Tag: Economic Blockade

A Walk, A Bent Back!

On December 18, 2015

The world runs in weird ways. People here run in weirder ways. I didn’t choose to run, however. I walked- from home to college and from college to home, alternately on alternate days. I wanted to save my back.

Whoever has known about the micro-buses in Nepal will understand my problem. These vehicles with low height are meant to carry twenty people max at a time. Four people, including a khalasi ( aka conductor. My teacher once called them handyboy, I don’t know why) can be adjusted in most vehicles (usually manufactured by Toyota or KIA). These vehicles are faster than the buses and mini buses and are also operated on smaller roads. That’s why most people use them. Now the vehicles are not enough for transporting people during the “office-time”. There is always a battle to get a seat. If not, one has to bend their back for at least ten minutes- if luck favours. Otherwise, one might have to stand in that Yoga posture for more than thirty minutes.

I try to avoid such a situation as much as possible. If I have to “stand up” on the micro bus, I will have to bend my low making ninety degrees with my feet. The back pain that sweeps in is the worst. Walking feels much better than this bent standing up.

I walked. This week I walked everyday until Wednesday. On Wednesday, I walked to college in the morning. While returning back home, I thought I climbed on an empty vehicle but unfortunately, it was filled by people in no time. Within seconds, I was squeezed by the people and within ten minutes, I was gasping. The windows were closed because it’s cold in Kathmandu these days. Ironically, I was sweating. People had seen that and had started commenting already. I had to get off. No, not because my destination had arrived but because I could not bear the pain on my back any longer. I got off at Tangal, almost twenty minutes south of my home. I walked again- tired and limping!

The effect showed up on Thursday. I could not dare to walk for forty five minutes between my home and college. I chose micro bus again. Thankfully, I got seats on both occasions that day.

It’s Friday and the pain continues as I write. The only satisfaction is that Saturday is coming up in almost two and a half hours. Hope (the biggest of the troubles released by Pandora) is making me think I can walk to college on Sunday again. Wishing her good luck is all I can do now.

नाकाबन्दी : हाम्रो अर्थतन्त्रको साँचो तस्विर

By Sandeept

On October 19, 2015

In Blogging, Economy, Nepal

“रेमिट्यान्सले हाम्रो अर्थतन्त्र कहिले सम्म धान्ला ?” कसैले कहीं लेखेका थिए |

हाम्रो अर्थतन्त्रको तितो सत्य यसपालीको नाकाबन्दीमा प्रत्यक्ष भएको छ | नाकाबन्दी पछाडि अनेकौं राजनीतिक (वा गैरराजनितिक) र कुटनीतिक कारण होलान | जे भए पनि हाम्रो अर्थतन्त्रमा रहेको कमजोरी छताछुल्ल भएर पोखिएको छ |

आर्थिक नाकाबन्दीहरू हाम्रा लागि नौला होइनन् रे – विज्ञ र मिडिया त्यसै भन्छन् | भारतले सन् ६० को दशकको अन्त्यतिर नाकाबन्दी गर्दा मेरा हजुरबुबा-हजुरआमा आफ्नो जीवनको बीसौं बर्समा हुनुहुन्थ्यो | सन् ८० को अन्त्यतिर भारतले नै गरेको नाकाबन्दीको दौरान मेरा बुबाआमा लगभग बीस बर्षको हुनहुन्थ्यो | तेस्रो पटक नाकाबन्दी भैरहँदा म बीस वर्षको छु | कस्तो अच्चमको संयोग रहेछ ! तर म यसलाई संयोग भन्न चाहन्न | यो हाम्रो राजनीति र अर्थनीतिको असफलता हो |

