A rock star turned activist challenges the world to wipe out poverty and disease

I was a 9-year-old boy in Dublin when a man first walked on the moon. It wasn't just any man- it was an American. I thought I already knew something about America from Elvis the movies and the hip gear sent home by Irish people who crossed the Atlantic But now American meant something new. It meant having a sense of infinite possibility, doing the things everyone says can't be done. Even this freckle- faced Irish kid cold see that America went to the moon not just because it was a scientific milestone a career move for the human race but because it was an adventure.
More than ever, we need to renew that sense of adventure and purpose. Never before has the west been so scrutinized. Our convictions and credibility are under attack. Who are we? What are our values? Do we have any at all?
We can't answer these questions by going back to the moon. But there is a goal out there worthy of our generation. It's earth bound this time, but no less exhilarating. It is the defeat of humanity's oldes foe: disease.
Just a few years ago this was mission impossible today it is tantalixingly within our reach it is no longer crazy to suggest that we can eliminate tuberculosis and malaria from the planet. It is no longer unthinkable to imagine a world without aids or extreme poverty. And this isn't hope talking or faith. This is hard science pointing us toward a better, healthier world.
In the past year we learned that for the first time there's a vaccine that offers real, if partial, protection against malaria. NO more death by mosquito bite is a goal that is within sight. Two new vaccines have been developed for rotavirus, the main cause of diarrheal disease. Today nearly a million people with HIV in poor counties are on life-saving antiretroviral drugs more than double the total just 18 months ago. That's enough to get even a rock star out of bed in the morning.
The question now is whether politicians will prove themselves the equal of scientists. Biomedicine today is where high tech was in the 1990s- it's where the energy and excitement are. But scientists alone can't get life-saving vaccines and treatments to the people who need them most - not without our help.
On that score there is cause for optimism. From NGOs to CEOS truckers to nurses philanthropists to pharmaceutical companies and even presidents and prime ministers, people are putting their talents them and money to work in the fight against deadly diseases. Just check out Bill Gates.
Momentum is building but disease is still way out tin front the numbers are so big that they can numb us into indifference 5000 people dying every day from tuberculosis 1 million dying every year from malaria. Behind each of these statistics is someone's daughter, someone's son a mother a father a sister a brother.
We cannot save every life. But the ones we can we must. It is or it ought to be unacceptable that an accident of longitude and latitude determines whether a child lives or dies. In America and in Europe we have death with polio malaria and TB with the ruthless efficiently they deserve beyond our won borders we have offered excuses instead of solutions. We need to stop this two steps forward one step back tango that we have been dancing for years and start marching. The good news is that a lot of people have their boots on.
This year millions of people gathered to persuade world leaders to invest more in fighting poverty and disease in Africa. In July they listened the Group of Eight pledged an additional $50 billion annually to poor countries half of it for Africa. The G_8 also agreed to write of $56 billion in old multilateral debt for 38 of the world's poorest countries., And they promised to get AIDs drugs not just to everyone who can afford them but to everyone who needs them - a great promise if they keep it
We must keep the pressure on our governments if we want them to follow through. As voters and taxpayers we must give our leaders permission to invest just a fraction f our taxes in $ 5 mosquito nets and drug treatments that cost pennies apiece. Right now in Washington, Congress is deciding whether to provide $3.6 billion in global aids funding, including $600 million for the global health fund, thanks to democrat dick burbin and republican Rick Santorum. If this money is not approved, people across Africa will have to be taken off live saving medications. How mad is that?
Beating Aids and extreme stupid poverty this is our moon shot. This is our civil rights struggle, our antiapartheid movement. This is what the history books will remember our generation for - or blame us for if we fail.
--published in The Time magazine

