Lure, ra ‘master jasto’…

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

I have read an article by Hisila Yami who is one of the prominent leaders of Naya Shakti Nepal, the youngest political party of Nepal. She was also the Tourism Minister of Nepalese government at the time of Maoist ruling before 9 years. She published an article in Kantipur Daily on 3^rd August which was about Pushpa Kamal Dahal (PKD) who was going to be a new Prime Minister of Nepal that day.

The article was about PKD in which she gave the detail after her visit with him from 2046 BS. She characterized him from her first visit commenting that he was lure, ra ‘master jasto’…. Lure means thin in Nepali and the English translation of this phrase is “thin, ‘like master’”. I am also a teacher or master I realize that I must be thin. The sentence refers that masters are thin and the language she has used is too much derogatory. It refers that leaders should be, may be fat, they should earn more, or they have some high personality, or they are prestigious, or they are powerful, or they are intelligent, or they are smart and so on.

The sentence insulted teachers very much as she treated teachers as a miserable creature who have no power at all or they should have been sympathized etc. They don’t have personality; they are thin, less smart, earn less etc. It refers that they should have been living with someone’s grant and they don’t have dignity at all. The meaning of such sentence is too serious in which teachers have been treated as a mean creature who have no power or capacity to do anything in front of political leaders. The sinister language from one of the responsible persons of the country is meaningful who had also served as the minister of Nepal government.

She might have thought that the leaders are respectable persons ignoring their activities in front of people. Being a ‘teacher’ and a commoner I want to characterize the leaders as following. We don’t regard leaders as good persons rather they are the illiterate, boastful, cheater, shameless, exploiter, corruptor, dacoits, extortionist, and so on. I can’t express all the words that people have used to characterize the Nepalese political leaders.

Let’s see all the characters individually; all the examples of the above adjectives can be described with proof. Everyone is aware about the educational qualifications of our leaders only a dozen have PhD qualifications with little evidence. There is a proof that only a boastful person can write such sentences in article. They are cheaters as they haven’t fulfilled the promise what they have done with their voters. They are shameless which can be a proof herself. They are exploiters that they have taken share of 5 crores as their share though the member of parliaments has the duty to frame rules not to implement the development programs.  They are corruptors the report of Transparency International report has proved it. They are dacoits which are proved by Shyam Sundar Gupta who is still in jail. They are extortionists which is a good example of herself and her colleagues that they killed teacher Mukti Adhikari in their so-called People’s War.

In spite of her understanding teaching is the best job in the world which she can’t understand. The teachers have wished best for their children; they are always with the success of the students. They have provided education to the small children so that they can see the world themselves.

Did she read herself or there were teachers to teach her? She didn’t respect teachers which may be right to complain but what is her morality? I guessed that she has developed such habit of so-called revolutionary and attack others when she didn’t respect her teachers or seniors. The revolutionaries think themselves above than others which can be reflected from her article about PKD. Her party killed 13000 people in the so called People’s War and the most heinous type of killing can be seen of Mukti Adhikari’s who was also a teacher. She might have some admonition towards teacher so they had done so. Her denouncement also proved that she some kind of hatred towards teachers.

I heard that she has been talking about the development of the country but ignores the fact that the pioneer person of the development. She is a political animal now without base at all. She won the first election first then loses it next time. Had she done well, she would have again won the election. She had taken election as a game ignoring her deeds so she lost the second election of being the third candidate. Still she doesn’t realize her position and denounced teachers using sinister language. I would like to question her: do teachers lose like her? Do they have to cheat others? Do they involve in corruption like her? Do they damage national politics? Do they stop the development projects? They have only given to others and help to produce manpower to the nation rupturing their existence.

She can be a best example of inefficient leader who have stopped the development process of the country from her proud nature. It means she can’t accept other’s existence of being so-called revolutionary. Does she know the power of teacher? They are like the candle who burn to spread the light to others. If the leaders could follow the teachers, they country was already developed before many years. Those who are simple and honest would be regarded as the worst one is the culture that the revolutionary would learn. Her ideas directly hurt the teachers who are the key of development.