यो असफलताको लागि अघिल्लो पुस्ता पनि केही हदसम्म जिम्मेवार छ | मेरा हजुरबुबाको पुस्ताको दोष देखाएँ भने अन्याय हुनेछ | उहाँहरूसँग शिक्षा र संचारको पहुँच थिएन | त्यतिबेला सायद नाकाबन्दीले धेरै ठूलो प्रभाव पनि पारेको थिएन | मेरा बुबाआमाले भने शिक्षा पाउनु भएको थियो | संचार मध्यमहरु त्यस समय सिमित थिए तर २०४५ सालको त्यो नाकाबन्दी बारे अवस्य सुन्नु भएको थियो र त्यसको प्रभाव केहि हदसम्म महसुस गर्नुभएको थियो – त्यसबेला सरकारले कुपन मार्फत मट्टीतेल वितरण गरेको थियो रे |

अघिल्लो साता उहाँहरूले ०४५ सालको नाकाबन्दीको कुरा गर्दै गर्दा सोधें, “हजुरहरुले त्यसबेला र अहिले को परिस्थिति बदल्न किन कोसिस गर्न सक्नु भएन ?” उहाँहरूले जवाफ दिनु भएन | सायद उहाँहरुसँग कुनै उत्तर नै थिएन | मेरो प्रश्नले सायद उहाँहरुलाई लज्जित बनायो | यदि मेरा सन्तानले भविष्यमा त्यस्तै प्रश्न गरे भने म त लाजले भुतुक्कै हुन्छु | मलाई मेरा सन्तानले त्यही प्रश्न नगरुन भन्ने म चाहन्छु | के गर्न सक्छु त म ?

केही समय सोचेपछि केहि जवाफ आए | हाम्रो अर्थतन्त्र खस्किनाका कारण र तिनको समाधानका लागि केही उपाय मनमा आए | तर एक्लो प्रयासले त केही हुँदैन |

अहिले हाम्रो अर्थतन्त्र रेमिट्यान्सले थेगेको छ | युवाहरु परदेश जान्छन्, उता बाट श्रम बेचेर पैसा पठाउँछन् अनि हामी यहाँ पनि सरि त्यो पैसा बगाउँछौँ | तर पैसाले मात्रै अर्थतन्त्र बलियो नहुँदो रहेछ | अरु पनि महत्वपूर्ण तत्वहरू रहेछन् |

पहिलो हो, नीति | हामी सँग आर्थिक उन्नतिका लागि गतिला नीतिको अभाव छ | विगतमा बनेका नीतिहरू पनि राम्ररी कार्यन्वयन भएका छैनन् | राजनीतिक अस्थिरता र भ्रस्टाचारको प्रतक्ष्य प्रभाव हो यो | विकास नीति बनाउनेहरू सरकार परिवर्तनले प्रभावित भएका छन् | अझ पछी आउने सरकारले अघिल्लो सरकारका नीति र कार्यक्रमलाई पूरै बेवास्ता गर्नु नै हाम्रो अधोगतिको सुरुवात थियो | सरकारमा रहेकाहरूले आफ्नो सोच र कर्मलाई परिवर्तन गर्नु पर्ने आवस्यकता देख्दछु म |

Fuel Crisis hits Nepal due to Economic blockade. Source: econitynepal.com

दोश्रो हो, उद्योग | पृथ्वीनारायणले १८३१ मै आफ्नो देशभित्र उद्योगलाई प्रोत्साहन गर्नु भनेका थिए र खाद्यान्न एवम् लत्ताकपडा कहिले पनि निर्यात नगर्नु भनेका थिए | उनि पछिका शासक र नेताहरुले त्यति बुझ्न सकेको भए हामी खाद्यान्न एवम् लत्ताकपडामा आत्मनिर्भर हुनेथियौं | तर राजनीतिक अस्थिरताले हामी असफल भयौं | सरकारी व्यवस्थापनमा रहेका लगभग सबै उद्योगहरु धरासायी भएका छन् ! व्यवस्थापनको यो कमजोरीले हामीलाई भारी पीडा दिएको छ |

