Police bid to intervene in scheduled event foiled

Kathmandu, December 28

Nepal police today tried to intervene in the scheduled programme to mark the eighth week of Occupy Tundikhel Campaign. In an attempt to disrupt the campaign, police stopped dozens of campaigners from carrying out their activities in Khula Manch for more than 40 minutes.

Police, however, could not hold them for long as the campaigners and locals gathered there in large numbers and protested against police intervention.

Campaigners, in the eighth week of Occupy Tundikhel Campaign, had planned to draw murals on the historic stage built in Khula Manch (open theatre), which is part of Tundikhel. But police tried to stop them from doing so citing that it was illegal to do so at a historic place.

Since the launch of the campaign on November 9, activists and locals have been organising various programmes in Khula Manch to exert pressure on the government to free Khula Manch from illegal encroachment, ensure easy public access to the Nepali Army occupied Tundikhel and spread awareness about the importance of open spaces in cities such as Kathmandu.

Khula Manch, which once used to be one of the major venues for all kinds of political campaigns and rallies, has remained neglected since the 2015 earthquakes. The large open space at the heart of the city has also been occupied by construction materials for various government supported development projects. A major portion of it has also been used as a bus park since 2015.

Occupy Tundikhel Campaign has not been well received by Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Mayor of the metropolis Bidhya Sundar Shakya has already declined the invitation of the activists to join the campaign. A few days ago he openly criticised the campaign saying that it was a political stunt.

Meanwhile, the organisers today said that police intervention was a ‘desperate move’ of Mayor Shakya to disrupt the campaign. They said that it was Shakya who instructed police to intervene in the programme.

Ganapati Lal Shrestha, one of the organisers and a local activist, said, “We wanted the mayor to extend his moral support to the campaign. But, unfortunately he is against
the campaign and it may cost him dearly.”

“This is a three-month campaign. But considering the situation and response of the bodies concerned, we may have to run the campaign for more than three months,” Shrestha said.

Mayor Shakya could not be reached for comments.

After the police agreed to let the organisers participate in today’s programme, children, locals and activists coloured the murals prepared by artist Dhanu Yakkha.

According to historians, before 1950, Tundikhel covered the area ranging form Dasharath Stadium in the south to Rani Pokhari in the north.

The area, which has been occupied by the Nepali Army’s headquarters at present from Shahidgate in the north to Dasharath Stadium in the South was also a part of Tundikhel until 1967, according to Bhimsen Das Pradhan, a lawmaker.

At present, the area of Tundikhel has shrunk to the Nepali Army’s Pavilion adjoining Khula Manch, which is not open for the general public. Very small space of Khula Manch is accessible to people which is also used as parking lot these days.

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