The government also has the right to declare any other sector a no-strike sector if doing so is deemed necessary and appropriate for public welfare

In a democracy, the workers’ right to strike is taken to be one of the principal rights, and Nepal has also granted this right. However, in the larger interests of the public, in any democratic country there are certain restrictions on the right to strike when it affects essential services, which are defined under the law or regulations or by orders, varying from country to country. Such no-strike sectors exist in Nepal too, which numbered seven earlier and have now been extended, taking the tally to 17.  The government has invoked the powers conferred on it by Section 3 of the Essential Services Operation Act, 1957. The purported aim of this extension is to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential services to the people. These essential services include the postal services, telegram or telephone services, transport (water, land and air), services relating to civil aviation, services relating to national defence, printing and government press, internal security work, drinking water supply, tourism accommodation like hotels, distribution of petroleum products, health units such as hospitals, services relating to waste management, banking, electricity, and commodities of daily consumption.

Vital public interests are more important than some disgruntlement of a group, and indeed there are other various methods of addressing the grievances or demands of the employees or workers engaged in these and other sectors. Particularly, since the restoration of the multiparty system in 1990, the numbers of strikes in various sectors, including those considered essential have multiplied phenomenally, threatening general stability, causing inconvenience and hardship to the public, as well as huge losses to the national economy over the years. Unfortunately, there have been strikes galore for right and wrong reasons, on big and paltry issues. This is not good for society as well as for democracy itself. Everybody seems to be rooting for their rights, but nobody seems to recognize their duties. This huge gap between the two has been behind most of the ills of the country’s multiparty era, not only in the case of strikes but in the most pressing political problems, including the present national politi cal impasse.

The government also has the right to declare any other sector a no-strike sector if doing so is deemed necessary and appropriate for public welfare. For a violation of the non-strike orders, a person will attract up to six months of jail or a fine of up to Rs.200, or both. A major duty of any type of government is to protect the interests of the general public and maintain law and order. But it is also natural to expect the government to enforce the law without fear or favour. But it has been seen that the government does not seem to enforce this provision when the strike is staged by, say doctors and transport entrepreneurs, who are thought to be powerful groups, and crack down on other weaker groups, say hotel workers. This is not fair, as a law is a law. Strikes also remind one of general strikes or bandhs organized by a political or other outfits which are made successful through the fear factor, threats, physical violence and vandalism. The government should also come down hard on the bandh organizers.

Oral hygiene

There is a shortage of dentists, particularly in the rural areas. In many places we find dental health assistants taking their place. The government has shut down many clinics run by dental health assistants. This needs thinking over. People in rural areas have to seek services from them, and they often have to double up as dentists. Therefore, at present, the government should study the prevailing situation as there is a paucity of dentists willing to serve in the rural areas. The dental health assistants, therefore play a very important role.

Under the circumstances, due to lack of dentists and the need for dental health, the dental health assistants should be taught the essentials to address the needs of their patients. The course ought to be focused, specific and it should teach ethics and duties. We find a lot of dentists who charge hefty fees for their services. Therefore, they refuse to serve in the rural areas badly in need of their services. This is where the dental health assistants could chip in by providing their services as well as raising awareness about oral hygiene.