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Foreign influence formally entered Nepal after it lost the war with the British in 1816. The Rana rulers who came into power shortly after the war made sure that the British rulers in India remained in their favour. No foreign meddling over their unhindered control over the country’s wealth was their only concern. The country's foreign policy, which the British resident handled, was not something of their interest and control.

The 1951 agreement brokered by India was the first direct involvement of independent India in the country's internal politics. Sections of the independent Indian establishment were probably never convinced of the fact that Nepal should remain an independent nation while a large number of similar kingdoms were annexed to their new empire. This feeling is reflected in the expressions of some hard-line Indian nationalists even today.

It's a truth that the Indian establishment has made contacts with every possible player in Nepal's politics, and, at times, used one force against the other, to make sure that their influence remained intact. King Mahendra's ambitions suddenly soared after BP started looking for countries beyond India for friendship. There he probably saw avenues to garner tacit support from the southern neighbour for his direct rule. The ambitious Indira Gandhi probably never saw logic in promoting powerful elected leaders who could be more difficult to handle than the king, but her establishment never ceased to assure some form of support to the leaders who were waging war for democracy from the Indian soil.

Nepal's history after the 1951 movement is that of continuous power struggle between the one in power and the other outside it being backed by the Indian establishment. Foreign involvement, especially that of India, need not be doubted for the overall turmoil in the country in the later half of the twentieth century and the years that followed. It would be too naïve to assume that the frequent changes in government leadership after 1990, the unexpected rise of the Maoist strength, the complete elimination of forces that enjoyed popular support and could deny enactment of pro-Indian agendas, the political drama that unfolded during 2004-2006 etc. were the results of power struggle within the country alone. Gyanendra might not have tried to risk his entire credentials in 2001 without any active signal from some powerful elements of the Indian establishment. It was probably his wildest ambitions that made him see the possibility of success with support from such an unreliable center when history had already recorded several instances of such aspirations crumbling to ruins after a few years of dubious support.

The fact that our leaders never learn from history is the most regrettable thing. Nobody should have doubts that the support from Indian centers are for their own interest rather than for the interest of our nation. Leaders fail to see this fact when they find that things are in their personal interest or the interest of their parties or groups. The Maoists are probably the cleverest of political forces in the country but they do not want to see how their hands and legs are bound by the agreements brokered for their sudden rise to state power from the whirlpool of directionless crimes and killings.

Circumstances like this make one feel that the institution of monarchy is probably not as useless as it is perceived today. For a small country like ours which is bound to follow the direction dictated by a big brother, a permanent institution like monarchy could manage to become a resisting wall at times when every other institution finds it difficult to resist foreign desires. This was evident at times after 1990 when the king stayed away from day-to-day politics but could have a say on crucial matters because of his influence. This might, at times, have helped the political parties from escaping safe from controversial matters of foreign interest.

Obviously, a monarchy with real power creates more problems than a system without monarchy. It’s a fact that monarchy is a rapidly disappearing kind of institution. The major reason lies in the failure of the monarchs to see that power and wealth are not the factors that can keep the institution relevant but it’s really the support of the people that can give it a long life. The palace in Nepal has a history of neglecting the masses while making personal financial benefits from the resources of the state. The method of centralized rule through a handful of puppets who were never responsible to the people proved counterproductive to the institution of monarchy in the long run.

Now, with the state going through a prolonged period of uncertainty and chaos, and with no promising future leader being seen in any front, foreign influence is unlikely to dwindle in the near future. Resisting foreign involvement is becoming increasingly difficult for the country which now needs budgetary support even to run it day-to-day affairs. When the state’s internal condition is so messy, foreign hands always find soft targets to experiment with their interests.

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   [ posted by gemmi_auj @ 09:12 AM ] | Viewed: 1093 times [ Feedback]

घुम्दै-फिर्दै, फेरि नेपाली लोकगीत!

