Joining Hands

PRIME Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, inaugurating a function organised by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the other day, said that in the present context trade is the basis for economic progress and Nepal too should bring about changes in its concept of development. This was a valid point raised as it is the thrust to develop trade that can bring about the needed economic prosperity which is the urgent need today. When the focus is on trade, it is necessary to link it with the industrial sector. The state of the industrial development is a reflection of the economic development of the country. Unlike in the past, the private sector has a greater role to play in the development of any aspect of the economy. Prime Minister Chand, however, admitted that though the industrial sector's development and expansion have been given priority the expected contribution has not come about in the past few years due to various reasons. The development of the industry sector can help as it will lead to the generation of employment opportunities and sustainable promotion of exports.

This is true for a developing agricultural country like Nepal where greater efforts have to be made for industrial development. It is true that there is a lack of resources mainly financial which means that enough investments are not forthcoming easily. Moreover, political stability and peace are necessary for industrial development to take place at the rate desired. Towards this direction, the government is doing all it can so that the industrial scene improves. In this respect the government has provisions under the open and liberal economic policy to free the industry from administrative complexities and thereby attract investors. The past had been somewhat uncertain but now with the cease-fire holding good and optimism rising for durable peace the entrepreneurs feel that they can contribute to the extent desired for the economic prosperity of the country. It is now time to put the pieces together so that the economic growth rate can be increased and benefits of which can percolate down to the people. For this the government policies regarding trade and industry must be reviewed at regular intervals and, if necessary, timely reforms must be made. With government and the private sector working together there is no reason why the future will not see the revival of the country's economy.

Drug Abuse Worries

SOME 25,000 people, mostly youths, are reported as indulging in drug abuse in the capital alone. Compounding with the disconcerting figure are facts like the sharp increase in the transaction of contraband heroin, ineffective intervention from the concerned NGOs blamed for their half-hearted efforts to fight the menace, easy availability of drugs because of the porous border with India and the pervasive spread of drug abuse among the people of age anywhere between 13 and 50 years and of social classes as high as the doctors and professionals. These facts present a grim scenario for Kathmandu, where many youths are already exposed to media content coming from many different foreign entertainment channels that, in the least, instill a quest for never-ending pleasure and adventure. When the youths find the real life rather too different from the high life of the west as reflected in the media messages they actively receive, they look for pleasurable escapes. Drugs come in handy.

While some youths are lured by this sense of adventure despite affluence and good social and family environment in which they are brought up, many others take to drugs because they are left to fend for themselves often in difficult circumstances, without family or social support. Whatever the reason forcing them to abuse drugs, many youths who become addicts are likely to be ruined forever. Some receive counseling in time and recuperate. Others are left in the lurch, finding a sense of pleasure in their dream-like state of mind and highly promiscuous relationship with their peers that many drugs promise. They are paying a price, both literally and figuratively. A dose of heroin, for example, costs as much as Rs 500, and those who are addicts have to find the money anyhow to get the regular dose. Others who rely on injectible drugs like Nitrazepam and Diazepam, given them by pharmacists, pay a price too. When they run out of money, they may have to resort to sniffing glue or drinking the dirt that comes from washing heavily used socks to stay their way. All this for the youths who are a major influence for the future of the country! The trend is worrisome. The guardians should wake up early on and seriously look at what factors alienate their children from the normal homes and societies. Law enforcement authorities have a bigger role to play: deal with the drug dealers as harshly as the law allows.