पहाडमें क्या रक्खा है? सबकुछ रक्खा है भइ

Introduced without much fanfare (ribbon cutting, coconut smashing, big promises and all that jazz), this column aims to offer a cursory reading of news reports appearing mainly in the Nepali print media. Though no big name in the Nepali media firmament, yours truly will try through this forum to offer an unbiased and insightful analysis of the stories by not discriminating against any publication big or small. The effort will be on coming up with this column daily, though yours truly admits that the task will not be that easy for a juggler. Hope you all will be with yours truly through thick and thin. 

Yogesh Bhattarai is in the news today after his appointment as Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

Bhattarai (53) looks younger than his age. Be that as it may: Even a cursory reading of his political career (from what appeared in the Nepali media today) suggests that he has come a long way from his home village in Taplejung to a position of power in the government secretariat, Singhadurbar.

Bhattarai, who began his political career as a communist activist involved in student politics, has already helmed as the chair of the CPN-UML-aligned All Nepal National Free Student Union (1993), as the secretary of the CPN-UML and as a leader of the Communist Party of Nepal formed not so long ago with the merger of the CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre.  

Minister Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai. Courtesy: tourism.gov.np

He also played an active role in the movement for the abolition of the autocratic monarchy that culminated in the assimilation of the Maoists into the political mainstream and Nepal’s transformation into a federal, secular democratic republic.  

Political contributions, including his role in strengthening the UML’s organizational base, notwithstanding, Bhattarai lost as a UML candidate from Kathmandu constituency 6 during Constituent Assembly elections held in 2008 and 2014 (the second CA elections were held after the failure of the first CA to promulgate a constitution within the extended deadline of four years).

But two years ago, the home constituency of Taplejung came to his rescue, handing him a victory in parliamentary elections.

It is presumed that factional politics within the party (Bhattarai is considered close to the Madhav Nepal ‘camp’) delayed Bhattarai’s ascension to power, not to mention his nature of calling a spade a spade.      

 

With this appointment, yours truly feels Bhattarai can change things for the better. Right after assuming office, he said he is here to learn. Indeed, Bhattarai has a lot to learn and fast: Learn why our flag-carrier, Nepal Airlines, is lagging so far behind, why can there be no comparison between the NA and the Thai Airways, which started their journeys around the same time.

He has to be able to unravel the truth behind the wide-body scam that tarnished the image of his friend and predecessor, the promising youth leader Rabindra Adhikari, beyond repair, well before his death in a plane crash in Taplejung. Bhattarai will have to learn fast the reasons behind controversies that erupt like volcanoes whenever our flag carrier tries to purchase an aircraft or two.

If Bhattarai manages to do all this, if he manages to overcome the trappings of power at the ministry and complete his tenure without charges of involvement in any new scam, that will be a true tribute to his dear friend and predecessor, the late Adhikari.

Provided Bhattarai passes this test, his political fortunes will surely shine brighter. Indeed, this is the time to wish him well and not to think about possible failures, controversies and how they may affect the ambition-driven youth leader that has the potential to be a hero.