There is nothing wrong for dramatists to write drama. But it really worths blogging if a dramatist is found making his life a drama. Sorry, you won't find anybody to come to watch your performance.
And when I say about this drama, it is surely going to be interesting for all the audience, not only our neighbours. I'm not interested to review when a wife hits a husband with a dadu or vice verse. Let me be open. I want to review a drama, which was not meant to be performed in the theatre ( or in the streets as many NGOs prefer these days).
Well, there was a hero and a heroine (but this drama is not a romantic one). But I would like to beg your pardon, being in a patrimonial society, I will be writing more about the hero and the heroine's role in this drama is not very clear; and because though a feminist, the heroine plays little in this drama (at least her on-stage part was weak. The hero was is acute enemy of monarchy. He has written a number of dramas to bring people's attention to monarchy and to create a sensation in the street against this old feudal system. It was the reason his dramas became particularly popular during the Jana Andolan II days. And in less than a year, he becomes a talk-of-the-town matter. I did not mean that the hero had done nothing before the Jana Andolan II days. I became fan of the hero specially because of his debut production during the Panchayati Time, based on a French novel. Well, this very craze paved a way to make him an autocrat these days.
After successful (?) culmination of the Jana Andolan II, the hero catches the craze of the donors and he earns series of "project" of disseminating information about democracy, competition and of course the election of the constituent assembly. As the usual donors, they give the hero (who plays the role of a director) mountains of money so that the artists find enough money to feed their wives and children a good stock of "dalbhat". But, as the hero finds the "royal" blood in his democratic veins, he suddenly changes his role and instead of backing the backbone of democracy, the performers, he takes the role of the king and acts like that. He takes his troupe to villages to perform dramas on constituent assembly and so forth. But he takes all the money which had to be in the artists' pockets (as TA and DA) for this drama and lets the newcomers perform with half-filled bellies. That is the creativity of the drama. Before the climax the hero buys a home in the capital that costs Rs 70 lakhs at Dhapasi. It was big irony in the drama that when pioneers of Nepali drama are living in rented houses, this hero taps the donation dollars and makes luxurious home for himself, at the cost of his junior artists, or say, the disciples.
The climax comes - The obedient and sincere junior artists come to the office of the hero and puts their dissatisfaction forward in gentle way. Since, the hero has turned a real king, he refuses to listen to them and keeps bullying on them, just as Kind Gyanendra did for 18 months. What was the result? , just the poor, dissident and skilled junior artists open their own theatre and continue their contribution to performing arts. I have heard that the hero is not happy with the climax.
Moral: Lobh le labh, labh le bilap.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
This is Moist press freedom
A group of Maoist related workers today refused to distribute Annapurna Post and The Himalayan Times, two of leading daily newspapers of Nepal.
This is the third attack Nepali newspapers have faced from the Maoists - first there was a scuffle in Kantipur, then the same problem was created in Nepal Samachar Patra. It came to the climax today morning there. It was nice to see the scene - piles of newspapers were spread in front of the office and some 10-20 cycle-boys, fed with Maoiis brain-washing were challenging the whole information system. And bichara journalists and other staffers were distributing the newspapers to the passersby and others free of cost. God knows, how long it can go.
We all know, those poor cycle-boys are not to be blamed. They are all directed by the Maoist leadership. The news in The Himalayan Times says they could not contact Mahara and Dr. Bhattarai. This clearly shows the picture, who is behind this problem.
It is clear that the Maoists do not want free media here in Nepal. They wan to pamper Gorkhapatra, which has already become a mouthpiece of the Maoists. And they are doing all these thing so that other big newspapers either have to die or have to surrender to the Maoists authority. It is sad there is no harmony between what the Information Minister said and what he has asked the workers to do.
Indeed this very incident shows what the Maoists are going to do for the free press. It is not only a matter of the newspapers but also of the whole population because it will hamper their right to information. Watch out, this is the time for all to say no to suppression on media. The journalists have defied even the king's control what is this Mahara?
