HURT ME WITH YOUR WORDS

I think the world has become too polite nowadays. Everybody seems to be too polite with everyone because of the epidemic of people getting offended. No one speaks their mind out when asked about their opinion on something fearing that they may offend or hurt someone. “Does this dress suit me?”. “Yes honey. You look amazing.” How many times are these opinions actually true?

You just recorded your song and sent it to your friend to see. Your friend may reply to you saying either , “What an amazing song!!!! So proud of you” or may reply “You need to work harder, not impressed”. The former reply may seem comforting and make you feel good about yourself but the latter reply will make you a good singer. Fake praises will only make you overestimate your talent and skills. Your friend may falsely praise you but if you upload the same song to youtube, you will not be spared from the insults and hate comments. People are often afraid of criticism and insults but it’s much better to be criticized by your friends, family and relatives instead of being criticized by the whole world.

It’s a human nature to hate the person that wakes you from your sleep and brings to you reality. People love watching their fairy tale dreams instead of facing the truth because most of the time truth is bitter, like really bitter, bitter than the soap that accidentally seeps into your mouth while bathing. Truth hurts, like really hurts, hurts more than accidentally bumping your knee into your desk. No,  truth is not pleasurable. But truth is that nasty medicine that has the potential to cure your illness.

Many people don’t like to be told the truth and they even unfriend you once you start telling the truth but there are also people like me that love when people speak their minds out in front of them. You don’t have to be polite in front of me for the fear of being offensive. I think friends who falsely praise are worse than enemies. For me true friends are those friends who are not afraid to hurt me with their words.

The Coffee Shop

“Do you want to have a coffee with me?” a sweet but unknown voice was felt by my ears. When I turned my head towards the source of sound, I could see a beautiful young lady with a smile in her face. I was in the bus stop waiting for a bus to return home after a tiring day at college.

“Yah! sure, why not?” was my response. This was the first time any girl had asked me for a coffee and my instantaneous reply to the offer must have made this fact quite obvious to the girl as well.

“Let’s go inside.” We headed towards the coffee shop which was just by the road. We took our seats. Before I could even ask her name, she started talking. “My boyfriend was supposed to arrive half an hour ago and we had planned to have coffee together.”

“But he hasn’t arrived yet. He is not even receiving my calls. I want to make him angry by having a drink with you.”

When a girl invites you to have coffee together for the first time in your life, the last thing you want to hear is that she has a boyfriend. Also she was so attractive that I had already fallen in love with her in these few minutes. All my dreams of having a beautiful relationship with her, in an instant, came to a dead end.

At that moment, my dignity was forcing me to say ‘I am Sorry’ and leave the place. But her allure was so irresistible that the manhood in me finally won the war against my self esteem and I decided to stay for the coffee. I didn't care about the purpose of staying; I just wanted to see her lustrous eyes for as long as I could.

I had never experienced having a date with a girl in which the conversation started with, “I have a boyfriend”. So I didn’t know what kind of questions was I supposed to ask. Should I be saying things like, “So, tell me more about your relationship”, “How did you guys meet?”, “I am sure you must have proposed him, right.”?

My mind wanted to ask questions like, “Are you having some soreness in your relation?”, “Are you thinking of taking a break?” but I didn’t want to behave in such a way to the only girl who had asked me for a coffee.

I didn't know what to say. The situation was getting really awkward and I was moving my head around and staring at the walls of the coffee shop.

Then she broke the ice and asked, “So, what do you do?”

- "I’m currently studying my bachelor's."

- “Which subject?”

- "MBBS"

- “Oh! Heard that you must cram up a lot.”

- “Yes. Sadly, that's the truth. A human body is really complex and we have to memorise everything about it. But, it's fun too.”

“So, what are you studying?” a question I had to ask after her question, a social convention.

“I’m studying bachelor's too” … “Civil engineering” she replied

“So, you must be really intelligent.” I praised a bit.

“Let’s not talk about studying. Let’s talk other things.” she proposed.

Had she barely said it, two cups of coffee arrived.

We both took few sips. Then as she suggested, we started talking about our interests, which for the majority, included hers. The conversation included many things like her dog, her previous dog that died of some disease, how sad she became for that. She also talked about the pollution in the city, a small pimple on her face for which she blamed the pollution and how ugly she had become after the pimple. We also talked about how difficult it is to study engineering and how her parents insisted her to join it even though she really hated maths. I don't remember how, but she even managed to divert the conversation to her ear rings, which were really pretty according to her. All in all, she was a typical of a beautiful girl; overly sensitive about her beauty with repulsion towards mathematics.

