Melamchi Drinking Water Project information:

http://www.adb.org/Documents/Profiles/LOAN/31624013.ASP

Executing Agency:
Ministry of Physical Planning and Works
Contact Person : Mr. Poshan Nath Nepal, Special Secretary
Tel. No. : (977-1)228670
Fax. No. : (977-1)228420

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deuba and his corrupt jail.

How about other corrupt Engineers?

Here's an extract from a piece historian Pratyoush Onta, who's a visiting scholar this spring at an American university, once wrote (in January 2001 in The Kathmandu Post) after Chintan got beaten up in Kathmandu .. ..

EXTRACT:

"It is also the reason why the likes of lawyer-activist Gopal Sivakoti ‘Chintan’ get beaten up.

Whatever might be his faults, personal and professional, Chintan has done a lot to raise issues regarding the right of all Nepalis to live with dignity. He has been a pioneer in the right to information movement. He has forced various big players - our governments, our corporate bosses, our donor maliks including the World Bank - to seriously consider issues related to distributive justice regarding the benefits of development projects.

He has helped to form networks of numerous activists who want their voices to be counted in the national and international arenas where decisions affecting them are routinely made. As a teacher of law and legal practitioner, he has contributed significantly to the movement of public interest litigation in Nepal.

Through all of his activities, he has tried to give the culture of open and reasoned discussions a firm foundation in our otherwise closed society. Of late, he has forced the debate that it is not the job of NGOs to deliver bikas. A one-time left-party worker himself, he has openly criticized the Maoists for their murderous ways.

Perhaps more than anybody else I know, Gopal Sivakoti ‘Chintan’ has continuously shown a mirror to those who have claimed to lead Nepali society and forced them to see their ugly selves in it.

That is precisely why he has earned the wrath of so many people in our country. For years, members of the media have routinely published unsubstantiated charges against him. The Police once fabricated a false case against him and locked him up for a few days. And just some days ago, unknown assailants attacked him, causing severe bodily harm. Had it not been for the timely intervention of passer-bys, Chintan would have perhaps been killed.

The attack on the likes of Chintan is unfortunate and it must be condemned in the strongest terms possible. However the incident also shows that precise analyses and network building - hallmark of Chintan’s portfolio of activities - done to provide a life of human dignity to all Nepalis do matter. It matters at a time when tolerance toward dissenting views is increasingly being dealt with in the safaaya model by the Maoists, violence against Nepali Madhesis is being justified in terms of vacuous nationalism of Panchayati vintage, and individual greed has overtaken the majority of the comfortable classes of Nepal."

Source:

- http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishdaily/ktmpost/2001/jan/jan26/editorial.htm

सुक्ष्म जीबाणु ले स्वस्थ मानिस लाई मार्न सक्छ, अब त्यो बिषाणु महान् भयो त? एउटा १/२ केजी को हाते बम् ले अजङ्ग को पूल ध्वस्त् गर्न सक्छ। अब त्यस्लाइ राम्रो भनुम् त? बिध्वंस हो चाहे त्यो बम् होस् या चिन्तन् को कुकिर्त्य, बिकास् देख्न न सक्ने असुन्तलित् दिमाग् को प्रसंशा गर्नु हुन्छ भने कसैको केहि लाग्दैन। तर्क त ओसाम बिन् लादेन् ले नि राम्रो गर्द छ, आतंलाई धर्म युग्ध् मान्द छ। मेलाम्चि को सन्दर्भ मा मैले पहिले नै भने नि धेरै चोटि उन्को भुकाइ सुनेको छु। केवल् बिदेशि पैसा मा आयोजना बनाउन हुदैन् भन्ने तर्क बाहेक् अरु गरेको पाइन। के त मेलम्चि बनाउन चिनतन् ले बिदेशिको दलालि गरेर कमाएको डलर् खर्च गर्न तयार् हुनु हुन्छ त?

Rahulvai wrote:

"के त मेलम्चि बनाउन चिनतन् ले बिदेशिको दलालि गरेर कमाएको डलर् खर्च गर्न तयार् हुनु हुन्छ त?"


Ah!

The level of discourse!

Now, we are really in Nepal, the country which -- despite its fragile pride -- itelf is run by bideshi ko
dollars :-)

This is the kind of statements that I used to hear from zamindars in Kailali in another context in the 1990s.
Tharu activists Dilli Chudhary and Yagya Raj Chaudhary would visit these zamindars (I would tag along!), and try to raise issues about turning kamaiya-labor into wage-labor, and the zamindars would say something close to "for that, are you willing to बिदेशिको दलालि गरेर कमाएको डलर् खर्च गर्न तयार् हुनु हुन्छ त?"