This is the third attack Nepali newspapers have faced from the Maoists - first there was a scuffle in Kantipur, then the same problem was created in Nepal Samachar Patra. It came to the climax today morning there. It was nice to see the scene - piles of newspapers were spread in front of the office and some 10-20 cycle-boys, fed with Maoiis brain-washing were challenging the whole information system. And bichara journalists and other staffers were distributing the newspapers to the passersby and others free of cost. God knows, how long it can go.
We all know, those poor cycle-boys are not to be blamed. They are all directed by the Maoist leadership. The news in The Himalayan Times says they could not contact Mahara and Dr. Bhattarai. This clearly shows the picture, who is behind this problem.
It is clear that the Maoists do not want free media here in Nepal. They wan to pamper Gorkhapatra, which has already become a mouthpiece of the Maoists. And they are doing all these thing so that other big newspapers either have to die or have to surrender to the Maoists authority. It is sad there is no harmony between what the Information Minister said and what he has asked the workers to do.
Indeed this very incident shows what the Maoists are going to do for the free press. It is not only a matter of the newspapers but also of the whole population because it will hamper their right to information. Watch out, this is the time for all to say no to suppression on media. The journalists have defied even the king's control what is this Mahara?
Friday, July 6, 2007
Birthday of Nepali king
The king of Nepal, Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah is celebrating his birthday with all "royal" elegance. Though he has lost all what he used to possess, in term of power and number of chamchas. But still he has money. And we bhokha nanga Nepali can enjoy some peanuts shown by the "magera khane" king.Some student and youths wings are all determined to foil the pro-monarchy gimmick. But the leaders are still all silent on this issue.
In this collenction, I would like to tell you how much the king snatches form the tax payers' purses. This is a data I recieved around two years ago from a person called "Nepali Janata". Here it goes
Dear Nepali citizens and foreign lovers of Nepal,
You might be wondering why Nepal is still poor when its countries of
equal economic status has reached the sky with booming economic
development.
Let me try to answer – this is one of the reason, I have recently found.
Nepal is one of the poorest counries of the world but Nepal's king is
the highest paid king of the world.
The income of Nepali king Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev is :
2,426 times higher than that of Chinese president
318 times higher than that of Indian president
301 times higher than that of Pakistani president
173 times higher than that of Russian president
57 times higher than that of French president
30 times higher than that of American president
15 times higher than that of British president
Netherlands queen's income : Rs. 22,32,00,000 (per capita income Rs 17,25,120 )
American president earns Rs. 3,24,00,000 (1,15,20,000 returns in tax),
(per capita income Rs 25,24,320)
Japanese king earns Rs. 22,23,52,000 (per capita income Rs.24,15,600)
Chinese president earns Rs. 1,35,000 (per capita income Rs 67,680)
Indian president earns Rs. 10,11,000 (per capita income Rs 34,560)
French president earns Rs 57,96,000 (per capita income Rs 15,84,000)
Pakistani president earns (after the coup) Rs 10,94,000 (per capita
income 29,520)
British Queen does not get any salary from the state. She has a
property of Rs 30,24,00,00,000 (the profit of investiment, after
paying the tax, is hers) but even her neckless is the property of the
country.
British president earns Rs 2,19,58,000 (per capita income is Rs 18,16,200)
Russian president earns Rs 19,03,000 (per capita income is Rs 1,54,000)
Belgean king receives salary as a civil servant (per capita income is
Rs 16,74,000)
And,
Nepali king earns Rs 61,91,00,000 (per capita income is Rs 16,560=US$ 230)
[This means the Nepali king earns Rs. 19,878 times higher than a
citizen. Last year it was 37,385 times higher. Thus a citizen can earn
as much as the king earns in a year only after working for 19,000
years or in 316 lives. Ho la!]
Appendix
Nepali royal family is involved in various business.
A king does not have to pay tax according to Nepal's constitution.
The present king has inherited the property of earlier king's family
and nobody knows how much it is.
This king has taken Rs 1,06,45,00,000 in past three years for his small family
Courtsey: Surya Thapa, Mulyankan Monthly (Nov-Dec 2005)
US dollar 1 = Rs 72
Nepal has a writing system of giving comma after two digits except the last.
