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By Narayan Prasad Mishra

The Tribhuvan University Central Library, created by my beloved wife, Shanti Mishra, remains a tiny library compared to the vast and well-organized libraries found in many parts of the USA and other developed countries. But it is our biggest and most well-organized modern library, a disseminating center different from traditional libraries, which are mere storehouses of books. I joined this library a year after her. The library has been a center of attraction since its inception. It was like a tiny moon appearing in darkness in our country. It attracted all equally – Nepalese as well as foreigners. Because of this library’s shining picture and being the recognized server of this institution, my wife, Shanti Mishra, and I became known to the International Library World, and we came into contact with many international library figures. In this context, we became very close friends with Marjorie Stern of California, USA, who started the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library and played a central role in establishing the San Francisco Main Library and Asian Museum. Her name is well-recorded in the history of library development in San Francisco, USA She loved some parts of this region, especially – Tibet in China, Ladakh in India, and, of course, Nepal. She was a dynamic woman, very active, invariably well-dressed, witty, and humorous. By age, she was quite a senior to us. I remember she visited Nepal even just overnight to see us for lunch or dinner when she was in Ladakh. She would never forget us when she was near our country. She visited us many times. I vividly remember with joy her many visits and her love for us. Marjorie was a well-known figure among San Francisco’s elite circle. Once, she visited Nepal with some of her friends and stayed at the Dwarika Hotel, Baneshore, when the hotel was not so big and elegant. Olga Murray was one of them. Olga later became the president of a well-known Nepal Youth Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that provides education, health care, human rights, and housing for disadvantaged children in Nepal. I remember Marjorie introduced us to Olga at Dwarika in 1987. That was the year when Olga was seriously injured with a broken ankle on her hike in Nepal and was carried by porters with a Doko (a large basket made of bamboo straps designed to be carried on the back and shoulders). Olga, by profession a lawyer and a retired research attorney at the Supreme Court of California in San Francisco, later became a lover of Nepal and Nepalese and started helping poor students of Paropakar High School at Bhimsensthan with the close collaboration of her friend Allan Aistrope, a volunteer English teacher there. After knowing them, they became our good friends and invited us for advice on their activities and sometimes to be language mediators between the students and them. Shanti and I provided them with our service with honesty and sincerity. They became our friends of joy and trouble. We shared our problems with each other. We had lunch and dinner together from time to time whenever they were in Nepal, sometimes being their guests at the hotels or sometimes in our house. In 1989, they started what was then called the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation, with Ms. Murray as the president and chief fundraiser and Allan as the Executive Officer or the Secretary. Later, Allan left the work in a dispute in 2000. Olga continued her work with the Nepal Youth Foundation. Sometimes, she lived in Nepal, and sometimes, she lived in the USA. Whenever she came to Nepal, she called us for a meeting. We never missed an opportunity to see her in her rented residence at Jawalakhel or at our house. We never stayed behind whenever she asked for our help and advice. She brought us great joy. According to the news published in The New York Times on March 12, 2024,” Over the years, the foundation built 17 nutritional rehabilitation clinics; the Olgapuri Children’s Village, which has room for 80 children whose parents cannot support them; a counseling center for children affected by trauma and loss; and a vocational school”. She also rescued thousands of girls and young women whom their fathers had sold. She was a recipient of a medal from the King of Nepal to honor her work with the children of Nepal. Murray was honored by the World of Children as a 2005 finalist. Olga, who was highly impressed by Nepal’s stunning landscapes and friendly people after her first visit to Nepal in 1985, dedicated her 40 years of service to thousands of Nepali children. The Olgapuri Children’s Village, located at Karya Binayak Bhaisepati, has some beautiful buildings and attractive huge premises. The center was established in the name of our friend Ogla Murray and has been providing unforgettable services for the cause of our underprivileged children with a variety of activities. After the sad demise of my beloved wife, Shanti Mishra, in 2019, I started writing articles every week in the People’s Review on various topics about Nepal. I sent some of my articles to her, which I thought would be of interest to her. Whenever I sent them, she would receive them with her good comments. When I sent the links to the articles titled – 1. Tribhuvan University Central Library and Shanti Mishra; 2. Tribhuvan University Central Library and Me; 3. The news about our book donation to T.U. Central Library to her, she wrote the following in her email to me.

