Change, change, and change, where is it?

Nav Raj Pokharel
Journalist

There may be hundred reasons to argue and corroborate further arguments to vainly prove that the common people of this lately declared secular, federal, republic country that has people represented government, are happy. But I have one thousand and one reasons to feel disappointed against the tainted claims often made by the pro-coalition government adherents.

The country standing at this point of juncture demands unprecedented focus on all most every sector to begin the process of transformation of the state. But the beginning is not happening. I think this provides sufficient hard rock foundation and not feel any foundation stones to support the claims of the change is more than enough to sadden the heart of change aspirants Nepalese. There should be no honeymoon days for the people represented incumbent government, given the ordeal task of transformation in hand. However, no systematic, convincing, and tangible process of transformation is taking place even after the unwanted the first 100 days’ honeymoon of the government is over.

Small but positive changes are harbinger of big changes in a system. I feel sorry not to see those small changes happening anywhere, namely in government offices, private sectors, communities, organizations, and in the most importantly in the mindset of the people. Where should we look for the change, if it is not shooting out from anywhere? No change in mindset brings no change in behavior. No change in behavior means NO change in anything. Does not this further prove that the claim of the incumbent coalition government for transformation is a sham?

We all know the working style of the then government and its daily routine. Ministers and high officials of the government machinery busied expending their energy an valuable time preaching the subjective audience at several symposiums and interaction programs during the day and craving to have maximum exposure on the media at the end of the day. Are the things different now? The then high positioned public figures faced charges of operating ostensible political mission. They used to cover the arcane mission with tainted information before the public and authorities. Dilly-dally, shilly-shally were established, as deliberate practice for strong but safe and tacit suggestions of inviting corruption. Are the public figures and government service providers inviolable from such accusations now? People of ordinary walks of life had to withstand unnecessary and unfair hassles and harassments to get their genuine works done form government and other public institutions. Are the things different today? The then government and their machinery system was realized as necessary evil to the public, therefore, they were true subject of criticism. They were subjects of harsh denigration for deviating their focus form small requirements of the people, but inoculating them with daydreams, instead. Are the ways different now?

People ushered the change in the country. Now they want to see and feel the change. The government can assure the people of big change in near future along with small but important changes in hand. The government, for instance, can begin with sanitation of Kathmandu and elsewhere. If the city and roads are clean, people will feel the change. If the poor condition of roads is revamped, people will feel it, if street-lamps are installed, people will fell it, if ways of providing services in public and private institutions are simple and prompt, and people will start believing that the change they have been seeking for past many decades is gradually emerging up. This will help change the mindset of the people. They will gradually develop trust on the government and the ability of the leaders. Alternatively, alternatively, they are imprudent!

Such small but beautiful things are the matters of days if not weeks, only if the government wants to make the people feel the change immediately. No body sees any hindrances in punishing the thugs in decent cloths that adulterate petrol and other groceries and sell them freely in the market under broad day light at higher prices. Is not it obvious for the public to be skeptical towards the government when they do not see very possible changes taking place? Should not the public be apprehensive when they are manhandled, thrashed, looted, beaten blue, kidnapped, either killed and amputated or hear the news of such heinous acts happening in plentitude? On top of that, government mercenary and the Home Security meek and enervated to nab and book the perpetrators to justice. Alternatively, they are the change!

2008-12-08 19:40:35
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Comments (1)


As you have written in the article I also agree that the government has done nothing in this honeymoon period. The party which had taken the leadership of the government after 10 years of people war, doesnot done anything. There may be various reasons for this, some of them are, the mentality of bureaucracy, people and persons who are in the implementation stage of policy and program has not changed. Similarly the maoist led government has partner which have taken like the oath of HUM Nahi sudharenge. They are already have corrupted mind. There most important need is to earn the money and misutilize the states resources. Similarly the maoists leaders are also wasted time in the gosthi and seminars held in star hotels. By looking their bnehavior itis thought that they have fought 10 years to be minister, eat lunch and dinner in hotels and use states resources. Primeminister prachanda said that he had uncooperated by bureaucracy, and security forces then he has to tell clearly where and when he has received uncooperation, why he is not able to take action against uncooperating sector. It is like that he is not able to do anything and the blame is given to others. For this time the government has not do any big thing but small thing can help them to reelect in the next election.

Commented by Jigar sharma - December 10, 2008 @ 9:21 AM

Is Nepal prepared to safeguard its Sovereign Sky?

Nav Raj Pokharel

Contingent upon multifaceted human features, the journalism sector worldwide has reciprocated with the changes the world has achieved in technology, socioeconomic and sociopolitical stadium.

Development in Journalism sector truly reflected the progress human has achieved so far. Britain was the first country to start television service in 1930s with primitive innovations of the work of Zworykin and his team. Soon the need of electronic form of mass communication was realized a must in many countries in the world. Electronic media furbished itself with new technologies and innovations made in communication sector whenever the new technology was developed.

To disseminate the news whilst it is breaking, developing, or updating, the electronic media stands at the top now. Equipped with advanced technology, the media has claimed its rightful place in the drawing rooms of billions of households across the world and is able to mould the minds of millions with inoculate media effects through innumerable programs, reality shows and interactive programs.

More than newsy techniques of a team of researchers, reporters, copy editors and dexterous editors, the role of technology have become an inevitable essence to the media, within a few decade of its birth. The septuagenarian media has now diversified as new industry that identifies, locates, gathers, processes, localizes, adds value, repackages and sells the information to the consumers. Millions of entrepreneurs worldwide have opted to the media industry as lucrative source of generating both the power and the profit. People believe on media for speaking truth.
The media is powerful because it endeavors to tell the hidden truth of public concerns fearlessly. Information is power in the knowledge-based society today. The more organize the media with secreted information; the more powerful the media is regarded. Holding the information of public interest for some time, the media can hold the change in public. And releasing the vital information, the media can catalyze the pace of change taking shape. Powerful is media, for it can bring about the change at will. Besides its power, the industry has also generated employment to the millions of people worldwide. However, the global recession, profit-earning motive of the private entrepreneurs and neo-political situation embarked on in some countries have forced many journalists to freelancers and displaced many more from the jobs worldwide. Thus, the career in the media is gradually becoming less preferred and saturated. Private entrepreneurs of the media industry have cut down the jobs and stopped investing capital for advanced technologies.
Electronic media in developing countries suffer from frugal management of recourses. Both the government and private media entrepreneurs in developing countries prefer to run the industry with consumer media gadgets like handi-cams for video gathering, adobe premiers and so others for nonlinear editing, cheaper range of video cassettes and video decks for linear editing and use of non professional players for the transmission of terrestrial and satellite video signals. Lack of proper support system has further forced the media houses to run the television shows that are obsolete in present context, and in reciprocation, spawn nominal number of viewers. Unlike the other forms of media, television is the most expressive one. That is why the aphorism, “if you can’t run a television, run a radio” is more popular among media entrepreneurs in developing countries. Cutting down the budget for technology and skilled manpower eventually cuts down the standard of television. No media houses in today’s cutthroat competition can win the confidence of its target audience if they compromise with the quality production of news, views and infotainment programs. Televisions in poor countries suffer from lack of investment.
Technology advancement has surpassed nanotechnology. Very shortly, computers with Pico processor will be available in the market that can process data ten times faster than the Nanoprocessor, hundred times faster than microprocessor. Optical fiber lines connected every country and continent have propelled the flow of information at the speed of light. Broadband connectivity will be available in cell phones even in developing countries. Technology is becoming more dominant in all human activities. And media is no exception. Fast developing technologies employed in communication sectors will inevitably influence ours’ and reshape the understanding of new generation. The media that fails to see the technology-induced changes will collapse within in a couple of year. Every channel is specialized channel these days. The News Beat of traditional media has become a channel now. What the area of agriculture, sports, science, business, health, technology, fashion, religion, entertainment, cartoon and so on used to be the beat in traditional electronic media yesterday have become a separate and specialized channels to attract and influence the target audiences today.

With increasing number of literate and educated people in Nepal and elsewhere for that reason every year, foreign language is no more a barrier to watch the foreign specialized channels proliferated in the sky that have quality and professionalism in its videos and contents.

The competition tomorrow is going to be tougher for both the pubic and private media entrepreneurs. The media that hesitate to embrace the taste of people and technology are sure to lag behind in the race tomorrow.

With faster reach to every corner of the globe, the media that are prepared to embrace the changes ushered by technology will rule over the sky. A sovereign county tomorrow will be the country that has less media encroachment over its sky.

Is Nepal prepared to safeguard its sovereign sky from encroachment of media signals, new technology- induced strategy of hegemony? Therefore, the public and private Media Houses in Nepal should be prepared to face the media challenges the country is going to face within a couple of years. And, to change the future, the media should start changing its present.

