Ajay Sodari
Genji Activist
The government belongs to Jenji but doesn’t listen to Jenji’s issues, doesn’t work: Ajay Sodari says: The Jenji movement is a golden history, but the government didn’t run according to the manden
Akanksha Dhami, Nepal News Bank
Kathmandu. On the completion of one year of the Zenji movement, Jenji activist Ajay Sodari has said that the government has not been able to move forward according to the main spirit and demands of the movement.
He said that the problems of the families of the martyrs, injured and detainees of the Genji movement have not been resolved yet and the issues of good governance, corruption control, employment generation and respectful participation of youths in state bodies have not been addressed. In an exclusive conversation with Nepal News Bank, Sodari spoke about the situation he saw after the recent floods and landslides in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading to the working style of the government for one year of the Genji movement.
‘Situation like the fall of atomic bombs in Rasuwa and Nuwakot’
According to Sodari, they had reached the affected areas for inspection and rescue on the second day after the flood from Rasuwa to Nuwakot on August 26.
He said that he had never seen the devastation in his life when he reached Uttargaya, Syafrubesi and Kalikasthan of Rasuwa via Trishuli, Devighat, Dhunge Bazaar, Betrawati.
‘Beautiful settlements, bazaars that have been inhabited for years are nothing to be seen. It was just a state of destruction. It was as if an invisible country had dropped an atomic bomb there,” he said.
According to him, bodies were seen in the flood-affected areas and some people were seen writhing. He said that even though they reached for rescue, they had to play a coordinating role as they did not have the necessary training and equipment. He said that the rescue operation has become very difficult due to the accumulation of mud and sand up to the waist in the affected areas.
‘The army was also telling anyone except the experienced and trained not to go to the rescue. So, we coordinated with Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, district administration and district police,” Sodari said.
He said that this time they have seen the level of destruction that they did not see even in the earthquake of 2072 BS.
“I still feel uncomfortable remembering that scene. We can’t even sleep,” he said.
‘The government is not seen in the flood-affected areas’
Sodari has accused him of not feeling the effective presence of the government when looking at the on-site situation from Nuwakot to Rasuwa after the floods.
“To be honest, we have not seen the government,” he said.
Stating that they have reached the affected area with relief materials, he said that the condition of the children staying in the holding center there is very pitiable.
“A child was waiting for a packet of noodles. There were no slippers on his feet. There were torn clothes on his body and the smell of mud was still coming from those clothes,” he said.
He said that although a huge amount of money has been deposited in the government’s relief fund, relief materials have come from various countries and donors, and assistance has been received from the citizens’ level, they are confused about where and how these materials are being distributed. Sodari accused the government of being more visible on social media and media but has not been able to effectively present the real geography of the flood-affected areas.
“The government was seen in the sky, it was seen on social media. But where there has been floods, where people are suffering, where rescue and relief are needed, it has not been seen,” he said.
The main demands of the movement have not been fulfilled even after one year of the Jenji movement.
According to him, more than 1,100 Genji youths are still in various prisons and facing false cases.
“Youths are in jail just because they participated in the movement, made videos of the movement. Even after a year, they have not been released,” he said.
He also accused the government of not doing enough to provide rehabilitation, compensation, employment and social security to the martyr’s families. He also said that the condition of those injured during the agitation is even more painful.
“Some have no hands, some have no feet, some have no ears. They have lost various body parts. But the government is confusing them by deciding when to form committees and hold meetings,” he said.
“Good governance, corruption control and employment situation remain the same”
The main objectives of the Genji movement are good governance, ending corruption, ending nepotism, employment generation and equal access to state agencies, Sodari said that there has not been the expected change in these areas.
“How many jobs have been created so far, how many corrupt people have been caught, how much corruption has been eliminated?” he asked.
He also questioned the current political leadership on the issue of ‘Nepo Kids’, which is one of the main slogans of the movement.
‘Those who raised slogans against Nepo Kids on the streets yesterday have now become part of the same structure. How did yesterday’s movement and today’s lifestyle and expression reconcile?” he asked.
‘The government belongs to Jenji, but it is not working for Jenji’
According to Sodari, the current government is the result of the political situation created by the Jenji movement. However, he said that even though the government is called the government of Jenji, the work has not been done according to the main objective of the movement.
“The government belongs to Jenji, but it is not working for Jenji, even though it is called Jenji’s government, it has not been working according to the main purpose of the movement,” he said.
He said that various agreements, commissions and reports related to the Genji movement have not been implemented. According to him, although commitments have been made to form a high-level commission for constitution amendment, a judicial commission to investigate the incidents of agitation, Genji Council and a mechanism for the rehabilitation of the injured and martyrs’ families, they have not been implemented.
Sodari also expressed dissatisfaction over the fact that after the Genji movement, some activists joined the National Swatantra Party and contested the elections and joined the government.
According to him, some of the activists who had said that they would not allow the elections to take place until the demands of the movement were met eventually joined the political parties and came to power.
“Those who said that they would not allow the elections to be held until the demands of the agitation were met, went to the party and contested the election and became ministers. This made us feel betrayed,” he said.
He also accused the political rise of the Jenji movement of mixing it with one party. Sodari alleged that they were behaving as if they were unelective because of the strong two-thirds public support of the government.
At the same time, the government is panicking when the youths are warned from the streets and as a result, arrests and cases are being filed.
He also questioned the Prime Minister’s statement that there is no technology in the world for tunnel rescue. Giving the example of the rescue of those trapped in the tunnel in Uttarakhand, India, Sodari said that the government should speak on the basis of facts and studies.
‘Can you give such a level of expression? There is an example of India evacuating people trapped in the tunnel. Therefore, even though the government is very enthusiastic, these statements and style show that they are not conscious,” he said.
‘The government should solve the problem’
Sodari is dissatisfied with the government’s argument that the work that could not be done in the last 35 years cannot be completed in five months. According to him, the current change has come because the expected work could not be done in the past.
“In the last 35 years, the country has not changed. Can you say that Nepal needs another 35 years, is Nepal a laboratory?” he questioned.
However, he said that he also understands that the government needs time for long-term work.
Giving the example of countries like South Korea, Japan and Singapore taking decades of development, he stressed the need of resolving problems of livelihood immediately with long-term plan.
“Problems related to price control, availability of gas, employment and daily life of the people should be resolved immediately. Short-term and medium-term plans should also be taken forward simultaneously for long-term development,” he said.
‘Don’t forget the spirit of the Jenji movement’
Sodari claimed that the Jenji movement was not a movement for personal or political interest but an expression of generational dissatisfaction.
According to him, the youths who participated in the movement did not come to the streets for power or political positions. They were disappointed with the previous regime, power and political tendencies and took to the streets for change.
‘It was a sacrifice for the country. We will not forget the martyrs and injured of the Jenji movement. We will not allow the demands and issues raised by the agitation to be overshadowed,” he said.
He said that they have taken September 2
3 as a proud day for the Genji generation.
“September 23 is a golden day for us. It is a proud history that the new generation has picked up. We will keep that history alive,” Sodari said.
He said that on the occasion of completion of one year, the agitation will be reviewed and the future strategy will be decided. He said that the government’s work, commitment and implementation status will be reviewed minutely.
For Sodari, the one year of the Genji movement is more a time of review and struggle than an achievement. Sodari believes that it is a golden day for the memory of the movement, but a ‘black day’ for the government’s working style.
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