२०३०को दशकमा हुर्किँदा सुन्न पाउने भनेको रेडियो नेपालले बजाउने नेपाली लोकगीत-गीतहरु र हिन्दी फिल्मी गीतहरु मात्रै थिए। हाम्रो घरमा रेडियो थिएन। काकाको घरमा थियो एउटा सानो नेशनल-पानसोनिक रेडियो।त्यो रेडियोमाथि हजूरआमाको पूरा नियन्त्रण थियो। के सुन्ने, के नसुन्ने भन्ने कुराको निर्णय अरुले हतपती गर्न पाउने चलन थिएन। हजूरआमालाई शाही नेपाली सेनाले चलाउने कार्यक्रममा भीमबहादुर थापाका रुपकहरु असाध्यै मन पर्थ्यो, बेलुका आउने कृषि कार्यक्रमकी बूढीआमैको गन्थन र परिवार नियोजन कार्यक्रमका रमाईला सम्वादहरु पनि खुब सुन्नुहुन्थ्यो वहाँ। त्यस्तै हरेक शनिबार दिउँसो एक कि साढे एक बजे आउने नाटक पनि सुनिन्थ्यो, घर-छिमेकका लगभग सबैले। ठूलो जमात भेला भएर चिया पिउँदै, गफ गर्दै नाटक सुन्ने ती दृश्यहरु मेरो मानसपटलमा नमेटिने भएर रहेका केहि दृश्यहरुमध्ये पर्छन्। काकाका छोराछोरीको अनूरोधमा केहि नियम बाहिरका कार्यक्रमहरु पनि बज्थे होलान्, तर हाम्रो अनूरोधको खासै सुनुवाई हुँदैन थियो। बढीमा बाल-कार्यक्रम सम्म सुन्ने अनुमति हुन्थ्यो यदाकदा। बाल-कार्यक्रम, त्यसभित्रको पनि ‘हातेमालो’ भन्ने कार्यक्रम असाध्यै मन पर्थ्यो मलाई। काकाको घरको रेडियोबाट सुन्ने अवसर नपाएको बेला ठूलो बाको घरमा पुग्थें बाल-कार्यक्रम सुन्न। त्यहाँ मेरै अनूरोधको सुनुवाई हुने भएर भने जाने होइन। त्यो घरको कान्छो छोरो मसंग एउटै उमेरको (म भन्दा एक महिनामात्रै कान्छो) थियो र हामी एउटै विद्यालयमा एउटै कक्षामा पढ्थ्यौं। उसकै कारणले मैले पनि सुन्न पाउँथे बाल-कार्यक्रम।

नेपाली लोकगीतहरु र नारायण गोपालका गीतहरु मन पर्थ्यो मलाई। केहि हिन्दी गीतहरु पनि मन पर्थे। किन हो कुन्नि, विशेष गरी गायक मुकेशको स्वरसंग म एकदमै आकर्षित थिएँ। गाउँमा भिडियो-टेलिभिजन धेरै पछि मात्रै आए। एस.एल.सी.सकुञ्जेलसम्म अंग्रेजी गीतहरु बारेको मेरो जानकारी शून्य थियो। नेपाल टेलिभिजनका शुरुवाती दिनहरुमा भूषण दाहालले ‘सण्डे पप’ चलाउन थालेपछि भने अलि अलि हेर्ने मौका पाईयो, तर गीतको अँग्रेजी ठ्याम्मै बुझिँदैन थियो, संगीत र नाचकै रमाईलोले मात्रै हेरिन्थ्यो।

स्नातक पढ्न भनेर २०४८ मा पहिलो पटक नेपाल छाड्दा मैले जम्मा दुईटा क्यासेट साथमा लगेको थिएँ। एउटा ‘नारायण गोपालका गीतहरु’को कुनै भाग थियो, अर्को महको ‘पिकनिक’ भन्ने प्रहसन थियो। त्यतिखेर विदेश जानेहरुमा नारायण गोपाल र मह नबोक्नेहरु त कोहि पनि हुँदैन थिए होलान् जस्तो लाग्छ। सबैजसोले कुमार बस्नेतका लोकगीतहरु पनि बोकेका हुन्थे। मैले कुमार बस्नेतका गीतहरु नबोकेपनि संगै जाने अरु धेरैले बोकेका रहेछन्।

