The Facebook Revolution is Here PART 3

by William Aura

(Continued from: 'The Facebook Revolution is Here: Part 2')

Our gear is packed and heading outside the courtyard we see there is not a taxi in sight. Shyam thankfully has a bike so I can hop on the back of his Indian hog and haul the equipment. Sujan and Ishor will have to walk and seemed to be ok about that. They didn’t complain in front of me at least. Later we all gather again at the guesthouse for some food and relaxed conversation. That’s when Shyam’s face turns white as he receives a text from a friend who is in the Nepalese Army. He immediately writes Shyam that they have been put on high alert and tells him to be very careful today. The country may be heading towards a declared state of emergency. There is even talk of sending all foreigners home. Frankly this is just too much for me to accept at the time. We have purchased all this gear for Devi group and construction of our school desks for the village is underway. There is a lot riding on our efforts and we will not be dissuaded easily.

So here are the four of us, chomping away at a late breakfast while passionately discussing the political turmoil surrounding us. I listen carefully to the pained conversations pouring out of these beautiful souls. Us westerners have never experienced anything like this so it is difficult to fully understand and communicate their feelings effectively. I will say their love runs deep for the homeland. “We are all from different castes,” Shyam pronounces. “But we are all Nepali. Why can’t we just get along?”

Shyam pauses for a moment and then delicately leans forward in a near whisper. "The Facebook Revolution is here,” he says looking me straight in the eye. “Protestors are now showing up in key locations within minutes of an announcement on Facebook.” Yes indeed. The twitterati are seeing firsthand what is happening in North Africa and the Arab world. Young educated Nepali people sense this is their time also. After being here over the past nine years and witnessing this struggle all too close myself, I get the feeling Nepal is quickly spiraling into yet a new unexpected level of civil discontent. Without even contacting her, my mother would say, “Great timing on you part Bill.”

Tomorrow is another day and my valiant crew fades away into the overcast afternoon to find their way home. Rain begins to fall and I am left to ponder our situation and write these words. The Republica newspaper is picked up and a headline blares, “Talks falter as Maoists move a step backward.” Three years ago the Maoists pronounced they would be turning over their weapons on this very day and now it appears they are reneging on that signed agreement. Hardliners within the party are fighting within to save the cache as a bargaining chip to have their needs addressed in a constitution that has yet to be written. “We won’t surrender weapons that cost so much in blood,” Maoist leader Dahal proclaims. Heck, they are arguing over simply extending the date to negotiate these touchy issues. Important details yet to be hammered out are still a long ways off. There are so many factions here demanding their voice be heard. The talk now is about dividing the country up into different caste districts, which for the younger generation seems foolish and unacceptable.

But the next morning changes everything. It’s Nepal’s Republic day Saturday May 28, and the political parties have reportedly finally reached an agreement on extending the deadline. Within three months the remaining tasks of completing the peace process should be finished and the first draft of the constitution will be written. At least that’s what the current leadership is saying. All this bodes well for our efforts in the short term. Perhaps things will cool down a bit and we can move on to Tintale Village next week as scheduled.

Whew! What a first week in Nepal. The strikes have been taking a toll on everyone. Especially hard hit is tourism as bookings plummeted over the week. It’s said here that a one-day bandh cause a loss of 1 billion Nepalese rupee to the industry. Not sure how much that is in US dollars but it is a fortune for this part of the world. Different organizations, communities and parties nationwide have already imposed over 90 days of bandhs since January 2011. This is serious business, and my heart pours out for the disadvantage folks here trying to make a rupee and feed their family. But one cannot help but chuckle at some of this. When a strike happens I often ask, “Who is calling for the bandh today?” All too often no one knows for sure until you read about it the next day. You just can’t help but notice the irony regarding the protest that protests against the protestors.

So Ishor and I are free to travel around Kathmandu at last. We have some serious catch up work to do if we are to leave in a week for the village. There is a tremendous amount of preparation to have every item required. Once we are out in the middle of nowhere, there is no Costco. We head off to the Music Point music shop to check on the gear ordered. Everything has arrived we are told so we make our way to check the goods. Warmly greeted by salesman Prasanna Baniya, our items are all brought out for display. One Chinese no-brand video projector, a Stranger-brand Indian amplifier and speaker cabinet, SM58 copy microphones, mic cables, mic stands, speaker stands, inverter, battery, and a god-awfully loud battery powered megaphone. This should get some attention out in the village. Cannot wait to make some noise.

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