Although I was showing like I was happy from outside, deep within I was really gloomy. She was so charming but at the same time my mind could not come out of the fact that she was just using me as a tool to take revenge on her stupid boyfriend.  You could easily infer that her boyfriend was brainless. I often reach my college after the first class is already over but if I had a girlfriend with such a lascivious smile, even I would never be late on a date with her. Being late for a class could be understood but being tardy for a date with such a stunning girl is simply imbecilic.

But in contrast to my feelings she seemed perfectly joyful. She kept on laughing at my humourless jokes throughout the conversation. She didn’t seem to be even slightly bothered by the fact that her boyfriend was late.

Our conversation continued for what seemed to be like few minutes. But when I looked at my watch it had already been an hour. Then I pondered ,“Was I really enjoying our talks?”, because if I hadn’t been, time wouldn’t feel like flying.

It started getting darker outside. “I’m getting late, I have to go now”, she said all of a sudden. “Oh! And I’ll pay the bills.” She hurriedly stood up, went to the counter, paid the money, looked back, smiled for a millisecond and went away. “And your boyfriend?" I shouted, remembering that he was supposed to arrive. Either she didn’t hear my sound or she chose to ignore my words, she didn’t turn back.

Returning home that day, I started to analyse this strange experience I had. An unknown girl asking me for a coffee was weird enough but the fact that she had a boyfriend made it even weirder. Then a train of thought started running in my head.

“Why didn’t her boyfriend arrive even after an hour and half?”

“He would have at least messaged or called her to inform about the delay.”

“Her phone didn’t vibrate or ring even once. And it was lying on the table all the time”

“Did she even have a boyfriend?”

Then I realised that, my only words of praise for her in the entire conversation turned out to be false. She was not intelligent. An intelligent person never uses "I want to make my boyfriend angry" as a pick up line.

म हुँ फेमिनिस्ट

कुनै कुराको बारेमा लेख्न सुरु गर्नु अघि त्यसको डेफिनीशन दिनु जरुरी हुन्छ । अरु ठाउँमा नभएपनि हाम्रो एम् बी बी एस् मा चाहिँ पर्छ । फेमिस्निस्ट क्यान बी डिफाइन्ड य्याज एउटा व्यक्ति जो जुन कुरामा पनि नारी र पुरुषबीच समानता चाहन्छ, तर चाहिने कुरा भन्दा नचाहिने कुरामा धेरै । फेमिस्निस्टको डेफिनीशन जस्तोसुकै भएपनि मा आफूले आफुलाई एउटा गर्बवान्विंत फेमिनिस्ट भन्न रुचाउॅछु ।

जब म महिलालाई ठूलो पद दिइॅदैन भनेर कुरा उठाउॅछु तब मलाई भनिन्छ कि नेपालको वर्तमान राष्ट्रपति नै महिला हुनुहुन्छ । तर मलाई यो कुराले खुशी बनाउदैन किनभने म महिलालाई राष्ट्रपतिको रुपमा होइन, राष्ट्रपत्नी को रुपमा देख्न चाहन्छु । राष्ट्र को पछाडी लागेको 'पति' भन्ने शब्दले सरासर पुरुषलाई जनाउन्छ ।  देशको सर्वोच्च पद नै पुरुषलाई जनाउने शब्द भएको मेरो यो फेमिनिस्ट मनले सहन सक्दैन । यो पदलाई परिवर्तन गरि 'राष्ट्रपत्नी' बनाउनु पर्छ भन्ने हामी समस्त फेमिनिस्टहरुको माग रहेको छ ।

फेमिनिस्ट भएपछि जे कुरामा पनि समानता चाहनु स्वाभाविक हो ।अस्ति एउटा नेपाली उखान सुन्दा मेरो पारो तातेर आयो । 'चोक्टा खान गएकी बुढी झोलमा डुबेर मरी', यो उखान हाम्रो पुरुषबादी समाज र सोचको उपज हो । उखानमा उल्लेखित शब्द 'बुढी' ले यो जनाउॅछ कि महिलाहरु मात्र लोभी हुने गर्छन् । के पुरुषमा चाहिँ लोभ र लालच हुँदैन? उल्लेखित उखानमा के 'बुढा' शब्द प्रयोग गर्न मिल्दैनथ्यो ? यो सरासर महिलामाथिको दमन र अत्याचार हो ।

हुनत: 'महिला' भन्ने शब्द पनि निकै नै आपत्तिजनक छ । उच्चारण गर्दा यो शब्द 'मैला' जस्तै सुनिन्छ । अर्थात् नारीलाई फोहोरमैलाको संज्ञा दिन खोजेको प्रस्ट रुपमा देखिन्छ । आफूलाई जन्म दिने नारीलाई फोहोरमैलासंग तुलना गर्ने हाम्रो समाजको बिकास कसरी हुन सक्छ ? महिलालाई जनाउने अर्को शब्द हो 'स्त्री' । यो शब्द हाम्रो खुम्चिएको लुगा सिधा पार्ने औजारको नामसंग मेल खान गएको संयोग मात्र हो जस्तो मलाई लाग्दैन । यो नामकरण गर्ने तिनै पुरुषहरु हुन् जो सधै महिलालाई एउटा औजारको रुपमा मात्रै प्रयोग गर्ने हो भन्ने भवाना राख्छन् ।