2008-10-27 07:26:07

MUCH ADO ABOUT LIARS

By Nav Raj Pokharel

Human is a non-stop communicating machine. While communicating, he manipulates a lot of things to win favor of his community, circle and situation. Communicative skill is the first basis for anyone to judge the kind of person s/he is or would be. But this very communicating skill when used differently, can also delude people for immediate or gradual purposes.

We meet and come across different kind of people in the course of socialization, consultation, routine works and discharging regular and special duties of our profession in everyday life. We tacitly judge the person either based on our propensity or based on his manipulating skill. Most of the time we realize very late that the impressions some body was able to instill in our intellect and heart were astoundingly wrong.

This also gives us a sense of idiocy and embarrassment for our initial mistake. In fact, people are easily impressed with the people who can exaggerate or manipulate information for effect. No one but they know where they have distorted or reshaped the basic facts. Although the skill is creative aspect of human being, he is virtually a liar. A lot of people are easily intrigued and enticed with the liars. It is their stock of information, manipulating and interpreting skills that seduce the listeners to believe in what they say is right, though for the moment. But you can stand above their conjecture if you empirically understand their basic manipulating skills and reasons behind it. A track record will be but additional help. Let us not take lying as anything offensive against anyone. It is rather an integral weakness of mortal character. We cannot disintegrate with them so easily. It will be very difficult to find a human being who has not told at least a partial untruth in his life. That why, perhaps, one philologist goes as far as theorizing that language must have been invented for the sole purpose of deception. This also suggests that we all are liars, with different degree. There must be one thousand and one reasons for humans to lie. Few fundamental among them are to increase the sense of importance, to gain an end that would otherwise be denied them, out of long standing habit, or some times because they do not know the difference between the fact and fancy. These are but only few common reasons for falsification. Therefore, it becomes extremely difficult for the common honest people to be certain what is true and what is false.

Different people depending on their educational background, socio economic situation and experiences, employ different strategy for lying, besides many other motives that impel them to distort the truth. However, if you have some basic information about the liar’s general personality, you can help yourself stay above their maneuvers. For their practice of different degree of lying, lets honor them with different qualifiers. He is called a notorious liar who has a propensity for avoiding facts every time you talk to him. He does not talk straight. You and your friends know it. But you can not help him anymore because he has already build a solid and unsavory reputation that only a stranger is likely to be misled – and then ,not for long time. Another kind is consummate liar who lies with great skill. Rarely does any one lie as convincingly and as artistically as he does. The lying skill of the person has reached to the zenith of perfection. His mastery of lying is so artistic and foolproof that his lying is usually crowned with success. Such a liar has no trouble seducing an unwary listener into believing that he is telling the gospel truth. Generally, some leaders and educated ones come under this category. He is called incorrigible liar who is impervious to outside effect to correct his habit of telling lies. He is helpless to correction although, sometimes, he is caught in his own fabrications. But there is not any reform in him. He goes on lying despite the punishment, embarrassment or unhappiness the distortion of truth brings to him. We must have many of such personalities in our companies of friends and foes. He is inveterate liar who lies because of his deep-rooted habit. Telling untruth is as frequent and customary activities to him as lighting up a cigarette after launch, to a smoker. Telling untruth is part of his habit, it is reflexive. He is called congenital liar who has persistent history of lying. He cannot feel satisfied unless he adds something of his own for effect in his exaggerations. He does not mean bad but he is helpless to tell the bare truth. It seems that he learnt lying in his mother womb. I have sympathy for the chronic liar. He never stops lying. Most of the people lie at occasion and often for special reason in hand. But he lies continuously over and over again, many a time contradicting his previous statements with the recent ones. Here comes the honored one. He is a glib. Glib liar is he who posses a lively imagination and ready tongue. Such liar can distort facts as smoothly and effortlessly as we can say our names. Ironically enough, it is his very smoothness that that makes him a suspect. His answers are too quick to be true. Even if people cannot catch his lies at the spot, people have learnt from the experiences not to suspend their critical faculty while listening him speak. They admire his dexterous wit but they listen with skeptical ear.
Lying is always bad but the vicious is the liar who calculatedly, predeterminedly, coldly, advisedly tell a lie to injure other people either in short or long term consequences. People gasp when at time his lying gets uncovered. Such a liar is called egregious liar. Liars are everywhere, in politics, academic, government machinery and bureaucracy, private and government offices, big and small trades, everywhere in family and folks. Some lies are compliments, soothing to the ears, some vile. If we all are liars with different degree, let us avoid the lies to hurt people, if you are not an inveterate liar.

( published in www.telegraphnepal.com)
2008-09-19 14:34:42

Nepal: You invited poverty, you do it away

By Nav Raj Pokharel

Higher ambition and no work is the reason why Nepal lags behind in every front of development. Poverty in the country did not sprout overnight. It has been invited over a period. No one but the self-esteemed leaders of the country in their turns decimated the country. Poverty in Nepal has been invited with volition.

Once the country is poor, nothing works smoothly. Political parties become enemy to the people and their fellow parties. Political system becomes corrupt and crippled. People turn aggressive, neighbors become antipathetic, and bullying in integrity, and sovereignty becomes flauntingly obvious.

Poverty is a bane to everything. Acrimonies erupt among the people, casts, creeds, culture, and region. People start seeking psychological asylum in the country where they feel their alternative proximity and affinity. Love for their country gradually gets eroded. Integrity and sovereignty becomes a gossip.

Misfortunately, banana republic of Nepal at this juncture of time stands aloof, under over burdened poverty, at the verge of collapse. Poverty ushers a stage where no state machinery functions efficiently. No political and social theories would be applicable. Democratic system or for that sake, any other political system becomes irrelevant. Federal set up, although it looks blossom in the neighbors’ garden, will wither in Nepal’s yard. Not because the systems have fallacies, but because the barren soil is not suitable. Democratic system, the developed countries are proud of, is a bane in the country where poverty proliferates. And so is true to any other form of the governments. Poverty demolish everything, the peace, happiness, unity, sovereignty, integrity, everything.

Drafting the new constitution alone will not placate the agony of the country. Fresh demarcation for federal set up will further dissociate areas and regions and eventually the people.

It is the situation where nothing but toil is last option. Toil is magnet that attracts prosperity. If presence of dark poverty is egregious to the nation’s present and future, absence of poverty is the last preference. Effacing the poverty that heralds prosperity is panacea, the medicine to all the ailments the country and the people are looking for past many decades.

Political parties both old and new, the leaders both mature and naïve should have the vision to see the truth looming in the horizon and face it, if what they repeatedly claim for – they love the county, they love the people and they are proud to be Nepali with all its vice and virtues- is honest and true.

Be united if possible. If not, do not pull the legs of others. Keep all the political difference aside for some time. Do not squabble over the share of the cake before it is cooked and ready to eat. Just like an assiduous entrepreneur, look for the long run profit. Do not expect handsome return the next day in power.

Focus all the strength, energy and synergy to produce goods and services. Use all tactical skills to propel economic growth. Encourage the people to opt for business and trade, for production and creation.

Once the country overcomes the poverty, golden dawn of new morning breaks in the east.

Prosperity is the panacea the people are looking for. Not the change for change sake. Peace, political stability, law and order situation, social harmony, sovereignty and integrity or you name them are but contingent to prosperity. Once the country avails it, everything is right. Capitalism in the USA and UK is right and socialism in China and Russia is right. All the isms are blessing. Baneful is poverty.

Therefore, do not waste time and energy. Start toiling. Do not just wish. If wishes were horses, the beggars would ride them. Do one thing at a time, on daily basis. Use the media to tell the people what you did today to bring about the tangible change in the economic sector. Do not waste a day, if desperate to win the race in long run.

If not, people will be compelled to adjudge the parties in power as just another glib, amorphous, anachronous, apocryphal, and by its virtues, ephemeral.

2008-09-10 05:54:16 The tegraph ( telegraphnepal.com)
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Comments (1)


Ye..its been enough of the bashan's the leader so skilfully execute...or on a second thought do they???????? the ohte day a leader ..one of the 'change' slogan people...was boasting outloud of how versatile his skills in speech deliveries is...........ok fine...coming to teh topic......i think this can be a topic of debate....poverty- as the root cause or is it disparity that provokes change????????? i agree with you to some extent...but there are points where my opinions vary........

Commented by cara - September 10, 2008 @ 10:54 AM

Let the media decimate bias

By Nav Raj Pokharel

Media upheld as the fourth estate have eroded its intrinsic essence more and more due to the dependency and easily available sources splashed in the magic engine called internet.

Media that can influence millions of mind, educate innumerable readers and viewers, and give platform to numerous people for their voices, can become a magic instrument in the hand of unprejudiced intellectual professionals. But, more often it is seen and felt as a marionette in the hands of some powerful and media tycoons, all over the world.

