Angry People

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Man is a social animal as Aristotle declared before third century BC. The norms of society are made by men when they need society for their living. It is believed that they must have mutual and cordial relation with one another. They should respect others to get respect in return. However, the words cooperation, mutuality, cordiality, kind, affection, warmness, sympathy, empathy, support, affinity etc sound odd or which are thought to be exchanged with money. People speak or deal in such a way that they don’t have to keep any relation with one another again. They would hurt others deliberately unless the person is nearest to them.

The growing city culture may have such effect in which people would feel dislocated. They have tried to keep up with city culture where money works for everything. Moreover, some people have the business of cheating so there may be some problem in mutuality and trust. But the context of Nepalese is too much devastative to deal with. It reminds me one of the songs “known people would be better than unknown; even more bought people is more useful than known people”. The song was popular in the 60s decade which reveals the best scenario of the people today in our country. If we can give money to them they will be ready to help us rather than humanity. Hence the context has been changing overnight from coordinating, mutual, helpful Nepalese to discourteous people.

Last time, I was travelling in a micro bus in the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu city. I gave 20 rupees to the helper and he didn’t show any sign to return the amount whereas the actual fare was 17 rupees only. I didn’t ask at first; when the stop came, I asked money with him. He returned me only 2 rupees. I asked him one rupee more. He ignored me first; when I repeated he replied me angrily that he had no other change amount. Should he tell it in prior or not? I told him that you wouldn’t leave only one rupee from us so you should return me the amount. He replied angrily that “Do you think me a man of one rupee?” The rule of the public vehicle is that if they don’t have change, they should take less money with the passenger which is prescribed in the transportation rules.

Moreover, I went to hospital yesterday. I took tickets from the counter first; then went to the OPD ward to pursue check up. I handled the card to the woman who had been registering name of passenger in the register. I asked her, “How many persons are in front of me?” She replied that she didn’t have time to answer; then I remained silent. Had I spoken again, she would have given me another answer. So I didn’t dare to ask her again.

These are representative examples only; we have to face such irate responses time and again. The persons who have taken duty to serve for public are too much hostile. They don’t feel it as their duty to smile and serve to the customers. There may be pressure in work, should they be responsive or not when they have to deal with the public? Rather they have taken their workplace to articulate their irritation. It’s a common culture in our context that they have exchanged such words frequently. Sometimes they used to make fun of some passengers and patients which we should be the passive witnessed only.

According to the world’s Life Style Survey the world’s happiest people belong to Norway who have treated others smilingly. Nepalese people have fallen towards the last category of happiest people though not the last in the list. Nepalese service provider would vomit anger first when they response others. The words like helpfulness, mutuality, cooperation are the etymologies of humor so they take them equal to aggression or revenge. The service is provided with compulsion or they would response unless the customers would argue or threaten them.

Its evident that the god has given us two ears, two eyes and one mouth. It means that we have to see twice, listen twice and speak once. We should control our mouth at any cost which is hundred times affective in comparison to a blow. The persons who can’t listen others can’t answer well. The service providers haven’t had such habit so they are too much rude. They don’t realize what their duty is; rather they think that the customers are just illiterate of they have given free service to them. Or they would think themselves as the senior authoritative persons of the institutions where they can show their power. On the other hand, there is no punishment mechanism for them in our country. It seems that they have the right to humiliate or even to threaten the passengers or patients.

Mostly, the helpers and drivers would exchange more rough words. They have the habit of exchanging rough words more than talking. It seems that exchanging rough words is one of their cultures. I feel odd when I travel with my family members and relatives in public vehicles mostly within Kathmandu valley. We should pretend of not listening such words while travelling. Moreover, the persons in the hospitals don’t use rough words rather they have exchanged their anger either of not responding or responding angrily so that the service receiver would be hurted.

I think all of these would happen due to the lack of education. Our education rate is still low or the persons who have got education are bounded for literacy programs only. As a corollary, they don’t have knowledge what to speak or not. According to our provision, there isn’t any training for junior staff how to respond or deal with the customers. After all they are the service providers who sit at front of the office room and their behavior would reflect the national culture as a whole.