म जब आफूलाई फेमिनिस्ट भनेर परिचय दिन्छु, तब मलाई हाँसोको पात्र बनाइन्छ । म आज समाजलाई यो प्रश्न गर्न चाहन्छु कि कुनै मान्छे अलि मुर्ख छ भन्दैमा , अलि उट्पट्याङ कुरा गर्छ र सानो कुरालाई ठुलो बनाउॅछ भन्दैमा हेप्न त पाइॅदैन नि । हामी फेमिनिस्टहरु निरन्तर महिला को हकहितका लागि लागी नपरेको भए आज महिलाहरु यो स्थानमा आउन सक्ने थिएनन् । हामी फेमिनिस्टहरुको योगदान यो देश र समाजले भुल्न हुदैन भन्ने हाम्रो आवाज रहेको छ ।

Since the Day I saw Her

Wow ! Such an amazing day I had. You won't believe what happened today. She spoke to me. Yes, finally she was kind enough to spend few seconds of her precious life to talk to me. You may find it strange how the most adorable girl of the class even talked to a loser like me, but as they say, miracles do happen. I can barely describe the ecstasy of listening her talking to me. Those words are still buzzing in my ears, loud and clear. "Do you have a ruler?" she said. And also the 'thank you' she uttered in her charming voice after it. I can't believe such wonderful things are really happening in my irksome life. Indeed my life is starting to rock and roll.

Maybe your curiosity wants to know who she is. Her name can't be announced here. What I can tell you is that she is the most beautiful girl of our college. Her beauty, it knows no bounds. Her lascivious smile coupled with her tantalizing eyes is enough to crumble anyone's heart into pieces. Since the Day I saw Her, my innocent mind is all after her. She has broken into my heart and invaded it like a tumor, a rather malignant one, growing vigorously, occupying each and every space available. My whole day is spent imagining me and her together, in our land of dreams with our romantic talks going on for hours.  Although in imagination, it feels like I'm in seventh heaven when we talk. I am not the person who often remembers his dreams. But when I do, it would be all about her. From my mind to my heart, from my dreams to my imagination, from my mobile to my desktop background, there isn't a single place in my life she hasn't occupied. The thing is that, no one knows about it but me. Changing my mobile background every time I am alone and reverting back to the default when friends come around has been a routine task for me.

When alone, I would gaze at her photos. I would talk more to her portrait than to anyone the entire day. All of a sudden I would be so romantic. Flirty lines would start to rumble from my mouth out of nowhere. The problem is that such cheesy lines would only come when I was alone. When she would be in front of me, I would be totally dumb. She was my kryptonite. Sometimes I would gather all my guts and convince myself to speak to her and all I could do  when she was  in front of me, was to pretend that I didn't see her. After she would go away, I would scold myself and promise to speak to her another day anyhow. But the next day would not be very different. As they say, history would repeat itself.

But I am thinking, maybe things are getting better now. In a class of forty students why would she ask me the ruler and not the other guys, if she didn't have any feelings for me?  Maybe it was because I was sitting exactly in front of her. But, maybe I am also the prince charming of her dreams. Maybe even she was too nervous to approach me. Nevertheless, I had a sweet little one sided conversation with the girl of my dreams. And now I am thinking if, asking for ruler, a signal of 'yes' from her side. I reckon today is just the beginning of our great love story. Maybe in the days to come, our relation will not only be confined to my imagination. Who knows what's in the future!  Maybe tomorrow, she will even accept my facebook friend request that has been pending Since the Day I saw Her.

Thank you Neta Jyu

This was written in 2011 AD before the constitution was made, so some parts of it are out of context now but still hope that you will enjoy reading it.

  धन्यवाद नेताज्यू 

नेपाल अविकसित हुनुमा धेरै कारण छन् तर सबैजना भने केवल नेताहरुलाई मात्र दोषी साबित गर्दछन् । जनताका गाली खाएर नेताहरु वाक्क र दिक्क भइसके र उनीहरुको पक्षमा बोल्ने जनता कमै होलान् । त्यसैले नेताहरुलाई कति गाली मात्र गर्ने । आखिर देशको नेतृत्व गर्ने व्यतिmहरु त उनीहरु नै हुन् र जनताका लागि पनि काम गरेकै छन् नि भन्ने सोचेर नेताहरुलाई धन्यवाद पो दिन मन लाग्यो । 

