The leaflets found close to the scene suggest that the culprits are associated with one or the other political parties who are giving them political protection

Two improvised explosive devices went off in two schools in Jorpati early Tuesday morning. Fortunately, there were no casualties although this caused quite a panic.

About half a dozen devices such as pressure cooker bombs were found in other schools. There were also a couple of hoaxes. These bombings in schools show that those responsible were not abiding by the universal norm that schools are regarded as zones of peace. Police swung into action by arresting two suspects and one more has already been identified.

They should be punished in the sternest possible manner. Meanwhile, all three organisations of private schools — HISSAN, PABSON and N-PABSON — have demanded that the schools be provided with full security during the festive season.

Multiple sources claim that the explosive were placed on the school premises for extortion. The private school organisations have blamed the Ministry of Education for the coordinated bombings and doing nothing to prevent them.

Despite the bombings many schools remained open. However, the guardians were apprehensive about the safety and security of their wards. The Ministry of Education should speak up and help nail the culprits without any further delay.

At stake is the safety of teachers and school-going children who have the right to uninterrupted education. Therefore, it is essential to see to it that the children are not harmed by similar heinous bombings. All the stakeholders should act together to halt such inhumane acts.

Education under no circumstances should be politicized for this sector involves the future of the school-going children and also the country. These kind of violent activities involving school children would have an adverse impact in the mental state making them traumatized and with other disabilities.

It appears that security has to be provided in the schools so that the criminals dare not carry out such heinous crimes in the future. All the security apparatuses must be kept on high alert to avoid such specter.

Suspicious objects must be immediately reported to the security personnel so that they can be diffused before they cause any harm to the innocent people. It is important to carry out intensive investigations to identify those behind the bombings and what their intentions are.

Choosing to bomb the schools shows the ill-intent of such perpetrators that must be stopped at all cost and to what extent these people are endangering our children who need to be protected.

The leaflets found close to the scene suggest that the culprits are associated with one or the other political parties who are giving them political protection. Such gang of criminals will continue carrying out such crimes as long as they get political protection.

The law enforcement agencies must not let them scot-free coming under political pressure. This is not the first time that such incidents have happened. People with criminal mindset and with the motive of extortion carry out the heinous crime terrorising the society only under political coverage.

Such kind of act can be controlled if the political parties sever ties with those people and cooperate with the law enforcing agencies to book them and take legal actions.

It’s too slow

It is sad to learn that only 25 percent of the earthquake victims in Kavre district have received the first installment of government grant 16 months after the devastating tremor last year.

According to Kavre DDC, as many as 12,253 families of the total 55,485 registered as quake victims had collected the first installment of Rs. 50,000 through banking channels.

The concerned officials have said it took long as they were in the verification process of the victims. Earlier the K P Sharma Oli-led government had decided to provide Rs. 200,000.

After the new government was formed led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal the quake victims are also going to receive an additional Rs. 100,000.

It may be a welcome move on the part of the government to announce more grant assistance to the victims. But announcing the additional grant is not enough. The grant pledged by the government should also reach the quake survivors so that they can reconstruct their houses quickly.

They have already spent two winters and two rainy seasons under tents without basic amenities. The grant distribution process must be expedited without any delay.