The media when it want monetary return for its service, it becomes an enterprise. When it behaves as a commercial enterprise, its single tacit objective becomes earning profit. When monetary profit and loss in media is prominent, all the essence the media has or it should have, vanishes in thin air. Once the real essence is lost, power of media is also lost fro good. Unfortunately, so has become the case to the media particularly in the third world countries.

Reason behind deteriorating situation of media is two folded. One is Bias and another is Challenge of Survival. Between the top two, bias is more prominent as it permeates influence on the media managers and the media entrepreneurs though evanescent for their trade and career, but of course, deleterious to the society.

Bias means prejudiced or distortion of result. It refers to partiality, preference, unfairness, predisposition, preconception, favoritism that no media want to be tagged with. Media managers can assimilate bias in media content in volition, with intention. If not, the bias, just like an infinitesimal virus, contracts the media; If not quarantined properly before it assimilates in media contents as fittingly as media elements.

A strong, well-developed, well-trained, and well experience nose is indispensable to have the bias smelled; requires skills to have it separated from the media contents. It needs assiduous efforts to stop the bias sipping in information when a journalist prepares visual board in television or first copy in print.

Bias springs up from the core of intellection. Ninety-five percent of chance is that people observe and understand something with their predilection, and further understand and interpret them accordingly. They honestly espouse what they think is right but being unaware that they are the unwitting accomplice of media crime.

Bias comfortably coexists with intelligence, as message with medium. Message and medium is not the same thing. It is very difficult to distinguish message and medium to a callow journalist. Journalists and media managers will feel it reasonable, valuable, and relevant for their media, if the issue, agenda, and event are acceptable to them. If not, they will reject it. In both cases, key player governing their jurisdiction is not them but their bias, when observed meticulously. It is very difficult to dissect bias from intelligence. That is why, perhaps, the word “bias” also refers to spirit and soul.

A media manager, for an instance, bears the responsibility of identifying issues for media content, getting them gathered as news or views, process them in suitable style, form, and presents them as properly as possible. The practice is similar in every nook and corner of the world. But, sovereignty of choice and skill to interpret and transform the issue in different angles is contingent to his proclivity. And, right there it gives the bias a fecund ground to germinate and grow, and in crucial time grow wild.

Noted and well-off media houses and some News Agencies are taking advantage of this seemingly subtle ploy and have been feeding archetype news, views, and pictures to their subscribers across the continents.

Subscriber media seem contented to have the events and world issues covered with the purchased media contents, unaware of the amount of “biasness” unconsciously infiltrated in the media contents. Shall not the media be deleterious if failed to detach the bias?

Another prominent aspect is the challenges of survival. Information is looked for, investigated, identified, gathered, processed, value-added and sold in the market, just as the consumer items and services of daily needs. When media has to work like an enterprise and compete in the market tantamount to the necessary commodities; sensitizing a piece of information and other media ploys are employed in their presentation to popularize the channel and the media to survive the cutthroat competition. In this case, higher chances are there for the media to become deleterious and inoculate the biased media effect in the mind of the million.

Since we know that bias is inherent propensity of human being, it can never be sloughed off, minimizing it with great endeavor is , however, not practical always in creative work on everyday basis. Some experienced educators advise to practice indifference to attain balance in news. To exercise indifference in creative works like journalism is not empirical at all. When the journalist practices indifference, he forgoes curiosity. Journalists without curious heart are gauche and insipid.

Therefore, the best way could be to develop a culture, a tendency, a predilection, a dire need to peer the other side of the story so that even if a journalist does not prefer to bring forth the other point of view of the story, he will find it unavoidable nitty-gritty elements in his story. It is a curiosity to look at the issue and agenda from others standpoint, and not the journalist’s, as always. Once a journalist learns and brings it into practice, creating balance in the story becomes easy and unobjectionable to anyone, making him/her a professional one and the media a credible, and media effect constructive, meaningful.

Content of bias, just like the toxic smoke, would dissipate in the air soon after the windows of the room are opened.

2008-08-19 14:47:46
(REleased in telegraphnepal.com on Aug 192008)
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Comments (1)


I have been reading your opinions for quite some time now. Your write ups are verbose and your ideas are often lost in your love for words. But, lately, your ideas have been showing up eventhough verbosity remains. May be, it's so because the accuracy of the use of words is increasing. You have come a long way, Navaraj. Keep it up.

Unique blend of SAARC, Sri Lanka, Buddha and LTTE

By Nav Raj Pokharel

The 15th Summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) that oscillated between YES and NO until last hours of its preparation due to the rancor among political parties of nascent Republic Nepal was finally held successfully amid tight security in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka, the host country of the 15th SAARC Summit, not only held the gala despite its many domestic and international challenges, but also showed the world that the country can develop itself as another Singapore in south Asia within few years, once the contentious group of terrorist is effaced from the legendary land.

When the delegates of the SAARC member courtiers were busy in Colombo, debating the issues and challenges facing the South Asian Region, devising a common ground to combat the challenges, journalists from many countries who gathered there to cover the event, were concomitantly keeping their newsy-nose alert to sniff and witness the news related to Liberation of Tamil Tiger Elam ( LTTE) and have the peoples’ real verdict on the issue. And, as a journalist, I too was doing the same thing.

My participation to the event and the visit to the country was the first. I had mixed reaction within myself- a bale of curiosities and trepidation - as I was visiting the legendary country amid peppering news of continued war and violence. My four nights and three days stay in Colombo but made me realize that the news related to government’s offensive attacks on the belligerent side, as disseminated by many news agencies, were but belying.

The LTTE that waged war now nearly 3 decades are capricious. They violated their unilateral announcement of cease-fire and killed dozens of people when the Summit was in progress in Colombo. Sri Lankan government estimates 5 to 10 thousands of Tamil Tiger separatist hiding in Jaffna bastion whom most of Tamil despise for their unreeling subversive activities.

I broached the issues of LTTE with many common people at market area, with the endemic journalists at convention and media centre, both the low and high-ranking Sri Lankan officers at lunch and dinner tables and during our informal and intimate talks. I tried to elicit their true feeling on the issue. Finally, I derived at and construed that Sri Lankan people are already fade up with the seemingly never-ending insurgencies. They detest it. They want peace in their land and peace in their lives.

However, both the country and the government have been withstanding the worst of the disruptive few. Although hapless they seemed, they have not given up hope to have peace restored in the country in near future. More than 90 percent of the population follow Buddhism, more than that size of population are practicing Buddhism in their real lives as well. That was most impressive aspect at the sideline of SAARC I attended.

I felt the aura on their countenance radiated with the realization of wisdom that Buddha had found many years ago, still illusive to many to attain.

The friendliest in their approach and attitudes, the most polite in speech and finesse, the Sri Lankans are the ones who suffered the most from the seditious acts of the secessionists. However, they have taken it as a penance and test to their endurance.

Many of us were lodged at Trans Asia hotel and the venue for the SAARC summit was arranged at Bandaranayke Memorial International Convention Hall-BMICH. The distance was roughly 10 kilometers. Every morning we were shuttled to the centre and back to the hotel for our safety reasons. The security checks we encountered were almost at every kilometer. But I never developed a feeling of fatigue seeing the security posts and their checking procedures. I found the security officials, who were perhaps dog-tired with duty, never lost their temper with us and with the locals. I rather curiously felt the checking as an opportunity to know them closely. They greeted us, and I was dead sure that the smile that covered their countenance was never a forceful effort; it was rather coming out from their inner soul. They would inquire with the local security person who was always at the front seat of the vehicle ready to response to their queries, if any.

I remember detail of all their body postures, cursory look of their eyes, expressions that would come and vanish immediately on their faces because I have passed through such occasions in my own banana republic.

I have developed a concealed feeling that security personnel are not human being. whenever I encountered security personnel in my country during the period of insurgencies, I always heard sharp questions in harsh and terse voice that asked me from where I was coming or going or both, and why I was late in my work. They looked at me as if I was the thief or leader of some gang at large, and as if they were waiting me to arrest. They returned my identity cards after meticulous inspection in such a manner that I would have been at their gunpoint, had I lost the card. Even a forceful smile on their face was a tantamount to irreparable and inexcusable slip-up. I had a different notion about the security personnel. But what I saw and experienced in Sri Lanka in very similar situation to my country bemused me, I should admit I was baffled in the beginning.

I also remember the driver of Rupabahini Television who drove my cameraperson and me back to our hotel after we finished feed at about eight o’clock in the evening on the first day in Colombo, as the shuttle bus arranged for many media persons left us with our work. Taking three–wheeler was risky without any obvious reason to corroborate, we requested the officer on duty at the feeding station and he was more than happy to help us. It was dark and the street looked deserted, as public vehicles were restricted to ply on the major roads of the city. I suddenly felt a jerk with screeching noise of tyres. I suddenly came to alert with a chilling cold running down in my spinal cord. I looked out through the window of the vehicle; nothing was visible in the dark except few lights on the street posts and red traffic light at the road square. With great effort, I asked the driver why the vehicle stopped? The answer suddenly changed my established perspective of law and order situation of my country. He said he is abiding by the traffic light. I inquired what immoral it was to ignore the light at the time when it is dark and street was deserted. He politely replied, “Who will if I don’t.”

