German Marxist thinker and playwright Bertolt Brecht wrote in his play 'Galileo', 'Unhappy is the land that needs a hero'. By this, he meant that the desire for a hero is inherent in a flawed society. A healthy society which isn't marred with systemic problems and injustices would not require feats of extraordinary heroism. Nepali society has been made to think that it is in need of such a hero. This hero, in the traditional sense, is a macho man or the modern version, a 'sigma male', who will strive against all odds to establish a better society by combating villains. As heteronormative and archaic as it sounds, it is also a make-believe concept with little relevance in modern times. Instead, what Nepali society should be doing is working to institutionalize the system achieved after years of struggle.
Every day, a new hero seems to emerge in our country, be it Lamichhane, Prasai, Lingden or Mishra. They rally people behind them with the promise of establishing a just and prosperous society. Some advocate for the destruction of the contemporary vanguard and a return to the days of monarchy, while others call for the old to be burned and the new to rise from its ashes. They have taken over a significant portion of social media and have garnered substantial attention in mainstream media. Despite their varying political agendas, a common thread among them is their belief in only their ability to lead the society and the need for change, often reverting to old values and systems. They despise the modern federal democratic republic with all their hearts and souls, considering it their main adversary. They blame all societal ills on federalism, republic, and secularism. For them, every misfortune that has befallen upon Nepali society stems from the 'troika' of republic, federalism, and secularism - achievements that were hard-earned through seven decades of struggle by the Nepali masses.
Debating their main argument that the days of monarchy were better than the present times would need a lot of statistics and is therefore beyond the scope of this article. However, the fact that they can articulate their views without fear of persecution is itself a testament to how the present republic has given them the freedom to think and express. They oppose secularism, despite witnessing how religion interfering with politics has played out in neighbouring countries. Federalism is perhaps their easiest target. They claim it has bankrupted the country, conveniently forgetting that federalism was introduced to empower communities marginalized by the old regime, ruled by elites who enforced a singular identity, language, and culture on the country's diverse masses. While some of their arguments might seem plausible to undiscerning eyes and ears, we must not forget that the federal republic is still in its infancy. For sureit hasn't delivered according to our wants and desires, and there is corruption and nepotism – hangovers and remnants of the old regime. But it s imperative that we give the new system some time. Eventhose who criticize the system have themselves been elected through elections held under the federal republic. Rather than searching for heroes who would unsheathe their swords, decapitate the villains, and restore law and order, we should invest in this new system. It was hard-earned through the sacrifices of common Nepalis; we have shed our blood and tears for this.
What we really need is to build a strong state on the basis of our progressive achievements. Developed countries do not depend on heroes for their progress or salvation, but rather have a state mechanism that ensures proper governance for their people. A hero, at best, could make a difference during his/her reign, but without a proper system in place, it will all crumble. We have seen this happen in the history of mankind, such as how the First French Empire crumbled after Napoleon's demise, or how the Soviet Union turned out after Lenin. There's a Yugoslavian joke where a Croat man and a Serbian man were sitting in a bar listening to Marshal Joseph Broz Tito; the Croat man said to the Serbian man that the Balkans would go back to killing each other after Tito was dead. How true did that turn out to be!
The need for a hero is also due to the shortcomings of our leaders, who have not been able to justify the sacrifices made by the people for the federal democratic republic. Corruption and nepotism must be fought against and curtailed at all costs to protect our progressive achievements. However, we cannot blame the system for the mistakes committed by a few individuals. The aspiration for an equal and egalitarian society, expressed during the decade-long People's War, different revolutions and movements at different times, the Madhesh movement, Indigenous nationalities movement, and Tharu movement, must be fulfilled by rolling up our sleeves and working hard.
Our constitution has given us a great framework to work with. We have explicitly mentioned our desire to establish a state that is socialism-oriented, inclusive, and egalitarian. Hence, it is time to move past the seasonal heroism shown by a few populists and work our way toward a prosperous Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.