Year 2004: a review

My humble suggestion to the Maoists

Banbari Lal Mittal, Businessman

Please opt for a "peaceful-struggle" and address the people’s pressing concerns and if they are convinced, they will certainly, take it for granted, vote for you. This the government also tell the Maoists at times of the next talks. As a peaceloving citizen, I wish that the Maoists and the government patch-up their political differences through the means of a dialogue. What else I can suggest the two who are now at their daggers drawn?

On the Nepali Media

Kabir Rana

Regarding professionalism in media, well, it has increased indeed and this profession has also become a bread-earner for scores of media men in the country. It was not when I joined this area.

Professionalism in its truest sense of the term is ever increasing in the sense that we have journalism as a course even in schools and colleges and in the university as well. This means that those who come out of those institutions should have enough knowledge in the subject. This means that those who prefer to enter into this sector are not only educated but possess required knowledge about journalism. This is a very positive aspect.

I wouldn't claim that we all in the media sector were all "sacrosanct". It is not that. We have some "apples" and concurrently some "rotten eggs" as well. We are not exception to the rule. But on an average, Nepali media is improving both in quality and professionalism. Moreover, the society wherein we live in does have its own sort of impact on our own behaviors. We are not and can't live outside the boundaries of the society and thus the impact is very much inevitable.

On the Judiciary

Dinesh Tripathi, Advocate, Supreme Court, Nepal

The 1990 Constitution has indeed hugely empowered the Nepali judiciary and of late the judges or for that matter the courts have begun asserting itself and in the process have been instructing the government to pay due attention to the issues that were of vital interests to the people. Such empowerment of the court which I prefer to call judicial activism have benefited the people albeit. Look! How the Supreme Court this time sent instructions to the Royal nepal Army—a thing that was never practiced in the past. A rare event indeed! However, equally true is that we lack what I would modestly call an effective mechanism to monitor the "judicial accountability".

On His majesty the King?

Ms. Sujata Koirala, NC leader

I wish the King adhered to the norms and the values of a democratic system both in words and deeds. He should also think on how to provide continuity to the monarchical system in the country. The entire world knows that it was the Nepali Congress that has ever shielded the institution of the monarchy in the country even at bad times beginning the epoch making changes of the 1950.

Penetration of politics in the university?

Professor Pitambar Rawal, T.U

Yes! It is obvious and evident as well. Damage has already been done. You don't have to provide statistics on how political penetration has engulfed the academic sector of late. I wish politics to remain confined in the peripheries of Ratnapark.

Why we are lagging behind?

Ajay Ghimire, ACE Institute, Baneshwar

It is very simple to explain. We are still a feudal society and the feudal lords would very much wish to continue with the status quo for the establishments of any functional institutions in the country is apparently not in their interests. Rest assured that feudalism survives in the absence of functional institutions. The 1990 movement was definitely a leap forward but then those who usurped power were having the same feudal mind-set or mentality. The country is still suffering from their same redundant attitudes.

On our own politics and leaders

Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Ex-Minister and Businessman

Now let me talk on our own politics and leaders. I am surprised to notice the negligence of our leaders towards the real issues confronting the lay men. Why they every time they come to the streets to secure their seats in power? Can’t they come to the streets in defiance of the Maoists’ sponsored Bundhs and closures? Don’t they know that such sporadic closures create artificial shortages of consumer goods and it is the lay men who ultimately feel the brunt of such wild closures.

I wish the political leaders too agitated against the Maoists bundhs. But they don’t. Why?

On the Maoists

Kishor Shrestha, Chief Editor The Jan-Aastha Weekly

Regarding the Maoists, well, I think that to consider the insurgents will smoothly surrender their arms will be a foolish conclusion. They will not do that easily. The RIM factor is there and I don’t think that the bosses at the RIM will allow the Maoists to do so. The RIM can’t tolerate such a surrender. It would be better if some countries, which house the RIM, headquarters in their capitals to convince their own nationals to exhibit compassion in Nepal’s case.

Nor it is that the Maoists are weaker force as is being given to understand by certain quarters. No, they are still a force to be reckoned with. The morale of the Maoists is still very high. This is not an exaggeration.

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