Here's the link.
http://nepaljapan.com/gallery/DC/New_Folder/july/chalchitra%20mahotsab.htm

Let me be the first to enlighten your mind that Nepal was better economically, socially and culturally for that time and generation when she was under the Rana rule. Yeah, the hindsight is always 20-20; there are always things that one can wish were different.
The present state of Nepal is inpart due to her people and not mere the leaders. I will give you that the leaders/rulers did not lead this country as they were supposed to (this can also be challenged by the hindsight principle), but the public didn't come up with any concrete solution other than to imitate the western world type of government, which as we call can see failed miserably in Nepal.
We talk a lot about democracy. I don't think Shiva Shrestha was asked to act in a certain way in front of the Queen. He did, he practised his freedom and some people seem to have a problem with that. If you all so much are the freedom loving society, shut up and let him do as his freedom permits. Democracy is not about I am as good as you, it is rather you are as good as me. Let's cut this double talking jive hypocrisy. Let the man do as he wishes.

still glad,
--BV

Manipulated will is NOT free will.

And Nepal was better under the Ranas in (every) aspect? The sun also used to rise from the west then. Trust me, it really did!

I love my freedom. I hate royals because they've only sucked the bloods of poor nepalis. That's my experience. I respect all others too. I know amd understand, everyone sees with his/her own eyes. Nobody is wrong if it's his/her experience.

Yes, Mr. sun came out of the west, you are right, manipulated will is not free will. Let me add another thing to your sentence, a play of words will not run a country. Maximum it might do is run a mouth.
Shiva Shrestha was not manipulated. His act was out of his free WILL. If you say he was manipulated, I can claim with equal conviction, if not more, that he wasn't. I think Nepalese LIVING in Nepal have become smart enough (with time) to realize what's good for them and what's just mere mental masturbation of some "so called" Nepalese. Shiva Shrestha dared to express it.

very glad,
--BV

Paagal jee,
tyo "..unnati" bhako bum chahi male ki female ni,
being a straight male, just wondering whether to be aroused or not ni

Please reply

God damn you all Amerikanes! Ya'll are selfish traitors of the highest order - just like the netas.

If anything is holding this country together at this critical juncture preventing a total collapse of the country, it's the monarchy.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to comprehend that - even a blind can see it and a deaf can hear it!

For argument's sake, lets visualize a scenario sans the monarchy in Nepal - it would open a can of worms. The country would disintegrate into pieces in no time.

Look what happened when the King stepped aside for a few years. The parties screwed up the country BIG TIME. They completely ruined the country - the country today is in such a bad shape, noone wants to live here - it's completely uninhabitable.

Would you rather he did nothing and let the country further slide into absolute chaos and anarchy?

Why is this poor guy (the king) being bashed left right and centre for no apparent reason? Who created the mess in the first place? You guys are barking at the wrong tree. I feel sorry for the poor fellow. Noone should envy his position. He has inherited a nation that is barely alive.

Shiva Shrestha bowing to the Queen is purely out of his reverence to the institution of monarchy. Noone forced him to do so. And I can sort of see why he did what he did. I am sure Shiva Shrestha cares more about common and the underpreviledged people
than the most of you on here.

Yeh, no one forced him to do so.
But he is a slave who expects some blessings from his master.
Afno bau aama lai dhogna najanne haru testa thasulli budhi lai dhogna kina tamsinchhan? simple, they are guided by slave mentality.

यस्ता दास मानसिकता भएका नागिरक भएर नै राजा देखि नेता र माओवादी सम्मले नेपाल र नेपालीलाई लुट्न सकेका हुन। शिव श्रेष्ठले कोमललाई ढोगेर अथवा उसलाई ढोग्न भनिएर आफ्नो पक्षमा संदेश प्रवाह गर्न सफल भएको छ नेपालको सामन्ती राजतन्त्र। यस्ता वाहियात नौटंकी - राजा रानीको सम्मानबाट अभिप्रेरित भएको यत्रै पनि हैन। वास्तविक सम्मान चाहने राजा रानीले जनतालाई ढोग्न कदापी लगाउँदैनन।

राजा रानीलाई ढोगेर दाम चढाउने दासहरुले गर्दा नै देश ओह्रालो लागेको हो। ढोगे हुन्छ ढोग्न चाहनेले । जसलाई मन लाग्छ उसलाई।शिव श्रेष्ठको के कुरा गिरिजे,माकुने, प्रचण्डेलाई ढोग्न जाने पनि वग्रेल्ती छन यहाँ। ठूलाबडा सामन्तको दया पाउन आफ्नो शीरलाई तिनको खुट्टामा अर्पण गर्ने नेपालीहरु नै समस्याका जड हुन।यस्ता आत्मविश्वास विहिन लाचार ढोगनदासहरुलाई म त छिः थुक्क भन्दा अरु केहि भन्न सक्दिन।

I agree 100% with you, Newuser. One thing though, Gyane and his family are happy when people do these to them: dogne, khutta dhoeko pani khuwaune etc. They think they are the latest incarnation of Hindu gods and seek for 'highly devine' respect from their 'citizens'.

