सरकार र सिँहदरबार भित्र हुने कृयाकलापमा युवाको चासो



सञ्जु पौडेल

स्वदेश तथा विदेशबाट उच्च शिक्षा लिएका निश्चित विद्यार्थीहरुले दायित्व फेलोशीप कार्यक्रम अन्तरगत देशको विभिन्न मन्त्रालय तथा सरकारी निकायहरुमा उद्यमशीलता तथा आर्थिक समृद्धि सम्बन्धी अनुसन्धान वर्षेनी गर्दै आएका छन् । समर २०१६ को फेलोशीप कार्यक्रम यो हप्ता सकिदैछ ।
सरकार, सरकारी कार्यक्रम तथा अभियान आदीमा युवाहरुको पनि सहकार्य, सहभागिता तथा समन्वय होस् भन्ने उद्देश्यले सन् २०१३ बाट नियमित रुपमा कार्यक्रम सञ्चालन गर्दै आइरहेको छ । यसरी फेलोशीप कार्यक्रममा छनौटमा परेका युवाहरुले÷फेलोजहरुले मन्त्रालय लगायत आआफ्नो कार्यक्षेत्रमा अनुसन्धान गरेर त्यसको प्रतिवेदन सम्बन्धित कार्यलयमा बुझाउने गर्दछन् ।
यस समर २०१६ को फेलोशीप कार्यक्रमको फेलोजहरु मध्ये काठमाण्डौंकी २९ वर्षिया स्वदिपा बोहरा पनि एक हुन् । उनी अर्थ मन्त्रालयमा सहसचिबको नजिक रहेर अनुसन्धान गर्दै आएकी छिन् । सिटन हल विश्वविद्यालय, अमेरिकाबाट एम.पी.ए. पास गरेर नेपाल फर्किएकी उनी मन्त्रालयमा यसरी अनुसन्धान गर्न पाउदा खुशी छिन् । उनले अर्थ मन्त्रालयको च्यालेञ्ज फन्ड मार्फत उद्यमशीलता तथा स्वरोजगारको सम्बन्धमा भएका चुनौती, सुझावहरु तथा अवसर आदीको बारेमा विभिन्न मन्त्रालयका सचिब लगागतको ब्यक्तिहरुको उपस्थितीमा आफ्नो प्रस्तुती समेत राखेकी थिइन् ।

अर्थ मन्त्रालयका पुर्ब आर्थिक सल्लाहकार डा. गोबिन्द नेपलसँग स्वदिपा बोहरा

त्यसैगरी स्थानीय विकास मन्त्रालय अन्तरगत बैतडीकी त्रिवेणी चन्दले जिल्ला विकास समिती ,रामेछाप र मोरंगकी प्रभा उप्रेतीले जिल्ला विकास समिती गुल्मीमा यहि कार्यक्रम अन्र्तगत अनुसन्धान गर्दै छन् । त्रिवेणीले रामेछापमा भएका सरकारी तथा गैर सरकारी सस्ंथाहरुले प्रदान गर्ने सिप विकास तालिम तथा कार्यक्रमहरुमा दोहोरोपना तथा सबै सस्ंथाहरुमा आपसमा समन्वय तथा सहकार्यको अवस्थाको बारेमा अनुसन्धान गरेकी थिईन् । 

प्रभा उप्रेती

रामेछाप, जिल्ला विकास  अधिकारी  तथा सूचना अधिकृत दिपक प्रसाद सुबेदी को साथमा त्रिवेणी चन्द . 



यसरी अनुसन्धान गर्ने क्रममा उनले एउटै मानिसले पटक पटक तालिम पाउने, एउटै किसिमको तालिम फरक फरक सस्ंथाहरुले  दिने, एउटै समयमा फरक फरक कार्यक्रहरु सञ्चालन हँुदा कार्यक्रमको समय जुध्ने आदी अनुसन्धानबाट पत्ता लागेको बताईन् । त्यसैगरि प्रभा आफ्नो भनाई यसरी राखिन्, “ मैले गुल्मी जिल्लामा उद्यमशीलता तथा स्वरोजगार सम्बन्धी अनुसन्धान गरेकी हुँ । मेरो सरकारी क्षेत्रबाट उद्यमशीलता तथा स्वरोजगार सम्बन्धी केही कार्यक्रम गरेनन् भन्ने सोचाँई थियो तर त्यस्तो होइन रहेछ । सरकारी क्षेत्रबाट पनि त्यस किसिमको थुप्रै प्रयासहरु भएको रहेछ । सरकारी कृयाकलापलाई नजिकैबाट नियाल्न पाए । 

