BBC’s Mea Culpa

THE whole country was outraged recently, when the BBC World Service posted a most unwarranted question on its website. In its question, BBC had asked "If Nepal would be better off if it were under the Indian umbrella?" All the Nepalese were quick to react and they strongly condemned such an outrageous query from the BBC, which they rightly felt was an attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Nepal. In its glorious history, Nepal has never had to suffer the trauma of being colonised or losing its independence in any way and any whiff of a suggestion that it would relinquish such a proud heritage was simply intolerable. So it was not surprising when the government and everyone else, including the different political parties with diverse ideologies, strongly condemned the BBC’s behaviour. Realising its horrendous mistake BBC quickly extended an apology to His Majesty’s Government and the Nepalese people and promptly withdrew the offensive question from its website. Now, it is also quite in order that Mark Byford, Director of BBC World Service, who was recently here on a visit, has personally extended his apology to the Nepalese Government and all the Nepalese people.

There can be no two doubts about the fact that the media is a very sensitive sector and it must always be alcrt as to what message it is giving to the audience. Moreover, BBC, with its outstanding international image, just can’t afford to lose its credibility with such offensive questions. It is indeed perplexing as to how in the first place the decision makers within such a media institution like BBC, agreed to post a query, that was bound to offend the Nepalese. However, it is comforting in some ways that officials within BBC realised the mistake that had occurred and steps were taken immediately to withdraw the question as well as to offer an apology. According to a BBC statement, the BBC Director also sent a letter to Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola and expressed "regret" for the question. The concern shown by highest level officials of BBC, should help in not further damaging the "excelent and close relationship that BBC enjoys with Nepal". It can be hoped a lesson has been well learnt from this incident and similar follies will not be repeated in the future.

Promoting Tourism

HIS Majesty’s Government has decided to bring out 18 types of commemorative postage stamps under the philatelic programme for the year 2001. Under the programme, postage stamps of different denominations would be issued, depicting some important and historical events, outstanding personalities, organisations and vegetation. Postal service is one of the oldest modes of communication in the world and its importance is equally important even today in spite of breathtaking invention and development of several other methods of communication. A large number of people in the world still rely on the postal system for communicating with their friends and relatives living far away from them. It is more so in Nepal because of its topographical constraints and lack of access to other modes of communication.

Postal service has been playing an important role in the country’s communication system. As a result, the government has given high priority to the development of communication sector in general and postal service in particular. The government has adopted the policy of establishing post offices in all village development committees of Nepal and providing all people living in every nook and corner easier access to postal service. It is this reason why the government issues a large number of postage stamps every year. As the postal service is used by majority of the people in the world, it not only facilitates easy and reliable communication to the people living in every corner of the world but also promotes goodwill and friendship. For, postage stamps have additional significance in that one country’s culture, notable personalities, natural resources and other things are made known to the people of other parts of the world through postage stamps. In other words, postage stamps help promote tourism and international brotherhood. Against this important background the government has issued postage stamps depicting various important personalities, monuments and events. At a time when Nepal is making continuous efforts to promote and develop tourism and uplift the social and economic condition of the people, bringing out postage stamps depicting Nepal’s important events, personalities, natural and cultural monuments and flora and fauna could play an important role to promote Nepal as an attractive tourist destination abroad. In fact, Nepal possesses several unique natural and cultural sites which may not be well known among the people of the world. Undoubtedly, they can be made familiar to the people in the world through postage stamps.