Teashop Gossip | A cup of tea and politics

7:30 am, Nov 5

Thimi, Bhaktapur

There are usually around 10 people in the small tea shop I frequent during my morning walks. I stop by for black tea and to hear what people think about contemporary politics and society. I often encounter my neighbors, who walk nearly the same route. The tea shop regularly witnesses heated debates on political and other issues.

Like yesterday, I ordered my black tea and listened to a man–familiar by face, though we have never been formally introduced–expressing his frustration at the current state of the country. "These old political parties have done nothing in the past three decades except make money for themselves and their families," he says, arguing that today’s politicians don’t care about the problems the country is facing.

Another person says we need new faces in politics to transform the country. An elderly man suddenly interjects, "They (the three parties) have just put one new leader, hinting at Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane, in a big hole, and are conspiring against another new face (Balendra Shah, mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City)." Yet another participant questions the political parties' commitment to nationalism.

 A person, seemingly sympathetic to Nepali Congress (NC) or CPN-UML, interrupts to say that while the country needs new leadership, it shouldn’t be like the current crop of self-proclaimed new leaders – apparently referring to Lamichhane, who is currently in the custody of Kaski police for investigation over alleged cooperative fraud.

The conversation suddenly shifts from politics to agriculture when one man, after his second cup of tea, bids farewell, saying he needs to buy vegetables and reach home before 8. This sparks a discussion about vegetables, with everyone agreeing that domestic agricultural production has declined substantially. The group is unanimous in blaming politicians for the skyrocketing vegetable prices.

There is also shared concern about agricultural land turning barren. "Traditionally, we shipped grains and vegetables from villages to cities, but now it’s reversed. You see trucks carrying produce from cities to rural areas," says one participant, a driver by profession. Others recall how rural residents used to earn money by selling food grains and agricultural products. They all reminisce about childhood, when, except for salt and sugar, every household was self-reliant in daily essentials and food grains, barely needing cash. "We need an extreme situation, like a blockade, to force politicians and farmers to rely on agriculture again," another suggests.

The blame returns to the major political parties–NC, UML, and CPN (Maoist Center). The group criticizes their agricultural policies while in government. With successive governments focusing on sending youth abroad for employment, fertile lands lie barren, and the situation may worsen, they say.

They find the dependence on India for food rather worrying. "Some 40-50 years ago, Indian farmers came to Bhaktapur for vegetables and other seeds; now we get our seeds from India. Nepal used to sell seeds along the Nepal-India border," one participant says. The group agrees that without special attention to reviving agriculture nationwide, Nepal faces an impending food crisis. In these tea shop gatherings, I listen more than speak, gaining insight into people's thoughts on contemporary issues.

I have started a weekly column titled ‘Teashop Gossip’, where I will try to share the lively conversations that unfold in local tea shops. For years, tea shops have served as a public place where people from all walks of life meet and discuss contemporary issues. In this column, I will present these discussions just as they are, capturing the voices, views, and insights that arise without any alterations.