On Friday, a bomb fitted with a pressure cooker device was found near the UCPN (Maoist) party office in Urlabari-2 of Morang district. [break]
The bomb was disposed by a squad of the Nepal Army (NA). Just a few hours after the bomb created panic, Repubica chatted with a group of local people in Urlabari to learn whether such incidents have discouraged them from participation in the election.
´I am, of course, scared,´ said Bharat Pokharel, who runs a small tea shop just off the East-West Highway in Urlabari. ´But, it does not mean that I will be hiding inside my house on election day. I will definitely cast my vote.´
Pokharel, who chatted with Republica like a politically aware citizen despite being illiterate, said, ´I know it is going to be a very risky affair. Violence could flare up on election day. But, there is no way out. The country is unlikely to move forward if the election does not take place.´
Although CPN-Maoist chief Mohan Baidya recently assured that they would not resort to violence to thwart the CA election, his cadres are allegedly found involved in violent activities, particularly against candidates of the UCPN (Maoist).
On Thursday night, a vehicle used by Gopi Bahadur Achhami, a UCPN (Maoist) candidate in constituency-8 of Morang district, was set ablaze in Biratchowk of Morang, allegedly by CPN-Maoist cadres. The same night, another vehicle used by Ramkumari Chaudhari, UCPN (Maoist) candidate in constituency-1 of Sunsari, was also set on fire, again allegedly by CPN-Maoist cadres.
A week ago, a group of CPN-Maoist cadres had allegedly vandalized a van used by Ramesh Lingden, a UCPN (Maoist) candidate in constituency-1 of Ilam district. Lignden"s vehicle was showered with stones when he was heading toward his constituency. Reports of violence are pouring in from other districts as well.
No one has been arrested so far by police on charges of attacking the vehicles of CA poll candidates or planting a bomb in Urlabari. On Friday morning, the UCPN (Maoist) held a rally in Itahari, demanding the arrest of those involved in attacking their candidates. Asked if such attacks had scared them, Santosh Tharu, UCPN (Maoist) joint in-charge of Sunsari, said, ´Such incidents frighten neither us nor our supporters.´
Although the local people appear, by and large, undeterred by the increasing violent activities, most of them, especially the poor and uneducated, have yet not chosen their candidates. They say they do not even know the candidates. Republica chatted with dozens of people in several villages of eastern Nepal to figure out which party could emerge winner in the CA poll, and a majority of them said they will certainly cast their votes but do not yet know which party or candidate to vote for.
Bishnu Maya Rajbanshi, who lives in a settlement of landless squatters in Lakhanpur VDC-1 located in constituency-7 of Jhapa district, said she will certainly cast her vote but does not yet know for which party or candidate. Asked how she will choose her candidate, she said, ´I will vote for whichever candidate my husband tells me to. He knows better than me.´
Many people are not much hopeful that the new CA, members of which will be elected through the November 19 poll, will write a new constitution. There is a deep-rooted perception that politicians - instead of writing a new constitution, maintain peace and developing the country - will care only about their own benefits after being elected to the CA. But they have not given up hope entirely either.
Sarshwoti Khada, 40, a resident of Lakhanpur VDC-1 in Jhapa, says she does not believe the political parties will remain true to their manifestos. ´I know it is only to fool the people,´ she said. ´But, there is no alternative to the election, either. So, I will cast my vote. But, as of now, I am not sure which party I will vote for.´
(With inputs from Ramesh Chhetri in Damak and Amar Khadka in Itahari)
Related story
Voters' list rises in Mugu
