Pvt sector to hold rally for peace, harmony

The business community under the aegis of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) is organizing a candle light rally on Wednesday calling on the people for peace and national harmony.
The organization said the peace assembly will be held at Basantapur Durbar Square during which the private sector will request all political and non-poliitcal groups to shun violence and refrain from calling general strikes.
FNCCI has joined hands with organizations of different sectors, such as hotel, education, media, health, human rights and I/NGOs for the event. It has asked all participants to wear white and carry with a candle and a national flag.
“The assembly is for peace, harmony and prosperity,” Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar, acting president of the FNCCI told media persons on Monday, “We are neither in the favor or against any groups. We are against the culture of bandas and violence.” Fiercely condemning the random attacks on media persons and vehicles of different media houses on Sunday and Monday by Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), Rajkarnikar said, “We oppose every kind of bandas.”
The assembly, which will start at the durbar square at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, is the joint effort of Nepal Chamber of Commerce, Lalitpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bhaktapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, all the 82 commodity associations, associate member organizations of FNCCI, Nepal Federation of Cottage and Small Industries, Higher Secondary School´s Association Nepal, human right organizations, engineers association, medical association, hotel associations and other organizations working in the public and private sector.
“There will be no slogans and banners of any organizations,” Rajkarnikar explained the nature of the assembly. “This is our endeavor to preserve the national harmony and establish peace in times of nation-wide tension due to violence.” The mood of the nation is going downward where we might end up with nothing in hand at the time of promulgating new constitution in the country, added Rajkarnikar.
FNCCI said banda and violent strikes will serve no one´s interest, rather inflicted a huge loss to general public, wage earners as well as businesses. “At this juncture, we don´t want to calculate our business in numbers,” Rajkarnikar said, “This is the time for national consensus and peace.” He further added that the new constitution should be promulgated on time and the country must move forward according to recent political commitments.