Balendra Shah, who became mayor singing Chameli songs, could not become the beloved of Chamelis even as mayor. At that time, Chamelis who made a living by roasting corn on the roadside were chased away, and Chameli husbands who sold vegetables in carts to feed their children and earn a living were chased away.
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The government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah is famous and criticized for two things. First, by suddenly ordering the use of dozers in squatter settlements without preparation and management. Second, by trying to bring a haphazard ordinance after abruptly suspending the parliament session called by his own council of ministers despite having a strong presence of about two-thirds in parliament.
Famous because as soon as he became prime minister, Balendra moved forward with the determination to resolve the problem of squatters, which had been a problem for years but could not be solved, and cleared the settlements without any clashes. He ordered the use of dozers even in many pucca houses built on government land that were seized under the guise of political power, authority and access, and even though they were used. Did Balen only become famous by using dozers in human settlements like this?
Balendra is currently being criticized because despite having such a powerful parliamentary arithmetic, he chose the path of an ordinance. The Constitution of Nepal has made a provision that the government can bring an ordinance only in special circumstances. In such a situation, the President has already called for a meeting, discussion and decision of the parliament and tried to rule through an ordinance by stopping the parliament session that was supposed to begin from Baisakh 17. Due to this, various parties including legal experts and opposition parties are criticizing Balendra for being heading towards autocracy and trying to follow in the footsteps of former Prime Minister KP Oli. And, he has been accused of devaluing the sovereign parliament in the name of majority.
Not only this, he has also been accused of making a mockery of democracy and the rule of law by ignoring both public opinion and the opposition. And, this accusation is not just an accusation, it is also an urgent voice to curb such a move by the Prime Minister. In fact, immediately after assuming the office of Prime Minister, Balendra had ordered the administrators and employees - since the current MPs and ministers are themselves educated and experts, do not try to teach them and do the work smoothly. However, is the reason for trying to govern through ordinances now a rush to quickly resolve the problems that have come up without any obstacles or because he does not trust his own MPs? This question and curiosity are both on him.
Balendra, who gained popularity by singing the song 'Garibko Chameli Boldine Kohi Chhin' and rose to the position of mayor of Kathmandu and left there before the end of his term to run for parliament, was considered not only the savior of this country, but also the messiah of the poor. However, after suddenly using a dozer in the huts where the poor live, he has not only been criticized, but the tears of the same poor who have become homeless are cursing him. Today, videos of the same poor people, shouting and crying in the name of the same Balendra, are all over social media.
On the 11th anniversary of the devastating earthquake of 2072, i.e. on 12 Baisakh 2083, the government used a dozer in the slums of Kathmandu to make them forget the earthquake. After the powerful government of about two-thirds gave them a very short deadline of just two days to gather their belongings and leave the slums, most of the terrified slum dwellers hurriedly packed their belongings. But, where to go and take them? Amidst this confusion, security personnel picked up the slum dwellers and their belongings and took them to the stadium. Since then, a dozen dozers have been active in the slum dwellers. Neither protest nor clash! There were the tears of the squatters sitting on one side watching the roofs that used to be covered in sunlight being torn apart, and the cries of the little children who were crying in their arms.
Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli may have had ego in Balendra for not cooperating with him in the matter of removing the squatters or sending an administrative officer to the metropolis. His first 'action' after becoming Prime Minister was seen in the squatters' settlements. Balendra's positive step is to try to relocate and organize the settlements along the riverbanks, which are prone to floods and inundation every year, and to try to return the encroached government land. However, analysts say that he took this step in a hurry. It is hardly anyone who is ready to consider it a proper step from a humanitarian perspective to order the use of dozers in the settlements in a hurry, especially during the rainy season, without proper arrangements for shelter and shelter.
Whose squatters and who's who's who's who? If they had identified its root cause, made a plan to replace the squatters in a suitable place, and given them at least a fifteen-day ultimatum, the voices of opposition to the Balendra government would have certainly decreased.
The fact that those who dream of change and prosperity and seal the bells are also the same squatters living in the slums is evident when you watch the video of them standing under the open sky with their hands crossed and cursing Balendra. While those same squatters were called the 'vote banks' of old political parties including the UML and were considered to be protected for this reason. However, they are not anyone's permanent vote bank. It is said that ‘those who live in poverty do not belong to anyone, those who can escape the immediate storm belong to him.’ Today, a video of the slum dwellers of Bagmati and Manahara saying, ‘If Balen did not put a bulldozer in the slum dwellers’ settlement, we believed him and voted for him. Today, we have raised our voice.’ is being seen on social media. Balendra, who became mayor singing Chameli songs, could not become the beloved of the Chamelis even after becoming mayor. The Chamelis who lived by burning corn on the roadside were chased away. The husbands of the Chamelis who were selling vegetables in carts to feed their children and earn a living were chased away.
They sang the same Chameli song again. They believed him and voted because they also wanted a fearless land and shelter. They thought that the new ones would definitely do something. However, even after becoming the Prime Minister and assuming power in the country, the slum dwellers whose settlements were destroyed are criticizing Balendra for not being able to become the beloved of the 'James'. Even more heartbreaking scenes were seen when small children were crying, saying, 'I want my house' while their houses (even if it was just a hut) were collapsing in front of them. The condition of pregnant women and those giving birth in the slums also looked pitiful. The condition of the sick, disabled and elderly is the same. Such scenes are certainly not pleasant. However, there is no doubt that the Balen government is working with the goal of removing unsafe and unorganized slums and providing permanent shelter and food to the real slum dwellers. It is raining continuously at the moment. In such a situation, children, pregnant women and infants, the sick, the elderly and the helpless who have been taken from the slums and taken to the shelters should be given proper care and after verification, the state should arrange for them to settle in an orderly manner.
The government is on a campaign to remove squatter settlements across the country. There was a strong majority government. The entire security mechanism was under its control. It would have been better if it had not been in a hurry. It is not wise to say, 'Let's eat hot, let's die quickly.' While the houses of the squatters are being demolished, the elders will understand the situation and obey the government's orders. But, the small children, who are witnessing the horrific scene of their houses collapsing and turning into dust before their own eyes. The government needs to pay immediate attention to the fact that their mental state has also been destroyed and they should be provided with safe housing and psychosocial treatment immediately.