Truly speaking she doesn’t have any respect to her teacher; it’s vain to celebrate teachers’ day by her. She is all in all herself and she has got certificates from the jungle. I think she has taken her certificates like Yarcha Gumba that she can find without any effort. It’s also shameful to be a teacher for her; if her teacher had seen it how would have he reacted? It’s a tragedy of our nation that the so-called leaders are so illiterate, half-wit, senseless and so on. Thanks god that she was also a student of the teacher.

She can’t understand the real aspects of teachers’ life. They don’t have anything to expect from others; they have given only; they have taken nothing from the students; they always wish for the progression of their students; they deliver same to all the students; they read for the sake of students. What they have read would be fruitful to the students like the thing that mother has eaten for her baby. So the relation of students and teachers is like child and mother. It seems that she has been doing fun of teacher and teaching which seems odd to her. She has been observing teachers from her vulture eyes like PKD, who is her political opponent or he is a son-of-step for her.

I can claim that no leaders can operate school nor can they teach the students; whereas the teachers can run the country. I can challenge her to go and handle class for one hour only. If I have been given opportunity to run the country, I will do certainly the better than her. On the other hand, her concept is sufficient to understand the understanding towards teacher by the political leaders. Such a responsible person would talk such irresponsible things; thus education is one of the neglected fields of the nation. In this way, we can’t develop our country.

Education is the key of development and teachers are the key to open the lock. Teacher and teaching is thus the best of jobs and it’s not the neglected profession in comparison to her so-called politics. I suggest her to respect teachers and teaching then only the aim of your politics can be fulfilled; neither should we understand her as a leader above mentioned adjectives. 

Indecision

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

‘A stitch in time saves nine’ is a popular proverb that makes us conscious all the time to take every moment valuable. Or it teaches us to utilize the moment of our life so that we can be benefitted in the future. Being careless in a small problem, we have created many, many mistakes in our life. It suggests us to do everything on time so that we can have better result in the future. In other words, it refers to the time to be utilized in our course of life. Or we must be conscious to recognize the moment which helps to save everything for the future.

The proverb is important that it suggests us to move utilizing the time or moment that comes ahead of us. Utilization of time is to dance according to the music. Or we have been keeping up with the demand of time so that we can get better result in the future. Time is an important element in our life. Unless we don’t use it well, we can’t achieve our goal. Time even influences us in every steps of life so we should be conscious regarding it.

The famous Irish poet, W B Yeats regarded time as an important factor in human life. It is powerful that can change us from young child to the old man. The poet has expressed some sorts of hatred towards time as it has made him old and useless. The time has power to make us more useful as well as one of the hated creatures. A child is lovely to all whereas an old man is hated due to the force of time.

We should be able to recognize the value of time. Or we should stitch in time to get further benefit. Those who can’t move ahead along with time will be back in their life. Our life span is short and transitory, thus we should utilize it fully to get the real flavor. Mostly, people would feel repentance when the time is spent which is useless. I have heard that most of the old people have forced their children to read and progress when they realize the fact that they have missed many, many opportunities in their life from reading.

The thing is that to go with the time we must have precise decision. As we have decided anything on time, we can have more opportunities than after. It’s necessary to move ahead with the sense of time to get the set goal. We people have the habit of deferring something for future ignoring the value of time. Since we have understood the importance of time we won’t miss it at any cost. We would also improve our habit of shifting duty for the future. Thus the decision on time would help to get much more opportunities in our life.

Delaying decision has created many, many problems; or that makes us lose many things at the same time. The first thing is that we can’t get the result what we can get. Secondly, we can’t start another work on time. Thirdly, we can’t keep our trust to others. Fourthly, we will be in dilemma for many days so it kills our time. Fifthly, we will have got mental tension.  On the other hand, decision helps us to go further either straight or with some alternatives.

The indecisive condition can also reflect our incapacity to deal with the problem. If we can solve any problem on time we can be the example of sound and effective mind. If the matter is related to public we can’t get the public support. The sound and effective decision on time would increase our credit which is full of reputation with many friends.

On the other hand, it’s better to decide though the decision can be wrong. It can help us in various ways. After all being humans we can have mistakes; no person is perfect himself/herself. Those who have worked would do mistakes. We shouldn’t face the above five situations or problems if we have timely decision. Moreover, it paves way to go further with new possibilities or opportunities. Justice delayed is justice denied. Thus the decision on time has many, many positive sides. We can focus our attention to new areas; we shouldn’t spend our valuable time; we shouldn’t take mental tension; we can be trusty to our friends; it also reflects our capacity.

