There are many potential power centers in Nepal. There are political parties who dictate terms on their own whether they are in the government or not. Those who are not in the government have rights of agreement to differ but not agreements to rule. But everyone rules whether they are in the government or not. Even individuals and groups try to rule this country. There are corporations of communities, classes, castes and religions who rule over us. We are citizens to be ruled democratically; but in our mode of democracy everyone tries to rule.
On whose terms we are to be ruled: By a group of school kids, by all the parties who have the potential to rule or by a governing party? There are a wide range of potential rulers who display their might on the streets. They are the rulers of the street.
As soon as you come out into the road and lanes, you see rulers all around. It was 10 in the morning. I reached Maharajganj Ring Road, Kathmandu. Some never-school-going-kids asked me to return while some policemen listened to a lecturing man standing in front of the image of Narayan Gopal. I took some deserted lanes and reached near the western part of Narayanhiti museum and then parked my motorbike at Lainchaur. The Amrit Campus-Thamel lane was cordoned by confused drivers and pedestrians. A student sent me a message: “Do not pass by Ratna Park because some victim organization is holding a rally.” I left the idea to go to the university. I tried to ride again and took some narrow streets in order to reach Thapathali. It took me 40 minutes to reach near Singha Durbar. There were people shouting slogans under the blazing sun while marching towards the secretariat. I looked behind and there was a long row of vehicles.
In the midst of chaos, I received a call from one of my students. “Sir, please request the head of the department to postpone my thesis interview because there is agitation in Kapilvastu against some bikers who kidnapped a school going kid. I cannot come. Even if I manage to reach Butwal, I will be stuck in Dhadhing banda. Sir, please!”
I took a complete turn and tried finding ways near Anamnagar. I was happy to roam into the streets and lanes like a romantic of the sixties. My English teacher used to say, you will prove yourself a Romeo going by how many lanes of a city you are familiar with. Remembering the teacher unenthusiastically, I reached Gaushala. There was a complete standstill near Battisputali. I again left my bike near Dwarika hotel and reached onto the cross-road. The traffic police were stern and agitated. A motorcade was heading towards the airport. Who are they? Some politicians are going abroad to solicit suggestions on how not to rule. In fact, a politician is also going to the West to see off his son studying abroad, a man giggled. At a distance, an officer in pilot vehicle passed by with an Arnold Schwarzeneggerian look. I returned because the motorcade was still to arrive. It was two in the afternoon.
I do not think I faced much of a problem while roaming on the street for nearly four hours. There are more important things and more important people in this country from business professionals, global executives to shopkeepers. They do not have time to roam for four hours in the streets. There are researchers and artists, vendors and farmers whose yearly plans go into disarray if they cannot work for a week. They are like the pregnant woman forced to walk in the street during a banda. Such citizens of conscience are helpless creatures ruled by the laws of the street.
Living a Nepali life is accommodating with these rulers of the street. These ruling organizations of the political kinds exercise their power on the street. They appear in the day and successfully disrupt the daily lives of ordinary men and women. They chase a biker and kick a cyclist, smash a car window and force a feeble patient to walk toward a hospital.
Since life goes on, we are sadistically looking at ourselves, neither happy nor unhappy. There is a collective stoic resignation in common Nepali psyche. Majority of the people hate such disruptive rulers but none resist. Resignation is a dangerous individual or collective habit. Isn’t it strange that people´s revolutions have been followed by resignations? We are defeated on the very streets where promises were made to build this nation anew.
pallabi@pallabi.wlink.com.np
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