News, Views From Nepal

Yuba Nath Lamsal Is and can there be a single model of democracy in the world? This nagging question has come to the mind of every conscious citizen in the present day Nepal more than ever before. This is so especially after different political parties made their views public regarding the model of political system in New Nepal, which is in the offing. Nepal is in the process of constitution writing. The new constitution would not only end a major political issue that had been pending for more than a half century. The extensive debate on the forms and contents of the constitution and other issues like structure of the government is necessary. Against this background, the debate is natural. But the way the issue has been over blown by the parties does not seem very much sensible. All existing major political forces in Nepal have one thing in common that they would accept the western type of multi-party democracy as the political system. Under this western pluralist democracy, there are ...

Yuba Nath Lamsal It is said that saints in all faiths are not afraid of death. They just take death as a journey to salvation-free from all worldly and material sufferings. According to them, life is just a test case of human being and one who does good to humanity attains divinity after death. One continues to undergo sufferings until salvation and the salvation depends on the performance of human beings on their lifetime. But death is just a transition to another form of life for those who take life with complacency. Saints and sages are of the view that one gets into suffering right from the birth. When a baby is born, he/she cries. Perhaps the newborn baby has still the divine hunch that he/she is getting into the heap of troubles and sufferings. But the rest of others around the new born baby laugh and get delighted. Once they enter into the material world, they lose sense of divinity and get entrapped into the worldly sufferings. One can see a stark contrast at the time of death....

Yuba Nath Lamsal In the wake of MacDonaldisation in the world of food, Slow Food Movement emerged out of the concept of preserving, defending and promoting indigenous and traditional food production and food culture. This is an international campaign started in Bra of Italy at the initiative of Carlo Patrini, an Italian professor and food columnist in an Italian magazine. Now the movement has spread to 43 countries in the world with its national chapters called Connivium opening in almost every part of the globe. Patrini is, now, president of International Slow Food Movement, whose headquarter is in Italy. Philosophy: Food is life. The philosophy of Slow Food is to attach greater importance to food habit, promotion of indigenous food production, preparation and conservation of biodiversity. Sustainable food production and conservation of biodiversity are almost synonymous, which our forefathers had always cherished and promoted throughout history. Now food is becoming scarce in the wor...

Yuba Nath Lamsal Escaped from the loathsome crowd, smog-filled madhouse and terrible traffic of Kathmandu, a trek to village is, indeed, enchanting that refreshes and reinvigorates your mind, appetite and energy. If it were a place close to your heart, the trip becomes more captivating. To this scribe, it was a moment to be back to nature's purity accompanied by a sense of ownership and affection with the place where I was born and brought up.Kurgha, a tiny hamlet on the ridge of Mahabharat range in western Nepal, South of Kusma Bazaar, headquarters of Parbat district, about 250 kilometers west of Kathmandu, offers a perfect blend of ethnic and cultural mosaic, exclusive social harmony and a true nature's diversity. The image of this tiny parish has always been imprinted in my heart. The place is so close to me that its image almost always comes to my mind.The lush green mountains, terraces on the slopes, plowed fields bursting with crops, cows and buffaloes grazing at their ow...

Yuba Nath Lamsal At midnight on April 15, 2008, Nepal stunned the entire world whereas stirring a huge jubilation within the country. It was the historic decision made by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly that finally and formally bade adieu to the 240-year old feudal institution of monarchy. Stunning as it was because none had ever thought that Nepal's monarchy would see such a fateful day because the monarchy in Nepal had been portrayed by propaganda mongering media and hypo critic royalist publications as the institution deeply rooted to Nepal's culture, religion and national unity. But all these claims and clamors proved to be farce and futile because the abolition of monarchy happened so easily and smoothly that people, soon after the decision, came out in the streets and started celebrating with fireworks. This credit goes mainly to the people of Nepal for their courage and valour and also to the Maoist party that fought a decade long-insurgency pursuing the a...