चीनमा बस्दा अँग्रेजी गीतहरु सुन्न थालियो। शुरवात जोन डेन्भर र बिटल्सबाट भएको याद छ मलाई। एक वर्ष भाषा पढेर इञ्जिनियरिङ्ग पढ्ने विश्वविद्यालय गएपछि भने एकदम धेरै सुन्न थालें। कारणचाहिँ संगै पढ्ने, सानेपा घर भएको एकजना साथी थियो। उसंग अंग्रेजी गीतहरुको धेरै ठूलो संकलन थियो, धेरै त नेपालबाटै लिएर गएको। उ ‘गन्स एन रोजेज’ र ‘जिम मोरिसन’ भनेपछि मरिहत्ते गर्थ्यो। मैले ‘यू टू’, ‘पिंक फ्लोयड’, ‘रोलिङ स्टोनस्’, ‘आरइएम’, ‘क्वीन’आदि थाहा पाएको उसैबाट हो। त्यहाँ हाम्रै उमेरको एउटा अमेरिकी (मिनेसोटा राज्यको) केटो अंग्रेजी पढाएर बसेको थियो छ महिना जति। हुनत, उ हामी भन्दा अलि फरक थियो, उल्टो संस्कृत, गीता, ध्यान आदिमा बढी रुचि भएको, तर उसबाट पनि धेरै थाहा पाइयो अंग्रेजी गीतहरुको बारेमा। उ विशेष गरी त्यतिखेरका मूलधारभन्दा अलि फरक खाल्का अँग्रेजी गीतहरु बढी रुचाउँथ्यो। ती चार वर्षको दौरानमा मैले सुनेका मध्ये सबैभन्दा मन पर्ने समूहहरु भन्नु पर्दा ‘क्वीन’ र ‘डायर स्ट्रेट्स’ भन्छु होला शायद। अंग्रेजी गीतहरु बढी सुन्ने यो क्रम २०५३ तिरबाटै बिस्तारै कम हुँदै गयो।

चिनियाँ गीतहरु पनि सुनिन्थ्यो धेरै। शास्त्रीय चिनियाँ संगीत मन परेपनि बढी उदासी भरिएको लाग्ने हुँदा अलि कम सुन्थें। चीन भर्खरै मात्र खुल्ला समाजको बाटोमा हिँडेको थियो र पप गीतहरु पनि त्यसै अनुसार अगाडि आउँदै थिए। हङकङ र ताइवानका पप गीतहरु पनि बढी सुनियो। मूलभूमि चीनमा भने रक गीतहरुको बाढीनै आएको थियो त्यो ताका। अर्थतन्त्र विस्तारै पूँजीबादतिर गएपनि कठोर साम्यवादी राजनीतिक बन्देज भने छँदैथियो। यस्तो अवश्थामा रक गीतहरुले अति अप्रत्यक्ष तरिकाले राजनीतिक सन्देश बोकेका जस्ता लाग्थे। थुप्रै समूहहरु मध्ये ‘थाङ डाइनाष्टी’ र छुइ चियान (ब्यक्तिको नाम) बढी मन परेका थिए। हङकङको एउटा ‘बियोण्ड’ भन्ने समूह पनि खुब मन पर्थ्यो, हुनत त्यो समूहका सबैजसो गीतहरु क्यान्टोनीजमा हुन्थे। नेपाल फर्किँदा यी समूहहरुका केहि क्यासेटहरु पनि ल्याएको थिएँ।

नेपाल फर्केपछि भने विस्तारै गजल-कव्वालीहरुमा बढी मन जान थाल्यो। गजलहरु पहिला पनि नसुनिने हैन, तर अब भने गजलहरुमात्रै जस्तो भयो। बढी मन पर्ने चाहिँ जगजीत सिंह। नुसरत फतेह अली खानलाई भेटेपछि त जिन्दगीको सम्पूर्ण खोजनै सकिएजस्तो लागेको थियो केहि समय। मैले शुरुमा सुनेको नुसरतको कव्वाली ‘दम मस्त कलन्दर’ को शास्त्रीय संस्करण थियो। संगै किनेको जावेद अख्तरका शब्दहरु भएको ‘संगम’ अल्बम (जो पूरै शास्त्रीय शैलीमा भने छैन) त अहिलेसम्म कति हजार पटक सुनिसकें होला!

