Chand-led violence 

Netra Bikram Chand’s faction of communist party hurled petrol bomb at a moving bus in Kapilvastu on Tuesday. Their so-called Nepal Banda affected lives across the country. This is not the first time Chand’s party is engaged in terrorizing and killing people. Even during the federal elections, many candidates were hurt in their bombing campaign. Deuba-led government did nothing to punish those involved in different episodes of bombing. Chanda-led party is also terrorizing local governments and extorting money from them. Last week, they even announced a local government of their own in a village in Gorkha. The party had abducted a newly elected rural municipality chairman in Thabang of Rolpa in September last year. This is the exact replica of what Maoists did during the war. Chand’s party has terrorized the school children the most and disrupted smooth teaching and learning. More than seven million children were out of school on Tuesday. Schools in the Valley remained shut. 

Chand and his people must face justice for the crimes they have committed in the last few years. The government must not release their cadres involved in bombing campaigns without due process in our court system.  If the government does not act, Chand will only increase his extortion and will keep on disrupting the lives of people across the country. After three levels of elections, people have chosen their leaders. The next five years should be a time for rapid expansion of infrastructures and laying solid foundations to our federal exercise. Any force that dares challenge the system using violence must be dealt with appropriately by the state. The Constitution of Nepal 2015 guarantees the freedom of expression and our democratic processes ensure timely elections. Citizens should exercise their judgment on the people elected to lead in the ballot boxes. Any attempt to disrupt peace and harmony should not be tolerated. If the government is not serious about dealing with Chand then this problem will only fester. 

It is still not too late for Chand to give up his violent activities. He has to publicly pledge to adopt peaceful means to make his case with the people. Nepali people who suffered violence for a decade are not going to support any force that disrupts peace and harmony in the society. What Chand has to understand is that the ultimate expression of people’s will is through the ballot. Even the Maoists that waged a decade-long war against the state finally chose to give up arms to be part of the democratic exercise.  In a democracy, political forces stay relevant by winning people’s trust. The force that does not respect democratic norms has no space in politics.

 
• terror