Friends Tej Dhakal, Dinesh Basnet and I were on a road trip to Kathmandu one evening. It was Dasain day. The street was deserted because of Dasain. Looking at the same deserted road, friend Tej Dhakal asked - 'How do you feel when you look at this quiet road?' The streets of Kathmandu really looked quiet and deserted. But I thought, how can the street be called quiet if there are no people?

I said - 'How can you say that a person is silent when he is sitting quietly? The road ain't quiet mate, it's in the Ukusmukus. Perhaps this movement has been waiting.'' 'Again movement?', asked the friend. There was doubt and fear of movement in his voice. My opinion is that there is no fear of movement (but fear of anarchy). Because, democracies need dynamic and forward-looking movements. Then we had many discussions that evening about the need for roads and movement in Kathmandu. This article is a presentation of that discussion.

What movements are needed? Let's think, why do we need movements? When governments, political parties and leadership corrupt power in the name of democracy, then movements are needed. When democracy turns into partisanship and parties indulge in self-dealing, then a movement is needed to restore democracy. When citizens take to the streets, democracy becomes automatic and dynamic. Otherwise, the state becomes demonized and politics rusts. When the state forgets its responsibility to its citizens, it becomes necessary to speak up. Because, if citizens stay silent, agendas are missed, goals are missed and the state becomes totalitarian. So citizens should speak up. You have to speak loudly. Citizens must come to the streets and create a storm of protest. Because movement is the energy of democracy. That alone makes the state and politics more vibrant, dynamic and responsive.

A movement that creates a new roadmap for political alternatives. Such a movement, which makes the state accountable to the citizens. A movement that will end corruption and ensure good governance. Such a movement, which breaks the barriers seen in the journey of self-respect and prosperity and renews political resolve. A movement which establishes civil supremacy. But unfortunately, the road is now empty. And, I'm looking at that empty street and dreaming of the movement. It seems, the street movement is waiting. 

mountain of fall

Let's think, where are we stuck? Where is our democracy stuck? For example, let's take a recent incident. A businessman donated (?) crores of land to UML to build its office building. He is spending billions in the name of UML when he listens to that businessman who will build a building in one year. This transaction has created a frenzy of excitement in the amalgamation. All cheerful. All Gadgad. Judging by the (?) enthusiasm of the comrades, it seems that UML has found a new recipe for politics. So they are cheering for victory. Today there is a cheering of Bhatbhateni in the comrades' room. It seems that the comrades have forgotten the international song and remember only the hymn of the Danveer Gurung couple. Let's see what the situation is, there is no question about this open bargaining in the name of charity.

There is no criticism of this open corruption in the name of donation within the party leadership (except Comrade Binda Pandey's rebellious voice). All quiet, all quiet. On the contrary, the leaders are publicly retorting - 'Don't even get to donate?', 'Why does it give others a headache when someone donates their private property?' Why is the UML forgetting that Gurung is the person who was convicted by a special court in the Lalita Niwas case? In August 2006, the Big Taxpayer's Office had decided to levy one billion three hundred and fifty crores on Gurung in the case of fake bill-billing crime and the court had found Bhatbhateni guilty in this case. Let us consider if it is ethical for the Prime Minister to accept a donation from a businessman, who has been convicted by the court? Isn't it a 'conflict of interest' for the main party in a government to openly accept donations from questionable businessmen? 

The latest example of how our politics is becoming characterless is the 'Oli-Gurung' collaboration. Where there is neither politics nor integrity and morality. There is neither Marxism nor socialism. In a civilized country, this is an extreme corruption and immoral scandal. It is an economic and political crime. But it has happened in Nepal that even those who commit corruption themselves do not know that they are doing corruption. Because corruption is becoming common. Corruption itself is becoming politics. When worthlessness and corruption become a matter of pride for a leader, it is a dangerous thing. Which has now appeared in parties and our democracy has become a victim of it.

Here UML is just an example, today politics and political parties are immersed in the state of corruption. Corruption is happening not in crores, but in billions. Political corruption everywhere. No government institute has given exact result. No plans are completed on time. Some schemes are made in such a way that corruption can be done. The state is so apathetic in service delivery that it is beyond words. Neither the government became of the people nor the parliament of the voters. Syndicates everywhere, partisanship everywhere. Today, there is no place for independent citizens to go for justice, apart from the party. Holidays are everywhere and people are being robbed. Let's look at

, how is democracy rusted now? In a dynamic society, failed leaders often become prime ministers. A civilized society is accepting immoral people as leaders time and again. The corrupt contractor who should go to jail is constantly being decorated with positions and jewels. For the past three decades, the same handful of leaders have been wielding power. Over the last several years, the flow of knowledge has been coiled and one group sits on the throne of wisdom. In the past several decades, the same people who were lawyers, journalists, civil leaders or intellectuals are sitting at the door of the party office. Time stands still, consciousness is ghostly and politics is motionless. Because our politics have made the very fabric of democracy lifeless. So it needs to be given life. And, for that, movement has become mandatory. 