Indecisiveness puts everyone or everything in confusion so we will lose various opportunities. Or we have to spend our valuable time in the same thing which is certain to happen. If we have capacity to decide on time, it sharpens our mind and our future is secure and full of possibilities. The decision of one matter can lead to other decisions that pave the way ahead. Hence, decision on time is like a stitch that saves us from other bad decisions. On the other hand, we should mend our shirt on time; neither will it be further damaged from small tearing or pores.

Timely decision makes us sound and rational; a rational mind is just opposite of idleness. Likewise, idleness doesn’t allow us to move ahead because it pushes us back. Once being back needs double efforts to go ahead which seems impossible. On the other hand, succession leads to success and failure needs much effort to be successful. An idle mind is the house of demons; we should act more to defeat the demon. The decision in time may have some mistakes; but the indecisiveness has various defects. Thus decision on time helps us to be clever and innovative. It can be also a lesson to change the course if life or we can move ahead with right decision. So it has double benefits or we can get sweets in two hands. 

Who need job?

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

The persons who have been working in any offices think that their job is not good for them as human habit performs. They think that the duty what they have been given is always burdensome for them and payment is always less. They have unlimited wants and the resource is limited so there is always a tussle between want and resource what they have. On the other hand, they have compared their situation along with others; maybe they have earned more or less; or maybe they are less/more skillful or educated; workers have been lacking something in their life irrespective of their need. People do duty to be sustained whereas they are reluctant to accept their duty as duty; rather they are always dissatisfied with their job and payment.

The main tussle can be seen with limited resources and unlimited wants or desires. The language of economics has divided need and want into two factions. They seem same but their meaning is just opposite. Need means the ability to pay to get something; want means something you can expect without your paying capacity. The persons have been guided by want, hence they are always ambitious and unsatisfied. It has been guiding them to be rebellious. As a result, they have got dissatisfied with the work what they have been doing. Unless workers can’t realize their limitations, they can’t get benefit from the work.

People can’t deny work as it has connection to their overall aspects of life. They work to be engaged and to get some money for sustenance. Neither would they remain idle; they don’t have anything to take meal, or to wear clothes, or to fulfill their basic needs. Why do they have such hatred to the work they have done? What may be the satisfying factor to them? Since time immemorial humans have been searching peace, happiness, prosperity etc. However, they can’t get it at any cost of being dissatisfied. When there is the development of the individual property which is the creation of modern world has put them in problem.

People work due to compulsion when they don’t have any possibility. They work for double benefits: to be rescued from idleness and to earn for their living. Skills, techniques, education, ability set their limitation. Human habit is that they want to work less and earn more which is a controversial factor of human subject. Skills, techniques, education and ability set limit to the ambition to earn more. In spite of various limitations, they are unable to understand it and are dissatisfied.

Unless they can’t identify the tussle of need and want, there is always a conflict between these two factors. People have started to work for the need; rather they exercise to meet their want. Their want is never fulfilled but need forces them to work. They have recognized their limitations with the skills, techniques, ability and education which they can’t apply in practice so are ambitious. Still they have tried to get much more than others guided by sub-conscious mind irrespective of limitations. Their conscious mind would work in search of job, while doing job their sub-conscious mind would work. Thus, we can find conflict between duty and ambition.

Workers need work to sustain themselves and their family whereas they have the habit of ignoring their duty frequently. They have tried to exchange with ambition or money. Those who have forgotten duty throughout the month would need money at last and the conflict would arise. The only way out is struggle, tussle, misunderstanding etc that invites conflict. Being rational animal we should have taken our duty as duty. We shouldn’t have the habit of fantasizing at the time of need. It makes us more irresponsible and we can’t get more unless we don’t work on time.

We should respect our work as it is pursuing by our need. If we can’t respect work it doesn’t provide anything. To get something from work we should fulfill our responsibility first. Hence, work is important for employer and employee. When their need comes to agreement they are ready to work. The need of both parties have released reliable outcome; then the work is done. If the workers neglect the work, it won’t have positive outcome; the employer should seek alternative which may not be in favor of workers.

