INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, June 19
Thousands of people from the Newar community gathered at Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu today to protest the government
move to undermine Newari culture and tradition by introducing a new law on guthi
Elderly people, children, politicians, artists and people of all ages took part in the protest.
The protest was held despite the government
withdrawal of the controversial Guthi Bill, which had courted criticism and sparked mass protests
The bill aimed to change the operation modality and ownership structure of guthis, which, many say, would pave the way for the land mafia to
make hay.
Thousands of people attend a mass gathering to protest against the controversial Guthi Bill, at Maitighar Mandala, in Kathmandu,
on Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT
Protesters warned the government against repeating the mistake of infringing upon the rights of guthis, which, they
said, had played a key role in preserving the nation culture and tradition.
Protesters were miffed at ministers who had referred to them as
‘people hired to support feudalists&
Ministers at the receiving end of protesters outburst include Padma Kumari Aryal, minister of land management, cooperatives and poverty
alleviation, who had registered the bill at the upper house of the Parliament; Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, who allegedly allowed police
to use excessive force against protesters staging peaceful rally on the first day of the protest against the Guthi Bill; and Gokul Prasad
Banskota, minister of communications and information technology, who had said activities of guthis were remnants of a feudal system
&These
ministers must resign,& Yadav Lal Kayastha, a cultural activist and a guthiyar, told the mass gathering.
&Newars do not have a feudal
It is the government that has a feudal mindset as it used force on peaceful protesters and introduced the bill without holding consultation
with stakeholders,& said Suraj Manandhar, a rights activist from Save Nepa Valley.
Many protesters are cross with the government even after
withdrawal of the controversial bill because of the demeaning language used at the time of the bill withdrawal
The government, in a statement issued yesterday, had said it was withdrawing the Guthi Bill as &attempts were made to mislead and provoke
people and spoil the peaceful environment&.
&We have not been hired as claimed by the government that wants to create a rift in our ranks
What we saw on the streets in the past few days and today was a spontaneous outpouring of people hurt by the government statement,& said
Ganapati Lal Shrestha, coordinator of the National Identity Protection Joint Struggle Committee.
Today protests saw participation of Newars
from around 32 major Newar settlements in the valley
Renowned singer Yogeshwor Amatya, music composer Nyuhu Bajracharya and Newars from Dhulikhel and Banepa joined the protest.
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Thousands of Newars gather against Guthi Bill in show of strength protest appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
