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REPORTS DECEMBER 12, 2004 VOL. I, NO. 34 18 Cosmetic Lumbini COVER: RAJ SHRESTHA By Satish Jung Shahi in Lumbini www.nation.com.np How not to organize a conference

26 Varsity Diversity By John Narayan Parajuli The government believes that increasing the number of universi- ties will help the education sector. Experts say it will only add to the mess.

28 Static Science By Sunil Pokhrel Our leaders in science are busy playing cat-and- mouse games. Few seem to believe that their professional COVER STORY advancement should come through academic rigor. 20 Endgame?

By John Narayan Parajuli The Maoists will take a call for elections as a fight to the finish but this also COLUMNS holds the key to the government's existence 11 Wakeup Call Interview: Minendra Rijal, Prime Minister Debua’s aide By Jogendra Ghimire

ARTS AND SOCIETY DEPARTMENTS 30 Patriotism, 36 The Man And His 6 LETTERS Nationalism Magic 10 PICTURE OF THE WEEK And Culture By Veneeta Singha By Aditya Adhikari Kishor Kayastha uses state-of-the art 14 CAPSULES technology to convey and express art 16 MILESTONE forms that are almost lost 16 BIZ BUZZ 44 CITY PAGE 32 Conflict Diagnosis 52 SNAPSHOTS By Bipul Narayan 40 Mountains 56 KHULA MANCH And Men 57 BOOKS By Yashas Vaidya Two films show how mountains touch 58 LAST PAGE 34 The Crossroads the lives of people in different ways Of Our National PROFILE Imagination 48 A Life Of Dedication By Sushma Joshi in Nepalgunj By Aditya Adhikari 50 Speaking Out The display of the at New York’s About AIDS Metropolitan Museum of Art was By Biswas Baral finally established last year. This is an 42 Jomsom Journals: It’s time to talk openly about accomplishment Krishna Man Part 1 the disease, but Oxygen’s street Manandhar feels especially proud By Kunal Lama theater missed a golden opportunity about.

5 Letters

Every big city in the “world has sex centers, what’s wrong if Kathmandu wants one?

” DR. AMRIT K.C.

Porn business marketplace of ideas” (“In Defense Of YOUR COVER STORY LAST WEEK Mohsin,” Legal Eye, Dec. 5). Well, this had nothing new (“Porn Business,” by is not going to make Ghimire particu- John Narayan Parajuli and Indra larly popular in the press. And hence this Adhikari, Dec. 5). Both prostitution and letter of appreciation—in defense of unpopular ideas. I have also noted that Ghimire has had a few other tongue-in- cheek articles that don’t necessarily re- flect the popular views in the press, par- ticularly the Nepali-language variety, which to me is heavily loaded in favor of the political parties. Ghimire very well may be a supporter of the political par- ties himself but he still raises a very valid point: Doesn’t Mohsin have the right to pornography are necessary evils. Rather express his views on impending than making high-profile raids on the- authoritarianism? I was dismayed, much aters and shutting them down for show- like a letter writer in Nation last week, ing pornography, the wiser thing to do is that the press, Nation including, should to keep an eye on the porn business: grant jump its gun on Mohsin’s purported be- licenses to particular theaters (not ob- lief without bothering to find out what jectionable to neighbors), which could he actually said and in what context. The then charge hefty fees to viewers while partisan voice of the press is very dis- issuing explicit warnings for the view- turbing. ing adults. After all, every big city in the MAHESH KHAKUREL world has sex centers, and what’s wrong VIA EMAIL if Kathmandu wants to have one? It’s hard to control people from watching X-rated Poor diplomacy movies, theater or no theater. The thing ACCENTUATING ON DIPTA SHAH’S to do is to take adequate measures so that article on the ineffectiveness of Nepali pornography is out of bounds for chil- diplomacy, I firmly believe that our di- dren. plomacy is at a perilous stage (“Inad- DR. AMRIT K.C. equacies In Diplomacy,” Oct. 31). First BISHALNAGAR and foremost, it is blatantly unequivo- cal that the elites—political leaders of Unpopular ideas major political parties—have been fre- I MUST CONGRATULATE quently embarking on “tirtha yatras” to Jogendra Ghimire for his bold defense Delhi to pay homage to their Indian of Minister Mohammed Mohsin: “For counterparts. This limpidly exposes the no matter how unpopular, all ideas and fact that Nepal’s policies are dictated expressions should find a place in the by New Delhi. Also, the policy of

6 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly Panchasheel—equality, mutual respect political fare—staple for Nepal’s papers, for territorial integrity and sovereignty, and I still look forward to Mondays. peaceful co-existence and non-interfer- Keep up the good work. Nation Weekly, The Media House, Tripureshor, ence in internal matters of one another, HELEN TOBEE Kathmandu, Nepal (Regd. 165/059-060). Tel: 2111102, 4229825, 4261831, 4263098 which is the main thrust of our diplo- KATHMANDU macy—has been violated because we EDITOR: Akhilesh Upadhyay [email protected] ourselves are allowing outside interfer- Brain drain CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Suman Pradhan COPY EDITOR: John Child ence. Before we even point a finger at I READ DHARMA RAJ KAFLEY’S SENIOR STAFF WRITERS: Sushma Joshi, Satish Jung Shahi, India, we should examine our own interview with mixed feelings (“Private Tiku Gauchan STAFF WRITER: John Narayan Parajuli backyard. It is the ineptness of Nepali Initiative,” Khula Manch, by Yashas PHOTOJOURNALISTS: Sagar Shrestha, Das Bahadur Maharjan DESIGNER: Raj Shrestha diplomacy that allows Indian encroach- Vaidya, Dec. 5). As a native of Biratnagar EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Indra Adhikari, Yashas Vaidya ment, not the other way round. If only myself, I take a lot of pride in people like AD & CIRCULATION DIRECTOR: Krishna Shrestha we had coherent policies buttressed by Kafley who have made enormous contri- ASST. MARKETING MANAGER: Rameshwor Ghimire MARKETING EXECUTIVES: Rena Hughes Sharma, Bijendra Pradhan dexterous diplomats, we would un- butions to our society. But I also rue the [email protected] doubtedly have more leverage in the fact that scores of Biratnagar natives have SUBSCRIPTION OFFICER: Akshaya Shrestha [email protected] outcomes. Furthermore, the sheer re- happily forgotten their hometown. Yes, I ASST. SUBSCRIPTION OFFICER: Jeshna Karmacharya DISTRIBUTION: Angiras Manandhar luctance of our authorities to appoint a know many of your readers may dismiss MARKETING CONSULTANT: Kreepa Shrestha new permanent representative to the me as a provincial bum for saying that. CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Nripendra Karmacharya United Nations highlights Nepali But think of it—how badly has “brain diplomacy’s impotence. When I asked drain” affected us, and not just Biratnagar? PUBLISHER: The Mirror Media Pvt. Ltd the visiting Minister of State for For- RAMESH SHARMA AD ENQUIRIES: Tel. 4229825, 4261831, 4263098 COLOR SEPARATION: ScanPro, Pulchowk, 5548861, 5552335 eign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat dur- MAHENDRA MORANG CAMPUS PRINTING: NPTC Limited 4476226, 4461745 DISTRIBUTION: R.B. News, 4232784, 4244679 ing a forum at the Columbia Univer- BIRATNAGAR Nation Weekly is published every Monday by The Mirror Media Pvt. Ltd. sity early this year, he simply shied away All Rights Reserved. The reproduction of the contents of this publication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the from the issue. Instead, his response was Wither Nepal? prior consent of the publisher. very effete: quoting his own words, I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO MAKE OF “Well, we’re working on it, and the Paandyun (“RNA At Crossroads,” Last Vol. I, No. 33. For the week December 6-12, 2004, released on December 6 present permanent representative’s Page, Dec. 5). The Army says it is a stra- CONTACT term is ending soon too.” Well, with all tegic victory, your editorial says the RNA www.nation.com.np due respect, Sir, Mr. Sharma’s term is at a crossroads, the news tells me that ended the day he took tenure as a U.N. the Maoists are coming out even more employee. Nepal is arrantly breeching brutally, and the people are now them- the norms and regulations of the United selves confronting the Maoists. The We prefer to receive letters via e-mail, without attachments. Writers should disclose any connection Nations by allowing Murari Raj Sharma death toll continues to climb and the or relationship with the subject of their comments. to still hold the portfolio of the Perma- Army continues to demand more money. All letters must include an address and daytime and nent Representative while he also re- Where are we heading? Does anyone evening phone numbers. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity and space. ceives his paycheck from the United make sense? Do I? E-mail: [email protected] Nations. Either he should have resigned SUSHMA SHRESTHA Fax: 4216281 Mail: Nation Weekly immediately and handed over the port- NEW ROAD The Media House, GPO 8975, EPC 5620 folio to his deputy, or the government Tripureshor, Kathmandu, Nepal. should have revoked his status quo and Thoughtful obit appointed a surrogate. Neither has been THANK YOU FOR YOUR OBITUARY SUBSCRIPTION E-mail: [email protected] done till date. To the ombudsman, if on Shiv Shankar (“The End Of An Era,” Nation Weekly, The Media House, GPO 8975 there is one, why this reluctance? What by Indra Adhikari, Nov. 28). As a fan of EPC 5620, Tripureshor, Kathmandu, Nepal justifications do you confer to the the legendry musician, I was happy to Tel: 2111102, 4229825, 4261831, 4263098 Fax: 4216281 Nepali taxpayers? see that his obits found a prominent CHIRAN JUNG THAPA place in the press. Most newspapers had SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS articles long and short on his life and COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY works. That’s the least we could have done for the great man. We must cel- Movie fare ebrate the achievements of these indi- YOUR ISSUE LAST WEEK HAD QUITE vidual writers, musicians, engineers, a few articles on movies. Aditya Adhikari doctors and social workers who add subscription did a good job in providing a sneak pre- value to our lives. It’s sad that the empty view to Kathmandu Mountain Film Fes- political rhetoric should be the preoc- [email protected] tival and Sushma Joshi had a profile on cupation of our free press. Tsering Rhitar. I read Nation Weekly for RAM MAN PRADHAN 2111102 articles that are outside the mainstream KATHMANDU nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 7

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FACE-TO-FACE: A security personnel stands guard at Lumbini Museum at the World Buddhist Summit

nation weekly/Sagar Shrestha Legal Eye Wakeup Call

There is a gap between the way the judiciary expects to be viewed by the public and the way it is actually viewed

BY JOGENDRA GHIMIRE adversarial system. The strategic interventions envisaged also have built- in time-bound indicators of success and failures. t’s a do-or-die situation for our judiciary. At a crucial juncture of its The planning process has benefited from and has been encouraged Ihistory, as questions about corruption, independence and delays by the importance that development literature has begun to accord to are raising doubts about its effectiveness, the judiciary has come up institutions, including judicial institutions, as important players in the de- with a five-year plan of action. Publicized last month, the plan of action velopment process. The judiciary, and the way it is perceived in society, is an end product of a noble exercise by senior members of the judicial has a particularly crucial role to play, especially when it comes to assuring branch. It is humble in its assumption that there is a gap between the the potential foreign investor that the commercial contracts will be en- way the judiciary expects to be viewed by the public and the way it is forced and that property will be protected from state interference. actually viewed and understood. As with any other plan, arguably the most important aspect of this The review is guided by a vision “to establish a system of justice plan will be the level of successful execution of its objectives. More so, which is independent, competent, inexpensive, speedy, accessible and much remains to be implemented and achieved, particularly in case of worthy of public trust and thereby to transform the concept of the rule of previous reports with a focus on institutional development of the judi- law and human rights into a living reality.” The plan of action is a result of ciary. Therefore, there are bound to be concerns about the effective a series of consultations and deliberations among various stakeholders. implementation of the objectives contained in the present plan, assur- One distinctive feature of the current initiative, something that ances from the government and the donor commu- makes it different from many other report on judicial reforms nity notwithstanding. and court management, according to Justice Ananda Mohan The total budget estimated for the imple- Bhattarai, is “its bottom-up approach.” Instead of being a re- mentation of the strategic plan for the port handed down by a team of senior judicial functionaries 2004-2008 period stands at Rs. 6.8 prepared from their chambers, this plan is the outcome of a billion, of which Rs. 3.7 billion will be series of consultations among the stakeholders in the dif- used for improving the core functions ferent regions of the country and extensive deliberations and the remaining Rs. 3.1 billion for among the senior judges. Bhattarai is a member of the the strategic interventions. This draft committee. means nearly doubling the yearly The strategic plan aims to make interventions budget allocation for the judiciary. and improvements in various services and activi- The authors of the plan are opti- ties associated with the judiciary. Among the stra- mistic in their belief that what is tegic interventions envisaged are the develop- being asked for from the government is not ment of the court user’s charter, the strength- particularly ambitious or out of line. However, ening of mediation and consensus building in even the most optimistic expectations need the justice system, the implementation of ef- to factor in such issues as the shortage of fective case management system, and the resources at the hands of the government institutionalization of the legal aid program, and a corresponding rise in the security ex- among others. There are a total of 16 similar penses. areas of strategic intervention that the plan identifies, There can be no argument that investments all based on inputs from regional consultations. for the improvement of the judiciary—to make The plan works with the assumption that there is a justice easily available and effective, and to ben- great deal that can be improved in the judiciary’s imple- efit the common man, as well as provide stability and mentation of its core functions. Early disposal of cases order for economic activities—are crucial. At the initiation has for long been one of its biggest challenges, more of the plan, there is no point in being overtly pessimistic so in recent times at the Supreme Court. The plan about the possible outcomes of the plan at its conclusion. aims to reduce the backlog of cases by some 75 Resource constraints aside, at least a recognition from the percent in a five-year period. It aims to significantly various stakeholders like the senior judicial functionaries, improve on the speedy execution of judgments, an- the government, the legal practitioners and the donor other area with rather a dismal record and in need of community should go a long way in improving the serious intervention, and to encourage alternative service delivery capacity of the judiciary and the methods of dispute settlement outside of the enhancement of its public trust. nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 11

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organizing the tournament NSP-A had broken away from

B Rai since 1993. The Nepal Tourism the NSP. Some party mem- Board is supporting the four- bers, under Mahananda day tournament this year. Pro- Thakur, decided to form a moting golf tourism, with an separate political force by the estimated worldwide revenue of name NSP-R. Their reasons: $10 billion annually, is high on The old party leadership, they the NTB’s priority list, officials said, was corrupt and self-cen- said. tered.

