This letter is to all of us reckless enough to walk under the crossing bridge, not follow traffic rules, litter and then complain about how incompetent our country is. We matter, so does our action.
Dear Bikash,
You do not know me, but I know you. I know you because you are the name I see every single day as I commute to work. I see you opposite of rani pokhari, staring and declaring. I see your callously written handwriting upon the white walls of a monument of Nepal. You remind me of love, you remind me of scribbles in toilet doors, you remind of teenage years where my "secret lover" and I would play the game flames. You remind me of a lot of things, you also remind me of how Nepal is. In a land where we need to excuse ourselves politely from piles of garbage in the road, I see you and know that you are there and will be there for years to come. Reminding the new generations, tourist and citizens of Nepal that you took writing on a wall quiet literary. Your writing does not disturb me so much as it makes me ache, it is a graveling reminder that someone should come and erase it and a reminder that no one ever will. You may be long gone perhaps moved on to Kripa or Nita but your love for Nisha will always remain imprinted on the these walls and although I admire your declaration I want to ask you did it matter?
Did Nisha like it? Was this the Taj on your Mahal? Was it what you needed to keep your love alive? Did Nisha not mind that she was going out with such a reckless being? Probably not. Cause you were in love, I get it. Plenty.
But I want tell you from one of those people who walks past that area almost always, I want to tell you that your actions matter, your behavior sets an impression about Nepal, quiet frankly about me. Then I am seen defending my country again, because of you because of all the Misconceptions about Nepal I feel that angst of not stopping you, not educating you about your careless and most probably young declaration. I feel responsible as an educated Nepali to not have met you and made you feel accountable for your actions.
And, if I met you I would tell you, your actions count. I do not know where you came from, what your family background is, it does not matter, what does matter is YOU. You matter, you make Nepal better. In fact even Nisha matters. So, next time you see a white wall let it be, take her out for lunch or a rickshaw ride, declare your love then. Not with walls. Not with walls.
Regards,
Disappointed Nepali
Although, I write this letter to those who have the education and means to understand it, I want to point out the hypocrisy seeded in us, next time you leave a cup on a park bench or get too lazy to cross by the zebra crossing, ask yourself a very important question, "What was that education for?" "What was the point of learning if people like us can't be examples for those who for whatever reason could not get the education", "What is the point of it all if we just turn a blind eye to all the broken rules and all the writings on a wall?" There is more to think about when-will-we-stop-being-tolerant
so well written!
ReplyDelete