Desire is longing for something which we lack and want to fulfill. But desire has broader implications in capitalistic and late-capitalistic consumer cultures. Consumer society is the best of the socio-cultural institutions which handles, uses, and controls desire. Even before the rise of capitalism desires have received different treatments in different ages and societies. What has happened to the collective Nepali desire during distinct phases? Some of the significant ones during the last hundred years have been despotic, monarchical, revolutionary, and post-revolutionary periods.
I am using insights from the French philosophers Deleuze and Guattri to put forward my propositions. The writers say that the tribal society coded desire toward earth. The aspirations were directed onto the land which was the center of life in agrarian cultures. Then with the rise of feudal social structure when the despot became the central social figure, the body of the despot, his affluence and luxury held the significant position to code peoples’ desire. And finally in the capitalist society, desire functions as a machine on the capital money. History, thus can be traced in terms of what happens to human desires in various phases of human civilization. History of civilizations is also the history of desire.
Looking at the contemporary times, Nepali society features a wide range of tribal to capitalistic structures. A contemporary person has seen despotic, monarchical to democratic rules. During these times political institutions have coded Nepali desires in exclusive ways. Desires have gone through extreme repressions, hopes to frustrations. There has been an intense relationship between existing Nepali politics and collective Nepali desires. If capitalism uses desire for both exploitation and human progress, politics in this country has not been transparent to understand human desires. If capitalism uses desires for making humans consumer beings, our politics is disconnected with the human desire.
If capitalism uses desire for both exploitation and human progress, politics in this country has not been transparent to understand human desires.
“What does the subject want?” is a familiar question the ruler asks. Sometimes, a ruler is honest when he asks such a question, and at times such questions are just rhetorical bourgeois expressions. Such a question is both monarchical and democratic. But when a political institution stops thinking about such a question, it loses the right to rule. There are schools of thought which read capitalism as a form of western imperialism, a bourgeois weapon to benefit a few. But capitalism has always worked – for good or for exploitation – along with the desires of the people. It utilizes people, it makes them buy things, shapes consumer identities, it develops societies, and it forms socio-economic structures. It understands the significance of desire. Late-capitalistic societies have intensified the ways to fulfill desires with the help of knowledge and information. Political thought in developed countries are conscious of the values of desire and they try to work with what their citizens want. Political institutions in Nepal, on the other hand, have distanced desires of the people from the systems of governance.
Desire has not been taken just as seeking something which one desires to fulfill. Desire is broader than seeking and getting or not getting. Desire has greater purpose. If it is the will to live, it is the life force. And yet, one also comprehends desire as aspirations for something which one does not get or endeavors to get.
Democratic governance is born out of the promises to fulfilling the desires of the peoples. If there is no desire, there is no democracy. Apart from democratic systems, other systems survive by their self interests of desire. Desire is outside itself in democracy and that probably is one of the reasons which make democracy better than many other systems of governance. Desire initiates action in a democratic society for the good of the other. The bond between the subject and the ruler is the bond to try to fulfill the desires of the people. When desires are forgotten, the values of democracy weaken. The collective Nepali desire is shrouded in worst political space and history of this nation too, is history of how desires are mishandled.
One day the demon Bhashmasur desired to put his hand on the head of Shiva. The god had given him the boon to kill anyone by putting his hand on the enemy’s head. He found the head of Shiva the apt place to try and test the validity of the boon. Shiva tried to escape but Vishnu appeared and saved his divine companion. He suggested the demon that he has his own solid head to put his hand on. Bhashmasur put his hand on his head and perished. Nepali politicians got the democratic boon from their own peoples but they always want to put their hands on our heads. Lord, remind them that they have their own heads!
orungupto@gmail.com
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