These opinions are mine and I swear no one else's
Archive for June, 2007
Katha Kathmandu – Story of Kathmandu
21790 days
काठमाण्डौ उपत्यका, समुन्द्री सतहबाट झण्डै १३५५ मिटर माथि बसेको यस उपत्यकामा छ न त तिन सहर छन् तर चर्चा जहिले पनि काठमाण्डौको मात्र हुने गरेको छ । हुन पनि किन नहुनु आखिर राजधानी सहर पो हो त । झण्डै ५०।६७ बर्ग किलोमिटर क्षेत्रफल भएको यस माया नगरीको मायामा फस्नेहरु धेरै नै छन् । त्यही भएर त यत्रो सानो भएर पनि झण्डै १५ लाख मानिस यहाँ बस्छन् रे भनेर भन्छन् विज्ञहरु ।
काठमाण्डौ धेरैको लागि सपनाको सहर हो । विकासको क्रममा पिछडिएको गाउँघर तिरका मान्छेको लागि काठमाण्डौ नै िसंगो नेपाल हो । धेरैले अझै पनि काठमाण्डौ जान पर् यो भने नेपाल जान लाग्या भनेर भन्छन् । मैले नै त्यसो भनेको सुनेको छु त्यो पनि काठमाण्डौ सँगै जोडिएको नुवाकोटका मानिसहरुबाट । विदेशीहरुको लागि सांग्रीला-ल्याण्ड काठमाण्डौबाट छुटेकाहरुका लागि नेपाल जे भए पनि विचरा काठमाण्डौ आफै भने पीडामा छ । सानो क्षेत्रफलमा बढ्दो जनसंख्या अविकसित सहरीकरण जस्तो चर्को समस्याले काठमाण्डौको जुन छाप छ त्यो नै हराउला जस्तो भइसक्यो ।
सानो र साँगुरो सडक खानेपानीको हाहाकार बढ्दो जनसंख्या र प्रदुषण साँच्चै नै काठमाण्डौको रुप फेरिइसक्यो । भर्खरै एउटा अध्ययनले काठमाण्डौलाई एसियाकै सबैभन्दा प्रदुषित सहरको उपमा दियो । तपाई एकचोटि नयाँसडकबाट चक्कर लगाउँदै लैनचौर निक्लनुहोस् वा नयाँ बानेश्वर (पैदलमा नि फेरी)…… तपाई फुटपाथमा हिँड्न सक्नुहुन्न किनकी त्यहाँ सामान बेच्नेहरुको हुल हुन्छ सडकमा त गाडी भइहाले । एक अर्कालाई धकेल्दै जब तपाई आफ्नो गन्तव्य पुग्नुहुन्छ तपाईलाई लाग्छ ओलम्पीकमै स्वर्णपदक पाउनुभयो । यस्तो स्थिति छ अरुबेला झन् बर्षायाममा के हुन्छ होला । तपाई अनुमान लगाउन सक्नुहुन्छ ?
खाल्डैखाल्डोले भरिएको सडकमा पानी परेपछि पोखरी जम्मा भइहाल्छ । झन् कमजोर ढल व्यवस्थाले सडक नै पोखरीमा परिणत पनि हुन्छ । हरेक बर्षा ऋतुमा जमल मैतीदेवी जस्ता ठाउँहर स्वीमिङ्ग पुल बन्छन् । अनि दुःख गर्दै तपाई हिलोबाट बच्ने कोशिसमा लाग्नुहुन्छ तर धत्तेरी ! ! ! कहाँबाट साँढे भएर आएको माइक्रो बसले हिलो छ्यापिहाल्छ । कहिले हानुँला जस्तै गरेर गुड्ने माइक्रो बसको मात्र के कुरा गर्नु जुन कुना पाए पनि घुसिहाल्ने मोटरसाइकलको कुरा कसरी भुल्न सकिन्छ र ?? सानो र साँघुरो सडकमा धान्न सक्ने क्षमता भन्दा धेरै गाडी भए पछि ट्राफिक जाम त बढ्ने नै भयो । झन् त्यो जाममा पनि सानो खाली ठाउँमा घुसेर आफु पनि अड्कने र अरुलाई पनि अड्काउने मोटरसाइलले गर्दा यात्रा झनै दुखद् हुन पुग्छ ।
यत्रो यात्रा गरेर तपाई घर पुग्नुहुन्छ तपाई देख्नुहुन्छ घरमा खानेपानी छैन । किन भनेर सोध्दा जवाफ पाउनुहुन्छ मेलम्ची आएपछि पानी आउँछ रे । अब राजनीतिक खेलातानीमा अल्झिएको मेलम्ची कहिले आउने के थाहा । अनि रिसको झोँकमा खानेपानी बेच्ने संस्थामा फोन गर्नुपर्ने वाध्यता आउँछ । बल्ल बल्ल पानीको कुरा मिलायो घरमा न त ग्याँस हुन्छ न मट्टितेल । पसलमा जाँदा थाहा पाउनुहुन्छ खोइ कुन चाहि पार्टी हो वा समुहले बन्दको घोषणा गरेर राजधानीलाई तराईसँग जोड्ने एउटै राजमार्ग बन्द गराएको छ रे । अब दिनभरी लाईन बसेर बल्ल बल्ल पेट्रोल त हाल्नुभएको थियो होला तर जति नै लाईन बसे पनि न त ग्याँस पाइन्छ न त मट्टितेल नै । भनसुन गरेपछि १ लिटर भएपनि मट्टितेल पाइहालिन्छ कि भन्ने आस चाहि रहन्छ है । पाउनुहुन्छ वा पाउनुहुन्न तपाईको contact मा भर पर्छ । अनि बल्ल आनन्दका साथ घरमा बसेर टिभी हेर्नलाग्नुहुन्छ वा कम्प्युटरमा काम गर्न लाग्नुहुन्छ झ्याप्प बत्ती जान्छ । आज लोडसेडिङ्गको पालो त होइन भनेर सोच्दै तपाई नो लाइटमा फोन गर्नुहुन्छ तर त्यहाँका कर्मचारी पनि कम्ति बाठा छैनन् । बत्ती जाने वित्तिकै फोन उठाएर एकापट्टि राखिदिन्छन् । अनि त जहिले विजी । (यो लेख लेख्दा लेख्दै पनि बत्ति गयो तर धन्न केही क्षणमै आयो र पो !!!)
यस्तो छ काठमाण्डौको दैनिकी । अझ मैले थाहै नपाई हुने बन्द र चक्का जामलाई त विसर्िएछु । अनि यस्तो सहरलाई कसरी सपनाको सहर भन्नु । अरु जसलॆ जे भनेपनि मेरो लागि भने काठमाण्डौ हल्लै हल्लाको सहर मात्र हो । हल्लै हल्लाको………। सायद मानिसहरु यसै हल्लालाई बास्तविकता ठान्छन् । कतिलाई मेरो यो नैराश्यता लाग्छ होला वा कतिलाई दिक्दारीपन… तर के गर्नु यस्तै छ काठमाण्डौ । अरुलाई लोभ्याउछ तर यही भएकालाई दिक्क बनाउँछ ।
