यो हल्लै हल्लाको देश हो - भूपी शेरचन

कानमा इयरफोन लगाउनुपर्ने बहिराहरु
जहाँ संगीत प्रतियोगिताका जज हुन्छन
र जहाँ आत्मामा पत्थर परेकाहरु
काव्यका निर्णायक मानिन्छन,
काठका खुट्टाहरु जहाँ रेसमा विजेता हुन्छन
र जहाँ प्लास्तर गरिएका हातहरुमा
सुरक्षाको सङीन थमाइन्छ,
जहाँ बाटो र अत्तालिकाहरुका ढोकाअगाडि
डोकोका डोको,
खर्पनका खर्पन,
ट्रकका ट्रक आत्माका मन्डी सजाइन्छ,
स्टाक एक्स्चेन्जका शेयरजस्तै
आत्मा क्रय-विक्रय गर्न सक्नेहरु
जहाँ नेता हुन्छन
र जहाँ निधारभरि कर्कटपाताजस्तै
चाउरी परिसकेकाहरु
तन्नेरीहरुका अगुवा हुन्छ
जहाँ जतिसुकै व्यभिचारीको पनि
इज्जतको 'वाश एन वियर क्रिज'कहिल्यै बिग्रिन्न,
जहाँ जतिसुकै पाप गरेको वेश्याको पनि
अनुहारको तेरेलिनको छाला कहिल्यै खुम्चिन्न,
जहाँ कृषि-मेलाहरुमा
दोब्बर उब्जनी हुने बीउहरुको प्रदर्शनी गरिन्छ
र जहाँ खडेरी र अनिकालका सम्चारले भरिन्छ,
जहाँ बागमती र बिष्णुमतीका साटोमा
अब बियर र व्हिस्की बग्दछन,
र जहाँ अब पशुपतिनाथ र स्वयम्भुनाथका मन्दिरको उपयोग
तिनका प्रशाद खानमा कम, र
तिनका पछाडिका वनहरुमा
आडम इभको 'वर्जित फल' खानमा बर्ता गरिन्छ,
जहाँ चिनीको कारखानाले
चिनी होइन, रक्सी मात्र बनाउँछ
र जहाँका स्वतन्त्र आमाहरुले
छोरा होइन लाहुरे मात्र जन्माउँछन
जहाँ रिन तिर्नको लागि महाकविले
असमयमै मर्नुपर्दछ
जहाँ स्वदेशको पीरले बहुलाएको कविले
विदेशी अस्पतालको शरण पर्नुपर्दछ,
र जहाँ सरस्वतीकी एक्ली छोरीले
बिनाउपचार बैंसमै कुन्जिएर जीवन बिताउनुपर्दछ,
जहाँ गाईडले टुरिष्टलाई
नेपालको विदेशलाई देन सम्झाउँछ
र बिदाको बेलामा उससित उसको
विदेशी क्यामराको देन माग्दछ,
जहाँ तन्नेरीहरु
किल्ला काँगडा र नालापानीको गीत गाउँदै
अब कवाज खेल्छन
टाइ र कोटको कलरमा खुकुरी भिरेर
यो देशमा मलाई भन्न कर लाग्छ
आफ्नो मुटु चिरेर
कि ए देशवासीहरु हो
ए मेरा देशका राष्ट्र-कविहरु हो
भन्न मन लाग्छ भने भन मलाई
स्वदेशनिन्दक वा घ्रिनाचिन्तक
तर यो देश तिम्रो जत्तिकै मेरो पनि देश हो
अंशैबण्डा गर्ने हो भने पनि यो देशका एक करोड
टुक्राहरुमध्ये एउटा टुक्रामाथि
मेरो पनि छाप्रो हुनेछ
र यो देशका असँख्य बगरहरुमध्ये एउटा बगरमाथि
मेरो पनि चिता हुनेछ
यही भावनाले मलाई यो भन्न वाध्य गराउँछ र
आँट दिलाउँछ यो भन्न
कि 'यो हल्लै हल्लाको देश हो'
खनेर हेर्ने हो भने यहाँका प्रत्येक घरहरुका जगमा
त्यहाँ फगत हल्लै हल्ला थूप्रिएको पाइनेछ ।
त्यसैले यो हल्लै हल्लाको देश हो
यो हल्लै हल्लामाथि उभिएको देश हो
यो हल्लै हल्लामाथि उठेको देश हो
यो हल्लै हल्लाको देश हो ।

A letter to Pushpa Kamal Dahal from an independent and concerned Nepali

To,
Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal,
President,
UCPN-Maoist

Dear Sir,

Let me begin by introducing myself. I am Sailesh Dhungana and I am 22 years old. I studied at Princeton University for three semesters. Despite being at one of the best educational institutions in the world, I was not completely happy. One of the reasons behind my depression was the realization that I could never leave my identity of a Nepali, which led to a feeling of inferiority resulting from the terrible state Nepal is in. So, I decided to come back to Nepal to bring some positive changes in Nepal’s current situation.

The prospect of a power vacuum is looming over Nepal. Only 3 weeks are left till the deadline of constitution assembly. If the interim constitution is not amended and the CA term is not extended, CA and the government will lose legal validity. There will be a power vacuum in the country. To prevent that a 2/3 majority is needed, which requires the support of your party as well as other political parties. A consensus is a must at this point.