प्रथमतः देशको विकासमा ध्यान नदिई, नेपाललाई ‘अविकसित’ , ‘अल्पविकसित’ र ‘अति कम विकसित’ जस्ता उपनामबाट विश्वभरि नै  चिनाएकोमा हाम्रा देशप्रेमी नेतालाई हृदयदेखि नै धन्यवाद छ । हाम्रो देश अविकसित भएकै कारण देशले अरबौ रुपैँया विदेशी सहयोग प्राप्त गरेको छ । यदि हाम्रो देश विकसित भएको भए अनुदान र सहयोग पाउने कुरा त परै छाडौँ , बरु उल्टै नेपालले नै अरु अविकसित देशहरुलाई आर्थिक सहयोग गर्नुपर्ने हुन्थ्यो । यसरी अविकसित भएकै कारण नेपाललाई जताततैबाट फाइदै फाइदा भएको छ । यो सबै हुनुमा नेताहरुको राष्ट्रप्रतिको सहयोग अतुलनीय छ । नेताहरुले कुर्सीका लागि नलडी देशविकासमा ध्यान दिएको भए आज हामी विदेशी सहयोगबाट बञ्चित हुने थियौँ । त्यसैले सम्पूर्ण जनताका तर्फबाट म, हाम्रो देशका नेताहरुलाई मुरी–मुरी धन्यवाद दिन चाहन्छु । 

जुन देशले आफ्नो जमिन लुटेको छ, त्यही देशको खुट्टा ढोग्ने हाम्रा राष्ट्रभक्त नेताहरुले गर्दा नै आज वीर गोर्खालीको शिर ठाडो बन्न पुगेको कुरामा दुईमत होवोइन । यसका लागि पनि नेताहरुलाई धन्यवाद । आफ्नो वीर स्वभाव र बहादुरीताले विश्वलाई तर्साएका नेपालीहरु आज अरु देशको शरणमा पुगेका छन् र आफ्नो जमिन अरु देशलाई उपहारस्वरुप दिन पाएकोमा निकै खुसी छन् । जुन देशले आफ्नो जमिनमाथि कब्जा गरी हजारौँ नेपालीको गास, बास र कपास लुटेको छ, हो ‘त्यही देश’को पूजा गरी हाम्रा नेताहरुले “ढुङ्गा हान्नेलाई फूलले स्वागत गर्नुपर्छ” भन्ने सन्देश दिएका छन् । नेताहरुको यो ‘उदार’ स्वभाव प्रशंसनीय छ । हुन पनि त हो नि, नेपालको उर्वर भूमि अरु देशले लगेपछि देशको क्षेत्रफल घट्दछ अनि विकास गर्न पनि सजिलो हुन्छ भने अर्कोतर्फ छिमेकी–छिमेकीमा आदानप्रदान त भइहाल्छ नि । यो त सामान्य कुरा हो । यत्रो ‘ठूलो’ देश नेपालले जाबो त्यति सानो भूभाग आफ्नो छिमेकीलाई सहयोग स्वरुप प्रदान गर्नु राम्रो नै हो नि । यसबाट नेपाली नेतामा रहेको परोपकारी भावना पनि छर्लङ्ग देख्न सकिन्छ र उनीहरुमा “मै खाऊँ मै लाऊँ सुखसयल वा मोज मै गरुँ” भन्ने भावना छैन भन्ने पुष्टि हुन्छ । नेताहरुले यस्तो परोपकारी कार्य गरेकोमा फेरी पनि म, नेपाली नागरिकको तर्फबाट धन्यवाद दिन चाहन्छु । 