Memories of WAR
8These are the recent images of Palpa Durbar. Maoist had attacked Palpa on 31 January 2006 and destroyed the historic monument. Though the war is officially over, this devastated historic monument still stands as proof that wounds are nor easily healed. The first picture is of Palpa Durbar (may be taken too long ago, date not mentioned. Image taken from www.tansenpalpa.com) The historic Palpa Palace was major tourist attraction center.
After the Maoists raid Palpa on the night of January 31, 2006, they heavily bombarded the palace which was home of government offices. Now the Palpa Palace looks like this:
These are the destroyed vehicles during attacks which are still left at palace’s ground as it is.
Locals say that during attacks civilians homes were also attacked. Though no civilians died but the wounds remained as psychological/mental trauma. One of the students of Tansen Nursing School told me that after attack many people came to them seeking psychological help. In her experience, mental trauma is more dangerous than physical.
Lets open-up and talk
11796 days
by Rabin
in Uncategorized
BY Jeevan Sharma, Hetauda
Manka Kura Quaterly Magazine,
Website: ssmk.org
In Picture: Saathi Sanga Manka Kura TEAM
“Friend, you are also going to get married? Lots of congratulations…but are you ready for it? How much have you understood your future partner for life? How much have you analysed? And what do you think about having HIV Test before marriage? It’s also very necessary to take care of many things on this regard, isn’t it? ” This kind of stuff was coming from Saathi Sanga Manka Kura, a popular youth radio show and two elder people were saying, “What nonsense are they talking? Testing blood before getting marriage……….is this practical? We should talk that matches or social, cultural values and ethics…talking like this, they have destroyed……”
Being myself a Radio Program Producer, I was forced to think because I have heard such kind of stuffs while visiting villages……
“Because of lack of our courage to express our queries regarding sex and our shyness to learn about it, now many youths are suffering from it. That’s why we should talk about it openly.”
“Do you know that unsafe sex might result HIV/AIDS. But use of condom can protect you.”
Some listeners of Palpa, Dang, Makwanpur were forced to turn off their radio when SSMK encourage them to talk openly about HIV/AIDS, sex education. They complain such stuffs told by program are impractical and they are not able to listen the program with family. Some listeners of Makwanpur even told that such topics are improper and vulgar. Program Presenters of SSMK told that they also have heard same kind of complains when they visited Dang and Palpa. Then why still Saathi Sanga Manka Kura or SSMK is continuing to talk on such issues. In this question, Team Leader of SSMK, Binita said, “Current scenario of HIV/AIDS in our country is not hidden. Recent study shows that more than 75,000 people are infected with HIV/AIDS. Among them the number of Youths are very high. And analysing this statistic, number of women infected by HIV/AIDS from their husband is also not less. If we are able to disseminate importance about being aware before marriage and save few of them from being infected with HIV, then that would be big achievement for us. We are ready to face such negative comments given by some friends without understanding it.”
