Everyone, from a bespectacled high school principal to a battle-hardened Maoist guerrilla, seemed to have heard of the tiny island state known as Singapore. “Good economy, very clean,” they all said approvingly. Some would even mention Lee Kuan Yew (whose party has ruled Singapore for 50 years and counting).Friends later told me how turning Nepal into Singapore was a standard election slogan. Evidently such talk was a hit with the masses, and it certainly boosted the fame of a country only roughly the size of the Kathmandu Valley. But a good economy and clean streets doesn’t quite sum up the Singapore I know. As someone born and bred in this tropical nation, I feel compelled to tell Nepalis who want their country transformed into mine: be careful what you wish for. Full Story