Who do you blame? Surely, they should have moral obligation towards their people .......... and it's 21st century world. Their 'chamches' always look for this opportunity to please them and receive 'blessing' for themselve. We, poor Nepali, have to be the victims!

Lokman,

In democracy, anyone is allowed to be anyone's chamcha. Even posters act like chamchas of other posters. यस्ता दास मानसिकता भएका नागिरक भएर नै newuser keeps licking Nepe's balls. If you look closely, everytime Nepe posts, Newusers follows him around like a faithful dog.

Lokman, are you writing from Nepal? If so then you should ignore these self appointed desktop leaders who think they know everything. You're in Nepal you know what's going on in the day to day life, you're the one that faces reality of Nepali politics. These self appointed desktop leaders are only here to support those chutiya politicians who now are on their way to join hands with the killer maoist with the hope of a small if any slice of the political power pie.

But you know and I know that these desktop leaders are only good at blabbering their mouths. They don't put the money where thier mouth is. They enjoy the luxuries in America while badmouthing the way things are in Nepal, badmouthing anyone who don't think like they do. Sadly they don't have the guts to go back to Nepal and do something about it. All they can do is yakety yak - full of venom for opposition, name calling. This newuser guy even badmouths your family members if you don't agree with his point of view.

Narrow mindedness seems to be an uncurable disease.

Cryptonite, poor you! You have been seeing me in your nightmares these months, ho ki haina bhana ta?

OK JAU DHOGA TIMRO PYARO RAJA RANILAI.
PUT YOUR HEAD ON THEIR TOES AND BE HAPPY.

(khuskka bhanau hai ta timlai -Gyane ko chamcha, you can't intimidate me. Better for you not to waste your time. If you have, good for me.)

VB and Lokman,

I am with you guys. Nobody forced Shiva Shrestha to do what he did- he did what he did out of his own free will. If he was manipulated as Poonte implies, then why only him? Why weren't others manipulated to bow down to the queen?


Poonte, Would you consider him "manipulated" if he had bowed down to Pampha Bhusal, Sahana Pradhan, Shailaja Acharya or any other "netri"?

The fact is, whether one likes it or not, there are MANY people in Nepal who still respect and trust the monarchy (not a person but the institution!) due to Nepal's history, culture and tradition (and of course, there are some who don't like it). But the majority still trusts the institution that has been vital in safeguarding Nepal's independence.

Shri panch Maharajadhiraj Sarkar Ko Jai!

Very herd and submissive mentality lies in core among south asians. Even wondered how East India Company with few hundred armies were able to conquer the whole country, populated with millions?

ye baba bhanne pani haad huncha ni ho!

Shiva Shrestha bowed to the queen exercising his free will, you guys don't do it. Period. On the one hand, you all have proclaim yoursleves to be democrats, on the other hand, you can't simply accept the fact that there are many people in Nepal who do not think/see things the way you all do. And when you start labeling those people who think/see things differently than you this and that and expect everyone to follow you, aren't you - the democrats- violating what you yourselves preach here in this board? Gajjab cha ba!

As far as my little understanding goes, if people expect and or force othersr to behave and think like them, its autocracy/dictatorship.

Having been slaves for over two centuries, Nepalese have lost their backbones in the process of reverse evolution. Shiva Shrestha is smptomatic specimen of a diseased species. Don\'t blame the poor fellow. Look inside yourself.

Newuser, it's always fun to see how your closed minded mentality works.

When you see someone making a statement in agreement with your prejudices, you don't waste time in WAH WAH's and kissing their butts,

OK JAU DHOGA TIMRO PYARO NEPE-LAI.
PUT YOUR HEAD ON HIS TOES AND BE HAPPY.

but as soon as you find out that someone's views are contrary to yours, you start attacking their family members, start name calling, accuse them of being royalists. You are prejudiced to your bone so you believe that everyone else would be prejudiced as well. That is why, you catagorize anyone not of your prejudiced mentality as being oppositely prejudiced - whereas the sad fact is that you are just closed minded to recognize any open minded thinking.

hahahaha Crypto bro,
don't be sad yar. Do something better instead. Buy some books/movies for your pass time OR fInd some of my poems/stories/ghazals/articles in sajha and read them, if you have nothing else to do. I know you are one of my loyal followers. Thank you very much. :)

The photo was quite hillarious, to be honest. BUT it IS Shiv Shrestha's prerogative to greet the queen in such manner.

