I tried to match the enthusiasm in her voice by zealously congratulating her, because in the present context, any Nepali home with a full gas cylinder can be deemed prosperous. As we were excitedly basking in the joy of not having to worry about not having cooking gas, the light went off. The inverter that we had installed for times like this couldn't give the required backup and I had to wait until the following day to continue our conversation that dealt with the effects of blockade that continues to affect lives in Nepal.Dad has been walking to and fro his work for about four months now. He doesn't have the time to queue up for fuel, and won't buy anything from the black market as he is "totally against this illegal activity." My sister shares with the horror of travelling in overcrowded public vehicles. "But sometimes I feel thankful to at least get a space enough for me to stand," she tells me, adding how it's nearly impossible to reach anywhere on time.
And this is just a short illustration of a middle class family spending their everyday life in the Capital city.
I can still vividly remember the joy of Nepalis when the constitution was finally drafted in September last year. People had actually started believing that the nation is heading towards a new era. However, as the country was slowly recuperating from the massive earthquake that struck last April, the embargo set by India brought the recovery process to a halt. Nepal is in a critical state today, despite the blockade being "lifted" now. Meanwhile, our Prime Minister and his cabinet seem to be busy visiting foreign countries. But then, our leaders have always disappointed us, haven't they?
And come on, we don't have big expectations from the government either. For example, we seldom dream of riding in metros but we do wish we didn't have to stand up squeezed in between fellow passengers in bus. Similarly, while we don't expect delectable cuisines on our dinner table, we don't want to go to bed hungry, either. The head of state isn't tired of making false promises like installing pipeline for gas in every household and an end to the curse of load shedding within a year. I guess the problem is, people in higher authorities have never faced everyday problems of the public. Therefore, the daily struggle that we rant about at every opportunity is beyond their comprehension. They would perhaps try to solve the problems if they had to queue up to get their share of fuel, live in the dark for several nights because the few hours of electricity we have these days isn't even enough to recharge inverters, or travel in local bus.
As the situation of our country continues to go down from bad to worse every other day, it has not only hit the economy of the country but also created an environment where the youth have lost their interest in serving their motherland. I am on the verge of completing my Civil Engineering this June but I'm not positive about landing a job. Nepotism is so widely practiced in every sector that getting a job with just the right qualifications is nearly impossible. This is one of the major reasons why hundreds and thousands of young Nepalis who go abroad for higher studies choose to settle down in an alien land after graduating for lack of opportunities back in their motherland. I am not saying only those with powerful links get jobs here, but it is mostly the case.
I believe it is now high time that the leaders pave a way to make things right. Yes, we have this strong character ingrained to tolerate adverse situations and come up with alternatives. But how long can we go on like this?
Sarin is an undergraduate student of Civil Engineering at Invertis University in India.
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