We all know our country has been going through a lot for years; political instabilities, corruption, inflation, and not to forget unannounced bandhs. But what if we don’t really know what’s actually going on? What if someone could explain Nepal’s ongoing situation in a manner that we can understand the best. Recently, I came across a piece which told the story of The Ant and The Grasshopper in relation to the Nepali context. Hats off to the writer who has explained everything so impressively that any Nepali will be enlightened about our political situation and will surely get struck by the realization of how it’s affecting every one of us. I don’t know how true it is (what the writer has mentioned), but if it is, then I couldn’t sadder. I request you to read it all till the end.

Original Story:   The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs dances plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Nepali Version:   The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant’s a fool and laughs dances plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving. News24, Kantipur TV, BBC and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Some individual Locals stages a demonstration in front of the Ant’s house. Angkaji Sherpa states this as ‘injustice’ done on Minorities. UN and India criticize the Nepali Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper. The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven & Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) .

Opposition MPs and small leaders stage a walkout rally. Gundas of the said Parties call for ‘Nepal Bandh’ in across the country and demanding a Judicial Enquiry. a group of Grasshoppers demands to pass a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about “equality of poverty” among Ants and Grasshoppers.

Prachanda promise a reservation to Grasshopper in government department and declared as “shahid” along with compensatory of 10 Lakh cash. Finally, all party agree to sit together for discussion and to make a effective draft of LAW as amendment for Nepali Constitution called Grasshoppers Act’ [POTAGA] , with effect from the beginning of the winter.. Babu Ram Bhattarai makes ‘Special Reservation’ for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions in Government Services. The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, it’s home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by News24, Kantipur TV, BBC and ABC. Angkaji Sherpa calls it ‘A Triumph of Justice and equality’. ekikrit communist Party calls it the ‘Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden’ UN invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later…… The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley, 100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite “reservation” and “equality” somewhere in Nepal, ….AND As a result of losing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the grasshoppers, Nepal is still a “trying to develop” country…!!