Today's Kathmandu............

Kathmandu is the city of rupees, contracts and city of dreams – for peep show professionals to international extortionist and from buff to beef eaters; that are adequate but partial descriptions. It is all this and much, much more. While we admire Kathmandu’s exuberance, its vitality, its generosity, its resilience, its sincerity, we cannot ignore its contradictions and paradoxes—and, yes, its meanness. It is a city at once blessed and cursed, lucky and unlucky, unique and commonplace. It is blessed because the Lord Pashupatinath favors it extravagantly while goddess Laxmi never but of course in exception to the politicians.

Consider the city’s violent youths and gangsters. We will find every variety in Kathmandu’s neo-social structure. From global contractors for nation’s development to petty contractors for street demonstrations, micro credit customers to billionaires with billions loan under default pursuing to be in the list of Forbes, from South America’s Che’s supporters to neighbor Mao and most importantly, the regular followers of BP photo frame to group of people who visits royal palace driveling the mass republicans to facilitate in king’s birthday. We are brave. We are unique. We were the people of non-colonial nation having independent mindsets. Our history proves this. Our great people are rewriting the essays of Nepal. As a capital, it is a stinging rebuke to narrow ideologies. Still, we must appreciate the spirit of great Nepalese for their outstanding performance.

Nepalese are lucky too. Nepal experienced several economies some of them sometimes not matched to Noble laureate’s fundamentals – closed economy, open economy, conflict economy, transition economy, parallel economy, and may be more. But, Nepal is still lucky that its economy is begging based economy that is to go for generations. Our progress ladder is outstanding. We have so many best practices that can be replicated – citing example beggars become rulers. Thanks to our judicial system who just today certified the beggars to the billionaires. Good governance is the buzzword to our beggars turned rulers.

We are blessed too - reputed people pay tax to two governments in one nation. We must be sincere in thanking them for their wonderful capability. We merely have to note their contribution to the country’s personal and corporate tax. Great people talk for big things – establishing republic to IT professionals export or to introduce Silican in the country!!! Of course, we are exporting all professionals in the form of brain drain rather than export for nation’s capital. We pass motion in the parliament for constitutional assembly, an easy exit for republic. But our great politicians advocates for ceremonial king on latter days. We followed mixed economy in the past, but we are following two polarized political principles at present. Our economists are still engaged in purging national treasury at the cost of taxpayers. The time has come that Kathmanduities must realize whether the city’s social and economic fabric has blessed or cursed. There is no doubt that we are cursed politically as the city burns every week. Billions of dollars are assured and pouring, annual budget is stretching its digits, the capital is to fill up with sky scrappers within a decade or so, development indicators in reports are satisfactory, however, the Gurkhas are turning into bloodless and skinny as can be witnessed in screens and in Kathmandu’s streets. Still, we do not know yet whether we are sustaining or nourishing. We wonder whether this is the same Kantipuri nagari as quoted centuries back!!

By:Freedom Lover,
www.blogs.cjnepal.org
Photo Source: tibettrip.com