Nepal, Feb. 1 -- The upcoming general election and the mood that it has evoked have created an unprecedented moment in Nepali history. The discussions that this event has triggered vary in the patterns and modes of action. The general atmosphere suggests that the established political parties and the newcomers are responding to the mood of this moment in different ways. There are two different approaches. One is that of scepticism, and the other is of total enthusiasm imbibed without proper analysis of the situation. The snap election and its preparation pose challenges not only to the political parties but also to political scholars, social scientists, literary writers and artists.

As the change came suddenly in a matter of a few weeks ...