Government's Pro-Government Rally
Nepali Times ईspecial 22 - 28 November 2024 #1236
Whoever advised Prime Minister Ollie to stage a government-sponsored pro-government rally on Friday in front of the erstwhile Royal Palace (now Party Palace) is a genius. And if the prime minister thought of this himself, it was a masterstroke.
It showed impressive creativity, and proved that we Nepalis are in good hands. Why should only supporters of people jailed for embezzling hard-earned deposits of cooperatives or insulting the prime minister on YouTube be allowed to hold rallies that paralyse Kathmandu's traffic?
If the main partner in the governing coalition wants to stay relevant, the Kangresis must also organise an anti-government rally with the slogan: 'Down With Our Own Government'. This is a democracy, and the government is perfectly within its rights to hold an anti-government demonstration.
Other sectors of society should take their cue. For example, burocats caught red-handed taking bribes can henceforth organise motorcycle rallies to demand an immediate 15% inflation-adjusted hike in kickbacks.
If Trump scraps the DV lottery, Nepalis should stage sit-in and stand-out protests outside the US Embassy with placards that read: 'Yankee Go Home, And Take Us With You'.
If it is a slow news day, journalists led by Richie Dhamala could march from Mandala to Parliament for no particular reason but to be in the evening bulletins on tv.
But no news is not good news, as we saw in the anti-climax in Baku where living fossils of petrostates scuttled a deal on helping developing countries make the energy transition to renewables.
The Guest Editorial on page 2 of Nepali Times this week is by former Norwegian Environment Minister and ex-UNEP chief Erik Solheim. He argues that we should not get too worked up about a second Trump term since Europe, China and India are leading on climate action. The rise of Asia is not necessarily bad for the planet, Solheim says in 'The World Can Act on Climate Without Trump'.
Other coverage on the climate crisis this week are: 'Greenbacks for Greenery' (page 1) and ‘Right Climate for Nepal’s Energy Transition’ (page 10-11), both by Ramesh Kumar.
In his monthly column People Power on page 10, Bikash Pandey advises NEA to expedite extending the national grid to remote trekking areas so it has a multiplier effect on the economy (‘Nepal Can Level Up Tourism with Electricity’).
On page 6-7 Lucia de Vries reports from The Hague about how two refugee families from Bhutan resettled in The Netherlands have moved on from the trauma of statelessness and prospered ('From the Himalaya to Holland').
And finally, good news for Khukri rum enthusiasts. Nepal's iconic premium rum brand that was established in 1959, is launching a limited edition Cask Series with smoked finish. The classic Khukri XXX and the Coronation Edition in khukri-shaped bottles are also still available. Read all about it on page 5.
One Hot Rum Punch coming right up to warm the cockles of your heart at the start of this northern hemisphere winter...
Kunda Dixit