A banda is usually a protest of last resort. But it has become a part of our daily life by default. It has become a routine to ask every morning; "Is there a banda today?" People are least interested in why and who calls these strikes. The dream of Naya Nepal mocks us in our face. The less crowded streets and clean air give the city a cleaner look but a banda paralyses the nation. Calling a banda has become an effective way for political groups to exert pressure on the government but these groups do not take into account, the multifaceted adverse effect it has on our nation's politics and economy.

There is tendency to glorify banda in the mainstream media. The pictures of empty streets with kids playing on the streets grab the headlines. But it does little beside ruining the nation's reputation internationally and spreading hopelessness towards politics among the people. Vehicles don't have petrol, the taps don't have water, there is no electricity and the generators have run out of diesel. Without even anybody declaring it, the nation is already reeling under an undeclared banda every day. In silence, we walk under the scorching sun or quietly take an afternoon nap at home.