Shocking Trafficking

THAT around 12,000 girls and women are trafficked to brothels abroad must have come as a shocking piece of news to anyone in the country. The heinous practice of forcing the unaware into prostitution must be condemned in the harshest of word. But it still is a blot not only on human conscience but also in the way it is conducted. It is the worst form of exploitation of human beings. It still persists and is rather spreading despite the conventions that have been ratified by many a countries against the trafficking of human beings for sexual exploitation. There may be no two opinions on the fact that the essence for the unscrupulous in resorting to this form of trade is greed. It just goes to elaborate how people can stoop so low in selling their own kind to be put to sexual exploitation of the worst kind. Though rhetoric flows too easily, action to curb such activities have not been handy. It may be true that despite the government efforts to control them such illegal activities have flourished partly because of the rampant poverty and ignorance that prevails among the Nepalese people in general. It is not a single handed effort that can curb the menace but the commitment of all including the government, political leaders, intellectuals, social worker and the people in general. Awareness against the evil must be generated among the people not only at the national level but also at the grassroots level. Institutions like Maiti Nepal may be doing a good job but had the evil intentions of the human traffickers been checked in the beginning it would have been better. In this context, the idea of establishing a regional court to deal with cases regarding the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation needs special mention. This would provide the concerned authorities to deal with such problems. Herein, it may be worthwhile noting that trafficking of women and children for sexual purpose is not a problem concerning Nepal only, it is a phenomenon that has affected many countries. Nepal on this matter has to deal very carefully as it is paying dearly in the form of its citizens having to undergo sufferings and returning to their homeland stricken with incurable disease like HIV/AIDS. Is not this enough reason why we must take stringent and appropriate measures so that the Nepalese are not trafficked for sexual exploitation any more.

Educational Requirement

EDUCATION, no doubt, remains the only means to accelerate the pace of development in the country. In fact, the priority on education as a means of making the people aware to the prerequisites to every sphere of life has been a process that can not be underestimated. Every country that took the lead in making education universal today sees itself at the forefront in the global context. It is not to say that Nepal did not pay attention to the spread of the light of education in the country. The very decision and the initiative taken to make primary education free, in the past, were with the intention of achieving the end result of seeing that the prosperity of Nepal was enhanced. In no development plan has the budgetary allocation for education been overlooked rather it has received the utmost attention. But, what has gone wrong? Though quality education has been stressed time and again the situation now is far from satisfactory. Much investment has been made in the education sector but the fruits are not as expected. The reason is plain that for quality education it is not only the commitment that works but also the actual implementation of the strategies that are needed specifically tailored to the country itself. Imported curriculum and methods only tend to play havoc with the educational system. This is especially to be noted in the context of the fact that life in general has become very competitive in the present times which Nepal too cannot ignore. Our products have to be able to compete anywhere anytime. This makes it essential for the educational institutions in the country not to while away their time in unnecessary controversies but find ways and means whereby excellent products come to the market. Making a mockery of education by going the way one likes cannot be tolerated. At this juncture, when the country is passing through difficult times, the focus on quality education is all the more relevant. It is education that opens the door to future development for an individual that will reflect on the country in a positive way. Opportunities open up with education and that means better prospects for the country. That is the reason why the Tribhuvan University teachers have urged the government to adopt clear policies to enhance the academic capability so that it moves abreast with the demanding times that lie ahead.