Internet was a relatively new phenomenon. Netscape ruled the roost when it came to browsers. Google hadn’t made any inroads, making us rely on search engines like Alta-Vista.
That was when, probably for the first time, a large number of Nepalis cast their votes on an international poll. [break]
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BBC had announced a competition for the 10 most popular songs of all times. I am not sure how it gathered momentum, but a buzz started doing the rounds that Arun Thapa was in the list. All hell broke loose. Emails were sent and circulated rapidly, since Facebook was yet to see the light of the day.
The idea of online polls was new for Nepal then. BBC had not even thought of adding a feature to disallow people from voting more than once.
When the results were announced, the ‘World’s Top 10 Songs’ displayed our very own Arun Thapa and his song ‘Ritu haru ma’ securing the seventh position. I was shocked, to say the least. The singers in eighth, ninth and tenth positions were Cher (Believe), AR Rehman (Chaiya Chaiya) and the incredible band called Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody) respectively.
I knew my colleagues had built a small program, which was perhaps influential in the number of votes the song received. The software would click ‘Arun Thapa’ repetitively. I am quite sure there were many others doing the same. If not in an automated way, then even manually.
Years passed.
There came a time for yet another voting. An Indian youth of Nepali origin had managed to reach the top 10 of the Indian Idol. I cannot recall another time when the atmosphere was so frenzied, faces were so happy. Students and people from all walks of life were busy collecting money to SMS their votes for him.
By this time, I was working somewhere else. But there too, some people had found a way out of automating the online voting system. The number of SMSs Prashant Tamang was able to collect amounted close to seven crore Indian rupees. His prize money was one crore. I still clearly remember the spontaneous celebrations when he was announced the winner. I am thankful to him for giving us something to cheer about when the nation was in deep crisis.
These two examples of voting indicate our desperation and desire to stand tall in the global map. We are so tiny as to be almost invisible on the global map, but when it comes to voting, we are the best!
There are other polls we have heavily participated in. First up it was the CNN Hero, Anuradha from Maiti Nepal. She did the nation proud. But I am not sure of the outcome of the voting, had the selection process been something other than online voting. It did not take much longer for us to get another hero named Pushpa. We rejoiced once again. Albeit in lighter vein, we started talking about which Nepali’s turn it is to become the next CNN hero.
Celebrations after the announcement of CNN heroes were somehow muted compared to that of Indian Idol. The reason could be that the Idol was an entertainment contest, and hence more people followed it. Or perhaps he was competing in India, and his victory gave us an opportunity for “India beating”. Whatever may be the case, the fact remains that we have loved to vote. We even dish out cash from our pockets to vote, like for Tamang.
I wonder if it points to something deeper. Being a student of Computer Science and then doing an MBA, I do not know how sociologists interpret this phenomenon. The way I see it is that somewhere deep down, our confidence is shaky. We want to prove something to the world. I feel like we are trying to shield ourselves from the world, and in a way, send out a message that all is well.
After much hullaballoo, it appears that our election is definitely going to take place. I continue to work with the same kind of people. My colleagues from Terai clearly tell me that there is no point risking their lives in the election, but maybe it is too soon to be sure.
No one can beat us at doing things at the last minute. But there is a distinct lack of fervor in this election, the mood of festivity that elections bring. Our southern neighbor is going to polls in about a year, and already, a battle has started. The battle between “royal scion” and “Guajarati administrator” has already scared many. We are barely a month away.
The much awaited election, however, is under a cloud of uncertainty. There is a demand for the Prime Minister to step down from his post of judicial chief, a ridiculous demand that is unlikely to be fulfilled. A significant chunk of decisive voters is no longer in the country, having gone off to ‘desert pastures’. We certainly cannot make provisions enabling them to cast their votes from wherever they are.
During the recent Dashain festival, I am sure you must have been to places that you normally wouldn’t visit. You must have eaten well, and made the most of the new currency notes.
And between ‘tika’, parties and cards and god knows what else, election talk must have taken center stage. Chances are, in the midst of the talks, you heard someone say “At the end of the day, we have seen it all, so I really don’t care who wins.” And the irony is that ‘the’ poll that seals our fate, one that has direct implications on our lives, is the one we are indifferent about.
On the other hand, going by the trend analysis— as they say in statistics—should any of our leaders be nominated for something in an international arena, and the selection made through online voting, chances are high we might ensure his/her victory.
hiteshkarki@gmail.com
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