License cancellation Miss Sherpa The government canceled li- “Miss Teen Sherpa 2004 Tal- censes of four foreign employ- ent Contest,” the first of its ment companies that had been kind, is being organized by The sending Nepalis to Iraq. The Sherpa Association of Nepal four—Monalisa Overseas, this week. The program aims COMPETITORS: Photographers at a photo competition organized by Ashisht Overseas, Jaikali Over- to provide a platform for the PJ Club at the Nepal Art Council, Babar Mahal seas and Blue Moon Overseas Sherpa teens to show their tal- RNA expansion Army says as many as 300 Nepal—were also fined Rs. ent. The organizers intend to The Royal Nepal Army is look- Maoists were killed, the Maoists 100,000 each. Earlier, the gov- spread through the program ing to recruit 17,000 additional claim that they had only lost nine ernment scarped the license of awareness of the plight of soldiers, reported Kantipur. Of cadres in the encounter. Nation Moonlight Overseas, which sent young Sherpas who are de- the new recruits, 13,000 will Weekly’s reporter, Satish Jung nine of the 12 Nepalis killed in prived of education at a very man the proposed 93 new secu- Shahi, who was taken to Iraq in August. young age due to the lack of rity posts, 3,700 will oversee the Paandyun by the Army, counted infrastructure across the far- security requirements of various about a dozen decaying bodies. Badminton final flung districts that Sherpas call industries and 173 will be trained The rebels are believed to have The duo of Puja Shrestha and home. as “special forces” for special op- been using Paandyun as their re- Sumina Shrestha were defeated erations inside Kathmandu. The gional administrative headquar- in the women’s doubles final of Anti-racism meet Army has asked the Finance ters in the Farwest. the Asian Satellite Badminton A three-day international Ministry for Rs. 6.78 billion for Championship in Islamabad. conference on racial discrimi- the expansion. TADA review The duo lost to an Indian team. nation concluded on Wednes- The CPN-UML ministers in They had become the first Nepali day, Dec.1. The conference Rights concerns the Cabinet asked Prime Minis- women’s team to reach the fi- addressed the situation of ra- The International Commission ter Sher Bahadur Deuba to the nals of an Asian badminton tour- cial and caste-based discrimi- of Jurists, the ICJ, expressed con- review the Terrorist and Disrup- nament after a straight-set win nation in Nepal and formu- cern over human rights viola- tive Activities (Control and Pun- over their Pakistani opponents lated strategies to fight tradi- tions in Nepal. The ICJ Secre- ishment) Ordinance-2061. The in the semi-finals. tional prejudices against cer- tary General Nicholas Howen ministers had, in turn, been pres- tain sects. The International urged both the government and sured by the UML faction out- Another split Dalit Solidarity Network or- the Maoists to take immediate side the government that had Intra-party squabbling hit the ganized the symposium. steps to end rights violations. He criticized them for supporting the headlines again when the There are over 40 million called on the Royal Nepal Army ordinance. The newly revived breakaway NSP-A split. The dalits in Nepal. to maintain its image of a disci- ordinance gives the security plined unit. He also asked the forces sweeping powers to put Army not to defy court orders, suspected terrorists in jail for up Nepali film including those on habeas cor- to a year without trail. Earlier, pus petitions. the period was only three apana Sakya and Ramyata Limbu, the producer-directors of months. “Daughters of Everest,” took home the top honors at Deuba in Paandyun SThe Banff Mountain Film Festival in Alberta, Canada. The Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Golf tournament Alpine Club of Canada judged their film about two Sherpa women Deuba inspected Paandyun, The Surya Nepal Masters Golf attempting to scale Everest “The Best Film on Climbing” during the where the security forces had Competition-2004 is slated to festival. Florian Camerer, a jury member, said of the movie: “a de- launched a major operation be held from Dec. 9 to Dec. 12 lightful and very honest film that captures the camaraderie of a against the Maoists on Nov. 21. at the Gokarna Golf Resort. group of women who take pride in their mountains.” The film is on Nine security personnel had lost More than 90 South Asian golf- show at the Kathmandu Mountain Film Festival at the Russian their lives. The exact Maoist toll ers, including 12 Nepalis, will Cultural Centre on Sunday, Dec. 12. remains unknown. While the take part. Surya Nepal has been

14 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly learning guerilla warfare under Krishna Prasad Bhattarai’s gov- raids and attacks by the Indian the Nepali Maoists. ernment in 1990, but was army. quashed by the Supreme Court Underutilized funds later. Suicide threat Nepal has been underutilizing Around 1500 villagers in Dailekh funds provided to it by the Glo- RBI support threatened to set themselves on bal Fund against HIV/AIDS, The Reserve Bank of India will fire after being forced to leave said the team leader of the orga- provide technical support to their homes by the Maoists, re- Lhasa bound nization for South and West Asia, Nepali institutions involved in ported Nepal Samacharpatra. Sajha Yatayat will take passen- Taufiqur Rahmanu. The Global debt recording and management. The villagers living in a local gers to Lhasa beginning May 1, Fund has allocated $5 million to The bank approved the $400,000 school found themselves home- 2005. That should bring down fund projects to counter AIDS technical assistance in Decem- less after the school holidays were costs for those looking to travel in Nepal. Out of the first in- ber 2002, but it came into effect over. The hapless villagers slept to Tibet—a one-way airline stallment of $53,000, only only last week. The fund will be under the open skies on the hay- ticket to Lhasa costs Rs. 28,000. $11,000 has been utilized. used for the improvement of stacks before desperation led Passengers, however, will have public debt management sys- them to consider mass suicide. to switch buses at the Tibetan Promotion after death tems. The Nepal mission of the border. While Nepal uses left- The security personnel and Asian Development Bank will Media jab lane driving system, vehicles in high-ranking civil servants killed regulate the funds. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur China use the right. by the Maoists will be posthu- Deuba accused the media of mously promoted by a grade, said Maoist decree overplaying the Maoist issue and Crowded airwaves the Home Ministry. The move The Maoists have ordered vil- of blowing the conflict out of Nepal FM 91.8, the 13th FM is aimed at boosting the flagging lagers in Baitadi to dig trenches proportions. He accused the station to be launched in morale of the battle-worn secu- in their backyards. They are try- media houses of doing little to Kathmandu, went on air on rity forces. The scheme covers ing to enforce a “one house, one bring the insurgents to the ne- Dec. 3. Nepal FM will broad- the civil and armed police forces, bunker” policy in the district. gotiating table. He asked if the cast hourly news bulletins and as well as gazetted government The Maoists told the villagers job of the journalists was to dis- current affairs programs. Nine officials. that the bunkers would protect courage Maoist activities or to other FM stations around the the villagers from the Army’s air harp along those lines. country will also air its pro- AIDS test grams. Self-screening test kits for HIV/ AIDS will be available in the New destinations market soon. Malaysia-based Nepali workers will now have TH Koid Foundation will 83 more countries to trade their launch the home test kits for skills in. While the government AIDS, HV-7, in mid-January in still has not provided specifics South Asia, said its representa- about the monitoring proce- tive in Kathmandu. This easy dures for the new destinations, diagnostic tool is expected to lure it reiterated its support for man- hospital-shy people prone to power agencies in sending work- AIDS. ers to the recently listed coun- tries. The number of countries Teachers’ plea in which Nepalis can work has Temporary teachers in public reached over a hundred with this schools have called off their na- addition. The number was 25 tionwide protests for the time before. being after an agreement with the Ministry of Education. An Indian Ultras 11-member committee will be S K Dutta, the inspector general formed to address their de- of the Border Security Force, mands. There are over 40,000 North Bengal Range, claimed temporary teachers in public that the Maoists in Jhapa are schools across the country. The training members of militant dissenting teachers had de- groups, ULFA and KLO, both manded that all those who had engaged in separatist movements completed an academic year be in India. According to him, made permanent. A decision to about 50 Indian militants are that effect had been made by FOOTBALL FEVER: Saturday’s clash between Brigade Boys and Friends’ Club in a preliminary round match of the Himalayan Bank Cup nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 15 Milestone Biz Buzz

EASY CALL FROM NT government’s share will be $5 million. The Maiden Double Ton Nepal Telecom has introduced a new pre- ADB’s loan comes from its Asian Development paid calling card service, “Easy Call.” The Fund with a 32-year term, including a grace ehboob Alam became the first bats new service is a part of its new Intelligent period of eight years. The bank charges an man to score a double century in Network, which will include toll free calls, interest of one percent for the grace period M while for the rest of the term the interest is 1.5 any recognized form of cricket in like the 1-800 service in the United States, Nepal. An all-rounder, Alam was axed from and home-dialing services allowing Nepalis percent. the national team just before the recent Hong to call home from abroad with prepaid cards Kong tour this October. A string of poor per- 11 YEARS OF UIC formances led to the exclusion. United Insurance Company has completed The Saptari all-rounder scored an un- 11 years. According to figures provided by the beaten 256 as his team mauled a hapless insurance company, it sold Rs. 90.8 million Udayapur by a mammoth 305 runs in the worth of insurance premium in the fiscal year selection game for the Birendra Memorial 2003-2004. This is a 19.44 percent incre- National League on Nov. 27. A left-handed ment compared to sales in the previous fiscal batsman, Alam went after the bowlers from year, said the company. the word go at Pashupati Adharsha School Ground in Lahan. His 123-ball knock was FNCCI’S CODE OF CONDUCT studded with 18 sixes and 26 fours. “I kept The FNCCI brought out a Business Code of on playing my strokes despite the uneven bought Conduct on its 38th Annual General Meeting bounce on the pitch and suddenly realized here. The late last month. The new code aims at pro- that I had scored a double century,” Alam Easy Call card can be used to make phone moting fairness, discipline and transparency told reporters. “It was one of the happiest calls from any normal landline telephone set. in business. The FNCCI Against Corruption Pro- moments of my life.” Alam said he never The service excludes cell phones and gram chalked out the code of conduct after expected to set any record. payphones. The user has to first dial the ac- examining inputs from interaction programs Alam’s performance is likely to get him a cess code (1650) and enter the card num- held in Biratnagar, Birgunj, Kathmandu, Mechi, recall in the national team, which has often ber and the corresponding PIN code. The cost Nepalgunj, Mahendranagar and Janakpur. been chided for its poor batting performances of the call will be deducted in real time from outside Nepal. His score is by far the best by the prepaid amount on the card. With this ONLINE SHOPPING any individual batsman—the previous best service, customers can make local and inter- Buyers at muncha.com, a business web por- being an unbeaten 151 by Raju Khadka, national calls without any prior STD and ISD tal run by Muncha House, can now make pay- who incidentally was also dropped from the facilities on the phone line. The telecom com- ments online through the Kumari Bank at no national team along with Alam. On Jun. 14, pany has released 200,000 such cards in extra cost. The bank has added to its con- the all-rounder took five wickets against Iran Kathmandu with three different face values— sumer friendly e-banking services. Bhusan in the ACC Trophy in Malaysia while conced- Rs. 200, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000. The cards Rana, assistant general manager at the bank, ing only 10 runs. are valid for six months, 12 months and 18 and Amrit Tuladhar, managing director of months. muncha.com, signed an agreement to intro- duce the new service. ADB LOAN The Asian De- COSMIC AIR TO DELHI velopment Cosmic Air began flights to New Delhi from Bank has Dec. 1. Cosmic’s newly acquired Fokker 100 sanctioned a jet will operate on the route. The jet can ac- loan of $20 commodate 78 passengers. Cosmic Air aims million to pro- to attract more customers with affordable fares vide short-term and comfortable flights. The airline said “a vocational and highly qualified European and Asian crew with technical skills to over 5000 hours flying experience” would fly around 80,000 disadvantaged women. The the plane. The airline company started flights project will consist of three components: in- to Dhaka early last month. creasing access to skills training, strengthen- ing capacity, and supporting policy develop- NET PRICES DOWN nw/SS ment and implementation. The loan will ben- Nepal telecom is slashing its Internet tariffs. efit poor women and those from dalit com- The new pricing strategy will be effective from munities. The project will be carried out in Dec. 16. The telecommunications company phases and will start in five districts—Achham, said that the reduction came as a response to Dhanusha, Humla, Kapilbastu and Pachthar. longtime demands from its customers. The re- The project will cost $25 million, of which the vised tariffs include reductions in the fixed hour

16 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly package of 25 hours; the price for the package has been brought down to Rs. 600. Prices for packages for 50, 100 and 300 hours will come down by 20 percent. Also, the prices for Nepal Telecom’s fixed hours per We’re committed month and lease line connectivity schemes will to you also be decreased. Nepal Telecom will also expand its nighttime economical Here at Nation Weekly the very same care and attention surfing period from 9 p.m. that go into our magazine go into customer service. This to 7 a.m., from the current means that if you’re a Nation Weekly subscriber, your com- period from 12 a.m. to 7 plete satisfaction is guaranteed. It’s our top priority. a.m. EUROCLEAN We’re always n When you have Apex Commercials, suggestions the sole importer here to help…. or comments - especially about of Euroguard wa- n When you have a ways in which we can improve ter purifiers, has question subscription service - we welcome introduced them. about your subscription, such Euroclean 2000 as undelivered issues, vacuum cleaners duplicate invoices, your n When you want in the market. The subscription expiration date, uninterrupted delivery - 950-watt vacuum or anything else – please guaranteed cleaner comes in a com- don’t hesitate to get in please be sure to renew your pact model with 12 acces- touch. Be sure to include subscription early. We'll notify you sories and superior air fil- your Full Name and Address in advance, so you needn't miss a single issue. tration. when you contact us.

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nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 17 World Buddhist Summit

“Everything was directed from the cen- ter [Kathmandu], and even we didn’t know who was in charge of the various COSMETIC subcommittees during the event.” The summit was managed by the “main committee” comprising 251 members, headed by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. There were 14 sub- LUMBINI committees, and at least 10 local jour- nalists were appointed as members. One How not to organize a conference of them told Nation Weekly that the trust was paying journalists Rs. 500 for every single positive news story about the trust BY SATISH JUNG SHAHI IN LUMBINI Much more was happening inside in the conference venue where King that was printed. UMBINI LAST WEEK WAS Gyanendra was to make his rounds, A day before the summit, Rai’s union abuzz with last-minute facelifts where foreign dignitaries were to be decided to have it out with the trust: L for the three-day Second World They were inspired by 18 visiting jour- accommodated. Even the banks of the Buddhist Summit. Bulldozers worked pond around the sacred garden in nalists from Kathmandu who protested overnight to complete gravel roads, Lumbini were being covered by strips against the mismanagement at the sum- buildings received fresh coats, flowers of sod on the first day of the summit, mit by wearing black armbands. The were planted along the freshly dug gar- one day before King Gyanendra offi- journalists, who had confirmed their den and the roads watered to keep the ciated at the opening ceremony. His participation a month in advance, had dust down. Even public toilets came up visit was brief—less than three hours. moved out of the Korean Temple Guest overnight, a day before the summit After the King left, most exhibition House after all of them were told to started on Nov. 30. stalls that had come up overnight had sleep in a single room. The organizers’ “I have never seen such a flurry of closed. explanation: All rooms allocated for activity here,” says Srinarayan Yadhav, a The frantic activity was just cosmetic, journalists were already full and occu- local who runs a teashop in Madhubani, and the Lumbini residents doubt pied by the participants. the bazaar just outside the main entrance whether Lord Buddha’s birthplace will to Lumbini. Yadhav was among the many be any better off once the visitors are who chose to close their shops because gone. “The locals were totally ignored of the Maoist-called two-day banda on throughout the event. It looks like things the eve of the conference. Though the will revert or be even worse once the banda was later withdrawn, the security event is over,” says Hari Dhoj Rai, presi- forces prevented Yadhav from entering dent of the workers’ union at the his own shop; he had no official entry Lumbini Development Trust, which pass. represents 200 of the trust’s employees.

