EDITOR'S NOTE
As we try to evaluate the fall out of the
United States Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent visit to Nepal, we cannot but blame
ourselves for missing the bus, once again. At a time when the country was being plagued by
internal and cross border terrorism and the hard won democracy was being mortgaged, the
visit of such a high and friendly dignitary from the number one country of the world was,
indeed, a god sent opportunity of putting all our cards on the table face upwards. Not
that the United States is unaware about Nepal's predicaments, vulnerabilities and
constraints. But assertive solicitation for most deserving support and sympathy from a
sincere friend who is visiting you and eager to share your travails could have yielded
much more concrete results that would have gone a long way to benefit our poor people.
But, in an environment where nationalism can hardly raise its head, this king of thinking
can originate only in crazy minds. Minds obsessed with narrow personal profits are unable
to think about patriotism, the spirit of service morality and nobler values. Consequently,
if our nation failed to cash on Powell's visit to the maximum, the people have to thank
themselves. We only get what we deserve. But, there is nothing to be despondent. If we can
still take his advice and bring all the corrupt and anti-national politicians to book and
cleanse our administrations of crooks and thugs, we can still hope for better days to
come. With honest and patriotic leadership there will be no dearth of good friends, who
will go out of their way to help, and the U.S. dignitaries may again visit our poor
country.
Solving problems through violence is always
disastrous. And suppressing terrorism by force would naturally result in wastage of
valuable resources and loss of precious human lives. That Deuba government needs extra
funds to fight the Maoists is quite understandable. But whether the Deuba government can
solve the problem is questionable. Deuba was given mandate to negotiate. But he has pushed
the country into a civil war and now he has started making the lives of the poor Nepalese
more miserable. The Prime minister asserts he will eradicate corruption and if necessary
promulgate an ordinance. But it is very hard to swallow his vacant words. Looking at the
size and shape of his cabinet and at the numbers of the newly appointed advisors that do
no hesitate to make hay even during rainy days, it seems, one has to read the Prime
minister the reverse way. If the Prime minister is honest, let him make a start of himself
-- make transparent the source of his income and tell the Nepalese people where he got the
money to build the palatial building in Budhanilkantha. That his cabinet is reeking with
the blood and toil of poor Nepalese is not a secret. Why is he not taking any action? Is
he still unaware of the rising tide of public resentment against him and his political
colleagues. Does not he know what Gen. Nara Shamsher Rana -- one of his close in-laws --
has said in Kantipur of 6th Magh 2058? Rana has voiced the public sentiment and the
corrupt politicians must take serious note. If the Prime Minister can disembowel the loot
from his colleagues, he will not only earn kudos from his countrymen but spare them
unbearable hardships. It will also provide him valuable resources he so badly needs
to fight terrorism. But it is not the resources. It is the Prime Minister's defeatist
mentality that is posing problem. Now he says he is ready to seek foreign troops if
necessary to crush the Maoists. The dangerous and anti-national thinking must be nipped in
the bud. Out army is fully capable to restore peace and order in the country. We cannot
invite foreign troops at any cost. How could the Prime Minister even think about it? The
Nepalese people, the Nepalese army and Nepal's King all have to take this statement of the
Prime Minister very gravely and think about the next move the country must take.
| Chief-Editor & Publisher |
: Madhav Kumar Rimal |
| Editor |
: Sarita Rimal |
| Managing Editor |
: Keshab Poudel |
| Associate Editor |
: Bhagirath Yogi |
| Senior Reporter |
: Sanjaya Dhakal |
| Reporter |
: Akshay Sharma |
| Photographer |
: Nishchal Chapagain |
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: GPO Box 7256,Baluwatar,Kathmandu, Nepal. |
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