HELLO NEPAL

The Kathmandu Post Jan 29, 2016- EGOISTIC POLITICS It has been almost four months since the Nepali people have been suffering due to the Madhes unrest and unofficial Indian trade embargo. However, it was encouraging to read the news report that the PM is hopeful the blockade will end soon (‘PM hopeful of blockade ending in 2-3 days’, January 20, Page 1). But PM Oli has been repeatedly asserting, since he ascended to the highest political position three months ago, that the situation will stabilise. Yet, things have not changed even after three months and still he seems optimistic. It has become difficult for the public to digest such false promises. So far, he has become a laughingstock after he publicly announced ridiculous plans such as supplying cooking gas to every household through pipelines, ending loadshedding in one year and starting a metro electric rail, while the quake-victims are suffering without proper food, warm clothes and appropriate shelter during thi...

The Kathmandu Post Jan 22, 2016- Kudos to Nawayug Kudos to Nawayug Shrestha for striking a hat-trick to steer Nepal into the final of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup football game with a crushing 4-1 victory over Maldives played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday (‘Shrestha sends Nepal into final’, January 20, Page 11). The national team achieved this win to move into the final of an international football tournament after 17 years. Nepal had lost to Bangladesh by 1-0 in the final of the 1999 South Asian Football game. Bishal Rai also deserves appreciation for scoring the first international goal—proving himself to be a good scorer and leading his team to the final.  This victory, the first since 1999, also comes as a welcome relief to the Nepali football that has lately been embroiled in match-fixing and corruption allegations. The four national players, who were charged with such allegations, have been suspended by FIFA for their entire life. It...

The Kathmandu Post 17 January 2016 FACTIONAL POLITICS None of the major political parties of Nepal are free from factional, self-centred and egoistic politics. Nepali Congress (NC), which is one of the largest and oldest democratic parties, has not even remained untouched from this bad practice (“Factional dispute in NC over party charter revision” 13 January, Page 3). Both Koirala and Deuba factions are busy in luring party cadres towards their camps at such a time when the party’s general convention is inching closure. Sources from the party claim that the party is considering increasing the number of office bearers like the CPN-UML. However, the factional politics within the party has been the problem for this process. There are strong suggestions coming from the local and districts level to increase the number of office bearers for making the party more inclusive as per Nepal ’s new constitution which acknowledges many ethnic groups and communities. In this...