(Courtesy: Rajat Lal Joshi)
In the movie, “A Beautiful Mind”, we watch John Nash (played by Russell Crowe), the Nobel Laureate, mentally disintegrate when he is unable to overcome his paranoia and delusions. Later in life, he heroically conquers his hallucinations and stops listening to the source of his mental torment, which manifest themselves in three imaginary characters: a mysterious government agent, a little girl, and his Princeton roommate.
While the hallucinatory characters never actually disappear from Nash’s psyche even through old age, we learn how he controlled them from the explanation he offers his friend..”I still see things that are not here. I just choose not to acknowledge them.”
Unlike John Nash, however, C.K. Lal evidently has not managed to tune out his inner voices and continues to publish several cogent opinions only to be followed by a schizophrenic piece. In his most recent relapse (http://nepalitimes.com/issue/393/StateoftheState/14624), he chooses to lash out in a clever diatribe against the Nepali Army where he advocates a dhoti-wearing pan-chewing defense minister to reign in the Nepali Army. Here he shamelessly uses Madhesi imagery to bash the Nepali Army which only serves to inflame already hyper ethnic sensitivities.
It is as if one of the voices that has taken up residence in Mr. Lal’s psyche is no other than Mr. Kanak Mani Dixit, the discredited media “intellectual” loudmouth and advocate of the “suraksheet abataran” or safe-landing-for- the- Maoists-game plan and a unhinged critic of the Nepali Army.
Using his considerable talents as an experienced writer and the vast research budget of the Nepali Times, Lal might help us explore these other elephants-in-the-room.
New Nepal’s Orwellian Peace: He could explain why the average person’s life in New Nepal more closely represents what Thomas Hobbes observed several hundred years ago.. “and which is worst of all, continual fear, and the danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Based on reports of a recent robbery of the Norwegian Ambassador’s residence, it appears even these uber-proponents of peace, love, and understanding cannot escape Hobbes’ reality.
Recent comments in the international press from Lal’s inner voice (Kanak Dixit) continue to highlight the King or the Army as the greatest continuing threat to Nepali society – despite the fact that many of the outcomes of the peace process stem from the destruction of the State held hostage to international bureaucrats like Ian Martin with no real accountability.
This pattern of glossing over “discomforts” of the peace process while continuing to warn of the dangers of the Monarchy or the Nepal Army is dishonest. In fact, it is the prevailing pattern from the UN, the media, and civil society, and Human Rights Organizations since they’ve made Nepal a social experiment.
These entities have demonstrated a capacity to exaggerate State excesses and worked hard (and effectively) to market the notion of Nepal as another Chechnya to preserve their self-interests while underplaying the tragedy stemming from criminal activities from parties who signed on to the peace process.
Lal might explain that current events (Iraq and Afghanistan) and history demonstrates that when basic levels or security are absent – the beloved people will seek either an institution or an individual to act as referee. So, if the Monarchy or the Nepal Army or any individual or institution rises from the mismanagement of this peace process, who should be held accountable? A King that was totally discredited less than 2 years ago whose supporters still refer to him as a moron? An Army that has remained quiet in the face of elements whose sole purpose is its destruction and humiliation?
The Limits of Self-Determination: Lal might write a longer piece, perhaps in the excruciatingly bore of a publication, Himal Magazine, on the negative aspects of self-determination which is a hot topic today in the face of Kosovo’s recent independence.
In Nepal, eighteen holidays apparently have been set aside to satisfy various cultural and religious requirements of Nepal’s ethnic groups in Nepal. And while all cultures are equal and should be accorded their due respect in our politically correct post-modern era, what does all of this mean when one is attempting to establish a Nation State?
George Will, the conservative columnist in a recent Newsweek op-ed offers us this assessment.
“Surely there will be a next crisis [i.e., another Kosovo or a group demanding self-determination]. What Pat Moynihan called "the liberal expectancy" was that ethnic attachments and religious animosities were diminishing echoes of mankind's infancy and would be steadily drained of their saliency as definers of national identities. The liberal expectancy is, like Yugoslavia, defunct.”
