Time to Sow Paddy on the Crushed Dreams

Everyone has a dream to have a family, a small house and a cheerful life. An individual spends all his life working day and night and always dream to build a house. A shelter, where s/he along with his/her family members can live safely and in satisfied manner.

But, what if the government smashes it down in the name of widening the street? How does it feel when your home is destroyed with bulldozers? I don't think any of you would be happy seeing your dreams shattered and broken into pieces. Nor do me.

With possibilities of more rains in comparison to past years monsoon is approaching closer and closer. As it approaching near, I am feeling restless and worried thinking about those well-to-do families whose dreams were shattered in no time and were left nowhere and of course those real "squatters" who are forced to live under the open sky and also the situation of the capital city.

It’s haunting me thinking the condition of homeless people and their children, in upcoming monsoon, where would they hide themselves and their tadpoles?

In the past few months dreams of thousands of people were broken into pieces. But, at the meantime the state and more importantly Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai led government got a wide media coverage with lots of appreciation.

It might be against the spirit of the government or some people who have appreciated government such initiative, but a question always remain unsolved, is this solution? The state which is believed to be the guardian of the citizens is busy in making their future uncertain. What an Irony?

There are many places in Kathmandu where we see houses being destroyed down to make the roads wide enough.

In a way it's good that road should be widened but the state has always neglected in finding reasons behind the situation of current state. I personally feel, it’s the government bodies and political leaders to blame for current situation, as they were busy in fulfilling their vested interest.

The government bodies like Metropolitan City and Municipalities, which had no problem in giving approval to build house according to proposed design, now is busy in destruction.

The government officials often extort money from the people to pass the house design is now busy in breaking down their homes and making them paralyzed. Hasn't this part overlooked?

I am not saying what government did is completely wrong, but there should have taken some important measures prior such campaign.

(Few weeks back the squatters from Bagmati river banks were removed, a good task by government, but as soon as the government removed them, they are so much concerned about placing them in different place but I never heard any news until this day that government will place those people whose homes were gutted to some other place.)

Kathmandu is already polluted with some great people who and everyone’s contribution in mixing the rivers with sewage.

Similarly, I guess our government has made small effort too to make the city even more polluted with dust. It’s been weeks but the roads are left just like before not even a tiniest maintenance is done yet.

Is the government going to let the vehicles run over the destructed houses?

And, what about those pedestrians? Most of them are confused where they should walk actually. It feels like walking inside the world of dust and as rainy season is here it will feel like walking in the muddy land.

I suspect people might get excited and start cultivating paddy on those destroyed houses as season of sowing paddy is almost knocking the door.

And, thankfully the drainage system is so good in Kathmandu that we get to see ponds on the roads.

The destroyed houses, speedy vehicles and water filled roads, God bless pedestrians. Kathmanduities have always faced problems of traffic jams and now we can assume jam during rain. Ah..!!! I can't even think of upcoming consequences.

Along with this some questions are still unsolved--has the government destroyed these houses to add woes in current bad traffic, footpaths, create ponds in the street? or, Increase the number of squatters?