I attend a lot of musical programs as part of my job, Aaitihasik Live concert” was one of those. Lochan Rizal, Aastha and Uglyz performed at BICC ground. I wasn't impressed with the Uglyz's performance but was amazed to see the crowd go crazy about them. As soon as they appeared on the stage teens got out-of-control and when they started singing the audience also sang with them. They knew all the songs of Uglyz by heart “Uglyz… Sarun… Uglyz… Sarun” chanted the teenage crowd.
On the backstage with some renowned artists I discussed about the current music scenario. They too were surprised to see craze of Uglyz what puzzled them more was the audience's failure to understand music of Lochan Rizal's music. Being a musician myself I can touch the feelings of Lochan’s song… the depth in it and the hardness and apex of it. But those who don’t have this knowledge can’t understand Lochan’s songs and his music. After the show ended there was a huge mass of fans of Uglyz behind them for autograph and only a few behind Lochan and other renowned artists present. I was about to leave the ground when a loud voice got my attention, a lady was shouting at Sarun… “Sarun, I don’t give a shit about u! You li** my a**, Fu** u Sarun…” and bla.. bla.. bla.. That was none of my business why she was saying so to him.
I came back home and listened to their album. Besides two songs most of the songs were very boring. The pronunciation was so poor that I could hardly understand the words. The question that bugged me was why then are they so popular? When there are many singers with better vocal, composition and strong lyric, and yet have not been able to make it as big as the Uglyz. I thought for few hours and the only reason I could come up with was the fact that all the members of the band are handsome! I was even surer of my weird conclusion when I recalled some of the audience saying “Wah Kya handsome cha Sarun ta, Kaash usko huna paye ta..” How else could a band with a debut album (RUSH) released on February 05 with "Aaudai Jadai, as the best song could have teenagers claiming Sarun as their favorite singer and Uglyz their band. (I have no problem with them doing good business, as it always feels good to see new artists doing well in the market).
So anyone trying to enter the field of music… think twice before you jump into it. Since our musical industry has undergone tremendous change. Look yourself into the mirror and judge if you have the looks too, to make it big in this field, aside from the vocal. It doesn’t matter if you have quality songs or not. And those who have quality songs, but not the looks, then you just can give a try to your luck.

Putalisadak, my regular bypass junction. I go there with or without work. Last week I was there with some work, an early morning assignment had got me there. I was occupied with the work for some hours and soon was hungry. So to satisfy my rumbling stomach I stepped into a nearby restaurant, As I pushed open the door I could see about half a dozen youngsters in the corner. Clad in school uniform, lighted Surya lights in their hands. I seated myself on a nearby table and waited for the waiter to appear. I was so hungry that I ordered two dishes. It took quite a while for the dish to arrive. In the meantime to distract myself from the rumbling in my stomach I started looking around the restaurant. I looked at the decor, the color, chairs, everything yet my food was nowhere on sight. The smoke coming out of the youngster's cigarette now caught my attention. They had managed to create quite a smoky atmosphere. Closer inspection revealed that they were five of them, three gals and two guys. They looked liked like +2 students.
The sight of students bunking class smoking had me wondering how our youngsters had started smoking freely, when aware of the fact that smoking is injurious to health and yet giving a damn to it.
The waiter brought my food. I was glad to see the food at last. I greedily ducked into it. Just then the door opened and I saw to people entering it. They sat beside my table and ordered two bottles of beer. Their order had me turn my head around in surprise to look at them. For it was not even 10:30 in the morning and to my horror, one of the guy was non other then Nepal’s one time so called number one pop singer Nabin K. Bhattarai.

I know its non-of my business what he does. Yet I couldn't help feeling disappointed after finding out that this star singer of the nation was not what I had dreamed him to be. Yeah I know I was not minding by business but still drinking beer when its time to drink tea/coffee had me poking my nose in others private affair. I quickly defended myself saying Nabin is now a public figure and hence has to be cautious how he acts in public.
I was so shocked that I shared my experience with many of my friends and guess what? Some have been seeing him regularly drinking beer at the same place, and some people have seen him even earlier (9am) at Nanglo bakery doing the same.
I was left with a bitter feeling and lots of questions as to why a creative person like him spent his morning drinking beer.
The question bothered me so much that I had to set aside some time to answer them. Here are some answers some were interesting and some funny.
Maybe wants to be unique, maybe it helps him sing better, maybe he is worried about his age, maybe beer will help him grow his hair, or maybe the grandest reason for drinking; tragedy. Or maybe he drinks to come up with better composition. Or it could also be because his recent album “Smirti Re-loaded” is doing well in the market and is celebrating its success. But that was unlikely because even if his album is doing well in the market he can’t get his royalty easily. I have heard about Music.com’s Owner and how even renowned artists have a tough time getting royalty of their albums. What else could be the reason? My guess keeps on going longer and longer.

What can we learn from our celebrities? What will the next generation of upcoming singers learn from him and what about his fans? Where those youngsters back at the restaurant a victim of negative influence from celebrities like him? What do they think of him if they find out of his drinking habit? In other countries celebrities are not allowed to drink in public but here they drink beer in the morning instead of Tea. Being a music lover and a great fan of Nepali music I feel compelled to give a small suggestion to Nabin. Managing one's success is twice as tougher as reaching the apex.