Lal might collaborate with his fellow liberals in the media and explore George Will’s statement further and help us understand if their utopian expectancy of a New Nepal is also defunct.
Real Media Freedom: Lal might let us know, maybe in a 500 word essay in plain English if the Press is really free following the April 2005 uprising. What does he hear from his colleagues? What about the power and conduct of the press “unions” infiltrated by Maoists? How have these compromised press freedom? Today, does he have to write an anti-Army or Royalist piece just so he can balance an anti-Maoist piece or is he free to take up a consistent position? He could easily belt out a piece out on this issue in less than 20 minutes.
We look forward to more opinions from Mr. Lal for we hope that like John Nash, C.K. Lal will also someday his conquer his demons and stops paying attention to the same delusions that animate Mr. Kanak Mani Dixit.
Related Posts:
The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Nepali Media
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/11/dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-of-nepali-media.html
The Nepali Army is a Favorite Target for Cheap Provocateurs - An Analysis of a Nepali Adolescent's Professional Obituary
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/12/being-cheap-provocateur-is-easy.html
Earth to John Norris and Kanak Dixit
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/10/earth-to-john-norris-and-kanak-dixit.html
Life is Good When You Are a Nepali Intellectual Elite
http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/06/life-is-good-when-you-are-nepali.html
6 comments:
This is the problem with extremists... they are quick to denounce those in the opposite camp and equally quick to hide behind their own interpretation of democratic standards so as to appear "moderate."
CK Lal enjoys the benefits of being a radically confused writer and a "downtrodden" minority at the same time. He goes unchallenged
Kanak Dixit enjoys the benefits of being a radical liberal, a beneficiary of feudalism, and a die-hard Indian servant all in one. Often, his credibility also goes unchallenged.
These two along with numerous others have achieved their fabricated pedestals on the back on Gyanendra. I for one, am very anxious for CA elections to happen so the focus can then move beyond the monarchy, and onto charlatan instigators like Dixit and Lal.
On this topic, I look to none other than the Maoists to deliver justice.
Some very bold arguments put forth logically and with stunning accuracy. Hats off Mr. Rajat Joshi for saying it the way it truly is.
CK Lal seems to get more and more confused and dillusional. As for Dixit - i feel sorry for this guy with so much baggage - not least his two faced startegy of enjoying feudal wealth aquired from non family sources, and the fact that his dad Kamal Mani is a first class crook - being investigated into criminal land dealings involving Salt trading by purchasing propert at 1000% hiked up prices with salt trading money and pocketibng the difference. what a joke the dixit family is and what a farce.
No one is immune to the insane havoc that has been created by the leaders.
There are two kinds of crook i.e. a crook and a dirty crook.
One should understand that the money is not the root of the problem, only the love of money will be the root of the problem when people sale their values of life for this without professionalism.
In connection;
Science is answers that must always be questioned.
Philosophy is questions that may never be answered.
Religion is answers that must never be questioned.
Politics is answers that lobbyists pay for.
Mr. Dixit should understand that two years of peace agreement between spa and maoist brought nothing but more chaos in the country where they are lying that CA will settle everything. The present leaders and people like Mr. Dixit might have gained from it but the the general people of the nation got nothing with this change except fear and poverty.
“The battle in Iraq has been longer and harder and more costly than we anticipated,” Bush said.
The similar thing is going to happen in this country and spam leaders themselves are going to realised their mistakes in very near future but that time will be too late for them. During that moment where Mr. Dixit will stand is yet to be seen. Two years of peace agreement brought nothing but more killings and dimacration among the people where country's sovereignity and independent rule are being questioned.
I get the gist of the analogy being made... but comparing a great mind like John Nash to an idiot like CK Lal, requires a stretch of the imagination.
Educating Dixit and Lal on Game Theory and highlighting how each of the political actors are currently in dominated strategies would be helpful.
There seriously needs to be a Nepali media watch blog, something to regularly highlight what's being spread unchecked, perhaps with contributors. Is there one existing already?
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