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Monday, March 30, 2015

Prof GKC protest update: Day 8: When former PM came and failed to meet a citizen

Protest rapidly showing signs of morphing into Jana Aandolan III

As is usual for a dementic government of a chaotic country, the negotiation team from govt had just come to understand our position after eight long days of hunger strike. Obviously, no conclusion was reached but we could explain the potential modalities of fulfilling the demands.

That inertia and lack of comprehension on govt's part is, though, propelling the country towards a showdown between the status quoist forces led my leading political parties and an emerging force of young and old which is desperate for change.

Sunday again saw a huge turnout of people in the TUTH premises. And possibly, for the first time in country's history, a former prime minister came to meet a citizen but could not: KC sir was dozing off when Sher Bahadur Deuba reached there to meet him. Neither we bothered to wake him up nor Deuba's team dared to call him. They left the venue after about half a minute and we later told sir about his visit. He was delighted: this was the price the politicians had to pay for their endless disregard, negligence and disdain towards the citizens of the country.

Meanwhile, the media have done a commendable job, probably better than any time in recent history. Along with investigative pieces of Setopati, Nagarik has dared to touch the untouchables: its reporters are now following individual medical colleges which are working with total impunity. Kantipur and Annapurna Post have also given their due attention and made the coverage increasingly comprehensive.

Most important of all, the ordinary citizens have seen it very clearly that the success of prof KC's movement means something durable and tangible for every citizen in this country. If that effect proves contagious (hopefully, with the diligence of media outlets), the apparently infallible rule of thuggery may be meaningfully changed finally.

If the trend of support and involvement of public in the protest continues, there are realistic chances it will morph into Jana Aandolan III.

The doctors and medical students are already so firmly committed to issues raised by prof KC that we have had to urge them to keep restraint lest the aggressive moves disrupt service and backfire.

The debate at BBC Nepali (here) is likely to help me shed some of my reluctance to speak in public; I was not as bad a speaker as I thought, after all, it seems.



Some recent and remarkable tweets related to the movement:



















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