It gives me great pleasure to remember we have some good friends who value our service. However, we see very few Nepalese who genuinely evaluate and value anyone’s selfless, dedicated service to the nation with a pure heart. On March 15, 2024, I received the following note from my good friend Robert Palmer, who lives in New York and was the Fulbright Librarian to China and Nepal at different times. That was about the sad demise of Olga Murray, our long-time friend, at the age of 98 on February 20, 2024. He informed me about the more than half-page news published in The New York Times about Olga Murray, which was quite an honor to a server.

I wrote to Robert ( Bob ) – “I am thankful you informed me of the article about Olga Murray. I read it using Google search and forwarded it to Pragya. You will be glad to know that Olga was our good friend, and I used to send my articles to her. I am sad to know about her demise. I will miss her.” The following Bob’s reply in a few words made me happy that our country has the power to win the hearts of people who have good hearts, like Bob and Olga and our many other friends in different parts of the world. In this context, I especially remember Lottie Weise, our dear friend who settled in Nepal and served this country and its people in various capacities. Lottie was the wife of Robert Weise, the renowned Swiss Architect who designed the Tribhuvan University Central Library Building and many other iconic structures in Nepal. Her passing in December 2023, while I was in the USA, deeply saddened me.

In memory of the sad demise of Olga Murray, the Nepal lover, the mother of thousands of our children, and our good friend, I, with my daughter Dr. Pragya Mishra, pay homage to her and pray for her eternal peace. I am sure she will be living in the hearts of our children, who could develop their careers through her love and support. I pay homage to her with profound love and respect, cherishing the memories of her dedication and kindness.

narayanshanti70@gmail.com

By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel.

Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli will visit China from December 2 to 6 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The visit will focus on strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries and expanding the areas of cooperation in the field of mutual interest. The trip is also expected to offer the space to review and expedite the Build Road Initiative (BRI) implementation plan and execute some new projects under the BRI framework immediately. During the visit, the PM will be very likely to talk about the conversion of the loan taken for Pokhara International Airport to grant and expedite the implementation of past accords and agreements between the two countries.

Nepal and China have a long history of bilateral relations that dates back to the 5th century. However, in 1955, Nepal and China established diplomatic relations based on five principles of coexistence. Both countries have remained trusted and friendly nations irrespective of the changes in the international landscape over the decades. They have set the example of how countries, regardless of their economic and military strength, can become trusted friends. The pedal for this trusted and friendly relationship is that both adhere to the five principles of coexistence, mutual respect, and treatment. The upcoming visit of PM Oli is expected to further bolster the existing bilateral relationship and expand the areas of cooperation in the fields of mutual interests.

PM Oli has been viewed as a close ally of China in the recent past. He has been time and again reaffirming that the government under his leadership will not allow any anti-China activities to operate within Nepal’s territory. His one-China policy stance has further deepened his relationship with Beijing. But his upcoming visit will be a litmus test for him to prove that he is a pro-China leader and subsequently remain in its good book.

Along with bolstering his relationship with Beijing, the key objective of the visit is to expedite and implement the past accords and agreements. On May 12, 2017, China and Nepal entered a new era of friendship with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation under the Belt Road Initiative. This was expected to open new avenues of bilateral cooperation in the mutually agreed areas.

Contrary to expectation, the cooperation under the BRI has not progressed for several reasons. To begin with, there is growing apprehension among the people that overborrowing from China will put Nepal in a debt trap. Some media even argued that Nepal will face economic crises like Sri Lanka if it accepts loans from its northern neighbor. This is a false narrative created to drive a wedge between Nepal and China because the economic crisis in Sri Lanka was the result of mismanagement of the economy. On the other hand, pressure from India, which perceives China’s influence in Nepal via the BRI project, has also promoted Nepali politicians to go slow on finalizing and implementing the BRI projects.

