It is now very necessary to make the open platform, which has been established as a public demonstration venue since the people's movement of 2046, permanent and the only demonstration venue.
The residents of the capital city are now suffering from street demonstrations under various pretexts. Teachers, doctors, co-operative victims, microfinance victims, royalist and republican along with Swargadwari Guthipidi have all come down on the streets.
Kathmandu residents have been seeing and experiencing the complications in traffic management when the main road of Kathmandu is jammed with heavy vehicles for years. Moreover, the daily protest by blocking the main road cannot be expressed in words. Not just once, not for a day, but for months, street demonstrations and jams have made the daily lives of not only children and patients, but also ordinary citizens, difficult.
Easy movement and security of citizens, safety of public property and natural disasters etc. should be analyzed and there should be a clear policy arrangement regarding places where protests can and cannot be held. Due to the lack of it, those who are protesting now are doing their best . An illustration of the serious crisis caused by such demonstrations is also evident from the riot caused by the alleged royalists in Tinkune and the loss of people's wealth caused by it.
Now the places like Maitighar, Baneshwar, Bhrikutimandap, Narayanhiti are sensitive areas where the most performances are. Demonstrations in such places and their impact must now be seriously reviewed. While respecting the constitutional right of citizens to assemble peacefully, it is important to be careful not to suppress the rights of other types of citizens while using this right . Therefore, it is necessary for the government to make a policy that only protests can be held in the open forum with the consent of all stakeholders.
After the new constitution was promulgated, the street demonstrations that had slowed down have suddenly heated up. The mysterious anarchy of the anti-change, anti-federal democratic republican elements is increasing, while the counter-demonstration of the republican and change advocates is also going on.
After 2062/63, the leaders who gave speeches that there should be no street agitation are now coming down to the streets . In the name of fulfilling their demands, the protestors are forced to suffer public suffering as they ignore the fact that the 'target' road is closed and the rights of others are violated.
The teachers demonstrated daily for about a month on the streets of Bajjibazar, Baneshwar area . An enlightened class like teachers did not seem to have any idea of the impact on the public and the message it would convey when they blocked such a busy road and demonstrated every day. Maitighar area has become like a permanent exhibition place . Some groups have blocked the road here with banners. The center of the capital, the entrance to the administrative center Sinha Durbar, the entrance to the Arani highway, the center where vehicles pass through Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, the army headquarters, Annapurna Neuro Hospital, the Supreme Court, St. Xavier's College, the area of the district court and the district administration office and Maitighar area, which has the most traffic, is also a sensitive and important center in itself.
Regular demonstrations and road jams in such places have affected the common people . This has not only caused suffering to the common people, but has also increased the risk of road accidents. Maitighar Mandal itself is also a heritage that needs to be protected . The demonstration here will also damage it. Viewed from this angle, this place does not look suitable for performance in any way . Although it is considered necessary to demonstrate at this place to make the government, political parties and members of parliament make their voices heard during the people's movement, Constituent Assembly elections and constitution making, it does not seem to be relevant in any way now.
Now most of the party-goers are performing at the Bhrikutimandap . Bhrikutimandap is the area where Vishwabhasha Campus, Law Campus, RR Campus, Valmiki Campus and Padmodaya School are located. Red Cross office and blood bank and fun park for children are also located in this place. Model hospital and vegetable market area also fall here . What kind of psychological effect will there be on young children and students when they block the road and demonstrate in places like schools, Red Cross, Fun Park? How much does it affect their right to education? The protestors are not paying attention to this. In addition to this, the impact it will have on traffic management and the daily life of the public when performing in the heart of the capital is also different.
It is very necessary to make the open platform, which has been established as a continuous civil demonstration site since the people's movement of 2046, a permanent and only demonstration site. The term open forum itself is associated with civil rights and freedom. It also indicates an open society . Also, the common people, political parties and stakeholders have taken it as a symbol of struggle, sacrifice and change. They used this place in the movement for rights.
Whether it was the massive demonstration after the people's movement of 2046 or the sea of people gathered after the success of the people's movement of 2062/63, they were completed in the open stage. At different times, not only different political parties, but also different social movements and stakeholders used to hold demonstrations in the open platform. That is why the open forum is considered a witness and a symbol of change . Designating such a historic and proud place as a permanent exhibition venue is effective and appropriate in every way.
In the past, there is nothing that can be performed on the same open platform and not now. There is no need to block the road or manage additional expenses during the event in an open platform with a construction stage. Despite this convenience, it is a great irresponsibility for the parties to demonstrate by blocking the road without using the open platform.
In the past, the then Oli government had taken an initiative to prevent Maitighar area from being a demonstration site. That decision, which was made without coordination and consultation with the stakeholders, was protested as 'in the sense of trying to reduce civil rights' and the government retreated . Taking lessons from this, the civil society, human rights workers, local stakeholders, media, people's representatives and parliamentarians and other stakeholders should prepare a common opinion through intensive discussion and consultation and it is necessary for the government to immediately start the task of designating the open forum as a permanent and sole demonstration site .
