What Armenia learned from Nepal's uprising

By Anahit Voskanyan

First came the shock – a religious one. Many in Armenia asked: “But aren’t Nepalis Buddhists? Why would they rebel and resist?” It turned out that yes, they would. And the irony is that the real “Buddhists” may be us, Armenians, who are in a state of perfect stupor, detached from the collapse happening around them.

Then came the second surprise: “All this turmoil over just a couple of blocked social media platforms?” I don't know what Nepalis would have done if their "Artsakh" had been taken away from them. You never know what could make people run out of patience. It might be the chaos of school textbooks. tree-cutting and desertification of cities, Yerevan’s suffocating urban sprawl, the construction noise and dust, the endless court hearings of political prisoners, the absolute irresponsibility of local authorities even in trivial matters, power outages, the burning of garbage dumps or another brazen remark by the ruling Civil Contract party members.

The authorities should realize that in a country grappling with many grievances, creating artificial distractions is a dangerous game. It could turn into the very last straw that makes Armenians remember they are not “Buddhists” and that they have the right – and reason – to resist.

Of course, resistance need not take the violent form we witnessed in Nepal. There are countless ways to express opposition.

Another reaction was admiration. People said: “Nepal may be underdeveloped, but it still has dignity.” But what exactly do we mean by “underdeveloped”? If it’s about the economy, is Armenia truly doing better? We do not have thriving factories, self-sufficient agriculture, lush orchards or zero unemployment.

Dignity has nothing to do with economic indicators. Those looking for it in economy are “Buddists”.

Also, Nepal's uprising revealed our envy of those brave enough to act. Those who dare to stand up against injustice and defend human dignity instantly command our envy.