“To change the face of this country”: Nepalese progressive songs under pancayat democracy

This is a study of a contemporary Nepalese artistic genre. But it is also an analysis of political rhetorics and of one of the means by which the political parties were able to build up mass support during the time they were legally banned. During the three decades of partyless Pancayat Democracy, the parties were confined to working underground, undercover in the guise of student unions, and – as they did from its very inception (Rose 1965: 360, 365) – within the pancayat system itself. How, then, to capture, convince and convert the masses? Progressive songs – pragati!"l g"t – were part of the “cultural front” specifically aimed to reach beyond the dedicated party workers and to “the people”. This cultural work – conceived as the first step in the enlightenment of the people – included street dramas; the street poetry revolution (Hutt 1991:142); and the musical performances and cultural programs (with a mix of dramas, dances, and songs) of which progressive songs were the most important component.Original publication: Ingemar Grandin, “To change the face of this country”: Nepalese progressive songs under pancayat democracy, 1996, Journal of South Asian Literature, (29), 1, 175-189