An open letter to the future leaders of Nepal

Dear future leaders of Nepal,

Now is the hour. Your time has come. At this critical stage, the country and its people need you to step up, come forward and lead.

This appeal is directed to three groups of people, who represent their respective collective ideals. Firstly, to those who until now have been patiently and painfully waiting in their current political role to step up – the likes of Gagan Thapa. Secondly, to those who the people think would and should, for all good reasons, be their future leaders – the likes of Rabindra Mishra. Finally, to all those long-time dreamers who are itching to do something, and are more than willing to contribute according to their calibre to build this nation.

Today is the time to put your thoughts into action and spearhead our politics so that we all get an opportunity to play our part in building this nation. That is the only way we are going to change the political landscape of the country. Gagan, if not now when will you do justice to your charisma, calibre and sacrifice? Rabindra, why wait until your son grows up; it would have been too late by then. The unknown dreamers, do you want to continue dreaming alone or are you going to do something about it?

If those of you in the above three categories didn’t do anything today, not only your own self would not allow you to live in peace, but also the future generation would not for that long remember your names with fond memories, if they did so at all. You would be that part of the history that would be punctuated with those tragic vocabularies of “could have” and “should have”.

Photo: What can we expect from these leaders who are seen here in jolly festive mood on 28 May, one day after the failure of the CA (Photo courtesy: Nagariknews)

The days of sitting back and waiting are over. We just can’t afford it. There can’t be a better opportunity than this to step up to the job of national leaders. The reasons are everywhere. There is no need to dwell on them further and again. Let us not waste our time by dwelling on the past and engaging ourselves on blame games. We have no time for such unproductive matters. It has now been proven that mere criticism and concern is not going to result in anything. We all have tried, more than enough and for longer than required, to remind our politicians, some of who are seen in the photo above, about their responsibility and accountability. After their role in the astounding failure of the Constitution Assembly on the midnight of 27 May 2012, their names have already been written in the darkest of chapters in the book of history of this country. It is time to leave them and their past behind. It is time to act. Now is the time.

Please take the driver’s seat of our politics before its too late. Time is running out, fast. If people like you, Gagan and Rabindra, did not step up, someone else will. That someone else could be anyone from the scary past or some fanatic lunatic opportunist camp waiting to cash on people’s frustration and that on the recent complete failure of the political establishment. That is the last thing this country needs. And should such a tragic leadership take over now, what answer are we going to give to our future generations when they ask – Where were you? What were you doing when that happened? 

Please do not remain an elusive fictional leader that this country and its people have been dreaming for centuries. If we didn’t bring ourselves up to the game this time, it will leave us far behind. We may never have a second chance. Our time may not arrive again.

Postscript: This letter is a sequel to “an open letter to leaders of Nepal” published in nepalnews.com (also posted in this blog here) on 26 May, a day before the D-day to promulgate constitution. That letter dwelled on the dark past. This is about the brighter future.