Forum-Nepal set up in Germany

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Aug. 21: A country Forum-Nepal was created recently in Berlin, Germany with the objective of promoting Nepal in Europe.

According to Germany-Nepal Friendship Association, an association of friends of Nepal in Germany, the founding members of the Forum are honorary Royal Nepalese Consul General Ann-Katrin Bauknecht and Ram Pratap Thapa, President of the Germany Nepal Friendship, Tim Riedel and Julia Dautel of the Berlin Town Hall.

Royal Nepalese Ambassador to Germany Bal Ram Singh Malla is the patron of the Nepal Forum.

A press release of Germany-Nepal Friendship Association said that the inaugural function of the Nepal Forum would take place on September 27, 2001 followed by a talk programme. Various prominent Nepalese and German guests would speak on different aspects of Nepal at the talk programme.

The ceremony will be held on the occasion of the Asia Pacific Week Berlin 2001, Germany-Nepal Friendship Association said.

On the following day, Nepal Business Day is to be held in which a business and cultural delegation from Nepal would take part. Nepal German Chamber of Commerce and Nepal Tourism Board are jointly organising the Business Day function in Germany.

NEWSROOM CHATTER

Roller-Coaster Ride

WITH the numerous dance and cabin restaurants on the verge of being shocked out of their spirits, it would not be surprising to hear one fine day that the watering holes (read as discos) of the Valley have decided to down their shutters. And in their wake, the cinema halls. For this, the Valley’s denizens may have to blame the diktat of...well, readers, you know who! And with it, night life in Kathmandu would be as silent as a deserted house. But not to worry, folks! If you still want to shake, boggie and rock--that too in broad daylight--all you need to do is to take a tempo ride from Maharajgunj crossroads to…eh, let’s say, Budhanilkanta. Be rest assured, the joy-ride is guaranteed to provide you a memorable experience to last you a life time. In fact, a hundred times better than a roller-coaster ride. And believe it or not, only for five rupees!

By the way, if you develop a lot of goose-dumps on your head while taking the joy-ride of your life on the pothole-filled road, then tell it to the…no, not the marines, folks, but Road Department chaps! (GR)

Keep Words

The then government led by Krishna Prasad Bhattarai had made commitment for a special package programme for the Nepalese athletes who grabbed gold medals in the last South Asian Federation Games (SAFG). However, after all these years, the promises have not been fulfilled. Now, a few gold winners of the then SAF Games are said to be revolting by declaring that they would not be participating in the forthcoming Islamabad SAF Games unless they are provided with what the special package meant. In fact, it has been overdue.

With the Prime Minister from the same party at the helm of affairs, the government should now try to fulfil the pledges. If this kind of confusion is not led to rest, the moral of the Nepalese athletes will tarnish in the future. If promises are meant to be broken then no Nepalese will ever listen to the cheap slogans in the future whether it concerns better facilities or something else. The government, in the interest of the nations and the athletes, must keep its promise at all costs to boost the morale of the Nepalese athletes. (ASR)

What A Reservation!

SO much has been said of traffic congestion and bad roads that there hardly needs any further elaboration. Maybe the government was farsighted when it came up with the idea (and even implemented it) to have a two day weekend at least in the Kathmandu Valley. How much benefit has accrued is yet to be ascertained. But one thing is clear that in the debate more people now seem to have come up in favour of the two-day off system. But, why? I don’t know. May be the reason might lie in our being very religious. Commit a sin and the next morning confess it in front of the idol in a temple. And you’re washed clean. The hint here is to one day less on the schedule of corruption. One more day to relax with a clean conscience. Five days a week on business is fine but days off surely makes sure that you have a place in heaven after death after leaving this "heavenly abode" of the earth. That’s queer idea, indeed. (PNK)

Land Deform?

The announcement for a radical land reform has brought several arguments to the fore. A point of contention, as made in the announcement, is the lowering the ceiling of land ownership. Naturally, there are people who are for and against it. Me think there are several things that need to be cleared first before proceeding with reforms. They are: what actually means by land reform? Is it simply the distribution of land to those who don’t have land or is to increase the productivity of land? Again, how do you define land – is it a property like any other thing such as house, industry, cash in the bank or even a Pajero? Or, is it only a means for agriculture? If it is a property, then the argument that there should be a ceiling on other properties as well may not be denied. If land is meant only for agriculture then there are many other things, such as sustaining the whole agriculture sector, that need to be addressed first before we can have land reform in the true sense. (SKC)