The workers would feel that they could get work everywhere; however they don’t feel their limitations. It is said that skill, techniques, expertise, education are the pillars of work; these things only aren’t sufficient for us. If we quit job in one place and be engaged in other place, we will be new. We may have experienced but we can’t keep with the work due to new environment. We are novice in new place so that we have to begin from the beginning. On the one side, we are raw to the place and we can’t get grades and other benefits. The new place is new from all points of view.

In this way, workers and employer should have consideration that their decision of sub-conscious mind would be defective. Mostly, the workers should be conscious about the possible defects which have multiple effects. Employer establishes industry but it depends on employee to make it successful or failure. It’s a political or popular belief that the employers exploit employee. The consequence affects employee very much if the work industry is shut down. I have read a news on Kantipur Daily last time. Some clothe manufacturing company was closed by the employee in Bara district. The newspaper further wrote that the employee were out of work. There was a woman whose children would go to school without taking meal. They would ask leave in the school to go home at day time. The children made it clear that their mother would come home only at 12.00pm so they should go to home to take meal when the mother prepared meal. The teachers also stated that most of the children would come to school without meal. Hence, the condition of employee is too bad.

It’s a natural rule that the person who has invested would get some benefit in capitalistic society as s/he has invested money and time taking risk. However, the employees think that they have done for employer not for themselves. Hence the thought should be changed outrightly. The employer can close industry as it can’t be operated whereas employee can’t remain starved even one time a day. Though there is bilateral relation, the most sufferers is the employee. So we should respect work and fulfill our duty duly along with the need. 

An Irate Worker

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

There is a worker in my office who seems always angry and she never accepts the suggestion in her duty roster. She has the habit of complaining or rejecting, but there is no way out unless she completes the work what is assigned to her. She works when there is strong order to her though she has the habit of reacting. It is quite difficult for her to engage in work so the duty what she hasn’t realized is always a matter of headache to the administration.

Unless the force is used she doesn’t realize it so the use of it is her habit. It seems as if she is habituated to follow duty with force. It can be only the weapon that forces her to work. The workers’ mind is shaped in such a way that they need it as a dope in our culture. We have to guide them time and again so the duty is hectic and insurmountable. Rather the workers would seek their right forgetting their duty. Unless the workers aren’t able to realize their duty the meaning of work is useless.

I have always heard that the workers argue that the manager has favored some workers; they always think that they have been hated by the manager only. It helps to form the sense of alienation to them. No workers would accept that they have been favored by the manager. The question remains to whom the manager would favor. There is no answer at all so the controversy would always put me in dilemma. I think this as the issue that the manager should have realized.

For that the manager has to be prepared with different alternative ideas. The workers have questioned if they have to do the duty with some general alternatives; whereas the manager should have been prepared with the alternative that would make the workers do the work. Unless the manager isn’t prepared with alternatives, the workers would have found the loopholes and the manager would be failed. So the success of the manager would remain in this matter.

I have a friend who worked as a supervisor in UK. He had been recognized as one of the best supervisors and he got promotion and incentives from the company. He had also given me the evidence of his work so I should believe him. According to him the company has contracted with the owner to complete work on time. The supervisor should follow the time along with the management of the personnel.

He explained that the workers would quarrel time and again with him. But there was a system that nobody could attack others physically; rather they could quarrel or vomit their dissatisfaction. He stated that supervisor had the responsibility to make the workers do the work. The supervisor has the duty to choose right person for the right work; so the workers would be able to complete the work. He further explained that one of the black man workers was there and he should have given the difficult work for him as others couldn’t do that. Instead he came to quarrel with him saying that he wasn’t only the person in the company to work. Thus there is conflict with the supervisor and the worker. However, the work should have been completed on time and there was no other worker to do the work. He said that he should have convinced him for the work. Ultimately he was able to assure him and the work was completed on time. If the work wasn’t completed, the supervisor would be penalized.

The company instructs supervisor that he should complete the work on time and his duty was to guide the workers. If they don’t work the supervisor is responsible. The conflict of the worker or the manager can be seen from socio-political context. The need of the worker has connection with the job; and the need of the supervisor has connection with the worker.

