Women's Agency on Anti-Bandh Politics in Nepal

Women's Agency on Anti-Bandh Politics in Nepal



Introduction:



The literal meaning of bandh is closure, but in Nepal, it is considered as a power discourse designed to impose pressure and to challenge state's monopoly on force. In 2008 755 and 2009 total 201 attempts of bandh shows the prevalance of bandh imposed in the fate of Nepali people. Since the government of Nepal and Maoist signed Comprehenisve Peace Agreement, the number of parties organizing strike, particularly bandh is drastically increased. Political parties, ethnic minority groups, religious groups, regional groups, and many instances locals calls bandh and create chaos.



Women's as victim and agents in bandh:



Women are considered as victims of conflict and not taken into serious consideration during post-conflict peacebuilding. The other face of the Nepalese women in conflict, as highlighted by Rita Manchanda, is the active insurgents, spy or combatants etc.



Mother's Group in Nepal:



Mother's Group is universalized traditional volunteer women's organization in Nepal initiated from 1980s in rural Nepal. In the initial stage, these groups were flourished in Gurung and Magar communities where most male members were out of home and joined army in Nepal, India and UK. These women were organized for cultural, soical, religious matters and started to convene meetings, discussions, and small programs which gradually get exposure of development programs initiated by various NGOs in rural Nepal since 1990s.



Women's Agency in Anti Bandh Movement:



This writing is basically based on the case study of women group's anti-bandh movement carried out in early 2010 in Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan ward-6, Baidam.



In Baidam, total six mother's groups are active for religious, social and cultural activities. These groups are influenced from one or the other political parties, though they do not openly share about this fact. Saving credit, anti-drug abuse campaign, anti-alcohol campaign, vocational trainings, playing active role to maintain law and order in support with community police and community awareness programs.



Women do not have war instinct, as they are mothers, peace lovers, and non-violent peacebuilder are the widely contradicted notion with the concept of women as actros of violent conflict. In the case of nonviolent anti-bandh movement in Nepal's major touristic destination 'Pokhara', all six Mother's Groups organized and acted jointly to deter friquent bandh imposed by various parties. They are successful to create interest of powerful media sector, high level government officials and civil society organizaitons.



The anti-bandh move is the deliberate act of women organized to stop any kind of strike and protest that hinder tourism and touristic activities. The latent motive of the movement is to strengthen the anti-Maoist campaign of Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal, Marxist and Leninist, and other parties by capatilizing local people's anti-bandh sentiment.



Women groups were instrumental for this movement as they got signficiant support from Government Administration, Locals, Civil Society Organizations, Police, Educational Institutions and major political parties.



Raj Kumar Dhungana