The city of Pokhara has become a theatre of protests: Ravi Lamichhane supporters take to the streets after the arrest of the former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. Lamichhane, arrested on Friday evening in connection with the case involving fraud at a cooperative, has been held for six days police remand by the Kaski District Court. It has brought further chaos among his supporters following the court ruling that has accused him of politically motivated arrest.
The reactionary Lamichhane’s party, the Rashtriya Swatantra Party, has said it will submit memorandums to the government in all 77 districts of Nepal. Party co-general secretary Kabindra Prasad Burlakoti said that these memorandums would be submitted to the Chief District Officers, protesting against the arrest of Lamichhane. The RSP has attempted to politicise the arrest where it wants the world to know that the arrest is an act of democracy and an anti democratic move too.
In Pokhara, the heartland of the protest, RSP Vice-Chair Dol Prasad Aryal said that there will be “program for Solidarity Against Political Revenge” today. This is likely to attract a turn out of Lamichhane’s fans and adhereents to the road which may escalate security and possibly also aundance in the disruption of normal activities in the city. Regional governments are ready to intensify the protests.
The charges against Lamichhane have been arising from claims of his role in a cooperative fraud scam. Despite the fact that the details of the case are still unknown, the opponents of the actions of the new authorities claim that such steps indicate political persecution against the former minister. Skeptics of the authorities state that this is done in order to remove an inconvenient leader of the opposition before the continuation of the political struggle.
For now, the protesters are out on the streets, and business people and residents of Pokhara are preparing for the worst. According to the interviews conducted with the local shopkeepers, some complained about low patronage because of the ongoing demonstrations, while others feared personal confrontation as tension was building up between the protesters and the security forces. Pokhara’s tourism industry, on which the city depends, may also suffer short terms if the situation continues.
The case has provoked interest of national and international NGOs, human rights organizations have demanded fair and non bias legal proceedins. At the same time, the government insists that the arrest and the consequent investigation are legal and want individuals in any position to go through legal processes.
While currently serving his third day in jail, the lawyer speaking for Lamichhane claims that they are going to appeal against the decision of the court and try to release the detained anchor. Thus, the following days will probably be decisive for both processes both in and outside the legal sphere, including in Pokhara and throughout Nepal. This geopolitical case of high profile involving the government’s action and the protests that followed will go down in Nepalese history as a test of institutional democracy and the rule of law.
Analyzing the events that happened in Pokhara, the relationships of political activism and the legal proceedings in the Nepalese democracy are depicted. As it is now, all attention is turned to this beautiful city of natural scenery, which is now facing a crucial political incident that may affect the entire political dynamic of the country.