Another item on his agenda in Beijing is the loan taken for the construction of Pokhara International Airport. Nepal borrowed $216 million from China’s Exim Bank for the project. After the airport had failed to generate sufficient revenue due to failure to conduct international flights, Nepal had previously requested the Chinese side to waive the loan. With the repayment of the loan scheduled to start in 2016, PM Oli will not leave any stone unturned to get China to convert the loan into grants.

At present, Oli is leading a coalition government backed by the Nepali Congress, the largest party in the parliament. The Nepali Congress’ position on BRI and other forms of assistance is very clear—grants are acceptable but loans are not. To say it is not too keen on the BRI project as it believes that it involves high-interest Chinese loans. This is where Oli leadership will be tested.

Oli, on the one hand, has to make the upcoming visit a huge success, mainly from the perspective of BRI. On the other hand, he has to avoid pushing too aggressively with China, as it could prove fatal from a political point of view. Deeper engagement with China would bring valuable infrastructure projects. But the Nepali Congress, a key partner in the Oli-led government, would not like to entertain Chinese-funded projects. How Oli strikes a balance with Beijing and, at the same time, with the coalition partner at home is an issue of concern.

Our immediate southern neighbor, too, will be observing Oli’s visit to China very closely. Oli’s relationship with New Delhi turned sour, especially post-constitution promulgation. New Delhi asked Nepal to make seven amendments to the 2015 Constitution of Nepal. But Oli outright rejected India’s proposal. The move of Oli irked India, which, as a sign of dissatisfaction, imposed an economic embargo while Nepal was struggling to respond to the devastating earthquake that wreaked havoc in the country.

We are entering a new era of prosperity after the political transformation. Given our present economic condition, we alone cannot undertake megaprojects. We need the support and cooperation of our immediate neighbors. The upcoming visit of Oli could be an ample opportunity to convince our northern neighbor to support us in making Nepal a prosperous state—both economically and politically.

By Yug Bahadur

During this period after the celebration of two of the main festivals of the majority of the Nepali people, many were worried about things like political stability, security lapses, inflation and disturbances in the streets among other things.

But one good news arrived when it was reported that the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) was being finally chosen as a destination by several international airlines.

It was specially heartening to hear that Qatar Air, a reputed international airline, which has connection flights to almost all parts of the world was making daily flights to the GBIA. This is a promising outlook for the Nepali tourism sector.

This author has written several times before how tourism along with the hydropower industry were major factors in building this country’s economy.

But while it takes a long period for the hydro-power industry to construct a project and bring it into operation, then come into effect, the tourism industry does not require much investment but shows instant income and also provides employment to thousands of people directly or indirectly in a short span of time at a much lower cost.

We all know that those people who are directly involved, like in the airline business, travel agencies, hotels and even restaurants will benefit immensely when we see more arrival of tourists. But others too, who get employment in such outlets and even porters and simple public transport workers and suppliers of edible goods or local products and workers in restaurants and homestay establishments, will have some sort of better income from the arrival of more foreigners. So tourism was and still could be a strong pillar of our weakening economy.

In fact, this is the best option for the nation to create more employment opportunities and also make Nepal a destination that foreigners would love to visit at least once in their lifetime. This would certainly help considerably in giving a huge boost not only to our tourism sector but to our whole economy as well.

This writer has said time and again why our leaders, decision-makers in the bureaucracy and also the planners have to concentrate on building the economy instead of only making ambitious plans where we have to depend on foreign aid or grants, which again doesn’t come freely. There is always a ‘string attached’ and we have to pay for it in the future. Our leaders have to understand the policy of outsiders before making their own plans. But tourism is a much simpler solution, where we can endorse our own plans and make Nepal a better destination that foreigners will like to visit.

