Call For Talks

MINISTER for Home Dharma Bahadur Thapa said that His Majesty's Government has kept its doors open for talks in order to end the violence that has been plaguing the country for the last couple of years. Addressing media persons in Kathmandu, the other day, Minister Thapa asked the Maoists to shun violence and come forward for talks in order to solve the problem peacefully. The remarks of Minister Thapa are strictly in line with the present government's policy to solve the Maoist problem through negotiation and restore peace and stability in the country. The country and the people have suffered much due to violence and terrorism. Development and economic activities have come to virtual standstill. Tourism, the backbone of the national economy, has experienced a downward slide because of instability, conflict and frequent strikes. Peace is, thus, a must in order to revive the national economy and make the people feel safe and secure. If the nation suffers, no Nepali can escape the effects. Thus, it should be the duty of all political forces and individuals to eschew their differences and collectively contribute to nation building through the restoration of peace.

Against this background, Maoists also must renounce violence and terrorism and come forward for a peaceful solution to the problem. Conflict and differences are natural in a democratic political system. But such conflicts need to be resolved through compromise and consensus. This is the hallmark of democracy. Confrontation creates hatred. Violence only invites further violence. Moreover, democracy provides opportunities for all kinds of political groups and ideologies to carry out their political activities peacefully. If Maoists are at all a political force and if they are serious and sincere about the nation and national interest, they must immediately stop their violent activities and engage in peaceful negotiation for the resolution of the country's burning problem. The government has been liberal enough and called the Maoists to come to the negotiating table. If Maoists miss this opportunity and continue to resort to killing, kidnapping and extortion, the government, whose duty is to protect the life and property of the people, would definitely be more firm in order to save the nation from such untoward violence and terrorism. The flexibility and liberal policy of the government should by no means be taken as its weakness. The nation is united against violence. Terrorism has never succeeded anywhere in the world in achieving political goal except creating a temporary chaos. Several terrorist groups have finally realised their mistakes and joined the peaceful and democratic mainstream. For Maoists as well, there is no alternative but peaceful negotiation.

Healthy Cities

WITH a view to make Jaleswor Municipality clean, green, hygienic and beautiful, a two-day symposium entitled "Hygienic Measures in the Municipality" was launched under the auspices of, as per a news item carried by this daily the other day, the Urban Development and Building Construction Department, World Health Organisation and Jaleswor municipal authorities. The nation's municipalities, like most municipalities throughout the world, are burgeoning at a fast rate. One likely reason for this could be the mounting rural-to-urban migration trend currently witnessed by most developing nations' cities, including those of Nepal. One of the ready causes for such a trend could be due to the lack of job opportunities in the rural areas. Yet, another cause could be the inordinate concentration of education, health and other civic facilities only in urban centres. All this, needless to point out, has been prompting the rural folks to forsake their neglected areas and make a beeline for the urban centres. This, in turn, has not only led to the creation of ungainly shanty towns and hovels around the peripheries of the existing municipalities but, worse still, putting the municipalities' limited civic amenities under tremendous pressure. For, even though shanty towns are generally not included within the municipalities' jurisdiction-and hence, usually excluded from enjoying the civic facilities-the shanty town dwellers, for reasons best known to the concerned municipal authorities, seem to be getting hold of some civic amenities like potable water and electricity supplies. But still, they do lack other civic facilities like drainage, paved roads, streetlights, garbage collection services and, more importantly, health and police posts. All this has not only given rise to unhygienic surroundings within or around the municipalities' boundaries but also acted as the breeding grounds for unsocial elements and activities.

However, the mere existence of shantytowns is definitely not the only cause of unhygienic conditions prevailing in the municipalities. Had it been so, only the shanty towns, and not the municipalities, would have been filled with uncollected garbage piles, clogged drainage systems, potholed pavements and roads as well as the walls and open spaces being converted into open urinals and latrines. Hence, if the municipalities are to be singularly noted for their clean, green and hygienic environment, the City Fathers need to not only mobilise their available resources and manpower but also to come up with schemes to clean up their ungainly environment and surroundings.