--BY MADAN LAMSAL

The ministers have been working really hard for the country and its people but the people seemingly haven’t got the message. They keep complaining against the government and criticising it perhaps only because they have so much free time. You can protest against anyone but you are not supposed to protest against a government with a two-thirds majority! If you have to stage a protest or a hunger strike, do it in either Jumla or Olangchungola or at the ‘protest places’ designated by the government. Because this is a government headed towards socialism. How dare you raise your ire against such a government? Its needs are clear; it doesn’t want its intentions questioned or to wake up from its fairytale dream of bringing prosperity to the country by trains and ships. 

The government has already done many things for the people. It recently started a TV programme called 'Hello Sarkar'. Earlier, this programme only aired on the radio. Similarly, it freed from prison an ex-Maoist leader who had been jailed unjustifiably. As soon as this government was formed, the transport minister scrapped the transport syndicate. The home minister decreed that the contractors who do not complete their projects on time will be arrested. Likewise, the labour minister announced he will end the exploitation of Nepali migrant workers who go abroad. The agriculture and cooperatives minister expedited market monitoring. He even warned of closing vegetable markets, and the dairy and bottling water industries if the businessmen do not mend their ways. In this way, the ministers have been working but it seems the people are unaware of it. How such a situation was created is explained below.      

Firstly, 'Hello Sarkar' was never that effective earlier. That's probably why the government now plans to run it successfully. More important than that is some 'influential' people inside as well as outside the government influence them and don't let them work. For example, influenced by a joint secretary, the concerned minister scrapped the transport syndicate. But the transport committees didn't follow his order. As a result, the transport syndicate was revived within a few days. Similarly, the budget tabled by the finance minister was aimed at improving the economy. But the economy has its own way. What's more, the share market doesn't seem to trust the finance minister at all.   

Likewise, the home minister said that the contractors not completing their work on time will be arrested. But, as it became clear later, only the physical infrastructure and transport minister had the right to say such a thing! On the other hand, the foreign employment and labour minister had just talked about ending the exploitation of Nepalis going abroad for employment when foreign employment entrepreneurs stopped taking the Nepali workers to Malaysia. Similarly, though the agriculture and cooperatives minister told the milk, water and vegetable traders to mend their ways, they don't seem to have listened to him. Maybe for that same reason, the disgruntled farmers started celebrating a 'milk holiday' by spilling their milk on the streets!

In actuality, the ministers do want to serve all the people. They want to reach out to even the people in the rural and remote parts of the country. But the government has been unable to provide a helicopter to each of them. Otherwise, the ministers would show what they are capable of doing!    

Therefore, it's high time the ministers were provided a helicopter each so that they can meet the people on their doorsteps. If the ministers can visit the people on their doorsteps, they don’t really have to do anything more. Because India and China have already said they will construct railways linking Nepal. Similarly, India has already given its word to bring ships to Nepal. Countries in the Gulf are already giving employment to Nepali youths. Now, if only our ministers had a helicopter each to do the nation the good they can do! Because they are serious about the country and its people.

However, it won't work if everybody becomes all too serious. Perhaps, that's why our prime minister is always smiling and showing off his sense of humour. He keeps cracking jokes so that the people affected by floods, landslides and other troubles can smile even in their pain! What's more, he even manages to produce caricatures of the opposition leaders. And truly speaking, there are only two comedians who are devoted to the people of this country. One, the PM who speaks his comedy and two, this scribe who writes his comedy. The rest are just the extra jokers in the pack.