Our Kind of People
blogdai has been thinking about candidates for our Nepal Advocacy Group (NAG). We don't necessarily need spotless puritans or political neophytes, just people who seem to be able to put their own needs behind their sense of duty to their fellow citizens. Corrupt? perhaps, but not to the point of ineffectiveness. Long-term vision? Absolutely. A few names come to mind, love 'em or hate 'em, that might fill the NAG bill:
Lily Thapa: Director of Nepal's Women for Human Rights.
Kunda Dixit: Sure he's a journalist and a Dixit, but he ain't his brother.
Naryan Singh Pun: Corrupt and arrogant, but is a no-nonsense implementer.
Foreigners: Time to stop being paranoid and solicit their advice.
And, Keshab Sthapit, former mayor of Kathmandu and a blogdai aquaintance. Have reprinted his interview below from Kunda Dixit's Nepali Times. He'll take his baksheesh from time to time, but he cleaned up kathmandu, did much to control traffic and pollution, ran a tight administration and basically, GOT THINGS DONE. No wonder he split with the UML: He's effective. He's also no royalist but has a longer term vision on what was necessary for Nepal. This guy has seen it all on the streets of Kathmandu, nothing fools him. So, here it is:
So you left UML to support the king?
I quit because Madhab Nepal started acting like a king himself. The UML has displayed double standards in the past. The leaders talked about regression and at the same time approached the king with their petition. They were also happy when parliament was dissolved. The party itself is authoritarian.
What’s your opinion of the 12-point understanding?
I had never realised that the Maoists were so clever. They are using the seven parties to attack the monarchy. There is no escape for the parties, which are now even willing to give shelter to the rebels.
Keshab Sthapit
So the parties have fallen into the Maoists’ trap?
The Maoists are leading and the parties are following. For so many years, the parties have been organising rallies but they have failed to progress.
The king easily brushed them off, especially because of the meagre support for their demonstrations. This forced them to seek from the rebels. You see more people joining them now but are they really from the seven parties?
Does this not push the country further into crisis?
The problem is the leading parties themselves. On one hand, the Nepali Congress has become a family affair while the UML displays double standards. The people have virtually no trust in them.
So, there is no hope with the parties?
The parties have no agenda at all. They had none before reaching their understanding with the Maoists. The parties have no sense of self-sacrifice and still don’t realise the mistakes they made while in power.
Then what’s the solution?
The 12-point understanding is pushing the country towards more crisis while the king is going his own way. He has to call everyone for talks.
You’ve criticised the king’s move, yet you support him?
The UML have been falsely labelling me a royalist. A king has to be like a king. He has to call for a national assembly that can come up with a common agenda. Both the Maoists and the king have clear agendas. It is the seven-party alliance that does not.
-=blogdai
posted by blogdai @ 3/21/2006 06:48:00 AM
36 comments
36 Comments:
Foreigners: Hmn..I guess I am interested Blogdai!
Am I welcome though?
Anyways, Keshab Stapit, after reading his interview, seems a knowledgeble and level headed guy.
He put it in simple terms, "Atleast the King and Maoists have an agenda" that summarizes everything!
This man reminds me of Certain "Rao Effect" that took place in one of the worst, filth ridden, unclean city, SURAT,now one of the cleanest in India.
Hopefully, he will one day be the Mayor of Kathmandu and clean it up further.After all, he has observed the Capital from the streets!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4730332.stm
Yep, he's a bit of a rogue, but an effective one.
C.K., you are blogdai family so no more of this silly "am I welcome" talk from you.
We do need to listen to the counsel of some foreigners. There are a lot of smart people out there. A confident nation takes the opinions of foreigners under advisement knowing that the final decisions will always lie with the State.
I am also interested in our readers sending more names of people who would be good candidates for the NAG. Yes, blogdai will solicit their opinions once an initial list is made.
-=blogdai
How about Min Bahadur Pal , zonal administrator of Bheri zone? He has the right ethos: "We shouldn't behave like terrorists while fighting against terrorists."
Foreigners: Time to stop being paranoid and solicit their advice.
You're a foreigner, aren't you blogdai.
