We have witnessed complete metamorphosis: PM Dahal
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has said that the recent
political transformations observed by Nepal are not mere cosmetic changes
but complete metamorphosis.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Conference on Democracy,
Development and Peace in Asia, in Kathmandu Monday, PM Dahal said that
recent global crisis has seriously affected poor countries.
"The global meltdown that started from the US and, which is having chain
effect elsewhere, is triggering tremendous negative effect on countries of
the south," he said.
Professor Samir Amin, a noted political economist, termed the recent
global financial crisis as systemic failure of capitalism.
At the same programme, former general secretary of UML Madhav Kumar Nepal
said that Nepal presently has six tasks in its hand.
He listed constitution writing, inclusion, restructuring of state,
scientific land reforms, logical conclusion of peace process and
improvement in governance as major tasks ahead of the country.
The three-day conference is being jointly organised by Least Developed
Countries (LDC) Watch, South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication
(SAAPE), Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives (ARENA) and Korea
Democratic Foundation (KDF).
Meanwhile, speaking at a conference on science and technology in the
capital, PM Dahal said that the "first republican" government of Nepal
will give top priority to the development of science and technology field
as without it the development goals of the country can't be achieved.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 5th National Conference on
Science & Technology, he said that Nepal lagged behind in development
because enough was not done in the science and technology field in the
past, and indirectly blamed the failed policies of previous Maharajas and
governments for this.
Nepalese people had to suffer a lot because the past political leadership
couldn't be "more honest and hardworking", he added.
Talking about the advantage science has over politics, PM Dahal said there
is always cheating and deception in politics but not in science.
"As this [science] is a field where you've to very work hard and there is
also no room for any cheating, we should also have a very scientific
approach towards politics," he said. He, however, expressed regret that
there never any good inter-linking between politics and science in Nepal.
PM Dahal said a conducive environment should be built so that gifted
Nepali intellectuals who have settled abroad would be encouraged to return
to the country, and pledged that the government will develop this sector
in such a manner that it would discourage the "brain drain" from Nepal.
To prove that the government is serious towards the development of this
sector, he said that many in the new Maoist-led government come from
science and technical background. He also informed that some programmes
have been introduced in the budget for the development of the sector.
Before becoming the prime minister, even before his underground days as a
Maoist chief, Pushpa Kamal Dahal was a science student. He did his
graduation with Agriculture as a major subject.
Speaking at the same programme, Minister for Science & Technology Ganesh
Sah stressed on the need to do away with what he called "foreign
dependence" in the field of science & technology and develop efficient
manpower to work in the area in the country itself.
Vice-chancellor of National Academy of Science & Technology (NAST) Hom
Nath Bhattarai, scientist Dinesh Raj Bhoju and lawmaker Bishwanath Prasad
Agrawal also put forth their views in the program
NAST is organising the three day even participated by over 1200 Nepalese
and foreign scientists and technicians.
Meanwhile, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav issued a congratulatory message on
the occasion, and said that for Nepal which is facing challenges like many
other developing countries, scientific knowledge would be important for
meeting its development goals. nepalnews.com sd/ag Nov 10 08
