Editorial . January . 2012

Comedy is King

Throughout human history people have always resorted to humour as one refuge that has always worked to convey the most unpopular messages, and in the most repressive political systems. In Nepal humour has its special place too and while many people think they have mastered the art of comedy, few are actually good at it. Like people all over the world, Nepalis enjoy political satire and the people who have mastered this art are Madan Krishna and Hari Bansa. They have become household names for the past four decades. They are still the leaders and way ahead of the curve. During the thirty years of the partyless Panchayat system, when there was one state owned radio, one English and Nepali broadsheet daily newspapers each, no TV and phones were sold in the black market, Madan Krishna and Hari Bansha were out there mostly at night on the open traditional stages, the “dabali”, across the valley to perform. The people today enjoy political freedom and we must take this chance to thank these amazing individuals for all they have done. Let us hope people do not take freedom of speech for granted now that we have it. The Nepali people have paid a heavy price for it.

Many of these traditional spaces – the dabalis, where the MaHa events took place are under threat of encroachment and need to be preserved. Perhaps MaHa can help us with a campaign to do this. The two have greater credibility in society than any politician alive today.In this issue of ECS NEPAL we are also featuring some other people who you have to get to know much better. They are not the kind of individuals whom you see in the evening news or the morning papers, but are the ones who help Nepal stay the course. They are determined, they are skilled and they love this country and care about it. They are leaders in their areas of work and many look up to them. Please take time out to meet them.

If there is one thing that is common to all human beings globally, it must surely be the love of good tasty food. Anyone who has been following the masterchefseries, must also realize that food cooking, the utensils, the kitchen and everything that goes with cooking are all going to make up a huge part of new economy. The key ingredient that makes up the food industry; and in fact, a large part of trade across the globe for thousands of years is species. People sailed all over the globe for spices and bought and sold them for such a high profit margin that it remains a lucrative business to be in. Can you imagine your food without any spices? We are going to take a close look at spices for you this month.

As we start the New Year 2012 we need to stay optimistic. We need to understand and internalize the fact that the environment, the economy and social challenges are here to stay for a while. Human beings are perfectly capable of solving them as long as we are ready to unite and tackle them collectively for the greater good. At ECS NEPAL we shall do our part to make the New Year as special as possible. Whatever you are doing this year, we hope you make some time and space for the Nepali way.

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