This was posted before, is that you Haj? I'd like to look into that Min Bahadur Pal issue. He is right. But like g. querries: what else can be done? We are dealing with violent human nature on both sides. If I may take your position for a minute, the RNA is out in the field, acting autonomously and committing undeniably terrible acts as they search for Maoists. Poorly trained and disciplined armies will do this; hell, even well-trained armies like the yanks do this.
This all goes back to g's question, and I wish someone would offer a solution, WHAT, THEN ARE WE TO DO TO STOP THE MAOISTS?
We've offered them enough fig leaves. They don't want to come to any negotiating table and they're making fools of the parties.
blogdai will do this: someone offer up a good, credible, forward-thinking alternative to the guerilla mess being made in the field by both sides and I'll post it as a primary column with your name on it. Then you get the overwhelming joy of fielding the subsequent comments and shrill rants a-la-blogdai. Deal?
-=blogdelegator
Nepali's take the advice of foreigners everytime they leave Nepal to get a foreign education.
Nepal cannot move without the advice of big arrogant foreigners to the south.
So are Nepalis suffering from "selective xenophobia" then?
Blogdai a foreigner? Not in my country, I'm not.
-=blogdodge
Blogdai a foreigner? Not in my country, I'm not.
And your country is certainly not Nepal.
And you're a shallow-minded xenophobe, right anon? You want "regression" keep it up with that fear of foreigners; it's the most regressive form of thought there is and it's poisoning the voice of reason in Nepal
But then, you do us a service by erfectly illustrating the type of paranoia we need to alleviate.
I get the feeling, from the tone of abrupt finality in your post that you've found some major justification or proven some major point to yourself from our little exchange; but the fact remains, who really cares?
Do you have a point to make along with this? Tell me WHY it matters; convince me and maybe I'll believe you. Can you tell me how a western educated or Indian influenced Nepali is somehow culturally pure of thought in your eyes?
As it stands, all you're saying is "nah, nah, nah, blogdai is a foreigner, so there..."
You don't, by chance, know 234 do you?
By the way, Nepal IS my country.
-=blogdeletebuttonready
Nepal may be your country but you're not Nepali though.
you know when i was a kid, i used to put my two index figers in my ear and say.......na na na i aint listening. it was fun but it was useless. i was listening all the while. BUT at the same time i was thinking. know that word? THINKing.
(yeah its got a king in it too although its thin.)
I knew all along what I was hearing, but I did not want to tell them I understood. Why?
I was a freaking kid. I did not want to LOSE.
THINK. Do that. You guys, if you can type you aint kid any more. thats the least favor you can do to mother nature. Being human that is.
You know what, I aint Nepalese either. Whats a country if the citizen cant live there with peace.
Boundarys don’t make a country. It is the people that makes the country. And the people of Nepal are dead or dying. And people like you ignore it. NO. YOU HELP THE PROCESS.
politics. f888. I am saying it again and again. Its not about politics, winning, losing, even belief. Its about living. Living this freaking short life.
Its about letting Nepalese people live.
Its about us scared fools being able to go back there and try to make a difference.
Who gives a damn about panchayat, democracy, or autocracy.
i know the prblem with nepalese.
WE were too free. we never were under slavery. We should have been.
Then our idea of democracy and freedom would have been worth talking about. THEN only then, any little freedom would have been worth dying for.
NOT NOW.
GET OVER IT. YOU ALL.
blogdai is not a nepali.
YOU FOOLS. YOU DAMNED FOOLS>
He is . Read the earlier posts. IF you have that much patience that is.
But what even if he is not. any one who runs a blog with this much thought about nepalese and nepal, even a foreigner is more of a nepali than all of you put together.
those freaking foreigners who think more of a peaceful nepal than any of you a--H---s, they are more of a nepali than you all.
Give it to them. YEAH, if you want sell it to them. I always wished some foreign country would buy Nepal. Even if we were under them atleast we could live out this life with relative peace.
They will do a better job of making Nepal a SOVEREIGN COUNTRY then all of the nepalese put together.
PAGAL HARU
Bhagwan le afno baki bhako ali ali buddhi ni timi haru lai nai diun. Hope it will be enough to bring you to the right path.
if not may the devil help you all.
-g
You don't, by chance, know 234 do you?
