Bombs went off in two schools in Kathmandu on Tuesday morning, spreading fear among children, their parents and the general public alike. Fortunately, there were no human casualties, although there was some damage to property. 

Kathmandu police chief SSP Bikram Singh Thapa informed that cylinder bombs exploded at Akash Deep Boarding School and Manakamana Higher Secondary School in Jorpati, Kathmandu, at around 3:45amyesterday. Explosives and “suspicious objects” were also found in six other schools in Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts. The Nepal Army bomb disposal team were mobilised to defuse the bombs.

Although no one has claimed responsibility for planting the explosives, pamphlets of Akhil Rastriya Swatantra Bidhyarthi Kendra and Young Communist Force Nepal were recovered from the explosion sites. Also, the police have arrested two persons—Shanker Lakhe and Chandra Tamang, central committee members of Maoist Communist Centre Nepal—in connection to the attacks, pointing to the possibility of political motives. There have been incidents in the past in which various political outfits have targeted schools to express their grievances about the country’s education sector and to make demands.

Some, however, dismiss political motives and claim that such attacks are simply a means for criminals to press for “donations” from schools. The practice of using strong-arm tactics to force private schools to pay money was more common during the insurgency era when the then rebels spoke openly against “a bourgeois education system”.

Yesterday’s attacks are seen as a continuation of that practice by many, who argue that it is an opportune occasion for miscreants to earn some easy money for the approaching festival season and that not many schools would now reject “donation requests” of a few thousand rupees. It would, however, be premature to draw any conclusion about motives without a proper investigation.

Irrespective of the intensions, grudges or demands of the perpetrators, targeting schools is a heinous offence that must be categorically condemned in the strongest terms. Few deeds can be more immoral and offensive than one that can kill children. The perpetrators might try to justify their action by claiming that they made sure the blasts happened in the wee hours of the morning so that children would not be hurt. But the act has still implanted indelible fear in the students’ impressionable minds and violated their right to study in a peaceful atmosphere. That in itself makes Tuesday’s act a serious crime.

Swift, stern and well-publicised action has to be taken against the offenders to deter similar crimes in the future. For that, a thorough investigation is necessary. The government must do everything in its power to bring the perpetrators to justice and offer some measure of relief to the people.