Government Should Harness Unprecedented Public Opinion Effectively

At the ‘Himalaya Dialogue’ event held in Dallas, Texas, journalists and writers discussed Nepal’s future, literature, and the role of the diaspora. Senior journalist Sudhir Sharma highlighted that public anger has transformed into trust and emphasized that the combined energy and experience of both the new and old generations will contribute to the country’s development. Journalist Basant Basnet advised the government to utilize the skills, experience, and investments of Nepalis living abroad for nation-building. May 30, Dallas (Texas).

On Saturday in Dallas, Texas, an unprecedented gathering of non-resident Nepalis from various professions, businesses, and fields took place. The primary concern of the gathering was whether the country would progress or not. Organized by Himalaya Khabar and the International Nepali Literary Society (ANESAS) Texas Chapter, the event “Himalaya Dialogue: Conversations about Poetry and Books” featured a second session titled “Where is Nepal Headed?” in which senior journalist and author Sudhir Sharma expressed confidence in Nepal’s progress. He noted that a year ago there was general despair with a sense of helplessness pervading the country. Hatred and anger were widespread. After the Gen Z movement, that anger and hatred transformed into trust, and now the people are optimistic about the country’s future. However, Sharma emphasized that fulfilling public expectations depends on the government’s style of governance.

Journalist Basant Basnet stated that the government must meet public expectations that new leadership should avoid the mistakes of the old political parties. He suggested that the government should annul all previous political appointments and that good governance, accountability, and transparency must be ensured starting from the appointments themselves. Basnet criticized the prevailing tendency to suppress dissenting voices, which had previously been termed coercion and continues today. He stressed the need to halt this practice.

Responding to facilitator Sanjay Ghimire’s complaints about the government and Nepali media’s unkind treatment of non-resident Nepalis’ issues, Basnet acknowledged past shortcomings but expressed confidence that the government would soon respond positively. He further noted that Nepali media has consistently been supportive of non-resident Nepalis’ concerns. Moreover, he highlighted the significant contribution of the diaspora to Nepal’s development. Basnet recommended that the government leverage the skills, experience, capital, and international connections of Nepalis abroad to actively contribute to nation-building.