Nation of the blind

By Anand Gurung

Anyone visiting Nepal during these critical times would be forgiven for thinking that the country is in a mess. If one is to list everything that's going wrong in this country then perhaps writing a long epic would appear easier.

The country's politics is in shambles with an undue delay in the formation of the new government.

One might also feel that Nepal is suffering from a disease – that of civil disobedience. If not, how can one explain the daily shutdown strikes, transportation strikes, blockades in the highways, disruptions in smooth functioning of educational institutions and even basic services like health with even doctors throwing in their towel. This dangerous trend of forcing fulfillment of one's demand through pressure tactics seems to have seeped into every state institutions including the police force – as was recently seen in sporadic incidents of mutiny. This doesn't augur well for the country. Not even a day passes without an ordinary Nepali having to witness demonstrations, protests, agitations and clashes and bear its brunt silently. As soon as one problem gets resolved (only to return with a vengeance the next time), another controversy takes a vigorous shape and appears poised to bring the whole nation to a standstill.

Then there are the ever-recurring problems like, for one, garbage littering the streets of the capital of the new republic with Okharpauwa residents near the landfill site blocking municipality trucks from transporting the city's wastage there – by raising demands one after another. Sometimes even a problem that appears to have an easy solution continues to bog us for long if we are not sensible enough, and the garbage problem that continues to hold the capital hostage every now and then is one example. This relatively small problem (considering other staggering problems facing the nation this is a minor one) can be easily solved if all the stakeholders sit together with a cool-headed resolve to find an amicable outlet by rightly addressing the grudges of every one. But no, in new Nepal nobody is willing to listen to others. They seem more eager to get at each others throats first.

There are also the omnipresent, day to day problems – of load-shedding which has now been reduced to two days a week from the previous six, of lack of enough drinking water in the peak summer, of rising inflation, of shortages of basic commodities like rice in rural hinterlands and petroleum products in cities and towns, of bad roads and highways where accident is a norm -- the list goes on. Looking at one problem piling over another, with new ones cropping up every other day, an ordinary Nepali citizen is now forced to think that there is indeed something wrong with the country. The sweet promise of change our leaders had showed us during the April revolution -- that culminated in the abolishment of the Shah Dynasty and Nepal turning into a federal republic -- has now come to this passing. People in the streets, in the long winding queues, in front of shops, petrol pumps, at hospitals, schools, colleges, offices and in the mountain, hills and plains are now asking – Is this the new Nepal you promised us, you who claim to be our leaders? If you ask my father how the country's faring when he is browsing through his morning paper with a cup of tea, he almost instantly blurts out – It is going to the gutters!

No wonder that most of us don't want to live in this country. Those of us who are not well-educated sell-off our lands and whatever belongings to go to gulf countries to engage in treacherous jobs, we don't even think a second before going to the war-ravaged countries like Iraq and Afghanistan for what the government says "overseas employment" only to be treated roughly or get our throats slit by terrorists, and those of us who take pride on claiming ourselves to be the "educated lot" escape from this chaos to go to America and Europe, mostly to indulge in drudgeries and at the end of the day curse the politicians for turning the country into a mess.

Even though the students have called off the protest that had brought Kathmandu and much of the nation into a standstill for the past few days over Vice President Parmananda Jha taking oath in a tottering Hindi, minor clashes between police and protestors have still continued in some parts of the capital. Maybe that there was a communication gap between those controlling the demonstrations from the party offices and those venting out their anger in the streets by throwing stones at the hapless and underfed looking policemen, who have only a shield made of hard plastic, helmets, batons and tear gases to defend themselves. It's no wonder that the policemen who are there to provide security to us think they are in the worst job, destined to be stoned by everyone and all almost daily as if they are the punch bags and at the end have to make do with a meager salary. To add to their misery, they have to also deal with almost daily demonstrations and sit-ins by Tibetan exiles in Kathmandu. Although it almost always is peaceful than other demonstrations taking place in the capital, with the Tibetan exiles just trying to resist arrest without success, but the international human rights agencies decry by condemning the "excessive use of force" committed by Nepali police authorities while trying to clamp the protests. What could one do in such an ungrateful profession where you never even get any recognition but always invite other's wrath – mutiny seemed to be the only answer for few policemen some time ago as they held their own seniors hostage alleging them of treating their junior badly and corruption.

