On May 9, 2025, Bikalpa an Alternative organized a thought-provoking Movie Discussion Program at Hotel Shree Krishna in Biratnagar on the topic of “Issues of Governance and Accountability.” The program aimed to foster critical reflection and open dialogue on Nepal’s current state of public leadership and civic responsibility. A total of 34 participants- primarily Bikalpa and YPE fellows came together to engage in meaningful discussion and exchange perspectives on governance and accountability.
Basanta Adhikari, the founding chairperson of Bikalpa, icebreaks the program with a welcome speech, introducing Bikalpa and outlining the purpose of the gathering.
The session was facilitated by Ms. Ranu Sah, who began with a briefing on the program, outlining the activities planned for the entire session. She provided valuable insights and fostered meaningful engagement among the participants. Three short movies, namely Sakas, Bethiti, and Sadan were shown to the participants. The first movie highlighted the bureaucratic hassles and red tape that have obstructed the license-obtaining process, compelling the common people to be deprived of existing opportunities like employment and encouraging them to be involved in illegal activities. The second movie covered issues faced by lower-class family during the COVID pandemic, like financial setbacks and unavailability of vaccines. The third movie sheds light on bureaucratic hurdles exposed by young aspiring entrepreneurs and the sprawling menace of a middleman.
After each movie screening, participants were asked to present their thoughts and understanding regarding the movie. Various perspectives of diversified participants were discussed in the program ranging from the lack of pricing policy in Nepal to the prevalence of bribery in every sector and inefficiency of public officials in performing their duties. The discussion also included that people who have connections with high-ranking officials in public sector offices often get their work done more easily and quickly compared to others, bypassing bureaucratic delays and getting preferential treatment. Participants also argued that the tasks that usually take weeks or months can be done within days or even hours, reflecting the power of influence and lack of transparency in the public service system.
Mr. Adhikari and Ms. Sah also provided insights on the movies after the discussion of participants, as it was made by Bikalpa itself, making them more engaging. All the participants engaged actively and made the entire session interactive and fruitful. In the end, Mr. Adhikari shared an opportunity to become a part of the movie shoot, which is being produced by Bikalpa in collaboration with US Filmmakers. He also assured of conducting such discussions in the coming days on various issues identified during the session. Lastly, the program was concluded by Ms. Sah with a heartfelt gratitude to the participants for making the program a success.