चार वर्ष पहिला जापान आएपछिबाट अहिलेसम्म पनि गजल र नुसरत प्रतिको आकर्षण उस्तै छ। यस बीचमा ‘फ्यूजन’ तिरको आकर्षण पनि बढेको छ। ‘करुणेश’, ‘प्रेम जोशुवा’, ‘अहिँसा’, ‘अनुष्का शंकर’ आदिमा मन लाग्न थालेको छ। कहिलेकाहिं लाग्छ, यो म मानसिक रुपमा बूढो हुँदै गएको संकेत हो, अब अरु सब छोडेर शुद्ध शास्त्रीय संगीतमात्रै मन पराउन थालेपछि मेरो बूढ्यौलीले पूर्णता प्राप्त गर्छ होला! तर फेरि ‘बूढो हुँदै गएको नभएर सौन्दर्य-चेत निखारिँदै गएको पनि त हुनसक्छ नि!’भनेर आफैंलाई सम्झाउँछु!

यसबीचमा जापानी शास्त्रीय अथवा लोक संगीतको त कुरै छोडौं, जापानी रक-पपको समेत एउटा गीत पनि पूरा सुनेको छैन। पप संस्कृतिका हिसाबले जापान एकदम समृद्ध छ र म अहिलेसम्म अछूतो बसेकोमा आफैंलाई धिक्कार्न थालेको छु अचेल। यति धेरै वर्ष यो ठाउँमा बिताइसकेपछि पनि यहाँको समसामयिक संस्कृतिको बारेमा खासै ज्ञान राखेको छैन। तर दोष मेरो मात्र हैन है (अझ मेरो दोषै पनि नहुन सक्छ!)! मूल दोष त इण्टरनेटको हो! अब सजिलै बुझ्ने नेपाली-हिन्दी गीतहरु जतिखेरपनि आरामले सुन्न मिल्ने भएपछि जापानी गीत सुनेर नबुझिने शब्दमा कस्ले टाउको दुखाओस्! (तर अलि-अलि त सुन्नु पर्छ गोताएँ, सुन्! )

दुई वर्ष पहिला नेपाल जाँदा तीजको समय परेको थियो र फर्किँदा तीजका गीत र अरु लोकगीतहरुको संकलनहरुमात्रै किनेर ल्याइएछ। शनिबार-आइतबार कोठा सफा गर्ने जाँगर चलाउन मात्रै सुनिन्थ्यो, ती पनि।

छोरी सात महिनाजतिकी भएपछि होला, उ केहि कुराको आड पाए बिस्तारै उठ्न थालेकी थिई। एउटा एक फूट जति उचाइको होचो टेबुल छ घरमा। उ त्यसको आडमा उठ्न मन पराउँथी धेरै जसो। अनि हामीले के देख्यौं भने लोकगीतहरु बजेको बेला छोरी एकदम खुशी हुन्छे। एक हातले टेबुलको आड लिएर अर्को हात घुमाएर नाचेझैं पनि गर्छे। हामीले सिकाएको याद छैन, शायद कतिपय कुरा बच्चाको स्वभावअनुसार प्राकृतिक रुपमै पनि आउँछन् होला। हामी पनि खुब रमाउँथ्यौ उस्को ‘नाच’ हेरेर।