This is another thing which I would like to recall and about which I have written in some articles in the past as well. I had met a top-level tourism entrepreneur from Japan, who had told me during a lunch meeting how Nepal could attract the high spending Japanese tourists to this country. She had told me that,  and I can put it in quotes, ‘how Nepal was much more beautiful than Switzerland’, however, she also told me that Nepal had to build the proper infrastructure and also have the facilities these rich spending people normally expected wherever they went. ‘That Nepal does not have’, she had emphatically told me.

Here, what  I personally feel is, that this is not only the responsibility of the government, the private sector making so much profit from tourism should also contribute to building better infrastructure, including the private domestic airlines which make huge gains from tourists.

Definitely, the government should take the initiative with pragmatic plans than rather spending funds on only foreign trips of officials who hardly contribute to tourism, but the private sector must also be involved in promoting the country’s tourism sector.

But like said before, the decision-makers, bureaucrats and private sector entrepreneurs must also not be satisfied in going on joy trips abroad and actually making no contribution to the country’s tourism. I myself have gone on several ‘trips’, but at least I contributed by writing about what took place in the conferences or meetings that took place in these foreign lands. But I never heard even a squeak from the government officials or the private sector people in making any mark on promoting our own tourism.

We cannot expect much from such an irresponsible attitude of both government officials and also individuals making profits from the tourism business.

As we have already said, if the tourism industry could make so much profit, give employment to so many people and make the country stronger economically, we need more serious efforts, besides seeking only personal benefits.

While delving into this issue, the reports of GBIA receiving more international flights are welcome, but one serious point is how are our officials taking the part that Nepal’s first international airport, that is the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), will be properly repaired for more international flights. It has been reported that now it will be closed for ten hours per day and officials say that it could take five months before things can come back to normal.

Late prime minister Krishna Prasad had confidently said almost thirty years back how the water of Melamchi would soak Kathmandu and the extra water would also be used to flush the dirt from the Bagmati River and clean the streets of the City. But after three decades, people still do not have enough water to drink, forget flushing the Bagmati River or cleaning the streets of the City. So, how can we believe an official saying that the construction process of the TIA will be completed within five months?

One other thing that must be not forgotten is that Kathmandu is the major destination for most foreigners, whether they are government officials or simple tourists. This has been proved by the very first flight of Qatar Air, when only one passenger got out at Bhairahawa and the rest of the passengers came to Kathmandu to disembark. This is a clear indicator for the officials that the construction works at TIA must be completed as soon as possible, Closure of the airport for ten hours will not help out the tourism sector nor will it benefit international travelers, whether they are Nepali or foreigners. Thus the private sector should also play a major role in prompting the government to complete the construction works soon and put constant pressure on this by reminding them of the decision of the important role of tourism in the country.

The economy of the nation is in a very fragile situation and it is definitely true that remittance has not built the economy of any nation nor brought it any development. Normally the taxes from remittance are misused by politicians and government officials in different means. But tourism and hydropower could strengthen the economy of a small country like Nepal in a major way. For this to happen, the political leaders, decision-making bureaucrats and also the big ‘players’ in the private tourism sector have to all work together for the benefit of the country and not only for their petty self-interest.

By Shashi P.B.B. Malla

Our South Asian neighbour Sri Lanka is on the path to renewal after two astounding electoral results [see our main article on page 4).

Unfortunately, we cannot hope to replicate this success, because we lack the democratic foundations which are rock-solid there.

We are also completely deficient in a vibrant and functioning political culture – absolutely necessary to eradicate endemic corruption and put our country on the path to sustained development and a free and fair society.

Thus, in our current state, and unlike as in Sri Lanka, elections will bring about no change in the political make-up. We will get the same mixture as before, because something/everything is very rotten in the Himalayan Republic.

Like in Bangladesh, we have to send the power-holders packing and start from scratch.

This also means completely re-defining and re-structuring our national political culture.

The Concept of ‘Political Culture’

This concept describes the attitudes, beliefs and rules that guide a political system, which are determined jointly by the history of the system and the experiences of its members.

