The situation in Nepal looks quite gloomy, partly because we have been asking the wrong questions for several years and perhaps also because, we have this hallucination that the Maoist problem needs to be solved first. This itself is the mother of all dreadlocks.

ALL words and no actions make Nepal a failed state. We have a proven track record of almost 16 years to prove the fact. Today, as we stand at the brink of chaos, it’s both revealing and disturbing to ‘experience’ as well as ‘understand’ that the Nepali society has never been so divided. The divide that I refer to is not just geographical, economical or psychological but an inclusive one and the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ is largely widening. I wish it were a bad dream I could wake up from but sorry, it isn’t so.

Discrimination has unveiled and is publicly showing its ugly forms and like it or not, we in Nepal are still stuck in the very first stage of democracy – the ideological state. Why is Nepal stuck in this phase? Today, it is not just critical to address this question but also seek ‘constructive’ and confrontational answers, and for once, we should not risk being short-sighted. Also, it is encouraged that we think broadly outside the box but more deeply inside it.

The situation in Nepal looks quite gloomy, partly because we have been asking the wrong questions for several years and perhaps also because, we have this hallucination that the Maoist problem needs to be solved first. This in itself is the mother of all dreadlocks and if it is to continue, our generation will end up paying a huge price for the ‘transition that went wrong’ and ‘many’ lives will suffer in the process. We cannot allow this to happen.

The future of the nation thus lies in our hands and that is why, we, more than our leaders, are important. It is thus imperative to realise and accept the fact that the Maoist problem is just one of the numerous problems we have in our hands and we should get over it sooner the better. Rather then being one dimensional, why not exercise our energy in asking these questions, for instance –

• Have any political leader come up with a concrete idea of nation building so far?
• Is my country headed towards the right direction with these political leaders?
• Why are we stuck with these inherited leaders?
• Are these leaders of modern thoughts?
• Are these leaders wiling to step down?
• Where do the taxes and the funds disappear?
• What are my job opportunities?

These are few questions to jump start with and we should seek proper platforms or create one in order to voice these questions rather than mindlessly demonstrating on the streets and creating more problems in an already hard time. Remember, using any sort of violence would directly mean organised intimidation, thus terrorising people. Constructive dialogue is our only rescue and the adage, “We cannot succeed until we make an effort to fail” aptly fits in.