The new era has dawned—the world has already started to compete with the machines. Many nations have already mounted the highest pinnacle on earth and are now exploring the cosmos to rile over it. But what about our nation? Well, it is a friend of the tortoise, and has yet to start the race while the irony lies in the fact that it doesn’t have any competitor left. It is all alone dreaming from the plinth of overtaking the hares on the pinnacle. But the tortoise doesn’t seem to know that the saying ‘Slow and steady wins the race’ isn’t relevant in all cases, at least not in this. Because this time, the hares won’t sleep on their present spot, and we will see, as we ever so slowly inch toward the finish line, that they will have already clinched yet another feasible triumph.

Whose fault is it that our nation is a tortoise? Is it the fault of the clowns who make jokes every day or is it the fault of us, the common folks who enjoy the show? If you ask me, I would answer that we the people are at fault here because we are the ones who ask for newer, funnier jokes to be made every time. The clowns always manifest their jokes and deceive us. But when the time comes to be accountable for the jokes, they simply choose not to utter a single word. Yet we doltishly fall for their jokes every time. I find it staggeringly foolish of us given how we accept and become the joke ourselves. Why aren’t we realising the fact that the clowns are supposed to make jokes, not to run the nation? Indeed, Baluwatar is a circus and the leaders are clowns dutifully entertaining us. So, aren’t we supposed to do our duty as well?

It is our responsibility to alert the clowns, to make them do their work rather than laugh at their jokes. The real nation is us. We are responsible to bring about a change from every corner of our nation. We belong to this nation, and this nation belongs to us. As the saying goes, ‘better late than never’. So, strengthen yourself guys, and make a promise today of building a better tomorrow. It may seem impossible to beat those hares now but there is nothing that we cannot achieve if we all walk hand in hand. Unity is strength. ‘Miracle’ is but just another synonym word ‘hard work’. Thus, a new clown shall come for us and from us as well, and we shall give a round of applause not out of sympathy but out of the respect.

Dhakal is a class 11 student at Reliance International Academy