जुनी सिंह

यसै सन्दर्भमा अर्को फेलोजको नाम जुनी सिंह हो । उनले पेरिसबाट उच्च शिक्षा लिदाँ सिकेको ज्ञान, सीपको प्रयोग गरेर राष्ट्रिय योजना आयोगमा अनुसनधान गरेकी थिइन् । काठमाण्डौंकी स्थायी बासिन्दा उनले योजना आयोगमा नेपालको पुजीँगत खर्च किन कम भएको छ भन्ने विषयमा अनुसन्धान गरेकी छिन् । उनी चाडैं नै विद्या वारिधीको लागि पुनः पेरिस जादैछिन् ।
फेलाशीप कार्यक्रमको लागि बुद्ध इयर, अभियान, मार्केन्टाइल तथा हिमालयन बैंकले आर्थिक सहयोग गर्दै आएको भन्दै दायित्वको कार्यक्रम अधिकृत मनोज पौडेल आफ्नो भनाई यसरी राख्छन्, “ हाम्रो नेपालमा दुई थरिको युवाहरु छन्, एउटा सरकारले केही गरेन भन्ने र अर्को थरि युवा भनेको सरकारले सबै गरिदियोस् भन्ने हुन्छन् । माइतीघर मण्डलामा बसेर सकरकारको विरोध गर्नु भन्दा सिंहदरबार भित्र के के भइरहेको छ , सरकारी योजनाहरु केके छन् थाहा पाउनु बढी सहयोगी हुने तथा उद्यमशीलता मानसीकता हुनको लागि सृजनशीलता र जोखिम वहन गर्न सक्ने क्षमता सरकार भित्र पनि चाहिएको छ । यस्तो मानशीकताको लागि सरकार र युवाको सहयात्रा हुन जरुरी छ भनेर यस कार्यक्रम अन्तरगत पछिल्लो तीन वर्षमा २४ मुलुकका विभिन्न विश्वविद्यालयबाट शिक्षा एवं तालिम प्राप्त गरेका ६८ नेपाली युवाहरुले विभिन्न १६ मन्त्रालय तथा २३ ब्यवस्थापिका संसद सदस्यहरुसँग विभिन्न परियोजना तथा विषयहरुमा काम गर्नु भएको छ ।
स्वदिपा, त्रिवेणी, प्रभा र जुनी  आदी प्रतिनिधी फेलोहरु हुन् । सो कार्यक्रम अन्तरगत अनुपमा शर्मा र धर्मराज जोशी कृषि विकास मन्त्रालय, आलोक जोशी, श्रम तथा रोजगार मन्त्रालय, सृजु ढकाल र स्नेहा प्रधान, नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंक, दिक्षित के.सी. र भिरा लामिछाने, उद्योग मन्त्रालय तथा सुजन अधिकारी वाणिज्य मन्त्रालयमा गरी १२ जना फ्लोजहरुले अध्ययन, अनुसन्धान गरेका छन् । जस मध्ये मध्ये ८ जना महिला फेलोज हुन्, यसरी सरकार, सरकारी कार्यक्रम तथा अभियान आदीमा युवाहरुको पनि सहकार्यता, सहभागिता तथा समन्वयको लागि आवश्यक वातावरणको लागि प्रयास गरिनु पनि आफैंमा सकरात्मक पक्ष हो । आखिरमा युवाले गर्न नसक्ने संसारमा के नै पो छ र ?


For more information on the Daayitwa-Nepal Public Service Fellowship, click here.



Bummer bombers


What we all need to do in this world is try to leave it a better place than the one you were born into. We all want to bring change and develop our nation but what we need to do is find an ethical and acceptable way of doing so. If you want change become a revolutionist, not a terrorist.

Violence is wrong in every way. It's not the right way to seek for change. We do not want children to grow up to be dim wits who think violence is a way of achieving things. Risking children's life and inducing panic to a peaceful nation such ours is the last thing any of us want. We do not want to hurt the morale of the young minds, do we? We want kids to grow up with the right mindset.  The kind of act we saw today, planting bombs at schools, is an act performed by mentally ill people, the kind that did not go to school.

Take a look around. Isn't Nepal the most beautiful country in the world? There is every opportunity for the future generation to prosper in a country like ours. Our country is the land of opportunity. We do not need to bring up safety issues in our country again, do we? We want children to get the right education in school. We want these kids to grow up to become entrepreneurs and build the nation. I think I know where terrorists are built. They're the arrogant child, the cry babies, those who cannot come up with reason, nor battle with wit. These are cowards. These are the lots who have been so misled. These are people who've grown up this way. It's their way of showing anger and dissatisfaction, but it's not the right way to do. The right thing to do is come up with a plan, negotiate with authority and implement it.

