The connection between artists and political parties is old. Whether new or old, most artists have come under the umbrella of one party or another.

Even in the post-Gen-G rebellion scenario, the remaining artists who have not reached the party umbrella are also joining new parties.

Why do artists reach the party umbrella? Does their political activism make a difference in the art sector? When political parties are at a crossroads of serious questions and self-criticism, what do artists who have joined parties say about party-based reforms?

We have talked to Min Bahadur Bham, who is active in politics through the Nepali Congress, Rekha Thapa, who is active in RPP, and Komal Wali, who is active in UML politics, to discuss this issue.

Min Bahadur Bham

Min Bham is not only known as a director who has taken Nepali stories to the international level, he is also frequently found speaking in social and political discussions. This Min, who also speaks out about the problems of the film sector with equal sincerity, is busy preparing to enter the fray as a candidate in the upcoming elections. That too from the old party Congress. But he has one condition, only from Congress if the party improves.

He plans to get to the root of all the problems in the film sector and work at the policy level by standing in the elections. According to this plan, he was completing the work on a film quickly. However, the Genji movement suddenly brought such a twist in Meen's life in the film style that he put the film work on hold and started preparing for the elections. Now he is engaged in party 'reform'.

Even before becoming a filmmaker, Meen was in politics. Meen's entire family is also in politics. But his public persona as a filmmaker overshadowed this background. Meen had also become the district secretary by doing the politics of the Nepali Sangh. Even after coming to college, he did the politics of the Nepali Sangh. He became a central member of the Information and Communication Department by sitting in the team of Bishwo Prakash Sharma. Wrote the Congress manifesto in the 2079 elections. He was a candidate on the proportional closed list.

'I am the honorable one who could not be. At that time, my name was at number 7. Three names were lost among men, the rest were women. My name did not go,' said Meen, 'I had been thinking that I would contest in the 2084 elections and this year's convention. I had told the media about this even before the Shambala demonstration.'

Preparations for the elections are underway. However, Meen's biggest role at the moment is the issue of the party 'reforming'. So far, he has started taking initiatives by organizing 2/4 programs. After the Genji movement, there should be a 'little entry' in the party. He has been raising his voice that the Nepali Congress should have the participation of the young generation and Genji and that it should be inclusive. 'I have a role in party reform so that this issue is heard after the movement. It is getting a little more crowded. There is a preparation to rise at the office bearer level in the convention,' said Meen, 'The Genji movement that was supposed to be in 84 ended up in 82, so it had to be heated up a little faster.'

Meen agrees that the old parties should come back after reforming. Meen always felt that there was distortion in some old big parties including the Nepali Congress. Therefore, he feels that the country had to see the Genji movement because there was no reform in the issue of candidate nomination, inclusion and generational transfer. 'The old parties are getting into chaos without reforming. Corruption is becoming cadre-oriented. The voice of the younger generation is not being heard within the party. I have tried my best to ensure that all those things should be reformed. "If the party is not reformed by carrying the cadres only, the country will suffer," he said. "Again, these old parties were not reformed. If they do not escape from being cadre-oriented, the country will suffer again."

If the old parties are not reformed and do not escape from being cadre-oriented, the country will suffer again - Meen Bham. We asked him, what should the Nepali Congress improve in? "No, it should be improved, I firmly believe that it can be improved. For example, the internal mechanism of the party should not be cadre-oriented, leader-oriented. It should not stick to one person. You can become a candidate with the party's election symbol, you can become an MP. You can become a minister, you can become a mayor. After that, you are the people's representative," said Meen. "From misgovernance, corruption, manipulation of candidates to inclusion, the process of sending names should be improved. The participation of the young generation and the elderly should be within the party."

It seems that Meen has already started preparations with the belief that the elections will be held in Falgun. His first choice is to contest the elections from Kathmandu Constituency No. 3. He has been living in this area for about 10 years. However, if the party machinery says 'hold the elections from Mugu', he is ready to go there. 'I will file my candidacy from the party that has been reformed after the general convention. I have to think about many things when filing my candidacy in the old situation. Earlier, I was thinking of filing an independent candidacy if the party does not reform,' said Meen. 'Now I have full confidence that the party will be reformed. Many young people, women, indigenous people, genji, Madhesi, all kinds of faces will come now.'

If he wins the election, Min will have to change the policy of his related field. Be it merging film from the Ministry of Communications into culture or converting the Film Development Board into a commission! Be it signing an agreement with international films or taking Nepali films to an international platform, his main desire is to improve the film sector. 'I am not greedy to go into politics and improve everything that is happening now, I have no desire to touch 10 places.' But, at least I know the problems in the profession I am in, I have come into politics to improve it. We raised many things in the debate, but if there is no improvement at the legal level, it will not work. I also did not have to leave film and jump here!'

