Violence, disruption in UML rally 
Any Nepali political party has the constitutional right to organize peaceful protests and meetings at any place of its choosing inside the country. This is a matter of principle, not of individual political beliefs. The rightist RPP has as much right to peacefully campaign for the restoration of monarchy and the Hindu state as does Nepali Congress or CPN-UML, two of the main agents behind the post-2006 changes, to peacefully push their own agenda. 

Madhesh-based parties, likewise, are free to campaign for election anywhere, not just in the Tarai belt but in all of Nepal. So any attempt to intimidate particular political parties against organizing peaceful gatherings on Nepali soil is both unethical and illegal. The Madheshi Morcha has been trying to disrupt UML’s Mechi-to-Mahakali campaign through sheer force, apparently because constituent parties in Morcha do not subscribe to the views of KP Sharma Oli and his party. This use of force to disrupt peaceful political gatherings is disturbing. The National Human Rights Commission has also expressed its concern at the coercive tactics of Madheshi parties to stifle freedom of expression and assembly. But such concerns of human rights bodies, the media and the civil 
society seems to have had no visible effect. Tensions have flared up and deaths have been reported. Several others have been injured. We condemn violence of all kinds.

If peaceful political gatherings can’t happen in parts of Nepal it is hard to see elections, of any kind, taking place there. Even if there are elections in such a climate, they are likely to be marred by violence. The question is again not whether the Madheshi parties have the support of common Madheshis. They very well might. And Mr Oli and co might really be unpopular in parts of Madhesh. But the only definite way to find out, one way or the other, is through timely elections. If the Madheshi parties believe common Madheshis are put off by UML’s ‘ultra-nationalism’ and if UML leaders are really ‘anti-Madheshi’ there is all the more reason to hold elections on time. If the message of Madheshi parties resonates among common Madheshis, then UML could be completely turfed out of the Tarai belt. But the Madheshi parties seem to be in no mood for elections. And their use of violence to disrupt UML rallies has raised a doubt that perhaps the Madheshi parties are not confident of their electoral prospects and are hence looking to have their way through brute force.  

UML leadership is not faultless either. Its top leaders could tone down their India-bashing and their not-so-subtle attempts to link Madheshi parties with the southern neighbor. Just like violence has no place in a democratic society hate speech does not either. But again why not let common Madheshis decide if certain political parties are anti-Madheshi. Weapon-wielding political cadres who are trying to shut out other political actors cannot, under any circumstances, claim to be people’s representatives. Why resort to force when there is ample space to establish your agenda through peaceful politics? The Madheshi parties, if they want to be seen as credible democratic forces, must at once abandon their politics of exclusion and be ready to play by the democratic playbook. There is no other option.   

 
• rpp
 
• uml rally
 
• undemocratic
 
• editorial