Still trying discredit my views by labeling me in every which way possible without letting me present my views uncensored? I wouldn't expect anything less from you
Maoists are 99.9% Nepali, arent they?
Politicians, Koirala, Nepal, etc retards are all 100% Nepali, arent they?
BLOGDAI.
"But what even if he is not. any one who runs a blog with this much thought about nepalese and nepal, even a foreigner is more of a nepali than all of you put together.
those freaking foreigners who think more of a peaceful nepal than any of you a--H---s, they are more of a nepali than you all."
BLOGDAI. A true Patriot of Nepal.
"g" - you hit the Bulls eye. I salute you, my friend. You wrote what I always wanted to say to some of my narrow minded Nepali friends, who think that being a Nepali is enough, no matter how dumb the person is.Maoists, Politicians included.
C.K
It might be a bullseye but the real question is whether Nepalis would accept it. I say no.
now that you mentioned kanak, i wonder what his next direction is in his rabid anti G babble. maybe call for the maoists to be recognised as democrats??
-foreigner in exile from nepal-
Something neat is that snakebite is getting to the core of why we want something like a Nepal Advocacy Group (NAG).
Knowledge is power. Nepalis are ignorant, afraid, mistrustful or whatever of foreign intervention for precisely the reasons snakebite mentions: we feel that our sovereignty is tenuous enough without worrying about some new foreign advice pushing us around and telling us what to do. Little do many of us know that advice can be solicited and interventions controlled.
In that spirit NAG can illuminate.
On the other hand, if Nepalis were actually serious about keeping foreign intervention at bay, they would do something about the thousands of foreign NGO's running rough shod all over Nepal. They enter, throw money around, and often do quite a bit of damage. No wonder they bristle at the hint of government regulation.
-=blogdai
NGO's are different from a foreign-led political entity. Far, far different.
Blogdai, how about prince Paras, who is now touring Austria on the "intivitation" of Austrian President? Has anybody in Nepal shown any more "result" than the Crown Paras?
Paras Sarkar's name is a serious omission in your list.
on and off in my life I have been pro and anti foreigner, being of mixed descendant
Really we all watch Cnn, use indian electronics, foreign money and so on. At this stage the whole world is going through a phase of romantic mental retardation, where they are neo nationalists, in search of true long lost identities. Dependent arising. Stop the racism.
Some principles for whom ever it is that is the NAG candidate, courtesy of the Washington Post:
· Love the motherland, do not harm it.
· Serve, don't disserve the people.
· Uphold science, don't be ignorant and unenlightened.
· Work hard, don't be lazy.
· Be united and help each other, don't benefit at the expense of others.
· Be honest, not profit-mongering.
· Be disciplined and law-abiding, not chaotic and lawless.
· Know plain living and hard struggle, do not wallow in luxuries.
I love that psalm; also the 23rd.
Such parallels we can draw with other works like the Dhamapada, Gita and others.
We have more in common with each other than we have differences.
-=blogdai
Beauty is found in all faiths.
TO OUR READERS: 234 IS ATTEMPTING TO HIJACK OUR BLOG. HE IS POSTING UNDER THE NAME OF BLOGDAI. YOU WILL KNOW HIS POSTINGS IN ONE OF TWO WAYS:
--THEY DON'T SOUND LIKE BLOGDAI BECAUSE THEY ARE DISRUPTIVE AND CRUDE.
--THEY ARE QUICKLY DELETED.
BLOGHAJ, LOOKS LIKE YOU BACKED THE WRONG PONY ON THIS ONE. 234 IS ABSOLUTELY NUTS.
WE AT BLOGDAI REGRET THIS TEMPORARY INCONVENIENCE. THE STAFF AT BLOGSPOT.COM IS WORKING ON THIS PROBLEM AND SHOULD HAVE IT RESOLVED SHORTLY.
IN THE MEANTIME I WILL ADD NEPALI WORDS AND SEQUENCES THAT OUR READERS WILL UNDERSTAND SO YOU ALL WILL KNOW IT'S ME. KEGARNE?
-=BLOGDAI
snakebite I'm sorry. You're comments are welcome. I think it is a result of this hijacking. Please, by all means, post them again and I will do everything I can to protect them. If I have to copy and repaste them, I will.
Thanks for your patience.
