Protest against Guthi Bill a boost for identity politics

The days of 'radical politics' are long gone, at least for yours truly and his bunch of friends. We differ on many issues without coming to blows. May be this is because we are no indoctrinated cadres of one or other political party. We never were. 

This is a far cry from the days when, in this country immediately after the advent of multiparty democracy with constitutional monarchy in the 90's, cadres of one party used to shun those from other parties not only during happy occasions like weddings and birthday parties, but also during death and other tragic events, when one forgets enmity and tries to provide solace to fellow humans. In those days of madness, encounters would often lead to fights. Families would often split on ideological grounds.  

Our free-wheeling discussions often lead us into the national political goings-on, which never ceases to amaze yours truly. 

In one of those discussion sessions when the protest against the government-sponsored #Guthi Bill was at its peak, one of my friends, who is deep into anthropology, remarked that this protest will end up rekindling identity politics, particularly coming to the aide of those parties that are again calling for formation of 11 states instead of seven. 

How true this guy seemed to be! 

These days, indeed, some prominent voices, mainly those vouching for the 11-state model, are rekindling identity politics through parliamentary fora while protesting against the much-discredited Bill. 

Outside, on the streets of Kathmandu, identity politics is gaining currency, after a lull, thanks to the government's not-so-intelligent act of introducing the #Guthi Bill. 

Indeed, very powerful voices are standing for the protection of the Guthi system in the Kathmandu Valley along with a groundswell of protest from locals. This has forced the government to shelve the Bill for now. 

But yours truly still thinks that threat to the traditional Guthis remains, especially those that are located outside the valley. The hidden agenda seems to be to launch yet another attack on Sanatan dharma by finishing off their centres of faith to make way for conversions to a particular faith. Yours truly wonders as to who will lobby for the protection of the Guthi system in peripheries and semi-peripheries. Who will raise voice for the protection of the #Swargadwari Guthi? The government may choose not to listen to the voice of the masses if some 'prominent voices' choose not to speak for private and public Guthis based outside the valley. Is that why the government has not abrogated the Bill altogether? 

While the question lingers, I ask you to enjoy pictures taken during today's protest at Basantapur, days after the demonstration at Maitighar Mandala, with hope that awareness of diverse ethnic identities will help strengthen national unity instead of pulling us further apart on the basis of caste and creed.

 Text and pictures: Devendra Gautam