Deja Vu, indeed.

That said, if -- let's say -- a "clever trickster" such as Chintan with very little institutional base and "no knowledge" can indeed sideline "Nepal's genuine intellectuals" (whoever they are!) from the debates that surround Nepal ko Bikas (as some of these anti-Chintan people claim), then, does that NOT say much about the surprising power of Chintan and the intellectual impotence of these ""Nepal's genuine intellectuals"?

Hmmmm . . . food for thought.

I think, the truth is: Some people just hate Chintan.
With a passion. With a vengeance.

And that's fine.

Now I am finding out that the song-and-dance routine that these critics invent to justify their hatred for Chintan
is much more amusing than anything outrageous that Chintan himself does.

oohi
ashu



oohi
ashu

ashu, you are too surprised with Chintan's power? you praised him with garlands of "superpowerful", "surprising power" etc. Had he come up without backing of politics and groups having vested interest, he wouldn't have got success in destroying some projects he had opposed in the past. Unfortunately, that was not the case and thus it appeared that he had been able to ride over the people who have better knowledge than him. FYI, he feels regret for the loss of Arun project, in which he was badly used in politics for some vested interests by certain forces (He has admitted this himself). He was not always successful in destroying projects he had opposed. He is certainly a highlighted activist but is not as "superpowerful" as you consider.

Yes, there are some people who argue that Chintan's voice contributed for public awareness and blah blah, which is nothing more than saying " घर जल्यो त के भो कोइला जम्मा भा'छ नि ।". Sponsored remarks like the one you mentioned has no value among peers because everybody knows pratyush and chintan are good friends for long time. Hence they keep highlighting eachother, not a big deal there.

You can keep defending him but that won't change him to grow up as an intellectual expert. With his illogical arguments, he can contribute to escalate problems but not to solve, he can raise confrontations but not to compromise and so on. His involvement in recent scandals on drinking water is again taking the same course. Yeah I wouldn't mind to support him if he speaks loud for the benefit of greater public (e.g. rights for the British Gurkha veterans, he has done good job there), if he presents technically sound opinions augmented by proper engineering judgements; if he explains environmental friendly, economically sustainable and logically fit visions in the case of drinking water issues. Otherwise, chintan and his gang would never be appreciated in the intellectuals' circle no mater how hard you keep crying for him.

CT,

I used the words “superpowerful” and “surprising power” in an ironic sense a la Seinfield.
Too bad that you missed the ironies.

As for Pratyoush, let me just say that I have the highest of respect for Pratyoush’s integrity. I know that Pratyoush has always spoken his mind, and not aligned himself to suit a particular political-party line. Nor has he written sponsored goody-good stuff about other people, least
of all about Chintan.

If you disagree with this, so be it. But those who know Pratyoush know him well for who he is – a man of integrity, who, to be sure, might not be on everyone’s favorite-person list, and that’s fine.

That said, look, Chintan is in his late 40s, if not in his 50s. Too late, don’t you think, for him to be worrying about “grow[ing] up as an intellectual expert”?

Maybe Chintan doesn’t pretend to be an intellectual expert. That’s why he asks these uncomfortable/irritating questions to get answers from the government, from the donors, from the technical experts and from others who claim to know better. Maybe he doesn’t lose sleep over what people think of him. Have you considered these possibilities?

And, pray, what is this elusive “intellectuals' circle” that you keep referring to? Is it some sort of a Mensa Club (Nepali version) which has the sole authority in Nepal to declare who in Nepal is fit
to be a peer-respected intellectual and who is not? And who are these elusive “peers” that you keep referring to?

*******

That said,

I assume that you are an engineer. If not, I beg your pardon.

If so, allow me the privilege of sharing with you (without sounding patronizing, for this needs to be shared) that the world has changed since you mastered your engineering. I say this as a solution-oriented guy myself.

Now for any public engineering process – much to the frustration of guys like you who just want to plug in your 2 + 2 = 4 kind of equations and get done with your projects -- you have to consult not only the engineers, but also the NGOs with their diverse non-technical interests, the politicians looking for their pork-barrel agendas, the beneficiaries who might know just what they will get, the media who’s always not fully informed, the so-called civil society with their human rights issues, the banks that worry the risk versus reward calculations, the community service organizations, the environmentalists, the lawyers, and the list goes on and on. Just too many stakeholders.