18 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly Conditions were terrible for some Omkar Prasad Gauchan. “Nothing’s new KING-PM SOLIDARITY of the summit participants too. Over 30 here.” n Deuba referred to King Gyanendra as Nepali participants crowded the office At least the organizers were consis- “King Birendra” during his inaugural of the Lumbini Development Trust. tent: The VIPs were handled no better. speech Most didn’t even know where they were Minister of State for Foreign Affairs n Deuba helped King Gyanendra with supposed to register, and they couldn’t Prakash Sharan Mahat was heard call- the lamp during the inaugural ceremony go head back home because of the banda. ing on the phone to ask trust officials to to keep it from being put out by the wind Throughout the afternoon, no official provide a pass to Sultan Hafeez Rahman, while the King lit it. was available to listen to their grievances. country director of the Asian Develop- n King Gyanendra asked his ADC to get Tourism Minister Deep Kumar ment Bank’s Nepal Resident Mission, a chair for Deuba in the room where he Upadhyay at least expressed “regret” over who had been invited to attend the in- and Queen Komal were giving audience. the situation. He pleaded with the jour- augural ceremony. This after security In haste, the ADC grabbed a garden nalists to give the event positive cover- officials had apparently stopped the chair. Their Majesties patiently waited for age, as Nepal’s international image was ADB’s Nepal chief from entering the Deuba’s chair to arrive before they took at stake. “I have been to similar confer- venue because he hadn’t been issued a their seats. ences elsewhere, and I have seen similar pass. problems,” said the trust’s vice president, Listen to these volunteers from the Himali Sherpa Sangh, which was dis- tributing free drinking water. “We were issued only four passes and are facing a tough time covering the entire site. We do not know whom to contact for more,” said Lakpa Sherpa, a member of the sangh. The group ended up giving away about 15,000 liters of drinking water. Even participating Buddhist monks weren’t spared. “There were monks who were helpless, as they had no iden- tity cards and didn’t know where FACELIFT: Lumbini, abuzz with last minute preparations they were supposed to go for ac- commodation,” says Venerable Tapassi Dhamma Thero, abbot of the Charumati Stupa Monastery. “But even with so much criticism during the conference, I have to say the effort to keep the meeting fo- cused on Buddhism’s message of peace was very positive.” Some foreign dignitaries felt that a lot of effort had been put in to pull the event together. “There were a lot of organizational fail- ures,” says Kamal Ahmed, first sec- retary for Press, Culture and Edu- cation at the Pakistan Embassy in Kathmandu. “But a lot of good things were happening, and I was surprised by the amount of activity taking place in Lumbini.” But as one journalist put it: “The event could have been an op- portunity to write a book on how

All photos nw/SS not to manage a conference.” With a little luck the government and the organizers will have learned a few lessons on how to organize a con- ference. nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 19 ENDEND GAME?GAME?

20 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly Cover story

The government knows it cannot af- The Maoists will take a call for elections as a ford to be seen as ineffectual. Analysts fight to the finish but this also holds the key say by talking up the election the gov- ernment is keeping hopes for its own to the government’s existence survival alive. The peace or polls refrain stems directly from the twin mandate By refusing to speculate on the fu- from the King. The government wants BY JOHN NARAYAN PARAJULI ture, sources close to the prime minis- to be seen to be trying to live up to at F PRIME MINSTER SHER ter signal that they want to avoid any least one of those goals. But peace and Bahadur Deuba’s previous expe- situation consequentially leading up to polls are so intertwined that meaningful rience and political comeback in polls or reinstatement of the Pratinidhi elections without peace will be a huge June had made him confident that Sabha. Many say the ultimatum may not gamble. I No one could feel more ambivalent he could restore peace and orga- be a statement of actual intent, at least nize polls, he must be wondering now. not yet, to hold an election. Nonethe- about elections than the prime minister While there is still some time left for less, it is a last-ditch attempt to turn up himself: The issue has deeply damaged him to fulfill his mandate from the mon- the heat on the Maoists, who, without his political reputation and could do so arch, time is growing shorter and the categorically refusing to talk, have, at again. His renown for being a finisher in pressure on him is increasing every day. best, sent ambiguous messages about politics and his ability to appease irate Late last month the prime minister re- their intention. parties has been damaged by his previ- sponded by issuing an ultimatum to the The Maoists have played mainstream ous flip-flops on the election issue. But Maoists to come to the negotiating table parties against each other: At times they the situation has reached do-or-die pro- by January 13, or the government would have pretended to side with parties in portions for Deuba; he has to champion call elections. the street, but at others they have attacked elections if he is to ensure his What the government really wants cadres of those same parties. The pur- government’s existence. “The election is measurable progress towards peace, pose is to keep the parties guessing and glitz is a political compulsion for the but it hasn’t been able to convince the keep them divided, and the strategy has present government,” says professor Maoists to come for talks. In the face worked. The insurgents have succeeded Bharat Bahadur Karki of Nepal Law of this failure, pressure is building in significantly undermining both the Campus, who keeps a close tab on po- within the coalition to opt for rein- government and the opposition parties, litical affairs. And the prospect for suc- statement of the Pratinidhi Sabha dis- and in doing so they have become the cessful, credible elections will rest on solved by Deuba two and a half years dominant political force in the country the Army’s ability to provide a measure ago. Deuba has already said no to the today. The government has been forced of security. plan, and it looks like he will stick to almost to a standstill by its internal con- The Royal Nepal Army, with its his guns. Unless the Supreme Court tradictions and the Maoists’ psychologi- 80,000 troops, says it is ready to provide reverses its 2002 ruling upholding the cal warfare. security for the polls if the government dissolution or the Maoists sud- denly accept the prime minister’s ultimatum, both un- likely events, the government will be left with no options. So will there be elections, if the Maoists don’t reciprocate the prime minister’s ultimatum? And will the breach of January 13 deadline trigger an existential endgame on both sides? “We are hopeful that peace can be achieved,” says Minendra Rijal, Deuba’s aide and spokesman for the NC-D, the prime minister’s party. Despite his refusal to speculate on what might happen after January 13, it is clear that the government will be left with few options. NC-D of- ficials give the impression that the government will call the election,

but they prefer to talk about peace DESERTED BY PEACE: The talks instead. Peace Secretariat has so far proved ineffectual nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 21 calls on them. But it also warns that no ceded that the government hasn’t made a are not about to just cave in without a one should expect an election under such final decision about polls and that it is fight,” says KC. circumstances to be normal. Far from it: still ambivalent. “Once we decide to The women-led uprising still “There are going to be explosions,” says hold elections,” says Minister Mahat, spreading in Dailekh seems to have Brigadier General Deepak Gurung, the “[the decision] will automatically build stunned the Maoists and their response Army spokesman, “but that shouldn’t momentum and help create consensus.” has been brutal, something that’s un- deter us.” One can expect the situation He believes that once the election is an- likely to make them heroes in the eyes to be a lot like Kashmir, he says. nounced, even reluctant parties like the of the local population. The government It’s not clear that the Army can im- Nepali Congress will decide they have is hoping for more of the same, and even prove security to match Kashmir-like to participate. for a countrywide uprising against the conditions, but a senior minister of NC-D ministers in the government rebels. The Dailekh incident is a clear Deuba’s party remains upbeat. He cites also seem to have taken heart from the signal that the people’s tolerance is wan- the recent elections in Afghanistan, and recent Dailekh uprising against the ing quickly after they have been cowed other government officials are also en- Maoists. More such spontaneous rejec- by Maoist violence for years. And the thused by the remarks of election ob- tions of the Maoists, says Mahat, will Maoists, perhaps for the first time, have servers who served there. If elections can make the task of the security forces that seen directly the extent of ordinary be held in war-torn Afghanistan, the min- much easier. Observers say that Maoist Nepalis’ alienation from them. Maoist ister quotes an observer as saying, they excesses have reached the saturation leader Diwakar’s hastily faxed statement can be held here too. Deuba’s aides also point. “Unless people resist,” says last week, which said that his party seem to be reassured by that an election, Chitra Bahadur KC, the coordinator of would probe the Dailekh incident and once announced, will take its own mo- Jana Morcha’s resistance committee punish the guilty, is a clear indication mentum. against the Maoists in the western re- of the effectiveness of the public upris- Minister of State for Foreign Affairs gion, “there will be no escape from ing. Prakash Sharan Mahat, during a dinner Maoist atrocities.” Jana Morcha and the But it is also a sign that the Maoist with journalists late last month, con- Maoists are at war with each other. “We leadership is losing control of its radical

REMAINS DISSOLVED: Deuba is in no mood to reinstate the parliament

22 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly Cover Story

and zealous cadres. The testimony of people who had been in Maoist deten- ‘No One Can Stay In tion supports the reports of factional dis- putes inside the Maoist movement. The Power Indefinitely’ psychological toll on Maoist cadres must be enormous after nine years of war. inendra Rijal, a Even three years of deployment have Mclose aide to Prime been difficult for the Army. “How can you Minister Sher expect security forces to perform better Bahadur Deuba and spokes- when they haven’t had a break for the last man for NC-D, the prime three years?” asks an Army officer. There minister’s party, spoke with is battle fatigue among the security forces, Nation Weekly about peace, although Army officials avoid using the polls and government priori- term. The security personnel are also ties. deeply distressed by Maoist intimidation of their families. Army officials point to Has this government the gravity of situation when they say that outlived its utility? most soldiers haven’t been able to visit Of course not. This is a gov- their homes and families even during fes- ernment with broad support tivals because they are unsafe there. De- comprising four parties en- spite such an revealing insight, officials trusted with the tasks of find- are quick to add that they are fighting a ing a peaceful solution [to the hydra-headed enemy, and that it will take Maoist insurrection] and hold- time to win. “Insurgency cannot be re- ing elections. No other govern- No, that’s not true. Give me Has the government solved immediately,” says Army spokes- ment of any shape or size can an instance. thought about reinstate- fulfill these responsibilities. ment of Pratinidhi Sabha To begin with, it hasn’t been as a more pragmatic so- But does this government able to get a truce. lution to this crisis? still have the goodwill it had That’s not going to happen No. That’s not an issue. The back in June? overnight. The government Supreme Court has upheld the It has. I understand that the has said it is open to talks. dissolution. No one can over- people might have become write the verdict. impatient. That’s natural. Is the prime minister seri- Finding solutions takes ous about his ultimatum to If the Supreme Court rein- time. But efforts are under- the Maoists? Will there be states it way. an election after January Any verdict given by the Su- 13? preme Court is acceptable to The UML has clearly said I don’t want to speculate. Ef- the government. But I don’t that the present government forts are underway to bring the want to talk about hypotheti- has failed to live up to the Maoists to the table. We are cal matters. We are not rec- 43-point Common Minimum hopeful we will succeed. As an ommending reinstatement to Program. advisor to the High Level Peace the King. We have made significant Committee, my task is to bring progress. Establishing peace the Maoists to the table. How- Can we safely say that was one of the broader head- ever, in a democracy no one the government will hold ings. We have provided relief can stay in power indefinitely elections at any cost by to the victims of conflict. We without elections. April, if peace is not re- are furthering the cause of de- stored? mocracy. You can see the But is it possible? Mr. Deuba cannot remain as progress. There are instances in the prime minister for an indefi- world where elections have nite period. No individual has Many say that the prime happened during conflict the right to appoint or remove minster hasn’t been able to and during negotiations. So him. Only the people with sov- get his priorities straight. here also we can initiate the ereign will can, through elec- The government has been election process by reach- tions. Hence periodic elec- incoherent and inconsistent ing a consensus, and then tions are a must in democ- and has failed to make tan- find the solution after the racy. gible progress. election. nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 23 ELECTION GAME: The Election Commission says it is capable of holding elections

man Gurung. “No levelheaded Army of- lems and that he has squandered much of the Maoists to the table. The careful lan- ficer would say it is easy.” Such comments the goodwill and the high expectations of guage Deuba uses and the government’s show increasing realism in the security the people since he came to office in June. deliberate refusal to commit to a date forces’ appraisal of the situation. The government has appeared to be in- for an election are its best effort to bal- RNA officials insist they have never consistent, incoherent and, worst of all, to ance both carrot and stick. called for a military-only solution, and be drifting steadily to the right. If Prime Minister Deuba was care- they are now quick to point out that for Critics say that the government’s cred- less in dissolving the Pratinidhi Sabha in the insurgency to be defeated com- ibility has also been undermined by its 2002, he certainly is being careful now pletely, its socio-economic underpin- inability to get a truce and by the hubris avoiding its reinstatement. If he was hasty nings have to be addressed quickly and evident in its handling of the peace pro- about postponing the election last time, comprehensively. But that hasn’t hap- cess. The only thing this government has he is slowly moving in that direction now. pened in the last nine years; there’s no been consistent in, they say, is its refusal He clearly wants to escape both options reason to be surprised that it hasn’t hap- to make the first move or to learn from and wait for peace talks to take place, but pened in recent months either. the situation. Pundits say the other big he can’t. Elections have become crucial mistake this administration made was in to his government’s continuing existence Endgame not making clear its own agenda and its and to his retaining personal and political After more than six months in office, bottom line for negotiations. They say the prestige. But part of government’s prob- the Deuba government hasn’t ac- government drew the wrong lessons from lem also stems from belief among some complished much to change the sta- the past. By steadfastly refusing offer sym- factions within the Maoists that the rebels tus quo. The Maoists are becoming bolic concessions prior to talks, the gov- can win by being patient and simply not increasingly ruthless. Reports about ernment seems to have hardened the losing ground. occasional atrocities by some mem- Maoist position. “The Maoists feel that they are close bers of the armed forces have become Analysts say that the Maoist leader- to wielding state power,” says profes- more shocking. The middle ground ship cannot afford to be seen to cave in sor Karki. This may be the reason why feels more victimized than ever. “The to government pressure: Their cadres they have avoided talks. No one knows Army is making certain mistakes,” would simply not accept it. They say that for sure how long the Maoists will ab- says Gurung, “but we are correcting a symbolic concession from the state stain from a dialogue, as their messages them.” Army officials admit that the could bring the Maoists to the table. But have been ambiguous. And it’s certainly security personnel haven’t been able the government has refused to make any, not clear whether they are any closer to give the impression to the people based on the reading that despite the to wielding the state power now than that they are fighting for them. The apocalyptic rhetoric they have no choice when Deuba took office. Army says it is making progress but to talk. The refusal has also been in- Hope is still a common refrain in gov- against the Maoists, but none of it has fluenced by military analysis that con- ernment circles, though. “We are hopeful been translated into progress towards cessions would provide the rebels space that they will come to the table,” says peace: That’s all that matters to the to regroup and rearm themselves, as they Deuba’s aide Rijal. But such hope is tem- public. did during previous rounds of talks. The pered with the realization that without If peace were so easy, the Deuba gov- government continues to believe that the elections “Mr. Deuba cannot remain as ernment would have wasted no time in Maoists will come in from the cold, but prime minister for an indefinite period.” securing it. Unfortunately, it is not. Deuba it realizes it cannot wait indefinitely. The Deuba’s reputation and much, much knows that he can’t just wish away the prob- ultimatum is a last-gasp attempt to bring more is on the line.