We will have to focus on the content of this culture and the processes of socialization and internalization of political values.

These include the various agencies of political socialization, such as family, education, mass media, social media and political parties.

It also focuses on the compatibility of political culture with the values and attitudes current in the wider national culture, elite and mass cultures.

We must start at the grassroots to cultivate and build up a sense of political participation.

Village and urban assemblies of the people will directly elect the councils that will govern them.

These councils will also be directly responsible for the health posts/hospitals, schools/colleges and the environment.

Political Participation

This entails taking part in the political processes that lead to the selection of political leaders and determine and influence public policy.

This should take place right at the grassroots, so that a feeling of belonging and owning the decision-making process is nurtured, like in the women’s role in community forests.

Political participation at the grassroots will strengthen our political culture and fortify our sense of ‘community’.

Many problems can be discussed jointly and solutions sought at the local level –like quality education, proper health services, water supply, environmental pressures, ‘brain & brawn drain’, etc.

For this reason, Civics must be a compulsory subject in schools and colleges.

This is essential since apathy is extensive and the politically concerned public is in the minority.

However, even now it is possible to mobilize a critical mass of people against the entrenched and corrupt politicians.

The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.com

Kathmandu, November 19: The Gandaki Province government has proposed to include the construction of a specialized hospital with cancer, heart, kidney, burns, maternal and pediatric diseases in Pokhara in the agenda of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s upcoming visit to China. State Health Minister Krishna Prasad Pathak submitted the proposal to Chief Secretary Eknarayan Aryal on Sunday, along with the ministerial decision and the recommendation of the State Cabinet.

“The collaboration between the Gandaki Province government and the Chinese government in the construction of a specialized hospital also creates opportunities for study and research for experts in the health sector of both countries,” he said.

After the establishment of this type of specialized hospital, the general public will get quality services in the state due to complex health problems such as cancer, heart, kidney disease, burns. Emergency rescue services, including an air ambulance, should be availed at the hospital to assist in accident and health disaster management, the Province Minister said.

Minister Pathak said that a well-equipped specialized hospital in Pokhara is essential to end the compulsion of the general public to go to Kathmandu for the treatment of complex diseases. After the establishment of this hospital, the general public will get quality services in the Province who are suffering from complex health problems such as cancer, heart, kidney disease, burns.

Minister Pathak said that a well-equipped specialized hospital in Pokhara is essential to end the compulsion of the general public to go to Kathmandu for the treatment of complex diseases.

People’s News Monitoring Service.

Kathmandu, November 19: Senior Vice President of the UML, Ishwar Pokharel, has stressed the need to expand the relations between Nepal and China to the people’s level. Pokharel, who is on a visit to China at the invitation of the Communist Party of China Foreign Affairs Department, while addressing a special program organized by the People’s Government of Hubei Province on Sunday, said that sisterly relations between the provinces and local levels of the two countries are needed to expand relations at the people’s level.

“China and Nepal have deep historical ties between the government and the Communist Party of China and the UML. Now there is a need to expand relations at the public level also, ” he said.

He recalled that the visit of the Chief Minister of Lumbini Province to the sister province of Sichuan and the head of the Nachu Province of Tibet to the sister municipality of Tokha last week had significantly contributed to further strengthening the relations between the two countries. He also highlighted the historical, geographical, political, religious and cultural aspects of friendship.

Wang Zongling, Governor of the People’s Government of Hubei Province and Secretary-General of the Communist Party of China, Hubei Province Party, said that the relations between China and Nepal are good and the future is bright, and there are many areas of cooperation exchange. At the program held at Huawei University, Senior Vice President Pokharel said that China’s cooperation and goodwill in Nepal’s progress are commendable and hoped that there will be a favorable environment for Nepali students to study and acquire knowledge in China. Liu Chihong, vice president of the university, said that cooperation is being exchanged in the expansion of scientific education and expressed confidence that more progress will be made in the future.

People’s News Monitoring Service.