Some Reflections on Societal Transformation

Some Reflections on Societal Transformation

- Govinda Neupane

(This is my reply to a friend of mine emailed in October 09, 2007)

I read your thought provoking, candid and emotionally stimulating email. I have the following to share with you.

The contemporary cultural values and social norms limit the sense of reasoning and logic system. The creamy layer of our society simply inherited the feudal values and norms and blended them with the greedy attitudes and behaviors, which they imported from the capitalist world. These hybrid crooks became insensitive towards others' needs and lost empathy and developed greed of infinite nature. Hence, many political leaders, high level bureaucrats, business tycoons, 'civil society' barons (actually, with a few exceptions they are political crooks outsourced by their political parties) and criminal gangsters individually as well as collectively are ruling over a large number of innocent people. It is good that the people know now the reality and have developed deep sense of hatred towards these elements. The seen and unseen fights are going on as the contradictions are deepening between these elements and the people at large. The events that are taking place everywhere in Nepal today are creating foundation for the structural change. The radical workers at the grassroots though have no face are contributing immensely in this process of grassroots transformation. Hence, the culture of subjugation, lethargy, oppression and exploitation has been in constant challenge and will be defeated sooner than later.

You have strongly pleaded for going to villages, learning from the people and respecting their labor: There are many ways of learning and going to villages and learning from them is one. You are right that most of the people in the urban areas have no idea how hard is the life of the peasantry in the villages. But it is equally true that those upper class people in the villages also have no sensitivity towards the have-not sections of their own society there. Therefore, direct observations may provide the environment to learn but that not necessarily makes the observer empathetic and sensible. In the traditional class society, the economic and political contradictions on one side and being too much accustomed to existing social as well as cultural practices on the other prevent the scope of further learning. Moreover, being directly influenced by their own class interests discourages the crooks mentioned above in rectifying their behaviors. Similarly, respecting labor is what we do not see here. That could come either through the cultural inheritance as in the case of western society or through enlightenment as in the case of Buddha. But, here the social norms promote disrespect towards labor and enlightenment does not come through educational degrees, particularly through the curriculum designed to glorify Bahun culture and strengthen Khas chauvinism. Of course, I do agree with you that going to Bhaktapur and seeing a 70-years old peasant working down to dusk in the field (as you have mentioned) helps some one who is ignorant but that would not make any difference to an arrogant. The key phrases here, I believe, are ignorance, arrogance and class interest. Most of the leaders you are critical of are arrogant and not simply ignorant. People and politics are their cosmetics and corruption is their religion. But, I think, in a given stage of a transitional society, it is an unavoidable course. The good part is that the radical cadres at the grassroots are informed now, the common men and women in the streets have been seeing the visuals and a critical mass is being created, which is expanding rapidly. You and I and many more are the products of this glorious process. Therefore, the doomsday is not our future; we certainly will have a society far better than what we have today.

I appreciate that you have ventilated your concerns, feelings and suggestions in such a way that it stimulates thinking and leads to venturing into the critical appraisal of the situation. Please continue your marvelous search process by sustaining enthusiasm,generating intellectual energy and enriching through sharing and feedback.