Nepal promulgated the new constitution that was believed to address the immediate and long-term concerns of Nepalis. But from the very day of promulgation, it has begotten violence and dissatisfaction from the Madhes. The agitating Tarai people are of the view that the constitution is not inclusive enough but is rather regressive as compared to the interim constitution.

Nepal is currently undergoing a crisis. The earthquakes had made us weak, and now politics is making us weaker. People don’t have fuel to run vehicles in Kathmandu, yet, quite ironically, people elsewhere are using fuel to burn things down—their way to make their revolution be known. Meanwhile, politicians, who are supposed to address the concerns, have been nothing more than meek spectators.

This is quite baffling. I never thought political parties would back from their responsibility to this extreme. Who are the ones suffering? The public. The crisis, on the other hand, is also the outcome of their short-sightedness. It seems like, the political parties first create problems on their own and then they pretend to solve them. This is what has been going on forever.

The country has gone through many political revolutions. But our aspirations have never been met. Many people have died fighting for the country. We all have lit a candle for our fellow brothers and sisters who died for the country. Isn’t it pathetic that we think that without violence changes cannot be made? By sacrificing our fellow brothers we try to find peace. But what is the meaning of this peace that we get, if any, by spilling blood? Is it justified?

The recent events in Nepal have been sad. It’s sad to witness our brothers fighting against each other for rights. It’s funny when you do nothing but burn the streets and complain about things going wrong. How can wrong things turn right, if you do wrong things to make them right?

Time has come to question ourselves. Is burning the city and standing at the border the only solution? Change begins with oneself. Instead of wasting your time complaining about there not being a system, let’s try to make one.

Nepal cannot change on its own. We the citizens must change our attitudes so as to change the country. Violence will not give us what we want. We must do something for our country, rather than expecting someone else to do it for us. Nepal is a land of opportunities; there is a lot of scope for development. Let us live for change.

Panthee is a +2 graduate from GoldenGate Int’l College