Logo

Letters:Who will save us?



Jimi Hendrix could have sung ‘All along the watchtower’ about the dilemma of the 21st century Nepali people. He sang the first few lines: ‘There must be some kind of way out of here, said the joker to the thief, “There’s too much confusion. I can’t get no relief. Businessmen – they drink my wine.’ The joker could be the Nepali people and the readers are free to make their own conclusion about the identity of the thief in the song. The way out for many is the Gulf and Malaysia which until now have been welcoming millions of Nepalese with open arms. People are confused. They receive ‘no’relief. Even the Chinese government’s invitation to them is hijacked by the local leaders who replace the genuine April quake victims with the illegal ones, mostly their own kith and kin (“Maoist leaders’ kin off to China as quake victims”, THT, Dec. 12, Page 1). The real victims meanwhile languish in temporary shacks for months. Rs. 27 billion of donors’ money meant to ameliorate their lot have been spent without even smashing a coconut. There is even more confusion in ‘akanda pashchim’. While the heroes and builders from one of the most backward regions of the country flock to the Newar Valley, crowding the political and banking corridors with their ingrained mindset and mannerisms, their ‘intact west’ turns into a vibrant breeding ground of social diseases of the ancient times (“Caste discrimination rampant in Bajura”, THT, Dec. 12, Page 2).

Comment