It's amazing how the country manages to move ahead candidly as if nothing has happened. We have no fuel!
We all know that geologists have found something very strange with the earthquake that hit us. There is a suggestion that the energy released by April 25th earthquake does not co-relate the energy that is supposed to be trapped within. So we have frightening times ahead. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, only five percent of rubble was cleared. Looking at the way things are moving I wonder how different it will be here. There is nothing to explain the lackadaisical approach to reconstruction.The buildings in the city's thoroughfares continue to stand 'upright' only due to support of extra wood beams. They appeared to be temporary measure but with each passing day it seems to be becoming permanent solution. Obviously, we are concerned about yet another quake! To make matters worse, what originally appeared to be a momentary 'blockade' seems to be becoming permanent.
It's a different story how confusing the latest 'unofficial' blockade has been. For instance, we do not know what the official stand of our government is. Nor we know what it is it that India wants. Needless to say, normal lives have already been disrupted to the degree that can be deemed idiotic. In the midst of it all, what if there was another quake? My repeat earthquake is more of a symbolic nature. Any kind of natural calamity and we would be left gaping for 'fuel'.
Whatever has happened in Madhesh has dampened everyone's mood. The killings of policemen and civilians have sent shivers down our spine. However, we all strolled past that phase to arrive at a point where quest for various forms of energy like gas and fuel has become everyday routine. Since the enemy was the neighbor, more than taking it as an act of nuisance we managed to turn it into outpouring of our patriotism. It's strange that our patriotism is so tightly coupled with our sentiments for India.
However I am not talking patriotism here but rather, the spate of events since the quake and how one after another event contributed to dampening our mood and hurting our sentiment. We never knew something worse was waiting for us: the arrest of Nepali footballers.
Many may find this comparison a little naïve but I strongly feel that it's a fair comparison.
Lately, the supply of digital news has rocketed. With increasing number of internet users, perhaps this is the way ahead. With the number of mega-scale events like earthquake and Madhesh uprising going up, the reason for the increased demand is obvious, particularly when the national media fails to capture and cover Madhesh.
I mention digital media because of the fluidity of events of the last fortnight. With each passing day and impending danger of running out of LPG, it's natural that I stayed glued to digital news to see how many 'bullets' had crossed the border. With the risk of LPG cylinder running empty before Dashain, the task of checking the news sites has now become a subconsciously routine. It was during one such moment that I discovered the news of Nepali footballers.
It was saddening and sickening to hear that the famous names in the most loved game were involved in "match-fixing". In a society where we witness "fixing" all the time the news should not have been surprising. However, it was. Perhaps we love the game of football a little too passionately. The suspects are yet to be convicted but the very thought of we being duped for so long is disturbing. In all fairness, footballers may not enjoy the status of superstars 'money-wise' as yet but they have certainly enjoyed the popularity that can only be envied by other sportsmen.
Patriotic emotions come out either when we find something wrong with our southern neighbor or when we gather in thousands in our only stadium to witness a game of football. With what appears to be a deliberate attempt not to promote cricket, football till date has been the most beloved game. We followed the game so lovingly that it was okay for us to live with 10 or 12 goal defeat for we always believed that ANFA never did enough.
There was a trust that our players, in spite of all the odds, gave their very best. We the fans genuinely believed that there will come a day when, with better organization and management of our professional football, players will be able to earn more and as a result make a living from sport. Never has there been a doubt over the intention or capability of our footballers.
The sentiment of many followers of Nepali football has been hurt with recent developments. If press reports are to be believed, the governing body ANFA in fact knew about this. It's hard to understand why the body wanted to keep it under the wraps. Is it because they wanted to save tainted players or even save themselves?
I want to know who killed the protestors and policemen, or whether Modi actually ordered a blockade. But it's more important for me to know what is happening in Nepali football. More important because I have not participated in a rally to celebrate new constitution or gone to a protest rally against Indian blockade. However I for sure have shouted my lungs out for Nepali football from the parapets of Rangashala. I have watched many games on television and cheered not just the wins of Nepali football team but also shared the pains of defeats. Suddenly, it feels disturbing to feel cheated. May be we are okay with political class doing so. For some reason it really hurts when footballers do it.
We have learned to live without knowing many things. Football surprisingly is too personal for such ignorance. We need to know what happened.
hiteshkarki@gmail.com
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