Sure, satisfying the demands of all those people – 99 per cent of whom don’t understand the sheer engineering beauty of the project -- is next to impossible and can be a very, very frustrating, lengthy experience, and people like Chintan represent a few strands of such
diverse groups.

Since we can’t go back to the old ways of only-technician-rule world (like in the Panchayati days!) of public engineering project, it’s better to accept these changes in the process and START engaging with people like Chintan – listening to them, understanding their perspectives, creating allies, making appropriate compromises and pushing for one’s project. Yes, that’s easier said than done – but this is where more and more project leadership is coming to play and NOT in purely engineering brilliance.

I mean, today, you have only Chintan to deal with. Tomorrow, you may have 100 brainwashed can’t-think-for-themselves Maoists to convince about the benefits of a mega project. What are you going to do then?

Think of everyone as idiots and that only you know better?
Surely, that approach can’t carry you far.

So: Taking this big picture into account, I, for one, find it far more strategically appealing to take Chintan’s views into account NOW and find ways to engage him and work WITH him and people like him NOW (without agreeing with them on everything) rather than demonize them with the stupidest of name-calling points.

That is all.

After all, if we start thinking of people who criticize bikasay projects as “bikas drohi”, then, how different are we, really, from the Panchayati politicians?

oohi
ashu

New Nepal needs genuine intellectuals, not pseudo-intellectuals. Ability to make insensible arguments does not qualify one to be considered as a genuine intellectuals.

अंग्रेजी राम्रो छ भन्दै मा, अंग्रेजीका मीठा शब्दहरु गुन्दैमा नराम्रो चिज राम्रो हुन्छ जस्तो लाग्दैन । अमेरिका का प्रख्यात बिश्व बिद्यालयहाँरु बाट बिद्यावारीधी गरेका धेरै ब्यक्तिहारौ चिनेको छु र तीन को बिद्वता दुनियाँले देखेका छन । डा रुप ज्योति, डा प्रकाश चन्द्र लोहनी आदी आदी । त्यसैले अमेरिकि डिग्री को धक्कु लगाउने जमना नि गयो मित्र ।
पञ्चायती सोच कस्को छ भन्ने त कुरा बाटै स्पष्ट हुन्छ । मेलम्ची को सन्दर्भमा म आँफै ३ बर्ष काम गर्दा चिन्तन लगायत थुप्रै कथित विद्वानहरुलाइ भेटेको थिएं । अर्को भातिजा गोपाल शिवाकोटिलाइ पनि भेटेको छु । तीनका बकफुसे कुरा पनि सुनेको छु । तिनले बिरोध जनाएका कुराहरु कुन चाँही मेलम्ची का सामाजिक उत्थान को कार्यक्रम र पुनर्बास् को कार्यक्रम मा परेको छैन? तपाईं लाई थाहा छ? किन बिरोध का स्वर हरु बिना सित्तै निस्की रहेका छन । काठमाडौमा बस्ने, त्यहिंको पानी खाने, त्यही को ढलमा मल मुत्र त्याग गर्ने, अनि पानी पुगेन भनेर चारको नारा लगाउने तर पानी ल्याउन न दिने । यही हो लोकतान्त्रबादी बौद्धिक ब्यक्तित्वको परिचय? ३७ लाख मान्छेलाई पानी खुवाने कर्म मा कुनै धर्म छैन? कुनै कुरामा सम्झौता हुन्न? त्यसो हो भने काठमाडुको पावन भूमी छोड्नु पर्‍यो । काठमाडौका स्थाई बसिन्दा ( जनगणना अनुसार) लाइ अझै पनि बिना मेलम्ची पानी पुर्याउन सकिन्छ ।
बिरोध को नि कुनै आधार हुनु पर्‍यो नि । सिन्धुपाल्चोकका अति दुरगम गाउंमा बाटो पुगी सके, श्वासथ केन्द्र बन्दै छन्, स्कूल्हरु निर्माण हुँदै छन । रोजगारिको पर्याप्त अबसर आउँदै छन । सुकुमबासी र अतिक्रमनकारी ले समेत मुआब्जा पाइ सके । अब कुन लोकतान्त्रको पक्ष बाकी रह्यो?