Rekha Thapa

Actress Rekha Thapa has a long experience in politics. Discussions about her political activism began after she danced with the then Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who came to parliamentary politics from the armed movement, during a street protest. Later, she decided on her own political path and joined the RPP.

She is currently studying the current political situation after becoming a candidate for the House of Representatives from the RPP. But she has not yet spoken openly about contesting the elections. 'If the people do not like something, I am on the side of the people. I am not someone who runs behind the crowd, but leads the crowd. I am not someone who lives as a servant of the party. I am someone who is the mouthpiece of the people,' Rekha said in an interview with Kantipur, 'That is why I went to Singha Durbar without fear even during the fertile period of my career to join hands with Prachanda. That is my opinion of the people. I do not say this party or that party.'

The same face did not always repeat itself. The top leader was not afraid to hand over to the new generation for change. -Rekha Thapa Rekha believes that all parties should be reformed. 'We should not follow the traditional path. The old parties should be reformed. It's not that they did all the bad things or did the good things. We should not forget the great sacrifices and penance they made to reach this system,' says Rekha, 'The new movement that has taken place today is also because of this system. The old party still has a chance to improve.'

She says that the system of repeating the same face in the old party has left people disappointed. 'A true leader gives birth to a new leader. But, that is not the case. If I am a good leader, then I should have been able to give birth to good new leaders, who can bring change in the country. May I be able to give birth to people with a sense of service in their hearts!'

While contesting the election for the House of Representatives from Morang Constituency No. 3 on behalf of the RPP in 2079 BS, Rekha recalled that she had various questions about politics even then. 'After winning the election, I will be able to stay with the people for five years. To work like that, you have to have a sense of service. You have to forget all your background and serve the people. Politics is the best form of social service,' said Rekha.

Rekha has only one question for the leaders of the parties that are opening up now - are you really ready to serve? 'If you really want to serve, you have to come as a servant. It's not just that you opened a party and became a president, leader, or MP! The current leaders should have the feeling that we should rebuild the country from the heart,' Rekha adds.

Rekha feels that the new generation is lacking leaders that can follow. 'A person who comes from the ground, from the roots, can become a servant.' However, it doesn't seem like a person who is in a position can suddenly be elevated and made a good leader. The country had to rise from the ground up. The arrival of a new party is not a problem, but it is not about making yourself look good by just criticizing the old one,' said Rekha.

Rekha says that the old parties should reconsider their agendas that have differences with the people. 'Even within the RPP, 50 percent may like an agenda, some may not. If the people do not accept such things, then it has to be improved. In the end, what we do is to serve the people,' said Rekha, 'The same face should not be repeated all the time. It is frustrating to see the same face all the time. The top leader was not afraid to hand over the principles within the party to the new generation for the change of the country.'

Komal Wali
Komal Wali's identity is as much as that of a singer as it is of a political leader. Because she, who reached UML through RPP, is talking about songs and music as much as she is talking about politics.

Wali, who is the UML candidate from Dang Constituency No. 3 in the House of Representatives 2079 and is a central member of UML, is currently busy preparing for the general convention. She said that she is serving the people by staying in her home district Dang.

Her house, Komal Wali Foundation and the hotel she invested in were also set on fire in the recent Genji movement. Wali, who said that all this happened because she was active in politics, said that democracy is not possible without parties in a country with a parliamentary system, saying, 'If the party is strong, the country is strong, the government is strong. That is why I am working in party unity.' She also shared her experience of enduring a lot of abuse and some trying to humiliate her with abusive words when she entered politics because she is a singer. She said, 'This singer also used to say that she is in politics. Now people have started trusting those who have come from other professions. The general public believes that they do not do corruption.'

It is a misconception that we have been watching the same face for a long time in politics and got bored. Let's look at the age of Modi to Trump, I don't think age determines it - Komal Wali Wali is of the opinion that the old parties are now being misrepresented as 'bad'. Arguing that age does not determine whether someone is good or bad, she said, 'If we look around the world, there are very few development-minded leaders in politics. They last for a long time. It is not age, but vision that will sustain them.'

In public forums, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli keeps saying that age is a secondary issue in politics, giving examples of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, who have become senior citizens due to their age. In the same style, she said, 'It is an illusion that we have been watching this face for a long time in politics and are fed up. Let's look at the age of Modi to Trump, I don't think age determines it.'