REQUEST
PEASE PRINT THIS AND PASTE IT ON THE NOTICE BOARD OF YOUR OFFICE. THIS
WILL GIVE ANSWER TO THE QUEST WHY NEPAL IS ALWAYS SO POOR. PLEASE
CIRCULATE THIS PAGE TO YOUR FRIEND – YOU WILL NOT GET ANY FORTUNE BUT
WILL CERTAINLY OPEN THEIR EYES.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
This shortage miniser of Nepal!
Look at this great man. This man is taking the office of minister for supplies. But don't just get shocked if I say that he is responsible for the shortage of petrol the Kathmaduites are facing these days. Can we call him Shortage Minister Rajendra Mahato of our [Loktantrik] Government of Nepal?
You all know, he belongs more to the agitating Terai movement than to the government. And in this connection, you don't have to be surprised if he takes side of the agitators. It has been months the petrol shortage is hitting the valley but the minsiter is as cool as ever. All he can do is that raising the issue of Terai bandh and petrol sharotage and be hero of shortage. How long do you think it can go?
I was wondering what would be more easy job than to become a minister in this country if you can spend days only by mud-sludging and blaming one another. A minister, who is qualifed as a supply minister has nothing to do with the petrol for weeks. We are the people - the tax payers - we cannot live by doing politics or enjoying the government allawance. We have to work day by day and for this, we need petrol for our duty-paied vehicles.
Do you know how much three-hour-and-a-half costs for a common Kathmanduite? We don't have any chamcha to do our job and I was one among the thousands of people who stood in queue to have six litres of petrol. Oh minister! I don't know how much enjoy our sufferings, but you are really a rocord-breaking sadist. And who will suffer when a sadist minister occupies in the caiblet if we don't?
It was really a shocking interview I listened to in a local FM station on Teusday morning. He was as careless and happy as he has done everything to supply what people need. He said directly - "People will have to suffer this as long as the situation becomes normal" but he did not say when it will be normal and who will have to work to make it so. He does not have word of sorry or promise to provide petrol. It was as if his success lies in making the people suffer.
I'm sure he will not release the tankers form Terai till he finally makes Terai a part of India (this is what he is trying to do for years or he is sent here for), or at least, since he came to Nepal from India.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Abolish monarchy, cry citizens
When the prime minister is using all his strength to save monarchy with all the possible prefixes like child, baby, ceremonial and what not, the citizens, not belonging to any party, cried to the sky, "abolish monarchy", don't give a single penny to the royal palace". This is what is the people's volice.
Nilambar Acharya, a member of 1990 constitution drafting committee, today said that the issue of the republican system should be cleared before holding election of the constituent assembly to assure its fairness and acceptability.
“You cannot imagine of free and fair election of constituent assembly when there is remains of monarchy in Nepal,” he said, while addressing the “warning mass meeting” of Civil Movement for Democracy and Peace.
He said that when the declaration of the House of Representatives has already decided to nationalise property of the late king Birendra and King Gyanendra, the king should not be allowed to reside in the Narayan Hiti Palace.
He also said that only making the names of the convicted from the Rayamajhi Commission is not enough, the leaders of the February 1 suppression should be penalised to keep the report’s legitimacy intact.
Member of the legislature-parliament Malla K Sundar said that the civil society are not convinced that the election of the constituent would be held in November because the leaders of the parties had cheated the people two times in giving dates of the election and not withdrawing.
The leader of CMDP Dr Devendra Raj Panday said that king must be ousted to hold free and fair election of constituent assembly.
“The king should go first to hold the election. We are spending our time and energy on king when we have to devote ourselves on what kind of constitution we are making,” he said.
Dr Sundar Mani Dixit, another civil society movement leader, said urged the political parties to go to the villages and disseminate information about the election.
“We do not want to see political leaders enjoying easy life in the capital. They must be holding mass meetings in villages, if they are committed to constituent assembly,” he said.
He also said that the newly passed Member of Constituent Assembly Act is also misleading which says that the convicted of the Rayamahi Commission would not be able to candidate when the commission is not made public.
Leader of Nepal Students Union Gagan Thapa urged the leaders of eight political parties to come up with straightforward opinion on monarchy and the convicted of the Rayamajhi Commission before holding the election.
