ekantipur/2013/09/24/opinion/the-bandas-must-end/378419.html The bandas must end There is nothing peaceful about bandas; they are enforced by violence and the explicit threat of violence PETER BODDE SEP 24 - As a longtime friend of Nepal, I have watched political developments over the past thirty years with enthusiasm and respect. I’ve seen the country make the transition from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary democracy. I’ve seen a free press and civil society flourish, sometimes against great odds. And most impressive of all, I’ve seen a brutal civil conflict end not with one side vanquishing the other but through a negotiated peace accord. This is a rare achievement and something for which Nepalis can be justifiably proud. I am heartened to see preparations well under way for Constituent Assembly (CA) elections. In late February, I wrote an opinion piece in this newspaper calling for elections, and in July, I publicly congratulated Nepal’s Interim Election Council on the announcement of the November 19 poll date. Over that time, I have seen public cynicism turn into real enthusiasm. This enthusiasm is evident not just in the Kathmandu Valley but throughout Nepal. Over the past two months, I have traveled from Mahendranagar in the west to Biratnagar in the east, and to cities and towns in between. I’ve met with CDOs, business owners, journalists, students and NGO leaders. And what I’ve seen and heard directly from Nepalis everywhere is that people are eager for elections. They say they want a CA; they want the country to complete its peace process; they want a constitution; and above all, they want Nepal’s leaders to move on to the very real economic and political challenges that the country faces. What Nepalis don’t want is paralysis and conflict. And this brings me to my central point: the bandas must end. Bandas are not peaceful Last month, my country observed the 50th anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King’s famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Dr King addressed a peaceful crowd of 250,000 people gathered in the heart of Washington DC and spoke eloquently about the racial injustice then prevalent in US society. Dr King wasn’t just a graceful and powerful orator; he was the leader of a social movement that brought about fundamental change in my country. In leading the civil rights movement, Dr King drew direct inspiration from the example of Mohandas Gandhi, who shepherded India to independence sixteen years before Dr King addressed the multitudes gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Nepal too has a proud history of peaceful protest. The political and social changes I mentioned above are in large measure direct consequences of the Janaandolans of 1990 and 2006. Unfortunately, this proud heritage of peaceful protest has been distorted. There is nothing peaceful about bandas. They are enforced by violence and the explicit threat of violence. Like many of you, I was repelled by the recent image of the burning bus in Dhulikhel, just as I was dismayed to hear of cars being vandalised, motorists beaten and shopkeepers threatened. And who are the victims of this violence? The victims are Nepal’s ordinary citizens—students at government schools studying for the SLC, shop owners forced to shutter their small businesses, day labourers who depend on public transportation and a daily wage. Everyone knows this. There are economic consequences too. The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) reports the economic cost of bandas to be Rs 1.2—1.8 billion a day. These are only the direct costs. Just as worrisome are the opportunity costs in lost investment. According to the World Economic Forum’s most recent Global Competitiveness Report, Nepal’s investment climate ranks 117 out of 148 countries surveyed, and bandas are a big reason for this dismal performance. Women in red and duties of state There are encouraging signs that the Nepali people are increasingly fed up with this type of violence. The most obvious sign of this was the disgust shown by ordinary people—including many, many women—at the September 7 banda, declared on the first day of Teej. Like many, I was heartened to see women on foot and in shared taxis, dressed in holiday red, defying the banda. Similarly, during the September 12 and 15 bandas, ordinary citizens came out in the streets to protest the efforts by a small group to enforce their strike through intimidation and violence. These are brave acts of defiance, which deserve our admiration and support. Ultimately, though, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure law and order. I endorse the European Union’s September 12 statement—in particular, the statement’s ‘full support’ for the government to address breaches of law. The EU statement was immediately condemned by the orchestrators of the most recent round of bandas as a violation of Nepal’s sovereignty. This argument makes no sense. The most basic requirement of a sovereign state is that the state alone has a monopoly on the legitimate use of force. The state, in other words, not only has the right to guarantee security—this is its most fundamental obligation. The coming test I was pleased to see that poll-opposing parties have called off the September 25-26 banda and I encourage these parties to abandon their efforts to obstruct the November 19 elections—a destructive campaign that runs directly counter to the ideals of the Janaandolans. Political parties have a right to participate in elections and they have a right to boycott them. They have a right to free speech and peaceful assembly. What they do not have a right to do is to prevent the government from conducting elections or to keep Nepalis from casting their ballots, registering as candidates or campaigning. The Nepali people and the interim government face a challenge. While I am encouraged to see that this week’s banda has been withdrawn, I am under no illusions that the road ahead will be easy. I encourage my friends in government, the political parties, civil society and the media—I urge my colleagues in the international community—to stand firm. Elections will go forward and I am confident they will be free, fair, credible and inclusive. Together, let us also ensure that they are peaceful and secure. Bodde is US Ambassador to Nepal Posted on: 2013-09-24 08:44
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 03:59:23 +0000
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