Visit Pokhara Year 2007 Kicked off

Pokhara Visit Year -2007
By SAGAR GURUNG

The recently concluded Visit Pokhara Year - 2007 program witnessed an overwhelming influx of domestic tourists, locals, and foreigners. The surge was by and large due to prevailing peace in the country. Amidst scores of stalls selling food and games, one was peculiarly distinct. Perhaps first of its kind in Nepal, the CPN-Maoist put up a dedicated information desk under the banner of the Hotel and Restaurant Worker's Union, one of its many affiliates in Pokhara.
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It would be erroneous and misleading to accept the screening as anything else other than a promotional tool. Two concerns immediately envelope a critical viewer. First, the concern over the content and second, the concern on the kind of audience it communicated to, intentional or otherwise. Regrettably, outrageous graphics, revolutionary captions, and explicit battlefield command lines dominated bulk of the footage. Some exceptions aside, most eager viewers were children, mostly from the streets, and young people. An anonymous comrade did state an informal advisory to the viewers; however, such a statement clearly fell short in justifying its screening in the public.

It wouldn't be unreasonable an assumption that for many children and young people, the video was perhaps a first experience in realizing the reality of "hard" power exercised by the gun-wielding non-state forces as presented in the footage. Thus, clearly, what message is it vying to communicate to the young minds?
(for full length/ detailed article please check: http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=97471 )

I sent following comment to KOL in support of Mr. Gurung's article and concerns.

Dear KOL Editor,

I liked the article. For the first time, I can see that there are some real people who have a sense of ethics, and moral responsibilities on the definition of a responsible public show. For me it is not surprsing that the gun-loving CPN-M would ever realize ethically and morally responsible public shows in broad daylight, especially the message that Mr. Gurung was trying to convey. It is always the issue in developed countries to protect the minors, the group of people who can not decide what is right and wrong by themselves: there is where the issue of state controlled censorship hinges (true: I am not saying that Maoists like the idea of non-Maoist governement). That is the borderline between a developed society and underdeveloped society. Maoists always attracted young minds and minors, because you can easily provoke them, and it is their method of widening their base. You should not be expecting a law, order, ethics and moral values from a gun loving organization like CPN-M, and if they were really dedicated towards such issues, Maoists won's have chosen to perform such video show in the mid-day, in the middle of minors. Our civil society, which is pro-Maoists, has never opposed such activities in strong word (whatever they have done, that is just a equivalent to a fart), and will never care about such issues. It will take long time, to realize and have some actions to proect minors against such shows in broad day light in the middle of the busy event. Anyway, it gives me a great relief that there are some people out there to raise such important issues. I am gratful to you for you article and concerns.

I wish the visit pokhara year 2007 gets success.

Web Master @ Pokhara.com