Time has come again to be united, to be self-sufficient and solve our problems ourselves as we have done so well in the past
Neil Pandé
Photo: Gopen RaiLife has been pretty much at standstill for us Nepalis for some time now. But in spite of all odds, the Buddha’s teachings about resilience, forgiveness and living every moment as it comes is inculcated so deep in the society that we have managed to cope. The genuine Nepali smile, warmth and hospitality is still everywhere.
After the quake of 25 April people were affected by the trauma, and afraid of every aftershock. The destruction has been long forgotten by most, except those who suffered directly from it. People who have been displaced are still waiting patiently for promised relief to reach them.
The earthquake did force politicians to get their act together to finally promulgate a constitution, and most people forgot their pains and worries to welcome it in the hope that the country will get some stability and put salve over their open wounds.
But alas, all it did was destroy Nepal’s age-old communal harmony. The regional political leadership claiming to be working for the people, but in reality working for their own personal agenda and self-interest were able to infuse mistrust and confusion amongst the people. Age old feuds compounded by hearsay, false promises, misinformation were whipped up for populist anger. Besides, the indifference of the ruling elite and inaction to calm the situation by taking people on their side seems added to the crisis.
Unfortunately our neighbour has found our Achille’s heel and used the excuse of insecurity at our border to stop the flow of essential supplies unless its own demands are met. What India fails to realise is that Nepalis have faced many hardships over the ages and survived.
When we are squeezed in one area, we find other ways. When one channel is clogged, other accessory canals get created. That is the law of nature. India needs to understand the need to keep relations with neighbours at an equilibrium for its own long-term benefit. Divide and rule may work for a while, but it always backfires. The Buddha himself said: “If you truly loved yourself, you could never hurt another.” And in Mahatma Gandhi’s own words, “To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”
For our part, the time has come once again for us Nepalis to realise where our problems stem from. Time has come again to be united, to be self-sufficient and solve our problems ourselves as we have done so well in the past. The disagreement, after all, is not among the Nepali people. It is the self-interest of some political leaders who divide us for their own games of power and greed.
The lesson from this crisis is to push ourselves towards self-reliance and become independent in the true sense. It was our dependence on fossil fuel that also made us politically dependent.
It is also time that Nepal’s rulers understand the reality of the situation and rescue the people from the crisis they have got us into. They must understand that people’s patience is running out, and it is necessary that they remain with the people.
Neil Pandé is a Kathmandu-based health professional and a concerned solution seeker.
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