Rich People’s Entertainment

AGAIN an increase in the price is going to hit most of Nepalese. And now it is in the shape of cable operators’ hike in the price for providing different channel services. With this rise in prices, many people, who can pay the sum now, will certainly be forced to disconnect their cable lines barring them the thrills of TV entertainment. But the question is can these hooked-on-to-cable channel people pass their nights without many soap operas, movies and news that the cable operators offer through their networks. Surely not. However, it does not mean that these cable operators should hike their rates beyond the capacity of the common masses. If the operators do increase their rates unreasonably high and if the government watches their actions as a silent spectator, then we are forced to believe that like every good and expensive thing in life, the enjoyment which cable channels provide is meant for those who are rich and can pay! (NU)

Break & Merger

When the intra-party wrangling heads towards considerable progress, you feel some kind of satisfaction, though of a negative kind. One of the sides has the pleasure of upper hand and the other has the pain of an underdog. These struggles go on not for the sake of the nation and the people but for the mean and petty interest of the handful of leaders. All these developments mirror the inefficiency and saddening limitations of our leaders. You have to wait for ages for the birth of real leaders.

Then, oh yes, the warring sides feel the climax of achievement when the party is broken. Fanaticism and snobbery translates into tall promises. But the commonsense of ‘Divided we fall’ is never false. Time exposes the truth. And there is need and labour of reuniting once again. Politics is a stage and we are spectators to the unending drama. (BT)

Karishma’s Blooper

THOMAS A. Addison was a strange scientist who forgot his own name once. But we have never found any book that mentions the name of an actress who like Addison forgot her own name. Maybe there has not been any such strange actress in the world till date and writers of GK books have failed to include her name. Don’t worry, this scribe is now able to provide you with the name of such a strange actress. She is Karishma Manandhar, the Number One actress of Kollywood.

In a meeting of Nepal Artists National Association recently, the charismatic actress came to the forum to announce the name of a dancer who was to perform on stage. She came and started adorning the dancer with different words. She is popular, noted... Slowly her voice started becoming louder and louder and the eagerness of the audiences also started growing to know the peculiar dancer. "She is Karishma Manandhar," she uttered her own name in her possible loudest voice. Just after she uttered her own name she realised her fault and asked for pardon. (BG)

It’s Business Time

Pickpockets and others involved in the lucrative theft business must be overjoyed to find so many women and girls decked in gold ornaments to the brim during the Nepalese women’s festival of teej. Festivals are a time when the graph of theft and robbery cases suddenly shoots up in the capital city. It is said that the pickpockets and related characters have organised groups with strong and wide networking. They can victimise people not only on the roads and streets but also in the cinema halls, hospitals, banks and buses. Bus stops, airports and other crowded areas like tourist sites are their main hunting ground for such criminals. Despite all this reported in papers, there is a growing fashion for women to show off their expensive jewelry. As a consequence, the "fingersmiths" have roaring business. Well, women will never learn. (BMD)

Impossible Demand

THE Parliament is a place to hold constructive discussions on how to resolve the problems of the country. It cannot be always made a site for sloganeering and skirmishes among the MPs. The ongoing deadlock in the House has not only raised the eyebrows of many, it has also put a question mark on the intention of the agitated lawmakers who have brought a complete halt to parliamentary business. Their agitation is directed against the declaration of revolutionary land reforms in the country, which has gained wider public support and acclaim. But the interesting thing is that RPP’s election manifesto clearly speaks for the move i.e. land ceiling. They won the elections on the basis of that document but ironically they have now been acting contrary to the manifesto as if it was only a scrap of paper intended for the dustbin. Isn’t it whimsical that they are demanding for the imposition of ceiling on property, an impossible proposition and non-existent in the world. (RRS)

Austerity Or Laxity

FINANCE Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat announced a host of austerity measures in the current fiscal year’s budget to reduce government expenditure. He said that the state expenses were exceeding the manageable limits and could bring serious consequences unless stringent measures were taken. Hundreds of government agencies were dissolved and numerous others merged as a move to keep government spendings within a sustainable limit. However, a few weeks later the Finance Ministry itself spent a substantial amount to pay extra allowance to its employees for their ‘contribution’ to preparing the budget, a part of their duty. This scribe is now left wondering whether this is also a component of ‘austerity measures’. Or, are rules meant only for others? (RL)

Rumour Mongers

The news had it in one of the wire services that the Maoists on Saturday looted property worth Rs. 100 million from a village in the Far Western district of Kailali. When examined it was found that those who pilfered the entire village were not Maoists but robbers from a bordering Indian village. With this very incident and others it could be said that it is not the Maoists who have been launching such activities at a time when the atmosphere of talks is being created from both the sides. It could be that in the name of Maoists there are others who are taking benefit and are creating an atmosphere of terror within the country.

The role of media in such a condition becomes more important than ever. But if such baseless news items are disseminated without any confirmations, there are chances that the atmosphere of talks between the government and the Maoists for the peaceful solution to the six-year long insurgency could be disrupted apart from the violation of people’s right to true information. So, why not to think twice or confirm about the news before punching in anything? (KPS)