Last year, the Nepali Congress formed three separate committees to help its sister organisations’ existing ad hoc committees conduct their general conventions within the stipulated time.

In line with the decision made by the party’s Central Working Committee on August 7 last year, Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba directed the committees to ensure that the general conventions of the Nepal Women’s Association, Nepal Tarun Dal, and Nepal Students’ Union are concluded by the end of mid-April.

While the two sister organisations have yet to start their general convention-related activities, the party’s youth wing, Tarun Dal, has kicked off its district-level convention from Lamjung, albeit later than the set date. However, infighting has halted the process of the fifth general convention.

The organisation’s district convention on May 17 turned violent due to the power struggle between the two provincial leaders, the party’s district chief and provincial minister for Economic Affairs, Tekraj Gurung, and the former minister Bhesh Bahadur Paudel of Gandaki Province.

According to a central committee member of Tarun Dal, after the Paudel faction threw chairs in the convention hall in retaliation, the Gurung faction attacked the Paudel faction with a khukuri.

The incident left four individuals injured—Khusijung Gurung, Sudip Adhikari, Santosh Basnet, and Shankar Sapkota.

Among them, Khusijung and Sudip were referred to Chitwan for further treatment. The attack is said to have followed a protest by members of the rival faction who were allegedly barred from participating in the convention through the representative selection process.

According to eyewitnesses, the establishment faction resorted to knife attack after the opposition group chanted slogans against them for not involving themselves in the entire process of the convention.

“Before the convention, we had gauged the possibility of selecting the leadership unanimously,” a central committee member of Tarun Dal said. “But, on the convention day, rival factions came up with their grievances, which later turned into a violent exchange.”

The member added, “We knew later that the problem between the two factions was simmering for quite some time. The incident on the day of the district convention became the tipping point.”

On May 19, a formal complaint was registered against the individuals involved in a violent incident during the district convention in Lamjung. A day later, the district police released an arrest warrant against those involved in the incident.

The complaint accuses four individuals of attempted murder. Although police had initially hesitated to register the complaint, it has now been officially lodged.

Lamjung Police chief Deputy Superintendent Resham Bohara confirmed the development. “We have registered the complaint but have made no arrest yet,” Bohara said. “Search operations are underway. Now that a complaint has been lodged, it will proceed as a legal case.”

According to Lamjung Police, the complaint was filed on behalf of the victims, accusing Kiran Gurung and Dhan Bahadur Tamang of Madhya Nepal Municipality, Ganesh Gurung of Rainas Municipality, and Bhupesh Gurung of Marsyangdi Rural Municipality of attempted murder.

An incident of this nature is not unique to the Tarun Dal. A similar incident occurred two weeks earlier in a sister organisation of the CPN-UML, the second-largest party in Parliament, which leads the government.

In Parbat district, two UML groups clashed over a dispute that emerged from the election of district leadership of the National Youth Federation, the party’s youth wing, on May 7. The dispute took a violent turn, resulting in head injuries to Gandaki Provincial Assembly member and youth leader Arjun Paudel.

These are just two representative cases. There are other incidents in which the youth wings of political parties are occasionally found indulging in violent activities on various pretexts.

Why do cadres of the political parties’ youth wings often resort to violence when there are differences with rival groups?

When the interest of the leaders holds sway over the interest of the political parties, such problems are inevitable, said Udhaya Shamsher Rana, a former chair of Tarun Dal and the present lawmaker of Congress.

Jitjung Basnet, the coordinator of the ad hoc committee formed by the party to organise the general convention of Tarun Dal, said a misunderstanding between the leaders created a problem in Lamjung.

“The scheduled programme of the district convention was disturbed due to a misunderstanding between the local leaders,” Basnet said. “Hopefully, we will settle the problem soon to announce another date for the convention.”

Basnet said that both factions have communicated that they would soon reach a mutual understanding to hold the convention.

Sarin Ghimire, a member of the Tarun Dal’s central committee, said the disputes in the young wings reflect a polarised society. “When society is growing intolerant and does not follow discipline, such incidents are bound to happen,” he said.

When a regular convention is not held within an organisation, it leads to restlessness, increasing the likelihood of adverse incidents, Ghimire added.

Tarun Dal, too, is holding its convention after nine years.

When political cadres are involved in any incident, the police force is often blamed for not taking legal action against the people involved. In the case of Lamjung, the district police were also initially accused of not registering the case.

Even after the Lamjung incident, the police were accused by the injured and their family members of protecting the assailants who attacked them with a khukuri, refusing to register the complaint, and helping them reach a safe location.

Reportedly, efforts were made to portray the incident as an internal political matter and settle it through mediation.

But the Nepal Police denies the accusation. “Whenever we have a complaint about any incident, and if the event is related to crime, no matter what, we take action against it,” said Ramesh Thapa, a central spokesperson for Nepal Police. “The political affiliation of the people spotted on the crime scene does not deter us from taking action.”