THE DANGERS OF STREET PROTESTS

“We must all support the Government even if you don’t agree with them, this is not the time to go into the streets to protest.”

I have discussed this briefly before but I will raise the issue again. Online Khabar this week reported that:

“Despite lockdown, opposition students resort to street protests against govt.”

This is the WRONG behavior at this time. We MUST all support the Government and even if you don’t agree with their Politics this is not the time to take to the streets and protest.

We all have to ask ourselves the question: “At this critical time in the survival of our Nation do we want our Government to be busy defending itself against opposition politics or do we want our Government to be busy defending us the people against our common enemy the Covid-19 Virus?”

The very real risk here is of Civil Insurrection. You should all remember the Peoples War and the years of Rioting and open combat in the streets, the pipe or canister bombs and burned cars and looted shops and beaten people and the numbers of Police and Armed Police on the streets, the CS gas and the daily riots and Bandhs that made life in Nepal so difficult for so many years.

Now is the time when we need to:

1.      Stay away from big groups in the streets – maintain social distancing

2.      Stay calm and reduce stress and tension

3.      Not put pressure on our Police and Armed Police who are needed if we have to cope with a mass outbreak of the Virus

Sure there are discontented people out there who are frustrated at the decisions the Government makes. Sure there are hungry people out there who have no income and are finding it hard to find food. If you want to take action and do something positive for the people then starting riots and protests in the streets is NOT the right thing to do. Protest online if you want to have a voice but DO NOT do it outside in groups.

The very last thing that we need right now is fighting in the streets, Bandhs of important supplies, Burning tires on the roads, riot police fighting with mobs of protesting students.

Do you want your loved ones to be in the streets in massive crowds fighting at a time when it’s not safe to go to hospital and even less safe to be in close contact with people in crowds with the risk of viral spread?

I urge and plead with everyone to show restraint and common sense. Do NOT incite violence or discontent at this time. Your actions will endanger the lives of everyone and put too much pressure on our emergency services and civil defense forces. At a time like this radical political motivation is not a sacrifice it is selfishness.

Now is the time to practice tolerance and to prove what we tell every tourist who comes here the truth behind:

Never Ending Peace And Love

I am not a hippy nor am I a pacifist, I am not politically motivated (as a foreigner I am Swatantra - Neutral) and I do not believe in NOT speaking my mind – BUT – I recognize that there is a time and place for everything and this Pandemic is NOT the time for this type of behavior. This is clearly a time for us all to work together to achieve economic survival and not to further political goals.

This is the time for solidarity and to support our Government and our Police Force in keeping EVERYONE safe, regardless of politics and caste or motivation. We should all be working together to achieve the same outcome and support each other. If you don’t agree with something the Gov is doing then go online and talk about it. DO NOT risk Civil Insurrection, it will kill many innocent bystanders.

We need harmony and peace on the streets and we need calm collectively.

Please think twice before joining a street protest or breaking the social distancing protocols in order to make your political voice heard… This is not the right time. Now is the time for us all to work together as one people under one Government and fight the Covid-19 Virus and not each other.

Please like, share and comment – join the Conversation. Be part of the solution.