Looking at what has happened and is happening in front of us today, it seems that we are surrounded by a huge mountain of political collapse. We are caught in an avalanche of inflation. We are in a state of corruption. Elections are held to watch, but those who do not have the slightest ethics of politics are elected. There are parties, but where there is more brokering than politics. Neither hope, nor ambition. There are leaders who try, but all fail. The same cycle of failure has been going round and round for the past three decades. As a result, the state is becoming characterless and democracy is slowly turning into corruption. Clearly, we have become stagnant. We have become fruitless. We have become aimless. Because the road we walk is full of partisanship, corruption and misrule. So to move forward, it is necessary to break the barrier. And the movement is the only force that will break that barrier. 

Waiting for the storm

It's just a matter of time. After 15 years, he met a Dauntari in the old alley of Baghbazar. He had returned to Nepal only a few months ago from abroad. He said in anger - my friend, I like to spit when I see leaders. He wants to collect all the curses in the world and curse him. Or sometimes we feel like slapping his screaming cheeks. Like in Sri Lanka, when will the day come when the people will chase after their white palace in Kathmandu? Or, when will the storm of movement like Bangladesh come to Kathmandu?

is an image of my friend the earthling. He is distraught. In that frustration, he sometimes curses politics, sometimes parties and leaders. His hope is dead. And, he is chasing the Ghats and Graveyards by becoming the owner of his own dreams. He is filled with the pain of the humiliation he suffered in government office. He is haunted by the darkness of the countless quinetas he cut while looking for a job. He is haunted by the shadow of his parents' suffering. He is in debt. He is hungry. And, he is running fast, dreaming of a complete and self-respecting life. He does not know, where the pace of life has stopped. So he is disappointed. So he is tired. Obviously, a country with a tired, confused and frustrated citizenry never prospers. Therefore, a movement is necessary to give light of hope to the depressed people. Therefore, our road is now waiting for movement.  What the

parties are doing now means they are cheating the citizens. They think that citizens are just a vote, which can be bought. Our leaders are now playing with the dreams of citizens. They think that the people are really sheep, who have no consciousness of the flock. Our leaders have forgotten how time is awakened. The memory of our parties has weakened, so they have forgotten the hordes of hungry people. That is why they have the audacity to subordinate the citizens to the party. They think that the party is all-powerful. The movement has no power beyond the

team. They feel that there is no life energy outside the party. They are making the same mistake that they think citizens are lower animals than party, leader, state and politics. Only the leaders know the glimmer of income from corruption, they have forgotten the past when the citizens caught the corrupt and ran the city. Leaders have certainly seen the palaces but they have forgotten the past when they were occupied by the people. So they are underestimating citizen power. They are harassing the citizens. Perhaps, they do not have the slightest folklore. Neither they have time consciousness, nor conscience. They're gone. It is certain that now only the movement can address them. And today the road is waiting for that movement.

A question must be tackled without delay. Are the citizens under the party or the party under the citizens? Is the state power under the citizens or the citizens under the state power? Is the government supreme or citizens? Is the leader supreme or the citizen? What this means is that today we need such a movement, which will restore the fact that the owner of the state is the citizen. Who rejects the arrogance of political parties and leaders. Who should remove the sense of inferiority that has been frozen in the citizens for centuries and establish the supremacy of citizens.

We need such a movement, which changes the character of politics. Change the character and thinking system of the state. Change the inferior mentality of the citizens. Change our power relationships. Otherwise, change the leaders, but do not throw away the rust of politics, what will happen? Changing the leader but not changing the greed of intellectuals, what will happen? Change the minister but keep the corrupt administrator, what will happen? Changing the person but not changing the character of power, what will happen?

because political failure is a complex series of collective vicious cycles. Therefore, we need such a movement, which will take us out of the collective vicious circle and move us forward. A progressive and democratic movement. May it restore the natural momentum, energy and strength of our democracy. And, for that, a strong and complete movement is required. Who should guarantee the entire democracy. And, the road is now waiting for that storm.