-=blogdai
there is no god unless that god is me or you.
life is about living and there is no alternative for it. unless you wanna kill yourself. thats a good alternative. decreasing population is good for increasing population.
journalism.
should have been for the better good of better population. not yourself.
doesnt work that way.
not journalists fault though. they got to make a iveing too.
you need to get that 'enlightenment' and keep yourself from all that magnets of life. i aint prophesing i can do that though.
believe me. you dont really want the god speaking to you. you basically wont understand.
234
you are a kid and i envy you. i wish i was a kid. you can say what you want without thinking what others think. you are living , i am dead. and i wonder why dead people think. they are not supposed to.
too much to think about and no solution.
i disagree with most of what goes on in this blog. and i agree with most of what goes on in this blog.
yeah. that leads me nowhere.
but if i had the gods sword or the devils spear. i would kill each and every one of you. at least the most of you.
why??
because you all think too much.
what?
life is about living.
now how many times have i said that.
use condoms.
decrease population.
kill your own child.
kill your neighbors.
kill every one you know.
then there will be enough people to let the world live.
sorry.
i did not meant all i said.
sometimes i wonder.
why is it so hard for people to realize they are drunk. they need to get sober sometime.
and when they do.
well.
i did want to write some more.
nuts. i guess 234 and his like has had the better of me.
i guess either they understand too much and i nothing.
or i understand too much and its killing me and the live in the bliss of ignorance.
whatever thats supposed to mean.
you know the best thing about life.
there are five fingers.
two down. one up. one down. and one sideways.
make the best of it.
-g
I suggest one name "snakebite"
India bashing is very common in Nepal and for Nepalese, I am perfectly aware of it. Some actually built their political career in some parts of Nepal based on just that. Here is what I know, correct me if I am wrong.
"After two extensions, the two treaties expired on March 23, 1989, resulting in a virtual Indian economic blockade of Nepal that lasted until late April 1990. Although economic issues were a major factor in the two countries' confrontation, Indian dissatisfaction with Nepal's 1988 acquisition of Chinese weaponry played an important role. New Delhi perceived the arms purchase as an indication of Kathmandu's intent to build a military relationship with Beijing, in violation of the 1950 treaty and letters exchanged in 1959 and 1965, which included Nepal in India's security zone and precluded arms purchases without India's approval. India insisted on reviewing India-Nepal relations as a whole. Nepal had to back down after worsening economic conditions led to a change in Nepal's political system, in which the king was forced to institute a parliamentary democracy. The new government sought quick restoration of amicable relations with India.The special security relationship between New Delhi and Kathmandu was reestablished during the June 1990 New Delhi meeting of Nepal's prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Indian prime minister V.P. Singh. During the December 1991 visit to India by Nepalese prime minister Girijad Prasad Koirala, the two countries signed new, separate trade and transit treaties and other economic agreements designed to accord Nepal additional economic benefits."
Isnt this the complete picture?Isnt it too simplistic a view to blame India outright? Do you think India alone was responsible for Trade blockade? Dont you think Nepal (whoever it is either the king or politicians) by buying Chinese Armour in violation of treaties, secretly, without India's knowledge, was an unwarrented provocation?
C.K
Snakebite, Good one there.
But dont you think you are falling for the same kind of hole you were warning the other Nepalalese to be beware of?
"The 1950 treaty and letters stated that "neither(Not India -Not Nepal) government shall tolerate any threat to the security of the other by a foreign aggressor" and obligated both sides "to inform each other of any serious friction or misunderstanding with any neighboring state likely to cause any breach in the friendly relations subsisting between the two governments." These accords cemented a "special relationship" between India and Nepal that granted Nepal preferential economic treatment and provided Nepalese in India the same economic and educational opportunities as "Indian citizens".
Do you realize what that means? I know what exactly that means. I studied with Nepalese people IN INDIA. There are more than a million(Yes, million) nepalese living in india, and being treated on par with indian citizens, go to Indian schools, earn in indian rupees and live with indians.
The treaty was protecting both the countries interests, not just India's. India in turn provided and assured the monarchy of full assistance in case there was any chinese aggression, which is as real as the tibetans living in nepal.
