Rabin Man Shakya
Portland, USA.
The government of Nepal led by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has decided to withdraw the controversial Guthi Bill.
Speaking at a hastily organized press conference organized in Kathmandu, Minister for Land Reform, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Padma Kumari Aryal announced that the bill has been withdrawn as it was deemed necessary to hold further deliberations and consultations with the stakeholders.
The proposed controversial Guthi Bill was totally outrageous and unacceptable for the Newah community in the Kathmandu valley.
The Newah Guthi movement against the controversial Guthi Bill spread like wildfire across the Kathmandu Valley prompting the Oli government to yield to the powerful Newah voice by withdrawing from the controversial Bill.
The controversial Guthi Bill sought to nationalize private and public Guthis meant for running the cultural activities and temple affairs and regulate all religious sites under a powerful commission replacing Guthi Sansthan. The Newah protesters demanded withdrawal of the controversial bill which they claim has provisions in favor of land mafias and could jeopardize Newah culture, customs and traditions.
Among the thousands of Newah voices raised against the controversial Guthi Bill, the most influential and surprising was perhaps that of Shatabdi Purush Satya Mohan Joshi who defended the popular protests of the Newahs by saying:"It is good if the government could have worked to bring Melamchi water. In stead of doing that, was it necessary to poke nose on the Guthis?"
The role played by the Nepal Bhasa newspapers as well as different remarks posted in the social media sites also rallied support to the Guthi movement. One of the social media posts said:"You (communist leaders) first rented our houses in Kathmandu, then snatched our daughters, took donations from us and also got our votes during the elections and now you are eyeing at the ancestral properties and land of the Newah communities."
It is a good thing that clever prime minister K P Oli realized Newah people's disenchantment with the performance of his government.
However, in stead of admitting to the grave mistakes in the Bill, the government statement read during the hastily organized press conference read:"Also efforts have been made to spread illusion among the public over the bill, instigate them and spoil the atmosphere."
The government yielded before the Newah people's intense protests, but was it necessary to pour venom again?
Portland, USA.
The government of Nepal led by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has decided to withdraw the controversial Guthi Bill.
Speaking at a hastily organized press conference organized in Kathmandu, Minister for Land Reform, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Padma Kumari Aryal announced that the bill has been withdrawn as it was deemed necessary to hold further deliberations and consultations with the stakeholders.
The proposed controversial Guthi Bill was totally outrageous and unacceptable for the Newah community in the Kathmandu valley.
The Newah Guthi movement against the controversial Guthi Bill spread like wildfire across the Kathmandu Valley prompting the Oli government to yield to the powerful Newah voice by withdrawing from the controversial Bill.
The controversial Guthi Bill sought to nationalize private and public Guthis meant for running the cultural activities and temple affairs and regulate all religious sites under a powerful commission replacing Guthi Sansthan. The Newah protesters demanded withdrawal of the controversial bill which they claim has provisions in favor of land mafias and could jeopardize Newah culture, customs and traditions.
Among the thousands of Newah voices raised against the controversial Guthi Bill, the most influential and surprising was perhaps that of Shatabdi Purush Satya Mohan Joshi who defended the popular protests of the Newahs by saying:"It is good if the government could have worked to bring Melamchi water. In stead of doing that, was it necessary to poke nose on the Guthis?"
The role played by the Nepal Bhasa newspapers as well as different remarks posted in the social media sites also rallied support to the Guthi movement. One of the social media posts said:"You (communist leaders) first rented our houses in Kathmandu, then snatched our daughters, took donations from us and also got our votes during the elections and now you are eyeing at the ancestral properties and land of the Newah communities."
It is a good thing that clever prime minister K P Oli realized Newah people's disenchantment with the performance of his government.
However, in stead of admitting to the grave mistakes in the Bill, the government statement read during the hastily organized press conference read:"Also efforts have been made to spread illusion among the public over the bill, instigate them and spoil the atmosphere."
The government yielded before the Newah people's intense protests, but was it necessary to pour venom again?