गरीब जनताले देशमा रोजगारीको अभाव भयो भन्नेबित्तिकै नेताहरुले यसको समाधानको जुक्ति पनि निकाली हाले । देशका ६०१ जनालाई एकमुष्ट रुपमा २ वर्षको जागिर पक्का र चाहेजति जागिरको समयावधि बढाउन मिल्ने कहीँ नभएको नियम निकाली देशमा व्याप्त खानलाउनको अभावको निराकरण गरेकोमा नेतालाई फेरी धन्यवाद छ है । छ सय एक जनालाई महिनाको लाखौँ–लाख रुपैँया आउने जागिर लगाउनु पनि ठूलै कार्य हो नि, यसलाई कम आँक्न पक्कै मिल्दैन । साढे दुई करोडमध्ये कम्तीमा पनि ६०१ परिवारले त राम्ररी खान र बस्न पाएकै छन्, बाकीँ जनताले त भारी बोकेर र विदेशमा चर्पी सफा गरेरै भएपनि आफ्नो ज्यान पालीहाल्छन् नि । फेरी यहीँ २,३,४,५,...... कति वर्ष हो, त्यति अवधिमा हाम्रा भ्रष्टचार–विरोधी सभासदहरुले जिन्दगीभरि पुग्ने गरी पैसा कमाइहाल्छन् । कमाउने अरु केही उपाय नपाएपनि रातो पासपोर्ट बिक्रीका लागि सधैँ तयार छदैँ छ । यसरी एउटा संविधान बनाउँदा ६०१ जनाको जिन्दगी सप्रन्छ भने यही हिसाबले हाम्रो देशमा अठ्तीस हजार पाँच सय बाइसवटा संविधान बनाइयो भने त सबै नेपालीहरु धनी भइहाल्छन् नि । अनि बेरोजगारी र गरिबीको समस्या पनि देशबाट हट्नेछ र नेपालको योजनाले प्राप्त गर्न खोजेको उद्धेश्य पनि प्राप्त हुनेछ ।  हाम्रो देशमा एक–एक महिनामा सरकार फेरिन्छ भने एक–एक महिनामा संविधान फेर्नु नेताहरुको लागि कुन चाहिँ ठूलो कुरा हो र । एक–एक महिनामा संविधान फेरी प्रत्येक चोटि संविधान बनाउँदा नयाँ–नयाँ व्यक्तिहरुलाई लगियो भने तीन हजार दुई सय दस वर्षपछि प्रत्येक व्यक्तिले संविधान लेख्ने मौका पाइसक्नेछन् । यसो भयो भने संविधान निर्माणमा जनसहभागिता हुनेछ अनि समावेशीे लोकतन्त्र पनि संस्थागत हुन सक्नेछ । हाम्रा नेताहरुको दीर्घकालीन जुक्तिको लागि पनि धन्यवाद । 

जलस्रोतमा विश्वमा दोस्रो धनी देश र ८३,००० मेगावाट विद्युत उत्पादन गर्ने क्षमता हुँदाहुँदै पनि यसका निम्ति चासो नदेखाई नेपाललाई अन्धकारमा राख्ने हाम्रा आदरणीय नेताहरुलाई फेरी पनि धन्यवाद छ । हाम्रो देश गरिब छ र आम जनताको कमाइ पनि धेरै छैन भन्ने त सबैलाई थाहा छ । यस्तो अवस्थामा २४ घण्टा नै विद्युत् दिइयो भने त विद्युत प्रयोग गरेवापतको महशुल तिर्दा नै नेपालीको धेरै पैसा सिद्धिन्छ अनि खान–लाउन पैसाको अभाव हुनेछ । यति मात्र कहाँ हो र  विद्युतीय उपकरण जस्तै टिभी, कम्प्युटरको अधिक प्रयोगले धनीवर्गको स्वास्थ्यमा पनि प्रतिकुल असर परेको छ । यिनै कुराहरुलाई ‘विशेष रुपमा’ मनन् गरेर नै नेताहरुले राष्ट्रको सामथ्र्य हुँदाहुँदै पनि विद्युत्–उत्पादनमा ध्यान नदिएका हुन् । वाह नेताहरुको कुशाग्रबुद्घिलाई मान्नै पर्छ अनि सारा नेपालीहरुको पीरमर्का बुझेकोमा धन्यवाद दिन त बिर्सिने कुरै भएन नि । 

नेताहरु नयाँ नेपालको निमार्णका निम्ति दिनरात खटेको देख्दा फेरी पनि उनीहरु धन्यवादका पात्र हुन् भन्ने लाग्यो । तपाईँ आफै विचार गर्नेहोस्  नयाँ नेपाल बनाउन नयाँ कामको थालनी हुनुप¥यो र नयाँ कार्य स'रु गर्दा उद्घाटन त हुनै प¥यो । अब उद्घाटन गर्न हाम्रा देशका नेता र मन्त्रीहरुलाई कसले जित्न सक्ला र । संविधान निर्माण गर्ने र देश चलाउने जस्ता महत्वपूर्ण कार्यहरु छाडेर भएपनि उद्घाटन गर्न जानुले पनि नेताहरुले नयाँ नेपालको निम्ति गरेको त्याग र समर्पण छर्लङ्ग भएछाल्छ । नेताहरु ६०१ जना मिलेर तीन वर्षमा एउटा संविधान बनाउन नसकेपनि ३ दिनमा ३३ वटा उद्घाटन समारोहमा उपस्थित  हुन पक्कै पनि सक्छन् । संविधान लेख्ने कार्यभन्दा रिबन काट्ने र दीप जलाउने कार्यमा व्यस्त रहने हाम्रा स्वच्छ छविका नेताहरुले गर्दा नै नयाँ नेपाल चाँडै बन्ने सङ्केत देखिएको छ । आफ्नो मुख्य काम थाती राखी ‘नयाँ’ नेपालको निर्माणका लागि उद्घाटन गर्न जानुहुने सम्पूर्ण नेताहरुलाई पनि धन्यवाद । 

