In Nepal, there has been progress in resolving issues related to the public, but there have also been obstacles in many important concerns related to the public. People are troubled by this.
Yashoda Srivastava, Senior Journalist
There is no doubt that the Balen government is trying to do many new things towards making Nepal new, but there are many difficulties in it. Of course, his efforts are being appreciated, but a large section is also getting angry. On one hand, the Rashtriya Swatantra Party has won the elections for the House of Representatives, in which there has been immense public support from the hills to the plains. Balen Sarkar was the Prime Minister’s face from this party. Certainly the face of Balen Shah was behind the huge mandate given to the Rashtriya Swatantra Party.
Only a month has passed since the formation of the government under his leadership, in the meantime there has been progress in resolving the issues related to the public, but there has also been disruption in the routine of the people. One of these is to completely limit the purchase of everyday goods from Indian markets by Nepalese citizens on the India-Nepal border. This has created a crisis for the Nepalese citizens bordering India. The life of poor and middle class people in the border areas of Nepal has been affected, however, the Nepal High Court has taken cognizance of a petition filed and sought a response from the government on this.
An even bigger issue related to the public is the demolition of houses in the name of encroachment. Let us tell you that in the name of widening, illegal houses and settlements are being demolished with bulldozers in various parts of Nepal including Kathmandu. The reaction from Nepali Congress on this decision of the government has said that during the violent and aggressive movement of Genji, many government buildings, hotels and business establishments were set on fire in the capital, if the Balen government had been at all sensitive, it would have first paid attention to the construction of the damaged buildings, but here the situation is strange, construction is being ignored and priority is being given to demolition.
A government bulldozer was driven into the Sukumbasi settlement in the Manohara area of Kathmandu under heavy police and army cordon. Due to this incident, there is an atmosphere of tension in the entire area, while the situation remained very sensitive amidst the opposition of the local people and the strictness of the administration. Describing the incident of vandalism in the capital and in Veerganj and some other areas as extremely painful, Nepali Congress MP Abhishek Pratap Shah has targeted the Balen government.
In Nepal the encroachers are called Sukambasi. It means occupying property without land ownership. The number of such people in Nepal is more than three lakh, but the surprising thing is that even those who have been living in their houses with valid documents for generations, their houses are being demolished by giving a time limit of 12 hours. The decision of the Balen government to construct a 50 meter wide highway in the heart of the city is beyond comprehension. Generally such highways are taken from the outskirts of the city. This decision of the Balen government is in danger of affecting not only Kathmandu but almost all the major cities of Nepal.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who previously served as mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has long been in favor of removing illegal settlements within the city. While being mayor, he had tried several times to remove illegal settlements in Thapathali area of Kathmandu region, but due to strong opposition from the local people, he could not succeed. Now after becoming the Prime Minister, Balen Shah has carried forward the same campaign with more vigor. Now that the Home Ministry is also in his hands, administrative decisions have increased.
As soon as he took charge of the Home Ministry, the Prime Minister took a big decision to run bulldozers on the Sukumbasi settlements of Kathmandu. The campaign proceeded without any major hindrance in Thapathali and Garidhara, but there was strong opposition from the people in Manohara. This campaign can now spread across the country. Similar action has already started in Nuwakot, while in Pokhara too, reports of preparations to run bulldozers are coming to the fore. While this step of the government is being considered a big decision in the direction of urban development and law and order, questions are being raised regarding the rehabilitation and humanitarian aspects of the affected people.
It is said that knowingly or unknowingly people of Indian origin are suffering more losses in this campaign. In the Zenji movement, the businessmen there were targeted more than the government and opposition leaders. The huge building of the newly constructed Marwari Parishad in Kathmandu was set on fire. The history of Marwari community in Nepal is very old. The kings had invited them from Rajasthan to increase trade. Today they are making a big contribution to the economic development of Nepal. (These are the personal views of the author)
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