There’s wisdom and humour on the back of Nepali trucks

Next time you’re in Nepal, you might notice something special about the trucks plying the country’s roads. Like in Pakistan, Nepalese trucks carry quirky, witty verses and contextual satire. The messages range from politics and philosophy to love, humour and even expletives. These days, they aren’t limited to trucks, but show up on public buses and safa tempos (battery-powered tuk-tuk) too.

There are a few initiatives in Nepal to compile these expressions. According to columnist CP Aryal, a magazine called Bus Sahitya, meaning “bus literature,” was launched several years ago in a move to acknowledge the literary value of the verses splashed on the back of vehicles. And Subid Guragain, a journalist and teacher, published a compilation of 700 such messages titled Truck Sahitya, meaning “truck literature,” in 2011.

Aryal writes:

What drives people to scrawl these lines on their vehicles? And why do so many do it? Govinda Lamsal, who drives a truck, says that in a line of work that is so mechanical, these words or images are a way of showing some creative flair and personal philosophy. “People perceive us as hardened folk without emotions,” he says. “Well, we have feelings too, and this is usually our only means of showing them while on the road.”

Social media is full of examples of these verses. This truck carries a message mentioning Facebook and Twitter:

ट्रक साहित्य!! pic.twitter.com/rPiqijRzMU

— Niraj Bhatt (@Nijvt1) October 6, 2015

If you can’t have Facebook, go for Twitter;
If you can’t win a girl, make her [your] sister.

ट्रक साहित्य । ???? pic.twitter.com/M3hM3BuKyY

— भरत (@bringitonguyz) November 6, 2015

Whether it’s uphill or downhill, hope there’s an in-law’s house on the hill;
Whether she’s dark or white, hope there’s a sister-in-law at the in-law’s house.

And they don’t spare the country’s politics and politicians:

#ट्रक साहित्य
(फोटो फे.बु बाट लिएको हो) pic.twitter.com/AEK4VU2YLv

— Alok Atreya (@alokforensic) January 30, 2016

In America, young lead the country;
Old get the pension.
In Nepal, old rule the country;
Young get the tension.

Some messages have philosophical overtones:

ट्रक साहित्य pic.twitter.com/246AYQ8uwp

— PHALANO™ (@phalano) April 23, 2013

This one is similar:

ट्रक साहित्य pic.twitter.com/246AYQ8uwp

— PHALANO™ (@phalano) April 23, 2013

Spend money for honour,
Don’t spend honour for money.

Other messages talk about a driver’s life and the difficulties they face:

Kati ramailo 🙂 #trucksahitya pic.twitter.com/bJB210Qh2t

— Sabeena Karki (@sabeenakarki) August 15, 2015

Some messages are satirical, like this one aimed at those who cannot stop talking about Nepal being the birthplace of Buddha:

ट्रक साहित्य pic.twitter.com/sGqPGNXilf

— prabess (@praveshwagle) December 27, 2015

And here’s a message for anyone who is impatient:

If you are contemplating a long drive on a Nepali highway, these short messages are sure to break the monotony of your journey and bring a smile to your lips.

This story was first published on Global Voices.