पछि ‘यू ट्यूब’ मा नेपाली लोकगीतहरु खोजेर देखाउन थाल्यौं उसलाई। राम्रो ग-यौं कि नराम्रो ग-यौं थाहा छैन तर नेपाली लोकगीत र नाच हेर्न पाएपछि खुब खुसी हुन्छे ऊ। विरामीनै भएको बेला अलग हो, तर खाना खान मन नगरेको बेला पनि लोकगीतको भिडियो देखाएपछि खान थाल्छे। झगडा गरिरहेकी, झर्किरहेकी छे भने पनि लोकगीतले ‘प्यासीफायर’ को काम गर्छ उस्का लागि। कार्टूनहरु, बच्चाहरु र जनावर-चराहरु भएका भिडियोहरु पनि एकदम मन पराउँछे ऊ, तर लोकगीत सबैभन्दा माथि छ उस्को रोजाईमा। (निश्चयनै, उसको उमेरका कारण, एकदमै आवश्यक नपरीकन यस्ता भिडियोहरु बढी नदेखाउने कुरामा भने हामी सचेत छौं।)

यसरी नेपाली लोकगीततिरको मेरो लगाव फेरि शुरु भएको छ, छोरीको कारणले। धेरै लामो समयपछि लोकगीतमा फेरि रुचि जागेकोले म भर्खरै शर्मिला, गुरुङ, बीमा कुमारी दूरा, लक्ष्मी न्यौपाने, बुद्धि परियार, बद्री पगेनी, सिन्धु मल्ल, खेमराज गुरुङ, बिष्णु माझी र कोमल ओली आदिलाई राम्रोसंग चिन्दैछु। दोहरी, रत्तेउली, तीजका गीत, असारे र कौडा आदिले बोक्ने कोमल ग्रामीण मनका पिडालाई साँच्चै अनुभूत गर्दैछु र जति पिडा परेपनि गाउन, नाच्न र उज्यालोको आशा गर्न नछोड्ने नेपाली मनप्रति गौरव गर्दैछु। अलि मियां र झलकमानलाई सुनेर म साँच्चै रुन थालेको छु अचेल। मेरो संस्कृति एकदम सुन्दर र जीवन्त लाग्न थालेको छ मलाई। म कति टाढा पुगिसकेको रहेछु मेरो आफ्नै पहिचानबाट! भोलि छोरी ठूली भैसकेपछि उस्लाई मैले उस्को आफ्नो पहिचान चिनाइरहन पर्ला-नपर्ला, तर उसले अहिले अन्जानमै सहि, मलाई आफ्नो पहिचानप्रति सजग गराइदिएकी छे।

यसको अर्थ मैले बाँकी सबलाई मन पराउन छाडेको भने निश्चय पनि होईन। मलाई ती पनि सधैंभरिका लागि प्रिय छन्। मात्र के भने, आत्मीय आफन्तहरुसंग धेरै लामो समयपछि फेरि भेट भएको छ।

र लोकगीत अझै मनपर्छ र सुनेपछि छमछम नाचिहाल्न मन लाग्छ भनेपछि म मनमा बूढो भएकै रहेनछु, ब्यर्थैमा चिन्ता गरेको रहेछु शायद! (भित्रैदेखि मुस्कुराउँदै छु!)


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Getting the most out of your MBA

(NOTE: This piece, which I found in my hard-drive the other day, was first published in January 2006 in Kathmandu's The Boss monthly magazine. Readers with plans to join management schools in Nepal -- where it's hard to gather information about what to study where, why and how -- may find this useful. Tetti ho. Special thanks to MD for suggestions.)

By Ashutosh Tiwari

About four years ago, a young graduate in Kathmandu asked me what she should aim to get out of an MBA program. She explained that she was seeking advice from a variety of professionals before committing time and money to enroll in a management school in Kathmandu. I mumbled something vague, and suggested that she could use the degree to get a job as a management trainee at a bank or a company.

But I was dissatisfied with my own answer. And her earnest question stayed with me. Since then -- having advised friends to apply to MBA programs outside of Nepal, having taught economics to MBA students on a part-time basis, and having worked with MBAs in and out of Nepal -- I have had time to give the question some additional thought. Yes indeed, assuming that your goal is to lead a productive career, what should you get out of your MBA studies other than a pricey certificate at the end?

