Wishing for Peaceful 2063

Peace loving Nepalis gather at Maitighar Mandala every first day of Nepali month to remember the victims of the violence

By Ujjwal Acharya

1269 – the number was written on the white banner with ‘we will always remember you’ written beneath it. Just below the banner, the candles make out the number. And that’s the number of Nepali who lost their lives due to the ongoing violence in the country last year. A handful of people hold the burning candles wishing for peace.

I used my mobile phone to divide the number by 365 and the result was 3.48 – that means we are losing one of our countrymen every seven hours just because of violence.

I felt numb. It was sad. The same number of family suffered throughout the year with the stress that could have not touched their smiling faces if there hadn’t been the violence.

The few people who started the program are mostly intellectuals. I am sure I don’t have the brain to match them but I am sure they too felt the same way I felt – numb and heart-aching.

I don’t know when the peace will make a comeback, probably nobody knows. But every Nepali right now hopes there would be peace sometime soon.

This is probably not the best way to wish New Year, but I wish 2063 will bring peace to the country and that we all will be able to stand at the Maitighar Mandala with smiling with the white banner reading a big ZERO.

Peaceful New Year!