"Nepal, a sovereign country, does not have to remain under India's defense umbrella. Period."
I agree completely. So is India and Indian interests. Indian or any countries interests are a matter of THAT countries interests. Period.
Back in 1950's the situation was entirely different though. The King was more scared of the Chinese than India, as he had close contact with the princely Indian states and held a considerable amount of influence in Indian politics through the royalty to his favour.
India was independent only in 1947, and wasnt even a republic till 1952 january 26th, to be scared of China or get influenced by chinese therat. India and nepal shared a religious and cultural exchange long before Mao was born in China.
In the 1950s, Nepal welcomed close relations with India BUT as the number of Nepalese living and working in India increased, and ALSO the involvement of India in Nepal's economy deepened in the 1960s and after to protect its tarde(r's) and their investements, so too did Nepalese discomfort with the special relationship.
Tensions came to a head in the mid-1970s, when Nepal pressed for substantial amendments in its favor in the trade and transit treaty. In 1975 King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev proposed that Nepal be recognized internationally as a zone of peace; he received support from China and Pakistan. The real reason, the king knew, the whole world knew and India knew too, was not because of chinese love towards Nepal but india has already fought wars with Pakistan and China, by then. In New Delhi's view, if the king's proposal did not contradict the 1950 treaty and was merely an extension of nonalignment, it was unnecessary; if it was a repudiation of the special relationship, it represented a possible threat to India's security and could not be endorsed.
In 1978 India agreed to separate trade and transit treaties, satisfying a long-term Nepalese demand.
In 1988, when the two treaties were up for renewal, Nepal's refusal to accommodate India's wishes on the transit treaty caused India to call for a single trade and transit treaty.
Thereafter, Nepal took a hard-line position that led to a serious crisis in India-Nepal relations.
And thats when the blockade happened. NOT because NEPAL is NOT a Soverign Country. The king was literally blackmailing India, and was openly buying weaponary from China, threatening the only country that would even think of helping it, if ever there is a Chinese Invasion, which was infact both the countries worried about when they signed the treaties in 1950? And india which was, still is, helping it economically in many other ways? Do you think India would do nothing?
You said"....India imposed a transit blockade for almost a yr(?) during early 90s when India-Nepal trade treaty expired. All three major India-Nepal routes were closed, and life for the poor was harsh."
India did not IMPOSE anything.India did not EXTEND the treaty with Nepal as Nepal was buying weaponary from China, which is threat to India. Its Nepals rulers call to decide whats good for their people, not India's, as you rightly said, being a soverign country.
India linked security with economic cooperation.TRUE. How fair is it for NEPAL to buy arms from China, and blackmail India,still expect economic cooperation and freeflow of its citizens, and use its transit routes to export stuff to Bangladesh etc?!
You said "....so to prevent that friendly relations, India secured the treaty with Nepal where it can only purchase arms from India, UK and the US. "
For your information, though i am sure all of you are aware,
India had achieved independence from Britain in 1947, untill then Nepalese-Indian relations continued to be based on the second Treaty of Sagauli, which had been signed with the government of British India in 1925. Yes. 1925!
PREVENT? What do you mean prevent nepal-chinese friendship? You are right about the year 1950.
The Nepali National Congress absorbed the Nepal Democratic Congress in March 1950 and became the Nepali Congress Party, and it formally decided to wage an armed struggle against the Rana regime. On November 6, King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, who had long been making anti-Rana statements, escaped from the palace and sought asylum in the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, as it was technically Indian soil and the Nepali Congress Party risked India's fury to mess with the King. INDIAN EMBASSY and then fled to INDIA not CHINA!
The situation was not as square as India In china out- it was Kings life at risk and he used his Indian freinds to bail him out of the situation. NOT CHINESE.And this is the kind of security the King wanted for nepal against any threat, may it be from within Nepal or from anyone else.
You ask "Some other treaties- starting from the very first highly disputed Sughauli treaty, the Kalapani-border fiasco, the Mahakali treaty that curbs Nepal's freedom to sell water to whoever it wants- but India at throw-away prices. Why? "
Sughauli Treaty?Dude, that was in 1816- The king negotiated that with the BRITISHERS.... that was more than a CENTURY before India existed in the political form it is now!
