Dear Youth,
First, I want to apologize; for my actions or inactions that have led to the situation today. I just wanted to share with you something about my generation or the generation before me. Just passing on some insider information, let me start by introducing us oldies to you.
We don’t share the same beginning, but the youngest among us were born around the late eighties and in the first years of the 90s – the last of the millennium. Let’s call us oldies. Many of us grew up without seeing electricity for decades or not knowing how it felt like riding a motor vehicle or bike. I personally, however, was among the lucky few who were born in a much more affluent city.
While access to amenities differed, almost all of us grew up in similar social structures. These structures were hierarchical, patriarchal, and steeped in demands for obedience and deference. We are the species that stripped “respect” away from the idea of love and then pushed respect — in its narrow, rigid form — to the top of our social fabric.
To be fair the oldies did try to break most of it. Especially, within the state mechanism and community (family was more or less left untouched). Among us there were always a bunch who challenged traditions. Who demanded mutual accountability instead of obedience, who valued freedom over fatalism? These groups are the ones who led Nepal from anarchical rules and governance to the modern federal democratic Republic. Yet even through our various efforts for social and political change, we have tended to demand rights without fully understanding or embracing the duties and responsibilities that go with them.
Now, the information that I want to pass on. While we oldies deserve credits for a lot of progress, we are not perfect. You will say you are not as well. You may rightly say your generation has flaws too — I agree — but the flaws in my generation are particularly damaging to the nation. Let me give you some examples.
Its these oldies among whom a reputed civil society member openly says that the nation does not belong to the youth and another reputed media personality gladly magnifies that thoughts. See, we can blame you for being frustrated and still refuse to accept our role in creating that frustration.
We are the same bunch, who value etiquette and words over emotion. When you say you will find and “drag every culprit”, we label you as anarchists instead of understanding your hearts yearning for Justice. When you say we are ready to “die and kill for change” we see terrorists but don’t see the raw, desperate frustrations you have that demands changes (Thank goodness life is not a movie: A Lover boy would have been lynched for shouting out,“I will burnt the world for you”, to his beloved.) We have trouble understanding emotions; we didn’t learn to value them.
We are also the privileged ones who dismiss your critique of the constitution by saying you have not read it. We never ask ourselves what sort of constitution we have made where people cannot experience its merit through good governance, and quality of life. We admit too little responsibility for failing to orient the new generation on these matters.
Most importantly, we are probably the most divided bunch in history, and sadly maybe ever. Those divisions are the core of our personal and professional lives. We are at a point where we connect more deeply with these subgroups like political parties then we do with any other factors. Thus, we are only concerned with self-preservation. rationality, ethics, and morality have become nonexistent in our way of thinking. Affiliations matter to is more than principles.
I warn you dear youth, us oldies are beyond saving. The cleverest minds and the strongest bodies among us have been consumed by a greyness — neither clearly principled nor wholly corrupt, just cautious and self-interested. I see in your generation a clearer tendency to take sides — for better or worse — but many of us prefer the shelter of ambiguity and act according to convenience. Worryingly, some of these habits are already seeping into younger generations through institutions.
So please, protect yourselves from our worst tendencies. Use our technical skills and institutional memory when you need them but be wary of trusting us on questions of morality and values. The emotional honesty and value-driven politics your generation prizes are largely absent among us. You will find capable people but you will have to navigate the vastness of the grey areas not just the bad for you to reach the good among the oldies.
We cling to systems and documents — believing that rules alone will save democracy — without making democracy a lived value. For us, having words on paper can feel more important than ensuring that those words shape everyday experience and dignity.
Stay away from the us charlatans. Watch out for people in grey as they are more harmful and find the good among us. We oldies are now incapable to bridge the divisions woven into every thread of our social and institutional fabric. However, you can. Don’t tear everything down all at once; instead, deliberately and gradually retrofit the fabric with new and stronger threads — new norms, deeper accountability, and values that match your aspirations. But remember Cautious trust is a bare minimum when dealing with us oldies.
With respect and urgency,
— A Failed Oldie.