I don't like to undermine great universities in US and around the world. However, the person in question somehow managed to get a डाक्टरी बील्ला from an institution in the US which is very hard to find even googling it. त्यो कुरा ऊहा लाई नै सोध्नुस् यदी ऊहा सँग तपाईं को राम्रो जान पहिचान र ऊठ बस् छ भने ।

ashu, you clearly gave two choices asking -- what is Chintan?
1 - A superpowerful activist? Or:
2 - Someone with no substance?

Don't just try to be hypocrite saying "I think the truth is somewhere in between" as you are putting all your efforts simply to deny the second choice. Then, you explain that your align to the first choice is in ironic sense !!! Just I wonder, you might change your stance at some point and say you were defending Chintan in ironic sense !!! Too bad that you missed your own point.

You tried to storm a few opinions on how to handle projects involving multiple stakeholders, which offers nothing new idea. Those are already established norms for decades that people ought to follow them in order to allow every stakeholders take part in a constructive way and to assure minimum damage to the direct and indirect interests of stakeholders. But people like Chintan have grossly misused those norms and have used them to hook up in agendas in which he did not have proper knowledge. Consequently, his involvement in a variety of issues has harmed much to the nation and public. Much to our bad luck that a handful of people like you still dare to carry him on shoulder, and promote dragging back the feable pace of positive development.

I don't understand -> which one of Chintan's view did you find strategically appealing, particularly in the case of Melamchi project, to take into account NOW, why one needs to find ways to engage him despite his destructive carreer track record, and why to work WITH him and people like him NOW for no gain at all? You seems a kinda job-broker for him man - create some problem and bargain to get involved in.

Any criticism on "bikasay" projects should be to improve weakness and to find out better wayouts but not to destruct and demolish the entire project creating problems in each and every minor issues. "Bikash drohi" people like chintan would feel rewarded if compared him to even a worst panchayati politician. It was rana rulers who maliciously attempted preventing development and Chintan carries the same quality as he is doing the same kinda activities but in a bit different tone. I can just wish him to refrain from regretting (as in the case of Arun Project) in future.

Nothing personal to anyone, Jai Nepal.
त्यसो हो भने काठमाडुको पावन भूमी छोड्नु पर्‍यो । काठमाडौका स्थाई बसिन्दा ( जनगणना अनुसार) लाइ अझै पनि बिना मेलम्ची पानी पुर्याउन सकिन्छ ।
Above one is immature statement.
सिन्धुपाल्चोकका अति दुरगम गाउंमा बाटो पुगी सके, श्वासथ केन्द्र बन्दै छन्, स्कूल्हरु निर्माण हुँदै छन । रोजगारिको पर्याप्त अबसर आउँदै छन । सुकुमबासी र अतिक्रमनकारी ले समेत मुआब्जा पाइ सके । अब कुन लोकतान्त्रको पक्ष बाकी रह्यो?
Above one is mature statement.

Too much importantace given to Chintan.
Why not to talk about events rather than individuals.

CT,

Glad that you have stopped bad-mouthing Pratyoush to focus on me now.

Thanks.

To recap, my sense of Chintan:

- a smart man: who may appear to "sound" unreasonable at first, and who, because of his personality and asking-questions habit, is NOT going to be on anyone's "person I most want to be with on a desert island" list ... but an intriguing, interesting and stimulating public-spirited figure in Nepal nontheless.

Think of -- this is a bit of exaggeration, but you will get the idea -- Chintan as some sort of a Nepali Ralph Nadar, if you will.

And so: I firmly believe that the spirit of Nepali democracy would be much impoverished if there weren't
many Chintans around.

On a personal note, I enjoy my working relationship with Chintan, even when we disagree on many things.

In days ahead, Nepal being Nepal, I am sure that Chintan and I will find ourselves on the opposite sides of many public issues . . . and when that happens, I look forward to working with him, telling him "Chintan, that's bullshit; let's get on with the work here, or "Chintan, OK, we can rethink it this way" . . . and ultimatley getting the work done with all the attendant frustrations, exasperations, and focused enjoyment.

The point is to engage the guy .. . engage his first-rate intellect . . . engage his passion . . . and engage his genuine care for Nepal.

The point is NOT to demonize him in a black-and-white manner. That's only going to ake matters worse for all.

At the end of the day, I think that Chintan, being Chintan and with his crusading actuvism, keeps us all honest at the end of the day in his own way -- and, I, for one, appreciate that.

Sure, telling this all to some Nepali engineers and bikasay karya-karta big whose jobs have been delayed or
lost or put on hold or simply made difficult in part
due to Chintan's activism is another matter altogether.