तेस्रो हो स्वामित्व | उद्योग व्यवस्थापनमा सरकारी कमजोरीको उदाहरण माथि प्रस्तुत भैसकेको छ | अब लामो समय उद्योग चलाउने हो भने सर्वसाधारणले पनि ती प्रति आत्मीयता देखाउनु पर्ने जरुरी देखिन्छ | उद्योगहरुलाई सार्बजनिक संस्थान बनाउनु पर्छा | यसले सर्वसाधारण र उद्योग बीच आर्थिक एवम् भावनात्मक सम्बन्ध बनाउने छ |

चौथो हो, मानब संसाधन र यसको सही उपयोग | हामी सँग शिप नभएको होइन, न त हामी अल्छी हौँ | यहाँ केही नगर्ने या गर्न नचाहने नेपालीले पनि खाडीमा श्रम बेचेर, ज्यानलाई हत्केलामा राखेर मिहिनेतका साथ कमाएका छन् | सरकारले नै प्रत्यक्ष अप्रत्यक्षरूपमा वैदेशिक रोजगारीलाई प्रोत्साहन गरे जस्तो लाग्छ कहिले त | विदेशमा सिकेका शिपको सहि उपयोग हुन सके त त्यो पनि राम्रो हुन्थ्यो | तर विडम्बना, विदेशबाट फर्किएकाहरु यहाँ काम गर्न चाहँदैनन्, चाहे सरकारी बेवास्ता को कारणले होस् या आफ्नै अनिक्षा का कारणले होस् | उनीहरू फेरी विदेश नै पुग्छन् | यहाँ त दक्ष जनशक्तिलाई पनि ध्यान दिइएको छैन | दक्ष जनशक्तिको पलायन हाम्रो ठूलो समस्या भैसकेको छ | यी समस्याको समाधान हाम्रो हातमा छ | हामीले सक्षम नेतृत्व छान्न सक्नु पर्छ | धेरै खराब नेताहरूको बीचबाट असल नेतृत्व खोज्न एकदम गाह्रो छ | तर त्यो चुनौती स्वीकार्न पर्छ, यदि हाम्रो भविष्य सुनिश्चित गर्ने हो भने |

पाचौं हो, प्राकृतिक स्रोतको उपयोग | हामीसँग साहसी पदमार्गहरु छन् | हामीसँग भएको पानीले उर्जा उत्पादन गर्न र सिचाई गर्न पुग्छ | हाम्रो देशमा भएका जैविक विविधताको उपयोग हामी गर्न सक्छौं | आयुर्वेदले उत्तम मानेका वनस्पतिको उपयोग गरेर हामी सम्वृद्धिको पथमा अघि बढ्न सक्छौं | खनिज पदार्थको उपयोग गर्न सकिन्छ | यी सब सक्षम नेतृत्व र व्यवस्थापनबाट सम्भव छ |

यी सबै एकसाथ अघि बढाउन सकियो भने हाम्रो अर्थतन्त्र बलियो नहुने कुरै छैन | हामीलाई आर्थिक वृद्धिको सपना धेरै पटक बाँडिएको छ | अब हामीलाई त्यस तर्फ बढ्न प्रेरित गर्ने नेतृत्व चाहिएको छ | प्रथमतः हामी आफैले आफ्ना कामहरू इमान्दार भएर पूरा गर्नु पर्छा | इन्टरनेटमा लेख लेखेर मात्र त केही नहोला तर यसले मलाई र म वरिपरिका व्यक्तिलाई प्रेरित गर्न सक्यो भने मात्र पनि केहि परिवर्तन अवश्य हुनेछ | हामीले आपसमा इमान्दारिता देखाउने बेला पनि आइसकेको छ | हामी आफ्नो सन्ततिका लागि असल भविष्य चाहन्छौं, होइन र ?

(हाम्रो अर्थतन्त्र सुधार्ने अरु उपाय पनि होलान / कृपया कम्मेन्ट गर्नु होला /)

Blockade: True Picture of Our Economy

By Sandeept

On October 16, 2015

In Blogging, Economy, Nepal, Politics

“How long will remittance sustain our economy?” Someone had said somewhere I don’t clearly remember.