नेताहरुको तीक्ष्ण बुद्धिले त जस्तोसुकै समस्याको पनि समाधान निकाल्ने रहेछ नि । पत्याउनु भएन कि क्या हो । नपत्याए जनआन्दोलन १ र २ कै उदाहरण सम्झी लिउँन न त । देशमा जनसङ्ख्या अधिक वृद्घि भई निकै समस्या परेको अवस्थामा यसको निराकरणका निम्ति नेताहरुले सबैजनालाई आन्दोलनमा लगाए र धेरैलाई सहिद बनाए । यति मात्र कहाँ हो र , कुनै–कुनै नेताहरु त निरन्तर दश वर्षसम्म जनसङ्ख्या कम गर्ने कार्यमा दत्तचित्त भई लागे । यसका लागि फेरी पनि धन्यवाद । जनआन्देलनकै कारण थुप्रै अस्पतालहरुले ग्राहक पाए र अस्पतालहरुले हुर्कने मौका पनि पाए । हेर्नुहोस् त नेताहरु कसरी एउटै गोलीले दुईवटा शिकार गर्न सिपालु छन् भन्ने कुरा । अब धन्यवाद दिन छुटाउने कुरै भएन नि, थ्याङ्स नेताज्यू । 

नेताहरुको वर्णन त जति गरेपनि सिद्घिदैन, बरु ‘धन्यवाद’ लेख्दा–लेख्दा मेरो कलमको मसी सकिएला । फेरी म त अलि कन्जुस नै छु, नेताहरुजस्तो ‘उदार’ स्वभावको हुन जति कोशिश गरे पनि सकिनँ । फरी एउटा सामान्य व्यक्ति, मसी किन्न धेरै धन पनि छैन । धनी हुने मन्त्र नेताहरुले मलाई सिकाएका पनि छैनन् । त्यसैले अहिलेलाई धेरै नलेखी कलम बन्द गर्न नै उपयुक्त होला र अन्त्यमा फेरी पनि भन्न चाहन्छु “धन्यवाद नेताज्यू ”

काठमाडौँका इन्टरनेशनल कलेज

राजधानीस्थित ठुला ठुला र करोडौं, अरबौं पूँजी लगानी भएका व्यापारिक संस्था, मल्टिनेशनल कम्पनीहरुले चर्चित राष्ट्रिय दैनिक पत्रिकाहरुमा रंगिन पुरा पृष्ठमा विज्ञापन गर्ने खर्च जुटाएको प्रायः देखिँदैन तर अहिले काठमाडौंस्थित विभिन्न टोल टोलमा वर्षा यामका जुका उम्रिए जस्तै उम्रिएका कलेजहरुले अभिभावकको रगत चुसेर भएपनि यति धन लक्ष्मी थुपारेका छन् कि उनीहरुलाई लाखौं लाख खर्च गरी राष्ट्रिय दैनिक पत्रिकाहरुमा पूरा पृष्ठ विज्ञापन गर्नु पनि सामान्य भइसकेको छ । अहिले टेलिभिजनका विभिन्न कार्यक्रमहरुका यीनै शिक्षाका मन्दिरहरु गर्वका साथ प्रायोजकका रुपमा प्रस्तुत भएको पाइन्छ । मिनेट मिनेटमा टेलिभिजनमा आउने यस्ता कलेजका विज्ञापनहरुमा शिक्षाका नाममा लगानी भएको पैसाको दुरुपयोग भई व्यापारका लागि खर्च भएको प्रष्ट देखिन्छ । जुन कुरा कुनैपनि दृष्टिकोणबाट राम्रो मान्न सकिँदैन । के अभिभावकले आफ्नो रगत र पसिना बगाएर, सकि नसकी आफ्नो सन्तानको उज्ज्वल भविश्यको निम्ति गरेको खर्च यही पत्रिकामा पुरा पृष्ठ विज्ञापन हेर्नका निम्ति हो या टेलिभिजनमा मिनेट मिनेटमा विज्ञापन हेर्न र सुन्नका लागि हो ।यसको जवाफ अभिभावकलाई दिनु पर्ने समय आइसकेको छ ।  

अबको परिस्थितिमा धनी बन्न बिल गेट्सले जस्तो माइक्रोसफ्ट कम्पनी खोल्नुपर्ने अवस्था रहेन । काठमाडौंमा आएर एउटा इन्टरनेशनल कलेज खोलेपछि बिल गेट्सले गरेको दुःख नगरी धनी हुन सकिने भयो । कलेजको नामाकरण गर्नपनि अहिले कुनै ठूलो समस्या रहेन । एउटा कुनै चर्चित विदेशी भवन, फुटवल क्लब, विश्वविद्यालय, शहर, व्यक्ति आदिको नाम राखी त्यसको पछाडि इन्टरनेशनल भन्ने शब्द झुण्डाएपछि नाम जुराउन कुनै ज्यातिषीलाई पनि गुहार्नु पर्ने भएन । त्यसैले होला अहिले काठमाडौँमा नेपाली नाम गरेका कलेज खोज्नु भनेको कुखुरा नखाने बाहुन खोज्नु जस्तो गाह्रो भैसक्यो ।\

