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Planted question first!
Niraj Aryal
This is a pathetic tale of partisan media where issues of national interests are of secondary interest.
Like it or not, the media in Nepal is the topic of discussion this week.
It would be boring here again to mention how the so-called people’s representatives acted against the national interests in the last 14 years of democracy but it is incomprehensible of the immature behavior of the Nepali media that it is exhibiting in the times of national crisis. Nepali media in the past 14 years was divided Left and Right now the case is different it is united South.
Royal Interview
It was heard that His Majesty the King invited a few of weekly editors for an interview this Sunday at the Royal Palace.
Can you guess what the first question was posed to King Gyanendra, perhaps not?
Someone from the editor’s bench asked a very peculiar and unusual question which smelled so-Delhi and full Delhi.
Question : “Can you tell your Majesty why the vice chairman K.N Bista is hell bent on criticizing the Indian scholar S.D Muni in his recent speeches what he is making in Kathmandu forums?” No need to answer what was His Majesty’s response and also not necessary to explain who is this omnipresent Muni In effect, Muni, the hero on Nepal events is an intimate friend of Dr. Baburam Bhattarai. This is Muni's short introduction.
Media men other than who went to see the King appear flabbergasted over the question asked by a nepali media man. Of all why such a question was deemed fit to be posed to the head of the State? The significance of this question with some hidden "agenda" becomes significant and demands thorough probe by those who invited such media men at the said meet.
Should it be considered to be a planted question? But who dares to plant such an awkward question to King Gyanendra? Here lay the importance of the man who posed this question and the hidden power who managed to plant their question first? Planted question first! What a terrible joke? Time to be cautious! Does this mean that the penetration factor is so deep? But who is penetrating? Keep on guessing.
Thanks Indian Media
Thanks duly goes to the Indian media, showing professionalism in the Nepal issue for the first time, that successfully exposed the Indian security personnel links with the Maoists.
Thus it further exposed concurrently the Indian traditional line of dividing Nepal’s political fronts and makes them follow their dictates.
Few noted columnists in India agreed this disclosure had been the first diplomatic failure of the present Manmohan Singh’s government.
The Maoists were first declared as terrorists by India fortunately enjoy closer ties with the present government through “red links” present in the current ruling alliance.
If these disclosures are not to bring an end to the Indian Grand Design in Nepal then let us see what is to follow.
Here in Nepal a sorry tale of an ill-fated country where media did not take this issue very seriously. Rather rejected the issue of national interest pitifully for variety of unknown reasons. So which force blocks Nepali media men not to write on their own topics? Let's understand this force.
Future
Girija baboo is flying again to the southern capital perhaps this time he will meet the Maoists (the so-called nationalists) leaders along with the Indianpundits of Nepali political psychology and enjoy “Cuisine Indiane”, thus will be then sermonized.
This will decide the course we are to follow in the future.
Perhaps India imposed system of governance through India sponsored leaders is our fate a la Nepali Democracy.
The alliance
The partisan media, the previously divided political parties, the Maoists and more importantly the media men enjoying Indian blessings now merging together against the monarchy are a force. How the Palace nullifies or neutralized the force with an equal force will have to be watched.
All the yes men of …….
Press release on the Plights of British Gurkha Soldiers
An international Commission of Inquiry was set up at the request of the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen’s Organisation (GAESO), Nepal to independently investigate the reality of the economic and social conditions of Nepali citizens who have and are serving in the Brigade of Gurkhas under the Ministry of Defence, United Kingdom, and their families. The Commission was provided able secretariat and logistical support by the Public Interest Law Firm and Campaign for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Nepal.
The independent Commission’s mandate was prompted by the recent statement made on 11 January 2005 in the British Parliament by Mr Geoff Hoon, Minister of Defence of the UK that the government was setting up fundamental review of the Brigade of Gurkhas’ terms and conditions, with the aim of ensuring that they are fair and that any differences from the wider Army are reasonable and justifiable.
Eight members of the Inquiry Commission, led by barrister Mr Ian Macdonald QC of UK, visited Nepal from 23-30 May 2005 and undertook a wide range of activities under its overall mandate. The other members of the Commission include Ms Hannah Rought-Brooks and Ms Rebekah Wilson, barristers from UK; Ms Edith Ballantyne, human rights and peace activist from Switzerland; Dr Roy Laifungbam, indigenous peoples’ rights activist from India; Ms Shirin, alternative media practitioner and rights defender from USA; Dr Sharon Taylor, academician from Canada; and Ms Shoko Oshiro, indigenous peoples’ rights activist from Japan. Ms Catrin Lewis, barrister from UK, Ms Chine Chan, independent human rights researcher from Hong Kong and Mr Takaaki Yagisawa, photojournalist from Japan were unable to join the Commission in Nepal.
During the Commission’s stay in Nepal the members visited Kathmandu and Pokhara, and heard the testimonies of many veterans, ex-servicemen and family members of the British Gurkhas. The team members made home visits and also met representatives of ex-servicemen’s organisations including GAESO, the United British Gurkhas Ex-Servicemen Association and the Nepal Ex-Servicemen’s Association. Representatives of the British Embassy in Katmandu also gave a long and informative briefing to members of the Commission.
The members of the independent Commission heard many heart-rending personal accounts of long-standing suffering and hardship faced by the witnesses as a consequence of their service in the Brigade of Gurkhas. Many witnesses, including wives of the ex-servicemen, broke down and wept as they re-lived their silent suffering for years.
From the testimonies we have heard it is clear that women have played a vital part in enabling the Gurkha soldiers to give loyal service to the British army. They have kept families together and maintained the households while their husbands or sons have been on active service or when they have had to go to some other country to find work after retirement from the army. They have not received adequate recognition or compensations for these contributions.
The witnesses raised a number of critical issues, which the Commission will deal with in our report. These will be about conditions of abject poverty, discrimination and deprivation relating to the service terms, neglect and a sense of abandonment by the British government, the lack of job opportunities after retirement, the absence of any right to a pension, lack of adequate medical assistance and an inability to provide their children with proper education.
The final report of the Inquiry Commission is scheduled to be simultaneously launched in London and Kathmandu by the first week of July. Ian Macdonald QC, On Behalf of the Commission of Inquiry (30 May 2005, Kathmandu)
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