Name of rural municipality changed amidst protest and uproar

ROLPA, Dec 28: The name of one local level has been changed in Rolpa district amid police security after the locals who were dissatisfied over the name change started sloganeering.

A meeting of the people’s representatives of Subarnawati rural municipality in eastern Rolpa changed the name of the rural municipality to Sahid Sunil Smriti rural municipality by a majority.

Nineteen members of the rural municipality reportedly walked out of the meeting soon after the rural municipality chairperson Gunendra Gharti tabled the proposal in the meeting for changing the name of the rural municipality.

“There was no option than to walk out of the meeting after our protests and dissatisfaction over the issue were not heard by the rural municipality Chair,” Ganja Chhetri, one of the rural municipality ward chairman who attended the meeting, said. He added that they got the information that the name of the rural municipality was changed with a general majority after their boycott.

Police were mobilized in large numbers in the premises of the rural municipality secretariat as there was extensive protest and sloganeering by the locals.

“Although it is said that the minority voices are also heard and respected in a democracy, they took the decision in an authoritative way,” Chhetri said.

Rural municipality chairman Gharti however said the name of the rural municipality has been changed as per the rule of law and the democratic spirit since it is the normal practice that any issue which could not be settled unanimously has to be decided by majority votes. He argued that the new name has respected the martyr and also remembered the martyr’s name. RSS