Chairman of the Inaugural Session of the First NRN Knowledge Convention
Honourable Ministers,
High-ranking Officials,
Paper Presenters and Experts,
Representatives from Non-resident Nepali Community,
Representatives from Private Sector,
Media persons,
Ladies and gentlemen:
Namaskar and Good Evening!
I extend a warm welcome to all of you.
I am very happy to be among you all, in the inauguration of the First NRN Knowledge Convention.
I thank the Non-Resident Nepali Association and other organizers for inviting me to share my thoughts on the theme "Expanding Nepal's Knowledge Pool through Diaspora".
There is a special reason to be happy. The reason is: we have assembled here to deliberate on a subject matter that lies at the core of human progress and prosperity.
And I must frankly admit that this is the first time we have exhibited seriousness towards a matter which can be a game changer in defining our development landscape.
So the the organizers, including NRNs, Nepal's educational and research institutions, private sector and other stakeholders deserve our special thanks for taking this laudable initiative.
With the presence of so many learned and eminent personalities from across the world, I am assured of rich and substantive outcome of the two-day deliberations.
I wish the international participants a pleasant stay in Nepal and the Convention a grand success.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Nepali diaspora has become truly global. I would like to appreciate the significant role the Non-Resident Nepali Association has been playing in uniting the Nepalis scattered all over the world and mobilizing their resources for development of the motherland.
I believe that the physical distance cannot diminish the sense of belongingness and affinity towards one’s own motherland. Rather, it becomes more pronounced when you live overseas. I would like to admire your continued respect and love towards the motherland.
Non-Resident Nepalis have contributed to expanding Nepal’s unique culture and identity through lingua franca, Nepali food and lifestyles.
I would also like to appreciate your affiliation towards Nepali culture and your active role in making it global.
I am of the view that the Nepali diaspora serve as honorary Nepali ambassadors in promoting rich Nepali culture, values and traditions all over the world. It fulfils a useful purpose: it helps you recognize as a strong identity-bearer of the country and helps promote country’s image in the world.
You are doing more than this. The role you have been playing in making foreign employment safe and dignified cannot be ignored.
Furthermore, I value your effort in bringing investment, promoting and exploring markets for Nepali goods and services; and lobbying in the interests of Nepal and Nepalis in the countries you currently reside.
While you play important roles in various fields, it is equally important to focus on building your own strengths.
Unity and solidarity among Nepali diaspora will help to galvanize more support for the development of the motherland and, at the same time, elevate your stature in the countries you live.
We would like to see your profile enhanced and influence expanded.
The overwhelming support and cooperation of Nepali diaspora abroad, in the aftermath of natural disasters such as earthquake, flood, and landslides in Nepal shows their deep empathy toward their sisters and brothers in Nepal.
NRN’s involvement in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction is praiseworthy. The reconstruction of houses in the remote Larpak village, the epicenter of 2015 earthquake, is a telling example of your commitment and delivery.
With this sense of connection and dedication, I believe NRN will enhance its contribution to socio-economic development of Nepal in the days ahead.
In recognition of your contribution to the motherland, our Constitution has guaranteed you a NRN citizenship with economic, social and cultural rights.
The Government will make necessary legal arrangements to implement this provision of the Constitution.
Dear Friends,
Nepal is known in the world as the country of Sagarmatha-the highest peak in the world and the birthplace of Buddha-the apostle of peace.
Natural beauty of Nepal is matchless. We equally have unique art and culture which are incomparable. We have a distinct identity in the global community as-peace-loving, honest and hardworking people. These are the real assets of Nepal.
We have to build on these solid assets to make Nepal strong on economic front and a model country on social front with social justice and harmony as its key features.
This cannot be achieved easily. We should desist ourselves from viewing things in simplistic terms. A combination of clear visions, determined commitments, rightly-aligned resources, non-fatigable efforts, expeditious steps and concrete deliverables will make this possible.
When we talk about development, we are far behind many countries. Neither we have time to wait, nor do we have time to engage in endless debate about the course of development. Neither we have luxury to wait for others to come and teach us how to move forward, nor do we have time to blame each other and repent for past inactions and mistakes.
Time is of essence. Change is the only constant.
Therefore, we have to move now and move at a faster pace. And I trust, we are capable of undertaking this journey, though arduous one.
Our political struggle has emboldened us and taught useful lessons to reach the target at any cost despite all odds and challenges.
Nepal has ushered in an era of political stability with the promulgation of the Constitution and the successful completion of elections of federal, provincial and local levels.
