KATHMANDU, Sept 25: ‘Bhrastachar Ko Rajgaj’, an interaction program organized by Fine Print, was held at Nepal Tourism Board, Exhibition Road on Saturday.
The event hosted a panel of discussion based on Hari Bahadur’s newly published work ‘Rajgaj’, which elucidates about how corruption is rife in top governmental sectors, ultimately crippling the country.
Amidst a large number of speakers and audiences, discussion and interaction were led by four renowned and revolutionary Nepali figures, including writer Kanak Mani Dixit, Dr Govinda KC, writer and news editor of Kantipur Daily Hari Bahadur Thapa and cartoonist Vatsyayan at the forefront.
Hari Bahadur Thapa’s ‘Rajgaj’ out in market
The event began with Dixit presenting a katus, which was introduced as a metaphor for the country whilst the thorns as fighters and protectors of the nation. He said the country is in desperate need of the thorns to root out corruption. Further introducing other speakers, Dixit initiated the discussion by asking them some questions so as to unveil the political, economic and social dynamics of corruption in the country.
Meanwhile, Dr KC denounced bribery and advocated for equal rights as he stressed on the need to eradicate nepotism as well as graft, a move only possible through solidarity. “If the government does not make the required changes in the medical bill, I will resume my hunger strike. Likewise, as the election system has the provision of ‘right to elect’, it should also have the provision of ‘right to reject’ so that it helps to deter people from seeking benefits through unethical and unlawful means,” said Dr KC.
“Separation of power is discouraged in our country, which has resulted in a few leaders controlling the entire system, further encouraging abuse of power for one’s benefit and vested interests,” said Thapa. Similarly, Vatsyayan, who had been fighting as a rebel cartoonist since the Panchayat period, exhibited one of his contextual cartoons that was a satire to the political leaders.
A speaker from the audience, Baburam Acharya, raised a question on the role of media in eradicating corruption from the country. Answering the question, along with other queries from the audience, the esteemed speakers gave their opinions on the matter sharing some of their personal experiences.
