Will we change!

The aftermaths of Baisakh 12 have been long behind to already be recorded in history books. Yes, it was disastrous, and the images of it will not be forgotten for at least one generation. May be the fact of its official record in the social media will make it last even longer. The dead ones just went with it, but those Nepali who lived it will always feel their feet shaking, and the heart pulse increasing. The Great disaster, it bought us the tragedy we had long predicted that would destroy Kathmandu. It did.

The most affected was Sindhupalchowk, a death toll nearly double the count of the capital, in addition of the recent landslide it had been through. The villages and the town areas, the people with all kind of dreams, all got the same fate. Barpak village in Gorkha, the epicenter, was like swept away by the quake, no house remained. The hospitals were filled with the victims and the dead bodies. Well these facts are well recorded in the official books and the photos are all available in social media.

Then comes the international aid. The huge aids, in the form of money, in the form of food and shelter materials, all came within. That one act I remember the most that was all over social media, Discouraging the foreign aiders to transfer funds to PM relief fund. And I think it kind of did performed to some extent. But at the end, the locals were also collecting money in the same fund. It takes time, but it’s always the government who are the responsibility holders.

Also my sympathies to the lives lost during aid distribution, specially to the American team helicopter that crashed in Sindhupalchowk, and another helicopter incident that took the life of Pilot Subek Shrestha, who was on the way to rescue mission. The fates of human are so strange, nature just showed an upper hand, but what wrong had we done? I hope their services will be well remembered by the Nepali people. It may take time but we have to rise again in the dreams of a better Nepal.

The Earthquake gave us a place in the international media; the football clubs were wearing T-shirts with “Support Nepal” and all. The international citizens aiding the Nepali students and NRNs’ in fund collection. The international media like BBC and CNN covering the footages of Nepal. I found it quite bad, that of all the things, it was this disaster that made us known in the world. We cried in the country and those who were taking the pictures were giving us an international identity.

After the quake almost swept the capital and the nearby area, the most it could and taking as many lives on the way. There are now plans and promises of an upgraded city. Government is already ready with the budget that might exceed some Ten Billion rupees. Also the laws are added. But will they be implemented? Will the tall houses that were constructed by attaching some cash in the construction papers, finally lower to the level they must have stood? Is the government ready to take strict action without discriminating who owns the house, whether it be a common man who worked through his life, or some corrupt politician, business man who got through the short way?

Even more than government, are we ready? Can we all say that the houses must be brought down to the levels?

The answer to these questions will probably shape how Nepal is going to look like for the times to come. Because the real estate will get only higher with time, but if it is managed, it can hit more effectively. But should we talk about money and economy over the human lives? How many times have we done that?

That’s another thing the quake taught us, no matter how much money one got, or how tall house he/she owned, all came down to the road for sleeping. The place most of people thought for low-lives. May be it showed the standard of human life, where everybody can be treated equal.

But that was just for some times, many people who were residing on roads, and on those tents of Tudikhel, will never try to remember that afterwards, but we know what happened, and under similar circumstances, those thing will repeat. But the question for us now is will we stand to change the nation now? Will we change in ourselves?

Swarup Rajbhandari

Tripureswor, Kathmandu

Studying BEIT at NCIT

swarup.rajbhandari@gmail.com

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I wonder what would be the things you’d change first? Or one thing, which underlays many  other problems? I spend much time discussing with people Nepal and why things work here this way, and not many seem to understand it or have a decent explanation to it, but if just one of the key issues got solved as a result of all this drama, the earthquake would contribute to possibly a very positive (r)evolution. I am looking forward to see how the politicians will deal with the situation and priorities the needs. We all kind of know what has to be done first, hopefully they won’t turn out too arrogant to fulfill the demands of common people in their country. Meanwhile, self-organised people will just keep on cleaning the mess themselves;)

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@swarup yes we need to change i think the most important and the foremost thing that needs to be changed is the attitude of the politicians. So why not start up by building a kind of  leadership that Nepal deserves. Most often the existing leadership base that we have promises more and ends up delivering nothing, yes we got to change that orientation. We often rely on the corrupt leaders and failed system, its time we change that too  now. since leadership is so very important for all kind of changes we aspire for @swarup do you have an idea on how we can build new leadership in Nepal??

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New Nepal is a old saying

@meenabhatta, thanks for your comment, and you know that every decent nepali citizen tends to think about New Nepal, ever since the fall of monarchy and the end of civil war. every nepali has that dream to make New Nepal, like us. with every Nepali i do mean the Decent ones, there are bad elements on the politics, as well as there are bad among us to.

so for initiating something, we just need to start, and flourish that feeling among other citizens. what is needed here is a great motivator. things can change anytime.

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That’s the spirit!

Thank you for your perspective! I like your straightforward approach to changing things around (“for initiating something, we just need to start”). In terms of the “great motivator” that is needed for change, I think the earthquake was a great motivator, getting this whole volunteer-driven movement off the ground where people would help and assist each other.

Some of the volunteer disaster response initiatives (including Nepal Rises and Believers) are able to keep themselves going and become a long-term force for good beyond the disaster that created them. But in my observation that applies only to some of them, so the earthquake is not the long-term “great motivator” that we’re looking for. @swarup, do you have an idea what (or who) could that be in Nepal? Maybe it could also be a lot of small local motivators, being the “great motivator” together?

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simple things are always beautiful.

@matthias, as the subject line, the simple things are always beautiful. the country is in bad shape, and it needs help. you guys have done more than you could have. creating a platform like FMN, i really like to thank you for such a thing you guys are doing thinking about our problems, Thanks.

So we have the power!

@swarup,

I really enjoyed reading your article! You have pointed out the challenges that we face as a society and as a country after the earthquake now. The responsibility clearly lies on all of us. But I cannot help but point out that this also gives us an incredible power to be the change we want to see in the country. The reins are in our hands now. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas!

yes, The power lies with us.

@anubhutipoudyal, first thing first, the work you guys were doing with matt, natalie is just awesome, continuing the flow of an activism in the social work. It’s great that you guys get out from your schedule and plan sometime for thinking about society and country. it can be like a platform for moving forward to the people with the changing  ideas. i hope you all are still continuing the good work.