The context of UK and Nepal may be different but the situation of workers was same. Or nobody would be able to fulfil the responsibility rather they would advocate for the right. The habit of worker is used to with the instructions, cheating, order, and with the money or salary ultimately. They would try to find the loopholes with the order, instruction, information and so on. We have faced many, many difficulties with the workers as they have created different problems. Sometimes they would have done strike; sometimes they would revolt against less salary; sometimes they would form union and so on. Thus the manager should be used to with the condition of the workers.

One of the persons who had returned from Dubai explained me that the company would cut two days salary if s/he was absent without information. Money is the matter and he was forced to work for the payment. The matter was that he was that he was forced to work for the money. On the other hand, we should be able to complete the work on time which can be defective to the manager and the worker both. So the meeting point is the salary and they should come to the agreement.

I realized that the worker wouldn’t work unless they aren’t forced. There is a popular system in labor ‘no work no pay’ or ‘hire and fire system’. These two things would come together in the field. If there is no work we shouldn’t pay for the worker. Hence they are forced to work. If we have let the workers freely, they won’t be able to complete their work. So the rule is made to force the workers work duly.

Let’s leave the conflict aside, the motto of the worker and the manager has met at some point and the work is possible. We should follow the rule to complete work on time; neither both of them would be in problem. On the other hand, the ‘hire and fire system’ is also made to force the worker and the manager to come to the meeting point. If we see from manager’s side it’s a king of threat as s/he wouldn’t be able to appoint the right worker on right work the system only doesn’t work. S/he should be able to find the right man and to train them again. As a corollary, the condition of the manager and the worker has got interconnection.

Finally, I want to conclude that the workers are worker unless we don’t use force they do nothing else. On the other hand, the supervisor is also a kind of worker. We have been bounded by time and money puts us together. Or we have been depending on each other. Thus the final point is coordination which helps us to meet the goal. 

Incentive or Bribery

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

It is quite difficult to make the labors work as they are necessary for the work and their habit of cheating. Nobody can understand and there is no boundary which work is more fit to which situation. Since it is in the hand of the worker, they are the manager to handle the work. We can’t understand their heart neither can we work ourselves. Ultimately, it is the human subject that we have to deal with. The workers seem busy and nobody can question what they have been doing. Finally, the work should have been completed on time whether it is meaningful or meaningless.

It is quite difficult for the manual worker to engage regularly. Unless we don’t press them they would try to escape from the work. If we press more, they would escape from the duty. There is controversy with the use of pressure on the workers. Sometimes it may be positive; sometimes it may be regressive. If they have escaped from the duty, the work won’t be completed on time. They have the habit of deferring though the supervisor would supervise them regularly. The single effort of the supervisor is also not so fruitful unless the workers don’t follow duty properly. It’s quite difficult to identify the key.

On the one hand, we should pursue the time and we should encourage the worker for the work. On the other hand, we can’t make them work; nor can we suspend them from the work as time constrain. The only way is to complete work on time is to make the human subject happy with the incentives. If we think otherwise it is a kind of bribery. The controversy of incentive and the bribery is quite mysterious.

The situation happened in our institution where I proposed to give some incentives to the workers. According to the proposal, they would be called in the morning and the company would offer them meal to them. It made me think twice. What can I call the incentive given to them? Is it incentive or bribery? Unless we don’t pay them the work would be late; but we need to complete the work on time. If the work hasn’t been completed on time, there would be other problem. If we don’t pay them extra, they won’t work duly and fast. What can I call the money paid to them? I am in confusion.

The incentive is given to the worker to make them more active and to concentrate on their work. It is one of the ways to complete work on time. On the other hand, we have been bribing them. What is right or wrong? There are different possibilities that we have to think. If we complete work on time, it has positive result. The completed work can have better outcome than the money we have paid. On the other hand, it is a kind of bribery that we have done.

After all, I would like to call it as bribery but it is a different way to pay for the workers. The workers have been given salary still we have paid them again. If we pay again to them it is an illegal amount. Scholars have tried to find the difference between incentive and bribery. Whether they are synonyms or antonyms I can’t understand. It may be ethical but the payment it illegal. Since they have been given the duty, it should have been completed on time. The context is like two edged weapon thus I am indecisive. The words are quite different yet coincide each other.

The situation is confusing, ethical, illegal, controversy, yet real from my side. I am in confusion regarding incentives and bribery; ethical from the side of the completion of work on time; controversy due to the legality or illegality; illegal due to the illicit payment; real as it has been paid to complete on time. However, the payment is illicit; yet it is compulsory to run with the time. Our culture has been set in such a way that the workers would expect money from other ways.