And kalapani dispute...india didnt trust nepal with security and communication, keeping in mind the indo-chinese conflict and has posted its own military and equipment on the northern border, as was agreed upon by then rulers because, as we all agree both are soverign countries. Though I personally dont support any side now, are you aware who made it a rallying point against india NOT for nepals benift for their own political gain?"....during the premiership of Kirti Nidhi Bista, and consequently, on 20 April 1969, the check-posts were removed and the Indian army personnel sent back home."
Mahakali Treaty-Curb Nepals freedom to sell water to anyone it wants? Dude be realistic. How many countries do you think nepal has borders to sell water to in the first palce? Who do you think financed the project in the first palce?
It is nepalese perception that india is robbing it may be, but this is also taken DIRECTLY from the same treaty "India shall supply 10 m3/s (350 cusecs) of water for the irrigation of Dodhara Chandani area of Nepalese Territory"
I dont wnat to say anyone CHEATED anyone. Its business and one part finances and the other reaps benefits depending on mutual agreement. Blame """(Sher Bahadur Deuba)Prime Minister.
Prime Minister, His Majesty's Government of Nepal""" and the KING under whose guidance he signed it..NOT INDIA.
"India is playing foul over minor issues"??? INDIAN security, is not a minor issue. Chinese weaponary business with Nepal is NOT a minor issue, not for India. A Nepalese person starving is a Nepal’s king commonsense. If I knew of even a 1% chance that my people would starve, forget buying weapons in secret, I wouldn’t even go near those RED FLAGS. India fought a WAR with China. They are not cosy friends, and if you ask me, even the Chinese I know don’t trust their own governments intentions!
You also said"The truth is, if the trade treaty was not renewed- India's loss- Nepal today consumes Indian goods worth of over 42billion rupees"
Do you realize what Indian budget is or trade is worth internally to worry about 42 billion( i dont know how you got that figure though , or for which year it is relavent) rupees? So do you think, and see it as a Indian loss or “nepalese poor starving”? Who do you think really should care, Nepal’s rulers or India? And who do you think should really be blamed for their deals/tactics that couldn’t work and starved their own poor?
Here is the reason WHY. After the blockade “Nepal had to back down after worsening economic conditions led to a change in Nepal's political system, in which the king was forced to institute a parliamentary democracy. The new government sought quick restoration of amicable relations with India.
The special security relationship between New Delhi and Kathmandu was reestablished during the June 1990 New Delhi meeting of Nepal's prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Indian prime minister V.P. Singh.
If its really India’s loss, why do the PM of Nepal run to New delhi, the first thing after he came to power? Why not to China or Pakistan, they could use 40 billion rupees, I am sure.
“If Nepal wants to nullify the 1950 treaty of friendship, India's loss-Nepal is of strategic importance to India against its hostile neigbor China. You don't want relations with Nepal? Fine! We'll extend our hand of friendship to China!!”
You do the same mistake once again- realizes that Nepal’s poorest of the poor will starve, not you people who are in US or UK. India will soon, don’t worry, nullify 1950 treaty anyways, and even the Mahakali water treaty, which you blame on India rather than your own rulers, as India is connecting all of its rivers that will solve water problems FOREVER pretty soon. The work is under progress as we support each others claims right now! Do you see why the blockade happened in 1990 now? Do you even know how much Indian economy is growing since 1992 after globalization? The growth percentage?
“ You don't want relations with Nepal? Fine! We'll extend our hand of friendship to China!”
For that statement, which I just showed to a friend of mine. His answer suffices. “Like it matters”
India and China are forging much better relations and are actually helping each other. Wake up. This is not 1962. If Nepal doesn’t need India, please do recall all 1 million nepalse in OUR country., if they have a problem. We the youth of India are definitely taking interest in everything these days, just like you. If ever someone who reads this is in power, may be he will definitely take your advice.
And they you say “But India is very cunning. Why do I say cunning? Because it doesn't play by the rules.”
Cunning? After reading what you wrote, and forwarding it to each and every Indian whom I know, I say Nepal is not only cunning, opportunistic, self-centered and unreliable and most of all lacks gratitude.
