It is an understatement to say that we are living in an age in which all things of the past have in a matter of few decades completely become out of fashion. Ways of thinking, living and reacting have changed completely. This is said to be a natural process brought about by modernisation. Is this correct? Or has the world changed completely in a manner which may in fact be said to be topsy turvey or in a matter of utter confusion? I remember the old days when we used to collect the soft drinks or the beer bottles and take it back for refund. The golden days when machines were repaired and reused are long past. Now it is use and throwaway that is the current practise.

We grew up with ideals such as: Honesty is the best policy. Now it claimed by many as a misconception. I read a quote from Arundati Roy that went, “Once weapons were manufactured to fight wars. Now wars are manufactured to sell weapons.”

One recollects a Saddam Hussein boasting of having a “Mother of All Guns” but it was on the presumption of then President of US George Bush with the connivance of the UK PM Tony Blair, that the Iraqi ruller was accused of having ‘weapons of mass destruction’. Saddam’s onslaught of Kuwait was met by the barrage of weapons supplied by the US. The old weapons were used up and Kuwait paid for it. The situation in Ukraine is similar in that weapons from US, UK and various countries of Europe have been extensively used to confront the Russians. At the end of this exercise the armoury of all the countries involved will have to work overtime to replace it all and so the weapons industry in all countries will provide jobs and prosper. Who is going to pay for the rebuilding of Ukraine is another matter which can wait in the meantime. But all this is as per accepted practices of the past. After all it was the then neutral country of Sweden which caused a worldwide furore by supply the Bofor guns to India. Yes, everything is not what appears at first sight. Surprisingly Sweden is now trying to join NATO!

But coming to matters nearer home, our PM PKD managed to go officially first to India on this 4th trip. What must be considered as an ‘accomplished achievement’ by PM Modi is sending PKD to the Mahakaleshwar Mandir at Ujjain to do an official puja, presumably wearing a janai? Though our PM seems to have compiled with what India wanted to do i.e. Citizenship Act. Our PM has confessed that he did not raise the longstanding Eminent Person Group’s report so as not to vitiate the atmosphere. What a state of affairs? It seems that like electricity generated by projects done by China is not acceptable to India, nor can Indian planes land at airports built by Chinese aid! The reality that India imports pharmaceutical drugs to make medicines in India and also has many other imports is another matter.

An extraordinary news in Nepal was that 15 Murro bhainses were being gifted to Nepal. After a lot of discussion in FB and other media it turns out that this was in response to a request for 30 rangoos which Nepal had requested for some seven years. Is this the established norm that any request, or treaties with Nepal has to await years before action is taken. Is this a ‘Big or Elder Brother’ that India is always prone to take, be it the EPG report, or agreements on road building or river projects between India and Nepal. What one commentator has written in FB is that whilst PKD could not revert Kalapani back to Nepal, he did however bring back a number of black rangoos! Another version is that Kalapani and Lipulekh is being bartered for land elsewhere. Does a PM has the right to such action is a relevant question at this stage. Let is wait and see what the true state of affairs is.

The next visit of our PM is to China in the North. Will he dare to travel either from Gautam Buddha International or Pokhara International Airport to Chendu or Kunming or even to Peking? Will he go to the Baita Temple or the Miaoying Temple aka White Pagoda constructed by Araniko in 1271 CE in Baizing? As far as I am aware he will not be able to worship there as this practice was stopped in 1961.

What are the projects that are in the offing? There is talk of a railway line from the North as the one from the South is progressing albeit at a snail pace. The Raxaul – Kathmandu link seems to be on hold at the present. The small print regarding this is that the system in the North and that in the South are of different gauges and so the boggies or the carriages from the North or the South will not be transferable causing a problem for locomotion. Is it a question of ‘North is North & South is South and the twain shall never meet?’

Another recent development following the visit of the Chairman of the National Assembly to Russia is the offer of various scholarships and many other projects from that country. For some unknown reason our government has been extra quiet and not made any comment on this kind offer. What is the reason for that? My feeling is that it should be accepted immediately. But perhaps I am what an English saying states i.e. flogging a dead horse. Perhaps “It is better to be silent, than to dispute with the ignorant’ as has been said by Pythagoras.

The author is a retired medical doctor and writes fiction under the pen name of Mani Dixit also. Website: www.hdixit.org.np. Twitter: @manidixithd