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Enforcing Two-Day Shutdown In Nepal
By KTM Metro Reporter
May 10, 2012: the Bramhin Kshetriya Ekta Samaj has enforced the first day of the two-day shutdown called in Nepal demanding to include them in one of the indigenous groups of Nepalese people. Major political parties have apparently included them in the miscellaneous group.
According the local news, some people belonging to the Bramhin Kshetriya Ekta Samaj have burned down the Museum of Tharus community in the central Nepal on Tuesday, May 08, 2012 but leaders of the Samaj has disclaimed for the burning of the museum.
According to the local media, the shutdown has been partially successful. Making such shutdown a success includes smashing vehicles and burning them, and bullying anybody on the streets doing any kinds of business. Recently, the callers of shutdown have been using the mercenaries to enforce shutdown. This is easier and cost effective. They don’t need to bring their cadres at a high cost to enforce the shutdown. However, what they are doing is totally illegal and has been possible because of the current hung parliament and uncertain political situation in the country. The government needs to take strong actions against the leaders of the callers of the shutdown and the perpetrators of violence, and forced the leaders of callers of shutdown to pay for the damages done to vehicles or any other properties.
In the far western Nepal, the people calling for shutdown have even snapped the high-tension power line causing this region out of power. The Nepal Electricity Authority will foot the bills of putting back the power line into operation but the common folks would need to remain darkness for how long nobody knows, as the administration of the Nepal Electricity Authority moves at the speed of turtle. In this time of rationing of power, other regions will have more power until the power line is restored in the far western region.
In the eastern Nepal, some other groups have called shutdown. Normal life in Sunsari and Morang districts have been affected today due to pre-announced shutdown called by National Muslim Struggle Alliance demanding guarantee of separate identity of the Muslim Community in the new constitution; leaders of the Muslim community said that "One Madhes, one province" was in unacceptable to them, ‘The Himalayan Times’ of today writes. Only the Mithila group has suspended the shutdown for four days. In the far western Nepal, the group continued their local shutdown despite the team of their representatives has left for Kathmandu to talk the government talk team.
If you take a look at all the groups busy with calling shutdowns elsewhere in Nepal for putting pressure on the leaders of political parties to meet their demands, the country has been totally in mess when the day of promulgation of a new constitution is fast approaching. If everything goes as every logical thinking person wants the Constitution Assembly needs to proclaim a new constitution on or before May 27, 2012.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the United Nations have been concern with the humanitarian problems caused by the ongoing shutdown in the far-western region. “While upholding the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of opinion and expression, the NHRC and the UN urge protest organizers and followers to guarantee the freedom of movement for ambulances as well as the transport of essential medical supplies, patients and food within the FWR,” the NHRC and the UN in a joint press statement said. “Humanitarian access must be guaranteed under all circumstances in all parts of the country”, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN, Robert Piper said, according to the news on the nepalnews.com.