“The king is not going to say good by after the first meeting of constituent assembly. When the leaders are delivering ambiguous comments here, the king must be working to divide the top leaders in all parties,” he said, adding that most of top leaders will show their “real face” concerning monarchy very soon.
“The youths, who trust NC, have recently have urged the leadership to abandone love for monarchy. Now the president of NC must respect the voice of the youth, who constitute 51 percent of Nepal’s total population,” he said.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Story of a wise man
Once upon a time, there was a wise man. A man with European height, thick glasses, and long bear – the very appearance will remind of a great Russian poet or a scientist. But, fortunately enough, he is a lawyer. A lawyer with a very dashing logic and amazing willpower to win the whole world. His name indicates that he is a thinker. Let's remember the days when he was honoured by the locals of Kali Gandaki. He loves poor people, people conserving water and drinking it too.
From the very beginning of the Melamchi story, he was against the ambitious project. From both the end, that is, from Melamchi valley as well as from Kathmandu Valley he won support from the locals. He is very good at collecting protest. He really did it. Thanks to the advocacy of his kind, a strong group of consumers at Melamchi are ready to jump into the river at his signal. I salute him. He has a machine in his pocket, which issues press releases on any trivial issue.
And his voice was on the highest pitch when the government tried to amend the ordinance on the NWSC etc that would open door way to "privatisation". He has always said no to privatisation in all places - in Kalimati and in Basantapur.
He had a great skill to ignite staffers of NWSC and raise a typhoon in Tripureshwor.
His valuable speeches, which reminds us of those of Churchill, are as adorable as weekly newspapers. I heard that he has seen Pashupati Shamsher Rana as Nepal's future prime minister.
So much so, he did not let a public hearing continue at Basantapur and he was the hero at hurling chair on the stage.
Now, thanks to Minister Yami and others, the Severn Trent have run away from this Valley and she is thinking about letting the Melamchi project run in some other way. The latest development of the whole story is that as the story took some positive turns, the wise man suddenly disappears from the scene. Incredibly.
No doubt, we know that he is a lawyer and he can keep him busy with cases of any nature, just for money's sake. But it is mysterious, why he is silent for months, when such and such pleasant changes are taking place in Singha Durbar. I wonder, how he can remain indifferent.
I know that ADB is strange. It can spend any money on anybody, just to let things go in the way the bank wants. I also know that it even pays money to those who oppose the it in the public. May be, it has some staffers here who go to the street and chant slogans like "ADB, go home". But still, I don't want to think that that beared man is an ADB-agent. Just leave him alone.
We remember, Wrold Bank left Melamchi, saying that there is a single bidder. Now, ADB wants an excuse to say good bye to Melamchi. It's just a wild guess, who knows.
But I certainly would like to see him coming to the street and saying something from his heart. He is a man of my fathers' age, but to be frank, I miss him a thousand time these days.
From the very beginning of the Melamchi story, he was against the ambitious project. From both the end, that is, from Melamchi valley as well as from Kathmandu Valley he won support from the locals. He is very good at collecting protest. He really did it. Thanks to the advocacy of his kind, a strong group of consumers at Melamchi are ready to jump into the river at his signal. I salute him. He has a machine in his pocket, which issues press releases on any trivial issue.
And his voice was on the highest pitch when the government tried to amend the ordinance on the NWSC etc that would open door way to "privatisation". He has always said no to privatisation in all places - in Kalimati and in Basantapur.
He had a great skill to ignite staffers of NWSC and raise a typhoon in Tripureshwor.
His valuable speeches, which reminds us of those of Churchill, are as adorable as weekly newspapers. I heard that he has seen Pashupati Shamsher Rana as Nepal's future prime minister.
So much so, he did not let a public hearing continue at Basantapur and he was the hero at hurling chair on the stage.
Now, thanks to Minister Yami and others, the Severn Trent have run away from this Valley and she is thinking about letting the Melamchi project run in some other way. The latest development of the whole story is that as the story took some positive turns, the wise man suddenly disappears from the scene. Incredibly.
No doubt, we know that he is a lawyer and he can keep him busy with cases of any nature, just for money's sake. But it is mysterious, why he is silent for months, when such and such pleasant changes are taking place in Singha Durbar. I wonder, how he can remain indifferent.
