Need More Responsible Society

Ek Raj Sigdel
March 14, 2009

The indefinite Terai Band, called by Tharu and other local community group is now over after 14 days. They have put forth the demands of their own language recognition in government works and guarantee of federal structure based on ethnic, regional and lingual identities, among others. The strike was relaxed only for two days during holi festival. However, the agitation was intensified immediately after celebration of the Phagu Purnima, one of the biggest festivals of Terai.

From the very beginning of the strike, all public and private services, like educational institutions, government offices, transportations, and industries, among others were closed completely. Large numbers of Tharu people from nearby villages were thronged at district headquarters of Kailalil and Kanchanpur Districts to make remonstration more effective. They used all the available tools, like steak and torch rally, road blockade, tyre and effigy burning, vandalizing government and private offices and vehicles, among others to make the agitation more audible and effective. In addition, they made their demand public through various local and national electronic and other Medias. The life of local people further crippled when a separate group of students and civil society came onto the street to demonstrate their agitation against the government for its ambiguous decision of establishing university in their district headquarters. Additionally, a group of landless people staged demonstration in front of the District Administration Office, Kailali for including their representatives in Landless Commission and ensuring their daily requirements like food and shelter.

The strike has posed a multiplier effects. Every sector, including economic, environmental, political, and educational institutions was in immense impact from the indefinite strike. Income and employment opportunity of the poorest of the poor segments of society was curtailed. Supplies of goods and services in hilly districts such as Bajura, Bajhanag, and Dadeldhura were completely blocked. So, the hardest hit was in hilly area compared to Terai people. Similarly, over a thousand people of Baisebichuwa, Shankarpur who had to depend on Dhanagdi Market for various income generating activities, like rickshaw riding, and industrial and other labors were desperately waiting for strike free days. In the absence of transportation facilities, daily over 250 mountain people had returned from India were to be stranded at bus parks of the district headquarters. According to a reliable source, Mohana Trans-border Revenue Office, Dhangadi is going collect hardly 50% of the total expected revenue during the month of March 2009.

Burning large number of vehicle tyres, and other plastic materials on the road during these hot days caused several kind of impact, such as headache and hypertension. Consequently, it could contribute to the climate change, which may warrant a separate study. The dependency of poor on firewood increased significantly. However, no notable negative impact on the forest resources for timber and encroachment for settlement was reported during that period. The implementation and monitoring of biodiversity friendly activities were completely obstructed and hence there could be other illegal activities, which is yet to be known.

During the strike period, the public security of the region was further deteriorated. As the smooth flows of public and private services blocked, many people fearfully used nearby Indian road networks. A son of Mr. Ganesh Datta Joshi, Raikabarbichuwa, Kanchanpur who had to return to Kathmandu for resuming service, could not make it due to the ongoing strike and insecure situation on the highway. Government officials and other service holders got threatening for not to open their respective offices. Citing to the field difficulties, the constitution members, who were in the Far Western Development Region had to postpone the community consultation process. Likewise, a group of unidentified people vandalized few Village Development Committee Offices of Kailali. Additionally, some of the protesting students also damaged over a half dozen government institutions, such as District Plant Resources Office, District Education Office and a couple of public and private vehicles.

It is worthwhile to notice that some school children organized a protest rally in front of the Kailali Chief District Office, for halting the strike and resuming their school. This news was also aired by BBC Nepali Service. Because of the strike, regular exams of grade eight and 10 were postponed. Likewise, there is an ongoing strike called by college students of Kailali and Kanchanpur for establishing university in their respective district headquarters. Even, one of the political parties of Kanchanpur has threatened to obstruct movement of government vehicles on the road until decision is made in favor of establishing an university in their district.

On the whole, the strike severely impacted all the sectors of livelihood. At the cost of various difficulties including loss of public life, the demand of the agitating groups is now fulfilled. While looking underlying cause of the protest, it was found that local people were seemingly well aware on their right. To a large extent, this kind of organized movement was an upshot of donors support for making various community groups’ aware on their right. Also, the agitators’ leaders were able to link the poor people’s right with their livelihood opportunities. In addition, the locals’ ambition for fulfilling their demand for livelihood and peace has not satisfactorily addressed by the present government.

In conclusion, it can be learned from the strike that the government should response locals need timely on the one hand and on the other the community groups should simultaneously be made well aware on their responsibilities and consequences of such kind of strike on livelihood opportunities of all sections of society. In the mean time, the donor communities’ support should be for making communities more aware not only their right but also towards their responsibilities for making New Nepal, the very mission of the government.