Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Gagan Thapa is planning a nationwide campaign to listen to the common people and party cadres.
He will remain outside the Kathmandu Valley for 33 consecutive days starting in September, and start the second stage of his campaign after the Tihar festival.
Thapa will not deliver any public speech throughout the campaign and listen to the people at the grassroots. “We put our opinion while going outside Kathmandu now and don’t get to talk with the people,” Thapa has told Setopati. “Those of us who go from Kathmandu give speech from the dais as if we know everything, and then return. We don’t even know about the people’s problems as we don’t talk with them. I feel we miss many things due to this attitude.”
Thapa has said that he will mainly look for answers to questions related to why the party leaders and cadres are rattled and disappointed, and why the general public are also similarly disappointed and angry.
“Congress became the largest party at the center, and provincial and local levels. There should have been a festive and celebratory mood in the leaders and cadres. But that is not so,” he has pointed. “There is rage inside and outside the party. Why is that happening? I want to gather knowledge after talking with people. I am going for public dialogue campaign for that.”
He has planned to visit places in 35 districts of the mountains, hills and Madhes plains in the first stage. He will visit the other districts after Tihar.
He will not give any public speech during the campaign and no party committee will organize formal programs during his campaign. “There was hope in the people that tomorrow would be better at the time of armed conflict, king’s direct rule, earthquake, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Why is that hope disappearing now? I will look for answers to such questions,” he has revealed. “I want to meet people who are not associated with the party structures and try to understand how they are looking at me. Where did Congress err? Why are the people angry? Why is hope disappearing?”
He has added that he will talk with people of all age groups and return to Kathmandu only after finding answers to such questions. “I will have some grounds for debate when I return after talking with the people. I will discuss about that inside the party. I will start the public dialogue campaign after holding discussion even with my colleagues.”
