The Kharani Gang

I could not believe ChatGPT contained so much information on The Kharani Gang. It will make my writing trivial. One can find in ChatGPT possible meaning of Kharani Gang, its evolution or time-line, main actors and supporters.

The kharani or the ashes has nothing do with the Greek mythological phrase: the rising from the ashes. The implied meaning here is reverse of the metaphor or the situation: we have crisis instead of renewal, destruction instead of rebirth, an end rather than a new beginning. That is true worth of Kharani Gang.

There is a Nepali saying related to ashes or Kharani: You will not have a dearth of ashes (to sell) when you put your house on fire. Kharani Gang is the product of this burning and looting. It is often associated with Gen-Z, but it is reverse of Gen-Z. The objective is to pull down everything to the ground; to start from a zero or a scratch. There is a communist philosophy: If you cannot make everyone rich, you can, at least, make them poor – distribute poverty evenly, reduce to ground zero.

With the former chairman of Gen-Z investigation commission, now admitting that the then PM issued directive to not to investigate 9 September rioting, and moreover, with advance preparations; one can be sure of advance planning and preparations by the organizers. The army may have claimed that, having to trade-off between human and physical costs, they opted the latter. This is the starting point for the Kharani Gang.

So far, the Kharani Gang has popularized two ideas. First, they present themselves as “know-all, show-all” type guys. The Management Guru, Peter Drucker had written elsewhere, that in an age of information, knowledge and age (experience) need not correlate. Definitely, one can gain or access to knowledge without having to experience first. Knowledge can be gained from varied sources, not limited to experience (age). But the extreme arrogance of Kharani Gang tells us that they are here to teach (politics), not to learn; and warns that if you do not learn or correct yourself, they will wipe you out. Desh banaune or bikas is their only mantra. Others are here to demolish this country. Dhukka hunus – that is their message. If you don’t agree with them, face the wrath of explicit foul language and swearing. “He is not created by the House, rather he thinks other way round.” This is what an MP, Ms Renu Chand, informed.

They think themselves as “the new” rather a brand new, forgetting the fact that there cannot be a new without first having an old. For them newness comes from doing unconventional or breaking the past and don’t care if it does not fit with general conventions or traditions.

This know-all super attitude got into a problem with the handling or rather mishandling of Rasuwa flash flood rescue operations. Now, they are “rescuing bodies” from the deep tunnels. More bodies being rescued or body parts recovered means more discredits, so these things have to stop and, eventually, be stopped.

Second, put all the blames on the opponents for the all the ills and mishaps. Why so many hydro-power plants along a single stream of river? Why big settlements at the river banks? Was not Balen correct evicting squatters from the banks of Bagmati? Wish they find enough ground to blame conventional political parties for “Nepali” global warming due to to corruption, greed and mismanagement during last 35 years! And the sad part is that there are honchos who, took all the privileges during last 30-35 years, are here to preach this message.

Basically, Nepali society is a hierarchical society. In terms of Geert Hofstede’s culture dimensions, we are high in power distance, collectivism, masculine in character and risk avoiding. The political topsy-turvy or upside-down has completely dismantled this hierarchy or pyramid. People who used to be at the top (of the food chain) are suddenly at the bottom; and the elders now have to follow orders from the youths. It will be rare to find a pyramid standing up-side down. The result is obvious. Nature’s gravitational force will pull it down to the ground. It is just a matter of time. Read Nepal’s political history, natural disasters are accompanied by political disasters. And we are waiting for that disaster to happen. Order comes out of disorder and great order comes out of great disorder. The Kharani Gang is simply here to speed-up that disordering process.