Tea Shop Chit-Chat

(Courtesy: Roop Joshi)

It is traditional for us Nepalis to gather at the local “chiya pasal” (tea shop) and share views. It is in this spirit of conviviality that this piece is written.

The CA elections have been postponed yet again, journalists are being dug up from unmarked graves, doctors are being thrashed, business houses are being solicited for ‘voluntary donations’, echoes of Mao’s Red Guards ring out daily.

Jimmy Carter has come and gone once again presuming to cure Nepal’s ills, the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) has been overtaken by events, the coalition government is participating in a power-crazed orgy of accusations and counter-accusations, the king and the prime minister compete to serve the living goddess, temples have been attacked by hooligans, we live in a limbo between a republic and a monarchy in a ‘democracy’ governed by the unelected, UNMIN is seeking extension to further prolong its impotence—no dearth of topics to talk about as we sit comfortably and sip our tea or latte, espresso, cappuccino or whatever.

“We” - meaning the educated supposedly aware elite - are apparently unable to make any difference. We complain, criticize and curse. The tea or coffee seems to go down better as we righteously proclaim half-baked solutions to the country’s woes. We resort to our proverbial complacency and take umbrage in the belief that whatever will be, will be – it is, after all, written in the stars.

Let us remember that “we” are among the Nepali people for whom democracy is meant. It is our right, if we are citizens of a democracy, to demand accountability from our political leaders. They must follow our aspirations and dreams, not theirs. It is heartening to see recent efforts by professional groups towards this end. While the prestigious Nobel Prizes have recently been awarded, our own “Nobel experience” has been that suffered by the doctors at the Nobel Medical College in Biratnagar. The sit-ins at Singha Durbar by a rainbow coalition of professionals bear testimony to the fact that we have had enough.

Doctors, lawyers, journalists, teachers, businessmen, human rights advocates, youth, women have joined hands to proclaim “enough is enough”. We must be allowed to get on with productive lives – lives without fear. All of us have been aware over the past months how steeply law and order is deteriorating. The Home Ministry pays lip service to improving this situation. The police have proved ineffective in improving this situation. The army’s hands are tied by their confinement to the barracks. So who is going to improve the law and order situation? Maybe we have to resort to mercenaries or external security forces; the latter has an ominous ring to it, doesn’t it?

The fact of the matter is that without law and order there is no democracy. Let us not fool ourselves about this. As long as this climate of fear persists, the future of Nepali democracy is non-existent. It is time we, the common Nepali citizens, speak out against mindless terrorism with meaningful actions. We have seen how guns can achieve political power, how bandhs can debilitate society. Should we let these tactics be the monopoly of the few? Let us remember that we all have the democratic right to protest this invasion of our personal security – and we, the real “People” are the majority.

We hope – no, we expect – that the professional organizations will now unite in a strong but non-violent campaign with clear objectives to right the wrongs that have been done to this country in recent times. The euphoria of “Jana Andolan II” has long given way to disappointment, disgust and even depression. The current threat by doctors to hit the streets is a stellar example of what civil society has been driven to, due to, in this case, the shocking apathy of the Home Ministry and the Police regarding finding and punishing the perpetrators who kidnapped and tortured doctors from the Nobel Medical College. The Nepali population must not be allowed to be held hostage to selfish political interests. If the authorities are incapable of performing their duties, then matters have to be taken into our own hands.

It is also heartening to see the increasing number of stories in the daily press highlighting the present dismal state of affairs. As the guardian of free speech, this role of the media cannot be underestimated. The martyrdom of Birendra Sah cannot be forgotten.

We the People have been taken for granted and fooled for long enough. Our leaders must start becoming accountable to us immediately. So the next time any of us are in a tea shop chatting with friends or strangers, let us exchange views on current affairs but with an eye to act on the tyranny of the few. We are, after all, supposed to be living in a democracy.

Related Posts:

Earth to John Norris and Kanak Dixit
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/10/earth-to-john-norris-and-kanak-dixit.html

Betrayed Beyond Belief
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/10/betrayed-beyond-belief.html

TROGLODYTES STALK NEPAL - An Exclusive Interview with Dr. Thomas A. Marks
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/10/troglodytes-stalk-nepal-exclusive.html

We the People
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/09/we-people.html