Kathmandu: Lawmakers from the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) representing the Terai-Madhesh region have pledged before Prime Minister Balendra Shah that they would extend effective support in preventing further escalation of tension in their respective constituencies in the wake of untoward incidents in some Madhes districts.
In their meeting held today with the Prime Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the RSP lawmakers pledged continuation of dialogues with the stakeholders concerned and discouragement to the potential spread of propaganda and content capable of jeopardising social harmony. They said they would help in deterring the provocation of violence on social networking sites with increased surveillance on such content.
Expressing their expectations from the government, the RSP lawmakers said they wanted the government to heighten border security, prohibit liquor supplies, gradually lift the curfew and spread awareness on social harmony targeting the Gen Z youths.
Manish Jha from Dhanusha was of the view of bringing those responsible for spreading propaganda in the name of journalists to justice through the Press Council Nepal. He pressed the need to contain the spread of misleading content via social sites.
As he said, youths aged 12 to 22 were found involved in the latest unrest, advising the government to prepare messages promoting social goodwill and awareness, targeting the same age population.
Bikram Thapa from Kapilvastu-2 said prompt dialogue with the authorities concerned could help normalize the situation. According to him, the spread of baseless content through social sites could lead to further escalation of tension. Effective monitoring was necessary towards that end.
He said that security and intelligence agencies should be made more effective and a detailed investigation should be ensured into the arms and bullets used in the incident. He stressed the need for implementing measures immediately on to prevent the tension seen in the Eastern Terai from spreading to the Western Terai.
Gajala Shamim Mikarani briefed the Prime Minister that Rautahat’s situation was gradually returning to normal, echoing the need of a long-term strategy to prevent such incidents from reoccurring. She also called for the launch of progammes aimed at promoting social harmony and raising awareness from schools and colleges. Furthermore, she urged the government to pay a special attention to the concerns and needs of the people from the marginalized communities.
Rahabar Ansari from Bara-4 wanted the government to find out the root causes of such incidents instead of patching them up for the time being. He also took the time to urge the Prime Minister to increase monitoring of such activities, saying that confusion is being created by various groups active on social media. He said that areas including Birgunj and Bara are sensitive and stressed the need to be aware of potential risks in a timely manner.
Mohan Lal Acharya from Kapilvastu-1 said some areas in the district are sensitive and campaigns for promoting social harmony should be launched taking youths together. He was the opinion of regulating misleading, fabricated content and hate speech on social sites. The government was advised to bring civil society, religious leaders, political parties, students, local representatives and youth together for dialogues.
Rajkishor Mahato from Dhansha-4 said that mobilizing trusted local figures would be an effective way to help control unrest. “People are more likely to listen to those whom they trust,” he said. Mahato called for a ban on the sale and distribution of alcoholic products, increased surveillance of untoward movement and the issuance of identity cards where necessary.
Chandan Kumar Singh from Bara-2 said the loud music played during religious and cultural programmes caused tensions between the two communities and called for its regulation.
Nitima Karki (Bhandari) from Sarlahi-1 said the situation in the district is presently normal and sporadic efforts to unleash tension have been prevented. She was also of the view of regulating the use of loud music during any public event. She also urged local representatives to remain in touch and communicate with the community in sensitive situations.
The lawmakers in the meeting advised the government to assess and address such unrest not only as security challenge but also as an issue connected to social, political and information-related factors.
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