Despite calls for making educational institutions a politics-free zone, political groups, time

and again, have made these places the target of their attacks. According to a report, Majhaitar Primary School in Panchami VDC of Panchthar has been shut down, after the teachers left for the district headquarters demanding their safety and security. The report states that the teachers were attacked by a group during a programme on the pretext

that the school authorities had misused the government funds while constructing a new building. During the attack, the group also vandalised furniture and beat up the teachers. This is not a one-off case though. To make matters worse, employees of local government have also become targets of gun-toting groups in the Tarai.

Following threats from various groups, sometimes even violent attacks, most of the VDC officials have stopped attending their offices, thus making local governance absolutely dysfunctional. While the government has been unable to provide them with security, instances of people taking law into their own hands have been quite common, increasing lawlessness in the country. In such a scenario, it is doubtful that the government, without any improvement in the security situation, will be able to strengthen the ongoing peace process further. This calls for serious attention of the government and the political parties.