By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
Rudramani Pokherel considered an almost tabu subject: “The cow and the rhino: Nepal’s national symbol debate” (The Himalayan Times, July 17).
He writes that the cow may be holy for Hindus, but it does not hold the same meaning for Muslims, Kirat and Rai peoples, and many indigenous groups who never treated the cow as sacred.
The current Constitution made a lazy compromise.
“The state talked about secularism but still kept a religious symbol”.
Pokhrel writes that secularism does not mean the majority must erase its culture from public life.
After all, today’s reality is that Nepal is home to more than 120 ethnic groups.
The writer makes a solid case for adopting the rhino as the new national symbol.
The rhino offers a beautiful symbol for representing a state that truly belongs to everyone and lets the majority culture shine on its own.
And its survival is a collective effort of many different people.
Col. Guru Saday Batabyal (Retd.) formerly of the 4th Gorkha Rifles (Indian Army) writes on a problem that has been festering for nearly five years now: “Agnipath and Nepal: Time to reset a trusted Gorkha partnership,” (The Himalayan Times, July 16).
Col. Batabyal writes that what confronts India and Nepal today is not merely a disagreement over recruitment policy.
“It is a test of whether two close neighbours can adapt a historic partnership to new realities without undermining the trust that has sustained it for more than two centuries.
The writer suggests that the debate must move beyond criticism towards practical solutions.
A cooperative approach would transform Agnipath from a perceived problem into a shared opportunity.
Political leadership is crucial.
What previous governments (GOONS) failed miserably to even try, the current Government of Nepal could create reintegration pathways for returning Indian Army veterans.
Veterans could be prioritized for positions in Nepal’s security forces, disaster-management agencies, border management organisations, and public service institutions.
Without doubt, their military training, discipline, and leadership skills would be valuable assets for the country.
Kanchan Jha, who is affiliated with the Nepali Congress, writes on: “Whither domestic ability? A state that struggles to govern effectively at home will also struggle to negotiate and deliver abroad,” (The Kathmandu Post, July 17).
There are many nuggets of wisdom in Jha’s piece.
Jha writes, for example: “Nepal’s greatest foreign policy problem is not Delhi or Beijing. It is the weakness of the Nepali state.”
And a state that cannot speak with one voice cannot negotiate from a position of strength.
He writes succinctly that a state that struggles to govern effectively at home will also struggle to negotiate and deliver abroad.
External ambitions depend on domestic capability.
And above all: “geography rewards only those states capable of using it.”
There are two takeaways from Jha’s impressive piece: one, that it is most regrettable that the Nepali Congress while in office did not have access to his astuteness; and two, that today he is just in the wrong political party and cannot advise the ruling Rashtriya Swatantra Party.
The writer can be reached at: shashimalla125@gmail.com
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