Crisis to peak this week

September 3, 2003
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Kathmandu: Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa’s Televised message to the nation was mainly addressed to the five agitating parties who threaten demonstrations Thursday. They have not responded to his appeal and they continue to muster cadre among the student body as evinced in the disruptions of the Tribhuban University examinations.

The ability of the T.U to contain the disruptions in limited Campuses reflects poorly on the agitating parties no doubt. But the continuity of the agitation is a certainty and so the Thapa administration will have been left with no choice other than to use the administrative machinery to contain the agitation.

It is predictable that the streets will see the agitating parties. However, much smaller numbers than previously claimed will be accounted to government restrictions which has already come into force since Tuesday. This lack of numbers is likely to be exploited by the Maoists in Kathmandu who will want to ride the agitation wave for violence inviting administrative wrath. In so many ways perhaps the agitation is thus calculated. There is perhaps hope that such administrative wrath will invite the public support sourly courted by the agitating parties.

These indications suggest that the crisis accumulating in the country will take its peak this week. With the streets taken over by the agitators, the violence spearheaded in Kathmandu by the Maoists will be given convenient cover by the congress and the Left and the administrative reaction expected will be cashed in upon by the Maoists and the agitators. Clearly, a crisis is expected. How it will be defused is any body’s guess.