Our Constitution is outstanding from the perspective of democracy, human rights, social justice and inclusion.
We have paid heavy price to reach this stage. I believe that Nepali people will not have to fight for political rights any more. Political issues have been settled and we have emerged as a progressive state with a renewed confidence and vigour.
After the consolidation of ground-breaking political achievements, Nepal is now at an important juncture of undertaking socio-economic transformation. This is not a choice but a compulsion, as people of Nepal can, no longer, afford to be equated with poverty, hunger and backwardness. They have suffered a lot and now deserve a dignified life.
That is why the vision of my government is guided by the long-term goal of “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali”.
For achieving any goal, we should be able to dream it first. And this Government has the vision of making a prosperous country, dream of making happy Nepali.
Friends,
To achieve our goal, we will have to ensure decent and fruitful employment for our active population. We need to modernize our agriculture, utilize energy sectors, especially hydropower. We should focus on developing infrastructure, tourism sectors and creating skilled human resources.
As a matter of fact, the environment for investment is getting better in Nepal. The Government is committed to improving the climate for investment and business. I would like to stress the fact that policy stability comes with political stability. We guarantee protection to investment, both domestic and foreign. NRN community can play a catalytic role in attracting FDI in Nepal. They are already making good progress but much can be done together.
The investment made by multinational and joint-venture companies in Nepal has provided a high return. There are plenty of sectors for investment.
At this juncture, I feel that the Government, the private sector and the NRN should synergize their efforts in bringing visible prosperity in the life of ordinary people.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am of the view that, among several necessary factors contributing to prosperity, knowledge is one of such factor. If development is the outcome, knowledge is the seed.
Knowledge is the collective aggregation of experiences. It is the result of innovation and experiment. Knowledge is stored as memory of experiences. Memory power is like a bank that gives shape to knowledge. Knowledge has a practical value; it should not be seen as the mere collection of quotations.
I firmly believe that the base for leading a country on the path of progress lies in creating a knowledge-based society.
Constant innovation, invention and research lay foundation for virtuous cycle of knowledge creation. Knowledge creation is vital for the greater well-being of entire humanity.
We are a descendant of knowledgeable ancestors. The world of our forefathers was a different world, full of knowledge, innovation and invention. There was nothing that was not tested.
Over the course of history, we lost glory established by our ancestors. Those who were in dark when our part of the world was enlightened surpassed us, as the world entered the modern times. It is now incumbent upon us to rejuvenate that glorious history through the revival of knowledge. Our posterity deserves an uninterrupted legacy of rich knowledge and traditions and we must ensure this.
Inspiration for innovation, invention and research promotes peace and prosperity perpetually.
Keeping this in view, we have accorded top priority to innovative approach in all sphere of our national life.
Change and transformation is driven by technology. We have seen unstoppable force of technology that has vastly changed the world in which we live today. However, not all countries and people have benefited from technological advancement. Progress cannot be achieved without technology. Access to affordable and reliable technology is a must for all countries to gain benefits from globalization.
While technology serves as hardware, human character is equally important as software. Technology is like a double-edge sword. It can make your life comfortable and happy if you are able to define your objective and apply it to reach there. But if you lack a clear objective and let technology define your aims and objectives it may produce entirely different outcome.
Cognizant of the importance of research and innovation, the Government has set up a Policy and Research Academy as a think-tank institution which will provide important inputs for undertaking necessary policy reforms.
This Academy will make fact-based, evidence-based and research-based recommendations to the Government for sound policy-making.
With the inclusion of leaders of your Association, the Government has recently setup an advisory council for better business environment.
I believe the NRN Association will continue to engage in innovation and research and make their valuable findings available to the Government.
I assure you that the Government of Nepal always stands ready for necessary support in this regard.
I hope this Convention would help us to internalize within ourselves, to utilize our rich knowledge and further to create new knowledge.
I anticipate that we will be able to reverse the situation of brain drain of our dynamic minds and through churning of our intellect we will be able to produce the butter of knowledge; which we can share among all.
Therefore, I urge you all to continue to remain engaged in your endeavors to bring positive changes in Nepal through investment, technology transfer, skill transfer, knowledge transfer and other constructive engagements.
Finally, I would like to thank the professors, researchers and experts from different organizations for your valuable participation and contributions to the Convention.
Meanwhile, different festivals such as Dashain, Tihar, Nepal Sambat, Chhath, Eid, Lhoshar are approaching our doorsteps, I would like to extend my best wishes to all.
Thank you!
12 October 2018, Kathmandu, Nepal