24 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly

ConflictEducation

The government believes that increasing the number of stead the new universities were set up universities will help the education sector. Experts say it and expected to draw the TU campuses under their umbrellas. That hasn’t hap- will only add to the mess. pened. None of the new universities have BY JOHN NARAYAN PARAJULI The National Education Commis- been able to encourage any of the TU sion formed in 1992 created the initial campuses to merge into them, writes OINCIDING WITH THE SEC- proposal for more universities. The educator Tirtha Khaniya. They haven’t ond World Buddhist Summit last commission recommended that the gov- served students outside Kathmandu ei- Cweek, the government cleared ernment establish one university in each ther: More than 50 percent of students the way for the establishment of development region, partly to make in the affiliates of the new regional uni- Lumbini Buddhist University through higher education accessible to people versities are in fact from the capital. What an ordinance. It is not the only univer- living in all parts of the country and partly is even worse, Khaniya points out, is that sity the government plans to set up this to reduce the burden on the TU, which the new universities haven’t reduced the year: As many as six others are in the was until then the country’s only uni- flow of students to the various TU cam- offing. It is likely to issue separate ordi- versity. The commission cleared the way puses. nances for each of them and another for for the establishment of Kathmandu, Experts like Khaniya cite the instance the University Umbrella Act, all before Purbanchal and Pokhara universities. of Prithivi Narayan Multiple Campus Dec. 15. Educators had hoped that instead of start- in Pokhara. It has more than 11,000 stu- Officials at the Ministry of Educa- ing new universities from scratch, the dents, more than all three universities tion say that the more the universities, government would allow bigger TU af- set up after 1990 put together. By the the better the chances of students get- filiate campuses in the regions to de- logic, the government would have been ting placements in the area of studies velop as universities. better off sorting out the issue of TU they want to pursue. The idea is to pro- But the commission’s recommen- affiliation before opting for new univer- vide more room in the crowded higher dation to that effect was ignored. In- sities. education sector. Educators, however, say the numbers will not necessarily bring respite; it is sound management that will. There is a widespread fear that the increasing num- VARSITY bers will only add to the education sector’s managerial mess. Despite the strong objection, however, the govern- ment is all set to move ahead. The universities in the offing in- DIVERSITY clude Rajarshi Janak University in Janakpur, the Agriculture University in Rampur, an open university (the venue is yet to be decided), an information technology university (possibly in Banepa), among others. There are already five universities in the country, including the oldest, Tribhuvan University, the TU. The oth- ers are Mahendra Sanskrit University in Dang, Kathmandu University in Dhulikhel, Purbanchal University in Biratnagar and Pokhara University in Pokhara. Interestingly, the last two uni- versities have a number of affiliates in Kathmandu, which already has the most number of universities. Though not going by the name of universities, there are two autonomous medical institutions—the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan and Bir Hospital in Kathmandu.

26 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly DEEMED A UNIVERSITY?: Tri-Chandra might get “deemed university” status

Part of the prob- lem, educators say, is that both the Purbanchal and Pokhara universities

have concentrated on Reynolds Geo-Sciences All Photos Copyright: providing affiliation to private institutions and collecting royal- ties in return. These universities have few campuses of their own. The liaison of- ficer of Pokhara Uni-

versity in nw/SS Kathmandu, Santosh Adhikari, admits And in order to relieve the TU from infrastructure to run on its own. The that the university has a high number of the perennial management nightmare idea is to relieve the overstrained TU, affiliate colleges but hastens to add that and to help flourish in-campus devel- potentially cutting its expenses by 25 the university has put a moratorium on opment of regional universities, the gov- percent. new affiliations. Out of its 27 affiliated ernment should ask the TU to require But some say it’s going to be a point- colleges, 12 are in Kathmandu. Some its regional affiliate campuses to merge less exercise. “If all the upcoming uni- even suggest that the regional universi- into the new universities, says Kedar versities offer the same courses as the ties should be stopped altogether from Bhakta Mathema, former vice chancel- existing ones,” says professor Mana “selling” affiliation to other campuses lor of TU. Prasad Wagle, “then there is no reason to because they were meant for the students One of the objectives of having more have more.” outside the Valley. regional universities was to cut down Could it then be politics, rather than the monstrous size of the TU and make academic needs, that is fueling the gov- it more efficient, while encouraging ernment drive to open new universi- THE OLDEST: Tribhuvan University bigger campuses to emerge as either ties? The Ninth Five-year Plan clearly constituent campuses or universities states that the objective of new univer- under it. sities should be to make education ac- But ironically the two biggest cam- cessible to people from all regions. It puses in the region—Pokhara’s Prithivi also calls for coordination between the Narayan and Biratnagar’s Mahendra National Planning Commission, the Morang haven’t been encouraged to as- Ministry of Education, the TU and the sociate with the new regional universi- University Grant Commission before Rai B ties, Pokahra University and Purbanchal granting permission to new universi- University. ties. Successive governments seem to Some 90 percent of higher education have ignored the overarching guide- students still enroll in the TU. Though lines. Kathmandu University has done excep- Setting up more universities will also tionally well in terms of providing qual- cost the government a lot of money. The ity education, it’s not a regional univer- grant commission’s budget is less than sity. Educators lament that none of the Rs. 3 billion which has to be distributed new universities have become a “multi- to all new universities. They would also university,” a modest-sized, easily man- have to share TU’s already-strained hu- aged university providing quality edu- man resources. cation through constituent campuses at Educators are worried that the affordable prices. government’s motivation while noble is The government last month said that far from foolproof. All that the new uni- it planned to promote the “deemed uni- versities will do is add to the already ex- versity” concept. The plan is to develop isting managerial chaos in the academic independent universities out of exist- sector. Former Vice Chancellor ing TU-affiliated campuses. For in- Mathema warns, “The government stance, Padma Kanya, Tri-Chandra or should not establish universities through any other campus can apply for the sta- ordinance.” But no one in the govern- tus of a deemed university; it will then ment seems to listen to these words of receive a five-year term to develop the wisdom. nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 27 Controversy STATIC SCIENCE nw/SS

RECAST saw very good days in the ini- tial stage of its establishment. It acquired five state-of-art laboratories to carry out research on natural resources, food tech- nology, biotechnology and natural dyes. None of the labs are now in operation. Its 30 able scientists do no research. The story of RONAST, which has a good stock of human resource, is no bet- ter. It has 24 academicians and 47 in- house scientists. The academicians have made little contribution while the in- house scientists are as idle as RECAST’s. When asked the scientists cite “resource nw/SS constraints” as the main reason for the lack of studies and researches. Our leaders in science are busy playing cat-and-mouse Dilli Raj Joshi, senior officer at games. Few seem to believe that their professional ad- RONAST, admits that the organization has failed to conduct any research of substance. vancement should come through academic rigor. “We never considered redefining our role or assessing our failure. It is chronic fail- ure and yet there have been no attempts to BY SUNIL POKHREL tablishing of the National Council for Science and Technology, the NCST, in assess why we have failed to deliver what T’S BEEN ONE LONG SORRY 1976 and the Royal Nepal Academy of we were actually capable of.” state of affairs. Scientific researches Science and Technology, better known To Trinetra M. Pradhananga, ex- Iin Nepal, particularly pure science spokesperson of RONAST and a scien- as RONAST, in 1982 was to promote researches, have failed to add value to the studies and researches. RONAST, in tist himself, the failure is rather systemic overall scientific development ever since particular, was given additional respon- than personal. “There is no political will they started in the 1970s. The scientific sibilities to act as an advisory body and to push science to the forefront. Just look community is deeply split over the rea- help the government formulate neces- at the science ministers and their quali- sons for this stalemate. Some attribute it sary science-related policies. Critics ar- fications, and you will get the answer to to official indifference to research while gue that RONAST has proved no better why science is not flourishing,” he says. others say that increasing numbers in the than NCST; the latter was dissolved af- He, however, finds it hard to admit that scientific community look to secure their ter an uninspiring performance. RONAST has failed to perform. future through close ties to power cen- It’s been a string of failures. In 1977, Much like the scientist, Raja Ram ters rather than through long years of rig- the Research Centre for Applied Science Pradhananga, head of the chemistry de- orous study and laboratory work. and Technology, the RECAST, was partment in Tribhuvan University, is Over the years, Nepal has invested founded to research indigenous technol- frustrated about the way the government millions in an effort to enhance scien- ogy and identify exogenous technologies has approached the field of science but tific research to develop appropriate tech- appropriate for Nepal. Structured as a believes there is little he can do. “We all nologies and expertise. The aim of es- research center of Tribhuvan University, know what is going wrong but we are

28 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly searches annually in India. And each year ics department. The Nuclear Magnetic the opportunity goes begging. Resonance and Differential Scanning Professor Bishwo Nath Agrawal, an Calorimeter have met the same fate. Other academician of RONAST, blames succes- expensive unused equipment include the sive governments for failing to encourage Infrared Spectrometer, the Ultraviolet research. “Everyone who has had the au- Spectrometer, and the High Performance thority to change the face of Nepali sci- ence didn’t really understand the power of A HISTORICAL BLUNDER science,” he says. He then adds: “But it Nobel laureate Abdul Salas, in his visit to would be unwise to blame the politicians Nepal in 1989, proposed the establishment alone. The scientific leadership, in particu- of an International Centre for Science and lar the ones who have had strong grip on Technology in Kathmandu. He offered his help scientific researches, have chronically to late King Birendra to establish such a cen- failed to deliver the goods.” In Agrawal’s ter. The King took the offer seriously and or- view, researchers and the research institu- dered a committee to look into the matter. A tions seem to have done little to explore committee comprising the scientists from the possible avenues of financial and other RONAST and other institutions was formed. support. Agrawal owns a private research bound by our own constraints to make The center never came into existence be- lab, R-lab, set up with financial support of changes,” he says. cause a clique of scientists who then had half a million dollars from scientific orga- He, at least, has a solution to the long- stronghold at the policy level argued against nizations abroad. “If I as an individual standing problem: RONAST should act the center. Scientists now believe that had as a facilitator for research activities in the center been set up, Nepal would have the country, as an umbrella institution; made a huge leaps in information technol- but it is the Tribhuvan University, the ogy and genetics that saw unprecedented seat of higher learning in science, that B Rai development right through the 90s. should be the focal point of research programs. “RECAST, as a body of the Tribhuvan University, should in fact co- ordinate researches of various TU de- partments and allow the university to take up researches, but that is not hap- pening,” he says Professor Mohan B. Gewali, ex- ecutive director of RECAST, is not about to admit that RECAST’s exist- ence has been in vain. He, in fact, be- lieves that “despite the gloomy sce- nario we have achieved a few things.” Researches on renewable energy, bio- diesel and medicinal plants are some of them, he says, but he fails to explain how they have benefited the country could do it, why can’t RONAST?” he says. Liquid Chromatography, Gas Chromatog- either in scientific advancement or eco- “It is a matter of attitude.” raphy and X-ray Diffraction Meter. It has nomic terms. Many suggest that it is time that been years since the teachers used such The critics of RONAST say it is pretty RONAST worked as a think tank and for- handy instruments for research themselves lame of Nepal’s scientists to talk about mulated meaningful policies or just con- or allowed students to do so. Most teach- resource constraints and that if anything centrated on research instead of pretend- ers, in fact, seem keener about finding it’s the lack of imaginative leadership and ing to do both and doing justice to neither. themselves teaching positions at lucrative individual will that should be blamed. For Similar to the scientists at RONAST, 10+2 private schools than about making instance, RONAST has links with some expect for a tiny number of scientists at use of these expensive tools. 26 renowned science and technology in- the Tribhuvan University, the faculty of sci- Meanwhile, the students of science stitutes around the around and if those ences aren’t doing much that is scientific. in Nepal will have to keep themselves ties are properly utilized, getting mate- The Masters of Science program in happy with reading about the wonders rial and technical support will not be an Tribhuvan University goes without ex- science has brought to the world. It will insurmountable problem. Its memoran- haustive research. The faculty of science be some time before they can bring about dum of understanding with the Indian has several important and expensive instru- little changes in the lives of Nepalis. To National Science Academy, for example, ments. An Ozone Spectrometer, which them, science will merely be a theoreti- allows 30 Nepali scholars to do re- costs Rs. 20 million, is locked in the phys- cal subject in classrooms. nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 29 The Essay

create national identity. So the Panchayat attempted to unify the nation by means of the Nepali language and a manufac- PATRIOTISM,PATRIOTISM, tured history glorifying the territorial unification of Nepal. By the 1990 Jana Andolan, perhaps most in Kathmandu thought that these attempts had largely succeeded, that all over the nation people NATIONALISMNATIONALISM perceived themselves as Nepalis before anything else. The recognition that the state’s efforts to create a Nepali identity was thought of in many areas as the im- position of a faraway ruling elite, and was AND CULTURE thus met with resentment in many areas, came only later. When this recognition first arrived in Kathmandu, it was met The 1990 constitution recommendation committee dis- with surprise and dismay. missed some of the most important grievances of the This was vividly illustrated in 1990 itself, when a commission was set up to population. The committee and the interim government receive suggestions from all parts of the perceived these grievances as a threat to national unity nation for the drafting of the new con- stitution. There was a shock when it was and dismissed them without any attempts at accommo- recognized that the vast majority of sug- dation. gestions received concerned linguistic, religious, ethnic and regional issues. BY ADITYA ADHIKARI the two, a distinction expressed best by Though this could have led to an awak- George Orwell: “By patriotism I mean ening, an awareness of some of the most N A RECENT DISCUSSION ON A devotion to a particular place and a par- important grievances of the population, Nepali public forum on the Internet, ticular way of life, which one has no wish it was instead met with panic. The con- Ithe question, “Would it have been to force upon other people. Patriotism stitution recommendation committee better for Nepal if she had been colo- is of its nature defensive, both militarily and the interim government perceived nized by the British?” was raised. The and culturally. Nationalism, on the other these grievances as a threat to national answers to the question were many, but hand, is inseparable from the desire for unity and dismissed them without any there was a consensus among a few power. The abiding purpose of every attempts at accommodation. Then-Chief themes. Most thought that the British nationalist is to secure more power and Justice Bishwanath Upadhyaya, who also would have contributed more to Nepal’s prestige, not for himself but for the na- headed the constitution committee, even economic development than the Ranas tion or other unit in which he has cho- thought that these issues were merely or Shahs did. But it was also agreed that sen to sink his individuality.” “peripheral” and did not think it neces- if colonization meant Nepal would now Patriotism in this sense is a luxury sary to deal with them. be a part of India, it was better that we that only people from old, settled na- Nonetheless, all this is not to say that weren’t colonized. tions, their days of glory in the past, can Nepal is simply an artificial construc- This reveals the effects of the cur- afford. There are exceedingly few nations tion, merely a conglomeration of groups rent crises in Nepal on national or pa- that are purely patriotic—perhaps none with allegiances only to their respective triotic feeling. It would have been un- exist outside of Europe. A common lan- ethnicities. As far as the spread of the thinkable 10 or more years ago for a guage and ancestral ties are not sufficient Nepali language goes, the states efforts Nepali to wish publicly for the British to foster a pride in one’s culture and the for the larger part of the last century have to have colonized Nepal. At the same desire to defend it at all costs. What is been immensely successful. And though time, however, the fear that Nepal would needed are highly democratized systems often perceived as an imposition of the have become a part of India still shows of both government and culture; with state-elite, the establishment of a com- that Nepali national pride remains in- common institutions that are adequately mon language is an important and desir- tact, though the recent history of our representative; economic and social se- able step towards the creation of a na- nation has given it a serious blow. curity to stem the impulse to immigrate tional identity. Though often confused together, the and guarantee a permanence of residence But a common identity manufac- nouns “patriotism” and “nationalism” do over generations; and a deeply set con- tured and propagated by only the state is not mean the same things. Though they sciousness of history held in common bound to remain fragile. Even the view do overlap in practice—and this is why by all. that the state, beginning with the terri- they are often taken as synonyms—there For too long it was thought in our torial unification of Nepal in the 18th is a clear conceptual distinction between nation that it was the role of the state to century, was solely responsible for this

