Festival Of Mixed Feelings

The nation has celebrated the Dashain festival 2024 as the annual monsoon has already departed and the sunny days are reigning the best time of the year. Though the rain causing wind coming from the Bay of Bengal is inactive and absent now, the memory of the untold wrath it showed and widespread destruction and tragedy it brought some 16 days ago is still haunting the Nepali psyche. The downpours and cloudbursts and the resultant calamity two weeks before the complete withdrawal of the monsoon marred the festive atmosphere as a large number of lives were lost and properties worth billions were destroyed. On the eve of the great national festival, vital infrastructures like bridges, roads, highways, power plants and transmission lines were damaged or destroyed. 

It is probably for the first time in memory that a monsoon fury so close to the Dashain festival caused such a widespread mayhem and brought human tragedy of an unimagined scale. In addition to the loss of lives and properties, the damages done to the roads and bridges by the landslides, floods and erosion had their adverse impact on the transportation sector nationwide. The transport infrastructure suffered such a massive destructive at a time when people's mobility was going to be at its peak as a large number of people travel home for the festival reunion and celebration. Despite weather-induced obstacles to carry out immediate rescue missions, what is evidently commendable here is the move of the government machinery to spring into action for repairing and rebuilding the transport infrastructure. 

Bailey bridges were swiftly installed in places where existing bridges were washed away, mudslide debris obstructing the highways were removed, road diversions constructed to ensure uninterrupted connection and safe travel for the home-bound commuters. The hard work and time dedication of the security forces must be appreciated for their search, rescue and rehabilitation works. Concerned government administration and authorities deserve kudos for mobilising technical resources and workforce to swiftly deal with the disaster. As a result, in contrast to the initial fears, larger number of travelers were able to visit home for the Dashain festival, even by taking lengthy detours. 

The Dashain festival of this year has offered a mixed feeling to the peoples. While the significant chunk of the populace that managed to overcome hurdles and get home to celebrate with the families, friends and neighbours, there were many others who were mourning the loss of near and dear ones. There were minors who were orphaned from the disaster; others were in deep grief for losing sibling and child. Many had no shelter to live in, let alone celebrate the festival in the joyous mood. It is time to take stock of the troubles faced by the victims and disaster survivors, and make sure that they were not deprived of the basic needs of life. The government needs to do something concrete so that the survivors do not have to go without food and shelter while others are celebrating the festival. 

Nepali people have not only the resilience and courage to battle and overcome natural disasters but are known for their boundless sense of sharing, caring, unity and brotherhood during difficult times. Such examples were visible during this crisis time when courageous and kind people extended their helping hands to people in distress. Nepali civilisation springs from the foundation of humanity which is best observed in time of crisis. After the Dashain comes the Tihar, the festival of light. Let the festive light bring the renewed spark of co-existence so that everyone can celebrate the festival in same joy and merriment.