They are at it again. The simplest of disputes between a handful of cadres belonging to the Nepali Congress and the Young Communist League respectively has disrupted such a vital service as garbage disposal. Apparently, NC activist Ram Kumar Ghimire and a few of his supporters disrupted the collection and disposal of garbage in Kathmandu Valley after he was allegedly manhandled by some YCL cadres for ‘irregularities’ in a road construction contract. Therein lies the rub of the problem: mixing personal enmity with one’s ideological leanings.

Garbage collection has been disrupted on various pretexts by parties of every stripe and colour in the past too. It speaks volumes about the state of the country when people start believing that political patronage gives them the licence to act with impunity. The latest episode is also a testament to the fast deteriorating law and order situation in the country.

It is incredible that a handful of party cadres belonging to the party currently heading the government can bring the whole garbage collection mechanism to a complete standstill. Hence the unruly cadres should be punished and it should firmly impressed upon the rank and file of all political parties that under no circumstances can they disrupt the lives of common people. There is also an urgent need to find a lasting solution to the Valley’s garbage woes. Stopgap measures will only exacerbate the problems in the long run.