शिक्षालाई व्याापारको ठाउँ बनाई लखपति बन्न खोज्ने यस्ता महान शिक्षकलाई अब विद्यार्थीले गुरु भन्दा पनि पाप लाग्ला । कलेजका ठूला र चर्चित शिक्षकहरु अहिले विद्यार्थीलाई कसरी राम्ररी पढाऊँ र विद्यालयलाई कसरी सुधारुँभन्दा पनि दुई चार जना साथीसँग मिली कलेजलाई कसरी फुटाएर एउटा नयाँ कलेज खोली लखपति बन्न पाऊँ भन्ने सोचमा नै बढि तल्लीन देखिन्छन् । यस कुराको पुष्टि नेपालका राजनीतिक दलहरु भन्दा पनि छिटो छिटो फुट्ने यहाँका कलेजहरुले मजैसँग गर्दिएका छन् । कलेजहरुले गरेका यस्ता विकृति रोक्न प्रभावकारी रुपमा अनुगमन गर्ने यहाँ कुनै निकाय देखिँदैन । शिक्षा जस्तो पवित्र शव्दको नाममा खुलेआम ठगी र डकैति गर्ने यस्ता कलेजलाई निरुत्साहित गर्ने खालका कदमहरु चोलेको पाइदैन ।

यस्ता ठग कलेजहरुले दिनको लाखौं रुपैयाँ खर्च गरी अनावश्यक रुपमा टेलिभिजन र पत्र–पत्रिकामा विज्ञापन गर्नुभन्दा गरिव र जेहेन्दार विद्यार्थी, जो पैसाको अभावमा शिक्षाबाट बन्चित हुन पुगेका छन , त्यसता विद्यार्थीलाई छात्रवृति दिने हो भने नेपालबाट पनि आइसटाइनहरु जन्मने थिए । कलेजमा पाँचतारे होटल जस्तो एयर कन्डिसन, स्वीमिङ पुल र विद्याथीलाई चढ्न नदिने लिफ्टमा खर्च गर्नुभन्दा कलेजको शुल्क न्यून गर्ने तर्फ प्रयास भएमा अभिभावकले छोराछोरीहरुलाई पढाउनका लागि आफ्नो घर जग्गा बेच्नुपर्ने थिएन । यी कुराहरु शिक्षित भनौदा कलेज सञ्चालक र शिक्षकहरुको थोत्रो मगजले किन सोच्दैन ?

शैक्षिक सस्थालाई शिक्षाको मन्दिर भनी गर्व गर्ने तर उद्धेश्य चाहीँ केवल नाफा मात्र कमाउने भएको यस्ता कलेजले गर्दा नेपालमा शिक्षा क्षेत्रको निस्वाथर््तामा प्रश्न चिन्ह खडा भएको छ । नत्र भने कुनै पनि शिक्षाको मन्दिरले कोकाकोला र पेप्सीको जस्तो विज्ञापन गर्न जरुरत हुदैनथ्यो, हैन र ? विद्यार्थीको लागि प्रयोग गर्न नदिने लिफ्ट देखाएर होस या विग्रेका कम्प्युटरका अगाडि विद्यार्थीलाई बसाएको तस्बिर खिचेर होस् , कलेजहरु आफ्नो विज्ञापन जोडतोडले गरेको देखिन्छ । बाहिरबाट हेर्दा डिपार्टमेन्ट स्टोर जस्ता देखिने भव्य महल देखाएर विद्यार्थी तान्न पनि कलेजहरु तछाडमछाड गरेको पाइन्छ । के भव्य महल भित्र बिग्रेको लिफ्ट हेरेर शिक्षा आर्जन हुन्छ र ? भरखर एसएलसी पास गरेका विद्यार्थीहरुले यही कुरा नबुझेर यस्तै भव्य विज्ञापन गर्ने र बाहिरबाट टलक्क टल्कने कलेजहरुमा पढ्न लालयीत हुन्छन् र यस्ता निर्दोष विद्यार्थी नै इन्टरनशनल कलेजका आहारा बन्न पुग्छन् ।