30 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly creation has been challenged by contem- And Indians are rightfully proud of healthy. Firstly, it is based porary historians. So Pratyoush Onta has their films. Created solely for the In- on hate. Secondly, it is shown how individuals and institutions dian public, they have begun to penetrate highly unrealistic. operating independently, though often audiences all over Asia. They are becom- The attempt to hand in hand with the state, have con- ing India’s most important export as far create a new tributed to the creation of national sym- as cultural relations between nations go, culture that bols. He gives the example of the culti- and their importance will increase in the does not vation of Bhanubhakta Acharya as future. rest on Nepal’s adikavi, as the emotional unifier The key ingredients in the growing of Nepal through a common language. power of India’s film industry are the Manufactured by Nepali literary men ability to adapt to new ideas and tech- living in India before 1940, this symbol niques while remaining true to its was propagated within Nepal over the roots. Both of these are essential in following decades by a myriad of people the creation of a healthy national and institutions. feeling. Bollywood is nation- What Onta hasn’t said, however, is alistic in Orwell’s sense be- that this process of reifying a historical cause it seeks, directly or personage to strengthen national unity indirectly, to increase the is obsolete. It may have played its part in nation’s cultural power. It is also patri- the past, but such efforts cannot be ex- otic because it rests on old and valued pected to have much success in the fu- traditions and customs. ture. A true patriotism requires a vibrant In Nepal there is nothing that com- culture, and a vibrant culture cannot be pares to the might of Bollywood, but a rea- based on the adulation of a few men, es- sonable parallel may be found in some of pecially not on the adulation of a poet the recent kinds of popular music that re- whose medium of expression was an ar- main true to folk roots while assimilating chaic form of the Nepali language. That more modern sensibilities. To form part so many literary men devoted their tal- of a vibrant culture, however, to func- ents to the propagation of the tion as a potent symbol of national Bhanubhakta myth, that Bhanubhakta pride, the music industry still has fulfilled a desire within themselves, per- a long way to go. haps says much about the Nepali psyche. More generally, leaving Perhaps our need to worship and vener- aside the music industry, ate whatever deity we can get a hold of there is a split in the reveals a flaw in our character: A charac- Nepali character. On B Rai ter so insecure, so unable to create that the one hand we we have to cling on to the achievements have people who of a few and claim those as our own. may be called “patriots,” who seek to pre- traditional foundations, that doesn’t ac- Perhaps. While the above may or may serve past forms of culture that are no cept any outside influence, is like trying not be true, what is abundantly evident is longer vibrant. While preservation of this to build a castle on air. that national pride can only be based on a kind has its merits, it cannot reinvigorate As we have seen, patriotism as a de- vibrant culture, and a vibrant culture can- cultural life: Relics of the past will re- votion to the ways of the past is not pos- not be based on the deeds of a few men. main relics if they are not infused with a sible or desirable in our nation at the And for our age the most potent means for modern sensibility. present time. Our culture is not strong the creation and propagation of a national On the other hand we have our “na- enough to preserve itself. But the politi- culture is the mass media. Look at tionalists,” currently exemplified by the cal nationalism of the extreme left is Bollywood, that most magnificent of mod- Maoists, who seek to break away com- equally unhealthy and unrealistic. What ern Indian creations. Films produced in pletely from the past to create a com- we need, and what can develop only this industry reach, serve as fantasy realms pletely new culture. And this they wish gradually, is a patriotic nationalism (or a for, millions of people. With foundations to do in isolation, without assimilating nationalistic patriotism) that emerges in traditional Sanskrit and folk theater, it any of the influences, whether Indian or from within the realm of culture and remains true to its roots while managing American, that play such a dominant role stays quite apart from the realm of poli- to fulfill the needs of the present age. It in modern life. While their rancorous tics. And it will be people currently qui- adopts and assimilates influences from all anti-Indian and anti-American rhetoric etly immersed in their personal apoliti- over the world, but does not get swept away may appeal to segments of the popula- cal pursuits—musicians, filmmakers, by them: It rests on stable foundations that tion who feel a deep fear of becoming writers and historians—who will con- give it the strength to assimilate without submerged by foreign influences, this tribute most to national culture and pride losing its intrinsic character. brand of nationalism is extremely un- in the long run. nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 31 Opinion CONFLICT DIAGNOSIS

The current analysis of the conflict has focused largely on the is completely untrue. But what are the ‘grievance’ aspect and has ignored the ‘opportunity’ aspect of primary causes of the conflict, if social exclusion and inequality are not? Why the conflict did the conflict start in the mid-1990s when the state structures were more BY BIPUL NARAYAN and abused by the male upper castes who used religion to justify their hold over minority-friendly than they had been for HE GOVERNMENT, THE ME- the power structures of the state. By all dia and the donors have spent measures, Nepal during the Rana rule Tmuch time and resource analyz- and, to a lesser extent, under the ing the causes of the conflict, which is Panchayat was an unequal and unjust now eight years old and has resulted in place for the lower castes and the ethnic nw/SS the deaths of over 10,000 people. Almost minorities. In contrast, the Nepal of the all explanations of the conflict have cen- mid-90s was slowly making a transition tered around one primary thesis—that to a more equal and just society. The onset social exclusion, inequality, and deep- of democracy had significantly strength- seated caste and ethnic divisions are the ened the minority voices, which were primary causes of conflict. The dis- seldom heard during the absolute rule course on the “people’s war” has taken of the Ranas and the Panchayat. Despite these perceptions of the causes of civil several imperfections, development in conflict at face value. The conflict has remote areas of the country had gained been projected as an intense political pace through the government’s decen- contest, fueled by grievances, which are tralization initiatives. While corruption so severe as to have burst the banks of continued to be rampant, people could normal political channels. The rebellion now protest against corruption and de- has thus been interpreted as the ultimate mand accountability from their repre- protest movement, the Maoist cadres sentatives. being self-sacrificing heroes struggling To accept the logic that social exclu- against oppression. sion and inequality were the primary These explanations are so fashionable reasons for the conflict would be to ac- that they are now accepted by many in cept that Nepal in the 1990s was a more even the ruling elite—the people who unequal place than during the Rana rule have exercised power for much of the and the Panchayat era; that somehow nation’s modern history. Much of the things had suddenly gotten worse, which effort to bring the Maoists into the main- stream has centered on commitments to make the governance structures more inclusive and equitable. The govern- ment has initiated a slew of reforms to- wards this by offering reservations to dalits, women and janjatis in education and the civil service. But yet a closer examination of all these reasons reveals that they cannot be entirely true. It is not so much that each of the reasons offered for the conflict— social exclusion, inequality, caste and ethnic divisions—are false but that these reasons could not by themselves be be- hind the conflict. Nepal has been a feudal, patriarchal and caste-based society for hundreds of years. For hundreds of years, the lower castes and women have been mistreated

32 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly years and not earlier during the Rana rule bia has grown to employ around 12,000 India provided both the funding and the and the Panchayat. people. The factors that account for this inspiration to the Maoists in the early The answer can be partly found in the difference between failure and success are stages of the revolution. The Maoists research of Paul Collier. In an empirical to be found not in the “causes,” which were also able to dip into a huge pool of analysis of the causes of conflicts in 27 these two rebel organizations claim to poor and unemployed youth to shore up countries between 1965-99, Collier finds espouse, but in their radically different their recruitment. Once the Maoist that the risk of civil conflict is systemati- opportunities to raise revenue. cause gained momentum, they were also cally explained by opportunities for Because the results are so able to threaten private businesses and building a rebel organization and not by counterintuitive, Collier advises against rich farmers, and extort money without any measures of social grievance. Accord- being trustful of the loud public dis- much difficulty. There was no concerted ing to Collier, opportunity is determined course on conflict. Observers often rea- effort to discourage the tendency to pay by access to finance, such as the scope for son back from the political discourse up to the Maoists by the government, extortion of natural resources and dona- during conflict and deduce that the war which was unable to provide security tions from a diaspora population. Oppor- is the consequence of particularly in- assurances to these people. The state was tunity also depends upon factors such as tense political conflict, based in turn considerably more “soft” that during the geography and poverty: Mountains and upon particularly strong reasons for Rana rule and the Panchayat when any forests may be needed to incubate rebel- grievance. But Collier’s analysis shows kind of dissent was nipped in the bud. lion. It is also easier to mobilize a rebel that the intensity of objective grievances The current analysis of the conflict army in a country with widespread pov- does not predict civil war and that wars has focused largely on the “grievance” erty and high unemploy- will only occur where rebellions are fi- aspect and has ignored the “opportunity” ment. Conversely, and nancially viable. Collier argues that a aspect of the conflict highlighted by astonishingly, objective rebel organization must generate group Collier. This has limited efforts for a true measures of social grievances for military effectiveness as diagnosis of the conflict, which is of grievance, such as in- part of the process of war. According to critical importance to formulate the equality, a lack of de- him, objective grievances do not gener- proper response to conflict. If the con- mocracy, and ethnic ate violent conflict, but violent conflicts ventional grievance account of the con- and religious divi- generate subjective grievances. flict is accepted, then the appropriate sions, are shown to Admittedly, Collier’s research is policy interventions are to address the have no systematic skewed heavily towards African coun- possible objective causes of grievance. effect on risk in tries where most of the conflicts re- On this account, the government should Collier’s analysis. viewed by Collier took place. But it is reduce inequality and increase political As an example, the quite amazing how many similarities rights. But if opportunity account of the Michigan Militia Nepal has with conflict-affected coun- conflict were accepted, other policy in- was unable to grow tries analyzed by Collier. While it might terventions would be required. beyond a handful of or might not have been the single most I hope the Peace Secretariat that was part-time volun- important cause of the conflict, it’s a fact established with much fanfare by the teers, whereas the that Nepal in the mid-1990s offered tre- Deuba government is busy researching the FARC in Colum- mendous opportunities for building a causes of the conflict in Nepal, formulat- rebel organization. The high mountains ing policy responses and advising the gov- and the difficult terrain played a vital role ernment on its negotiating positions. But in incubating the Maoist rebellion in the if my hunch is true, it must still be negoti- early stages. The big Nepali diaspora in ating over its salary and benefits. nw/SS nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 33 Conflict THE CROSSROADS OF OUR NATIONAL IMAGINATION

a member with a Bachelor’s degree? The state of conflict has become, for the nation, a state Would those funds be better served go- of mind ing to educate the children of two farm- ers whose wives were raped and The first sight of the conflict is not drowned by security forces dressed up BY SUSHMA JOSHI IN NEPALGUNJ the exodus of Nepalis who cross the as Maoists or to the Mangta community EPALGUNJ HAS PALM TREES. border every day at Rupadiya—their that still, to this day, goes to Kathmandu It has good sekuwa, thought to numbers sometimes rising to 2,000 mi- and to other places in India to beg for a Nbe perfected with MSG. It has a grants a day as they flee the “one man living six months of the year? “New Road” that is being constructed; from every home” rule of the Maoists— But the argument of this observer massive concrete buildings going up but the fortified statues. would be wrong. All nations need icons, within the space of a few years, occu- The Nepalgunj resident skirts this national or otherwise. They need the pied by people fleeing the conflict in the fortified reminder of war every day as he signs and symbols of national integra- mid- and far-western districts. It has goes to work in his horse-driven tonga tion. If integration has been suspended, mosques with elaborate minarets next and his bicycle. The statues are a little and national disintegration has taken to gurudwaras and temples. It has busi- misshapen. Rumours claim that the over, the need to construct iconic sym- nesses, from law firms to tire stores, Birendra statue-maker got scolded for bols becomes even more urgent. In named after Bageshwori, the patron god- making the statue a little smaller than Nepalgunj, one gets the feeling that ev- dess. It has a list of ethnic groups, not all life-size. Pushpalal’s statue looks like it’s ery long-dead king, and every martyred of whom drink water from the homes of made of plaster by an artist used to mak- leader, will soon have chowks con- other groups. It has Abadi speakers and ing Saraswoti statues that are submerged structed and named after him. From the Urdu speakers. It has a pluralistic, multi- in the river during Saraswoti Puja. His speed at which the chowks are being lingual, vibrant border culture that does fist is upraised in the traditional com- constructed, there appears to be compe- not, by any stretch of the imagination, fit rade salute, but apparently he’s not im- tition between different political forces the confines of Nepal’s limited Consti- mune to violence: He receives the same to ensure that their particular history tution. sandbag protection as figures of other graces the streets. Never mind if the For a city that is so close and yet so political persuasion. During the day, a chowks already disorient traffic and excluded from the presently limited bevy of soldiers lounge behind the sand- cause confusion. imaginings of the Nepali nation, bags, staring at each passing car with cu- Nepalgunj’s crossroads allow a trav- Nepalgunj has a special fondness for na- rious eyes. At other times, they chat with eller to make multiple choices. Directly tional figures. Specifically, it has an em- each other to pass time. Their helmets beyond the city boundaries are roads barrassingly rich series of “chowks”— are tossed carelessly on the bags. Any which do not provide the same choices an intersection with a statue in the passing rebel with a grenade could blow and which are not as navigable. A few middle—named after national figures up the edifice within a few tragic sec- days ago, passenger buses carrying pil- past and present. The list goes like this: onds. grims were shot at by the Maoists, re- Tribhuwan Chowk, Mahendra Chowk, An intelligent observer might won- ported a newspaper. Helicopters hov- Birendra Chowk, Gyanendra Chowk, der why so much resource is being used ered over the city all afternoon long. B.P Chowk, Ganeshman Chowk, to protect some rather poorly made stat- Children are reported to be laying Pushpalal Chowk. Gyanendra Chowk ues. After all, should not those thousands landmines on the Mahendra Highway. and Ganeshman Chowk are under con- of rupees be better served if they were Black lines of defused ambushes cut struction. The rest are surrounded by directed towards the refugees living un- through the roads. Travellers go through stacks of sandbags against potential am- der plastic in nearby Kohalpur or to the India to get to other border districts like bushes. Badi community that has yet to produce Kailali to avoid blockades and crossfire.

