Babarmahal Blast

The huge bomb blast at Babarmahal that took three innocent lives has raised many questions. The first is, of course, related to the security situation. The blast site is not only located in the heart of the capital city but also just a few hundred meters from the busy southern gate of the government’s central secretariat, Singha Durbar. If it is possible to set off a powerful bomb at Babarmahal, it’s possible to do so in any part of Kathmandu, to say nothing of other parts of the country.



The growing confidence and capability of criminal elements such as those that set off the Babarmahal bomb are reflected in this very choice of site. If criminals— whether acting alone or in a group—feel emboldened enough to strike in an area that is supposed to be among the safest in the country, it certainly raises the bar for the agencies responsible for maintaining our security.



The second question that the bomb blast has raised is perhaps even more serious. It’s a question of how our home administration and even the court system deal with criminals. The prime suspect in the blast, Deb Raj Lama alias Bishowkranti, whom police confide is the man behind the dastardly deed, was arrested several times in the past on criminal charges, including the carrying and detonating of explosives. But each time he eventually walked away free. At times, the police filed a weak case, and on other occasions it was the courts that set him free. But he never gave up his criminal motives and continued along a wicked path. If this man had been dealt with more seriously in the past, he would probably have been languishing behind bars and three innocent lives would not have been lost last Monday. A great deal about this man and his criminal doings still remain murky and we hope the ongoing investigation will bring to light each and every detail.



The third question that Babarmahal raises is the misuse of politics by criminals as a cover, and how we are to deal with that. Bishwokranti is not just a ruthless criminal, he is also a leader of the United Ethnic Liberation Front Nepal (UELFN). Though UELFN issued a statement after the blast denying any involvement, Bishwokranti had promptly called up some media outlets to claim responsibility. The UELFN leadership is now trying to disassociate itself from Bishowkranti, fearing a backlash. It is claiming that he was removed from the party long ago.



But the fact that he was the coordinator of a team of 15 people constituted by the Front to hold talks with the government bespeaks otherwise. As Bishwokranti himself and many of the Front’s leaders are found to have been involved in several criminal activities, it raises a fundamental question. Is UELFN an organization formed for a political cause or is politics just being exploited for criminal purposes? The government and its security agencies must make this distinction sooner rather than later and deal with UELFN accordingly.

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