I would now suggest these four major outcomes.

Persuasive writing and speaking skills: Unless you want to work with machines on a factory floor (and there’s nothing wrong with that!), most of what people in well-paid white-collar professions do boils down to two activities: writing and speaking. Each working day, people write emails, reports and memos. They meet clients, chat with colleagues, ask questions, share ideas, voice their opinions and disagree with others’ ideas.

Given that work today is all about writing and speaking, in one form or another, those who do both persuasively are going to be at a significant advantage in a management career than those who don't. Fortunately, writing and speaking are skills that anyone with motivation to spend time practicing can be good at. To that end, spending two years at a business school can be an effective way to sharpen those skills through assignments and extracurricular activities.

Using data to make decisions: Most top Nepali MBA graduates are good at statistics and accounting, subjects that are useful to gather and tabulate data. But arranging data is not the same as interpreting it to help make strategic decisions. A firm hires managers, after all, not to collect information for the sake of collecting it, but to interpret it to make decisions that matter.

To be sure, most MBA colleges -- under pressure from their universities to appear 'academic' -- spend much time teaching students the mathematics behind data collection (which, in real life, can easily be outsourced to market research companies) and the like. That leaves them almost no time to teach students how to judge the collected data to make decisions. As a result, MBA graduates enter the work force, thinking that databases equal knowledge.

And that, to paraphrase the words of management guru Peter Drucker, is a classic case of mistaking raw materials for finished products. That is why, MBA students’eventual aim should be not to replace specialists such as statisticians or accountants, but to focus on how to interact with such professionals intelligently and effectively to help their firms grow. In times ahead, as information technologies become cheaper and widespread, torrents of data heading in any manager’s direction are likely to grow only bigger. When that happens, those MBAs who know how to apply relevant data to make decisions are likely to enjoy a
more successful management career than those who don't.

Analysis through established frameworks: Business is not rocket science. Today’s business problems, as complex as they are, are not fundamentally different from those of yesterday. Whether you produce potato chips or computer chips, the underlying issues are the same: How to come up with ideas, how to arrange capital, labor, technology and networks to turn those ideas into goods and services, how to market and sell what you produce, and how to plow back the profits to make your business grow all the more.

In an MBA program, it’s important to learn to view problems and opportunities in terms of frameworks. Some problems are related to marketing. Others, to strategy. Still others, to product development. Sure, a self-taught businessperson, running his own firm with zero exposure to MBA-level jargon, may intuitively know what needs to be done for his success, and will do just that. That’s fine.

But, in most cases, what a good MBA education should do is help you formalize much of your intuition through tested frameworks so that you can persuade colleagues and bosses of your ideas.

In other words, as an employee, your just saying, “Trust me; this will work” will not get you far in any company. But “I am applying the Porter model to tweak our pricing strategy because of these reasons” will get you the attention of your peers to take relevant actions. Yes, as you accumulate experiences, the limitations of many of these tested frameworks will become obvious to you. At that time, your maturity, creativity and judgment will surely come into play. But at the start of your career, the frameworks remain powerful analytical tools to help you solve business problems.

Aim for lifelong employability: In today’s Nepal, unless you are in civil service, nobody will offer you a secure lifelong job. That’s the reality. You will change jobs more than once for many reasons. As such, it has become urgent to learn to how to remain employable at any stage of your life by taking charge of your own career growth.

In this context, a good MBA program gives you contacts and networks, not to mention credibility, which you can dip into for information and benefits. At the least, such a program should make you appreciate that learning never ends, and that continuous skill improvement is the only way to market yourself to the top. True, most MBA programs are concerned only with getting you your first job. But you should let them know that they are shortchanging their reputation if they fail to give you basic tools to help you find your second, third or even sixth job.

Agreed, after paying exorbitant fees that most MBA colleges charge for tuition, one should expect much more from them. But for now, these four outcomes can be the starting points to help a prospective student to decide what to demand from an MBA education for success.

[First published in Kathmandu's The Boss monthly business magazine in January 2006]

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