Happy 2057
TODAY we enter another year of a
Nepali calendar that King Vikramaditya started 2056 years ago. Those Nepalese more in tune
with the western calendar tend not to be too excited about the Nepali change of year,
having celebrated perhaps with much gusto the passage of 1999 into 2000, which offered
millennium hysteria to boot, three and a half months ago. Those more familiar with the use
of western Gregorian calendar are known to consider Nepali dates as so much extra
burdensome details they have to bear with while drawing up schedules. And, thus, turning
up their sophisticated noses, they are not averse sometimes to suggest that the unique
Nepali calendar should be done away with. Luckily, these urban-centric votaries of
so-called modern ways of life are not too many. So, happily, we continue to observe our
own calendar so closely linked to our culture and religion and today the passage of
another year of the Fifties is being marked.
But a year is a year. Be it 2000
or 2057. What is important to mull over on any New Year’s day is whether there is
much to celebrate about. How did we fare as a nation in 2056? Certainly, not
scintillatingly. For the people of a country like Nepal, only some improvement in their
basic socio-economic condition would provide a cause for joyous celebration. The average
Nepali continued to live under usual miserable condition. The Nepalese economy did not
turn for the better. On the democracy front, however, the third general elections since
the restoration of multi-party democracy were successfully held in a generally free and
fair manner, and the Nepali Congress party won a resounding victory to form the
government. Though there has been a change of leadership at the governmental helm
recently, the challenges in managing the country remain the same. Prime Minister Girija
Prasad Koirala has spoken of his government’s agenda: Resolving Maoist problem,
curbing corruption and promoting good governance. All these constitute big tasks requiring
loads of energy and unflinching dedication from the government. However gigantic the
tasks, there is no running away from them. At least some solid, tangible steps in these
areas need to be taken right from the first months of the year that we have just embarked
on today. While hoping that the coming months will be witness to action on these fronts,
we wish you such a happy 2057 that when we look back on it on the next New Year eve, we
will find that Nepal has moved forward at least to some extent.
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