It has only been two months. But the political vested interests who want to make the Gen-G rebellion a truce of history have now gathered the courage to present themselves in their shameless old guise. Seeing all this reminds me of a forgotten incident. Let us enter the topic from that memory.

The year Gen-G began, the year 1997, was a Tuesday. An organization called Martin Chautari was known for its open ‘talks’ that it ran every Tuesday evening. When I had just graduated from university and started teaching masters.

It was a time when Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Nietzsche, Kafka, Sartre or even ‘lower’ subjects were not considered important. I lived in a small part of Nepal, but my worries and thoughts were about the world, the universe. At that time, a friend suggested, ‘You might like Martin Chautari’s talks.’ A ‘pandit’ would speak for a while on contemporary issues, and the discussion would be open-ended.

People who were committed to ‘building a country’ would often come there. They might not agree on how to build it, but they would agree on what should be built. I said that I could never ‘commit’ myself to ‘my whole life to the country’. I felt like my life belonged to me. I thought that I didn't need a nation because of life, that my life wasn't made because I needed a nation. That day, there was a discussion on some popular topic of the constitution or law at that time. I didn't really like it. Now, I came here, I must have been arrogant to 'give them something', I had blown up the law of their country by telling the story of the existential law of Albert Camus or Franz Kafka's 'The Trial' at the end. While walking, one of the organizers said to me, 'You too come as a scholar or some week.' I gladly accepted the invitation, but I didn't know what to talk about. And, the topic suddenly came up from my subconscious mind - 'The Construction of Nationality'.

I may have had a small introduction to the university circle, but I was unfamiliar with many of the people who came to the square. Therefore, I don't remember the number of people who came to listen that day being large. But I have a strong feeling of wanting to destroy all the ‘dominant narratives’ that try to explain this to me as nationalism. Now, less than two months after the Gen-G uprising, especially the two major political party factions are trying to make it seem like the uprising was nothing by exaggerating the roles of some controversial characters involved in it. Those who were initially afraid to make a ‘narrative’ of what it was, have now come to their real ‘form’. But in the process of understanding this uprising, I have seen its meaning in that ancient memory, which I will now explain in detail.

When I was a little bit more socially conscious, that is, when I was in school, there was a Panchayat regime in the country. It was explained that this country was created by Prithvi Narayan Shah. After he died, his son, and then his son, and that was my first understanding of the country at that time, that this country belonged to Birendra. I understood that the person he liked was the Prime Minister.

And in the name of that panchayat, it seemed as if everyone from the members of the national panchayat to the village chiefs were saying that this country was mine. I innocently thought that this country belonged to the king who conquered it and to some people he trusted. I was where I was, but the land where I was born had been conquered by a king before, so this was my country. No one explained to me that this country was yours as well, I could not understand it myself. I thought this country belonged to them. 

Later, I also began to understand a little, democracy came to the country in 2046. The Nepali Congress says that a country is more than land, it is the people. Sovereignty or the right to decide how the country should be built is inherent in the people. When I heard that, I thought it was true. Ah, this country belongs not only to others but also to me. The leftists say that all history is the history of class struggle. 

The country should be run under the dictatorship of the proletariat. The class that has always been oppressed since history will now move forward to rule itself. It was fun to hear that this country could be owned by anyone. The Maoists who came later said that they would make this country theirs for the community with which they went. 

But looking back now, not two or three, but one conclusion seems sufficient to understand what they all did. What they did was to take the country away from the ruling class before them and sit in their place. Let someone challenge me, I accept it, but I am not at all 'convinced' that KP Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal have done politics in this country so that I, as a citizen, would have some good. 

At one time, the Rana had taken the country away from the king. Later, the king and the Congress together took it away from the Rana. The king took it away from the Congress again. When the Congress alone could not take it back from the king, it took it away together with the communists. Another strong faction of the communists tried to take it from everyone before. When they failed, they took it from Gyanendra. They came to demand some parts of Madhesh.

