The ongoing political conflict has severely hit educational institutions across the nation. Frequent calls for bandhs and strikes by various political groups have not only affected the smooth functioning of schools and colleges, but also prevented them from imparting education in a peaceful atmosphere. The Guardians Association and PABSON have, therefore, urged the government from time to time to declare educational institutions a politics-free zone. Similar calls have recently been made by businessmen, traders and transport entrepreneurs and others, who have demanded that their respective fields be declared peace zones. Unfortunately, these demands, otherwise sensible ones, have often been fraught with contradictory undertones. Instead of reflecting common interests, many of such demands have been directed at fulfilling private concerns.

This dismal state of affairs is due to the prevalent practice of politicising almost everything. However, in theory, there is nothing wrong with the practice of forming groups or unions to voice legitimate common concerns, but the unlawful manner of making one’s voice heard is certainly objectionable. Declaring these areas peace zones might be a good idea, but it also should not act as a hindrance to the democratic right to form unions and associations and to defend common concerns. Moreover, the idea of peace zone should be advocated not only when it suits a certain group’s convenience, for example, school owners, who themselves have called a bandh when it suited them. There should be no double standards.