“It knows Nepal's weaknesses too well, and time and again it intimidates Nepalese by taxing in on that weakness- one major weakness being its landlockedness, that too, by Indian soil. Machiavellian tactics? Sure, why not? After all national interest surpasses all other interests.”
Its high time Nepalese know their weakness or power and importance or disadvantages themselves, instead of blaming on Indian knowledge of the same.
“What Nepalese have to learn though, and King Mahendra was very diplomatic at that, while we protect Nepal from India's direct economic/political bully, we need to expand our economy.” Yes. Fair enough. But I still don’t think India is a bully, I Think its Nepalese arrogance.
“India-China relations can bloom with trade- encourage that. If China and India have trade relations in the days to come- Nepal will become the transit route- exploit that.” Yes. With a president who is a Nuclear Scientist and a Prime Minister who changed the face of India from deficit to a major force in the 21st century, and its youth in every country including Nepal, we are doing just that and we will do it no matter what. You might have your reasons to hate India, until today I haven’t seen a reason to Not like Nepal, just like most of my Indian friends who help every nepali thinking that we are all the same.
“Having said that, anyone who uses China's help to shield India's influence in Nepal is playing with fire- thats very short-sighted- after all, Nepal does and will depend on India for transit routes-so be calculative.”
I expect nothing less from someone with your insight.
India bashing is more of a fashion and a cottage industry in Nepal unlike Bangladesh and Pakistan which have religiuos reasons and Kashmir and Bangla freedom issues with india.
We INDIAN youth havent really realized the extent of anti-india sentiment yet, but I am sure, with such stuff increasingly visible, we are learning.
I came here with love for nepal.
Now i know that my country, and thus me are being called Cunning and what not.
Thank you my friend, I shall not post anything again.
C.K
Phew!
In summary: - It's the issues/policies that are up for discussion - not the integrity of the contributors!
AHHH, thank you for raising the level of discourse back to the level where it belongs.
I was about to boycott myself...
-=blogdai
i am not a far sighted person and i will you tell what i see from my meagre eyes.
the indians and madhises(people from terai region of nepal who look like indian) in nepal work their arse off. from selling vegetables in bicycles, running small family business to big industries. one of those vegetable sellers told me he makes 5-8 K NPR
in a month. thats almost as much as a graduated government officer makes. i am talking about kathmandu that’s where I have/had been for a long time.
Now, would you assume us non-indian like Nepalese would go to that extent of labour. Look at the new generation of JYAPUS, NEWARS, GURUNGS, BRAHMINS and others. Us forces of modernization(westernization), unemployment, hooliganism, university-gundas-and would-be-politicians, we would rather feed on fellow Nepalese, or foreigners, by cheating, doing some in-between jobs. But we would not degrade to common labour. We would probably do worse things in a foreign country, but surely not in Nepal.
I think it calls for some meditation on our hatred towards Indians and India. Are we jealous of Indians, their hardworking capability, their humbleness? I wouldn’t think anybody will question Indian’s diligence. Humility exists in Indians, something lacking in Nepalese. Well there are always exceptions and I am just talking of what I see.
My alcohol drained mind came up with these few thoughts:
Do we hate ourselves for their being able to take any job that is available, and we too scared of society to demean ourselves with so called “lesser jobs”?
Is it our frustration of having to boast of idiotic politicians, who cant seem to go and take a pee without getting the nod of India? Is ti this frustration that we are pouring on them Indians?
Is it the depression creeping in with unemployment, violence and poverty that we ourselves cannot seem to take the blame for, and are forced to look for an alternative actor to vent our anger on?
Has this behavior of pushing aside work, blame and responsibility and reaping the fruits, whether we have any right to or not, been incorporated into our genes and hormones to such an extent, that we find it so impossible to do otherwise?
Is it frustration within ourselves, frustration of eunuchness of nepalis, our increasing ability to talk and decreasing ability to do something about it? Is that whats paining us?
Or are we by nature so angry and ignorant that no amount of education or wisdom can change us?
While on it, would I be surprised if one or other of the anonz would call me a MF INDIAN.
-g
some great fool said Nepal was a yam between two boulders, or may be Nepal was a stone between two yams. I am not so sure which one it was.
But that fool was a brilliant fool, if there can ever be one. He killed two stones with one bird.
