The news was: Nepal Police raided at a Bunkers’ Party at the Babylon Disco in Kathmandu and arrested and detained for a day 356 college students.
The background was: Police tipped off all the media about the raid.
The result was: A television station which happened to be a walking distance of the disco live covered the raid. The news made front pages of every newspaper and prime news of televisions (as if this is of national importance).
The truth is: It was immoral, something that is not socially accepted, in part of the children to bunk classes and attend a disco.
Yet another truth is: It was immoral for police for create such a fuss of the event.
The unanswered question is: Who the hell is Nepal Police to arrest youngsters who are not involved in any illegal activities? What on the earth prompted them to tip-off media for the live coverage? Are they trying to copy, at least in part, the Moral Police that once dreaded the streets of Afghanistan?
We all believe what the students did was wrong – morally wrong not legally wrong (because this is the country where there is no legal restrictions of smoking and drinking or even bunking classes).
I believe that what Nepal Police did was morally as well as legally wrong. I am not saying they do not have the authority to raid or arrest people; but if they arrest 356 people and release every one of them without any indictment, then this only means a drama for nothing!
The senior police officials probably enjoyed the evening with a peg or two of whisky for staging such a big drama. Well done! But what about the youngsters? Most of them were crying and some of them were forced to show their faces to the television cameras (and did not the police use offensive language with them)?
I am sure throughout their lives they will never utter police without using an abusive word prefixed.
Our police should understand that morality and legality are different. People could do something which is morally wrong, but the police is legally bound, they are not the Talibans.
For the Nepal Police and for the television broadcasting it live, it’s a shame!
