Bandhs, strikes and chakkajams have become so frequent that Nepalis now take them as normal fare. This utter sense of resignation was evident in mere rumours of a bandh that brought life to a standstill on several occasions in the past. People nowadays ask, “Is a particular day a bandh day?”

and they alter their personal or even official schedules accordingly as if it were a law that they must obey. General transportion comes to a halt, all schools and colleges go on a ‘public holiday’, most factories do not produce, and so many other things remain closed — even in offices and institutions which are open, business is very low for obvious reasons. The only thing anybody, even an obscure entity, has to do to organise a successful bandh is to issue a statement to that effect.

The latest decision of five trade unions at Itahari to defy any call to shut down factories and business reflects general disgust at the practice. In Biratnagar the other day, entrepreneurs, instead of resuming transport during the three-day lifting of the chakkajam announced by the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) for Holi, decided to go on their own indefinite strike until all roads were declared “peace zones”, and they even padlocked the main gate to Biratnagar Airport, compelling airlines to suspend all flights for two days. Aware of the too many bandhs and strikes taking place across the country on the slightest of pretexts, the eight political parties recently pledged to refrain from these activities themselves, at least till the constituent assembly elections, and appealed to others to do likewise. It was a triumph of sense over insanity. But the call does not seem to have impressed many others, particularly non-party outfits, such as the MJF and the federation of Janajatis. But the resort to threats, violence and vandalism that the organisers often have to enforce their bandhs with is all the more objectionable.

Such disruptions of the ordinary business of life involve various kinds of cost. The financial loss alone thus caused to the economy after Jana Andolan II runs to many billions of rupees. A continuation of this practice will be enough to prevent a promised New Nepal from emerging. All important political parties, their sister organisations, as well as many non-party entities, including professional and business bodies like the transport owners’ association and even the FNCCI, share the blame in various degrees. People hit hard by bandhs or chakkajams have on occasions vented their ire and frustration in novel ways — for example, farmers dumping their produce on the roads; currently stacks of sugarcane in the Tarai because it is drying up in the fields. While it is necessary to find common ground on the vital political debates of the day, no less important is the need to build political consensus on such issues as bandhs and strikes. The eight political parties will do well to build on their initial but laudable gesture of suspending these activities. But this needs to be developed into legislation, laying down the dos and don’ts, and making the offenders pay a sufficiently heavy price.