As we close again next week for the Tihar festival, it is customary, as is being done in this column, to wish all our readers and patrons happy Tihar. This festival celebrates death and the renewal of life with the sincere wish that light may dawn on our lives and truths prevail. But this year as we do so, there is some enthusiasm in Nepali society which is astir once again preparing for the streets demanding change. As our perversions have so publicly surfaced that they can no longer be swept under the carpet, the system seems to be budging somewhat to allow the muck to go public. One after the other, societal aberrations are now under public scrutiny and there is a general consensus that the distortions have their sources in a politics gone awry. The perpetual skeptic is now rightly concluding that populism has served to mask sinister designs on society that is virtually uprooting precious societal values and replacing them with crass indulgences bordering on the outright criminal. Modern institutions of law and order have been so sabotaged as to ridicule public beliefs in them. Politics is no longer sacrosanct behaviorally and belated and clumsy attempts to correct the perception have served merely to secrete more public venom regarding credibility. Indeed, traditional Tihar wishes asking for more light appear so apt for today’s public conduct.
It is not for nothing therefore that there is anticipation that Tihar and Chhat will auger in much public activity after the festivities end. Political parties and political movements have declared their separate intents at expressing public anger on the streets. The anger is public but not the politics and so it is likely that politics will try and ride the anger to attract the public. Strangely the post-Tihar season anticipated is remarkably in contrast with previous ones when winter would bring a lull in Nepali politics only to revive its perpetuity come spring. This round, pre-announced programs of agitations appear as if they await the conclusion of public preoccupation with the festivities. Indeed, it is as if there is collusion in the opposition political sector to use the reprieve to gather the momentum for a major upheaval. It is this that raises anticipation that change is afoot. We are fed up with what is prevalent. And what is prevalent has been unable to cover up its ugly distortion in the criminality of politics. Even the partisan media must serve to fuel the anger simply because it cannot but report the events. And, now, the events are no longer mere mundane. They involve the highest in the political chain. They were sacrosanct so far. In a sense, society seems shocked at the intensity and inhumanity of political conduct. The fact is that it was there. Only the dust has been removed. Even this raises a glimmer of hope. Happy Tihar. Let light prevail.
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