Now that Nepal's national treasure, Manisha Koirala, is hosting India's latest quiz show, Sabal Das Croreka, we hope there will be no more major gaffes in questions about Nepal. And to improve the general knowledge of Nepalis, and to train future politicians, we hear Nepal Television is soon starting our own indigenous quiz show called Ko Banneho Arabpati? After all, with the many similarities between Who Wants To Be a Millionaire and the business of politics this could be an ideal method of training future politicos. Quiz shows and politics are both populated by cerebrally-challenged individuals who regularly appear on television to answer earth-shaking questions like: In the film, Titanic, what or who is the Titanic? a) The iceberg, b) Kate Winslett's nickname, c) A large man-eating dinosaur, or d) Margaret Thatcher.
There is another parallel between quiz shows and politics: the intention in both is to become stupendously rich as fast as possible. And the beauty of it is that you don't really need to know anything, you can always phone a friend or bring a brain. Now that NTV is getting into the act, attached herewith is a list of sample questions that prospective participants can practise on so that when the day comes and they have to appear on Ko Banneho Arabpati, they can hit the ground trotting and be showered with riches beyond their wildest dreams. The questions are cleverly designed in such a way that they not only test general knowledge, but also force contestants to ask serious questions about Nepal's burning problems of today:
Q: Nepal is a landlocked Himalayan kingdom situated between . and...
a) Rock and Hard Place, b) Devil and Deep Blue Sea, c) Yam and Another Yam, d) Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere
Q: The Tribhuvan International Airport is actually:
a) A vermiculture farm, b) A bird sanctuary, c) Where dogs learn to fly, d) Training centre for smugglers
Q: Kathmandu's garbage problem can be easily solved by:
a) Asking every tourist to take back 5 kg as a souvenir, b) Opening a landfill site inside Singha Durbar, c) Generating hydropower by using trash to dam our rivers, d) Dumping it on the runway at TIA
Q: The best way to defend the sanctity of the country's borders is to:
a) Play dead, b) Generate revenue by selling ammunition to the Hizbollah, c) Adhere to the five principles of peaceful co-existence, d) Move border pillars when no one is looking
Q: The recent fuel price hike is a symbol of the Koirala regime's anti-poor policies. We can fight it by:
a) Oganising torch processions using fossil fuels, b) Declare a two-year protest bandh, c) Use electricity to incinerate effigies of the prime minister, d) Take a 12-member delegation to Kuwait to have a chat with the sheikh.