Back at the hotel, we were given coordinators to facilitate our requirements and programs schedules. One of the Nepal’s coordinators, Prabhath Rathnayaka from the department of Government Information was another Buddha on duty I met in Sri Lanka. He worked assiduously and relentlessly to cater our media requirements and movements from one venue to another. He gathered related information for us from the mini media centre set up at the hotel. The summit schedule was busy pressing us to meet the timetable, and so was he while supporting us at every minute situation. We had few hours to sleep. However, early in the next morning, he was seen greeting us, as cheerful and agile as he left us last night. He never seemed fatigued and fade up or withered in his job. Just like the Buddha! Calm and placid on every second in his life. And to my surprise so were other officers and security personnel at the hotel. I must admit I met many Buddhas in Sri Lanka. I was wistfully longing to meet more and more Buddha during my short stay there. My bad! I just could not.

Although the ministry of tourism had schedules for the journalist to visit the at various tourist and religious spots of the country, I could not participate in the free tour due to my pressing schedule to return home. I could not see the sea during my short stay in the country despite my irresistible desire to do so. However, people in all stratum of society in Colombo have made my heart dance with delight. I feel contented that I have met many Buddhas in the legendary country of Pundit Ravana.

2008-08-08 05:49:20 ( published in Telegraph Nepal.com on Aug 08 2008)
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Comments (18)


Sayanthan, who said north is truly run by Sri Lankan gov? it's held to ransom by the ltte terror and that's why it is really important that this government destroys LTTE. Nav Raj, this is great, it is heartning to see there are still a few true journalists left in this world who **actually** get their facts first hand unlike AFP, AP and a host of such elitiest jurno's who google for their news (lit) which is fed by the strong LTTE propaganda machine. Thanks for bringing out the true fealings of a Sri Lankan.

Commented by piripaharan - August 9, 2008 @ 3:08 AM

Tatally wrong article about ltte eelam tamils.

Commented by theepan - August 9, 2008 @ 3:01 AM

I am much please to read your nice article on my motherland!

Commented by Chandana Wckramsinghe - August 8, 2008 @ 3:32 PM

Thank you Mr Pokharel,for your comments,I too have experienced the friendliness and the hospitable nature of the sri Lankans, and whats more I am a Sri Lankan!I am only sad that Mr Sayanathan expresses a negative view!There is no hatred towards any ethnical group but frustration and anger, for those who try to destroy a country that once flourished in every way.All I can pray for is that good sense and by correcting our errors we could once again bring a new life to the wonderful and charming people of Sri Lanka.Lets unite in the spirit of brotherhood and for the future of our younger generations,!Life is too short and do not make this even shorter by once ignorence and stupidity!!

Commented by daniel - August 8, 2008 @ 1:26 PM

What a heartfelt article, very true, too, surprised your inner child had the occasion, you were lucky,but perhaps your personality behoves that. Sorry that Sathyanthan has a problem, but then which tamil does not ! Good luck !

Commented by cass - August 8, 2008 @ 9:03 AM

I too have never found our security personnel to be rude.The srilankan smile is well known.When I trained in the UK in 1990/1 everyone in my department commented on the warmth of our sri lankan smile.Despite whatever is said about us I also find sri lankans living in muscat always come to each other's aid when it is necessary and are a hard working, community. In fact the Royal Oman police force was set up by a srilankan i am not so sure about driving though because when I drive in Colombo I don't remember too many people who observe road etiquette.They do also drive through red lights...Many people are practising buddhists but I wish there were more and certainly there are no Buddhas,He must mean monks some of who in the recent past have strayed from the noble arya sangha they are meant to emulate....As one of my former Head of Institution said there is never a dull moment in Sri Lanka.

Commented by morningstar - August 8, 2008 @ 7:59 AM

Very true. Regretably the same doesn't apply to North & East. Thanks to LTTE and their relentless efforts.

Commented by nimal - August 8, 2008 @ 5:30 AM

Thank you for your article. The rest of the world needs to know about the LTTE. They are not freedom fighters, merely aggressive, murdering thugs who force their own people to fight for their phoney cause. They have hijacked a credible political movement and destroyed the genuine claims the tamil people had for a fair deal when this conflict started. The failure of the Tamil people to stand up to this organisation has set them back thousands of years and caused them more harm than state discrimination ever did. The LTTE's ethnic cleansing of the Muslim population from the east renders their claims of discrimination pointless and futile. The LTTE will never enter the political maintstream. Their ruthless assassination of Mr. Rajiv Ghandi means that the regional powers will never forget their true nature, nor forgive such stupid tactics. Whatever friends or sympathisers they had outside the Tamil community disappeared after that cruel killing. They kill anyone - Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim, that stands in their way or disagrees with their blinkered doctrine. Meanwhile expatriate Tamils are running amock in European, American and Canadian cities, selling drugs and running gangs, all skills learnt through the Tiger's clever yet abhorrent creation of a diaspora to further their cause and lobby their 'political' objectives, and raise them the money to run their rule of terror in the north. They are not freedom fighters whatsoever - they are ignorant thugs. The government are by no means faultless - on the contrary - they are corrupt to the core. However, this observation pales into insignificance when confronted with the need to crush the terrorists. Many innocent Tamils, forced to front line by their LTTE aggressors may perish, but their appears no alternative to this solution. It is the rural poor who are forced, through economic necessity, to fight for the armed forces, and many of these will too persish in the course of liberating the island of this LTTE curse. Thank you for taking the time to convey to the people of Nepal the true nature of the LTTE terrorists. I hope you can return to Sri Lanka and further explore the kind and welcoming nature of all the communities. Just to point out, I am not Sinhala or some crony doing the dirty work of the Sri Lankan state. I am a British citizen who has spent a lot of my life living and travelling in Asia. In my university days I was a Tamil sympathiser (I used to believe their propaganda that I grew up with in the UK). However, my experiences have given me a more realistic and informed outlook on the situation. The LTTE (not the Tamil people, who are trapped under this mennacing group) are the scum of Asia. The sooner they are wiped out, the sooner all people in Sri Lanka (regardless of ethnicity and religion) can get on with the job of overthrowing this megalomaniac president and rebuilding the country. Down with L.T.T.E !

Commented by Asia Enthusiast - August 8, 2008 @ 5:26 AM

Thank you for being honest.I have come across similar comments made by ordinary foreign visitors to Sri Lanka but I am surprised to hear it from a journalist.

Commented by Mahinda - August 8, 2008 @ 5:09 AM

Mr. Nav Raj Pokharel, Many thanks mate. Visit us back. We will tookafter you and you can enjoy the true beauty of Sri Lanka. You must definetely visit the country side of Sri Lanka and see the village people who live in peace and harmony. There is no ethnic problem in Sri Lanka. There is only Tiger terrorism.

Commented by susantha - August 8, 2008 @ 4:44 AM

Thnks for understanding the real SRI LANKANS

Commented by Malaka - August 8, 2008 @ 4:16 AM

Thank you very much sir! I was blushing all the way through the article. The only inaccuracy here might be the impression that Sri Lankans keenly observer traffic rules. The referred gentleman might have but the drivers in Sri Lanka have a mind of their own.

Commented by Piyal - August 8, 2008 @ 4:14 AM

Sri Lankans are will always wellcome visitors tourists in their whole heart as long as they do not abuse the sytem.

Commented by manori - August 8, 2008 @ 2:48 AM

Dear Sayanthan ji! Seems like you are the brian child of India's South Block! if so your writign is correct. Take care.

Commented by sinhala - August 8, 2008 @ 2:05 AM

What a touching article. Thank you Sir.

Commented by Ananda Mahinkanda - August 8, 2008 @ 1:25 AM

Hi Nav Raj Pokharel! I wonder you really writing from your heart or SL government paid you any money? Most of your observervations are totally wrong and should be other way round. Are you dare to travel to North & East part of the Srilanka to find the actual face of Srilankan government??

Commented by Sayanthan - August 8, 2008 @ 12:54 AM

Thank you for being 'different' from other couch potato foreign media pundits, and writing the true experiences. - Sri Lankan Resident fedup with false reporting by elite foreign journalists.

