http://www.parakhi.com/blogs/2011/12/19/who-is-a-martyr
Who is a martyr?
The government has agreed to withdraw cases against the former Nepal Tarun Dal leader Shiva Poudel who died last week while undergoing treatment in Kathmandu, after being injured in an attack inside the jail in Chitwan district, and his co-inmate Pramesh Rai. The government has further stated that it will review demands from the Nepali Congress, the mother party of the currently disassembled Nepal Tarun Dal, that the late Poudel be declared a martyr.
No one knows who is going to bear the damages to vehicles and buildings by those trying to enforce the bandha or bear the costs of those denied of services especially those related to health and medical emergencies. The Sanskrit University in Kathmandu which was supposed to hold a scheduled examination, had to postpone it after protestors stormed the campus and tore down the exam sheets and ID cards of the examinees. This from a party that used to say it was against such bandhs.
The Nepali Congress has called off further protests.
What is one to expect from a party that alleges it is for democracy, peace, social justice, progress and yet refuses to respect and honour the laws of the country. That the violence was allowed to occur, and that too in a state prison, was wrong. Prison violence is not new in Nepal. There have been plenty of examples of the lack of security in state prisons. A few months ago an assassin possessing as a visitor to a jail in Kathmandu was nearly successful in shooting an inmate. The government then had also formed a probe commission to look into the event. The attack on the late Poudel, who was indicted by the law of Nepal on charges of extortion, was nothing but a criminal act, resulting from the tension between two gangs.
What is surprising is that a political party actually stooped so low as to demand that Poudel be declared a martyr. Poudel may have been associated with the Nepali Congress party but he was indicted by the court of Nepal as a criminal. What occurred inside the prison was criminal violencea. By what logic does being killed in criminal violence inside a jail, make Poudel eligible enough to be declared a martyr? Or have we de-valued martyrdom to the extent that any old crook with links to a political party can be declared a most honoured member of the state towards whom the entire nation should be grateful?
Sadly this is not the first time that the honour of being called a martyr has been abused. The Maoists declared all those that died fighting for their side during the peoples war. The Madhesi parties followed them and had all those that died during the Madhes movement declared martyrs. Get shot during a protest and there is little chance that one will not be declared a martyr. However if you are shot and manage to survive you will be declared a living martyr but will have the face the disgrace of being uncared for by the state.
And what signal is the state sending by taking back already decided cases against an extortionist because he had political links? The people cannot expect to be protected by these politicians. They will do anything for their benefit. The people should stop giving the same politicians and the same parties a chance.
http://www.parakhi.com/blogs/2011/12/19/who-is-a-martyr
