The Nepali year 2066 BS is going to finish on April 14, 2010. The year had a few ups and a lot of downs. I am compiling the top newsmakers of the year 2066. Writing the full list will take some time. I will update this page later and hopefully will finish before the year 2066 finishes.
1. Gyanendra Shah (Ex-King, wounded lion?)
Gyanendra (King of Nepal from 2001 to 2008) made news again at the end of the year by telling that the royalty is not dead yet. The political environment was heated and it started political debate on his statement.
2. Paramananda Jha (Hindi attachment)
Paramananda Jha came into controversy after he took the oath of office and secrecy in Hindi language. Paramananda Jha’s position as the Vice President has become defunct from 31 August 2009, with his refusal to take oath in Nepali. According to the Supreme Court’s verdict, Jha wasn’t allowed to perform any duties in capacity of the VP and wasn’t entitled to special security and privileges given to him as the VP. Jha was then in a situation where he has been elected as the VP by the parliament, but hasn’t taken oath.
After six months off duty, Vice President’s post was reactivated from February 7, 2010, after he took fresh oath of office and secrecy. This time, he took the oath both in Nepali and his mother tongue Maithali. Taking oath in mother tongue other than Nepali is permitted after a recent amendment in current Constitution letting President, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ministers to take oath of office and secrecy in their respective mother tongues.
The same Karima Begum, who beat the CDO, showed her short-temper to Kantipur TV crews, and who the PM don’t want to punish for her wrong-doings, told that she wants coffee to be planted in Tarai (lower parts of Nepal).
There is nothing wrong in planting coffee in Tarai as long as the climate suits. But the agriculture specialist, under her own ministry, think that it was the dumbest thing to say in a public function.
Minister may not know everything about their ministry but at least they should do some homework on what they are talking. She could have discussed about the topic with the specialists before she talked.
For business purpose, coffee can only be planted in the terrain in the range of 800 m to 1,600 m above sea level. Tarai region doesn’t have that terrain and attempts to plant coffee in such region have failed in India and Sri Lanka.
We have seen that she is arrogant, short tempered, and the latest event prove that she is also ignorant of her own field, agriculture.
UPDATE: Begum released a press statement to apologize as instructed by PM Nepal. But the “apology” statement reads more like an “accusation” statement rather than an apology. If you want to read the statement (in Nepali) here is the scanned copy. Continue reading
Well, the Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal doesn’t want Home Ministry to take action against Begum. He doesn’t want to take chance of alienating Begum’s party on such a minor issue of slapping an employee.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has instructed home minister Bhim Rawal not to take action against State Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Karima Begum saying such move would hamper inter-party relation of the ruling parties hence the stability of the government, Kantipur daily reported. (Nepalnews)
That was against the CPN (UML) chairman Jhala Nath Khanal’s suggestion: to sack Begum. Even some leaders of Begum’s own party Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik have suggested the party leadership to ask Begum to resign based on morality.
PM Nepal was made prime minister by the parties, not the people, so he is accountable to the parties. He only needs leaders and foreign support to run the country and doesn’t need any government employees to help him.
I resisted writing about the incident about a deputy minister of Nepal, Karima Begum, beating a top government employee, Chief District Officer, Durga Prasad Bhandari, in Parsa. I couldn’t hold myself after I listened her talking in a TV interview. The government employees have gone to street to protest the man handling and police has issued an arrest warrant for Minister Begum.
The vision and mentality of a law maker of the country and one of the member of cabinet, that is supposed to prepare the constitution, made me very sad.
Kantipur TV called her in a live prime-time TV interview and she kept talking on and on ignoring the indication of the host about the time constraints. She talked for a full 13 minutes but there was nothing new and she was repeating herself with unnecessary details of the incidents. The rude reasoning for the extended talk didn’t make any sense either.
