The cold winter of December. A black bag was found on Saturday morning in the crowded section of Jhapa along the East-West Highway. The bag, which was placed near the Kankai-Maikhola bridge, quickly panicked the public, prompting security agencies to be alert. Vehicular movement on the highway was stopped, and people started to move around in curiosity and fear.

The bomb disposal team of the Nepali Army, which arrived immediately after receiving the information, safely defused the bag. Inside the bag were a pressure cooker, wire and a pamphlet. The pamphlet read, ‘Sanatan Suraksha Sena Nepal’.

The attempt to place propaganda materials and explosive-like objects in sensitive places like highways to terrorize the public is not new.

Exactly one year ago, on 16 Poush 2081, a suspicious object resembling a pressure cooker bomb was found in front of the Itahari Sub-metropolitan City office in Sunsari. At that time, the police were also informed in the name of a ‘royalist group’.

It was claimed that bombs were also placed in the highway bridge and market areas where the public throng along with the sub-metropolitan city office. However, bombs were not found in most of those places, and one suspicious object was defused by the army.

The style, message and timing of these two incidents seem more similar than coincidental. The pattern used in both incidents is the same. Pressure cooker, wire and black bag. Both occurred in public and crowded places. Both took place in the month of Poush.

According to security analysts, the devices used in these incidents seem to be focused on creating fear of ‘explosion’ rather than causing actual explosions.

‘This bomb seems to have been done to create panic among the general public rather than causing damage,’ says Koshi Province Police Chief DIG Binod Ghimire. ‘Its main purpose seems to be to create fear among the general public.’

The leaflet found in Jhapa has made that message even clearer. The leaflet demands restoration of the monarchy and declaration of Nepal as a Vedic Sanatan Hindu Rashtra. According to police sources, the leaflet also warned of boycotting the upcoming elections if the demands are not met. DIG Ghimire adds, ‘This group has also been found to be involved in attempts to disrupt the elections. It has been identified. We will arrest them soon.’

Although it was not confirmed that the leaflets were found in the Itahari incident, the name of the ‘royalist group’ was mentioned in the information given to the police.

These demands are not limited to any local dissatisfaction. These messages are of a nature to directly raise questions on the current constitutional system, republicanism and secularism of Nepal. But these demands have not been made public through street protests, political debates or formal means, but through the language of fear and panic.

Coincidentally, former King Gyanendra Shah is also currently visiting the districts of eastern Nepal. He returned on Poush 9 after spending a week in Siliguri, India last week. He is currently traveling from Jhapa to Biratnagar.

‘This seems more like a psychological signal than a formal program to garner support,’ says Sagar Shiwakoti, a researcher at Readers Jhapa. ‘It seems like an attempt to show that the royal agenda is still alive.’ But such activities do not strengthen that agenda, but rather make it meaningless and negative.’

After the Jhapa incident, the question of whether ‘Sanatan Suraksha Sena Nepal’ is really an organization or just a name has been a ‘headache’ for security personnel.’ So far, this name has not been registered with any government agency, and it has no known leadership. There is no public structure, office or declared activity anywhere.

This has raised another question within the security agencies, is this a real organization, or just a name used to create fear?