Kathmandu Post

Metro»

Off the Cuff

NOV 08 - Prachanda’s new ‘avatar’
Yesteryear’s revolutionary leader comrade Prachanda has agreed to become a ‘brand ambassador’ for Everest Toothpaste. He is due to attend an event being organised at Everest Hotel on Friday evening and re-launch the toothpaste. His invitation as the chief guest comes after news reports brought to the fore a deep aversion of locals of Thawang, once a Maoist heartland, to their former ‘dear comrade’. With his official entry in the corporate world, Prachanda seems to have transformed himself into a ‘bourgeoisie leader’. It will be a ‘leap forward’ for the former guerilla leader, who waged a decade long armed war, if he can square up to capitalists.
— D~Comrade

Maoist split real or fake?
Hardliner leader Mohan Baidya “Kiran” currently assumes two portfolios: chairman of the CPN (Maoist) and senior Vice-chairman of the UCPN (Maoist). Similarly, Ram Bahadur Thapa “Badal” is the general secretary of both the parties. Despite the divorce in June, Chairman Prachanda has not taken any official step to relinquish defecting leaders of their previous duties. He has even frankly told Baidya to “meet him if he needs money to run the new party”. The post-division harmony between the two sides has knocked many people for a loop, raising doubts about credibility of the split. Sources at Sheetal Niwas say the division is just a ‘drama’. Home Minister Bijay Kumar Gachhadar is reportedly cocksure that the two parties will be one once PM Baburam Bhattarai is ousted from the government.
— Robert Hook  

A laughable matter
Notorious for their dexterity in taking bribe,
some employees at the Department of Foreign Employment have found something new to laugh up their sleeve. During their tea break most of the employees make fun of some ministers by
mocking their abilities to earn hush money. For many of them, it’s difficult to digest the fact that some ministers don’t know how to line their pockets. Former Labour Minister Kumar Belbase, who was recently ousted for asking Rs 40,000 from a perspective manpower agency, has been a laughing stock. The crooked staffers, who (if luck comes their way) sometimes can make more than that even in a day, could hardly believe that even a sitting minister can fall prey to such a meagre amount. If the frustration level goes up, these embezzlers might start a tuition class for new ministers who will join the Labour Ministry and teach them the rudimentary of the art of bribery: where, when, why and how much to take?
— Light


 
Posted on: 2012-11-09 08:50

---