No longer just April Fool’s
April 1st may be April Fool’s day for some, but for Nepal, it just may forever be remembered as a historic day in its development. Maybe…
After about a year of discussion and preparation, the interim government, which includes the Maoists, has been created and a date for the interim elections has been set. It was a long a difficult process, and I’m positive that it won’t be completely smooth sailing from now on, but we can all hope that things will only improve from here.
Surprisingly, though, most of the people that I’ve talked to don’t seem that enthusiastic or positive about this phenomenal event. I think the people of Nepal have been played around with so much by those in power (be they the King, the government, or the Maoists) that they have become a hardened and skeptical people. Sure, deep down inside, all Nepalis HOPE this is the beginning of a new era for the country, but on the surface, it doesn’t seem like anyone is holding their breath. Perhaps they believe violence in the country will continue, as it is in the Terai region. Perhaps they don’t think the Maoists will keep their promises of returning seized property, giving up arms, and acting like a real political party. Perhaps they think that the current government is just as corrupt as those that have been in power before. Or perhaps they simply don’t believe that a change in government will truly affect their quality of life.
I hope that the people of Nepal are proven wrong – but at the same time I too feel myself growing more and more skeptical the more I learn about the political situation here. Maybe I’m becoming too Nepali myself.
