Lawlessness is becoming a serious problem for our society and the biggest immediate threat to democratic stability. The Tarai is a complete law and order nightmare -- extortion, kidnappings and murder are rampant; highway closures and other bandas have practically killed off business opportunities and wrecked the local economy; and growing communal slurs and intimidations have strained the social fabric. The eastern hills are reeling under various armed groups fighting among each other and intimidating ordinary people, even threatening their lives. There are also growing signs that the western Tarai, especially the Tharu heartland of Banke, Bardiya, Dang, Kailali and Kanchanpur, is going to pose a serious law and order challenge in the days ahead. But then Kathmandu is no better either -- protests, bandas and traffic chaos have routinely frustrated the people. More importantly, people are losing hope that things will improve or that the politicians are capable of turning things around.
This is what calls for urgent action before people lose patience-- before it is too late. And it also demands cooperation from all quarters, mainly from political parties and their affiliated organizations. Sadly, much of the law and order problem is either caused by or related to political parties and their sister wings that sometimes act like thugs. When a member of a student group is beaten up by another group, they immediately come out onto the streets and vandalize road vehicles, even beat up commuters. What do you call this, madness or savagery?
And still we haven’t heard of any political party taking action against such students, who belong to their youth wings. The parties don’t even make any inquiry or intervene to stop such things repeating in future. Intervention only comes, as the home minister told the state affairs committee, when party cadres involved in criminal activities are arrested by law enforcement agencies. And every big-time or petty criminal in the districts has cover from one or the other political party. This nexus has to change unless we want a complete meltdown of the state; unless we want total anarchy. The political parties must get their act together. There cannot be different standards for the parties when they are in government and when in the opposition. Anarchy is our common enemy and law and order our top priority.
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