Radha Basnyat: Let Us Live In Peace

It was a good thing that career politicians who had looted the country were arrested and placed behind bars. Hopefully, they will get appropriate punishment. Now politicians in Nepal will think twice before they loot the country. I am not for any political parties, King or Queen. I am speaking for those who could not have their own voice. Does anyone care how many young children and women are suffering in Nepal because of the terrorist activities going on in villages in Nepal for the last five years? They are suffering from unnecessary violence, torture, and are forced to run away from their homes. Young children and mothers who never had proper nutrition, medicine or education. Now to add insult to injury, they have depression, fear, and anger. Having caused so much misery and suffering to innocent people, how could our corrupt politicians sleep at night? They created this situation in our motherland Nepal. I am amazed to note that many of our Nepalese friends living in the USA are still trying to save these corrupt criminals by defending them. These corrupt politicians who were in power for over a decade can take care of themselves. Please do not defend these criminal politicians. They deserve the punishment. I would not defend the corrupt politician even if it was my father. Well one has to be accountable for one?s actions.

For the last 10 years Nepal has been divided by so many political parties. Simple people in Nepal are very confused. It was very sad for me to see so many family owned cottage industries, and bed and breakfast places have been forced to close their businesses because they couldn?t pay the extortion money to the terrorists. The unarmed and peaceful people are so afraid from the violent terrorist that they left their farms and homes and have become homeless and refugees overnight in their own country. I personally know an old couple who had to flee to Kathmandu overnight because terrorists demanded money that they couldn?t afford to give.

When I visited Kathmandu back in December I saw that many storekeepers were afraid to keep their store open after dark. Many managers from companies took early retirement due to the fear of bombing in the offices. I heard in the news that kids couldn?t attend school in villages. They are forced to join the terrorist group. As a mother of three children, it breaks my heart to know that children in Nepal have suffered so much. In the name of democracy our politicians were busy looting the country and all of these bad and sad things were happening. For those people who have to close their stores. Well that?s their bread and butter. For those farmers who fled from their farmland that?s their livelihood.

Why are we ignoring all of these happenings and still parading for corrupt politicians? I went to several handicraft stores to buy gifts to bring to friends and coworkers in the USA. Many women told me that for the last five years their business has been very slow. This was due to the lack of tourism.

People from all around the world used to go to Nepal for vacationing, sightseeing, mountain climbing and trekking/rafting. Nepal used to be known as one of the peaceful countries in the world. Now we have even lost our Peace Corp. volunteers. In my job, I see 15 to 20 families a day. For the last two years or so even my clients have started asking me what?s happening in Nepal. My co-workers were really worried about my safety when I visited Nepal last December. Now they ask me pretty much every day how my family members in Nepal are. We never had a lot of things when we were growing up in Nepal but we never had to worry about terrorist or bombs. Children are 35% of Nepal?s population but they are 100% of the future. Please let us think how we can control ?Brain Drain from Nepal.? In the last twenty years, many young Nepalese have left Nepal for better life. I know several nationalist Nepalese went back to Nepal to serve the country after their studies abroad. They stayed there for couple of years; however, they could not stand the corrupt and incompetent government and left Nepal. Let us see if the new Nepalese government can change the policy and let the Nepalese people living aboard can have dual citizenship so that they could invest for the future of Nepal and her people.

Let us not waste any time any more it is urgent for all of us to do something positive to our motherland. Let us be proud of our Mt. Everest, Gurkha soldiers, beautiful weather, our culture and heritage, and happy smiling innocent faces of Nepalese people. Let?s work together so the world will again know what Nepal has to offer. We would not gain anything by fighting and creating divisions among ourselves. We cannot afford to follow the same path as in the last fourteen years. It may take many years, but if we don?t start now it will be too late. After all we all will die someday.

Let us build those broken roads before you reach your beautiful homes. Let us rebuild our broken friendship and our broken neighborhood. Let us renew our brotherhood and sisterhood. Let us all live together peacefully as citizens of Nepal irrespective of our race ethnicity and gender as we have done for centuries. Let us give young children proper nutrition, medicine, sanitation, education and above all a peaceful environment.

ENDS

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