Even after having seen numerous bandas in my life, I have not been able to see any positive reason behind them. Political parties and leaders claim that bandas are a way of mounting pressure on the government to fulfil their demands and some of the leaders and party cadre members have even gone to the extent of claiming that foregoing a strike infringes the civil and political rights of the people.

But, however hard some people might try to justify these bandas, I think that they are organised primarily to fulfil the vested interests of a few politicians. It’s a recourse that corrupt, inept and dishonest politicians take to force the equally corrupt and dishonest government down on its knees, so as to fulfil their own agenda. And instead of bringing about any benefit to the people, these bandas cause much harm. They cripple the country. Because of them businesses lose money, people lose their livelihood and sometimes even their property and lives. They bring to a halt all the day-to-day activities in the affected area. A typical banda in our country involves a restriction on the movement of vehicles along with the closure of shops, schools, banks, governmental and non-governmental organisations and, to some extent, even hospitals.

Further, by organising these bandas, the politicians who call themselves the upholders of democratic values are themselves violating some of the most fundamental democratic rights that the people of any free country enjoy, like cultural and educational rights, and the rights to freedom of movement and occupation.

Sadly speaking, hardly anything has been done until now against this outrageous phenomenon. People seem to obey the decree, willingly or unwillingly, fearing that doing otherwise might bring about untoward consequences. This rampant fear was again visible during the banda that took place a few days back.

How long are we going to suffer from this constant trauma? Why should we be the victims of a political game-play? Why should we even heed to the undemocratic decrees of our politicians? It’s time that we rise up against the tyranny of a handful of leaders and their stooges.  I believe that if people want to remove these leaders from their ivory towers, they definitely can. Because, in democracy, power lies with the people, and if they can make a person powerful, they can also remove him from the position of power.

Bhattrai is a student at Kathmandu Medical College