The youthful andolan | Oasis

SUBEL BHANDARI

Now that the andolan is officially over (is it really?), there is time and opportunity to sit back and reflect on what it has meant to those of us who are young (even at heart!).

There was plenty of time for me, as a counsellor, to use the curfews to read, observe and reflect on what really was going on, especially among the youth. Since its official end, the comments I have heard from the elders have been mixed, some praising our youth for their positive part in the demonstrations, others condemning them for taking advantage of the excitement to "raise hell". Still others declare that our youth often seem to be "non-political", yet many have the reputation for being "political" inside the campuses!

What can we learn about ourselves from the andolan? Positively, many took part in the demonstrations, despite threats, counterattacks and personal danger. We braved such things as the weather, tear gas, batons, brick bats, and were willing to be knocked about. In short, we showed a lot of raw courage and refused to give up. In addition, we were willing to lose time, postpone exams, cancel previous engagements, even in some cases marriages!

Negatively, some of us did take advantage of the situation to "raise hell", as some of our critics said. It is so easy to fight against something, not that easy to fight for something. It appeared that the focus of what we were fighting for was sometimes lost and the andolan's true purpose and meaning were either blurred or forgotten. Another damning accusation of us was that were too "uninvolved", which sounded strange to me, as I watched your participation in the protests and rallies. Still, it is true that many of us preferred to stay home as observers, wondering when it would all end so we could get on with "life". What we, as youth, had to offer the success of the movement was enthusiasm, energy, courage, willingness to go against the establishment and, above all, openness to sacrifice. These are all marvellous gifts to the country. We deserve much credit for all of this and need to own the praise we deserve.

On the other hand, because we are young and inexperienced, we still need to learn the difference between fighting against and fighting for. And, once the victory is won, to concentrate on the follow-up. Every revolution is only the first step; after that comes the re-building, a much harder task, one which we are going through now.

Finally, it was unfortunate that the movement ended up with headlines declaring, in effect, "We won, you lost". It became, basically, a win-lose situation, which in the long run, helps no one. If we can, in the end, make it a win-win cause, then the prospects of positive victory will be more secure. The battle is over, but the war continues. For that, we need the cooperation of both young and old.

Send your questions at oasis@wavemag.com.np to LV Brooks, SJ. He has decades of experience in counselling and is the guidance counsellor at St Xavier's College.