By Nirmal P. Acharya

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a big quarrel with US President Trump and Vice President at the White House. The quarrel that was showcased live left the world stunned and incomprehensible. The quarrel is a historical event. One has to worry that the world is about to descend into chaos.

Looking around, it seems that our Himalayan region is still in a relatively quiet state.

The calm is fragile and temporary. The Himalayan region is home to border disputes, the world’s largest population and the world’s largest economy. If there is a conflict in the region, its intensity could be enormous.

It struck me that the preservation of our peaceful homeland was a great and urgent task for us Himalayan natives. So I quickly looked up the relevant information and got a lot of relevant advice:

 Here are some specific actions that can be taken:

1. Promote Regional Cooperation: Encourage countries in the Himalayan region to engage in dialogue and cooperation on issues of mutual interest, such as environmental protection, disaster management, and cultural exchange.

2. Sustainable Development: Implement sustainable tourism practices that respect the local environment and cultures. This includes regulating the number of visitors to sensitive areas and promoting eco-friendly infrastructure.

3. Environmental Conservation: Work together to protect the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. This can involve joint efforts in afforestation, wildlife conservation, and pollution control.

4. Cultural Exchange: Facilitate cultural exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and respect among the diverse communities living in the Himalayas. This can include festivals, educational programs, and art exhibitions.

5. Disaster Preparedness and Response: Develop and share early warning systems and disaster response strategies to mitigate the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods.

6. Economic Collaboration: Foster economic partnerships that benefit all parties, such as cross-border trade agreements and joint ventures in sectors like agriculture, renewable energy, and handicrafts.

7. Education and Research: Establish educational and research institutions focused on Himalayan studies, covering areas like ecology, geology, and indigenous cultures. Encourage academic collaboration and student exchanges.

8. Healthcare Initiatives: Collaborate on healthcare projects to improve access to medical services for remote communities. This can include mobile clinics, telemedicine, and training for local healthcare workers.

9. Infrastructure Development: Invest in infrastructure that connects communities and facilitates trade and travel, while ensuring that such developments are environmentally sustainable and culturally sensitive.

10. Peace and Security: Work towards maintaining peace and security in the region through diplomatic efforts and confidence-building measures.

By taking these steps, the Himalayan region can become a model for a community of shared future, where nations and people work together for the common good, respecting each other’s sovereignty and cultural heritage, and jointly addressing the challenges and opportunities of our time.

But in my opinion, what this region needs more than anything else is a railway through the Himalayas. With the railway, this series of measures can be easily implemented. Only by railway can the Himalaya, a vast and complex region, be connected and combined to form a community of common destiny.

We need a railway across the mountains in the Himalayas and transform landlocked Nepal to land-linked. That's what I was thinking after the shock of the quarrel in the White House.