When your party organized the general strike. I supported it. I am neither pro-Maoist nor anti-Maoist. I admire the works you have done for underprivileged groups, and the positive changes you have brought about in the country. But, I shun your violent past and your previous wish for a communist regime. However, I supported your general strike, for it was a way to end the current deadlock. I supported your wish for a national-unity government and resignation of the current prime minister because a consensus is absolutely required to prevent the power vacuum.

Things did not work out and you had to retreat from your strike. Now, UML and Congress are demanding that there should be agreement on the assimilation of Maoist army into Nepal army before the resignation of Madhav Kumar Nepal. You, on the other hand, have taken the stance of not talking with the government before they quit. You seem skeptical of their demand, but I will try to prove that their demand is for your own benefit.

Remember how those leaders used to talk. People like Sushil Koirala and Bidhya Bhandari used to say that not a single Maoist would be taken into Nepal Army. Now, they are asking for the assimilation of Maoist army. Is this not a victory for you? Is this not what you want?

So, please accept their request for talks. It will be beneficial not only for Nepal but also for your party. You will prove foreign forces that you are willing to give up the army. People in your army will get a decent job. And, you do not need to give up the army right away; they are just demanding that an agreement be reached on the problem of Maoist army. Do not look at this demand as just another demand. It is something you have wanted all along.

If unrealistic demands are made during talks, Nepalese people will support you. Nepalese people know how those people in camps fought. They understand the need for a proper way to assimilate them. If an agreement is reached, and Madhav Kumar still does not resign, every one will rise up against them. Trust the people. Kathmandu-basi might have shown little participation in the general strike, but if you are tricked, they will rise up.

So, please agree for the talks. A consensus is a must in this situation. Nepalese people will admire your flexibility. Do not let personal ego and party ego guide you. Do not be skeptical to their demands. They are for your own good.


Hoping that you will take me seriously and wishing you all the best,


Sailesh Dhungana, an independent and concerned Nepali

The Only Solution: MaKuNe’s Resignation

Only 26 days are left until the deadline for the drafting of the new constitution. I don’t need to tell you that the deadline will not be met. So, the question arises: what will happen after that?

There is no provision in the interim constitution for this scenario. So, the constitution assembly as well as the government will lose legal validity. They will have no legal standing to continue the drafting of the constitution and to rule the country. In this scenario, some force (the president, the prime minister or the army itself) will have to unconstitutionally (illegally) take control.

This will not be acceptable to Maoists, who are not in the government and who have been sidelined for the past few months. They are not going to tolerate an unconstitutional move of any force to take over. This could easily lead the country back to a civil war, which will be deadlier than last time. All the achievements made during the peace process will be gone.

We cannot afford another civil war. The country has already seen enough blood. So, what is the solution? There is only one. Within the next 26 days, the interim constitution should be amended to include the present scenario of unmet-deadline. The interim constitution can be amended to postpone the deadline of the constitution.

But, to amend the constitution, 2/3 majority is required. To get that, all three major political parties, including the Maoists, should agree. 2/3 majority cannot be reached without the biggest party of the nation, the Maoists. If the 2/3 majority is not reached, and the constitution is not amended, there will be a vacuum in the state and we are not ready for it. So, at any cost, the parties must come together and amend the constitution.

The Maoists have already started their movement, asking for the resignation of the prime minister, formation of a national-unity government and a consensus for peace and constitution. I am not a Maoists and I hate to admit this, but they are actually offering a solution.

Only when a national-unity government is made and consensus is reached, can there be 2/3 majority in the constitution assembly. The Maoists are not going to agree to constitution amendment when they are sidelined. So, to avoid a catastrophe, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal must resign and all political parties should work to form a national-unity government and amend the interim constitution.

The Only Solution: MaKuNe’s Resignation

Only 26 days are left until the deadline for the drafting of the new constitution. I don’t need to tell you that the deadline will not be met. So, the question arises: what will happen after that?

There is no provision in the interim constitution for this scenario. So, the constitution assembly as well as the government will lose legal validity. They will have no legal standing to continue the drafting of the constitution and to rule the country. In this scenario, some force (the president, the prime minister or the army itself) will have to unconstitutionally (illegally) take control.

This will not be acceptable to Maoists, who are not in the government and who have been sidelined for the past few months. They are not going to tolerate an unconstitutional move of any force to take over. This could easily lead the country back to a civil war, which will be deadlier than last time. All the achievements made during the peace process will be gone.

We cannot afford another civil war. The country has already seen enough blood. So, what is the solution? There is only one. Within the next 26 days, the interim constitution should be amended to include the present scenario of unmet-deadline. The interim constitution can be amended to postpone the deadline of the constitution.

But, to amend the constitution, 2/3 majority is required. To get that, all three major political parties, including the Maoists, should agree. 2/3 majority cannot be reached without the biggest party of the nation, the Maoists. If the 2/3 majority is not reached, and the constitution is not amended, there will be a vacuum in the state and we are not ready for it. So, at any cost, the parties must come together and amend the constitution.

The Maoists have already started their movement, asking for the resignation of the prime minister, formation of a national-unity government and a consensus for peace and constitution. I am not a Maoists and I hate to admit this, but they are actually offering a solution.

Only when a national-unity government is made and consensus is reached, can there be 2/3 majority in the constitution assembly. The Maoists are not going to agree to constitution amendment when they are sidelined. So, to avoid a catastrophe, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal must resign and all political parties should work to form a national-unity government and amend the interim constitution.