The country where we hardly get good news
Though I live in the USA with my daughter and her family these days, I find myself in Nepal when I wake up and open my eyes. This is because my mind quickly flies to Nepal, leaving my body here as my happiness, joy, problems, and sufferings are linked with this country. I enjoy it when I see something good in this country. My mind cries when I see something bad in this country. Every day I look for news from my country on my IPad wherever possible Hamro Patra, Nepali News, Google search. I hope to read news about:
1. the new development of industries, factories, roads, tunnels, and bridges; 2, new plans, programs, arrangements, and reforms for good education, health, water, and electricity accessible to all; 3. new systematic management for making our public relations offices - land, survey, transportation, water, telephone, tax, etc.; free of corruption;
4. new steps to make our cities and rivers free of pollution, and our cities clean like any other clean cities in the world; 5. New programs in our villages to provide them with more facilities and services; 6. New monitoring and supervision for our shopping places to free them from cheating with a reasonable price; 7. formulating new rules and regulations for our financial organizations - cooperative organizations, financial organizations, and banks free of dishonest dealings; and 8. many other programs to reduce prices in dailyuse commodities to make our people's lives easy, comfortable, and happy. But I seldom see it. We hardly get good news. Instead, we read the news about various corruptions, scandals, and scams coming, like floods in the Bagamati River in the rainy season that disappear after some days without punishment for the culprits. Instead, every day, we read various allegations leveled against each other by the government and the opposition parties, or we hear they became one with alliance and understanding, took back the previously leveled allegations, and adopted a plan and policy of forgetting and forgiving and enjoying state power. Allegations became meaningless, and all became holy and pure - Prachanda, Deuba, Oli,
Bhattarai, Nepal, Yadav, Thakur, Raut, Gautam, etc. They were united and became one. We mostly read the news about the hide-and-seek political play between Prachanda, Deuba, Oli, Bhattarai, and Nepal, not the pleasant and entertaining play for the development of the country and our welfare. We spend time reading this type of news throughout the year. We are bound to blame our luck. We are bound to say that we are unlucky people born in a beautiful country with fertile plain land, valleys, high mountains, and the highest snow peak in the world, but always with a self-centered government and corrupt politicians. We are bound to confess that we are the wooden-headed people of a backward country who can easily accept all wrongdoings and live without showing concern for them.
I was in Italy for a travel tour with my daughter and the family for some weeks. As soon as I returned from there, as usual, I went through the news to my reach on July 16, 2023. and the days later. In general, I could not find any exciting news to my expectation that would make me happy and pleasant. But anyway, I was happy to read two pieces of news on July 16, 2023 - 1. After two decades, the railway services were conducted from Bijalpur, Mahotari, to Jayanagar, India. 2. The House of Representatives passed the anti-usury ordinance replacement bill. I was glad to read both the news. It kept my mind in some way at peace and calm.
Besides, I read the news about the view of Gagan Kumar Thapa that universities should be free from political interference, for which I have been speaking and writing for the last six decades. I remembered several of my published articles on this topic: 1. Progress in Commission and the Downfall in Education; 2. Tactics in
Tribhuvan University: Debate Between the Minister and the ViceChancellor; 3. Tribhuvan University and Politics;
4. Tribhuvan University, Autonomy, Politics, and the Vice-Chancellor;
5. The politicization of educational institutions. People's Review, March 23, 2022. These are only a few of my published articles on the topic. We all know that the present prime political parties politicize educational institutions for their political game by appointing their puppet chiefs as the head of the institutions, including the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities, and by establishing political student and teacher organizations there. There cannot be any necessary change until they think about quality education for the welfare of the country and the people and change this condemnable system for its welfare. I hope Gagan Thapa is honest in speaking; one day, all will realize it.
In another news I read: - Prem Suwal, the parliamentarian of the Nepal Majdoor Kishan Party, spoke in the parliament that there should be a provision in the law for using old vehicles for more than 20 years by repairing and maintaining them (keeping them in good condition). Most of the time, I enjoyed his speaking based on truth and facts. I was glad to hear it because new or old vehicles do not create pollution if kept in good condition and need not be thrown out so long as they can be used without pollution. We all know we have invested much of the country's money in them, which should not be wasted until they work.
The same rule is in practice in the USA, where they properly focus on controlling air pollution. The vehicles, older than 20 years, are not creating problems there as they are strict and honest in implementing laws to keep them in good condition without corruption. At the same time, I know there are many vehicles, private cars, in our country which are 20 years or more old, according to the imported or buying date but have not used more than 5000 km and are new as just imported. I have a 20-year-old Santro Car that is not run even 5000km and is as fresh as a newly imported brandnew car. Responsible people should consider these points for making new rules in this regard. The vehicles should be evaluated by condition, not by their age or longevity; thinking of getting bribes from the vehicle dealers by creating opportunities for them to import and sell more vehicles. We know in our country, corruption is involved everywhere - in dismantling or constructing. There were many other news but not of my interest. So they were not the news for me. As I mentioned above, I want to hear the news which brings some benefit to people's life and living and linked to the country's development. But most days, my hopes are turned to despair. Still, I hope and look for the news I want to read daily. We all know life and hope are interlinked. Hope inspires us to live. We always live, hoping for something.