Nepal, June 20 -- Thousands of protesters marched from around Kathmandu Valley to convene at the Maitighar Mandala yesterday. The protesters had come out in full force even though the government had announced its decision to withdraw the controversial Guthi Bill on June 18. Although the Guthi Bill controversy seems narrow in scope, the thousands who joined the protests on Wednesday were fighting for a larger cause. They were protesting the way this government has time and again refused to follow the established democratic norms before attempting to push through legislation. They were also marching to highlight the state's seeming indifference towards the concerns of the country's minorities-in this case the Newar community.

The governmen...