Facts:
- A Nepal Bandh is estimated (by FNCCI) to cost the nation 1.2-1.8 billion Rupees per day (see below).
- It damages Nepal’s reputation as a place to do business.
- It disrupts our children’s education – they’ve lost 25 days this academic year.
It is poisoning our political system, replacing patient talking and negotiation with easy but short-termist violence and blackmail.
What do bandhs achieve? While millions of people’s work and education time is lost – who gains?
With every politically motivated bandh, we slip backwards.
The costs of Bandh
No-one is really sure. Besides the tangible cost, there is also a great intangible cost to consider.
I remember FNCCI coming out with a statement saying that 120 days of Nepal bandh cost the industrial sector Rs.12 billion. It amounts to a cost of Rs.100 million per Nepal bandh. I cannot independently verify if this figure is right because I have not seen the analysis the FNCCI people did. Also, in 2007 the FNCCI argued that 20 day long bandh in the Terai cost Rs 28.74 billion (around Rs 1.4 billion per bandh day). Some estimate it to be around Rs 630 billion. (Sapkota C)
and:
The cost of strikes in Nepal is all guestimates. Just yesterday, the President of FNCCI based on their exercise stated the cost at Rs1.8 billion per day. This includes wages during ‘no work’ (this alone amounts to approx. Rs 500 million), interest payments to bank, wastage of raw materials while industries are closed, cost incurred because of the problems in the delivery of goods, the revenue loss of the government etc. Well, as you know there could be several other indirect costs such as the goodwill of the enterprises, capital flight and so on. (Prof. Pyakuryal)
What can be agreed on is that the price of a bandh day is expensive. Can we really afford it?
Nepal Bandha Must Be Stopped
Thanks
Amul
1 Feb 10 at 6:22 pm
this bandha had given a lots of problem to the citizens of nepal and in different sectors. The political leaders should be concern about it and stop it form now adays because it will not give profit to the country but always loss. All the political parties should give a witten commitment to the neplease to stop this bandha for 4ever.
Mohammed Aashique
2 Feb 10 at 4:05 pm
‘Bandha’ has crippled our productivity, entrepreneurship, businesses, positive political agendas and shuttered poor people’s dream. Every political leaders are accountable for..please take this ‘Bandha’ away from the streets.
Ananta Risal
26 Feb 10 at 8:33 pm
As a tourist in 2008/2009 I found the Bandhas a very disappointing and saddening aspect of a country I found to be incredible in many other ways. It limits freedom, disadvantages businesses and tourist opportunities. It does no justice to showing the real Nepal. It sends the wrong messages to people about what Nepal is.
Mariel Hopper
26 Feb 10 at 11:20 pm
Money can be earned later but I have heard, read news that people have died because there was no vehicle to take them to hospitals/doctors due to Bandha. So this kind of curel act of bandha should be eliminated totally from Nepal. If we want to protest the injustice let us do it creatively without harming others. We don’t have to be destructive to press our demands by resorting to violence and I feel bandha is a very violent.
Deepak Dewan
27 Feb 10 at 5:12 am
I really appreciate the initiative but I wont be surprised if these politicians become the ones starting these bands once they dont get what they want.
Manisha Shakya Siddhi
27 Feb 10 at 5:52 am
This is a good initiative… hope it gains more publicity.
Good luck.
IT Freak
1 Mar 10 at 1:36 am
if u don’t want to waork , go n sleep , but for the country’s sake plz let us work . let us contribute sumthings to our country , so plz don’t put ur effort to stop ppl to wrk ..
yumesh
1 Mar 10 at 9:17 am
This is a nice initiative.
We need to change the political culture of Nepal to solve all the problems we are facing. A couple of young Nepalis in their early 20s have started a project called BIKALPA to take some initiative to change the political culture. So that, in next 20-25 years these youth can have their chance to lead the country and do not get trapped in the current political culture (which will not change anytime soon with present political parties or leaders.
For more info:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117079471637664
and
http://biswasinbikalpa.blogspot.com/
The project is in its first phase and the members are trying to build a network. It is a long project and to continue this project we need your motivation.inspiration, collaboration and support.
Bikalpa
17 Apr 10 at 7:55 pm