E-Kantipur

A section of our enlightened civil society demanded soon after the April 2006 revolution that the road from Thapathali to Bhadrakali that passes through the Army headquarters be re-opened to traffic.  There have been four prime ministers, all of them from the left parties that call themselves communists (but behave worse than extreme capitalists), but it was not until the incumbent prime minister that some sort action was initiated in this direction. The Prime Minister has gone on record publicly vowing to open the road immediately. That “immediately” (or within a week if you so please) uttered over a month ago remains unfulfilled. This is also an indication of the failure of those who wield power to understand the basic necessities of security, as perceived by most security personnel.

The road from Thapathali to Bhradrakali is less than a km long but it could divert congested traffic and could, to some degree, ease traffic from Thapathali to Singh Durbar. But the traffic that will flow from Thapathali to Bhdrakali will be extremely heavy and would hardly justify the re-opening of the road closed at the height of the insurgency.

 At the time, the Army had to take into security concerns and the Thapathali-Bhadrakali road was a glaring security threat that passed through the very heart of the Army headquarters. Now, the Prime Minister has sidelined the security question and also the fact that the re-opening of the road will hardly make any significant difference in traffic congestion. This can only happen when there is better—and more effective—traffic management. The Army’s reluctance to re-open the road is understandable.

It reminds of another situation. In the good old days, most Nepalis who go to see off their relatives and friends at the Tribhuvan Airport could walk all the way to the aircraft to bid farewell to the loved ones. Security was tightened at the airport following the hijacking of a Canadian built Twin Otter aircraft belonging to the Nepal Airlines in June, 1973.

The hijacking in last days of the last month of the last year of the last century of an Indian Airlines Airbus aircraft that took off from Tribhuvan International Airport made matters worse for travellers. The travellers flying from TIA had to undergo tight security checks never seen before. These measures certainly inconvenienced the travellers as well as those who went to see them off. But for these simple reasons, no one has asked the security agencies not to take these precautions. The situation at TIA is even worse now with most non-ticket holders are not allowed beyond the main approach gate of the airport. This latter development took place as security precautions at the height insurgency as well—around the same time the Bhadrakali-Thapathali road was closed off. If there was no need for security after the insurgency ended, why haven’t these extra security

measures—which cost the nation quite a bit—been removed so far? Apparently these measures are considered necessary by security agencies and it is only proper that such measures be kept in place.

In the case of the Thapathali-Bhadrakali stretch of road, the Army is concerned about the security of the headquarters complex. But if the authorities deem it fit, the Army headquarters itself can be removed to a more isolated area where security wouldn’t be an issue. The road can then be re-opened to ever-increasing traffic. The present Army structures can then be leased out to big businesses to convert them to shopping malls and departmental stores and the whole of the Tudhikhel area including the Army club building  can then be dished out for hefty rent (and commission for the political pimps who act as the go-between the business persons and government officials). The Prime Minister may have had these thoughts in mind when he said the road would be opened within a week!

But on a more serious note, those who advocate the re-opening of the Thapathali-Bhadrakali road should also consider and take it into themselves to re-open or to re-establish roads in the city that have vanished into thin air. And almost none of the roads that have disappeared had anything to do with security concerns. Indeed, they vanished because of wrong decisions and because the government, including local governments, of the day though that they could do whatever they wanted with public property. There must be many instances when roads and paths in the capital used by the people have been gobbled up for no good reason. In the periphery of the locality where I grew up, a number of roads and paths have vanished, taken over by the government agencies. There was a road not long ago, that went directly from the General Post Office to Khichapokhari but with the so called protection of Dharahara, the road was permanently blocked. Just a few years ago, one could go around the Sundhara but no longer; the Sanchaya Kosh (Provident Fund) has effectively blocked the path and has also taken passion of the road between the GPO and Sundhara and turned it into a lucrative shopping area. (The elected ward representative had promised that the path on the north side of Sundhara as well as the wide road between the Sundhara and GPO would remain public and that the Provident Fund would not be allowed to take passion of it. But now, with no local representatives in the local body, local body official employees care little for the city’s heritage.)

There was once a road that went around the present Nepal Bank Limited main building in New Road but today, Nepal Bank and the Gorkhapatra Cooperation have effectively shielded the road from the public. Then there was a wide non-vehicle plying road from Tebahal to Tindhikhel but Nepal Airlines effectively shut off the road. The Mint is another government agency that has gobbled up more than two road stretches; just a few of instances of roads here today, but gone the next day. And these are just the ones in a small section of the city. One can be certain that there are many other instances of city roads disappearing due to the government’s wrong decisions. The civil society that was so vocal in advocating the re-opening of the Bhadrakali-Thapathali stretch would do the city a singular service if they can advocate for and re-open or re-build these vanished roads.

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