Finally, we can say that the work which has been done by the authoritarian is legal; whereas it is illegal when it is done by the commoner. The same context can be seen with the debate of incentives or bribery. The developed countries call it as incentive or overtime allowance; we would call it as bribery as we have to move with limited resources. 

Educational Planning

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Education is an important infrastructure for personal and national development which is directly beneficial to a person whereas it is beneficial to the nation at last. The development of education itself is a crucial issue for the developing countries. We need systematic planning in education to meet the goal of education for all. Or it’s better to remember Chinese proverb that we should plan for hundred years for education so that we can get positive result of it. Systematic and concise planning is necessary in the field of education to produce qualitative/ moral/ethical manpower for the nation. The quality or output of education can be seen only if we have planned systematically.

Adult Education (AE) has been taken as the vehicle of social with the promotion of economic activities in the country. Other countries have already started it and they have been getting good results but we have been reeling in the political affairs only. In this way, Nepal seems far back in educational planning and its implementation in comparison to other Asian countries. Mostly, Nepal focused on its education only after the introduction of democracy in 1990. The New Educational System had begun from 1971; however, it didn’t come into effect till many years. Or it remained within the control of Royal regime in the country. The focus mostly went to the formal education, and adult education had been taken as some extra things or waste of time and money. Or it has been ignored deliberately when other countries have already started.

The focus mostly goes to the formal primary education rather than Adult Education. In Nepal Adult Education had taken its space in the first Five Year Plan or from 1956. At that time, it had been taken as one of the part of literacy campaign. Moreover, the focus had been on general literacy rather than functional literacy. However, the systematic planning happened in 1997 which also lacked systematic implementation till this time.

On the other hand, in Thailand, The Philippines, and in India, it was initiated in 1970s; whereas we have formulated first New Education Planning in 1971. Among them, India couldn’t progress though the systematic planning had already started in comparison to others. It is evident that we are always back in planning. Planning established system in the country and system leads to rational implementation of the programs. We have lacked such things though the planning of education is necessary to educated people. Adult Education is necessary to those who can’t get formal education or those who want to increase their income getting knowledge of entrepreneurship. If we have started planning on time, we can step further for progression and it can establish rule which is one of the indicators of a civilized society. In comparison to these countries we are 20 years back; so we can feel the pace of our development of our country.

We are back due to the problem that we don’t focus on education though it is the key to development. If we can’t promote education, we can’t educate our citizen which has negative impact in their life. Education has upward mobility which has ensured greater opportunity or output for any person or the nation. Only the educated person can create opportunity to earn more money which is 10 times high chance than the uneducated one. They have the ability or capacity to earn more in comparison to illiterate persons so we should promote education to create employment in the country. For example, China and Japan had more than 70% literacy rate in the 1940s when the Second World War had happened. Nowadays we have been alluring with the development of these countries whereas we have 65.9% literacy rate in 2011. It is estimated that it has crossed 70% nowadays. Its clear that we are 70 years back in comparison to these countries.

We should have planning on time to get everything to be done. If we are running without planning, we can’t go anywhere. Planning establishes system; system leads to rule; rule leads to discipline; then it leads to development of the nation making all the people educated. We have been being envious with the progression of China and Japan, but we don’t try to promote our education. We need to clean our house rather than being envious to others. On the other hand, planning also reflects the capacity or us to deal with the future problems. It’s also a measuring rod of our civilization movement. The present scenario proves that we are at least two decade back in comparison to Asian counterparts; whereas 200 years back than the Western world.

We must have well systematic planning to get the set goal for that we need better knowledge which is possible through education. Education is the key to development so that we have to prepare a key to open the door of development. For the progression of the country educational planning is inevitable as it paves the way to move ahead. When we prepare path we have possibility to go ahead neither would we have to start to dig the path. Other countries have already paved the way; they have already moved ahead; we have been following them.

To be together with them or to win them we have to do systematic planning first; moreover, we should inject more investment with commitment to get the goal. Both of the things lack in our country so we can talk only; but can do nothing. The developed countries like Australia, USA, UK have already started Adult Education and they have been getting its positive feedback. Our Asian counterparts have also already planned Adult Education and their pace of development has been always ahead than us. Finally, we have no chance to compete with them unless we don’t improve investment or commitment on time.