And just a drive through Kathmandu in any given day and it appears that the nation is under some sort of a siege. The entire capital appears to be in never ending queues in front of petrol station and so is the entire nation where even Kerosene oil, an essential commodity to keep the kitchen fire running, has become dear. Everywhere you confront the same scene – of long lines of motorcycles and cars and buses stretching up to a kilometer in length from the gates of petro-stations and creating unbearable traffic congestions during peak hours.

Both private and public vehicle owners rely excessively on easy availability of petrol and diesels -- the former to attend to errands and the latter to earn their livelihood by serving the general public. Amidst fears that the already deteriorating fuel crisis might further deepen, these two section of the populace might possibly get some relief from the drastic shortage of petrol crunch as Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) chief Digamber Jha told a leading Kathmandu daily the other day that it would not curtail supply of petrol in the market from August as it is the only product in which "customers are paying as much as NOC pays for importing it."

He said that the corporation was so far failing to bring in enough petrol because it was also required to import loss-inflicting products like diesel, kerosene and cooking gas from the same basket fund as petrol.

Good thinking Mr, Jha. Thousands of vehicle owners would thank you from their heart if you indeed resume normal supplies of petrol in the market and spare them the trouble of sitting in long queues for hours on ends in the scorching sun or the drenching monsoon rain to get just few liters of petrol. But a question arises, what if the government refuses to finance the losses incurred in diesel and kerosene? Would the NOC stop importing adequate kerosene oil, thus effectively forcing millions of people to go hungry? How sensible it is to give rise to a more stark problem while trying to find a solution to a relatively manageable one? This would be a suicidal step that would only prove to be disastrous for the country.

But even if the government agrees to finance the losses NOC says it still incurs in diesel and kerosene or even if its Indian supplier resumes normal supplies of petroleum products after getting some part or the whole of Rs 5.44 billion in outstanding debt NOC owes to it, the problem seems here to stay.

It has become a habit that no sooner a problem is resolved in Nepal another one starts to raise its head, and the same applies to this situation also. This time the controversy over Vice President Parmananda Jha taking his oath in Hindi sure seems to have an adverse effect on the nation.

The controversy sparked off violent protests across the country with demonstrators saying that VP Jha has hurt the sentiment of the Nepalese people by taking his oath of office and secrecy in Hindi. However, in a rebuttal Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) including other Madheshi parties have started demonstrating in the few Terai districts in support of VP Jha. And denouncing the vandalism of its central party office in Kathmandu, MJF has also warned against attacks on Madhesi language and culture – giving a hint that communal tension is flaring up. Already there are reports of violent protests by Madhesi parties which has caused local markets in many Terai towns to close down. If these protests takes the shape of Madhesi movement witnessed a year ago then supplies of essential commodities including food items will again be gagged as much of these imports come via the Terai belt into the hilly region. Then shortages will again be the daily routine for many people across Nepal.

This is just an example of how a controversy can take an ugly turn and steadily drift towards communal tension, in turn posing a serious threat to the delicate social fabric that bind the country together. The 'eye for an eye' attitude everybody in this country has come to adopt is sure turning the whole country into a nation of the blind.

Economists say that before turning into a failed state every nation passes through four distinct phases. First the inflation rates skyrockets. Then shortage of basic commodities makes life difficult with government (or whoever is in control) failing to provide even basic commodities to its people. Thereafter, the government altogether fails to maintain law and order in the country and eventually the banks, barely propping up the nation's economy, collapses – letting lose utter chaos and confusion in the country. It might send a chill down your spine but looking at the situation in Nepal it is easy to see that the country has already passed through the initial three phases and is just looking for the opportune time to pass through the last one – collapse of its financial institutions. I better pack up my bags. nepalnews.com July 30 08

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