Few artists have expressed themselves in the Astha Raut case. Those who have have advised Astha Raut to apologise for the Tribhuvan International Airport case. However, singer Sunita Dulal does not think so. Instead, she asks have we lost our right to express ourselves?
Sunita Dulal adds all people are not the same. Some express themselves some don’t. However, she insists in the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, citizens have the right to express themselves. Sunita agrees Astha did make some mistakes while choosing her words but since Astha has already apologized for it, it is wrong to issue an arrest warrant.
Sunita argues that instead of wasting the time and effort in petty cases, the state should pursue other substantial crimes. She adds that high profile leaders have used unsuitable words against fellow citizens and journalists but there is no punishment for that. However, we are not sure which cases she is referring to.
In the aftermath of Astha Raut’s incident with TIA security policewoman, the public has accused the state of showing a disproportionate reaction to a petty case. We do think that this is true.
We must understand that venting out anger is a part of social metamorphosis. If people cannot express their dissatisfaction, then the government will not understand what is wrong with the state. This leads to social stagnation and may result in disruptive violence.
