Be Nepal’s Valentine

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Nepali youth should rise now for their love to the country

BY PREM DHAKAL

It’s that time of the year again when the chilly cold makes way for the heartwarming rays of the Sun. Yes, it’s February once again and most of us youths are eagerly waiting for the 14th to celebrate the Valentine’s Day.

We have been celebrating the day by expressing our love, especially for the opposite sex, for the last few years. But considering the present scenario we, for once, should show some affection to our country Nepal as well and dedicate this Valentine Day to it. The time for a little introspection has come for sure.

For long we have been shirking away from our responsibilities toward our motherland. We have been casually turning our backs on the burning issues saying that it’s none of our business.

But when the fire reaches our backyard, it has to become very much our business. When the security persons, who are supposed to protect us, start to point the guns menacingly at us, it has got to be our business. And when the Home Minister shamelessly authorizes the security persons to kill anyone on their discretion, it definitely has to be our business.

How long can we pretend to be oblivious? How much more can we bend to adjust our daily routines to the bandhs that pop up every other week? How long can we silently tolerate the authorities cutting off our land and mobile lines? How long can we helplessly watch the cold-blooded murders of our fellow countrymen?

It surely has to stop somewhere. But the trouble is – it won’t stop anytime soon if we keep on being lackadaisical. It won’t stop because this regime doesn’t want it to.

The Maoists have put forward their conditions and agreed to put down their weapons for an unconditional election of the constituent assembly. Maoist Supremo ‘Prachanda’ has even vowed to accept an active monarch, if the people go for it.

But what keeps this ‘popular’ regime from accepting a constituent assembly election. Everything, except the national integrity, can be considered to end the bloodshed.

The Royal regime has been shouting from the rooftops bragging about its popularity. So, why does it hesitate to go for the election that it apparently can win hands down?

It surely is not worried about the expenditure for the election, whose result it is so secure about. Moreover the regime, which can airlift party cadres of Home Minister Kamal Thapa to the capital and spend crores on the farcical municipal elections, must have the wherewithals to conduct an election for the constituent assembly.

But this regime won’t go for the election because it thrives on the blood of the innocents. It definitely won’t go for it, unless we force it to.

Ironically, this regime flourishes due to our indifference. The day each and every one of us takes to the streets, this regime would be forced to consider the options for peace.

And this regime knows it. So, it is planning to alienate us further from the reality, in the name of stopping politicization of the youths, through youth policy. Who the hell are these ministers to tell us what we should be doing and what not.

A little bit of political awareness is never hazardous to the youths. On the contrary, it will prove beneficial. We would not have been in this quagmire in the first place, had we been aware as the corrupt politicians could not have taken us for a ride.

The political parties, though not purged of their sins, and the civil society are fighting against the autocratic regime. We must join them before – as Lord Nelson famously warned – there won’t be anyone to stand up for us.

The election for the constituent assembly may not be the panacea for all our sufferings but we can always give peace a chance.

The coward regime may kill us (what more can we expect from this barbaric regime) but there will certainly be other auspicious days to woo our love, if we remain alive. And what a life that would be for the war-ravaged citizens!!!!!!!!