Neglect of civic value

Immediately, the security forces there were changed . A committee was formed on the same day to investigate the incident. Those activities were justified to the extent of reviewing the weakness in the security of sensitive areas, changing the people who took command and taking precautions to prevent such activities from repeating. But since Tuesday morning, the Singh Darbar, Parliament House, Prime Minister's residence and other areas were closed and cordoned off, showing how worthless citizens are in the eyes of the ruler.

Kathmandu's busy streets are still not pedestrian-friendly. Where there are, there is some government office building or Some VIP residences are included. The decision of the administration to stop walking around the citizens Depreciation is .

In a democratic system, citizens have complaints and problems. Getting to use public spaces to address those issues of civil rights . But recently, civic spaces have been shrinking . The crooked view of power towards those who demand has increased . Which not only made the citizens angry, but also on the state's duty to the citizens The question is being raised.

The blocking of pedestrians by encircling the street is not only a representative case of civil degradation. The actual calculation of the civilian price can be clearly deduced by reaching Siphalchaur and Bhrikutimandap premises. It shows the plight of the citizens who have come to Singh Darbar to express their pain by walking a distance of about seven hundred kilometers.

Why are some citizens walking from Mechi and Mahakali and coming to Kathmandu time and again to express their pain? Why are citizens forced to come to Kathmandu because they are being cheated all over the Terai-Madhes and Pahad-Himal? Instead of finding answers to these questions, why shouldn't some citizens be angry when they are not even able to stand up for their demands? The result of that is the incident of microfinance victims breaking the security cordon and entering the Parliament building premises.

It is not justified to blaspheme in a sensitive area . But it is the responsibility of the rulers to understand the compulsion of the flames of anger that led the citizens to that situation.

A woman who had walked for three weeks warned that she would 'immolate herself' if she did not get justice in a meeting held near Baluwatar Bhatbhetni Temple last Wednesday. She said that she is ready to pay any price if she doesn't get justice. Why does a citizen end up in a position to give up his life? Is the self-immolation warning a populist speech and ?

If a character of the crowd gathered by a party to show its power to the opposition by renting a bus said that thing, it would not have mattered even if it was ignored. This is a representative expression spoken from a public place by a character involved in a group that came to tell their story to Singh Darbar after traveling about 700 kilometers on foot.

Now what faces have arrived in Kathmandu calling for justice? Many in power may not know . Children and elderly citizens are waiting for justice in Bhrikutimandap. They had walked for hundreds of kilometers wearing torn lace sandals and had blisters on their feet. On Tuesday, they threw away the same sandals and performed a 'justice march' on the cold streets of Kathmandu. Are they doing this under compulsion? It is the responsibility of the state to find the reason for this.

There was a similar movement at the beginning of this year. After that, a commission was formed under the coordination of ex-judge Gauri Bahadur Karki to solve the problem of meter badges. The commission investigated and heard about 5,000 out of 28,000 complaints. 22 thousand complaints are yet to be heard. But in the meantime, moneylenders complained to the administration. On the basis of their complaints, administrative inquiries were also conducted against the meter-bagging victims. After that, the meter abuse victims came to Kathmandu with complaints. It is unclear who will hear the complaint and how.

The incidents of under-financed and under-utilized or the blockade of the streets of Kathmandu are not the only examples of citizen devaluation. Many topics are being raised unorganized but loudly in various forums. The responsible people and parties are ignoring such matters raised and questioned by the citizens.

On January 13th, an incident took place in Balkumari Satdobato area of ​​Lalitpur where two young people who were preparing for the language test to go to Korea for foreign employment were killed. Physical Planning Minister Prakash Jwala reached the angry crowd for not being able to participate in the language test. The mob burnt the minister's car. Two innocent youths were killed when the police opened fire to disperse the agitators. The government constituted a judicial committee to investigate the incident. The said committee Minister Jwala was also responsible for the death of two youths because he was there. Determined .

After the minister was held responsible for the death of two people, a question is being raised whether he can hold office or not. Even in the parliament, this voice It is rising loudly. But neither the minister himself has shown morality nor the prime minister has taken any action.

On the other hand, two more ministers have been assigned the responsibility of studying the report of the inquiry committee. Even if the minister is also held responsible in the case of two citizens losing their lives, no one thinks there is a need to show any morality in it. Compared to the death of citizens, the position of the minister has become bigger. Who will remind the Prime Minister who is chasing himself for the fear of reducing the lifespan of his power when the minister is changed?

This week in Bajura, after five months, when the rice arrived, the crowd of buyers The police had to hit them with sticks to get them to move away. There is no accounting for the daily suffering of hundreds of citizens due to the lack of service information when the Minister of Health tried to recruit his staff at Veer Hospital, where ordinary citizens from all over the country come and receive treatment. Milk farmers are drinking milk on the road without getting the price . Farmers are agitating for not getting the price of vegetables. Families of Russian conscripts demand the return of their loved ones They are appealing to the government. The families of those killed are asking for help in bringing the bodies.

When these scenes of civil suffering are seen, the comment is heard from the mouths of everyone, whether they are new or old, the government is sitting in power or the opposition - 'There is a threat to the system.'

Some time ago, a big meeting of Congress, UML and Maoists was held. In those meetings, it was also commented that there is a threat to the system. Those topics were also written in the party documents. But no one debated about the sufferings of the citizens now. No one seriously reviewed how citizens are being devalued . Instead, there was a debate on how to win the election in 2084 in 2080.

When those in power ignore the citizens, similar activities will occur - a threat to the order.

If those who run the government do not show inaction and take care of civil values, they should have declared the civil spaces as prohibited areas for months in the name of security after Durga Prasai? Should the public walking area be closed and the security system should be tightened?

In a democratic system, parties and power holders are representatives of all citizens. The weight of the votes cast by the citizens is on them. But the tendency of parties and leaders to only see the way from election to election and to consider citizens as a character who gives only one vote has not improved yet. Similarly, the reason for all the disorder is that there is a comment that nothing happens in Nepal and there is an alarming number of young people leaving the Tribhuvan International Airport every day. Are the government officials open to appreciate the value of citizens?

photos : Angad Dhakal