34 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly Government employees cluster to “lock” it up and leave for six months mon. The Maoists have also told them within the city and fear to go beyond the every year to beg for a living. Both secu- to get out of the sex trade. Caught in the Rapti River. Beyond the river is un- rity forces and Maoists avoid their vil- crossfire, many Badi women from rural known territory controlled by the lage, although the Maoists did blow up areas have fled to India, where nobody Maoists. Everybody from the CDO’s the police post as they passed through. stigmatizes them for their caste or occu- office to the police, from the land rev- For the men, the removal of the police pation. enue office to the forestry office, has not force is a blessed relief. They no longer This state of conflict has become, for crossed the river in a few years. The void get beaten up. Dispute resolution has the nation, a state of mind. For a tailor left by the abrupt departure of all elected gone back to a traditional system. Men living in Nepalgunj, this state of mind is officials and state agencies is felt most get together, fine the perpetrator of petty omnipresent. After the Maoists made keenly by those who were receiving quarrels Rs. 10, and then spend the him and his family leave their home in a benefits, no matter how small, from the money collected on an all-male feast mid-western hill district (one of his sons government and non-governmental of- with drinks and pork. The women was a policeman, and this did not please fices. Programs from education to mourn those rosy, long gone days when the rebels), he migrated to Tarai. A loan childcare have stopped as INGOs with- a marital dispute involving domestic vio- from a kind clothes-seller, and 10 years draw. Birth and death have become im- lence could be reported at the police sta- of work, allowed him to build another possible to register as all grassroots- tion. They complain that they are not home on ailani (government) land in elected representatives withdraw to the heard by the traditional council. It’s not Nepalgunj. A few years later, his younger city or flee to India. Marriage certifi- all a big party, however: The men, who son was taken by the security forces as a cates and citizenship papers, registered used to work as rickshaw drivers and Maoist. The irony here is that the same at the CDO’s office, are in arrears as worked till 10 at night, now have to leave son had run away from the Maoists, who people disappear into India for months by 7 p.m. The number of working hours had abducted him and made him do and sometimes years, often coming back has lessened, and so have their earnings. forced labor for six months. The tailor, to claim their papers after a period of The Badi too face pressure. Consid- for the second time, was told to leave his time has elapsed. The buying and sell- ered the lowest of the 23 dalit groups, home by the Maoists—this time because ing of land has also stalled. Land dis- the Badi fail to feature in most govern- they thought the detained son might give putes are now settled at the local levels, ment policies and literature. They are out information. The family is currently increasingly by the Maoist “People’s outside the national imagination. At the in hiding. The couple do not sleep at Court,” the Jana Adalat. local level, however, the police are all night—one of them always remains For some actors within the most too aware of their presence. All Badi awake to keep guard. Sleep is a small sac- marginalized communities, conflict has women are perceived to be involved in rifice for these two who have seen their sometimes brought odd windfalls. Take the sex trade, even though 60 percent of lives broken up too many times. the Magta, traditional supplicants from them now work in other areas. Police Keeping guard has become our na- Banke who put a big earthen container harassment and torture, along with po- tional burden as Nepal tries to steer of rice in front of their windowless huts lice patronage of the sex trade, is com- her way out of two armed forces. As we return to the city from the village in the gathering dusk, we notice that the stat- ues and the chowks have been abandoned to the pro- tection of the sandbags. All the young security guards are gone. Thankfully, some re- sponsible leader in the Uni- fied Command has decided the life of a human being is more important than a statue. In these times, night could mean potential death for a young man left alone to pro- tect an icon of stone. Our car swerves to avoid a madman squatting and throwing stones from the middle of an empty road. A ghostly—and in the darkness, unidentifi- able—statue rises behind ON THE MOVE: In Nepalgunj him. nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 35 Arts & Society

The Man And His Magic

Kishor Kayastha uses state-of-the art technology to convey and ex- press art forms that are almost lost

his parents are photographers and he BY VENEETA SINGHA talks of Arya Sagar as his inspiration as a agical, that’s the first word that photographer. Kayastha now focuses on comes to one’s mind when commercial advertising photography and Myou see Kishor Kayastha’s fine art photography. photographs. Color and contrast pro- “I want to help establish photogra- duce a splendid picture of women at phy as a fine art medium in Nepal,” he work in the courtyard. Harmony, em- announces determinedly. Nepal pre- phasis and balance all come together for dominates in his art, his passion and his another of a young woman carrying her conversations. It is the object of his art child. Faces and places burst out from and the subject of his medium. Culture, another in which the rhythm is perfect. expressions and society—these lie at the Shapes and volumes are symmetrical in center of his photographs. But he also one more. The list is endless and the speaks of the return on investments that collection is truly breathtaking. most photographers now receive which Born and bred in Bhaktapur, the is a relatively new trend in Nepal. 26-year-old gushes with a smile: “I His first photography exhibition in started when I was nine years old. I 2001 was titled “Images of Bhaktapur.” was not tall enough and had to use He is now working to complete a set of chairs for support.” The camera photographs of the Kathmandu Valley. If stands were taller than him. Both one should ask what his greatest reward B Rai B

36 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly B Rai B

is, he will answer—appreciation. He from the mundane and transports it to ley,” he says. talks of senior photographers of Nepal the extraordinary. Life is his subject mat- He speaks and their struggle. “We have it easy now, ter. One door closed and the other with venera- we youngsters,” he says. The communi- opened—symbolic of his own views on tion about the cation media, technology and exposure life and living, perhaps. masters. He have all helped young photographers like We now get to the serious business of seems like a Kayastha. His exhibition, “Life through his art. He talks of the present situation pupil still un- the Lens,” opened in Indigo Gallery on of the country—how the current envi- til you have Dec. 3. ronment is not conducive and should the seen his work. Kishor’s exhibits are masterful pieces political situation improve, creativity He also that evoke nostalgia for tradition and cul- will flow naturally. His technique is teaches pho- ture. There are 42 photographs in all with simple: He chooses a subject and imag- tography to both digital and analog productions. ines the composition in his mind first. aspiring pho- Paradoxically, he uses state-of-the art He has often taken three to four years to tographers. technology to convey and express art develop a single photograph. “Taking and “Photography is a good medium of ex- forms that are almost lost. Modernity is making pictures are different,” he adds pression and there is demand these creeping into the art but the objects re- jovially. days.” He opines. The man weaves his main traditional. The 11 laws of fine art are woven in- art masterfully but is always looking Misty hues of the seasons, bold dashes tricately into his art yet he remains mod- ahead. Art and magic have come to- of color and splashes of people—those est. “My art is not complete until I have gether in his photographs and they are his strength. His photography takes completed the set on the Kathmandu Val- convey the man’s magical vision.

nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 37 Comfort above the clouds ... after sunset, waiting for the sunrise ...

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No Laughing Matter Jomsom Journals: Part 1

Falling off the map Watched over by the Nilgiri, Jomsom airport was new and efficient. I walked out of the terminal straight on to the one and only Jomsom (Puthang, actually: Jomsom, prefixed now by “Old,” is the settlement BY KUNAL LAMA further up the trail) street, lined by hotels and lodges on both sides. I made contact with a guide/porter at the Alka Marco Polo Guest House, n case you were wondering where I’d disappeared to, I was up and and I set off almost immediately on the road to Kagbeni, about four Iaway in lower Mustang. Yup, the same region that has appeared in hours walk away. Just before Old Jomsom, I was stopped at an army a recent Time “Asia’s Best” issue as the “Best Place to Fall Off the check-post. My baggage was searched; my driving license retained, to Map.” (Incidentally, the accompanying photograph was of Jharkot, the be collected on the way back, and issued instead with a ilaka pass; intriguing but brooding fortress-like village at 11,500 feet, half an hour asked the much-repeated questions: Why are you traveling? Where’s below the pilgrimage destination of Muktinath.) You don’t have to pay your group? Alone? When I replied that I just wanted to get to know my the $70-a-day fee to enter this lower region of Mustang; if you cross country, I was given a disbelieving look, but allowed to get on with my from Kagbeni to upper Mustang, i.e. towards Lo Manthang, then you do. native quest. For the next few days, from Jomsom to Kagbeni; from Kagbeni to Muktinath via Jharkot; Muktinath back to Jomsom; Jomsom to Tukuche via Marpha; I was as- tounded by the outstanding nature of the barren land- scape shadowed by snow-covered mountains: Dhaulagiri, Dhampus, Tukuche, Tilicho and Annapurna, among oth- ers. The trail almost always followed the Kali Gandaki River. There were amazing cliffs riven with fissures or displaying diagonal stratifications, sometimes dotted with grazing sheep and goats, occasionally accompanied by the lone herder! Along the way, endless pony and mule caravans rang the air with their cheerful bells, littering the trail with copious depositions of their dung and urine. There were highland plateaus with nothing more than thorny, scrubby low bushes. And all around, all the time,

Photo: Courtesy of Time magazine Time of Courtesy Photo: mountains and the blue sky speckled with playful clouds and the dancing rays of pure sunlight. The wrap-around, panoramic views took my breath away. I felt humble and ecstatic to have the privilege to be there, to witness, in mute respect, this astonishing beauty of Nepal. I rode a pony from Kagbeni to Muktinath, having overnighted at the Nilgiri View Lodge, which sports a roof- I was fantastically over-prepared for the eight-day trek into this top solarium. The pony was to hurry me along because I wanted to visit the arid Himalayan region: –10-degree sleeping bag with a micro-fleece seldom-explored villages of Purang and Dzong across the river valley from liner; Leki “spring” walking stick; layers upon layers of woollies and Muktinath. The pony was not much faster at all. All I had to show for the wind-and-rain-and-chill proof clothes (including a red-and-green ride were a sore bum and hitherto undiscovered muscles that were aching striped thermal long johns which made me look like a mad harlequin after having sat wide-legged for hours. Along the way, the pony attendant, on the lam from an exceptionally color-conscious loony bin!); UV- a boy of 17 from Myagdi, initiated a strange and long conversation ex- screening sunglasses and SPF 60 sun lotions; waterproof boots. You pounding his personal and unique theory of horse riding being singularly name it; I had it. But what I wasn’t prepared for were the series of erotic and orgasmic, especially for women. Sidesaddle riding, presumably, glorious and utterly unimaginable visual assaults and human ex- is not an option for the ladies to undergo this Freudian experience! changes that lay in store for me. The fun started on the 17-minute Prayer flags a-flutter above red, yellow and blue striated, flat-roofed Cosmic Air flight to Jomsom from Pokhara. Ten minutes into the flight, mud houses packed together to create narrow lanes and underpasses; there was a sudden and dramatic change in the landscape below: silent villages dominated by crumbling forts; green uwa (barley) fields; from green, flat, tree-dotted to craggy, sparsely vegetated, brown- rushing streams; yak hair insulation spiraling around solar heating pipes; grey, rock-and-boulder strewn terrain. At times, it felt that we barely frozen ponds with patches of turquoise-green and purple water; apples managed to scrape through the narrow mountain passes as we flew in every form: juice, air-dried chips, pies, brandy; soaring mountain faces towards a mysterious land. The airhostess insouciantly passed out pockmarked with caves created for religious retreats and escapes from sweets and cotton wool and huddled in one corner, wrapped up in marauders; the incongruously-named Bob Marley Restaurant in her pashmina and thoughts. Muktinath.

42 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly us. Though shepherds too have been af- The shepherd’s life is hard; in the moun- The movie is long, about two hours. And fected by the changes, much about their tains it is more so. He lives out in the moves slowly, but the soundtrack, in con- lives remain as it was a thousand years open—in a small hut, a tent or a caravan. trast, is up-tempo. ago. The movie focuses on the simple life that Most interesting are the reflections The yearly cycle of the shepherd has shepherds lead. Scenes that the director feels on the shepherd’s way of life. A radio always been dictated by the weather. The are important are shown in detail to rein- reporter asks one whether he is ever difference now is how the shepherd re- force the simplicity—children enjoying a bored. He is surprised by the question sponds: A scene in which a shepherd’s bath out in the open in a small tub; a shep- and answers that he does what he has to. caravan is airlifted by helicopter to a pla- herd setting up his camp in the woods. Other It is an occupation that the shepherd, a teau in the Alps shows the beauty of the details that are emphasized include lengthy former radio electrician, has taken up out mountains and the utility of modern explanations about the shearing of the sheep, of his own choosing. So why did he take technology, but it also reinforces the age- the cutting of their hooves, the milking of up such a life? And what drives him? As old cycle. In the summer, the shepherd goats, the making of cheese, and the mating the shepherd puts it: “I cannot sit still heads to the mountains, the Alps, and he behavior of the billy goat. At times like these I’d like to be on the go forever.” retreats to a warmer clime when snow it is easy to become overwhelmed by the and cold take hold in the winter. details and lose track of the larger narrative. REVIEWED BY: YASHAS VAIDYA

The Bar of its own kind ! Live Band : Prism with Ram Shrestha Every Saturday Regular : Puspa Sunawar BEIJING ROAST DUCK RESTAURANT BICC Complex, New Baneshwor, Kathmandu Tel : 4468589, 2040339, Fax : 977-1-4473652 nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 41 No Laughing Matter Jomsom Journals: Part 1

