Back to work - Nepali Times

Editorial
Back to work

FROM ISSUE #526 (05 NOV 2010 - 11 NOV 2010) | TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Dasain has been busy for those of us travelling to be with family. It's also been busy for those travelling away from family, namely, an assortment of politicians flocking to northern climes under an assortment of excuses. A whole brigade of Nepalis headed to China � the vice president, PLA commanders, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and then the president himself, mostly in connection with the closing of the Shanghai Expo. Speaker Subhas Nembang dashed over to Canada, ostensibly to discuss issues of federal justice. And now we hear Prakash Man Singh (NC), Narayan Kaji Shrestha (Maoist), and Bishnu Prasad Paudel (UML) are meeting leaders of the British coalition government in London. Shrestha himself will tuck in a trip to Belgium and France as well.

If it took a statesman with the chutzpah of Jang Bahadur to break the age-old taboo against crossing the 'kalo pani', nothing seems to curb the very average Nepali politician's appetite for foreign junkets these days. With the exception of President Ram Baran Yadav's state visit and Dahal's rather unstately visit, it may safely be concluded that all these visits are totally gratuitous. Doesn't Subhas Nembang have more pressing issues to deal with in the Legislature-Parliament, or is he content to allow the futile expenditure of political and taxpayers' capital ad nauseam? Why are the NC/UML/Maoist trio visiting London instead of thrashing out issues in the inter and intra-party meetings? Most politicians in Nepal who have complained about 'foreign interference' have subsequently gone running to foreign lands begging for interference.

The irony of it all, of course, is Chairman Dahal's message from the Chinese. Stung by the Maharagate scandal (more indicative of a clumsy plant from the south than a genuine Chinese interest in buying off MPs to secure a Maoist victory) and concerned by the ongoing instability in Nepal, the Chinese Government made sure its message got across to all and sundry: "Don't rock the boat". Nepal has increasing contact with China, but so far the indication is that the dragon nation is content to promote harmony in Nepal as long as Nepal does the same for China, getting by with a little aid from its friends. Dahal's talk of a vague tripartite agreement between Nepal, China and India was simply a cover for the embarrassment of not having achieved anything politically advantageous for himself or his party.

The message seems clear enough. With India busy with President Obama, and China too busy to be dabbling in Nepali politics, it looks like it's up to us to sort out our own house. Once this round of junkets is over, with Tihar past us, the real work must begin.

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1. who cares
panchya ex pm thapa, was saying a few days ago that he/mahendra bahadur was given similar advice from china decades ago.

looks like, if maosit had raised insurgency from residing in china, they would had got superior advice.

but it would have been called china's interference.

Posted on: 04 NOV 2010 | 1:30 PM NST

2. Gole

Let us celebrate Kukkur Tihar amidst dogs.

Chaei chaei(term used for inviting pet dogs )gare pachhi kukkur haru tehi janchhan banne thaha chhaina?

Aile Kukkur tihar ko time ho tesaile ta jhan dakera sabaile mitho mitho khuwauchhan. Ramro sayapatriko mala pani pairaudachhan. Hernosta hamra netabhanauda lai.
You will see two different beings in them 'when you look with your naked eye of the flesh.
But when you look with your inner eye ' The Third Eye' you will find them as one and the same.
Ye neta ra tihar ko kukkur ma ke pharak dekhin chhara!

Posted on: 04 NOV 2010 | 5:02 PM NST

3. Slarti
I looked through the archives of this paper - from the first issue on - and what I concluded was this. It is the same nonsense every week.

You simply don't seem to have the courage to speak the truth. You are just another one of those who are enjoying the benefits of the crisis' that occur everyday in this country - collectively known as the politician.

You have asked some questions and they are all pointless. You know that they will say something outrageous some other time, and next week you will again chant the same mantra of democracy, secularism, federalism and whatever - the religious dogma in vogue.

Ask real questions - ask them why Nepalese must suffer for their and your obsession with politics and tinkering? Ask questions that really lead to information and truth.

But then again you would not have the courage to be honest.

One of the geniuses you have hired in place of Prashant compares (clownishly) the US elections with the fraud held here more than two years ago.

Another one spends time on discussing porn when that is the least of anybody's worries. The assumption is that "rights" of some "independent" individuals are being encroached upon. Seriously??? When people are getting maimed and murdered, and only may be one percent of that is getting reported. In a country where 80000 families are on record to have been displaced away from their homes for genrations? That is 400,000 individuals, it does not even begin to count the psychological impact on countless thousands of children and adults.

Even as you crooks sit here, sounding smug in your own self-righteousness, there are people sitting at home with a huge headache, powerless in the face of an unremitting onslaught of total outrageous nonsense in the form of "social and historic" commentary that they can do absolutely nothing about.

They sit at home reading your (all media) drivel every week, knowing that this is all total nonsense but can't do a thing about it. At least do them one favour and wipe that smile off of these people's photos that you have next to their article.

They are intellectuals - my foot. Lies, propaganda, and more lies is what they are good at. Thats it and you are one of them.

You ask of the politicians that they must get "back" to work after Tihar. What were they doing before that, and before that and before that, that they will do anything afterwards????????

You are implying that the constitution might not be made on time. I ask you, so what?? They will extend the CA by another term, what will you do? Scream at them!!!!!!!!

What will happen if they fail and people know that they failed and people do something about it??

I will tell you - absolutely nothing.

The same bunch will repeat the same old drivel and the same lot will get re-elected to repeat the same old drivel.

I asked you to ask tough questions?

Ask why were there 1300 newspapers in this "poor" country when you started in 2000?

Ask why are there more than 50,000 active politicians in this country?

Ask where they get their money from and if they had done some productive work what difference could have been made?

Then as a good journalist, columnist, editor (or whatever else you fancy self righteous intellectuals like to call yourself) answer them to the best of your ability, truthfully??

One last thing, when I said I respected you despite not agreeing I meant it? I look at all of the past and I don't anymore.

Posted on: 05 NOV 2010 | 9:03 AM NST

4. K. K. Sharma

Asking the incompetents to get back to work, implies that no work will be done. How can the incompetents deliver. ? Are you saying this with your tongue in the cheek or are you really ....well, just to be polite... naive.?

Have you ever thought of looking for and promoting the capable, honest, people within all the political parties.?..... Perhaps not, it would entail real work, no. ?

Posted on: 06 NOV 2010 | 7:11 PM NST