KATHMANDU, April 8: As protestors during the general strike enforced by the UCPN (Maoist)-led opposition alliance turned unruly right from the wee hours on Tuesday, members of the general public including women and children became their first targets. And no sooner did the pictures of innocent victims go public than social media including Facebook and Twitter were abuzz with statements deploring the violence, and remained so throughout the day.
As UCPN (Maoist) leader and former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai tweeted, “Strike by itself is not good or bad. It’s the cause it espouses. Let’s not forget General Strikes have brought many good things in history!” it took just seconds before hundreds of users poured in words of condemnation and disapproval.
Strike by itself is not good or bad.It's the cause it espouses.Let's not forget General Strikes have brought many good things in history!
Biomedical scientist Samir Mani Dixit responded, “Strikes that hurt the common poor Nepali, can never be good, no matter how you justify it.” People from every sector of society expressed disappointment against the strike.
@brb_laaldhwoj Strikes that hurt the common poor Nepali, can never be good, no matter how you justify it. See your timeline responses.
Even politicians other than those belonging to the Maoists and Madhes-based political parties joined in the condemnation through social media. “Revolutionaries resorting regressive banda through terror/intimidation is harming the poor most. Mistaken if they think they can have their way!” tweeted Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat Tuesday afternoon.
"Revolutionaries" resorting regressive Bandh thru terror/intimidation is harming d poor most.Mistaken if they think they can ve their way!
Tweeting a photo of a child panicked by protesters who vandalized his mother’s scooter, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa urged the Maoist top guns to seek another option of protest.
बन्दकर्ताद्वारा आमाको स्कुटर तोडिए पछि रुंदै गरेको बालक(तस्विर:सुजन)।प्रचण्ड जी ,बाबुराम जी विरोधको स्वरुप फेर्नेकि? pic.twitter.com/rhdM1LyAGV
Though some supporters defended the banda, it was inundated by a huge backlash of criticism. Student Nihit Jha wrote on facebook, “Your fight is with government not with innocent Nepali people. Why did your people burn those stationary taxis?” Prakash Aryal vented his ire at Baburam Bhattarai. “Why you the so-called agents of change do not understand the changed context of time; let’s adopt other options than banda for protest,” he wrote on twitter.
Though some anti-strike protesters used to take to the streets in the past, they were not seen doing so on Tuesday. Pragya Lamsal questioned the strike organizers through twitter, “Banda is a ruthless political tool which hits hard the poorest section of society. Does it still have relevance for proletarians?”
Writing on social media, he said the meeting was a “closed-door session” held without prior efforts to convene the House, adding, “We will not attend. Parliamentary sessions should b...
