Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Keeping Faith

For the first time in several months, a Nepalese film has been able to pull crowds. Produced by Ujwal Ghimire, "Biswas" is said to be one of the movies created to compete in the market. Although the market responded positively in the first week, nobody knows whether the winning streak will continue. Although this is not the first time Ujwal Ghimire's film has drawn record audiences, there must something in the name "Biswas" (Confidence) that bolstered popular appeal. Whether other films can generate such confidence among viewers remains to be seen.

Smash And Grab

As soon as the King invited political leaders to the palace for consultations, a race has set in among political leaders and workers to prove who is more efficient in destroying the state's property. As Nepali Congress leadership earlier declared that it would award the party workers on the basis of their contribution in the agitation, the foot soldiers are
competing with each other to create more anarchy and destroy the public property. On Friday and Saturday alone, they destroyed about half a dozen public facilities. If other parties follow a similar trend, there will be hectic contest to destroy public property to grab power.

Sujata : Succession exercise

Successor Sujata?

If Sujata Koirala's recent actions are any indication, they show that she is planning to succeed Papa. Her participation in the four-week political agitation shows that a lone daughter of Girijababu is now serious about taking the family mantle. Papa also indicated his preferences by choosing Sujata's house in Manikhatar as the venue to organize press conferences and political meeting. Although there are a number of other family members trying to obstruct Sujata's, rise seems inevitable. In a sign of the times to come, Sujata participated in all protest programs along with leaders of all communist parties.

Prime Concern

Soon after he resigned, prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand asked his family members to move back to their residence in Lokanthali. Although the local population lit lamps at the local Sai Baba temple when Chand was appointed prime minister eight months ago, they are now a frustrated lot, especially since less than one kilometer of road has been black-topped. Chand visited his house several times in the last eight months, but he never cared whether the road was improved. The local residents are

Khadka : Swinging fortune

destined to get what they always had: a former prime minister as a neighbor.

Role Reversal

When Khum Bahadur Khadka was sent to prison, the first public reaction of Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala was that he received the right judgment for his crime. Koirala even termed Khadka and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba as corrupt politicians and that their eviction from power paved the way for a cleansing the Nepali Congress. Elder Koirala's statement could not stand for half a year. Once he really started showing some flexibility, Khadka quit the Deuba Congress to join Koirala. Now Bijaya Kumar Gacchedar is said to be following the similar line. With Koirala's public call for the wayward to return, it seems it's the turn of Deuba's party to retain those with a clean image. n