Commented by Nish - August 7, 2008 @ 11:56 PM

Mr. Nav Raj Pokharel, I am glad you were able to enjoy the Sri Lankan hospitality. Next time you should visit and see the many interesting places and sites which Sri Lanka has to offer, which will capture your heart and mind even more. Sri Lankans, are by nature are very accomodating and friendly. The soldier at the check points, who do a thankless job, do greet us locals as friendly, as he did to you. Sadly, our very fabric of peaceful life has been robbed by the LTTE terrorists, who kill civilians, irrespective whether one is a Tamil, Sinhalese or a Muslim and destroy public property. Unless one is an apologist on behalf of the LTTE terrorists, all unanimously agree that the terrorism must be wiped out of the Country, so that the common man can get on with his life and the country to prosper. We know it will. Once again, enjoyed reading your article, please come back to Sri Lanka, sooner than later.

Commented by JB - August 7, 2008 @ 10:56 PM

ETHNICITY AND POLITICS

By Nav Raj Pokharel

The political parties have capitalized issues of ethnic, poor, and marginalized people of Nepal only to accomplish their political mission and ambitions.

With a few exceptions, ethnic people in Nepal lag behind the progress achieve by the people who do not fall under ethic criteria.

In a sovereign state, various groups of the people constitute national identity, cultural and development sovereignty. Nevertheless, in the case of Nepal ethnic people are neither conferred national reverence nor access to development, since centuries.

Ethnicity in relation to political exercises in Nepal does not embrace larger meaning. It has been used merely as an issue, a political agenda, and a putative ladder. The political leaders utilize the ladder while they have to ascend to the power. When they reach the top, they push it away to prevent others from coming up.

Many reasons contribute the ethnic issue a vital, a political tenet as well as a fertile ground for the complacent political leaders. They prefer the ethnicity concerns and issues, as they are indisputable shots to accomplish their gambit in poor country like Nepal.

In poor country, the ethnic people are the ones who feel the brunt of poverty hit hard. Eyes of the state rarely reach to those groups. As a result, they lag behind in the race of economic and social progress achieved by other non-ethnic group of people.
The victims of economic and social injustice, the ethnic people are forced to fall into the economic l vicious circle. There is no way for them to break down the shackle and chain of the vicious circle, until the state stoops down and pulls them up.

The poor, meek, and impoverished people and their nationality, human right, social, and economic issues become safer playground for the acumen politician to foment their mission wrapped into national, social, and political and egalitarian cause.

However, the poor and hapless ethnic people, again with some exception in vertical line, become unwitting agenda of economic, social, political, and scholarly debate and dispute that most of the times culminates into quarrel, clash, conflict, and insurgency.

The acumen leaders, most of them do not come from the group, supplicate, advocate and even wage wars for their cause, that further ensure them as committed representative of the ethnic people and their cause. In fact, many a time, such a seemingly benevolent move has been proved merely an ostensible mission.

In reality, down in their stoic heart, such leaders are found apathetic for the ethnic concerns once they grab the power.
Metamorphosis takes place in them and their party. They immediately become new feudal in their approach, albeit chanting of ethnicity may persist for quite longer period.

If fief was the key source that germinated the seed of feudalism in the past, power is tantamount to the fief in modern age, spawning many new feudalists in the society.

Look at many poor countries around the world. Look at the metamorphosis process in the leaders of those countries and marginalized situation of the people. Look at Nepal and its ever-increasing marginalized populace. Review the leaders of the past and analyze the syndromes of the leaders at present, and tell me (again with some exception because when there is rule there springs out some exception) the impending future of the ethnic people and non-ethnic leaders of Nepal. ##

MEDIA BLIGHT LEADERS

By Nav Raj Pokharel


After watching the political leaders on televisions almost every hour and reading the reports in newspapers on what they say and do almost every day, I was compelled to infer that they are not what they try to make the public think what they really are.
You might have the same inkling, if you have been updating information about their activities on an everyday basis.

If you turn on television or the radio or browse newspapers to update yourselves, you will find that they are dragged immensely into news and views for no good reason.

If you watch them further, or read what they say on any issues, you will be surprised to learn that they have answers to every problem.

They even do not hesitate to tell you that their perception of the problem is unique and no one but they can resolve the problem, whether the problem is standoff in parliament, or the day-to-day problem of ordinary people. They are prompt to advise the audience and steps required to address the problem.

You will also hear them say how important and relevant the teaching of Buddha is even today, if they are at the function organized to mark some occasion of Lord Buddha.

They give you free advice on how unity among the different political parties, despite their diverse political ideologies, can coexist in harmony and change the face of the country in a short time, if they are addressing a political gathering, or academic symposium or anything for that matter.

It seems that the country is very fortunate to have such adroit, intelligent and compassionate leaders in a large number.

It has been decades we have been hearing them say so. However, the country has not budged an inch towards progress and development as they professed.

Not only the time-tested dictum, but also the scientific theory has it that every action has its opposite reaction. If the country is not gaining the momentum towards the progress and prosperity as expected, does it not mean that the input from our adroit, intelligent wise and prudent leaders is not right?

Alternatively, does it mean that whatever our adept leaders had been saying to us for years were just lies and nothing else?

Hounded by these realities, I feel irritated to listen to the leaders on television or the radio and newspapers reporting on self-valued statements on a range of issues.

Many ordinary people who expect to see their leaders working hard the whole day , discussing the country's future plans with their subordinates at their offices, are disillusioned to find the high esteemed leaders at every common place attending ceremonies of worshipping Sai Baba, felicitating employees for their paid services, and other interaction programs, instead.

I recollect the piece of information one of my friends, who works for a newspaper, once gave me.

He was giving me tips that journalism was one of the most important and challenging sectors to work. The sector helps in educating people and raising people's level of awareness by disseminating information. I have not had an opportunity to meet him for quite some time now. If I come across him again, I will not forget to ask him to assess the contributions media sector has made to educate and raise the level of awareness among the common people, so far.

Although, I do not know much about the functions of the fourth estate, I construe that media has spoiled the leaders making them unpopular and detested by common people by dragging them into the news the mass has no interest at all.

Although it is important by now, no one has surveyed yet if the people who pay for the papers for information, or spare time to watch television or listen to the radio for news, eventually, feel cheated to find that a larger portion of time and space are being wasted covering "what the leaders do and say today".

Many a time the information the media collect and process, and finally disseminate is of trivial value for the common public. Audiences forget the news the moment they fold the newspapers because the information carried by the media leaves no impact on them.

Doesn't this mean that the principles of journalism the media houses have been guided by so far are obsolete now? If yes, is it not high time now that media need to come up with the policy to serve the public? If not, are the public feeling contented with the media?

I think they are not. Are you?

PAST SHOWS THE FUTURE

By Nav Raj Pokharel

Since past few decades, Nepal is in desperate need of good government. Political parties that claimed majority or coalesced alliance merely ascended to the power, but failed to make a good government every time they ruled the country. Parties and power institutions, as always, are motivated only for the power.

They are least concerned for maintaining law and order situation and progress of the country. They remain untouched even though subversive activities are rampant and the impunity gains the highest possible point, pushing the lives of people to the limit of frustration. Ordinary people, professionals, and people of various social stratums think and believe that leaders are necessary to better govern the country towards sustainable and reliable peace and prosperity.

However, common people are left neglected and discarded every time a party is inducted to the government. Long- cherished sense of optimism latent in the hearts of conscious people of this country rupture out when a new government is formed. People start talking and believing that change in the government will bring about changes in their real lives as well. Soon, hopes of the people get shattered, political ambitions of the parties and leaders gain newer height.

Although the change in the government brings about the changes in the lives of some people but it is not in the living standard of the common people, but in the status of the leaders, party staunches and, outside the party circle - few sycophants only. Common people, as usual, are always marginalized.

Disillusioned, the people soon opt for new leaders and parties in the government. In this way, deteriorating political, economic, social, and cultural cycles keep on revisiting the country and the people. The leaders are incapable to resolve the problem prudently, although they keep on dispensing lip service and pretend exhibiting alacrity for the change.

Generation of desired change is beyond their ability and capacity. However, they are able and ready for rancor to prove that their self-valued stance is undisputable. But, they will never give creative, productive reasons and assumptions a chance to survive, if they are some how against their interests. Political situation in poor countries is always capricious, elusive. As usual, opportunists are the parties and leaders who always find a scapegoat to blame for their failures and conceal their inabilities when their plots prove unsuitable.

Examine major motives and activities of the political parties and their leaders for the past few decades and you will understand the nitty-gritty and under cover reality of the leaders and their teams- popularly known as parties.

Maoist insurgencies were blamed for adverse results in the country for more than a decade. More than seven times the government was changed within the period the Democracy was restored in the country in 1990 and the then King Gyanedra usurped state power in 2002. The situation did not improve each time government was changed. The deteriorating situation simply did not improve. It was because the root of the problem was always ignored. Systematic, scientific, and eclectic approaches to change the future was never adopted and implemented with honesty, as if it was something of least priority. As a result, the desired future never turned into present. The parties, the leaders, and the then king himself at the end relinquished at the hand of situation, blaming adverse circumstances for their failures. All of them blamed this or that factor for their failures. They merely slink back from the front scene for some time. Nevertheless, wretched condition of the people the leaders and parties instigated upon is irreversible. Whom the people should blame for all this? To their fate?

