No More Prime Minister!?!

Dear All,
“It’s a strange world I live in.” A friend wrote to me the other day. Today, I share that sentiment completely. This morning, as I came back from my Nepali reading class, I noticed one of the colorful rickshaws that typically carry tourists around town moving unusually slowly through the street. On second glance, I realized that instead of tourists, this particular rickshaw was carrying a large black Honda street bike. Apparently, I’d stumbled on the Nepali version of a tow truck. I instantly wished I’d had my camera, but at the same time, I was surprised by how normal the incident actually seemed to me. In fact, it still seems like a completely logical way of moving a broken down bike, despite the paradoxical appearance.

Later in the afternoon, I was at home with my roomie, and she asked me if I smelled anything burning. At first, I asked if she meant the incense I had lit, but she replied, “No, it smells like wood.” I went to the door where she was standing, and without even thinking, I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Oh, torches.” She shrugged too and I went back to the chocolate chip cookie dough I was mixing as though nothing had happened. Yet, as I think about it now, it is indeed a strange place that we all have been living in for the past few weeks, since the government here in Nepal collapsed.



For those of you who may not have been following what’s been going on over here, let me catch you up. Just before my arrival in Nepal, the king abdicated his throne, and a full fledged democracy was put into place. After elections were held, it was determined that the Maoists, who had previously engaged in a ten year civil war and numerous guerilla tactics, were the dominant party and thus were tasked with heading the government and spearheading the creation of a new constitution for the “New Nepal”. But two weeks ago, the Prime Minister, the Army, and the President, all representing different interests came into conflict regarding who should be the army’s top commander. For a few days, following a news report based on leaked Army information, whispers of an eminent military coup crept through the city. My Nepali family and I kept a little closer to home than usual, and the baby’s cartoons were switched to news channels for about a week. Time went by, and the political squabbles intensified, but life in the city continued very much as it always had.

Finally, the Prime Minister tried to take power into his own hands, and he dismissed the Army Commander. The President immediately countered the move by declaring it unconstitutional and instructing the Army Commander to continue with business as usual. In a shocking move, the Prime minister then responded by resigning from his post. As this particular Prime Minister has been the most powerful man in the country for several years, (previously he was the leader of the Maoist rebel army), the move caused an uproar. The Maoist flocked to support their leader, and to counter accuse the President of behaving unconstitutionally (which is in and of itself interesting in that Nepal has only been operating under an interim constitution, because all progress towards a new full fledged constitution has been stalled by political infighting.)News reports from sources as varied as Nepal’s own Kantipur, to Al Jazeera, to the New York Times have been documenting the many strikes and protests which have followed the move. Even now, the city is dotted with protests and almost all of the political parties have been calling for the formation of yet another “new” government.

I could of course go into more detail about all this, but I suspect that at least some of you may be wondering how myself and others are affected by what is technically a state of complete anarchy. But to my surprise and delight, the affect is slight to say the least. Yes, there are protests almost every day, but they are easy to spot, and even easier to avoid. In fact, it feels a lot like trying to avoid a bad traffic jam back at home in the states. Basically, you just need to see where the streets start to become unusually packed with people, or notice when the traffic is uncommonly sparse, from there, it’s just a matter of determining what direction the strike is in and, of course, heading the other way. And other than the protests, daily life continues on pretty much just as it always has.

That said, I did witness one evening protest the other day. I was visiting Buffalo in his shop as I often do after I’ve finished the day’s work, and at first, it seemed as though there was nothing amiss. But then I saw several trucks loaded with policemen drive by. Not even five minutes later, the traffic on the road cleared (the police had set up blocks farther up the road). Another ten minutes went by before we could start to hear the chanting. The people were saying something in Nepali I didn’t understand, and Buffalo explained that it was because they were calling the President mean names, and that they were words a nice girl like me wouldn’t know. As the chanting got louder, so did the heat, and after another moment, the glow of hundreds of torches lit the street. For a full five minutes, people paraded by with torches, a few burning effigies of the president, and for a few women, their small children. And while the scene was a bit unsettling, it was far from frightening. The people were clearly angry with the government, not with each other, and the whole event had a very peaceful, though purposeful tone to it. In fact, throughout this whole ordeal, I have been continually impressed with the patience and endurance Nepalis exhibit in times of “crisis”. Dai explained it by saying that Nepalis have excellent coping skills. At times, I’m immensely impressed with the civility and calmness of the people around me, but I have to admit, that I also occasionally wonder if it is that same patience and tolerance which allows the discord in the government to continue as it does.

But in short, we’re all fine here and other than a rise in vegetable prices and an occasional detour, the difficulties are mostly the burden of the politicians at this point. While there were a few tense days, I never felt seriously afraid or concerned, and my life continues very much as it has for the past several months. So there’s no need to worry. In fact, I’m rather excited to be here at such a crucial point in Nepal’s history, especially when the people, if not the government, are handling it with such grace and fortitude.

Anyway, if you’re terribly curious about anything, please feel free to ask and I’ll be happy to elucidate. And on an unrelated note, I’ll be buying my plane ticket for a visit home in the beginning of Sept soon, so get ready, because here I come. In case you’re wondering, I miss hamburgers and ice cream the most, so if you want to meet up with me while I’m state-side, please plan on doing it at a burger joint or an ice cream parlor, otherwise I just might not have the time to meet you! :)
As always, sending my love your way!