The LatoKosero is a branch sitter and these are traces of thoughts.

A democratic process is unsuccessful if one has to vote for the lesser of evils. The election process is the expression of an idea of Nepal that has been in circulation for a while. There is nothing new (other than the changing nature of the reality of this idea). Why is there nothing new? Because anything new(er) would probably require a complete overhaul of the current political structure. Such a change cannot be brought about by people content to play within the structure. Mind you, the parties who are boycotting the election are not offering any structural change – they are for power placement change. An “external systemic change” makes people uneasy. It suggests the kind of revolution that sheds blood, kills millions and causes complete chaos. Is there an alternative? Could a systemic change be brought about by the system itself? Yes, theoretically. How could it be done practically? Well for one, by a party that stands for a complete overhaul. We do not have such a party in play.

Current options for the new constitution and governance structures of the country are largely derivative. They take Western exercises of democracy and cap it over us. It is strange that most people laugh at the suggestion that this is an opportunity to make a better functioning democracy than what the legacies of colonial powers offer us. Humor does require changes in thought streams. Is it not also time to question the necessity of defining this electoral process as Nepali? The word and the language after all are part of the problem. No suggestion of any alternative way to define a system (not nation) within these enforced boundaries exists, lest we should lose the Buddha and Everest.

This could also have been a good time to reflect on notions of development, environment, sustainability, progress and all the other jargonized terms through which we seek to understand our present. At present, there is no questioning of this. We just want to be like Switzerland and America. It is sad that we cannot dream our own dreams. Do we really have to follow the herd? This could have been a time to question the basics and reorient ourselves. What does wealth creation mean? What for that matter is wealth (fancy cars and Prabal Gurung’s gowns if you look at the current crop of people defined by wealth)? What does education and opportunity mean? What is it supposed to give us?

This owl dreams in contradictions. It sees structures of power built from the ground up, a multi-balanced system of protecting rights and liberties, it sees free information, it doesn’t see the point of cars or pets or khukuris, it sees a better dream than Marx ever did (that’s for sure), it sees a rather nice place but no nation. It sees yet another dystopia.