Inherent inability and established fault the leaders are made of with is the root cause of the problem. To improve the state affairs in the most rational, scientific, democratic, and amicable way is beyond their capability. This protrudes compounded vicissitudes to the people. Leaders and parties lack right democratic culture and wisdom to rectify the problems facing the country as a whole. The leaders in the name of the parties and mandate of the people impose the country all those possible strictures that help fortify their personal and institutional interests only. In the name of people, they will augment the progress, prosperity, and power, leaving the deprived people to take care of themselves.

Review the recent history of Nepal and tell me when did the leaders and parties in multiparty system, and the kings and the shree-shree-shrees in autocratic regime implement the policy that would bring about paradigm shifts in the lives of people? You would not find one.

It seems Nepal is predestined to bear the brunt of all sorts of political, social, and economic problems including insecurity and state of impunity. Leaders and political parties are the key players, as if planted by the divine force, to ensure the Nepalese attain the predestined fate, and not miss them.

Now Nepal is said to have entered into the new phase of political structure and power balance. Again, the new or the same leaders in newer outfits will assume the state power once again. Actions and deeds of the past players will be lashed hard, as usual, and so-called newer and up-to-date vision will be imposed only to show that they are doing something better.

Inability to address the problems facing the state and the people will continue, enervating the nation further. The leaders in the power shall see the need of change everywhere, but not in themselves. They, by the divine grace, will bungle everything into a mess, as they have no ability either to preclude or to prudently resolve the problems. They are as if the puppets whose strings are in the hands of situation. At the end, they will also find a scapegoat to blame for their failure and stay off the front line, leaving the people wait for another angel of the God to come and change their fate. Their bad! Thus, the cycle repeats. Thus, the past reveals the future of Republic democratic Nepal ##

(Note from the Nepal Horizons Editorial Team: The views and opinion expressed in this article are that of the author and not of NHC. We request individuals with interest in Nepal to submit their views on contemporary Nepalese issues to the following e-mail address: editor@nepalhorizons.com. Pictures of contributors or images that relate to submissions are welcome)

Nepal Horizons

PEJORATIVE MEDIA IN NEPAL

By Nav Raj Pokharel
Media in Nepal are pejorative. Every media, despite its distinct unplanned, callow and biased contents, claim that they are professionals. Traditional tenets are major factors that impede their pace towards modernization.

The hackneyed trend is, however, found worldwide and particularly in the third word countries.The third world experiences problems in each and every sector, in its economic, political, and social structures. Traits of the problem are distinct in every aspect of general life, as a predilection force in almost every individual in media houses and media contents.

The persons who join media as journalists are rarely independent. Most of the time, they are prone in taking sides. The journalists with a distinct mission or cultivated inclined propensity toward a side are evidently partial in media contents they prepare. Manipulated piece of information studded meticulously with prominent news and views feature, finally, ruins the purity of the both:independence and professionalism. And, the self-esteemed professionals are contented with their media skill that unwittingly makes the contents pejorative.

Until a journalist can renounce likes and dislikes toward ideologies and isms, ours and theirs, and favoritism and nepotism, skilled and stoical the journalist may be in hiding thier pain or pleasure on the final copy, the undertaking is distinctly evident to the eyes of the astute audience and the reader.

The word 'amoral' means neither moral nor immoral. It is not being the both. It is not being to any side. It is the plane where journalists have to attend to become 'the journalist' in true sense. Few dyed-in-the-wool journalists only can attain this glorious height. Once they reach to the height, whatever assignments they undertake, it becomes professional piece of writing.Because the piece of information does not reflect sides, but reality.

If you watch the trend of Nepali media, you will find them favoring the one, or the other in different phases of political cycle. They change sides immediately based on the direction the wind starts blowing. Democracy, non-democracy, people, government are but scapegoats for them to take sides. Right and wrong does not seem to exist in their style book.

Respecting their self-explanatory reasons, why and why not something is good or bad, I differ on terming themselves as professionals every time I see them manipulating the information based on their comforts.

The way they extol or reproach the issue distinctly leaves a footprint of their artificial endeavor, which does not articulate anything substantial. As a result, it fails to inoculate media effect in the mind of people. Everything they manufacture becomes tantamount and ephemeral. A labor lost.

There are more than half a dozen television stations, and broadsheet media and still more FM stations in Kathmandu alone. They could be running the media better as prospering enterprises in terms of financial standing; however, none of them is able to show the real picture of Nepal and Nepali,yet.

It is because they are pejorative while selecting, researching, and gathering, gate keeping the information, and presenting them. Until they learn how to be disinterested with the issues, and the sides, and to select, research, gather and present the information, media in Nepal are unable to show the real image of the country and its people.


Nepal Horizons
Posted on: 2008-06-02

CONFUSE AND RULE

By Nav Raj Pokharel

As claimed peaceful, free and largely participated Constitutional Assembly Elections in Nepal on April 10 immediately inducted many naïve and self-effacing persons to power. Their accession to Power was only hope left, with the hope that enigmatic talent of the rustic would provide better inputs in drafting constitution. Who knows? Or, was it so because though rustic and naïve they may be, they are only available party staunches? Who knows?

Hailed form different topography and lowest tiers of society, from different rudimentary professions and proficiencies, the country is assured of better constitution soon. Or, is it merely a spurious drama of constitutional assembly (CA) for nothing at all? Or, a collusion of the key parties to delude the country for some decades more? Because independent, experienced and prudent cluster in the society at home and abroad have expressed dismay over drafting better and sustainable constitution continent upon the naïve nominated CA members is unlikely.

Their presence in a giant six hundred and one-member assembly is likely insignificant and feared of a political encumber for ushering the country towards right direction or precluding situations that can slice off country into many pieces.

I do not see any sloppy in the nominated ones. They are apparent contingent of our society. They are in dire need of uplifted and economic, political, and social gaps bridged and approach of inclusiveness be exercised. If there is some, it is in the heads of those who visualized the meaning of embracing inclusiveness stands for inducting all sorts of brick-a-brac in policy level and claim that spirit of inclusiveness is thus accomplished.
In the country where literacy rate, opportunity for external exposure, socialization process, and predilection for the enterprise and progress is either poor or overshadowed by political and personal ambitions, need of long-term vision and proper inputs for sustainable peace and progress by the rustic party staunch does not simply corroborate with the ambition of conjuring impossible possible.

Even if the need is felt, ways to achieve the desired goal is beyond their expertise. Even the so-called consummate and prolific leaders lack the right vision and expertise of out sourcing to bring the poor and conflict torn country back to normal.

It is why our self-esteemed leaders always articulate higher of the need but remain silent on how the stark need can be resolved. They articulate at the top of their voice, “…There is nothing we can not achieve if we unite together and starve solely for our goal.” Whilst articulating such an impossible conditional approach, they imply to confuse the people that multiparty political system and culture does not prescribe such stern unanimity from the party and people of all sect, cult, and tier of civilization. But helplessly they keep on continuing the same thing again and again. What else do they have to do? They do not know what other innumerable approaches are there to transform a country towards prosperity and peace. I do not blame them for their ignorance as well. They are also a contingent in our dress circle-social-theatre. However, I hold them accountable on two grounds. Firstly, for not being honest to the people for what they are and, secondly, confusing the people deliberately. As if, leaders must be capricious.

If this is what they are doing for long and will continue doing so in the future as well, based on what they have learnt and trained so far. What exactly are they trying to do?

If you mull over them as an analyst and not as a staunch, you can see it. they are just trying to confuse the people and rule. People in power circle do not like to see people start thinking genuinely and intelligently. If people start thinking intelligently, they start rationalizing the means with the goals. They question their need and the means employed to achieve the need. People in power circle do not want questions. They want total obedience. However, they will never pronounce the word obedience even if they mean it.

They will rather term it as discipline. Leaders in different level with different capacity in different position have been misusing the word deliberately. They know that the essence of the word discipline stands for learning process, and not obedience. However, they misuse the word discipline for obedience, to confuse the people. The word disciple denotes the meaning of student who learns. The root of the word derives from Latin root discipulus, means learner – reinforced by disciple- a student.

Before the election, Election to the constitution was taken as panacea. Now the election is over. I do not see or listen any staunch asking question to his/her leaders about it. Is the CA anywhere near to the word now?

A disciple may question the rational of his Guru, the leader. The leader may not have right answer for himself. And leadership has become his profession. Can he neither quit it nor can satisfy his disciple with right answer, nor lead him to right path. What shall he do? Only alternative left for the leaders is to confuse the people. Allot them with dreams, ambitions, promises, and bigger and still bigger promises every time they look at the leaders with a question note. Leaders are guilty of lacking honesty and confusing people.

