Chasing a hero who isn’t

Democracy thrives through the collective act of institution building rather than the heroics of populist activists.

Free speech enthusiasts and social media warriors alike had a considerable meltdown for much of the past two weeks when Ashika Tamang, the self-identified social activist known for bringing overcharging shopkeepers to their toes, was arrested twice. She was first arrested by the Kathmandu District Police for allegedly misbehaving with police officers on January 15, and then by the Bhaktapur Police for allegedly disrupting fee collection at a footbridge in Sanga, Bhaktapur. The arrests led to a deluge of sweeping statements on the extent of free speech and right to protest—in activistspeak, democracy had gone down the drain; for her detractors, disruptive behaviour in the garb of activism calls has no remedy than incarceration.