Yam between two boulders.
a. We cant move the boulders, so we must find a way around them to get a little bit of light..
b. We cannot move them, so we need to coexist with them. You will probably break your roots if you try to move these boulders. We don’t want that.
c. if you think about it, the presence of these two boulders actually protects us from strong weather and animals.
d. there are ups and down to everything.
Stone between two yams
a. we have edible food on either side. Edible food gain respect and importance.
b. A stone between two yams is useless. No one will have any respect for it. And if someone thinks it is in their way, its gonna be picked up and set aside. Just like that.
c. A stone can be broken down, manured and sowed. Will take awfully lot of time, but if properly taken care of, and worked on, it could gain respect and be useful.
Anyways.
--g
while i am at it. hee ho.
c.k.
we have a long and realistic relationship with indians. what ever that is supposed to mean.
me personally, i think there are few facts that determine my relationship with indian.
a. there are lot of times when indians act like indians and i wish they would act more like a nepali.
b. there are a lot of times i act like a nepali and i wished i would act more intelligent. i have had my share of misunderstandings with indians.
c. its hard to change what we are, if thats even possible.
d. indians problem is they are obseessive with pride of their motherland.
c. nepalis problem is they are tired with india fooling around with nepal. iam not talking about politicians though. they love it.
d. i personally think indians are brothers. like my indian friends think of me, i believe.
e.but we are from two different family.
f. you hate it when we talk bad about your family.
g. we hate it when your head of family doesnt think of us as a family, but someone to be used for their own greater good.
h. india has been and is bullying nepal. nope. dont deny it. it will just make you ignorant.
g. indians are and will always be a part of our extended family, someone we cant set aside even if we want to.
h. logistically, culturally and historically, we will always be closer to india than china.
i. but we need to work towards and equilibrium between our two neighbour powers.
j..z. make sure we have enough support from china so as india not be able to bully us or support out national enemies or ridicule our sovereignity.
1. c.k. as blog dai said, these last posts, before mine that is, is what qualitated the quality of this blog after a long time. we dont want you out. post your stuff. your opinions are welcome and appreciated. your intelligence is respected here. its matter of opinions and belief and tradition and peer pressure and a lot more, and hopefully with people like you and snake bite, we can close this difference.
damn, that was long and great postings you two had, and i had to fight my impatience to read through it, but it was worth it.
now, you guys dont go anywhere.
keep posting.
this is your blog,( since you showed greater than normal intelligence, and of course larger than mine,) as much as it is anyone elses. may be i was not the one who was supposed to say this, but i guess i just did.
and as i said before, if you can think so much about nepal, you are better than half of the nepali put together. for two things, you think and you care.
-- welcome home bros
--g
Ok Dev,
contact at: blogdai@nepalimail.com
We'll try and work out your problem
-=blogdai
i go through ur blog at least once a week. I think stapith was a corrupt mayor. he had a guy named balkrishna giri, who still lives near my house in santoshinagar kalanki,as a guy to go around and collect money from business men around kathmandu. he was also involve in giving road building project to his close friends.i think he is an example of all those corrupt political parites of nepal.
Yes, it's true. blogdai knows the guy is not clean. We've said it here many times, politicians from every side, royal, local, and party, can't seem to do anything without corruption. It is an endemic problem requiring a sea change to fix.
But you must admit, our mayor was not inept. He, ultimately did not fail to run kathmandu. He was a political boss a-la Richard Daly of Chicago, but he did get the job done.
Perhaps it is all we can hope for from Nepali politicians.
-=blogdai
Yep, Dev, I would expect the authors over at freenepal.org and samudaya will have quite the fest over at haj's. If haj wants to really get the ball rolling, he'll ask blogdai nemesis Roderick Chalmers of the International crisis group to be a contributor.
And, for god's sake, don't let Amnesty Internation find out about that site!
I may log on and riducule myself---just for fun.
Still waiting for your request. E-mail me.
-=blogdai
Oops, try again dev.
send to blogdai@nepalimail.com
-=blogdai
Peace, stability and prosperity: India’s fundamental foreign policy on Nepal: Mukharjee
http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2006/mar/mar29/news14.php
Is Indai changing its stance now. i might be having some problem with my eyes, but i don't see democracy there.
-g
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