Gone are the days of Divide and Rule. This is the age of Confuse and Rule. And, no one but the leader knows it better. ##

Blogger Buzz: Updates and Bug Fixes for May 9th

Blogger Buzz: Updates and Bug Fixes for May 9th

Body language caveat

By Nav Raj Pokharel

Human behavior could have been different from what it is now, if the human had been deprived of vocal ability.
Humans’ ability to maneuver vocal communications has put the species at the superlative height among social animals. However, understanding nonverbal communications that humans constantly ooze out like a communicating machine can still bring about a new paradigm shift in understanding human behavior.

One human’s ability to understand another human can be different once we observe his body language at the same time when he speaks.

Body language and language of private distance seep out more than 60 percent clues and underneath intent of a person at particular time, place and situation.

A person who is speaking in front of the audience may be tricky but his body always remains honest. He may ploy to persuade his audience with much fitting and soothing words fetched from far and near and yoked them into the most effectual syntax, his body that is honest and innocent as a child, will underpin whether he is tell the truth.

Read the language the body communicates next time you meet your friend. Your friend may smile at you to impress you that he feels happy to meet you again. If his eyes, too, does not smile when he smiles at you, you will instantly know that he is not as happy as he pretends to be. This enables you to see inside of him as if you are reading his mind.

Body of the human cannot stay being unresponsive when s/he speaks. The body disseminates the real thinking of the person who owns the body. The Human and his body are, as if, two separate living creatures forcefully molded into one human shape, destined to coexist together.

Whatever the person does, the way s/he walks and speaks or maintains silence, the body constantly but unnoticeably involves itself in the process of communication. Therefore, observing the body message of a person, the way he behaves at a particular moment, you can read his real intention.
The bottom line of all this is that you cannot control all of your muscles, and especially the muscles in your face. You cannot avoid sending a constant stream of signals about what you are feeling and thinking, because you are a communicating machine.
Before you dive into trying to control what your body is doing and communicating, consider this: there are more than 600 muscles in the human body.
In your face alone, you have about 90 muscles, 30 of which are there purely to express emotion. Moreover, just do not merely look at the face of the person while he is talking, go beyond it and watch for the message. You will know exactly what the person, who is talking with his boss even maintaining good distance from you, is embrocating for a favour or maintaining social courtesy.
Much aggression, love, sympathy, apathy, mischief, misgiving and signals of intimidation covered under the finesse words can be seen in the face. Disapproving frowns and pursed lips to sneers and full snarls are obvious threats signals coming from facial expression venting anger. The eyes communicate in non-verbal words better.
To have cursory look and occasionally holding it at someone for a period of two or three seconds is quite natural. Holding gaze at some body for five seconds sends signal that he is interested in. More than six second invites trouble, if you are caught looking like that at opposite gender. Try this anywhere if you want to crosscheck its authenticity.

A bored person looks anywhere but not at the person who is talking to him. He finds other things to do. Bored people often repeat actions such as swinging feet, tapping toes or drumming fingers. The repetition may escalate as they try to signal their boredom.
Act of invasion is also important aspect of nonverbal language. Everyone feels comfortable and secure in his/her private space (social distance). Encroaching of the private space is similar to intruding the territory of a nation. Avoid it if you do not want to wage a war.
Invasion is often done under the cloak of familiarity, where they act as if they are being friendly and move into a space reserved for friends, but without being invited. This gives the other person a dilemma of whether to repel a 'friendly' advance or to accept dominance of the other.
Touching to a person is yet another form of invasion. Even touching at social touch zones such as shoulder, arm and back can invite an aggressive reaction at occasion. If you cannot avoid or react to the touch coming from your unsolicited colleagues, friend or seniors, you are likely to fall into their domination differently.
The public zone is generally regarded a distance over 12 feet. We will start to notice other people who are within this radius. The closer they get, the more you become aware and ready yourself for appropriate action.
Within the social zone of 4 to 12 feet in radius, humans start to feel a connection with other people. When they are closer, then they can talk with them without having to shout, but still keep them at a safe distance.
In the personal zone of 1.5 to 4 feet of distance, the conversation gets more direct, and this is a good distance for two people who are talking in earnest about something.
When a person is within arms reach or closer to 1.5 to 0 feet in distance, then s/he can touch the other in intimate ways. You can also see more detail of his/her body language and look into the eyes. Romance of all kinds happens in this space.

One secret of reading body language is to look for things that happen at the same time. Thus if you ask them a searching question and they close their body or pretend they did not quite understand your question, then this may be an indication that they do not want to tell the truth. It may also, mean that they do not like your aggressive style, so you should be aware of your part in the dance and change your style accordingly. ##

BAD IS SCHOOLING

By Nav Raj Pokharel

Nothing and no institution or mechanism has ever destroyed a man as bad as schooling has in Nepal.

Poor life quality mostly found in the third world countries largely ramifies on bad schooling.

A school, college, or university teach a student to memorize dull information about a lot of subjects they have little or no interest at all. They are given a heavy load, from the morning to evening in the name of teaching them the skill for their life. While doing so they are destroying the talents and intelligence of the human beings.
Everybody is different to each other. Even the twins have different predilections to understand and explain things around them. Their latent potential cannot be honed by implementing one set of teaching technique. If implemented, you are making every one dull and stupid instead of intelligent. However, our education system is implementing the one of the worst teaching methods found in the world.
Our School, college, and universities are producing only non-intelligent dudes in the name of education. Their hackneyed parameters of testing abilities in students are set of questions in between and at the end of session on different subject. They are asked, for an example; who is who or did what in some particular place in some specific year. Or, what is the height of Mount Everest and location of Sahara desert in longitude and latitude. Or, to narrate the probable consequences of global warming. And based on the memorized answers of the nonsense questions, the students are given marks that denote how intelligent a student is.

Have the institutions ever brooded over their gauging stick of intelligence? Are you sure that right answers to those questions make a human intelligent and wrong answer a stupid, a clumsy, a tactless in real life?
On the first day of schooling, a sense of fear is instilled in a child’s mind. Fear of being a gauche if he/she is not able to parroting what the teachers teach them. Intelligence- the inner potential of human being- never thrives when your heart trembles with fear. Second, school does not focus on each and every student based on their ability to learn and subject of interest. Third, students are given notes encouraging them to memorize the information given to them. They never help students to internalize the essence of information and reproduce it in their own language based on the students’ intelligence. If the students feel that they need notes to get into the technicalities of the subject and problem, themselves will prepare notes. Teachers should encourage and guide them in doing so, instead of homework. Students will use their interpretation, reasoning, and intelligence while making notes, and teacher should encourage them to express their view on the subject candidly, and not repressed fear.

Students fear that if their answers are different from teachers’ notes or the textbooks, they will be termed as gauche. Teachers never encourage the students for their creative answer and fresh reasoning of their intelligence towards a perspective and problem.

School, colleges, and universities are hurriedly becoming enterprises where commonplace information is sold to the students. Educational institutions, we have so far except for one or two, are the place where intelligence of the student, in true sense, has nothing to do with. It remains suppressed though out their schooling. Very few people are able to escape the valueless education and preserve their intelligence who passes the school, college, and university under our education system. Most of them come out as educated gauche.

I visualize the educational institution where dormant intelligence in human being is given priority to flourish. Their reasoning faculty is encouraged to develop and teach them how they can gather information on various subject, topic, and issues and understand the real essence of the subject based compatible onto their intelligence. Their boundless potential to interpret, internalizes, re-define the spirit of the subject and issues, and resolve the problems facing them are essence of schooling. In short, their intelligence is given chance to thrive.

When the students have their intelligence honed, they come out as intelligent person and use their intelligence in the area of their interest. They exhibit confidence in life. Then, everybody will love doing what he or she is doing. Their real intelligence will be utilized in their lives and work. Education becomes meaningful to them.

At present, no body is happy. There is tension in the profession they hold. It is because every body is caught in wrong job. Good educationists are forced to opt for politics and persons with political predilection are in business. Most educated gauche are teachers and teaching penchants are put in surveying roads. No one is happy.
Educated people these days are not happy in their work and life. The schooling neither developed their intelligence nor groomed them to love the work they do. The school, college, and university only sold them information of their priority.

Life without intelligence and love is bound to be miserable..
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WHEN A BLIND RULES ANOTHER BLIND

By Nav Raj Pokharel

Be it elected or self-appointed ones, the political tycoons impenitently spoil next generation by grooming them not to live and face the challenges at present but to live in tele-world. To condone the problems at present and to think better days ahead is what I mean by living in tele-world. The psychotherapy techniques of assuaging and putting off present wants for future are but socio economic features of Nepalese society handed down through generations. And, leaders still find it an effective tool in ensnarling people to endure the present problems with alacrity, and hope better days ahead.

