KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 8In recent days, numerous respected figures, including columnists, political commentators, and party cadres, have strongly criticized the social media 'follow' and 'unfollow' trend of the executive heads of the two levels of government, but at the expense of defending the abolished system and derailing the critical issue of child abuse by elected officials. CPN-UML, KMC Mayor Balen Shah's spat trending on social media Russia launches a heavy missile and drone bombardment of Ukraine for the third time in 4 days Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balen had posted on his social media handles accusing UML Lumbini Provincial parliamentarian Rekha Sharma of committing child abuse.

Child abuse has been identified as a bonded labour system prevalent in Nepal's Sudurpaschim region among the Tharu community.The post immediately piqued the attention of numerous netizens amid growing animosity between UML and Mayor Shah. "Do you become a leader by accumulating Facebook followers?" asked Biswo Poudel.

He quoted Ganeshman Singh, who famously quipped, "A leader never considers how many people support him.

He is sometimes alone, and sometimes he is followed by millions of people.

You become a celebrity by gaining followers.

You do not become a leader." Poudel's post has been shared by a number of social media influencers and journalists, including senior journalists Tika Ram Yatri and Prakash Singh.However, it appears that they have missed the issue that Mayor Shah raised after KMC rescued a minor from the grip of a lawmaker who had been committing child abuse for eight years, beating and forcing her to do domestic chores.The Tharu Student's Society stated in a press release that they were alerted to the fact that a 14-year-old child had been rescued by the KMC from Kamalari (the practice of bonded labour).

Rekha Sharma, a lawmaker, coerced her into becoming Kamalari and tortured her psychologically and mentally for years.Though the government had announced emancipation from Kamlaris on 27 June 2013, several children have been left in the lurch due to a lack of proper rehabilitation.

Kamlari is a system practised in Sudurpaschim wherein girl children of certain families have to work at employers' houses from childhood."Despite the abolition of inhumane systems such as Kamalari, Rekha Sharma, a person of stature, continued to commit it," reads the statement.

"Keeping Urmila Chaudhary as Kamlari for eight years until KMC rescued her is a shameful incident to witness."Tharu Student's Society President Chandra Prasad Chaudhary emphasised in his statement that anyone who commits a crime should be prosecuted immediately.

They should also be subject to severe punishment for committing crimes like Rekha Sharma has."Accused should not benefit from political influence or protection," the statement reads.

"We have heard that some are attempting to weaken this issue.

We would like to remind them to refrain from such activities."Ganesh Karki, a Rastriya Swatantra Party Central Committee member, has asked people numerous questions about child abuse.

"People are preoccupied with issues such as Balen deleting his post, or did Facebook remove it? Have KP Oli's page followers increased or decreased? After these debates, why has no action been taken against the UML lawmaker who abused the 15-year-old girl by coercing her to be a domestic worker for seven years?""But, surprisingly, the campaign to unfollow KP Oli's page has been shaken to its core.

People are debating whether to trust the crowd or their own wisdom.

Others are disseminating the message that leaders who focus on followers and unfollowers are not true leaders," he said."Why do they not see the moral reasons for unfollowing Oli? UML's General Secretary has shared a link to Oli's Facebook page.

UML cadres are inviting people to like the page.

Money has been spent to boost and advertise the page.

Isn't their mind, heart, and brain jarred?""A 15-year-old girl has been a domestic worker for 8 years and claims she did not recognize her father when he stood in front of her.

She did not touch him and vowed never to return to that house.

Didn't you just hear that?" he asked."She eagerly packs her bags and leaves the house as soon as she learns she will be rescued.

Didn't you watch the video? Didn't it occur to you that the provincial parliamentarian forced her to work as a domestic and tortured her to the point where she could not recognize her father?""And now, instead of fighting for her and her child's rights and compensation, advocating for a better future for girls like her, and speaking out against those who bind them as domestic workers, a group of people has rushed to explain the meaning of the follow and unfollow campaign," he added."Are you not ashamed of a blindfold on the issue of a child who had been subjected to domestic violence for eight years but highlighting the tension between the mayor and the prime minister?" he asked. .

This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com