If you disagree, so be it.

Rahulvai: you said that you worked for Melamchi for three years. What is your name . . . so that I can find out for myself just what you did there.

oohi
ashu

मैले मेलम्चिको लागि के के गरें भनेर पत्रकार सम्मेलन गरेको छुइन र गर्नु आबस्यक पनि देख्दिन । के के बिषय काम गरें भनेर मैले मेलम्ची मा भएका काम कुरा बारे यो भन्दा पहिला का पोस्टिङ हरुमा उल्लेख गरी सकेको छु र दोहर्‍याइ रहनु नपर्ला । एक जना राष्ट्र सेवकले आफ्नो कर्तब्य निर्बाह गर्दा गरेका काम् हरुलाई कुनै website मा अंकित् गरेर बिज्ञापन् गर्ने न त शौक हुन्छ न त आचार् संहिता ले नै दिन्छ। सर्कारि नोकरि कुनै गैर् सरकारि संस्था होइन जहा टोकाइ भन्दा बढि भुकाइ हुने गर्दछ। अस्तु!

Rahulvai,

Thanks, yaar

I respect your anonymity.

You are entitled to express your views on Melamchi, and that’s fine.

But when you use that anonymity by being (what I perceive to be) unfairly hard on one of the most vocal real-life critics (i.e. Chintan) by adopting a more-राष्ट्र सेवक-than-thou tone while flashing your self-reported Melamchi credentials, obviously, at some point, for general credibility’s sake, you are going to assure people that you are indeed standing on matters of verifiably true substance.

Many Sajha folks do not know Chintan personally.
I do.

That is why, as a well-wishing critic of Chintan who has actually worked with him, I, as one Sajha visitor, do NOT want strangers out there to have a narrow, misleading and biased impressions ofthis controversial person without getting different sides of verifiably true stories too.

After all, Nepali to Nepali, I owe Chintan that much, especially when he is NOT around to defend himself here.

Astu, indeed.

oohi
ashu

ahulvai,

Thanks, yaar

I respect your anonymity.

You are entitled to express your views on Melamchi, and that's fine.

But when you use that anonymity by being (what I perceive to be) unfairly hard on one of the most vocal real-life critics (i.e. Chintan) by adopting a more- राष्ट्र सेवक-than-thou tone while flashing your self-reported Melamchi credentials, obviously, at some point, for general credibility's sake, you are going to assure people that you are indeed standing on matters of verifiably true substance.

Many Sajha folks do not know Chintan personally.
I do.

That is why, as a well-wishing critic of Chintan who has actually worked with him, I, as one Sajha visitor, do NOT want strangers out there to have a narrow, misleading and biased impressions ofthis controversial person without getting different sides of verifiably true stories too.

After all, Nepali to Nepali, I owe Chintan that much, especially when he is NOT around to defend himself here.

Astu, indeed.

oohi
ashu

अनी राहुल भाइ, त्यो काली गन्डकी योजना भेकका जनताले ऊहा लाई हरियो घास् खुवायका थीय की पराल्? बुद्दीजिबीहरु लाई घास् खुवौने तेस् भेक् का जन्ता हरु साचीकै मुर्ख थीये त? lol

Ma Jwai tara हरियो घास no eating, project ma kam garing, paisa hasuring, पराल eating,

Ashuji,in the list below,one is Rahul Bhai...Most Probably

९ सुशील बहादुर तम्राकार Nepal (now in USA): do some research,you will find out...



rahulvai Posted on 07-19-06 3:37 AM Reply | Notify Admin
हाम्रा पालाका S.L.C. Toppers हरुको नामावली दिएको छु । आज म तिनिहरु कहाँ कहाँ छन त्यो लेखने छु ।
१ नीशा धौबडेल Canada
२ शिरिष भट्ट ??
३ किरण लाल श्रेष्ठ USA
४ Rajesh शाक्य Nepal
५ अनिल बज्राचार्य Nepal
५ ज्योती तण्डुकार Nepal
६ शैलेश खनाल USA
७ सुरेन्द्र बहादुर ताम्राकार Canada
८ प्रिती भार्द्वाज UK
९ सुशील बहादुर तम्राकार Nepal
९ सुरेश आचार्य USA
१० Raajesh -कार्की USA
१० विश्व जित आमात्य France

