Opinion | You’re not plainclothes police, are you?
Summary
Fear of plainclothes police has become a joke in Nepali households, while state institutions publicly quarrel over authority and citizens bear the cost. The essay links festival spending, inflation, and village politics to a deeper crisis of trust, inequality, and democratic participation.
Key Points
- A new joke about plainclothes police reflects a deeper public fear and distrust in the state.
- The essay argues that festivals increasingly shape consumer habits, social prestige, and household spending pressures.
- Inflation and inequality make festival spending harder for poor and middle-class families, turning celebration into economic strain.
- As people return to villages for Dashain, Deepawali and Chhath, the article asks whether politics is truly returning with them.
