CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is a global problem and Nepal is not left from the ill effects of this phenomena. As said in the article that we are carbon neutral country which has been the real cause of the global warming and climate change. We need to work with the global community to fight against global warming and climate change and put on measures to cope with it. Drammatic degradation of snow capped mountains has been the visible example. The outburst of newly formed lakes down stream the mountains are also the problems we are scared of now. But, in my opinion thia is not a huge problem to be dealt immediately because number of such lakes are not many that bring a big catastrophe. However, there are many other problems which are closely attached with the livelihood of the people and environment as well presently and for the future and can be minimised in an integrated approach. The water scarcity in hilly areas is rising and there are some examples whereas villagers pay 1-2 rupees a litre water fetched by tankers from the rivers nearby. Therefore developing rural towns at the nearby water bodies/streams/rivers is very necessary so the people can go work on their fields uphill or downhill and stay enjoying available water and other physical aminities-electricity, road, telephone line and many more. This way we can save vegetation and boost up forestation which bring positive impact to our environment. This also minimise the haphazardly constructed rural roads-another cause of envirnmental degradation and cause of interlink problems. This will also minimise the migration to Terai and release the pressure on productive land. (This is a comment to an article)

QUALITY EDUCATION

The writers' view is correct with some reservations. Their query about the linkage of quality education with the migration is not 100 percent correct. It is the fact that very few go abroad for higher education purpose, complete their studies and get a job according to their qualification but many apply to the foreign colleges as a means to stay abroad and earn. It can be assumed that more than 80 percent of the people who go abroad for study actually don’t prioritise their further education but from the economic point of view. There is the question of quality education in Nepal for sure, but not in that degree.
This is a fact that unemployment is a real reason behind foreign employment simply cannot be judged with the value system because it has occurred for their livelihood. It might be true in the case of some exceptions- sending costly schools, very good jobs etc. We must know that a kind of famine will start if they are not associated with foreign employment (Gulf or India). No drastic reform has been made or productivity has a surge like in other countries. Responsible are those people- institutions, individuals, politicians who are limited to research papers or fake promises.
People have higher prestige who have a connection with the developed countries is true. However, the perception is gradually changing in Kathmandu or big towns because sending them has not contributed much in family's economic status as much as they invest in their education. Many are not able to earn but still demand money back home for education or even for survival. They are not 'Thula Manche' in this respect than others. There are many many opt to stay in Nepal expecting some better opportunities. Politics has been responsible for this persisting situation. Politicians are the actual resourceful person when they are in power but due to lack of vision they make no changes or at least not visible.
Authors are 100 percent right about those people who are stay in their village or return back but lack respect and dignity. It is so good that many parents sending their children to the towns for good education with their hard earned income in their village itself.
In order to overcome the economic and class hierarchy we should get rid of geographical barriers. Migration is indeed a very necessary component but there should be a proper and strong monitoring body in the government so that the fruit can be distributed among all the disadvantaged citizens and negative implications are minimised. (comments made on Seto pati http://setopati.net/opinion/2046/Nepalese-migration:-Necessary-evil?/ )

Running Away from Duties!!!!!

It is a contentious matter that main leaders of political parties are absent in this most important and debatable discussion in the assembly. Where do they go and what do they do by hijacking and hampering the assembly proceedings? Their presence and guidance to new assembly members is vital for timely promulgation of the constitution.
Now, politicians are debating on different versions of federalism is a welcoming step so that many pros and cons of different governance system will be known to the people. However, we should note that federations should be self-sustainable and every section of people have equal rights with no presence of discrimination in any affairs. Ethnicity-based federalism would have been valid some decades back but has become unsuitable at present due to subsiding population of a particular ethnic group in any particular place. Factors like migration, adaptation of pluralistic culture and formation of mixed ethnic societies does not allow ethnic federalism. However, cultural heritage, languages of various ethnic groups should be protected and deprived and disadvantage sections of the society should be addressed by any means. Now, the war should be fought to uplift the class and not limiting to caste.

Constitution Drafting and Deadlocks

Same deadlocks will arise in the process of promulgating the constitution in the constituent assembly though degree will be little lesser, but after all, it will hamper. There will be conflict among the members in any decision, therefore, the middle path is justifiable. Number of factors need to be assessed while demarcating the federal units. This uphill task should not only be the prerogative of CA alone but a overwhelming panel of experts need to be involved in way we need different specialist doctors during performing surgery. Giving identity is important because this has brought a series of movements recently and also we human beings like to be identified according to our enriched history. However, we also need to look after the interests of diverse population while identifying single- ethnic units. This system cannot guarantee respectable existence of 'unidentified' sections in the domain of identified but still a minority population. The principle factor here is the sustainability of divided states. Will identity-based but hilly-states survive with the given production capacity? Will the Terai survive without water resource -sharing with the himalayas and hills ultimately coming through their terrain? In fact, more disputes between the states will erupt if only based on ethnic- identity as CA gets over. With our politicizing mentality where we cannot even have consensus on garbage dumping site, intra-party rifts on heights, how can we continue judicious resource distribution process in the long run. Therefore, the present distributions of geographical regions seem appropriate and can be given state status. Country should give identity at the district level or local level. Renaming the streets name, school name, name of places based of language and ethnicity. Promotion of ethnic history, culture, language, costumes, religious sites and so on. Waging ethnic war at home and depending on external employment, resources seems a kind of irony among us. Time should start to think of development, employment, solution of disputes-border, water, trade and transit. Majority of population desperately waiting for economic development, prosperity, integrity and keep pace with the world.