Falling off the map Watched over by the Nilgiri, Jomsom airport was new and efficient. I walked out of the terminal straight on to the one and only Jomsom (Puthang, actually: Jomsom, prefixed now by “Old,” is the settlement BY KUNAL LAMA further up the trail) street, lined by hotels and lodges on both sides. I made contact with a guide/porter at the Alka Marco Polo Guest House, n case you were wondering where I’d disappeared to, I was up and and I set off almost immediately on the road to Kagbeni, about four Iaway in lower Mustang. Yup, the same region that has appeared in hours walk away. Just before Old Jomsom, I was stopped at an army a recent Time “Asia’s Best” issue as the “Best Place to Fall Off the check-post. My baggage was searched; my driving license retained, to Map.” (Incidentally, the accompanying photograph was of Jharkot, the be collected on the way back, and issued instead with a ilaka pass; intriguing but brooding fortress-like village at 11,500 feet, half an hour asked the much-repeated questions: Why are you traveling? Where’s below the pilgrimage destination of Muktinath.) You don’t have to pay your group? Alone? When I replied that I just wanted to get to know my the $70-a-day fee to enter this lower region of Mustang; if you cross country, I was given a disbelieving look, but allowed to get on with my from Kagbeni to upper Mustang, i.e. towards Lo Manthang, then you do. native quest. For the next few days, from Jomsom to Kagbeni; from Kagbeni to Muktinath via Jharkot; Muktinath back to Jomsom; Jomsom to Tukuche via Marpha; I was as- tounded by the outstanding nature of the barren land- scape shadowed by snow-covered mountains: Dhaulagiri, Dhampus, Tukuche, Tilicho and Annapurna, among oth- ers. The trail almost always followed the Kali Gandaki River. There were amazing cliffs riven with fissures or displaying diagonal stratifications, sometimes dotted with grazing sheep and goats, occasionally accompanied by the lone herder! Along the way, endless pony and mule caravans rang the air with their cheerful bells, littering the trail with copious depositions of their dung and urine. There were highland plateaus with nothing more than thorny, scrubby low bushes. And all around, all the time,

Photo: courtesy of Time magazine Time of courtesy Photo: mountains and the blue sky speckled with playful clouds and the dancing rays of pure sunlight. The wrap-around, panoramic views took my breath away. I felt humble and ecstatic to have the privilege to be there, to witness, in mute respect, this astonishing beauty of Nepal. I rode a pony from Kagbeni to Muktinath, having overnighted at the Nilgiri View Lodge, which sports a roof- I was fantastically over-prepared for the eight-day trek into this top solarium. The pony was to hurry me along because I wanted to visit the arid Himalayan region: –10-degree sleeping bag with a micro-fleece seldom-explored villages of Purang and Dzong across the river valley from liner; Leki “spring” walking stick; layers upon layers of woollies and Muktinath. The pony was not much faster at all. All I had to show for the wind-and-rain-and-chill proof clothes (including a red-and-green ride were a sore bum and hitherto undiscovered muscles that were aching striped thermal long johns which made me look like a mad harlequin after having sat wide-legged for hours. Along the way, the pony attendant, on the lam from an exceptionally color-conscious loony bin!); UV- a boy of 17 from Myagdi, initiated a strange and long conversation ex- screening sunglasses and SPF 60 sun lotions; waterproof boots. You pounding his personal and unique theory of horse riding being singularly name it; I had it. But what I wasn’t prepared for were the series of erotic and orgasmic, especially for women. Sidesaddle riding, presumably, glorious and utterly unimaginable visual assaults and human ex- is not an option for the ladies to undergo this Freudian experience! changes that lay in store for me. The fun started on the 17-minute zPrayer flags a-flutter above red, yellow and blue striated, flat-roofed Cosmic Air flight to Jomsom from Pokhara. Ten minutes into the flight, mud houses packed together to create narrow lanes and underpasses; there was a sudden and dramatic change in the landscape below: silent villages dominated by crumbling forts; green uwa (barley) fields; from green, flat, tree-dotted to craggy, sparsely vegetated, brown- rushing streams; yak hair insulation spiraling around solar heating pipes; grey, rock-and-boulder strewn terrain. At times, it felt that we barely frozen ponds with patches of turquoise-green and purple water; apples managed to scrape through the narrow mountain passes as we flew in every form: juice, air-dried chips, pies, brandy; soaring mountain faces towards a mysterious land. The airhostess insouciantly passed out pockmarked with caves created for religious retreats and escapes from sweets and cotton wool and huddled in one corner, wrapped up in marauders; the incongruously-named Bob Marley Restaurant in her pashmina and thoughts. Muktinath.

42 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly

S T

N CITYThisWeek At the Russian Cultural Centre, Kamalpokhari. E Films are screened back-to-back from 9:30 a.m. Richard Heap (U.K., 2004) Pleasing vignette on South America’s ti-

V The Khumbu’s receding glaciers. niest bird. to 6:30 p.m. E 11:00 a.m. Hirtenreise ins dritte DEC. 11, SATURDAY DEC. 9, THURSDAY Jahrtausend (124’) HALL A HALL A Shepherds’ Journey into the Third 9:30 a.m. Farther Than the Eye 2:45 p.m. Det Forbudte Landshold (54’) Millennium Can See (72’) The Forbidden Team Erich Langjahr (Switzerland, 2002) Michael Brown (U.S., 2003) Rasmus Dinesen/Arnold Kroeigaard (Den- The 21st century shepherd. Being sight-impaired on the Western mark, 2003) Cwm. A team finally gets to play football. 2: 00 p.m. The Idu of Dibang (42’) Pramod/Neelima Mathur (India, 2002) 11:00 a.m. Ang Pagbabalik ng mga 3:55 p.m. MoenJi, SaBukEul MootDa (83’) A study of the Idu of Arunachal. Mummies Part 2 (41’) Sabuk Uprising, April in 1980-Dust Random Voices from Kashmir (12’) The Return of the Mummies Buries Sabuk Hochbetrieb (6’), Nuts & Bolts Dr. Parvez Imam (India, 2003) Abner P. Mercado (Philippines, 2004) Lee Mi-Young (South Korea, 2003) Andreas Krein (Germany, 2003) Kashmiri voices on the long conflict. Filipino mummies go home. Miners seize a Korean mountain town. A man, a frog, and a construction site. Mouse (7’ 5”) 3:15 p.m. Eigernord wand – Aufden 12:00 p.m. Storm fur die Sherpas 5:35 p.m. Starkiss: Circus Girls in In- Wojtek Wawsczyk (Germany, 2001) Spuren der Erstbesteige (52’) Sherpas ñ Die Moderne am Mount dia (77’) Bigger is not better. Eiger North Face – In the Footsteps Everest (30’) Chris Relleke/Jascha De Wilde (Nether- Peace into Pieces (4’ 47”) of its First Climbers Electricity for the Sherpas – Modern lands, 2002) Raghuwar Nepal (Nepal, 2004) Times at Mount Everest Nepali girls in India’s oldest circus. Bettina Ehrhardt (Germany, 2004) The Khumbu Bijuli Company brings light. HALL B 3:00 p.m. Marriage (80’) 2:00 p.m. On the Road with the Red Bibo Liang (China, 1999) God: Machhendranath (50’) Singing for a bride. Kesang Tseten (Nepal, 2004) Conflict and confluence in the 4:35 p.m. Tripping Towards Lhasa (27’) (Clockwise from top left) Travellers & Magicians; Machhendranath Jatra. Leo Artalejo (U.S., 2002) Marriage; A visual, meditative tale of a road trip. Return of the Mummies; 3:15 p.m. Into the Thunder Dragon (47’) Cinquentona Gallotti (33’) Shared flight Sean White (Canada, 2002) The Gallotti Turns 50 Unicycling about Druk Yul. Priscila Botto/ Paulo de Barros (Brazil, 2004) 4:20 p.m. Some Roots Grow Upwards Around and about a Brazilian peak. - The Theater of Ratan Thiyam (51’) Kavita Joshi/ Malati Rao (India, 2002) DEC. 10, FRIDAY Frank Senn/Thomas Ulrich (Switzerland, The guru and the troupe, in Manipur. HALL A Shattered hopes, experimental. 2002) 10:00 a.m. Das Geheimnis der Sherpa (90’) Retracing climbing history on the Eiger. 5:35 p.m. Nima Temba Sherpa (52’) The Secret of the Sherpa 2:30 p.m. Schools in the Crossfire (52’) Margriet Jansen (Netherlands, 2003) Gertrude Reinisch (Austria, 2001/2002) Dhurba Basnet (Nepal, 2004) 4:20 p.m. Pensieri Nel Vento (19’) Mr. Sherpa speaks. Sherpa life below Chomolongma. Education and the Nepali conflict. Thoughts in the Wind Ermanno Salvaterra (Italy, 2003) HALL B 11.45 am Pororoca-Surfing the Ama- 3:45 p.m. Six ‘Stories’ (43’) Another meditation on mountaineering. 10:00 a.m. The Adventure is Not Yet zon (26’) Mohan Mainali (Nepal, 2004) Alpi: Le Marittime e le Liguri (29’) Over (39’) Bill Heath (Germany, 2003) Women caught in the crosshairs. Alps: Coastal Peaks and Valleys Richard Else (U.K., 2004) Riding the ultimate wave (nothing to do Folco Quilici (Italy, 2004) Bonington reflects on a life of climbing. with mountains!). 4:45 pm. Travellers & Magicians (108’) Rocks of the Mediterranean. Glorious Base Matterhorn (22’) Experimental Shorts Khyentse Norbu (Bhutan, 2003) music. Mario Kreuzer (Austria / Switzerland, Das Rad (8’ 5”), Rocks Tale of a monk and modernity. 2003) Chris Stenner/ Heidi Wittlinger/Arvid Uibel 5:25 p.m. Hummingbirds - Jewels of Leaping off the Matterhorn. Have para- (Germany, 2001) HALL B the Andes (50’) chute. Charming cartoon where the rocks speak. 10:00 a.m. Meltdown-In the Shadow of Nepalís Lost Glaciers (50’) Heinz Von Matthey (Germany 2003)

44 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly For insertions: 2111102 or [email protected] City Page

11:15 a.m. Fiostas populares entre SHOWING AT tradicion y mercado- (41’) Condors and Bulls Brought on Stage Andre Affentranger (Switzerland, 2001/ JAINEPAL CINEMA 2002) The real and unreal behind a documen- FOR INFORMATION: 4442220 tary. Shepherd Women of Shambala (9’) Joy Tessman (USA, 2001) Pakistan’s Ismaili women welcome an outsider. VEERVEER 12: 15 p.m. Wspolny Lot (50’) Shared Flight Miroslaw Dembinski (Poland, 2003) Paraplegic paraglider surmounts the ZAARAZAARA odds.

2:00 p.m. K2: Una Storia Italiana (49’) The Conquest of K2 Helen Atkinson (U.K., 2003) Alessandro Varchetta (Italy, 2004) a bottle of mineral water or a The historic conquest of K2. Meditations on modern free climbing. N N O GOI G soft drink. 3:10 p.m. Al filo de lo Imposible: 4:45 p.m. Daughters of Everest (56’) Makalu, ese viejo Sueno (55’) Sapana Sakya/Ramyata Limbu (Nepal / Jukebox Experience Cadenza Live USA, 2004) The Verge of the Impossible: Makalu, The jukebox experience with The only happening live Jazz That Old Dream The First Sherpa Women’s Expedition Pooja Gurung and The Cloud Sebastian Alvaro (Spain, 2003) on Everest. in town. Enjoy every Wednes- Tragedy of a Spanish team on Makalu. Walkers every Wednesday, Fri- day and Saturday at the Up- HALL B day and Saturday at Rox Bar. stairs Jazz Bar, Lazimpat. Time: 4:20 p.m. Mount Poi-The Big Thing (26’) 10:00 a.m. Pizzet (Forsa líultim on) (52’) For information: 4491234. Jochen Schmoll (Germany, 2003/2004) Pizzet: Maybe the Last Year 7:45 p.m. onwards. Climbers mix with Kenyan locals. Ivo Zen (Switzerland, 2004) Alpi: La Valle Díaosta (29’) Chronicle of a mountain farmhouse. All That Jazz Charcoalz Alps: The Giants of the Val Díaosta Presenting “Abhaya and the Folco Quilici (Italy, 2004) 11:05 a.m. Hidrofilia (58’) This festive season Yak and Good views on rocks, people and ice. Thumbnail Steam Injuns” and the best of Yeti brings to you “Charcoalz” Jesus Bosque (Spain, 2004) jazz in Nepal at the Fusion Bar, Two women and a peak. at the poolside. The piping hot Dwarika’s Hotel, 7 p.m. on- DEC. 12, SUNDAY grills are guaranteed to drive HALL A 12:15 p.m. Wildness (56’) wards, every Friday. Entry fee: away your autumn chills with Scott Millwood (Australia, 2003) 10:00 a.m. Home (68’) Rs. 555, including BBQ din- Photographic quest to save Tasmania. an array of Indian, western Wang Yan/ Zhou Xiaolin (China, 2002) ner, and a can of beer/soft The Yao minority is being relocated. and Mongolian barbequed 2:00 p.m. Tavaline Seiklus (89’) drinks. For information: delights to tempt your appe- Adventure High 11:25 a.m. Gantabbya Mahabhir (41’) 4479488. tites. Time: 6-10 p.m. For in- Destination Mahabhir Liivo Niglas (Estonia, 2004) Mejan Pun/Dab Bahadur Garbuja A cycling odyssey - Mongolia to Nepal. formation: 4248999. (Nepal, 2004) Seasons Specials These honey hunters are Pun Magars. All films are in English or subtitled. Tick- Exotic Thai, sizzling tandoori, ets (Rs. 30 per screening) are available Rock@Belle Momo traditional Nepali and Italian 12:20 p.m. Never Ending Thermal (47’) at Saraswati Book Centre, Hariharbhawan Enjoy combo meals at Belle Sean White (Canada, 2003/2004) (5521599/5528017); Mandala Book encounter, daily for lunch at Momo every Fridays 6:30 Point, Kantipath (4245570); Suwal Mu- Venezuelans celebrate the paragliding the Shambala Garden Café, p.m. onwards as the rock ’n lifestyle. sic and Video, Lazimpat (4421522); Dhokaima Café, Patan Dhoka (5543017); Shangri~la Hotel. Date: De- roll band Steel Wheels per- 2:00 p.m. Story of our Climb (38’) Thamel Book Shop, opp. Sanchaya Kosh cember 1 onwards. Price: forms live. For information: Building (4419849); Vajra Book Shop, Dinesh Deokota (Nepal, 2003) Rs.450 per person, includes 4230890. Nepali amateurs attempt a virgin peak. Jyatha (4220562) and at the venue. Natural Heights (23’)

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LAJANA RESTAURANT Near Radisson Hotel, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal tel. 4413874 Parking facilities available nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 45 Yeti Airlines Proposed Revised Flight Schedule (Covering remote sectors) Effective from 16 SEP - 31 DEC'04

From To Flight No. Days of Dep. Arr. Rupee Dollar Remarks Operation Time Time Tariff Tariff One way One way

