By Babbler
Prime Minister Balen Shah appears to enjoy posting humorous status updates during weekly holidays. This week, he shared a photograph of himself with Home Minister Sudhan Gurung and Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal.
The photograph seems to reflect the team on which he relies to build the nation. Gurung and Lamsal are widely regarded as Shah’s closest aides. The other members of his cabinet appear to enjoy a lower level of trust and influence.
This perhaps explains why Shah waited for the report of the investigation committee investigating allegations related to Gurung’s property holdings. As expected, the committee cleared him of any wrongdoing. Even before the report was made public, Gurung was reappointed as Home Minister.
It is now being said that the coordinator of the investigation committee is likely to be rewarded with a secretary-level position in a key ministry. This, apparently, is what passes for good governance under Balen Shah.
Harsh Treatment of Those Who Have Little
We continue to witness a system in which those with access to powerful individuals enjoy privileges, while ordinary people struggling to support their families through small businesses face harsh treatment from local authorities.
In Kailali, a street vendor was not only penalized by municipal staff but was subjected to inhumane treatment when his three-wheeler was pushed off a cliff. Can such an act be considered justice?
Indian Hegemony Continues
The Armed Police Force (APF) in Darchula District recently reported that an Indian Army helicopter flew through Nepali airspace en route to Kalapani.
The incident was reported to the Ministry of Home Affairs, but it remains unclear what action, if any, the government intends to take. Such incidents reflect the continuing challenge of Indian assertiveness along Nepal’s borders.
Likewise, personnel from India’s border security force reportedly entered Nepali territory in Susta while carrying arms. Local residents compelled them to withdraw.
To prevent such incidents from recurring, Nepal has little choice but to strengthen its security forces and firmly oppose actions that undermine its sovereignty.
Untrustworthy Friend
Nepal believes in maintaining permanent friendships based on mutual trust and respect, especially with its immediate neighbors. Unfortunately, our experience with our southern neighbor has often fallen short of this expectation.
More than 50 tea factories have decided to shut down after India created obstacles to the import of Nepali tea. In addition, over 35 tea factories in Jhapa have warned that they may also be forced to suspend operations because of the same restrictions.
The message is difficult to ignore. Nepal has faced economic blockades from India on several occasions in the past. While the current situation may not amount to a full-scale blockade, the barriers imposed on Nepali tea can reasonably be viewed as a form of economic pressure aimed at weakening a key domestic industry. Whenever Nepal pursues policies that do not align with India’s interests, such obstacles seem to emerge.
Given this reality, Nepal’s policymakers and planners should seriously consider diversifying export markets and reducing excessive dependence on a single country. Instead, many continue to focus on expanding electricity exports to India. If Nepal becomes overly reliant on the Indian market for its electricity exports, the same situation now confronting the tea industry could arise in the energy sector as well, creating a serious economic trap.
Therefore, Nepal should never depend solely on the Indian market. It must strengthen domestic consumption while actively seeking international markets for its products and services.
At the same time, if India continues to restrict imports of Nepali goods, Nepal should be prepared to reduce its own dependence on Indian products. Achieving this goal, however, requires careful planning, investment, and long-term policy reforms across all sectors of the economy.
Economic self-reliance is not achieved through rhetoric alone; it demands strategic vision, national commitment, and sustained effort.
US-Iran War: Who Won and Who Lost?
The United States appears to be the bigger loser in its conflict with Iran. Although Iran may claim a strategic victory, it has paid a heavy price, including the loss of many capable military commanders.
In reality, the entire world has suffered from the consequences of this war. The lesson is clear: war is not the solution. What the world needs is peace.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
I urge all Nepalis to unite in building a brighter future for the nation while preserving our religion, culture, language, and national identity. Protecting Nepal’s pride, dignity, and sovereignty is our shared responsibility. The time has now come.
–Crown Princess Himani Shah
- India has never wanted Nepal to become self-reliant. At present, Nepal’s tea industry is facing closure because of India’s actions. There is no proper testing or regulation of pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables imported from India. In the past, the closure of industries such as carpet manufacturing, garment factories, Bhrikuti Paper Mill, Gorkhali Tyre Factory, and Bansbari Leather Shoe Factory was also largely due to external pressures from India.
