INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
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
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
"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
