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| English: Dunai, Dolpo, Nepal (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
In a police state
After the newspapers reported Rahman’s detention, there was a lot of outrage in the social media. If the anger in those comments could be gauged with a thermometer, they would certainly beat Rahaman’s original post. But unlike Rahman, none of the people who posted those comments have been taken into custody. In fact, as far as this writer knows, none of Kathmandu’s enlightened social media warriors who routinely slam the entire Nepal government and ministers have had to face action so far. This is not to say they should face action; only that Rahman, too, is entitled to the same rights as them. Then why did he become an easy prey for the police whereas others did not? ......... None of the officials or administrators who have been ruling over the locals of Dho village and making decisions about how to use their resources can understand the local language. Shey Phoksundo National Park has formed a Buffer Zone Management Committee in Dho village, which falls in the Park’s buffer zone. The committee is responsible for managing the area’s natural resources. The chair of the committee is a Mahat. The chief of the Armed Police Force unit deployed there is a Malla. The locals cannot have meaningful dialogue with either of these men. They cannot explain their problems to them. Nor can they express their grievances to the Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Khanal. That’s why they say, “The police called us ‘bhote’ and beat us mercilessly.”
