BY Madan Lamsal

No really, I wonder what has happened to people. Everyone I talk to seems to be drowning in disappointment and despair. Everywhere I find people who say things have only become worse, everything is ruined and in bad shape! 

But just listen to the government. And weave a happy tale. Read the speeches of the ruling leaders. Everything is going well. The Gita says, "Why do you worry? What did you bring into the world? And what will you be leaving with?" But our Prime Minister and ministers offer grander advice these days. Just as knowledge expands after reading the Gita, reading the leaders’ speeches seemingly transforms everything into a positive light! 

For example, the outgoing Minister for Finance asserts that all the numbers are positive, and the economy has improved, blaming the media for spreading negativity. Similarly, the Prime Minister reassures that the country is progressing, debunking rumors of stagnation or deterioration. It made me forget about my troubled balance sheet and debts. Then it dawned on me that everything is, in fact, good! Recently, there was a rumor that Lord Rama had come to the neighborhood. In our place, we have the very Ramrajya in place! You might ask as to how I got such high spirits. I will also tell the story of that.

If you go to complain, the leaders say – keep your morale high, everything will be fine!

I go to the market. I see the price list, reach into my pocket. And my morale goes to zero again! When I reach home disappointed with everything I can't carry, my wife says – keep your morale high, everything will be fine in the future!

I turn the pages of the newspapers. Everywhere I get news of vagrancy, murder, violence, lack of work on time, increased corruption, rotting food in warehouses etc. My neighbor says - don't panic, good times are coming. They’ve already arrived in the neighboring country!

When I feel my morale plummeting again, I turn to saints, mahatmas or spiritual leaders and gurus. They echo the impermanence of everything, the cyclic nature of day and night. “Keep your morale high, don't lose patience,” they advise. So I revisit the Gita, reinforcing the message: Do the action, don't hope for the result!

In this way, as much as there are cries of despair everywhere, there are also cheering people everywhere. Having been inspired by these cheerleaders, I have decided that I will now make a public announcement to keep my morale high. But the special thing about the program to keep the morale high is that you have to have the morale in the first place. When you don’t have any morale, you cannot keep it high! If I talk about keeping my morale high without having it, the world will surely laugh at me. 

I suppose you all know that there can be no high morale without foolishness. On the other hand, the morale of the people is so high that it is almost impossible to gauge. Goods worth 100 are sold for 1000. Adulteration is rampant. Milk, ghee, spices, oil – nothing is pure. Scams everywhere. They paint a beautiful picture of high morale! No fear of law, no fear of society. Squeeze as much money as you can. As much as possible. Now, if you say you won't allow the police to check you at the airport, and if the policeman lands a kick on you for that, super high morale is at play here. 

Having been inspired by these cheerleaders, I have decided that I will now make a public announcement to keep my morale high. But the special thing about the program to keep the morale high is that you have to have the morale in the first place. When you don’t have any morale, you cannot keep it high! If I talk about keeping my morale high without having it, the world will surely laugh at me.

Only those with such high morale are something in this country; the rest are as good as dead rats! The wise study and get educated; the fools who do not study or get educated somehow reach power positions and issue orders to the wise! All this is possible because of high morale.

The morale in society is so high that doctors are advising their patients to undergo so many check-ups and prescribing so many medicines to such a high degree that it is not possible to keep a count of it all. Some hospitals put dead people on ventilators and collect money from their families! However, the great formula of keeping the morale high should be learned from the government. 

It says that the private sector is the operator of the economy, but it burdens the private sector with so much tax that it can hardly move! If the business works, it's fine. The government's policy of encouraging those who are going to fail in their business is also unique. It taxes the businessmen in the name of various fees so heavily that it is almost impossible to tell. 

It is said in the scriptures that fools have the highest morale among all. If Kalidas was not a fool, would he have married the princess? If the Gorkhalis were not fools, would they have been counted among the bravest of the world? Putin uncle has offered a job to Gorkhalis in his army simply because Gorkhalis are fools! Keeping all these things in mind, the worms that raise one’s morale have started to grow in me.

So I solemnly swear that I will continue to be a fool from now on. As a result, I declare that I will always keep my morale high. To keep my morale high, I have also collected enough stupidity. So tonight, after 12 o'clock, there is an announcement program to keep my morale high at the graveyard under the snow-lacking naked mountains. If anyone has any objections regarding the program to keep my morale up, I invite you to tell me before the program. You can message me by phone, social or non-social network in support or opposition to this high-quality courage of mine.

Just as the price of something does not go down again once it increases; just as the salaries and other benefits of government employees or ministers or high-ranking VIPs do not decrease once they increase, even if they do not work; just as the prices increase but the bribes increase even more; just as the government’s morale reaches as high as the sky even if the government hospitals are without doctors, without medicine and without examination machines or equipment; once my high morale rises, it is impossible to lower it again. Then the Tandav of my high morale will begin. And then no one will get the chance to say anything about my foolishness!