Disappointed

Tomorrow's march is perhaps the first declaration of a class war since 2006, from the other direction: bourgeoisies on the proletariat. It has less to do with opposing the Maoist's forced closure of the country, and more to do with defending one's slice of civic life, and defending the right of others to enjoy their slice of civic life.

And it puts professionals, business people and other civic society types at direct confrontation with the Maoist multitude. This is very unfortunate. It is plain to see to anyone that the Maoists have been keeping hostage the futures of their own base also. But, there is a promised payoff: the new constitution will be more proletariat friendly. Land distribution is a foundational issue. Gender is, too. As is secularism. As is the question of redressing unequal land and water treaties made with India. Nepal can't achieve any modicum of stability or peace without re-imagining the state and the nation to find a more effective and urgent method of wealth re-distribution. Historically, there has been alienation of a part of the citizenry, based on their geographical and ethnic distance from the center. These are issues that all parts of the society should be interested in, not just the revolutionary red horde. Tomorrow's march from Basantapur should respond to these ideas, if it wants to have any relevance whatsoever.

Because, if we don't remember these things and insist only upon our right to open shops and factories or be able to go to our jobs, we will have forgotten what it is that separates the Maoist protesters from us, and what keeps the two groups yoked together.

The yoke should be no less than a recognized, instilled notion of equality and justice for all people on earth: your fellow citizens simply happen to be a special sub-set of that number. They deserve exactly the same kinds and amount of freedoms that you would ask for yourself--or if your conception of the self is that of a moral person--the kinds and amount of freedoms that you would recognize as the right of another person, and would defend with your life.

What separates us is our willingness to recognize the rule of law, the absolute imperative for integrity in civic life, the recognition that when we march tomorrow, we don't march merely to defend our rights, but also to defend the rights of others.