With malice to none
A country where working days are luckily less than official holidays

That the Nepalese population maintain incredible endurance gets reflected from the fact that we the Nepalese have never retorted back to the price hikes announced by the government. Be it in the past or be it in the cominf future, we will continue to remain a mere spectator.

For example, to recall, "we the people" took it easily when some years ago the Bhattarai led establishment increased the prices of the petroleum products as if nothing had befallen. Whereas around the same time across the border in neighboring India the Bajpayi government was almost to collapse for a minor price hike effected on Onions.

Presumably, the Omnipotent is perhaps testing the limits of Nepali tolerance. But then the Almighty will be surprised finally when he will have tested our limits time permitting. In fact our tolerance has no limits. Look! After the rise in the Kerosene and the diesel finalized only few months back, the Nepalese people will tolerate yet another price hike in Hydro power which is talked to touch the 45 percent mark. Believe me, the people will rather greet this unthinkable increase in the rates of power supply. The government understands well that this breed is deaf and dumb and thus cares little about their preferences and needs if at all we have. The people will more so gleefully greet the would be decision, if any, of the government in these regards considering the announcement of the ceasefire. A rare commodity indeed for this country.

Very surprisingly, the pressure groups that are the civil societies also have become examples of tolerance. It is perhaps time that such similar groups in friendly countries should learn how to become tolerant by initiating their contacts in Nepal through their own visible or even invisible channels. Various partisan non-governmental organizations could earn dollars by engaging themselves in teaching activities. Donors are already here to fund such training programs. After all the donors have committed themselves for the upliftment of developing countries and have been funding on such schemes here and there and that too unconditionally. If they have not done so, they should do it at the earliest.

This notwithstanding, the Nepalese people can’t compromise with their holidays come what may. This breed can bear any formal or for the matter informal torture from the government or from the Koirala and Madhav Nepal combine but will not tolerate if some one wished to axe their holidays. They can even go in for a demonstration if their leisure days are officially threatened. Perhaps the government knew of this Nepali habit and hence has rewarded the people by making Sundays also a holiday since a couple of years. With that decision of the government the people have become like slaves of the latter. Normally speaking, the Nepali population spends their holidays by playing cards and drinking alcohol. It is talked that on such holidays, the consumption of Alcohol by the bureaucrats attains a new height. Prior to this fresh decision, the people especially the bureaucrats used to tell us that the government must give some extra time for the card-players. This sounded logical because it is this breed that has money earned through legal or illegal means. But not all. On a normal holiday, a particular bureaucrat leaves his home at about ten in the morning and spends the whole evening at his friends house wherever the house owner organizes the play. They play Marriage, Kitty, Paploo and Flush. Undoubtedly Alcohol is there. Back in the home the kids sleep and the wretched wife waits for her husband who finally enters the house mid night and that too completely drunken. In the drunken spell perhaps he beats his wife for having objected to his behavior. The small kids get terrorized when they observe their father beating poor and helpless mother. Next morning, that is Sunday (new addition) the whole process gets repeated and the same happening perhaps occur back home. The playing habits are not only confined to the bureaucrats rather it has been spreading to other sectors. Playing cards have become a fashion. Those who do not play are considered untouchables. For the benefit of our international readers I’d like to talk on alcohol. Hindu culture prohibits alcohol drinking. Yet our shops in Nepal remain open from early morning. One can easily drink either alcohol or his morning tea as early as six in the morning can in any Nepali shops. Shame on this Hindu country. Being myself a Hindu, I at times feel pretty ashamed for understandable reasons.

Now let me give you the list of holidays what we enjoy today officially. Out of 365 days, a rough estimate has it that we go to our offices less than we enjoy the declared holidays. For example: We have 104 days from Saturdays and Sundays. Big chunk indeed. The government officially offers House leave for 30 days. Occasional festivals have 12 days. Sick leave (official) is 12days. Dashami festival consumes 9 days which is followed by Tihar festivals that also takes care of 4 to 5 days. Happy new-year 1 day. Lord Bhuddha Anniversary 1day. For Guru Purnima, 1day has been allocated. Gai Jatra 1 day. Similarly Indra Jatra gets 1day. Constitution day has been allotted 1 day each year. Democracy day 1 day every year. Ghode and Bhoto Jatra have 1day each. King’s birthday celebration 1 day each year. King Prithivi Anniversary 1 day. Lord Rama day 1 day. Lord Krishna day 1 day each year. Martyrs day and Lord Shiva’s day have been given 1 day each. All put together the figure swells to 185days. This does not include the Strike calls and the intermittent Bundhs and the Maoists sponsored closures. Thanks the ceasefire the chances of theirs calling for bundhs have become remote at least for the time being.

Sudden deaths of prominent leaders also are being honored. We are very specific in this regards. Some times we observe holiday as a mark of esteem and honor when Presidents’ or Prime ministers’ from a friendly country leave for their heavenly abode. It is altogether different matters that we play cards and drink booze during such sudden holidays. Card players at all the levels take it as a bumper holiday. God is simply great. Holidays are also awarded when King makes state visit of a friendly country. Tradition had it that on the day of King’s arrival, the whole day was a holiday. However, this tradition appears to have lost its meaning. By way of reference the officials’ makeup this loss during wintertime. During this time they would either be seen drinking tea or warming their bodies under the sun. . High placed officials could be seen close to newly imported Kerosene heaters. Good idea. Keep it up. It is not surprising therefore that the bureaucrats have not taken in good-taste the appointment of DAUDAHAS which have made their targets the overly politicized and card-playing bureaucrats.

This figure tentatively speaks of our job days and the card playing days. This perhaps should also give inkling in to the working pattern of the Nepalese people and the bureaucrats.

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