Two good pictures by Reuters referring back to Prez Clinton´s trip to India in late March. One, a picture of Bill by the Taj, speaking on clean energy and environment. The tiger, meanwhile, is a male caught in the process of eyeing Bill from the bush in Bokola Ghat at the Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan. Wonder what was in his mind.
Nepal's national news agency RSS (Rastriya Samachar Samiti, and not what you think) is obviously one for making wild claims. On 27 April, it reported that a resident of Bhimmapur village in Kailali district along with her son, who were bitten by a rabid dog, ate its liver in the belief that this was the cure. Then RSS goes on to state, with much conviction, "This is the first instance of someone eating a rabid dog´s liver to stave off rabies." Such certitude! To think that since time embarked on its journey, no one anywhere, ever, has taken recourse to dog liver to counter rabies! That must have taken some research.
27 April, again, and again an RSS despatch from Mohattari (another Tarai district of Nepal). "A pipal tree at Manara VDC which was knocked down by a gale in the month of Baisakh last year, has all of a sudden returned to its previous erect position. Religious devotees are thronging the tree to worship and pay their respects in the belief that it is the god Lord Bishu [?] who has manifested himself in this kaliyug or fourth age of the world. The tree is 30 metres in width and about 400 years old, a local elder said." Well, at least there is attribution. As a South Asian rationalist, however, Chhetria Patrakar would say that someone in Manara with a wicked mind has been active with a tractor and some ropes overnight.
A Correspondance to The Bangladesh Observer makes a good point, asking why the paper tends to favour the female sex during photo-coverage of book fairs, arts shows, gallery openings, and so on. "Quite paradoxically and for reasons unknown to us, we usually find that on such occasions your press photographer is interested to take snaps only of girl and female visitors and not of any male visitor. On these occasions, your press photographers appear to be influenced by gender instincts and impulses." I would tell Mr. N.H. Sufi of Dhaka that, in all such matters, the culprits are to be found not so much in the photographer´s finger as in the editorial desk influenced by the marketing office
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In an editorial of (15-21 April), Kuensel´s editor makes the plea for open and frank discussion and public debate as Bhutanese society evolves and modernises. It seems written as a response to those in authority who react all too quickly to criticism. Traditionally, says the editorial, citizens have felt no hesitation in expressing their problems, doubts and views, and even farmers have had the opportunity to submit their views personally to the Bhutanese monarch. In what is a subtle but laudable appeal for more openness, the text goes on: "The government´s emphasis on transparency today calls for more systems and fora for open discussion. How else would the government monitor its other priorities —efficiency and accountability? How else do we ensure appropriate standards in, say, the awarding of millions of Ngultrums in job contracts and purchases? One of the responsibilities of the media, anywhere, is to (enhance public awareness). But such discussions are possible, in the media or other fora, only if we perceive them in the broader perspective and not in a personalised context."