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Law Makers Or Law Breakers? Nepal Bandha exposes the poor vision on part of the main opposition leadership By KESHAB POUDEL
A dozen of cars and buses were stoned, four individuals were injured and some windows of government offices were smashed by the workers of CPN-UML at the end of Nepal Bandha (a shutdown strike) on March 27 -- which was later claimed to have passed away peacefully. The organizers -- main opposition party CPN-UML -- claimed Nepal Bandha was greatly successful and peaceful. If breaking laws and smashing windows are signs of peaceful demonstrations, what is the definition of violence in the UML lexicon? It is strange to see the calling of violent Bandh by CPN-UML - in parliamentary terms a government in-waiting or shadow government - as successful and widely accepted. No party has condemned the Bandha. Nepali Congress and the RPP have also stuck to Bandhs. At a time when CPN-UML, which is a party responsible for many law making processes in the parliament - openly encourages the breaking the law, does it have any moral obligation to ask other citizens to abide by law? Jhala Nath Khanal, an UML politburo member defended the violence. "We are forced to organize Nepal Bandha as it is our constitutional right." "Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal says nothing on Bandha. It is against individual freedom. Political parties are denying individual right to move freely. One cannot force individuals to do this or that. They have to compensate for damage done by them," said advocate Bal Krishna Neupane. Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful movement of people, right to move anywhere. Article 12 of the Constitution guarantees this right. A few years ago, a High Court in Indian State of Kerala had banned Bandha as illegal on the ground that it violated the right of individuals to move freely from one place to another. A year ago Pradeep Nepal - one of the prominent leaders of CPN-UML - termed Nepal bandha organizers as anarchists but now he hails his party workers who forced citizens to remain inside their houses as revolutionary. "Bandha organizers are anarchists, anti-social and criminals. It is the right of individual to oppose such acts," said Nepal in Drishti, a vernacular weekly, on July 15, 1998. Although there are many ways to initiate protest against the government, why CPN-UML chose the method that was against the rule of law is in itself an enigma? Nepal Bandha, observers see, is an act of terror. Such behavior questions the credential of the main opposition party on the system of democratic governance. Main opposition party has other constitutional options like demonstrations to voice their concern. Along with CPN-UML, the parties like Nepali Congress, RPP also called Nepal Bandha in the past. All the bigger parties seem to be in favor of leaving this option open. When parliament was debating the issue of Nepal Bandha, no party expressed its opinion against it. Damages Done On March 27 Bandha Cars
damaged : 2 |
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editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