Writing a song is a meaningful way of expressing feelings and demanding change. Writing for a national paper is another. Aren't these bombers trying to demand something and force a change in the system? These bombers might actually have a rightful plan to do something but the execution must be reasonable. If you think the government is wrong about a whole lot of things, my advice to you is to open up your own organisation and bring the change you want to bring peacefully. As a youth of this country, I feel there is nothing I cannot do. I can only see a bright future for the children of our country. I can see clearly now that there is no way we'll be going downhill in our country. There is so much to do in our country and youths of the nation are going for it, making a name for themselves with innovation. In my vision, I do not see the next generation forming rebel groups and terrorising the country. With help of social media, digitalisation of records and the right influences, I see positive changes everywhere.

Praying doesn't help but working on it does. The thing we've witnessed yesterday was preposterous and something we'd never like to ever see again. Let us hope we wake up every morning with good stories of achievements, that's that make us feel blessed. Let's act professional and find solutions the right way.

Act like a Nepali. Be brave, not a coward.

Author +Abish Shakya 
About the Author: 21. Coder, blogger, guitarist, atheist, nihilist, vegetarian and night owl. Into current affairs, culture, altruism, environment, football and classic rock. 
Follow me on Twitter: @abishakya



With-in and with-out


As a child growing up in Kathmandu, I always noticed two particular things while passing by Singha Durbar. The first was the fleeting sight of the formidable ‘Lion Palace’ as we took a right turn to head towards Patan. I’d peer through my window, and my mom would point it out to me and exclaim, “That’s Singha Durbar. That’s where the prime minister and ministers work to make big plans and laws for the country.” My brother and I would crane our necks through the window for as long as we could see the palace. All I cared about was walking past those gates to what I thought was a beautiful house. And I wondered when they’d make laws for school kids to visit Singha Durbar as part of compulsory school tours. 

As we headed towards the Maitighar Mandala, I would notice the second thing: angry protesters. Young people were constantly at the busy thoroughfare, protesting the inefficiencies of the government—sometimes education, lack of jobs, petrol price hikes, equality, and other important things—that I believed only grownups could understand. My mom would inform me that they were protesting about their unhappiness about how the government was not taking proper care of the needs of the people. 

I also noticed another group of young people, the onlookers. The onlookers didn’t attend the protest themselves but expected the government to take care of all their needs. 

From a young age, the notion that to bring about any change meant that you had to have formal authority was embedded in my mind. When you see protests on the streets on a frequent basis (like you do in Kathmandu), you start questioning the role of the youth in the country, given the fact that more than half of the population in Nepal can be classified as such. 

The youth bulge presents a positive, as well as a negative, scenario given the direction and resources directed for its development. If policies are formulated so that they increase investment in innovation, education and enterprise development, the youthful energy can be directed towards positive productivity and economic growth.  Its absence, on the other hand, will fuel frustration. 

My idea of the governance system had always been clouded with my negative preconceived notions about authority and leadership. With people telling you from a young age how untrustworthy politicians and government officials are, the pre-conceived notion is something that plagues most Nepalis. I have always wondered if I as an individual could make a difference despite not having any formal authority. Or how can a young person work with the government in order to bring policy changes instead of protesting? My relationship with the governance system was negative. This was also because I didn’t understand the system very well. 

This changed when I started working with MP Gagan Thapa, as a Daayitwa Fellow with the Daayitwa-Nepal Public Service Fellowship.  Granted not all was smooth sailing. I had days where I met extremely unhelpful people who weren’t receptive to talking over the phone or in person; or days when I had to wait for considerable amount of time collecting the proper papers—given the oft-resurfacing technical difficulties; or the fact that I had to shuffle between the various departments that are housed in different buildings. 

However, the everyday technical and adaptive problems you face, and experiences and your interactions, teach you about the ins and outs of the system which in turn provides an insight on how laws and regulations are made. Although a significant amount of time is invested on this, you have the opportunity to build relationships with the people you meet in the process. It presents you with an opportunity to express the importance of the cause you are working for, which creates trust and acceptance.

 As a Daayitwa fellow, I didn’t have any formal authority. I was just one of the many fellows working under an elected official. What I did have, however, was the opportunity to research on a topic I was extremely passionate about: promoting entrepreneurship. Using the informal authority I had, I utilised the space I was given to research findings to design effective recommendations that promote entrepreneurship.

 The young can support policy changes from outside Singha Durbar too and for that, they have to take the initiative to be part of the discussion that leads to policy. You can still influence policy decisions by being a part of the civil society through the organisations you work for, the private sector, nonprofit or advocacy work.

 Working with MP Thapa taught me one important lesson: That change is not an intuitive process but a continuous one where you have to learn to adapt and adjust to the small space that has been presented to you. 

This small space for change starts becoming bigger as you increase your acceptance, ability, and authority. But more importantly, it has taught me that there is space enough for various types of discourses. And that change is possible, from with-in, as it is from with-out. 

Published in The Kathmandu Post on  August 20, 2016. 


The author Astha Joshi is a Daayitwa Autumn Fellow 2015.

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