I’ve stopped complaining about bandas. In fact, I’ve learned to enjoy it. If you’re cursed by the heavens, then you must accept and enjoy it. It’s not God’s fury! [break]Your own largest party in the Constituent Assembly heralded a series of celebrations in your life! They are mightier than the Almighty! So we have to enjoy whatever situation comes in our life.
All Nepalis have learned to live happily even in adverse conditions. In fact, the three-day (20-22 December) general strike was more enjoyable than the previous ones. I’m just sharing this joy with you. I don’t want to share this with the Maoists because they’ll stop announcing such blessed Nepal bandas in future if they really knew that it’s given some respite to the general public.
Just after the announcement of the said general strike, I made a plan to celebrate it. First, I decided to hike from home to office and other places. Even if they hadn’t announced the banda, I was forced to park my motorbike because of petrol scarcity. So the call of the general strike had added value to my excuses not to ride my bike.
There was complete halt to vehicles, factories, and educational institutions throughout the country. I noticed in the banda that the Kathmandu Valley was stunningly beautiful. It was free of dust, polluting vehicles and irritating sounds. The sky was unusually blue, and the winter sun was lovely. Walking on Kathmandu’s roads without having any problem from reckless drivers was a blessing! You don’t get a street completely devoted to the pedestrians. In that sense, this was a blessing in disguise!
Wow! I really loved the panoramic views of the Kathmandu Valley during those three days. The surrounding hills of Kathmandu looked greener than on previous days. The first day, I watched the scenic view of the setting sun. Oh my God, it was like heaven. Sunbeams spread in the western sky. Birds were flying high. In fact, it was like a great painting of the Great Artist. I didn’t care about the fights between police and Maoist cadres. Yes, there were unfortunate incidents in some places. But we’re forced to live in such interesting times!
Our political leaders just turned a deaf ear to the people’s cries. I don’t want to single out any one of them. The people are helpless. So they have learnt to remain indifferent to political progress. It’s a time of extreme frustration. Nepalis always came forward for any kind of revolution, movement, andolan, or whatsoever. But they were left out after the success of each movement. And their anger was quietly reflected during the Maoist banda. They’ve just celebrated it without complaints.
What I observed on Kathmandu’s roads was quite interesting. The kids enjoyed their football, hockey, cricket, and badminton games. Some were even seen trying to skate on the traffic-free roads. Kids in the Valley are the victims of messy settlements. There is lack of open space not only for kids but for young lovers as well. That’s why during general or educational strikes, kids enjoy their own road shows.
This time, the underdogs of the society were the beneficiary of the strike. The street vendors were selling panipuri, popcorn, peanuts, and other yummy stuffs from their four-wheel carts. They were surrounded by kids and their mothers. A mother and her two kids were walking near the Sahid Gate. The son was asking her mother to buy some panipuri. She immediately nodded to his plea. I liked their enjoyment. Other days, they remain busy for schools and chores. The mother had a chance to get them together for a walk on the sunny day.
Kathmandu’s houses are cold in winter. The frequent power cuts don’t permit people to enjoy the warmth of electric heaters. Moreover, it’s not affordable. Yes, rich people can enjoy this luxurious white coal. But the urban poor have to rely on the natural warmth. It was indeed an opportunity to get warm in the streets on the banda days.
Another aspect of the outdoor enjoyment in the streets was to observe the sense of fashion in Kathmandu. Girls were stunningly beautiful in their fashionable dresses. Boys also looked handsome. In fact, the roads turned into grand fashion ramps. Food stalls helped turn the roads into street festivals.
It was the enjoyment of the poor and lower class city dwellers. You can imagine what the upper-middle and affluent classes did during the strike. They had their own festival.
Delicious foods, playing cards, and fulltime fun were there. I noticed long queues at the butchers. It was indeed a great time for them to enjoy. Even some of my colleagues were invited to card sessions.
The Maoist protesters also were in festive mood. In the street, they sang and danced. Each time we observed the dances in the streets, their leaders were ever ready to take part. And the prize for the best street song-and-dance performance goes to the one and only Hishila Yami.
I was googling the banda. I found a site called nepalbandh.com. This site updates every banda in the country. Some days you’ll get three or four different bandas. In December so far, only 10 days have been free of bandas. Bandas are something you can’t avoid. So enjoy each and every banda!
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