Bini Dahal

Like in many countries, the speeches of leaders form the staple of politics in Nepal, too. By using never heard but “pleasing to the ear” kind of phrases, today's political leaders easily win applauses from people. But this does not mean the political speeches are always “politically correct”. There are many instances where leaders have come under scrutiny for their misogynistic comments.
An experienced political leader Raghuji Panta was recently criticised for his similar comment on Komal Oli, a popular singer and member of the National Assembly. Although Panta apologised for the hurt caused by his comment to Oli, the latter has filed a defamation writ against the former at the Kathmandu District Court. The case has been registered as per Section 305, 306 and 307 of the Penal Code-2017. On February 28, Panta, in one of his speeches, had stated that Oli had become a lawmaker by singing the song ‘Poila Jana Pam’ (May I Get To Elope), moving her sari up and showing her legs.
Neither was the comment digestible to Oli nor was it found to be alright for the general public and women rights activists. Following a strong backlash, Panta finally opted for an apology for his derogatory statement. Panta had expressed his dissatisfaction over Oli's nomination to the National Assembly since many other deserving women leaders from the party had been deprived of such privileges.
In response to Panta’s comment, Oli had condemned him and questioned his act of abusing women despite being a responsible leader. Oli accused him of defaming her through electronic and other means of communication. Therefore, her lawsuit demands an additional sentence of up to one year in prison along with a compensation of Rs. 10,000. But the Penal Code-2017 says otherwise.
It states that a person committing such libel should only face either imprisonment of up to one year or a fine not exceeding Rs. 10,000. She also went on to demand compensation keeping in mind the sensitivity of the damage his remarks caused to her prestige and the recovery of expenditure she has made for seeking justice.
Being responsible persons, political leaders must be respectful towards one another. Constructive criticism should always be welcome for sure. But using derogatory terms to harm the self-respect of others and to lower their confidence cannot be considered a good move. Especially in a patriarchal country like Nepal, these kinds of issues indicate that even those who are supposed to transform the society do not hesitate to make silly comments. Such leaders must behave and act in a responsible manner. Only then can they take Nepali politics on the right track.
Besides being an issue concerning a woman political leader, this matter also highlights a big problem resulting from the strong patriarchal belief system that our society holds. Such activities also indicate a sense of intolerance and narrow-mindedness among males. The fact that the incident happened around the celebration of International Women’s Day makes it more embarrassing. Do such celebrations really change the way people perceive things? Not so sure of this.