street
demonstrations in some of the districts considered highly
sensitive from the point of view of law and order. Although the Home
Ministry spokesman has said he has had no formal notification, the
decision banning demonstrations is apparently aimed at districts most
affected by the Maoist insurgency. This comes against the background
of public security regulations being promulgated under the Public
Security Act of 2046 Bikram era to purportedly bring the former up to
date. The regulations go back to before 2046. It is not hard to see
why the authorities are going in for these harsher measures, quite
apart from the Maoist factor. But first to deal with the ban against
demonstrations from the Maoist angle, it is questionable whether the
government can enforce such a ban at all. The move might suffer the
same fate as the ban on torch processions, largely ignored by
political forces in this country. The Maoist problem should be tackled
not through more repressive measures, but through an earnest attempt
at serious dialogue, as has been pointed out repeatedly in this space.
Secondly, the move against strikes and
bandhs seems to be a bid to pre-empt the kind of strikes that crippled
this country repeatedly in the month just past. And although the
public has already shown some signs of restiveness against bandhs
there is the distinct possibility that the opposition parties will
once again seek to bring this country to a halt to press their demand
for Koirala’s head. If it is the wellbeing of the public that the
government has in mind it should have been satisfied with a ban on
strikes that affect the essential services, something which is already
in place, rather than a blanket ban on all strikes. It would be a
regressive measure and if trouble erupts because of the ban it could
aggravate matters further and perhaps even affect the functioning of
parliament. We
have already seen the last Winter Session being brought to nought.
Instead of taking off the gloves and preparing for greater
confrontation, Koirala should get himself to admit that his continued
presence at Baluwatar is part of the problem facing this country
rather than part of the solution, as he would no doubt like to
imagine.
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