By Dr. Shabnam Koirala

Those of us with the ability to look at Nepali culture and society critically would agree that a movement such as the one led by the Maoists was bound to emerge sooner or later.  A country that still practices centuries of social hierarchies based on class, caste, gender and ethnicity would inevitably face a movement reflecting the struggles of the oppressed to gain some attention and rights in the mainstream.  The democratic movement which initially showed promise of a more equal Nepal, for the most part simply perpetuated some of these deep social inequalities while re-distributing power amongst the elite few.  The result has been a "democracy" controlled by those involved in partisan politics and the government.  The ordinary people, for the most part, remain forgotten. 

Unfortunately, what started as a plea for attention by the oppressed has turned into yet another struggle for power.  I think we have all had our fill of depressing and disheartening news of constant attacks and strife between Maoists, the army and innocent Nepalis.  As members of the Nepali Diaspora we continue to keep ourselves informed of the situation while feeling helpless and concerned for the state of our country and people.  The main question in everyone's minds being "when will this end?"

However, we also strive to keep hope alive.  Perhaps the only way for our society to change is through these types of upheavals that force people to rethink the way in which we have functioned for centuries.  Perhaps this is simply a wake-up call for Nepalis to create a Nepal that is more just and which serves the best interest of the ordinary people living under grave circumstances.  Our thoughts and actions need to change with changing times and part of the problem on all sides is this inability to think and act in ways that meet the needs of our society.  The army, the government and the Maoists continue to choose methods of problem-solving that have proven over and over again to be unproductive and inefficient.

So, while all parties involved are busy aggravating each other to the point of no return, the country continues to face social, cultural, economic deterioration.  Children continue to stay home from school more days than they attend school.  While at home, they spend hours watching mindless television in the form of soap operas, music videos and movies which are not only far removed from the realities of their socio-political environment but do little to motivate these minds.  Minds on which we are desperately relying for a better future.  And while the superficial nationalistic slogan 'bholi ka karnadhar' (tomorrow's trailblazers) continues to blast us from every angle, these karnadhars are seen wasting their time in unproductive activities within a system that could care less about their education or their future.

Maoist rebels and other political parties alike continue to use college campuses and schools as their primary recruitment grounds.  Instead of fostering a quiet, peaceful environment of learning, loud speakers spewing government propaganda infiltrate classrooms day after day.  The youth who should be developing critical and creative thinking, innovative ideas for change, and their own social, behavioral, moral character, are often forced to blindly follow the ideals and agenda of a political party.  Ideals that are not only unproductive but completely irrelevant for a nation unable to directly deal with its realities.  We not only lose more young people to an existing unproductive system but also continue to perpetuate it while completely avoiding the realities of civil strife. 

The cease fire during Dassain/Tihar has been a relief to us all.  In a time when political forces have done nothing but divide the country into various factions, all Nepalis deserve to celebrate this unifying festival in peace.  It has been wonderful to be able to hear of family members and friends visiting each other and enjoying the beauties of our culture without the fear of disturbances.  I myself have been keeping a close watch through internet and email exchanges.  Afterall, regardless of where we are we all care deeply for our country and its people.  Ongoing talks about dialogue between contending parties, peaceful action initiated by the government and the continuation of the cease-fire have all worked in keeping hope alive. 

Unfortunately, just as the possibilities of a peaceful and productive society were beginning to uplift my spirits, I read an article in Nepalnews today that shattered these positive feelings.  As an educator my biggest concern has been the effects of this political chaos on Nepali children.  Their development as children of a new age, as citizens equipped with tools to make changes in the best interest of the people, as moral beings disconnected from the ethical disintegration that marks Nepali politics, and as individuals with the ability to critique and change existing systems has been deeply affected by the chaos created by a small percentage of power-hungry people.  In looking into the future, I worry about the next generation's ability to bring about changes, because at a time when they should be learning from an education system that believes in their abilities they are stuck at home, terrified of their surroundings, learning from the profanities that TV has to offer.

What is worse now is that the Maoists have created their own schools and curriculum for the education of children.  According to a November 2nd article in Nepalnews.com, Maoists have now started an educational campaign to include "pro-people education" curricula for grades 4 and 5.  "Pro-people education" in and of itself is not a bad thing.  After all, many developing societies continue to incorporate such curricula that include learning about civic participation, democratic participation, human rights, etc.  Unfortunately, the Maoists seem to have grossly misunderstood the purpose of "pro-people education."  Instead what they have included in their curricula is "military science."  The topic itself is enough to cause chills down my back.  But it gets worse.  "Military Science includes topics dealing with extremist communist ideologies." The article further elaborates that,

Grade 4 students have to study "identification of explosives and exchange of information", "pictorial presentation of weapons, home-made guns and their utilities", "introduction of war", "introduction of sentry and its importance" and "role call system."  Students of Grade five have to study a few more topics under the same subject. Those topics include "introduction to booby-trap, grenade and precautions", "precautions for sentries and route guides", "kinds of warfare: just and unjust" and "coordination with the (people's) army in exchange of information."

At a time when our war-torn world needs peace education, we seem to be moving in the opposite direction.  What kind of message are we giving to our children?  We tell them that they are our future, we show them nothing but chaos and strife, we fill their ears with lectures on the importance of education, then we pull them out of schools, and when we finally put them back into classrooms we teach them about how best to destroy their own lives and others'.  It is time for these gross contradictions to stop.  The Maoists have taken it too far this time.  As if it wasn't enough to just promote their outdated Maoist philosophies at the cost of thousands of innocent lives, they are now inculcating these ideologies into the fresh minds of children who have so much potential to be peace makers. 

As a citizen of Nepal and as an educator, I am deeply saddened by this news and hope that key stakeholders in those communities and in the education system will stand up to this type of overt brain-washing.  We all want a peaceful state that is able to develop and thrive with changing times, not one that retreats into a dangerous military state.  I hope that the government (although it has proven to be weak and useless many times) will really show its strength in this issue by supporting educators, school systems, and districts in resisting this abhorrently misinterpreted version of "pro-people education."