Ujwal Thapa: Nepalis Photographing Kathmandu’s Paralaysis

 

May 6, 2010

Ujwal Thapa, an indefatigable Kathmandu blogger and businessman, recently created a Facebook Event in anticipation of the Maoists’ May Day demonstration and the nationwide strike that followed.

He called it “Understanding the Maoist Bandh. One thousand opinions and photos.”

Ujwal called for all concerned citizens to rub shoulders with the demonstrators and document their experiences and feelings concerning the mood on the street.

“Lets go in the streets and understand why they are so passionate in bringing Nepal into a halt!” Ujwal implored.

The response was overwhelming. Below are a few of the hundreds of posted opinions and photographs taken from May 1-3. (click on photos for enlargement)

 

 

 

“So, Maoists can travel in big cars during their own bandh and poor Nepali people are to walk under the scorching sun? Is this "andolan" for the janata or the Maoists?”

 

“Madhav Kumar Nepal [the current Prime Minister] might have to resign over the debacle in the end...it is inevitable. but in no way should the next leader be someone who calls only those people who follow their party's ideals as ‘Nepalese’".

“I talked to a young girl next door, who was one of the casino employees. She told me that she, (like most of the casino workers) had been forced to walk in so-called jana andolan. The Maoists had told her it's her right if she doesn't want to participate but she told me that if she doesn't comply with the union then she'll loose her job.”

 

 

 

 

“I watched the Maoist cadres dance and I hanged around for a while, had a little chit chat with them and asked them random stuff: ‘Why are you dancing?’… I asked a kid if he was in YCL [Maoist militant Youth Organization] and he said he was and asked me if was too. I wasn’t so they took down my name and address. (I didn’t give 'em the correct one though :P  Then, one of them asked for my number. I said I didn’t have one. He obviously didn’t believe me, so I told them I’d meet 'em later and just cycled away.”

 

“It's as if the bandhs are for the Maoists’ entertainment - all dancin n singin....n live karate performance n stuffs.....uFF///!!!!” 

“Why should we ALL suffer because of your quarrel? Why should we walk for hours in the scorching sun? Who gave you the right to stop our business? Don’t we have our right to work and eat? What will u get by shutting all the shops and smashing vehicles if they run??”

 

 

“While I do not support the current government for its ineffectiveness, I do NOT support the Maoist strike as well. The principal reason for being against it is that this is ONE MORE STEP TOWARDS ANARCHY, denying people of their right to work and travel, which should in no way be acceptable to a citizen of a Democratic country. Another reason is that this is not a people's protest, this is just an effort by ONE party to fulfill its hunger to be the rulers again of the country. And we are almost definite that they will be no better rulers than anyone else!!”

   

 

 

“The Maoists are taking their self-interest and dumping it on the innocent Nepalis who are sick of these bandhs.”

 

 

“They have been successful in brainwashing all the herds and herds of young people from far-flung villages. We were too self-centered to think about the rest of Nepal, so we deserve all that is happening to us. They will use them...they will use us but it is our apathy that has led to this culmination...we are paying for it and how!”

 

 

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