हुनतः गणतन्त्र र लोकतन्त्रभन्दा पनि लुटतन्त्र बढी स्थापित भएको हाम्रो देशमा कलेजले विद्यार्थीलाई लुट्नुलाई  अस्वाभाविक मान्न त मिल्दैन । अशिक्षित र अज्ञानी नेताहरुबाट त लुटिए लुटिए अब शिक्षित शिक्षकबाट पनि  नेपाली अभिभावकहरु लुटिदैछन् । यो कुरा त निजी शैक्षिक संस्थाका लगानीकर्ताहरु, सिइओ र डाइरेक्टरको भुँडि हेरेर नै प्रष्ट भैहाल्छ । अहिले निजी शैक्षिक संस्थाहरु अभिभावकको पैसा लुटी धन कमाउने सर्टकर्ट बनेका छन । दर्शकहरु लुट फिल्म हेर्न फिल्म हल नगई काठमाडौँस्थित निजी शैक्षिक संस्थाहरुको वार्षिक शुल्क हेरेको भए राम्रो तरिकाले लुट हेर्न पाउने थिए । यदि लुट २ बन्ने हो भने पक्कैपनि हाकु कालेले बैंक लुट्ने दुःख नगरी एउटा कलेज खोल्ने मास्टर प्ल्यान बनाउने थियो होला किनभने अहिले सबैभन्दा सजिलो र बैधानिक तरिकाले लुट्ने थलो नै निजी शिक्षण  सस्था बनेका छन् ।

पैसा नै कमाउने उद्देश्य हो भने उद्योगधन्दा र कलकारखानामा लगानी गर्नु सबैभन्दा उत्तम होला ।  धनलाई नै प्र्रमुख उद्देश्य राख्ने व्यतिmलाई कृपया शिक्षामा हात नहालिदिनुहुन हार्दिक अनुरोध छ । शिक्षामा लगानी गरी करोडपति बन्ने उद्देश्य राख्ने व्यतिmलाई अझ पनि समाजमा मौलाउन दिइयो भने यस्ता व्यतिmले नेपालको शिक्षालाई ध्वस्त बनाइदिनेछन । त्यसैले अब कलेजले विज्ञापन र तडक भडकमा लगानी गर्नुभन्दा शिक्षाको गुणस्तरमा लगानि गरी विद्यार्थीलाई सुनौलो भविष्यको बाटो देखाउन तल्लीन हुनुपर्दछ । 

Cycles linked to Inferiority

Pedal potential

• We only have to visit the Tarai to understand that cycling is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s good for everyone

- Shailesh Panthee, Kathmandu

In recent times, we have been suffering from the official but unannounced blockade imposed by our neighbouring nation India. There is an acute shortage of petroleum products in the country. Our daily life has been severely affected by the lack of vehicles plying on the roads.
Recently, when I was talking to one of my foreign friends and complaining about the transportation problem that I had been facing as a resident of Kathmandu, he asked me about the size of the city. I replied that it was a very small city. “Why you don’t use cycles then?” he inquired. And as I started typing the reply, I realised that I had no reasonable answer to his query. I didn’t dare to say that people of Kathmandu think that they feel inferior to others if they ride cycles.
Yes, it’s the bitter truth that Kathmandu faces. If most of my friends come to the college in motorbikes, I don’t dare to buy and ride a cycle to my college thinking that I would be humiliated in my college. What if they name me ‘Cycle-man’ or something even worse? I would not want to lose my respect for the sake of conserving fuel and environment. In Kathmandu, people think you ride a cycle only if you can’t afford a bike. Now, how would I give him an answer?
Actually, Kathmandu is a very small city. It’s not like you have to travel 30-40 kilometres to reach your college or workplace. Most of the residents of Kathmandu can reach their workplace within 30 minutes of cycling. We don’t need to visit places like Europe to learn about cycling. We only have to visit the Tarai to understand that cycling is all right. There, most people don’t use motor vehicles to travel just a few kilometres. And there, people are not deemed inferior just because they are riding cycles. In fact, having a number of cycles in the house is often a matter of pride.
Maybe it’s time to change the way we think, and delink cycles from this notion of inferiority. People have to take the initiative to use and promote cycling. I know no one wants to be the first person to be insulted. Perhaps it’s time that offices promoted some days of the week as ‘Cycle day’, when the employee must compulsorily ride a cycle to their office. I have heard that some organisations in Kathmandu have started this and it should be followed by others as well.
Cycling not only saves petroleum and helps in conserving the environment, but it also keeps you physically active and reduces the excess fat from your body. Except for the maximum speed attainable, motorbikes have no added advantages over bicycles. And in the streets of Kathmandu, I don’t think motorbikes have that advantage, anyway. So, from any point of view, cycles are perfect for Kathmandu—not only to help us tide over this time of crisis, but also at all other times. Let’s promote cycling and keep the environment and ourselves healthy.

Published in The Kathmandu Post 19th October, 2015