Lack of patriotism among the nepalese people

[Japanese]

A letter from Korea

By BAN WHI MIN


Who do you think will cry for your Nepal? Who do you think will be able to respect the spirit of the Himalaya and to keep the lonely flag representing it?

Nepalis complain about the caste system and corrupt officers. They openly vent their anger against the government. But have they ever thought About Nepal's real problems? I believe that they have not. I want to say that Nepal's real problems are lack of patriotism among the people and lack of love for one another. This is the conclusion I have reached during my stay in Nepal. This summer, I did voluntary work from July 5 to July 30 at FHI Ever Vision School, Matatirtha, Kathmandu.

Let me first tell you about my country, Korea. This might help you understand my point. Just after the Korean War, which claimed the lives of more than 5 million Koreans, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Without natural resources, Korea had no choice but to desperately struggle for its survival by all means. Under this gloomy situation, Koreans envied other Asian countries like Japan, Taiwan, and Nepal. Korean government officials were horribly corrupt.

With the dual classes of Yangban (nobles) and Sangnom (peasants), the Korean society was sickening day by day. However, Koreans, having a determination to become rich, overcame the unfair social structure and put the country onto the track of development.

When the former president Park Jung Hee took over the government, there were few factories in Korea. Korea could not attract loans or expect foreign investments. Under these circumstances, President Park 'exported' miners and nurses to then West Germany. The salaries that they earned were used to build factories and promote the industrialization of Korea.

In 1964, when President Park visited then West Germany, the miners and nurses asked the president when the Koreans would become rich. The president replied, crying with the miners and nurses, that someday the Koreans would become rich. Many Korean scientists and engineers, who could enjoy a comfortable life in the United States, returned to Korea with only one thing in their mind: the determination to make Korea the most powerful and prosperous country in the world.

They did their best even though their salaries were much less than what they would have received in other countries. The Koreans believed that they have the ability to change their desperate situation and that they must make the country better, not only for themselves but also for the future generations yet to come.

My parents' generation sacrificed themselves for their families and the country. They worked 14 hours a day, and risked their lives working under inhumane conditions. The mothers, who went to work in factories, fed their babies while operating machines in dangerous environments. They always tried to teach their children the true value of 'hard work'. Finally, all of this hard work and sacrifice made the prosperous Korea that you see now.

Nepalis, have you ever cried for your country? I heard that many of the Nepali youth do not love their Nepal. I also heard that they want to leave Nepal because they don't like the caste system, or because they want to escape the severe poverty.

However, they should be the first ones to voluntarily work for Nepal's development, not the first ones to complain and speak against their country. I have a dream that someday I would be able to free the souls from suffering from the underdeveloped countries, anachronistic customs and the desperate hunger. My belief has become stronger than ever after seeing the reality in Nepal.

A child with a fatal disease who doesn't have enough money to buy a pill; a child living in what seems like a pre-historic dwelling and not having the opportunity to receive education; and a student who cannot succeed, no matter how hard he studies, just because of the class he comes from.

A society, in which wives not only take care of children but also work in the fields, while their
husbands waste their time doing nothing; a society in which a five-year-old must labour in a brick factory to feed herself.

Looking at the reality of Nepal, I felt despair; yet this sense of despair strengthened my belief. I already know that many of the Nepalis are devout Hindus. However, nothing happens if you just pray to hundreds of thousands of gods while doing nothing. It is action that you and Nepal need for a better future.

For Nepal and yourselves, you have to show your love to your neighbours and country just as you do to Gods. You know that your Gods will be pleased when you work for the development of your country and improvement of your lives. Therefore, please, love your neighbours and country.

Teach your children to love their country. And love working itself.

Who do you think will cry for your Nepal? Who do you think will be able to respect the spirit of the Himalaya and to keep the lonely flag representing it? You are the ones responsible for leading this beautiful country to a much brighter future. This responsibility lies on you.

(The writer is a 15 year-old student of Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies, South Korea)

[demon_dissector]

i think we discussed this article in the previous forum, i guess it would be interesting to see what the newcomers think.

[peace]

Who do you think will cry for your Nepal? Who do you think will be able to respect the spirit of the Himalaya and to keep the lonely flag representing it? You are the ones responsible for leading this beautiful country to a much brighter future. This responsibility lies on you.

म मरे पनि मेरो देश बाचिरहोस् !!!
एउटा म ले यहा केहि हुने छैन । नेपालीहरुको कहिले वुध्दि आउने होला ?
One day will come when a Nepali 14 year student will write a similar article about the most developed country today.

[equation]

frankly, i dont expect any from this generation. i can only hope from the next one.
everyone got lots in our mind but we are pretty scared that it might not be good idea to discuss. we are not ready to open ourselves yet. its true that we still believe in our intuism more than our country. that may be one minor problem but it is after all a happening one. also happening is the one who give up their intuism for the sake of nation are likely to suffer the most in the community, sometimes verypainful.