भुन्टे जी, तेती बेला उहाँलाई घांस खुवाएको मात्र होइन, स्याङ्जाको त्यो भेक मा फेरी पाइला टेकेको खण्ड मा खुट्टा काट्ने समेत फतवा जारी भएको रहेछ । हो बिकास ले जता ततै राम्रो मात्र गर्छ भन्ने छैन, केही न केही मुल्य चुकाउनै पर्छ ।
मलाई जहाँ सम्म जानकारी छ, त्यो क्षेत्रमा रोपनिको १० हजार न जाने जग्गाको मुआब्जा ६ लाख लिएका छन र दिएका छन ।
तै पनि धमिलो पानीमा माछा मार्न चिन्तान जी मात्र होइन हाम्रो देश मा चिन्तान शैलीका बिकास देख्न न सक्ने बिदेशी डिग्री धारि थुप्रै छन । यहाँ चिन्तान को मात्र कुरो भएको हो । नत्र कति छन कति । अनिल चित्रकार्, भुषण तुलाधर्, दीपक ज्ञवाली, अजय मणी दिक्षित्, बिकास पाण्डे आडी इत्यादि छन्, एउटै समूह् का हुन्। अरु कसैको निर्देशन् मा बिकाश् भाड्ने अनि राष्त्रबादि देखाउने मण्डले चरित्र ब्यक्तिहरु हुन्। नेपाल् को राज्नीतिमा भारत् को चर्को बिरोध् गर्ने तर भारत् कै हुन्दि खाने कथित् कम्युनिष्ट् नेता जस्ता हुन्। न बुझ्ने को लागि गजब् को राष्ट्रबादि बुझ्ने को लागि त्यो भन्दा राष्ट्रघाटि कोहि हुदैन।

आशु जी, माफ गर्नु होला, मैले लेख्दिन भन्दा भन्दै चिन्तान को बारेमा लेखे छु । आइन्दा लेख्ने छैन । जेहोस् आ-आफ्न नजर हुन्छ, मैले बुझेको जानेको चिन्तन र तपाईं ले संगत गरेको फरक पर्न सक्छ । म पक्षमा र उ बिपक्षमा बसेर सोच्दा नि त्यसो हुन सक्छ । तर पनि मलाईइ जहाँ सम्मा लाग्छ, मैले आफ्नो बिबेक ले भ्याएसम्म को अनुसन्धान को परिणाम यती हो, चिन्तन को कुनै राष्टृय चिन्तन छैन ।

Rahulvai wrote:

"जेहोस् आ-आफ्न नजर हुन्छ, मैले बुझेको जानेको चिन्तन र तपाईं ले संगत गरेको फरक पर्न सक्छ । म पक्षमा र उ बिपक्षमा बसेर सोच्दा नि त्यसो हुन सक्छ"


Yes, it could be that.

oohi
ashu

Ashu, now you are back in the track about Chintan, who can (and does) talk bullshit on many issues (including the drinking water issue) on which his knowledge base does not belongs to. त्यसैलाइ मैले भनेको - कच्चा बैद्यको मात्रा यमपुरीको यात्रा । But I am not saying he always speaks bullshit. People admire him if he speaks his own gut being free from the influence of groups having vested interests and stop misusing media. You may enjoy working with him until you get piece of bone for that, and how you synchronize with him is out of my interest. FYI, his opinions and approach does not satisfy me on melamchi issues. My opinions may match to his or yours ones in a different issue.

Your goofy arguments in defense of Chintan are good MASALAA for me to keep laughing for the day. Hey what is this - ..... keeps us all honest at the end of the day ....; he he he. Just I wonder you may suggest allowing some thieves to exist in our society so that (1) police would have something to work on, (2) public would be aware on importance of security and blah blah. Too funny. I don't agree Chintanian activities keep one honest in Nepal. He was and is active in Nepal in the entire period when the largest scale of corruption and misconducts occurred in the history of Nepal.

I thought I wouldn't talk about Pratyoush but you are compelling me for that too. Well, for now, I won't go more into that because he definitely has earned much elevated reputation compared to Chintan. You can't compare these two guys and mix up in the issue of this thread. कहाँको किरा कहाँको हिरा । I was just referring the article you sighted, which was merely a kind of goodwill article rather than an independent review that came to support Chintan in his hard days. Surely Pratyush wouldn't have written that piece if these two guys weren't long - time friends. Otherwise, you must have had read similar articles from Pratyush written on many others who have definitely contributed much a lot than Chintan did in contemporary issues. That’s why I don't put any value on that particular article despite respecting Pratyoush for his other works. Got it?