Having that said, looking beyond the personas of Shiv Shrestha and Komal Shah, the picture as a whole is a sad commentary on our feudal society.

MANIPULATION (of the masses) does not have to be immediate and physically visible. Mental/psychological manipulation of the minds is usually long term, discreet and, therefore, even more serious/harmful than physical manipulation.

Minds of the Nepali mass had been manipulated by the royal institution in modern times (thanks to Panchayat!) through the books we read, the news we heard, the information we got, twisted history we were taught, fanciful myths we were made to believe in, etc, etc, etc...which has led a lot of Nepalis to do what Shiva Shrestha has done in the above picture, and some others to support it. Like Newuser has correctly pointed out, this kind of "slave mentality" has not only been taken advantage of by the Kings, but by various political leaders as well -- here are many Nepalis who would have equally powerful feelings of submission to servitude (of not literally DHOGNE like Shiva Shrestha did) to please the likes of Girija, Prachanda, MaKuNe, Deuba, etc. This trend was slowly but surely being let go of during the 10 years or so of quasi-democracy, but now that the reigns of power has been wrestled back to the original manipulators, we, as a society, are in a reverse gear -- either willfully and knowingly, or not -- on that progress.

Shiva Shrestha MAY have done what he did out of his own INSTANTANEOUS free will, for all I care. But it is only obvious that his INSTANTANEOUS free will had been, like many other Nepalis', manipulated over time by how he grew up. Individual actions out of instantaneous free will can never be genuinely free unless it was NOT a result of mental/psylchoogical, over time manipulation. An independent, free-thinking, and free-of-manipulation individuals NEVER submit to such humiliating acts, be it to the royals or anyone else.

Some form of manipulation is inevitable. Governments around the world, including the West, indulge in such acts to some degree. Afterall, manipulation is PARTLY a way of gaining support. However, if it can be minimized and not be so obviously, blatantly humiliating as in the case of Nepal, and if the very act of manipulation is also enveloped in a DEMOCRATIC aura full of choices, it would be easier to swallow the idea.

Respect whoever one wants, that's their own prerogative. Giving the supporters of the King the benefit of the doubt, His Majesty may very well be the ONLY viable source of stability in Nepal, for all I care. However, respecting someone, and submitting to his/her servitude is widely different. Notwithstanding the fact that much respect that the Nepali royal institution has gained has been DEMANDED, rather than EARNED, they (the royals) seem to gloat over the fact that Nepalis submit to humiliation for them is outright wrong.

The need of the hour is to free ourselves from what Newuser has termed "slave mentality". The impeccable urgency is to develop self confidence amongst ourselves, individually AND collectively. This can only be done when the educated mass begin to impose such changes upon themselves, and then seeks to foster that revolution of the minds onto others.

FREE YOURSELVES!

Dherai macnhe haru le dherai kura bhane.... maiali pani bhanau bhanau lagyo....

Some said Shiv S exercised his free will and it was his prerogative, some accused him of being a slave mentality. Some tried to justify it with using their darbar chireko relatives as a metaphor, and some well simply hailed it.

Unless ShivaS has some special relation with Q. Komal, I do not see him joking with Q., simply because our society have only taught us to respect and praise the royals. Udaune chai himmat sayedai kasaiko hola agadi.

Fine Mr. ShivaS exercised his right, it is his prerogative. He acted on his behalf and he's freedom to do so. But for me personally, when i first saw this picture, the first thing that came to my mouth was....."THUKKAAAAA". sorry could not help it.

First, I take him as a public figure, second I let's face it, I shall not say he did not have right to do so, but it certainly appeared OVERBOARD the way it was portrayed. That DHOOG was wayyyyy too much than mere respect. For my taste it was respect laced with no-self-respect, for oneself.

Let us take a look at the picture, and just think for once. It portrays a total slave mentality, sycophancy, and typically exemplifies how we still think that WE are a second class citizen in OUR own country. The smile on that guy (whoever he is) is pathetic. The figure who is innocent is the Q. Komal herself.

Q. Komal, 'perhaps' the most untainted person in the palace. She to me appears like chubby lard that is oblivious to anything and everything and just happy to be a Queen. But I would not go as far top term her as ?sorry? figure. She appears pretty robust for me.

Khai ke bhanne, let me just say, me as a fan of Shiva Shrestha (He is probably the only actor 'hero' that I ever liked in Nepali Cinema), he disappointed me; first as a person and then as a fan.

Whereas I can not say anything to Shiva Sherstha; a person, when he exercises his free right, I hope I would be allowed to say one thing once again to Shiva Shrestha, a 'public figure' and exercise my free will and say ---------?THUKKA?.

IndisGuise:)

There are hundreds of typos.. please ignore em'.