HIV infection rate in Nepal is really alarming and worrying issue. Further more, marriage that took place on ground of trust and without having enough knowledge, has helped a lot in transmission of HIV/AIDS. We are hearing that many people are getting infected because their parents got married them to people who are working in cities/town without knowing much. The parents do so because they believe by doing so their daughter will be happy and don’t want such chances to let go. The story of Nirmala Paudel of Chitwan is not much different. In hope of her bright future, her parents forced her to get married at early age and she got HIV infection from her husband. After a week of marriage her husband who returned from foreign land went back to work. After a year he returned home having ill health. Later when medical test was done it was discovered that he’s got HIV infection and was in stage of AIDS. Nirmala’s parent’s blind trust became misfortunate for her. This is just an example. There are many such cases in our villages which are increasing day by day.
SSMK’s presenter Binayak believes awareness can help to decrease such cases. He says “We cannot do anything to help those who take risks knowingly. But our program has tried to make people awake who are unknowingly at risk. If we can make people understand and aware by talking openly then why not to talk openly.”
Really if such issues and queries are given spaces then results will be positive instead of negative. People can be safe from cases like of Nirmala’s. While studying, it is found that SSMK has brought big changes in the life of Kirpa Poudel (Name Changed). While she was being forced to marry foreign returned guy, one thing came in her mind – to apply recently heard information through SSMK. She proposed to have HIV test. Later when test was done it was discovered that he was infected with HIV. She said that if SSMK hasn’t given such information, her life would have been jeopardised. She says that such information should be raised regularly. Afterwards she has been encouraging her friends to talk on such issues openly and listen to SSMK.
From these two different examples what can we understand? Still discouraging programs like SSMK to talk openly on such issue by giving negative comments or coming forward to get needed information? I think this is the topic we need to analyse.
Some Key Facts:
• Saathi Sanga Manka Kura, now airs from 35 local FM stations and State Radio, radio Nepal covering almost whole of Nepal.
• According to recent Survey by AC Neilson, around 65.3 million young people tune in to Saathi Sanga Manka Kura regularly.
• It’s been six years since SSMK started it’s first broadcast.
• According to recent “National Demographic Health Survey’, conducted by Ministry of Health, once every five years (and is highly recognized survey of international standard) has found SSMK to be the most reliable source of information for young people in Nepal when it comes to ‘Sexual Reproductive Health’ issue.
• Every month SSMK gets around 1400 letters and 200 emails addressing various personnel problems.
Difference!!!!!
21796 days
by Rabin
in random thoughts
There is big difference between Kathmandu and rest of other cities. These are pictures of Bhairahawa and Kathamndu. See the difference yourself.
Plain terai Land
Bhairahawa City
Kathmandu
As seen from Airplane
Chaotic Kathmandu: Full of crowd, unmanaged buildings and infrastructures
Airport Security : Poor !!
11796 days
How do you rate security system of nation? You might say not good dude. But if I ask you about security system of airport, you might say, it has to be good because it’s very sensitive issue. But Nepal’s airport’s security is also not very different than rest of the country. I have to say security at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) is okay but other airports, hmmmmm…..
Last time I was in Bhairahawa. While returning back to Kathmandu, I went to airport. On entrance, policemen stopped me and asked me the reason to be there. I showed him my ticket and I went inside. At Bhairahawa Airport or any other airport, while entering to airport waiting building, your stuffs are checked but not with metal detector but with hands. If your hand bag is big enough and you can put dangerous arms between them, you can easily pass the checking. You are now inside the airport. While checking in i saw that trolleys full of bags are kept near the run-way (only difference is a door, which too was open). And the run-way was a door ahead which was open and no one was there to look after (you could easliy reach up to run-way without being noticed by others.).
After waiting sometime, someone turns up in your airplane check in point and you check in. And after sometime you plane arrives. You are asked to go inside for boarding plane. There’s another check but it too is with hands. They search your bag but not wholly. And even if you have different unauthorized stuffs in your bag, they let it bring with you. (I had only one bag where i had put flammable objects like body sprays etc. A policeman checking me pointed out that such things are not allowed. When i told me i didn’t know about it and I got only one hand bag, he let me take it with me.) A machine detector is lying there but of no use. I don’t know whether it needs repair or what, but it’s useless.
And now you are allowed to go further inside to waiting bench. After sometime, you board the plane. The cockpit is open and there are no doors. So if you have kept something inside your bag, you can easily overpower the pilot and hijack the plane. This is the situation of security at airport.
Wat ya Said!