And the leaders of all these parties made the leadership of their parties indestructible and made the constitution such that no matter how much the country was taken away, they could only take it away from each other. The country became like an object made for them to enjoy. All they gave was misrule, all they did was corruption, and all they showed was arrogance. And, no one knew when it would end. Now let's stop and think for a moment, what should have happened in such a situation if not the Gen-G rebellion?

The most beautiful part of the Gen-G rebellion was that it was not for anyone, so it was for everyone to mix with that feeling. It was a powerful 'statement' by the people who told them who the country really belonged to. And the essence of that 'statement' was - the country belongs to the people living here. If someone tells you that I spent 14 years in prison for your welfare, today's youth would understand, 'This man dared to cheat us.'

Now they would ask him, 'You spent 14 years in prison of your own free will, isn't the purpose of telling us that now to say that I should be allowed to misrule for it?' If someone says that I brought you democracy, now the gen-ji has asked - 'If you can, take away the democracy you brought. We know how to bring back our democracy.' If someone says that I did this in history, now they can be asked - why did you do that? If you hadn't done it, wouldn't another good person have come to do that job? Okay, in history, when they entered politics with the intention of changing society, their intentions were pure. But would a young man preparing to become a civil servant think that he would later become corrupt? Isn't it the same thing?

At that time, King Gyanendra was forced to abdicate his throne. Not only was he forced, but he was probably happy that Nagarjuna was able to leave safely. At that time, could anyone say that it was unfair? No. Later, after the situation normalized and the person who threw him out became infamous, he started to dare to speak out a little. Similarly, KP Oli must have been grateful that the army chased him away to save his life on Bhadra 24. Now, saying that it was unconstitutional after the passing of the day is like saying that Gyanendra's removal was unfair. The same is true of Sher Bahadur now gathering the courage to speak out through Purna Bahadur. But my understanding is this in summary – the people snatched their country from them through the Gen-G rebellion. The

topic is vast, there is a lot to write about. But now let's summarize it. For the first time in the history of Nepal, without any organized force, the youth spontaneously said that the country is equal to not only Oli, Deuba, Prachanda and their entourage, but to everyone living here, through the Gen-G rebellion. Now, Oli, Deuba, and Prachanda are worried that the country they created will be taken away by 'others', nothing else. Do you know who those 'others' are? They are those who have been made 'others' by those who have usurped the country since history. Yes, so many died on 23 Bhadra. There was heartbreaking arson and violence on 24. Reports of countless infiltrations are still coming in.

Yes, there was no single leader of this rebellion. Yes, its instigators did not know that it would bring such great results. Yes, there may be no one who can transform the spirit of this rebellion into an organized force and lead the country towards transformation. Those who use it to suit their own interests may be eager to do so. Whatever all this may or may not happen, what it was was great. This rebellion alone may not provide a blueprint for long-term transformation.

In the upcoming elections, some of the same old characters from the same old parties may continue to dominate. But the Gen-G rebellion has destroyed the narrative of the dominant powers about who this country belongs to. The construction that my subconscious tried to do at that time has now become reality. And, it is said that this country belongs to every citizen living here, just as much as it belonged to Gyanendra before and to Oli, Deuba and Prachanda in recent days. And, this has also been clearly shown – can only you take away the country? We can’t? 

As we go, let’s write a few lines for those who rely on conspiracy theories to understand 23 and 24 Bhadau. Since history, if people cannot understand something a little complicated, they have resorted to easily understandable stories. For example, it is difficult to understand how the universe was created and how it works. Therefore, if it is said that some ‘God’ created it by ‘chanting’, many people easily believe that story. When big amazing events happen in society, not everyone can understand and analyze it logically. Not everyone's brain is accustomed to the same level of logical reasoning. For example, 'How can a big leader like Madan Bhandari's car get into an accident? An ordinary person's car get into an accident?'