Now, two decades later, half of the neighbors have sold their homes and moved somewhere else in the city or gone abroad. I barely know the new ones and it seems that they are more than happy not to associate themselves with other folks in the neighborhood.
One of my chimekis is a high ranking police official. He uses his government vehicle not only for his work but also to take his wife and kids out for shopping and other recreational activities on Saturdays. It’s good to be a high ranking civil servant in our country. You get to use the government vehicles for personal reasons and be proud of it while misusing the state perks.
I didn’t know our Super Cop till last week. He likes to park his government vehicle right in front of my gate. I didn’t mind his so-called ‘I can park anywhere I want’ attitude till last week. I had to take my mother to the dentist and when I went to open the gates, there was his vehicle nicely parked and his driver was busy washing the vehicle. At least someone was there to attend to the vehicle unlike other times when there was no one and the vehicle was parked as if someone else’s gate was his private parking area.
I gently asked the driver whose vehicle it was. He proudly answered that it was ‘our SSP Saheb’s vehicle’. The guy might have been his SSP but he certainly wasn’t my SSP. So I stood in front of his house and delivered an impromptu speech on why as neighbors one should be respectful of other people’s space and not park their vehicles blocking other’s gates. Nobody came out of the house until I finished my ‘two words’.
The driver backed the vehicle and I took out my car. The SSP showed up and I requested him not to park his vehicle in front of my gate. But instead of apologizing, he went ballistic and I had no choice but to engage in an argument with the guy who thought all public space was his personal parking area.
The guy was mad that I was outside his house and he threatened to barge into my house and show me what he was capable of doing once he was inside my property. I reminded him calmly that I did not enter his house and it wasn’t a crime to stand outside somebody’s house and complain about parking their vehicle in front of other’s front gate.
As things got louder, the guy threatened to call his fellow police personnel and show me his power. I gently reminded him that I was not a gangster or a contractor or an extortionist or a kidnapper and I would not be afraid his men. While I was addressing him with respect, he went on a foul-mouth mode and said how I was not up to his level and things could have been sorted out with his driver.
I first asked him to watch his words and told him that if he was so proud of his rank and so-called status in the society then he should also had some common sense when it comes to blocking other’s gate in the neighborhood.
Then my mother showed up and all hell broke loose. I love my mother not only because of her strength but for her support against anyone in power who likes to abuse their authority and tries to roll over common folks.
My mother challenged the Super Cop to show his strength. My mother pointed her finger at the cop and demanded that he bring his fellow police personnel to show us what he could do to her son. The Super Cop must not have expected all this. After all, he thought he could get away with everything and we would back down and disappear into our home.
After my mom’s two minute lecture, the Super Cop went back to his house with his entourage comprising of his wife, brother and the driver.
The next day, the whole neighborhood found out about the incident. One of my neighbors called me and asked if I needed any help. His classmate was a DIG. He could call him up and ask him to reprimand the SSP. Another of my friend who happens to be a high raking cadre of a major political party showed up at my house.
The last time I had met him was during the CA-II election. I did not vote for his party and he knows but I guess that doesn’t come in the way between friends. I declined his offer to help and show the high ranking official that while he may have the power to show his strength by using state resources, we the people have the power of the public to show him his place.
It seems that all is well now but of course in a week or two, things will go back to normal and he will start parking his vehicle in front of my gate again. But this time, I will not get into an argument with the man. I will just create a Facebook page solely for the cop’s vehicle and post pictures if it is parked in front of my gate. Will that his change attitude? Probably not, but at least I will have something to post on Facebook while hoping it will defame him and sober him down.
It seems that not much has changed in this country. The people in power continue to act like they are Kings and seem to get away with anything and everything. I don’t care if the man is a high ranking civil servant or the guy who comes to collect the trash every day. No one has the liberty to do whatever they want. You have to be respectful of other people’s rights while exercising yours. But sadly, that’s a lesson Nepalis are eons away from learning.
kalumaila99@gmail.com
Related story
Azerbaijan to host COP-29