CHOOSING SILENCE

Paulo Friere’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” denounces the Culture of Silence says oppressors create a culture of silence so oppressed always remain silent and continue to get oppressed. This renowned educator’s judgment can be generalized in discourses of poverty and education in underdeveloped world: But does this apply 100 percent in the present context of Nepal?

Culture of silence should not be practiced as a deterrent to freedom of speech and to right to information of citizen. But, rethink of degree self-expression can be strongly recommended as many times performing the freedom violates personal rights, right to development of common men.

Politics as a game of tactics and tantrums always inspires people involved in it to be in the limelight especially in Nepali context. Speeches on repeated subjects, commitments are the part and parcel of politicians who never stop for silence. Media in another way boosts them to speak further and further and bring out everything they have in their minds. May be many of us do not enjoy 24 hours broadcast of political speeches, interviews and talk show on TV which are not so productive. Mornings are again full of in-bed interviews of politicians offer their views on current affairs, future directions, protest plans of their respective parties.

All over everywhere, big talks prevail but results are always unfulfilled promises; and no good contributions are made by leaders, policy makers and development brokers except for their personal matters. Many meetings, seminars workshops are organized and many voices are heard but too little they offer to the actual beneficiary whom these activities are meant for. Many clubs and societies are formed in foreign countries but most of them are politically inclined and battle for leadership break out among them every time.

“Children are the zone of peace”, this slogan has become a mockery due to current trend of politics as political parties distribute party membership at schools and trained students to be a rebel in future. They are not trained in course of study but in public speaking at an early age. A youngster is made a 'savior' of the country and a profound leader to ‘liberate’ people from the slavery.

From homes to Pani Pandheras from offices to parties people everywhere enjoy gossip, pass comments and making negative remarks of people. So much buzz goes on small matters. Sometimes too much of publicity and praise is given in small accomplishments. By this manner, carriers of person many times go in doldrums due to unnecessary comments about them and their personal lives.

For our own development, let us just do more than words we speak. To create, innovate or to develop hard labour is indispensible. Therefore, only by worshiping labour, one can achieve the higher goals; contribute to the society. Success cannot be found in fruitless speeches and noises but in silences. Many Bedic and Buddhist scriptures revered silence as a primary factor to reach out the God. In that manner, to worship or to do hard labour, silence is a justifiable environment for our development. Let our progress and prosperity flow like serenity of a river. Let us allow people to struggle and achieve their goals instead of making negative remarks and gossips on them. Choose silence over noises. Sometimes Silence is beautiful.

Kamal Khanal
Kamal_kh@hotmail.com

Promoting Rural Development- Indispensible For Future

We are a subsistence agrarian economy. Anybody likes it or not this is an undisputable reality. Thousands of researches on different ‘development models’ are in surface today but we are still making persistent efforts and dragging ourselves up to be with the time. Economically, this development debacle has been a very very costly exercise and still in the continuum.

There has been some progress above all these years in rural areas of Nepal talking particularly about hilly regions. Per capita have increased, accessibility to those areas have eased the problem of supplies; mobility has become easier due to increase in volume of rural roads. But we can also see different scenario just at the other side of the coin. We see a depressive picture as a ‘hill economy’ raising many questions for our sustainable growth when hill accounts more than 80 percent of the territory of the country.

Countrymen in hill settlements had many challenges for survival in earlier times primarily to sustain their livelihood. The productivity was very low thanks to primitive system of cultivation, lack of irrigation and unproductive rugged terrain. We have not realized that almost same kind of status quo still prevalent in the rural hill economy today. Nothing much has been changed. If the inbound supplies of rural areas are obstructed, even today this impact directly hits the livelihood there, making it far more difficult than yesteryears because the food output there is significantly reduced due labour shortage, low precipitation and peoples’ interest towards cash crops. If migrant labors from urban areas and gulf don’t support with hard earned cash the acrimonious situation will prevail there.

The planners have not shifted their focus to the village as yet but are just lost in the hustle bustle of the cities. Their unscrupulous attitude has simply ignored peoples’ earnest desire of development. They have left this duty at the hands of community and NGOs who lack resources deliberatively. Combination and allocation of sustainable ideas and resources are what rural areas need today.

Hilly areas of Nepal have dispersed settlements and in such a state the cost of development is very high. Outreach of infrastructures like electricity transmission line, drinking water supply, road network in those places generate heavy expenditure. Therefore, our scattered households are also the reason behind the situation of unbalanced distribution of amenities.

Let us promote our small Haat, Bazars into rural towns allocating funds to improve their infrastructures. Give emphasis to those rural towns which are adjacent to the rivers or water bodies which ensures clean drinking water for a long run. Concentrated settlements minimize the haphazard construction of rural roads which are often the cause of landslides, water relapse problems, deforestation and environmental degradation.

We need to locate or relocate the areas for settlements and forests and cultivation. Such distribution will make a big significance when our territory is going to be divided into many units. Economic viability is a primary attribute of an able state.

Let us think measures to come and concentrate the foreign earned remittance in villages with any means. That may bring new opportunities and investments if carefully channelised. Different locations can be promoted as ‘one village one product’ concept according to their specialization and to enhance commercialization.

Boost rural tourism by developing specific outdoor locations and preserving old traditional artifacts, temples and structures. This may bring jobs to the rural youths and minimize out migration from villages. It will also minimize the trend of migration to Terai reducing pressure there which is said as the bread basket of the country. Becoming self-sustainable, less dependable to the Terai is indispensible for sustainable future. This cannot be a reality until and unless the government carries revolutionary initiatives and jumps into this ‘model’ of development.

Kamal Khanal
Kamal_kh@hotmail.com