The bitter reality of our economy has come forward during this blockade we are currently facing. There might be several political (or non-political) and diplomatic reasons behind the blockade. Whatever the reasons, the weakness of our economy has been exposed.

Economic blockades are not new to us- the experts and the media says so. When economic blockade was imposed by India during the late 60s (1967?), my grand-parents were in their late twenties. During the second blockade by India in late 80s (1989?), my parents were in their twenties. The third time we face the blockade and I am in my twenties. Is this a coincidence? I think not. I think it’s a mistake.

It’s a mistake made by our previous generation. I don’t want to blame my grand-parents. They were far less educated and the impact of blockade might not have been severe. My parents are more educated to them and had access to media – the Gorkhapatra, and Radio Nepal. (Nepal Television had come up not so long ago and many people could not afford a TV set.) They had read and heard about it. They had even felt the influence — coupons and schedules had been introduced to meet demands of kerosene oil.

When they talked of the 80s blockade last week, I asked them, “Why couldn’t you do anything to change the situation?” They did not say anything and I did not pester. It might have been embarrassing to them. It’s obvious I will be embarrassed if my children will ask such a thing in future. I don’t want to be asked the same question. What do I need to do then?

The current economy of Nepal is heavily supported by remittance. Young people go to several countries – mostly India, Gulf countries, Malaysia and South Korea for labour works. Many(including my friends) are in Australia, Europe, the US and Japan for studies and part time jobs (contributing to the remittance). Remittance has ensured that we have money; but this blockade is a proof that money is not enough to sustain economy. There are other important factors.

The first is policy. We lack strong policies that promote economic growth. The policies that have been made during the last 25 years have not been executed well. This is most probably due to political instability and corruption. The policy makers have been influenced by the frequent change in government. Discontinuities of policies made by the previous executives have been seen so often. There is an immediate need of changing the way think and act.

Fuel Crisis hits Nepal due to Economic blockade. Source: econitynepal.com

The second is the industries. Prithvi Narayan Shah had told in 1831 B.S. (almost 240 years ago!) to promote industries within the country and never to import clothes and food. If leaders after him had followed that, we would at least have been independent on manufacturing clothes and food products. We have failed on that mainly due to political influence over industries. ALL THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED INDUSTRIES HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN! This lapse of management has cost us a lot.

The third is ownership. The failure of government in management of industries has been shown above. The only way to run an industry for long is to make people believe that they own them. Industries should be converted into Public Companies. This will help create emotional as well as financial attachment towards the industries.

The fourth is human resource and its proper utilization. We do not lack in skills, neither are we lazy. The same Nepali who don’t not do anything here, works diligently and even under risk in the Gulf for low wages. The government directly and indirectly inspires people to sell labour abroad. It would be good if the skills they learn could be utilized here. But sadly, whether due to the lack of their interest or due to the inefficiency of the government, they do not work here. They somehow manage to go abroad, leaving us lacking in human resource. Similarly, skilled human resources and even experts have been neglected, the result of which is BRAIN-DRAIN. The solution of this goes down to the us. We need to choose the right leaders. Among many bad leaders, to select good ones might be extremely difficult. But that is the challenge we would certainly like to undertake.

The fifth is utilization of natural resources. We are rich in it. We have trekking routes full of adventures. We have water sufficient for production of electricity and for irrigating our fields. We have different types of climate which enrich our bio-diversity. There are herbs like Yarsha Gumba (Cordyceps) which can help improve our economy in no time given their proper management. There are gemstones which can be utilized to alleviate poverty. This is possible through capable management and visionary leadership.

When these are combined, there is no way we can not sustain our economy. We have been given promises of economic growth in the past. What we want is action. We have to be sincerely do our works first. Writing an article in the Internet might not work, but it is a small step to inspire myself and to inspire people around me. It is high time, we become honest with each other. WE DO WANT A BETTER SITUATION FOR OUR CHILDREN, DON’T WE?

(P.S. Will be published in Nepali soon. There might also be other ways to improve our economy which I might have missed. Please let me know by commenting below.)