Even the conscious cluster of society has been cajoled unconsciously to embrace the impact, although the present that should decide the future course of human destiny does not corroborate any positive indicator in availing the promised future. Nothing but different present only can bring about different future. Ignoring the present is disregarding the future. But time and again, we seem to markdown the present and hope for better future. Such a fantasy is achieved only in daydream. Political tycoons are all aware to take advantage of the wide gap the Nepalese seem to believe in their showing, being and doing.

Take these instances, leaders of political parries and kings who reined the people over hundreds of years were able to rule the people of this country only with the promise, and not by the ability to change the present into desired future. People still remember many promises committed by the leaders in the past. The luring promises included peace, prosperity, security health services, education, infrastructure development, employment, and living standard of Nepalese at par with Asian Standard by the year 2000 if they were entrusted to rein the country. Willy-nilly they were entrusted. But the desired changes remained a far cry.

Let me give you another example. People, without an exception, want peace and prosperity at present and are patient, knowing that there is no magic stick to change bad to good in no time. Leaders take advantage of this time frame and rule the country. By the time they step down the government, all the promises they committed become a thing of past. People do not see and feel progress. The cycle repeats. Another leader emerges, another high-sounding promise are made. People unwillingly believe them. And the result is what a pragmatist expects. Progress does not budge and inch forward.

The history is being repeated in front of our eyes. People are once again lured into the promises of history making epoch without a bunch of competent leaders to lead the country in bringing about the changes. Parties and independent leaders talk about beautiful future ahead only if they are given chance to rule the country. They say loud and clear that the country will be ruined and better constitution cannot be written if they are not given mandate in the Constitution Assembly election. Country cannot give power to all of the contesting parties and candidates at a time, meaning that many of the parties and candidates will not assume power. This means the country will not see progress as usual.

If the people do not believe on the parties and their promises splashed into their manifestos and commitments made with the people by holding their hands at the time of election, who else to believe and entrust the power to guide the country. Nepalese party politics and poor people are a unique combination of true mismatch. ##

Leaders Vs.Hypocrites

By Nav Raj Pokharel

It is why majority of common people believe politics a dirty game.

When you have perfidious key players at top in the politics feeding trepidations in the mind of people for their secured role in future instead of precluding them right in the present , you can only curse on your fate and at most, despise the country for the leaderships she happened to have.

When you see the country lawless just like a jungle, where ascendancy of predation, trepidation and apprehension are at the apex, helplessly you blame your hapless fate and finally capitulate your conscience and future to the quandary leaders who are always busy in calculating their position and strength of bargain based on the deleterious present.

Power moguls in a banana country like Nepal can find many opportunities to feed the naïve, simple and credulous people the dream of peace and prosperity for tomorrow. Bewildered with the incredible promises to be met tomorrow and apprehensions of predation today, people willy-nilly concede to the situations. This is how leaders reign in banana countries over the world.

Leaders distributing ideologies at predatory price are sure to collapse. Only few visionary leaders can save the country and its people but it is once in hundreds of years to have visionary leaders like Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kenney, Mandela, King Martin Luther Jr, in the west and, Mahatma Gandhi in the neighboring country in forefront of politics.

Therefore, it seems, it is also some part of good fortune to have visionary leaders when the country need them during her worst time.

Horde of so-called representatives of the people are like you and me, made up with the same genetic, flesh and blood that survives on worldly materials and easily amused of affluence. It is all right with us, for we are not representatives or leaders. However, it should not be so to those who voluntarily opt in to be representatives and leaders of the people and the country. If they are like you and I, (and in fact they are) it is not just anything more than leading a blind by another blind. Both of them are sure fall into the ditch.

Leaders and representatives of the country should not be groomed up the way common public do. They need to feed on worldly materials but they should not live for the worldly pleasures as we common people do, because they are different. They need different skill, a compassionate heart to feel the pain of the people, honest mind, and a strong sense of belief that the profession they have chosen will not give them anything except a sense of satisfaction. Their sole pleasure of living is rested on the pleasure and happiness of the people whose only aspiration is peace, freedom, human rights and prosperity. Leaders sans the natural propensity to be the true servant of the people can never become a leader. They are merely hypocrites.

Nepal has plenty of leaders and representatives. The interim parliament's estimate of more than six hundred representatives for the Constituent Assembly, suggests the number of leaders the small country is going to have only on the central level. But are they groomed up to be the leader? Or, are they simply like you and I, opting political machination for hedonism? The answer is anyone's guess.

A true leader does not instigate problems. He rather precludes the possibility of the problems before they get safer soil to germinate. A hypocrite thrives on the volatile situations. He takes benefit from anything weaker, be it the situation or the people.

A true leader serves the people in true sense. He is honest, selfless and has benevolent heart. His selfless attitude does not bring him plenty of material properties. .And, he is happy for, he knows it.

However, unlike a true and selfless leader, hypocrites crave for hedonism. Their perquisites form the government may be insignificant but from nowhere get richer and richer every year.

Let us assess our leaders with this simple gauge, no, not with anything-particular purpose in hand, but only to verify further if they are what we think, they are. ##

Politics is an entreprise

By Nav Raj Pokharel


The time-proven aphorism, ' example is better than preaching' could be a divineguideline to the leaders who are lost in the political labyrinth 'like a crow in the fog'.
The political gridlock the country is entangled in is not because it is of a serious nature demanding meticulous and prudent strategies to resolve, but it has been deliberately complicated placing the profit-oriented party motif.

It seems every human being has compellingly developed the unique feature of profit-oriented faculty, a skill to fight for survival in the present day complex world. No sector, profession and vocation humankind steps into is spared of the tenacious hold of the motif. It is the part and parcel of human activities.

Everything, including the so-called social service is now considered a business deal, in which takings are of prime concern to the entrepreneurs. Government has become the federation of the political associations where representatives of political entrepreneurs develop strategies for the promotion of their goods and services assembled under their party trademarks and brands.

In the federation, when representation happens to be diverse, shrewd and tactful entrepreneurs form coalition and get business resolutions ratified by the majority.

They are always effortful to remain in the equation that has the upper hand while a deal is struck. They always eye on the dealings that yield hefty margins, incurring loss rarely.

Political gridlock on the report of delineation of constituencies, date for Constituent Assembly polls, republicanism, Melamchi, YCL, and so other issues you mention of public concern are obviously more entwined with the profit concerns of big political business houses.

The principal base for taking decisions on any issues is goaded more by the party interest. Peoples' aspiration, necessity, want and desire are only for the namesake until mounting pressure is poised over their head.

The issues of stand off at the apex politics are but few examples of the party-acumen's apprehension of long-term party plan. Party acumen is more apprehensive of loosing customers if the market is opened for the rival companies.

It seems, commerce follows us like the shadow at every step we tramp and every breath we take. Everybody has turned into an entrepreneur. Noble leaders were urban myth.

Therefore, people now consider the political arena as one of the best sectors where political entrepreneurs swarm, marketing their ideology. Once successful, it gives them more than anything they would have gained from other sectors, if pursued.

Politics can avail one with the power to control over the state machinery at one's will; giving the power like that of the God to control over human activities as well as generating prosperity. That is why influential politicians and their parties harvest rich every time they are in power. I deduce it is the superlative form of all businesses devised on the earth so far.

So, like that of business rivalries leaders of different parties rival among themselves to popularize their brands in the market with advertisements inoculating the people to choose their companies and services.

Have the big rival industrialists ever reached a consensus over producing same merchandise under one brand name? I have not found such understanding reached anywhere down the annals of history so far, even if the size of the market is small.

However, history has ample records of merger of similar companies, take over of management of other companies, coup d'état and illicit interventions in the markets by powerful business tycoons.

Viewed from this spectrum, is the impasse of political parties not exactly the same rivalries of the business world? Immediate declaration of republicanism will equip some political entrepreneurs with strategic victory in future, which to some others is sure to incur loss. To recognize the peoples' mandate through the first meeting of the constituent assembly on the so-called crucial issues could be diverged from what it has been speculated. This prompts the political entrepreneurs prefer to remain inconclusive rather than decisive.

Whatever the political entrepreneurs' gambit may be, they need to be sensitive for the rest of the real political, administrative and other socio-economic problems innocent people of this country are facing, owing to the gridlock at the top brass enterprises.

At this juncture, people want the political parties to exhibit more accountability for social responsibility in entrepreneurship.

Scholars and intellectuals through their writings; professionals and technocrats through their actions, various sections of the society through their protests and the common people through their wilting-heads are urging the political parties to rise above petty party interests. They suggest, "Keep the rivalries aside for some time and help the general life return to normalcy , make the place suitable for civilized people to live in, do away with all sorts of terror, extortion and intimidation and give people good time to live while they enjoy their tenure in the federation." Set an example for the future entrepreneurs to follow.