Jhakri, (dis) honored herself with Pirka Salami who once ridiculed the system

Yes, the news is viral yet again, the Minister on the top of Pirka honoring herself (honoring ?) with a guard of honor from a bunch of police personnel.

Pirka salami, which became famous among Nepali dialects, is an ironic statement which ridiculed leaders' attitude to receive guard of honor in the least expected places. Here, the police personnel manage to create a small elevated podium (often made from parka, a short stool used in villages) for the ministers to receive the honor. These kinds of pictures are pretty famous amongst Nepali as it reflected the minister's psychology to be treated as supreme leader even by the few police officers in the least expected places.

The viral photo is of  Minister of Urban Development Ram Kumari Jhankri, and the secretary of the CPN United Socialist party who once ridiculed the system saying such acts reflected leaders’ attitude to be authoritative.

She has taken a 'Pirke Salami' inside Area Police Office at Purkot Daham in Madane Rural Municipality in her home district Gulmi. The police office was set up in her village with her own initiative.

This picture has received more criticism and ridicule from the public as Jhankri, used to be a vocal protester of such activities from politicians in the past. She had even taken the pictures of other leaders and ministers to the social media ridiculing their act.

‘This parka must have been used to honor the first, second and third place winners’ She had tweeted on July 5, posting similar pictures of Pirke salute.

Jhankri, who used to make fun of others, now takes salute by herself, hoping she is not suffering from short term memory loss syndrome.

Irritated with her behaviors, the general public has expressed sheer dissatisfaction through social media as many took this opportunity to ridicule the leader.Pirke Salami received wide spread criticism after the then Chief Commissioner of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Lokman Singh Karki, took such salutes from place to place.After which, the people's representatives at the local level also took salute.

Such practices were even more critisised by the public saying that the Singh Durbar (complex that houses federal ministries ) had finally come to their villages and so did the new king. After the country’s transition into federalism from constitutional monarchy, leaders had said that the Singha Durbar will be now shifted to their own villages.Minister Jhankri also sneered at that time, "After the table salute, Pirke salute, now the chair salute," she had said in one function.

But, a few years later the same leader is now being criticized saying that she has become like the old and corrupted leaders. In fact, Jhankri had earlier been arrested during the KP Sharma Oli-led government and her strong remarks raised eyebrows. She was praised by many for being fearless as her political height grew after she supported leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and his political stance.Jhankri, who came from the student political movement, is also a leader looked upon with hope by the youth.

She also got a ministerial post in the new government. But, at some point, she gets into unnecessary trouble when she accepts the subject she has criticized.

Meanwhile, the security forces have stated that they have been saluting the leaders as per their mandatory directives. The body said that it was not right to criticize the government for making such a directive and saluting accordingly.However, the general public has been of the opinion that such a practice should be abolished. The image of leader Jhankri protesting against the practice even before she became a minister is now going viral.

She later said that she took the salute knowing that criticism would come. But it is not clear what was the compulsion for Minister Jhankri  who has been openly saying not to accept any forms of bribes or do illegal work.

With such cases in light, a serious question are being raised by the poeple, if those who reach the leadership cannot remove the wrong tendencies , what will the people expect from such leaders?

#Thokotali.

(Thokotali is an editorial trademark of pardafas; a satirical and poignant presentation of news, views and analysis.)