- Even when an Indian military helicopter openly violated Nepal’s airspace and entered Nepal’s sovereign territory while conducting patrols in Darchula, the Oli government remained silent. Shouldn’t the Indian ambassador be summoned and action demanded when India violates Nepal’s airspace?
— Ratan Bhandari
The slogan of “building the nation” has been sold repeatedly—far too many times—by cunning political traders from all parties who profit from selling empty emotions. A country is built through strong institutions, rule of law, and public trust.
We have already seen “visionaries” who promised to turn Nepal into Singapore by swaggering around with gelled hair and grand speeches. We have also seen those who claimed to have already built the country. Now, all that remains is another figure in dark sunglasses.
Enough, friends. Just do your work honestly and responsibly. The claim that one person will “build the nation” is a disease, and it needs to be cured quickly.
–Muma Ram Khanal
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If Nepal is to be saved and prevented from deteriorating further, the monarchy must be restored in one form or another. The false narrative promoted by Nepal’s misguided intellectuals and political leaders—that the monarchy was the main obstacle to development—was the primary reason for its abolition.
–Trailokya Raj Aryal
What kind of country is this? Don’t the more than 26 million people living in Nepal drink tea?
If the Tea Board of India bans Nepali tea, Nepal should also stop importing Indian tea and consume its own tea instead. If we cannot do even that, there is little point in boasting about being citizens of an independent nation. We might as well admit that we are slaves.
–Elite Akash
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Every scandal should be investigated. If the government helped ease our frustrations by conducting proper investigations, UML supporters would be grateful.
Whenever we write or speak about issues, we are immediately confronted with accusations such as, “We have seen your scandals too—Giribandhu, Yeti, Omni, Wide Body, the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, and so on.” We are then subjected to a barrage of criticism from those in power and their supporters.
Friends in government, power is in your hands. The institutions are under your control, and you hold the authority. Please investigate all these scandals one by one. Separate fact from fiction.
If any UML member is found guilty, the entire UML party will not perish because of one individual. We, who are uninvolved in such activities and oppose them, should not have to bear this burden.
Either conduct investigations and bring the guilty to justice, or stop making sweeping allegations merely to score political points.
–Bishnu Rijal
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When the Prime Minister posed for a photograph with DDC’s Yak Cheese, its sales reportedly increased. But now, what truly matters is whether such publicity helps clear outstanding payments owed to dairy farmers and contributes to the genuine revival of DDC.
The Prime Minister also promoted Goldstar shoes and the Api Himal Base Camp. The company even ran advertisements encouraging people to “Visit Api Himal wearing Goldstar shoes.” Since both are local products, this benefited both tourism in Sudurpashchim and domestic industry.
Recently, on a public holiday, the Prime Minister shared a photo of himself drinking tea with ministers. The image provided good publicity for tea shops, Nepali tea, and the so-called “nation-building team.”
Ironically, on the very same day, 83 Nepali tea factories were forced to close after exports to India were halted.
Publicity is welcome, but the closure of an entire domestic industry is a tragic and serious matter. The Prime Minister’s personal branding and promotional efforts may provide some support to local products, but unless deeper policy and foreign trade issues are addressed, the situation of industries, entrepreneurs, and farmers will not improve. What may improve instead are the businesses of those close to the government and the Prime Minister.
–Rupesh Shrestha
In a country where a secretary was reportedly detained by the police for seven hours over a flattering SMS message, have those who pushed a three-wheeler off a cliff been arrested?
Or are sycophants considered bigger criminals than those who commit such acts?
The compensation for the damaged vehicle should be recovered directly from the pockets of those responsible.
— Ajatashatru
Why do people who neither answer their phones nor respond to messages take on the responsibilities of spokespersons and information officers?
— Madhav Prasad Tiwari
When he was running for Prime Minister, Balen Shah said that contractors should be made to work even if they had to be tied to trees. Now, his own cabinet minister, Sunil Lamsal, says that contractors’ legs should be broken if necessary.
How exactly do these positions align?
Should those who fail to perform their duties be held accountable under the law, or should the country descend into jungle rule?
–Om Kumar Thapa
Excerpted and translated by Sushma Shrestha
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