[Japanese]

Originally Posted by demon_dissector

i think we discussed this article in the previous forum, i guess it would be interesting to see what the newcomers think.

I joined this forum a couple of weeks ago,so was not aware of that... Anyway,hope the issue remains fresh..

[Love Nepal]

This letter( by BAN WHI MIN) is indeed moving and actually it had been published a month or so back and has again been on ekantipur.com.There are few things i want to share about it.

When Korea(we are talking about south korea here) was shattered by the Korean war and was brought to its knees successive governments could not do much to heal the wounds of the people and actually ended up repressing their voices.
Then there was an armed rebellion and Park Jung(chung) Hee seized power and ran the government(he kept the previous president but ran the government himself) and was actually elected three years later as the president (in1964).He was the man behind whom Korea rallied and from a country with 72$ percapita became an asian powerhouse of the 21st century.As is written in the article,he sent the best of his manpower abroad specially doctors/nurses.They sent the money back home and fueled the economy and Park also invited(rather controversially) Japanese capital on his land.With this money,His great leadership and hard work of his people he built a nation that is South Korea today.

Now here is the hitch.What do we lack in Nepal?I dont agree and i wont ever in my life agree with a belief that nepalese are less patriotic than anyother person belonging to any other country.Then why are we so poor?

1.LACK OF LEADERSHIP:
We are poor because we lack strong leadership.We need Park jung hee of nepal,we need Lee Kuan Yew of nepal,we need Mahathir Mohammad of nepal.We need a great leader behind whom we can work hard,and build a nation.A leader who has a vision and love for this country.What have we got?Girija,madhav nepal,King Gyanendra,and all the ranas and shahs and thapas.........do they love this country? Should a king whose country is burning roam around the world(not actually world,he is not welcome anywhere else but in africa and thats where he went) spending 350 million rupees??

2.THE CLUTURE OF "BAKSIS":
When ranas ruled this country we missed the great industrial revolution and we incorporated the culture of "BAKSIS".The doctrine was you dont have to work hard,you dont have to do anything actually,you just come infront of my house and beg and be loyal to me and you can live a happy life.This Rana ideology is continued to this day and rather than doing hard work we believe in 'chakari' and the worst thing is that IT WORKS!! It works everywhere in Nepal,and the state promotes it to get more loyal people on its side.But this attitude is what hinders our ability to work and think independently and to differentiate right from the wrong,black from the white.And worst of all this practice prevents right person being at the right place.

3.OUR SOCIAL FABRIC:
We have a very unique culture and a very open religion and i am proud of that but we have interwoven some very discriminatory aspects,which everyone knows is not a part of our history or culture but we have just carried it along generations.I am talking about the caste system.How many dalits are there in medschools?? i saw none in my school.very few of them actually attend high schools and when nearly half the population is undereducated,under represented can handful of higher caste aristocrats run a country??Havent we wasted the abilities of our low caste brothers and sisters by not giving them the light of education.

4.KATHMANDU MANIA:
Our whole policy and its implementation is Kathmandu centred.We probably are the best example of how you can ruin a country by CENTRALIZING the power.There is a huge huge void inbetween the rich kathmandu and the poor rest of the nepal.


These are the issues which i believe are pulling Nepal back.But above all we need A GREAT LEADER.Everything else can change with education and exposure.There has been a great number of people who have got international exposure and good education .We(I can certainly say for myself) are ready to serve our MOTHERLAND.We are no less patriotic,and yes we do shed tears and if needed will shed blood for our motherland and YES WE WILL COME BACK TO SERVE OUR BELOVED MOTHERLAND but we need a leader who can use the state money well to OPEN INDUSTRIES where we can work.OPEN HOSPITALS where we can serve our brothers and sisters.BUILD SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES where all of us can build our future.And maintain the rule of law where everynepali is equal and free to pursue his dream.

We have got everything at this point of time,we have a war that has ravaged our country but has united us as Nepalis ,we have nepalis all over the world bringing money and technical knowhow to nepal ,we have the energy to win over the world.WE NEED A LEADER TO LEAD NEPAL TO THE 21ST CENTURY.....with guts,vision and love for this nation.And who knows he/she may arise from the medical community,there are lots of examples of doctors leading his/her country into glory: The nearest and a very good example being Mahathir Mohammad who transformed Malaysia to what it is today.

MAY OUR BELOVED MOTHERLAND SOON SEE ONE AMONG HER SONS/DAUGHTERS RISE ABOVE THE ORDINARY AND LEAD NEPAL TO GLORY! JAI NEPAL AAMA!!