By Rabi Raj Thapa

Metamorphosis is a change of physical form, structure or substance specially by supernatural means. It also means a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances. Now the question is: Is Nepal going through a metamorphosis of our young students due to ongoing teachers’ protests? It is grave and serious.

Metamorphosis means changes in certain insects like butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, ants, and beetles who grow through a unique life cycles of four stages - egg, larva, pupa and adult to complete a life-cycle of metamorphosis. But what if it gets stuck in egg or larva-pupa as our young students get stuck in the middle without Grade + 12 exams or SEC exam results?  

The world-acclaimed book “The Metamorphosis” was written by Franz Kafka, a world-renowned writer published in 1915. However, the socio-psychology depicted there in the book surprisingly fits into today’s Nepali socio-economic life and condition very well. It warns how a disgruntled young heart can react and be metamorphic if and when the government rulers disregard the genuine hope and aspirations of its students. What if the socio-economic hopelessness and hardship created by the government and society ever increase the frustrated and aggressive disgruntles who desire nothing except to shout against the government or leave the country as soon as possible? Today, things have gone too far and the government authorities and responsible stakeholders have fiddled around too much with the hopes and aspirations of Nepali young generations, aspirations, hope and their future prospects.

The destiny of each of our young diligent obedient kids seems to meet the fate of Gregor Samsa’s fate in his metamorphosis from a human into an insect – ever humble, insignificant and ignored.  

“The Metamorphosis” is a novella about a young man, who, despite all his hard sincere work fails to please his hard-domineering father, a complaining mother and an ever-demanding sister who always asking for money. Besides family business, Gregor has a very demanding boss whom he has to take a Five O’ Clock train to reach his office where his boss fleeces all his strength and energy by letting him run door to door as a salesman.

Does our Nepali society also treat and burden our young people like Gregor; unceasingly physically and financially mad, mentally burden him with government impositions, parental demands and peer-group pressures? In addition to that, it is needless to speak about over-politicized ever protesting Nepali academic elites and school teachers who are merrily dancing in the street while they were supposed to evaluate SEC papers and conduct Grade 12 Exams. Then we Nepali have many kids like Gregor who have nobody to teach, guide and inspire whether at home or in school. There is no refuge or solace from anywhere.

Despite all these, when Gregor finds himself metamorphosed into a huge ugly bug like insect, he attempts to adjust his burdensome conditions with his parents and sister, who get repulsed by his horrible, germanous creature that he had become.

How does a youth feel when this type of metaphor is used by the government and society who treat their kids like Gregor?  

The current pathetic condition of a young student’s heart waiting for his Secondary Education Examination result which is stalled and the commencement of the Grade 12 Examination that also hanging in limbo due to war between the government and the teachers.

This is the dilemma where the responsible government has failed to address more than half a million young delicate hearts and totally disheartened them by thwarting their hopes and sentiments. As a result of all these failings, Nepali society will see an ocean of disgruntled masses of frustrated, aggressive youths in place of elite intellectuals, academic elites and energetic inspiring new generations.  

Today, the PM is warning and threatening teachers like a dictator, the education minister is leaving the ground by resignation and students are treated like orphaned beggars who don’t have any right to demand for good education and examination in time.

It all sounds more selfish, shameful and pathetic.

If such conditions and situations are prolonged for a long time, the Nepali government and people will have no room to complain and grumble against their kids who metamorphose from sincere, good and laborious students to drug addicts, and juveniles and criminals in days to come.