I know that ADB is strange. It can spend any money on anybody, just to let things go in the way the bank wants. I also know that it even pays money to those who oppose the it in the public. May be, it has some staffers here who go to the street and chant slogans like "ADB, go home". But still, I don't want to think that that beared man is an ADB-agent. Just leave him alone.
We remember, Wrold Bank left Melamchi, saying that there is a single bidder. Now, ADB wants an excuse to say good bye to Melamchi. It's just a wild guess, who knows.
But I certainly would like to see him coming to the street and saying something from his heart. He is a man of my fathers' age, but to be frank, I miss him a thousand time these days.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
This wiered jatra at Kupandole
I was more than shocked to see some cops stopping me from entering my home yesterday at noon. It was okay for me to come out of my home at Kupandole and cross the bridge in the morning but when I wanted to return home, the cops said it was not allowed. For what good reason? They said there is "Kupandole Jatra". Hell.
A couple of gundas - on behalf of 'Friends Club' wanted to have fun by blocking the main road and letting some fashionable girls stroll all the day along the road. Does this mean that one million residents of Kathmandu and Lalitpur have to suffer? Is it what you call Loktantra?
It was surprising enough to see the Maosits cadres at the Janabargiya Office in the middle of Kupandol were just helpless and watching in the mood of Lata-le kera hereko jasto. And you know better what kind of police we have - you pay them thick bucks and they will help you commit the most heinous crime in the broad day light. Their support for the jatra is just another example.
We know Kupandole and the Thapathali bridge is the only (usable) link between Kathmandu and Lalitpur. Nearly one-third the population of the valley live there. It is the only straight link road to Sainbu, Bhainsepati, Khokana, Bungamati, Satdobato, Thaiba, Thecho, Harisiddhi, Chapagaon and many more villages of the south. People do not use the road only for merrymaking. It helps people to bring commodity to bazaar, take necessary things from Kathmandu, take patients to hospitals and also to visit people for socialisation. See what a small whim of a group of people can destroy the whole chain of civilisation.
I wonder, have the Friends taken any permission to hold that chaos in their area? What kind of administration is it if they really had. And what makes somebody authority to let a group of people to use the road in a what that it violates rights of millions? What is the use of the tax we pay on road if we cannot use it when we want it? We now and again condemn the bandh-callers. But, is there anybody to say something on this kind of bandh, which is in fact a blockade of the kind PrithiNarayan Shah slapped 240 years ago to have things done in the way he wanted.
Speak up man, or I will hod another jatra in front of your house tomorrow!
A couple of gundas - on behalf of 'Friends Club' wanted to have fun by blocking the main road and letting some fashionable girls stroll all the day along the road. Does this mean that one million residents of Kathmandu and Lalitpur have to suffer? Is it what you call Loktantra?
It was surprising enough to see the Maosits cadres at the Janabargiya Office in the middle of Kupandol were just helpless and watching in the mood of Lata-le kera hereko jasto. And you know better what kind of police we have - you pay them thick bucks and they will help you commit the most heinous crime in the broad day light. Their support for the jatra is just another example.
We know Kupandole and the Thapathali bridge is the only (usable) link between Kathmandu and Lalitpur. Nearly one-third the population of the valley live there. It is the only straight link road to Sainbu, Bhainsepati, Khokana, Bungamati, Satdobato, Thaiba, Thecho, Harisiddhi, Chapagaon and many more villages of the south. People do not use the road only for merrymaking. It helps people to bring commodity to bazaar, take necessary things from Kathmandu, take patients to hospitals and also to visit people for socialisation. See what a small whim of a group of people can destroy the whole chain of civilisation.
I wonder, have the Friends taken any permission to hold that chaos in their area? What kind of administration is it if they really had. And what makes somebody authority to let a group of people to use the road in a what that it violates rights of millions? What is the use of the tax we pay on road if we cannot use it when we want it? We now and again condemn the bandh-callers. But, is there anybody to say something on this kind of bandh, which is in fact a blockade of the kind PrithiNarayan Shah slapped 240 years ago to have things done in the way he wanted.
Speak up man, or I will hod another jatra in front of your house tomorrow!
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