Angry People

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Man is a social animal as Aristotle declared before third century BC. The norms of society are made by men when they need society for their living. It is believed that they must have mutual and cordial relation with one another. They should respect others to get respect in return. However, the words cooperation, mutuality, cordiality, kind, affection, warmness, sympathy, empathy, support, affinity etc sound odd or which are thought to be exchanged with money. People speak or deal in such a way that they don’t have to keep any relation with one another again. They would hurt others deliberately unless the person is nearest to them.

The growing city culture may have such effect in which people would feel dislocated. They have tried to keep up with city culture where money works for everything. Moreover, some people have the business of cheating so there may be some problem in mutuality and trust. But the context of Nepalese is too much devastative to deal with. It reminds me one of the songs “known people would be better than unknown; even more bought people is more useful than known people”. The song was popular in the 60s decade which reveals the best scenario of the people today in our country. If we can give money to them they will be ready to help us rather than humanity. Hence the context has been changing overnight from coordinating, mutual, helpful Nepalese to discourteous people.

Last time, I was travelling in a micro bus in the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu city. I gave 20 rupees to the helper and he didn’t show any sign to return the amount whereas the actual fare was 17 rupees only. I didn’t ask at first; when the stop came, I asked money with him. He returned me only 2 rupees. I asked him one rupee more. He ignored me first; when I repeated he replied me angrily that he had no other change amount. Should he tell it in prior or not? I told him that you wouldn’t leave only one rupee from us so you should return me the amount. He replied angrily that “Do you think me a man of one rupee?” The rule of the public vehicle is that if they don’t have change, they should take less money with the passenger which is prescribed in the transportation rules.

Moreover, I went to hospital yesterday. I took tickets from the counter first; then went to the OPD ward to pursue check up. I handled the card to the woman who had been registering name of passenger in the register. I asked her, “How many persons are in front of me?” She replied that she didn’t have time to answer; then I remained silent. Had I spoken again, she would have given me another answer. So I didn’t dare to ask her again.

These are representative examples only; we have to face such irate responses time and again. The persons who have taken duty to serve for public are too much hostile. They don’t feel it as their duty to smile and serve to the customers. There may be pressure in work, should they be responsive or not when they have to deal with the public? Rather they have taken their workplace to articulate their irritation. It’s a common culture in our context that they have exchanged such words frequently. Sometimes they used to make fun of some passengers and patients which we should be the passive witnessed only.

According to the world’s Life Style Survey the world’s happiest people belong to Norway who have treated others smilingly. Nepalese people have fallen towards the last category of happiest people though not the last in the list. Nepalese service provider would vomit anger first when they response others. The words like helpfulness, mutuality, cooperation are the etymologies of humor so they take them equal to aggression or revenge. The service is provided with compulsion or they would response unless the customers would argue or threaten them.

Its evident that the god has given us two ears, two eyes and one mouth. It means that we have to see twice, listen twice and speak once. We should control our mouth at any cost which is hundred times affective in comparison to a blow. The persons who can’t listen others can’t answer well. The service providers haven’t had such habit so they are too much rude. They don’t realize what their duty is; rather they think that the customers are just illiterate of they have given free service to them. Or they would think themselves as the senior authoritative persons of the institutions where they can show their power. On the other hand, there is no punishment mechanism for them in our country. It seems that they have the right to humiliate or even to threaten the passengers or patients.

Mostly, the helpers and drivers would exchange more rough words. They have the habit of exchanging rough words more than talking. It seems that exchanging rough words is one of their cultures. I feel odd when I travel with my family members and relatives in public vehicles mostly within Kathmandu valley. We should pretend of not listening such words while travelling. Moreover, the persons in the hospitals don’t use rough words rather they have exchanged their anger either of not responding or responding angrily so that the service receiver would be hurted.

I think all of these would happen due to the lack of education. Our education rate is still low or the persons who have got education are bounded for literacy programs only. As a corollary, they don’t have knowledge what to speak or not. According to our provision, there isn’t any training for junior staff how to respond or deal with the customers. After all they are the service providers who sit at front of the office room and their behavior would reflect the national culture as a whole.