It is heartwarming to see Nepalis coming together to help other Nepalis throughout our history. Most of the time, concerned citizens step in to help since it is a well known and accepted fact that the government is mook and practically inactive. At this time, there is a renewed interest in helping out using the internet hashtag #fillthebucket. This is indeed another one of many heartwarming movements that Nepalis have come forward with to help other Nepalis and they will continue to help with what they can in the future too.
When citizens come out to help other citizens, the magnitude of influence it will have on the problem of poverty and suffering is miniscule as compared to a more infrastructural approach that can only be provided by a government. For example, to provide the stepping stones for impoverished parts of the country, we need infrastructure such as education, road, bridges, etc, and to provide the necessary precautions and technology to prevent massive killer floods, we need technical infrastructure to study soil and build dams and install preventative measures in all fronts. Citizens initiatives can provide band aid quick fix but it will never provide a lasting solution. Even if we support the needy with #fillthebucket challenge, how many buckets can we fill and for now long? Generally, a person who can afford it and is concerned will #fillthebucket once, which will provide gratification to the needy for a week. But then what? How many filler of buckets will continue to provide the bucket to the needy on a continuous basis so that the needy's need will always be met? Probably not many!
Not taking away any merit for people who are doing what they can, we do need to keep filling the bucket, but at the same time we do need to keep looking for a long term solution. Because, the bucket will never get to all the needy people and the needy people will not be getting the bucket all their lives.
The Nepali demographic is vastly divided between the educated and the uneducated with the latter ones suffering the most from poverty. One alarming trend that is settling in Nepal is people's lack of interest in holding government accountable. When the educated lose hope in the government and do not hold them accountable in any way, then the future of the uneducated are doomed, since there is no hope for any infrastructural changes which is the only way to give them any opportunity at a better life.
The educated people cannot be withdrawn from the need to hold the government accountable if any long term solution is to be reached. The educated citizens may no longer wish to whine about the govt or rely on the stagnant state of govt affairs due to multiple stages of disappointments. But as I said earlier, if the educated ones do not demand government accountability then the future of the underprivileged is doomed and in slower doses, even the privileged lose their rights gradually when they give up their right to demand government accountability.
In summary, we should keep on doing what we can to help the needy, but long term solution - which is infrastructural change that can only be done by government - is not going to happen unless the educated start demanding accountability from government instead of wallowing in their own comfort zones declaring the govt inept and making few donations here and there to feel good about themselves. Let's keep #fillingthebucket and at the same time #demandgovtaccountability as well.
