‘CRUEL REALITY’
   Date :17-Jun-2020

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BENEATH the sparkling veneer that gives the show business a cult status in the society, there lies a cruel, dark underbelly. The dark side raises its disgusting head time and again, sending a chill down the spine of the commoners who often aspire to live a life bestowed upon the stars. That life is fragile, to say the least, and can be gauged from the distressing episodes exposing the film industry. Promising actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death brings this raging issue into public conscious yet again. Agreed, stardom is not exactly a bed of roses, but the intricacies behind the veneer should not be so cruel that a person’s confidence is shattered to pieces. Whether the actor committed suicide, was forced to end his life, or was murdered is a matter of thorough probe. But the fact remains that the show business does have exclusive compartments that always shut door on the outsider like Rajput, forcing him to doubt his abilities and sending him to a path of no return. The coterie needs to be broken. The extremes need to be mended. Easier said that done!
 
DANGEROUS TILT
 
AN uneasy future awaits the Indo-Nepal relations in wake of recent political developments in the landlocked country. The anti-India rhetoric by the political class, in total unanimity, has raised lot many uneasy queries for the foreign policy thinkers in both countries, more prominently in India. Nepal’s tilt towards new-found friend China is apparent but the unnecessary escalation of border row with India leaves a lot of doubts for experts. Leading Nepali economist Dr Posh Raj Pandey has openly criticised Nepal’s move to consider China as an “alternative” to India. The statement holds weight as it presents the economic future of Nepal. The country is surrounded by India from three sides. If India chooses to retaliate then the economic impact would be disastrous for Nepal. Despite knowing the truth if Kathmandu is blinded by its domestic political game under the heavy influence of Beijing, then it is bound to end in an economic catastrophe. The Chinese debt trap is too dangerous to get rid of for Kathmandu.