Rising Nepali Culture: (Strike)

"Its Nepal, where Banda is called not because police didn't arrest the culprits, but because they arrested the one" (Ref: @hardfire/twitter)

Strike organizers chasing a bike to vandalize in front of Patan Hospital

           

Once again, Strike at Kathmandu valley, Capital city of Nepal. Till date, Kathmandu has experienced so many strikes and so do I. Today again, maoist has announced strike to protest against the arrest of maoist cadre, allegedly for his involvement in the murder of Krishna Prasad Adhikari in 2004(See the reason: probably @hardfire/twitter was right). It is neither an unuasual event  nor  something that I am feeling proud to talk about. But unlike most of the previous strikes , this time it haunted me in such a way that me myself  was a helpless victim of the event.  That’s why my sufferings dragged me here to write something about this strike.

Till morning, I was unknown about the strike . My sister gave me wake up call with annoying reality. Today, she had to appear for entrance examination of engineering at 11 a.m. Examination centre was at about 2 hours of walking distance from her hostel (From Anamnagar to Thasikhel).  As her local guardian, it was my responsibility to take her to the centre within time limit. At this situation, What else I could  have done than asking her to come by foot? After all there was neither public buses nor taxis available. I was helpless . I didn’t have any alternatives.  We covered  about 1.5 hours of walking distance to reach the centre. Just imagine, students do prepare whole day and night for a year, by investing everything he/she have, just to secure his/her future, to create the destiny. And at final hour, neither competitors nor fate  is challenging them but the strike? Can you imagine how it feels? This is  not the problem that only she faced. Today more than 10 thousands of innocent students who were facing engineering entrance examination and thousands of students who were appearing for Medical entrance of Kathmandu University(KU) suffered from the similar problem. Because of the strike , Examination Committee was Compelled to postpone the schedule to 1 PM. We knew about that only after reaching to the centre. At the time I reached examination centre with her, there were huge mass of student covering all the barandas , ground of college and nearby houses and cafes eagerly waiting for 2 hours to pass so that they can give  exam. Even some like me, who were unknown about postponement were coming on rush.

This is just an example of how daily lifestyle gets hampered by strike. Everybody might have different stories of suffering, might be even more disastrous than prior one. Just imagine, what about those poor workers who have to work whole day just to fed their child? What about those people with sudden health crisis without access to ambulance? What about those who landed at TIA with huge luggage & there is no way to reach the destination? What about those tourists who were here to view beautiful, natural & peaceful Nepal? Also,  it was a religious day of “TEEJ” (Dar khane din) & Nepalese got another festival in advance to celebrate: Nepal Banda (We must convey “Thanks” to the organizer).

Strike/Banda is not just about a way of demanding or protest , it has multiple impact on social structure. Banda means another blow to economy, another day of long walk, another day of wastage of children’s time on road cricket, another way of ruining fame of country, another way of wastage of youth enthusiasm and energy in useless tasks, another way of making our child learn bad thing, another day of ruining tourism.

Yeah, one thing that has good effect of Banda is city gets rid of countless amount of vehicles causing air and sound pollution. Shall we be happy for that fact? Of course not. 

In our country, politics is dominating day by day in each field including education, health & business sectors. Yes, this is the transition phase and in this fluidity everyone wants their voice to be heard on the basis of either political parties or ethnic groups or business groups etc. But is it the right way to make wishes addressed?  Such a worse culture is being developing day by day in our nation. Strike has become like our identity to the international society. Can you imagine I found some websites regarding information of strike/banda  or songs and even mobile applications . What a shame? People has started thinking road as  the genie to fulfil their wishes. In the past few years , Nepal has experienced Countless number of bandas/strikes without genuine reasons. Such a mess situation that anyone unhappy with anything can call strike anywhere, where is the rules? Where is the system? Why the Nepalese are constantly choosing "Road" as their demand plateform?  probably because we have huge amount of past evidences that authority only hears those who are violent. Unfortunately there is rare chance that talk can solve the problems or peaceful processes in our country ( For example, see Adhikari couples from Gorkha with hunger strike )

In fact, Nobody is being benefited by strike/banda. Everybody (including strike organizers) knows that closing down the markets & not letting vehicles to pass is not the solution. Still why such useless events are coming into news time and again, Who is playing game behind the scene? It’s time to think & have proper judgement.

Being a Nepali, such events make me think time and again about where are we going. What is our goal while whole world is directing towards development and modernization? Such questions put me in great dilemma &  sometimes Optimism inside me which dreamt of beautiful, independent systematic Nepal gets broken/distracted. Such Banda events, unemployment, rising market prices of goods, news about rape & robbery, political instability  and so many other bitter realities makes me frustrating and annoying. And I start thinking, What am I  doing here? , where is my future?, what our upcoming generation will learn from such culture? What is government’s role? Does none of the people or party from the whole country has capability to stop all this and give the nation new direction? I wonder…

Note: I am neither in support nor against any political parties or groups. Its all about social injustice and instability that is happening here in my country.
#Thank You...