By Babbler

Nepal’s national flag carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), owns four aircraft for international operations—two wide-body and two narrow-body. The obvious question is: how much are these four aircraft actually contributing to bringing tourists to Nepal?

There is no shortage of foreign aircraft crowding the Kathmandu sector. Tribhuvan International Airport is already congested, while the proposed Nijgadh International Airport remains largely a project on paper. When, how and under what arrangement it will finally be constructed is anybody’s guess. In Nepal, airport projects have a remarkable ability to live longer in government files than on construction sites.

For foreign tourists, flying to Kathmandu is relatively expensive compared with many other destinations in the region. The government has also imposed VAT on air passengers, making the journey still less attractive. If Nepal genuinely wants more tourists, it must make air travel to Kathmandu more affordable. Tourism cannot flourish simply by producing attractive brochures and repeatedly announcing that “Visit Nepal” is coming.

Likewise, without expanding NAC’s fleet and opening more international destinations, expecting the national flag carrier to play a meaningful role in tourism promotion will remain something of a rare dream.

NAC desperately needs professional and transparent management. The government must introduce practical procurement laws tailored to the corporation’s needs and end political interference and other forms of intervention. The operating model of NAC also needs to be reconsidered. Perhaps a public-private partnership (PPP) model could be explored. The national flag should certainly fly proudly—but the aircraft carrying it should also fly regularly.

At a time when the festival season is just around the corner and Nepal should be preparing to welcome a surge of tourists, one of the NAC’s wide-body aircraft is grounded in Osaka, while the other is undergoing a C-check maintenance. In other words, Nepal’s national flag carrier has no aircraft available for long-haul international flights, leaving only two narrow-body aircraft to serve its international destinations.

This is how Nepal plans to promote tourism: invite the world to visit, but keep the aircraft on the ground. Perhaps we should first teach our national flag carrier how to fly before teaching the tourism industry how to take off.

Can we seriously talk about promoting tourism under such circumstances? Tourism promotion without adequate air connectivity is like inviting guests to a wedding while forgetting to arrange transportation to the venue.

Crow in the Fog

The devastating floods in Rasuwa have caused enormous loss of life and property. Within seconds, survivors not only lost their loved ones but also their homes, possessions and livelihoods, forcing many to seek shelter elsewhere. Rescue teams are still engaged in the difficult task of recovering bodies.

The rescue teams deserve our appreciation for their tireless work. But when it comes to relief distribution, the government appears to have misplaced both its map and its compass. In many remote flood-affected areas, relief materials have still not reached the people who need them most.

Nepal is, unfortunately, a disaster-prone country. Earthquakes, floods and landslides have become recurring visitors, and they rarely bother to make appointments. We therefore believe that the government should establish a permanent rescue and relief force comprising personnel from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police. The force should receive regular specialised training and remain prepared for emergencies throughout the year.

Necessary rescue equipment must also be maintained and readily available. Given Nepal’s difficult terrain, the government should ensure adequate numbers of helicopters, drones and other modern rescue equipment. Waiting until a disaster strikes before searching for equipment is hardly a disaster-management strategy.

Yet, during emergencies, the government often appears like a crow lost in the fog—flapping its wings, making plenty of noise, but apparently unsure which direction to fly.

Greetings from India

On the occasion of Nepal’s Constitution Day on Asoj 3 (September 19), India extended greetings to Nepal. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar conveyed the greetings but referred to it simply as Nepal’s “national day,” without specifically mentioning Constitution Day.

This immediately generated diplomatic speculation in Nepal. Some interpreted the wording as a message that India has not recognised Nepal’s Constitution. Whether that interpretation is justified or not, diplomatic language matters, particularly between two neighbouring countries with such a long and complicated relationship. Sometimes, a single missing word can produce more headlines than an entire speech.

Meanwhile, when Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle was in India, Nepal’s national flag was reportedly not seen during his meeting with his Indian counterpart. If the omission was deliberate, it would be a diplomatic slight; if it was accidental, it would still reflect poor protocol. Either way, such matters should not be treated casually.

But the most remarkable part is that the Nepal government appears to have shown little concern. Perhaps our officials have become so accustomed to diplomatic surprises that even a missing national flag no longer raises an eyebrow.

For a country that constantly speaks about sovereignty, dignity and national interest, perhaps it is time to remember that these principles are not merely words for speeches. Sometimes, they are represented by something as simple as a flag—and by ensuring that it is in the right place at the right time.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai is a demon who is opposed to Hinduism.

Khusbu Oli

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What is Nepal’s Constitution of 2072 (2015) like in the eyes of ordinary citizens? How should this day be remembered? This is certainly a subject of debate. Essentially, how successful has the Constitution been? How unsuccessful? How practical? How impractical? These are also issues that must be discussed.

Generally speaking, we need to understand the history of how this Constitution came into being. Its very birth was the result of deception and the imposition of a particular political ideology by force. It was the product of the 12-point Delhi Agreement, which was reached under the management of the then Indian establishment in the name of liberating Nepal from Maoist violence. Although this side had said that it would promulgate a constitution through the first Constituent Assembly, it failed to do so. After spending billions of rupees, a second Constituent Assembly was formed, and in its name a federal republican constitution was promulgated with the support and assistance of numerous visible and invisible foreign powers.

Jibram Bhandari

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Numerous documents have already shown who made this Constitution and for whose interests, including the incident in which Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran met and threatened our Army Chief, as well as an Al Jazeera television interview with Pranab Mukherjee, who was first Foreign Minister and later became President. The condition in which the country has reached because of this system and Constitution makes it clear who made this Constitution and for whom.

Anar Singh Karki

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When it comes to achieving Nepal’s development and prosperity, let alone the challenges of implementation, we are far behind even at the level of our thinking. The problem of thinking is not limited to the political level; it is equally serious at the intellectual, academic and expert levels. It seems that society as a whole is trapped in a ‘low-equilibrium trap.’ The vicious cycle of superficial thinking, average expectations, low achievements and growing frustration is becoming increasingly entrenched. How can this vicious cycle be broken?

Surya Raj Acharya

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Do whatever else you want, but open this bundle (Public suggestion that which type of constitution they needed), show the people what is inside it, and tell them why the bundle was not opened at that time of writing the constitution, why the people’s voice was not heard, and why, in the name of the people’s voice, the Constitution was promulgated by taking USAID and foreign money for themselves while putting something entirely different into it. Why were those who opposed it instead labelled foreign stooges? This is the sin that has come back to haunt us now!

Tanka Dahal

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You were born, raised, educated and spent your youth during the era of the kings. At first glance, it can be said that if the king had been a dictator, you would not have had the qualification to become a medical doctor.