Nepal’s Parliamentary Committee Witnesses Heated Debate Over ‘Militarization’

A heated debate erupted at the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee meeting of the House of Representatives on Thursday, with lawmakers from the same party at odds over the use of the term ‘militarization’. The committee was discussing the ‘National Service Bill, 2083’ when Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Dr. Amresh Kumar Singh used the term, prompting fellow RSP lawmaker Ramesh Prasai to object.

Prasai’s objection drew a strong reaction from Singh, who felt that his statement was being misrepresented. Committee Chairman Hari Dhakal intervened to calm the situation, saying that he did not feel that Prasai had personally attacked Singh. However, Singh insisted that he had used the term ‘militarization’ and asked why it was being disputed.

The debate took a turn when Prasai apologized to Singh, saying, ‘I apologize to you, respected senior member.’ Dhakal then appealed to the committee members not to turn the committee into a forum for personal disputes.

Singh’s Concerns

Singh argued that the committee’s dignity and performance would be affected if members continued to personally attack each other’s views. He emphasized that each member had the right to express their opinions freely and that the committee should focus on constructive discussions.

‘We should not turn the committee into a forum for personal disputes,’ Singh said. ‘We are not new to this committee. I will express my views, and others will express theirs. But if we continue to personally attack each other’s statements, the committee’s discussions will not be effective.’

Singh appealed to the chairman to ensure that the committee’s discussions remained focused and constructive.