My Views on Protests over Provincial Capitals Declaration in Nepal
On January 17, 2018; a cabinet meeting held at Prime Minister’s official residence at Baluwatar decided to name the governors for newly formed 7 provinces as well as temporary provincial capitals. This was done in view with restructuring Nepal’s geo-political landscape as per new Constitution of Nepal that was drafted in 2015. Also, the move was made so as to pave way for the National Assembly polls. According to Yagya Bahadur Thapa, Minister for Law,Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; the move was made by the cabinet as per Article 288(3) of the constitution. However, the move can be changed by the two-thirds majority of the respective provincial assemblies.
According to the cabinet, Biratnagar will serve as the provincial capital of province 1, Janakpur will be provincial capital of province 2, Hetauda will be provincial capital for province 3, Pokhara will serve as capital for province 4, Rupandehi will be capital of province 5, Surkhet will serve as capital for province 6 and Kailali will be capital of province no.7. This decision have further aggravated the ensuing protests in various parts of the country over declaration of province capitals. Everyone wants their region to be dubbed as the provincial capitals in new feeral structure.
Prior to the cabinet’s decision, protests have been flaring up in the districts like Dipayal, Dang, Doti, Dhankuta, Birgunj, etc. urging the government to declare them as provincial capitals. The protesters have not only disrupted daily proceedings and daily lives in those districts, but also have created destruction of public properties (which were built with their taxes) and created chaos in law and order. The sporadic clashes between protesters and security personnel have resulted in injuries for both sides. Various government properties, vehicles and offices have been vandalized by the outraged protesters. They even crossed the limitation of sanity and humanity, by trying to burn government officials ALIVE in their workplaces.
In my opinion, all these activities are senseless and useless shenanigans by the masses misdirected by the political tug-of-war. They believe that development can be achieved by the mere declaration of places as capitals for the provinces. They have yet to realize the political propaganda masked by their so-called leaders, claiming that such declaration will herald the new age development and prosperity for their districts. Burning effigies, vandalizing government properties and offices, disrupting daily lives and activities of normal people, torching vehicles, destroying the public properties etc. will only backfire them.
Instead of urging the government to declare their districts as capitals, how about proposing the government to declare backward districts of Nepal such as Kalikot, Humla, Jumla, Karnali, Jajarkot, etc. as the provincial capitals. Maybe the move will herald development for those districts? Such declaration will help in the growth of educational facilities, proper sanitation, proper healthcare services, creation of people-friendly roads and transportation, better communication network, etc. Declaring those districts will bolster livelihood of the people there. Declaration of districts mean that there will be better healthcare, sanitation and transportation services, which will save lives of many people. People living in those districts won’t have to pay hefty amount just to charter a heli to the hospital in headquarters. People will not have to die due to minor diseases such as fever, diarrhea and cholera. Pregnant women won’t have to die, get injured, lose babies in their wombs and suffer from miscarriage. The children there won’t be devoid of education. Better transportation services will help the farmers there to take their agro-products to the market easily. Instead of traversing the tough and rough terrain of the landscape for commuting, the people there will be able to traverse the easy path. The things will be cheaper and no one will have to stay in long queue to get a letter from government office just to get limited amount of ration such as rice, lentils, sugar, salt, etc. Also, it will ensure that people there will get easier and smoother access to government services such as citizenship, government documents, registrations, etc.
The people of the districts who are protesting for their districts to be declared as capitals should consider what life’s like in those backward districts. They may think that declaring their districts will result in development, but in fact, it will bring more chaos and problems there. Take case of nation’s Capital KATHMANDU, wherein, there is massive surge of people flowing in from various parts of the country in search of good life, opportunities, facilities and jobs. The City has been over-populated to such extent that there isn’t enough jobs, opportunities for the people. Also, it is getting more and more EXPENSIVE in the city to live. The ever-increasing population has deteriorated living condition in Kathmandu. Not all people are getting opportunities and jobs as per their qualifications. Hospitals are over-crowded, transportation have been over-populated, living spaces have been limited, lands have been encroached and the chaotic conditions have amplified. Also, there are rises in the crime rates, trafficking of people in the name of foreign employment and massive upsurge of people getting harassed, looted and cheated in the name of better life, future and career prospects here in Kathmandu. The people have to share limited means and resources here. Also, the increase in air and water pollution have created huge health problems for people living in the CAPITAL here. More than 80 percent of the people living in KATHMANDU are breathing hazardous air that exceeds the safety limits of World Health Organization (WHO).WHO report says that air borne diseases have resulted in loss of 36 lives out of 100,000 or 0.036 percent of total people. Because of air pollution; most of the residents in KATHMANDU are suffering from chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, heart attack, heart diseases, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and so on. The pollution here has been growing alarmingly on par with the air pollution in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, New Delhi, Mumbai, etc.
Thus, the protesters who are protesting over petty issues such as declaration of this and that districts as new capitals for the provinces, should raise their voice for the better lifestyle, health, development of the people living in all parts of the country. They should raise their voices for the development of all regions of Nepal, regardless of their districts or not. Before clamoring for the declaration of their districts as capitals for the provincial setup, they must demand the government to improve the status quo in other backward districts. They should call themselves as NEPALI first, before saying they belong to this and that districts and declaration of provincial capitals.
All these protests are useless, and will only deteriorate the existing harmony, unity and brotherhood between the people of Nepal. Also, these protesters should notice that tehre is hidden political agendas, propaganda and ideologies as well greed and selfishness of the so-called leaders; who are only using them as mere TOOLS to satiate their political lust for power and propagandization.