Kathmandu Lukla YA 111 Daily 0700 0735 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Lukla YA 101 Daily 0705 0740 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Lukla YA103 Daily 0710 0745 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Lukla YA 105 Daily 0715 0750 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Lukla YA107 Daily 0840 0915 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Lukla YA113 Daily 0845 0920 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Lukla YA109 Daily 0850 0925 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Lukla YA 115 Daily 0855 0930 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Lukla YA117 Daily 1020 1055 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Lukla YA119 1,2,4,5,6,7 1025 1100 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Taplejung YA 901 3 1025 1135 2695 164 DHC-6/300 Phaplu YA181 1,3,5 1030 1105 1480 85 DHC-6/300 Rumjatar YA 221 2,4,7 1030 1105 1245 61 DHC-6/300 Manang YA 601 6 1030 1130 2995 122 DHC-6/300 Meghauly YA171 Daily 1130 1200 1340 79 DHC-6/300 Bharatpur YA 173 Daily 1200 1225 1160 61 DHC-6/300 Bharatpur YA 175 Daily 1400 1425 1160 61 DHC-6/300 Simara YA 141 Daily 1330 1355 970 55 DHC-6/300 Simara YA 143 Daily 1500 1525 970 55 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu Kathmandu YA 301 Daily 0700 0800 4800 109 SAAB 340B Kathmandu YA 302 Daily 0705 0805 4800 109 SAAB 340B Kathmandu YA 303 Daily 0820 0920 4800 109 SAAB 340B Biratnagar YA 151 Daily 0945 1025 2585 85 SAAB 340B Biratnagar YA 153 Daily 1430 1510 2585 85 SAAB 340B Biratnagar YA 155 Daily 1640 1720 2585 85 SAAB 340B Pokhara YA 131 Daily 0815 0840 1710 67 SAAB 340B Pokhara YA 137 Daily 0955 1020 1710 67 SAAB 340B Pokhara YA 135 Daily 1415 1440 1710 67 SAAB 340B Bhairahawa YA 163 Daily 1555 1630 2220 79 SAAB 340B Bhadrapur YA 121 Daily 1135 1225 2950 109 SAAB 340B Nepalgunj YA 177 Daily 1155 1250 3500 109 SAAB 340B Biratnagar Kathmandu YA 152 Daily 1050 1130 2585 85 SAAB 340B Biratnagar Kathmandu YA 154 Daily 1535 1615 2585 85 SAAB 340B Biratnagar Kathmandu YA 156 Daily 1745 1825 2585 85 SAAB 340B Pokhara Kathmandu YA 132 Daily 0905 0930 1710 67 SAAB 340B Pokhara Kathmandu YA 138 Daily 1045 1110 1710 67 SAAB 340B Pokhara Kathmandu YA 136 Daily 1505 1530 1710 67 SAAB 340B Bhairahawa Kathmandu YA 164 Daily 1655 1730 2220 79 SAAB 340B Bhadrapur Kathmandu YA 122 Daily 1250 1340 2950 109 SAAB 340B Nepalgunj Kathmandu YA 178 Daily 1315 1405 3500 109 SAAB 340B Lukla Kathmandu YA 112 Daily 0750 0825 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu YA 102 Daily 0755 0830 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu YA 104 Daily 0800 0835 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu YA 106 Daily 0805 0840 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu YA 108 Daily 0930 1005 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu YA 114 Daily 0935 1010 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu YA 110 Daily 0940 1020 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu YA 116 Daily 0945 1025 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu YA 118 Daily 1110 1145 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu YA 120 1,2,4,5,6,7 1115 1150 1665 91 DHC-6/300 Phaplu Kathmandu YA182 1,3,5 1120 1155 1480 85 DHC-6/300 Meghauly Kathmandu YA172 Daily 1120 1155 1340 79 DHC-6/300 Rumjatar Kathmandu YA 222 2,4,7 1250 1325 1245 79 DHC-6/300 Manang Kathmandu YA 602 6 1145 1245 2995 122 DHC-6/300 Taplejung Kathmandu YA 902 3 1150 1300 2695 164 DHC-6/300 Bharatpur Kathmandu YA 174 Daily 1240 1305 1160 61 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu YA 176 Daily 1440 1505 1160 61 DHC-6/300 Simara Kathmandu YA142 Daily 1410 1435 970 55 DHC-6/300 Kathmandu YA144 Daily 1540 1605 970 55 DHC-6/300 n Subject to change without prior notice. Monday 1, Tuesday 2, Wednesday 3, Thursday 4, Friday 5, Saturday 6, Sunday 7 n Subject to CAAN Approval

CORPORATE OFFICE RESERVATIONS TRIBHUVAN OUTSTATION'S TELEPHONE NUMBERS Lazimpat, Kathmandu 4421215 (Hunt. Line) AIRPORT OFFICE BIRATNAGAR 021-536612/536613 (City sales office) BHAIRAHWA 071-527527 (City sales office) Ph. No. 4411912 (Hunt. Line) Fax: 977-1-4420766 4493901, 4493428 021-523838 (Airport) 071-527528 (Airport) Fax: 977-1-4420766 Email: [email protected] POKHARA 061-530016 (City sales office) BHADRAPUR 023-522232 (City sales office) 061-532217 (Airport) 023-522242 NEPALGUNJ 081-526556/526557 (City sales office) 081-550637 (Airport) B Rai Profile A Life of Dedication

The display of the Panche Baja at New America,” an account of the peace walks he has held in the United States; and translations of two books by Buddhist York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art was monks based in the United States into Nepali. finally established last year. This is an Manandhar joined the monkhood of the Mahayana Buddhist order in 1992. He had always felt a deep attach- accomplishment Krishna Man ment towards religious life, and some years after he retired Manandhar feels especially proud about. from his job as a librarian at the American Library where he worked for 27 years, he finally felt the time had come to devote his life to BY ADITYA ADHIKARI Buddhism. “My children had hikshu Krishna Man Manandhar has been a witness to grown up and settled down,” he Kathmandu’s evolution since the last decades of the says. “I felt that I had fulfilled all BRana regime. Born in the late 1920s he has observed my responsibilities. My parents Kathmandu and its culture keenly and today is a treasure had also passed away by that house of information on Nepal’s past. He offers unexpected time.” tidbits of information: “The gaines [the traditional traveling The influence of his parents musicians] acted as spies for Prithvi Narayan Shah,” he says. has stayed with him “They came to Kathmandu and took back information which throughout his life, helped him capture this city.” Or, “every month a gupta though. He even [secret] puja is held at Pashupatinath where they worship partially attributes Buddha and Mahadev together. An image of the Buddha is his decision to placed atop the linga before worship commences.” become a monk And his recollections, his knowledge accumulated to them. As his through his research are not simply the rambling recollec- father was Hindu tions of an old man. This slender man remains remarkably and his mother astute, his mind remarkably organized, and all the bits of Buddhist, he information in his possession form part of a larger structure finds that both in his mind. He speaks with the lucidity and passion of a these religions historian, and now this Buddhist monk has taken on a new have offered him role as a cultural historian. He is working on a cultural reasons to join history of Nepal’s traditional traveling musicians, the gaines, the monkhood. as well as a book on the differing religious significances of “In Hinduism the Muktinath for Buddhists and Hindus. tradition of He has already completed a number of books: a book in leaving home in Nepali on the library sciences; “Peace Pilgrimage Nepal- old age to Photos: Courtesy of Krishna Man Manandhar Man Krishna of Courtesy Photos:

ASTUTE: Bhikshu Manandhar (left) with U.N Assistant Secretary General Kul Chandra Gautam and the curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York 48 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly become a sanyasin is prevalent,” he says. “On the other hand “pinch in the heart” there is a tradition among the Mahayana Buddhists of the when he realized that Himalaya to send one of their children to the monastery there were no instru- when they are very small. Though my mother was a ments from Nepal on Theravada Buddhist and not a practitioner of Mahayana display. Buddhism, she always wanted her youngest child to become “These days no one a monk. But he became a businessman. So it was I who has a use for those decided to fulfill her desire.” instruments anymore,” he Long before this, there was another important turning says. “We have become too point in Manandhar’s life that he still remembers with influenced by western fondness. He won an international essay competition music. I think that even sponsored by the Japanese Reiyukai in 1981. The topic was though we don’t use our “Shakyamuni Buddha and I.” traditional instruments, we “Do you know who Ram Prasad Manandhar is?” he asks. should at least remember He is surprised to hear a no. He then says enthusiastically: them, display them in muse-

“He was a brilliant man, a person who never stood second in ums or have books available (top) at the his life. Ever since he was a little child to the time when he where people can read Panche Baja received his Masters degree there was no one who could about SHOWCASED: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY beat him. And at this essay competition it was I who won these and not him.” There is a pause, and he says more reflec- instru- tively: “Perhaps they thought his language was too literary ments of and hard to understand. I just wrote what I had to say in a the past.” very simple way.” When The enthusiasm returns soon. This time he looks at the Manandhar ceiling and there is a shine in his eyes: “My mother was very returned to proud of me at that time. She said to me that with this award Nepal after I had finally repaid all the sacrifices she had made for my his visit to the education.” United States, The sacrifices Manandhar refers to were made in 1948. he looked There were still two more years for the Rana regime to around for a set come to an end. Those were years of stress for his family as of the Panche his father, Chandra Man Sainju, a compounder, had been Baja, the five in- struments that played an jailed by the Ranas. Sainju transmitted messages between important role in folk music. It took him longer than he King Tribhuvan and members of the then banned political expected, four years, to find a complete set. “I couldn’t just parties in the early 1940s. He was arrested in connection find any old instrument,” he says. “I had to find instruments with a plot to overthrow the Rana regime and was sentenced that still worked, that could still be played.” for life, but was of course released in 1950 with the demise The display of the Panche Baja at the Metropolitan of that regime. Museum of Art was finally established last year, after a long In 1948 however there was no way of knowing that his period of waiting. This is an accomplishment of which father would be released in two years. It was at this stage Manandhar feels especially proud. Manandhar’s mother realized her son’s potential and Manandhar’s vision for the future is to establish a decided to send him to study at Ewing Christian College in stupa based on the Swayambhu in the United States. Allahabad with funds she had accumulated painstakingly, Around the perimeter of the stupa he envisions inscrip- partially by selling ornaments and other objects of value in tions in six languages, from the six major religions in the their house. world. “When people visit this place they will become That was the sacrifice his mother said he had finally aware of other religions,” he says. “In its way it will help repaid more than 30 years later. The award for the essay he foster mutual understanding in a world where conflicts received in 1981 allowed him to visit Japan and the United based on misunderstanding take place each day.” He States, and this significantly broadened his outlook. But it is hopes that his next peace walk in Pennsylvania, to be held evident by the animated and passionate way he speaks of his sometime next year, will help to bring in the needed mother’s pride that this was what mattered to him the most; funds. it is clear that his mother’s happiness was for him the biggest Then after the conversation is over, he stands up and award he could receive. walks swiftly away, his spine erect and head held up high, In New York he visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the same energy he has displayed throughout the where he saw a display of musical instruments from all parts conversation. It is time for him to head to Chapagaun, to the of the world—almost all, for Nepal wasn’t included. Since monastery next to the Bajrabarahi temple, where he often he had a keen interest in music ever since he was a child and spends the night. was especially interested in traditional instruments, he felt a nation weekly | DECEMBER 12, 2004 49 World AIDS Day

The troupe’s focus only on the issue of drugs would lead one to believe that Speaking Out they were reluctant to face up to the is- sue of sexual transmission. Drugs are a major social problem, but to believe that About AIDS drugs are primarily responsible for the festering the AIDS epidemic in Nepal It’s time to talk openly about the disease, but Oxygen’s is naïve. Unsafe sex is the primary danger— street theater missed a golden opportunity one that gets passing mention only after half the play is over. Abstinence from sex, BY BISWAS BARAL parently food for thought for many in being faithful to one’s partner and the use the audience, judging from the expres- of condoms, the best precautions against hen Ujjwal, a drug addict in his sions on their faces. contracting HIV, were not even men- early 20s, finds out that he has The enthusiastic performers, who tioned. The play’s avoidance of the sub- WAIDS, he cries out to the audi- seemed mostly to be in their mid-20s, ject is hard to fathom. Is the point that we ence for social acceptance. The eager put on a good show—the acting was as a society are still living in denial, much young actors presenting “Maunta Ko much better than the script. The like the participants in the play? Antya,” a 40-minute street play organized chasm between rudderless youth and The play urged the audience to break by the Oxygen Research and Develop- their out-of-touch parents was the silence on AIDS, a good idea. But in ment Forum in Patan Durbar Square to handled well, and the actors high- harping on that theme it missed a chance mark World AIDS Day on Wednesday, lighted the need for effective commu- to talk about avoiding unsafe sex. Do the Dec.1, held the attention of a diverse nication between parents and their performers realize that they could be audience—expectant locals, bewildered children. The cost of drug abuse was promulgating the wrong message? tourists and busy street vendors. a main theme. Avoiding drugs is not the most impor- The play’s title, “The End of Si- In “Maunta,” four close friends find tant way of protecting oneself from the lence,” could be a metaphor for the themselves waylaid into abusing drugs. disease. One of the four friends is mar- emerging voices of today’s youth, and When they later learn that each has con- ried but doesn’t express concern at the the street actors’ enthusiasm was more tracted AIDS from their habit of sharing possibility of having infecting his wife potent than the play’s uninspired script. needles—and that one of the group has with HIV when he learns that he has the Barring a couple of eyebrow-raising infected his sister through a contami- virus. Speaking out about sex would have moments, for example when a charac- nated blood donation—they decide to been a stronger message. ter asserts that the use of drugs is more give up their addiction and to live the The World AIDS day was celebrated widespread in small villages than in big rest of their lives with hope and dignity. with much fanfare in Nepal. Famous cities, it was a standard street perfor- Unfortunately the play had almost noth- personalities, schoolchildren, AIDS pa- mance. Much attention was focused on ing to say about the transmission of the tients, social workers and ordinary the climax; nuance was conspicuously disease through sex, the primary way people all took part in various functions. absent. But the play’s message was ap- AIDS is spread. But there is little cause for celebration: The country that was once considered a “low-preva- lence” nation has now been categorized as having a “concentrated epidemic” of AIDS. It’s not an exotic disease any more. As the participants of the street play say, the time to remain silent has passed. Without the re- solve to halt the spread of this deadly disease ur- gently, a gloomy future of a soaring number of AIDS patients and a crippled so- ciety awaits us. What they should be speaking up about, though, is sex edu- cation and abstinence. B Rai B

50 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly

Snapshots BY DHRITI BHATTA ACROSS THE OCEANS Almitra von Willicox, a 57-year-old American, has trav- eled on foot to three continents. Starting in 1997 from Augusta in southwestern Australia, Willicox has crossed more than a dozen boundaries across Europe and Asia. Late last month, after crossing the Khoja on the Tibet border, she walked into Nepal through Simikot. But why on foot? “Walking will leave me the most open and ac- cessible to meet people,” says Willicox. “I can’t be in- volved with life through the windows of a moving vehicle. I have to breathe it, taste it, adjust to its subtle rhythms.” The final stop: San Diego, in 2012.

Pump Up The Volume

Adrian Pradhan, the drummer and singer of the band 1974 A.D., knows how to keep himself busy. Just off a charity performance at the “Beatles Night” in St. Xavier’s Godavari School on Nov. 27, he was back on stage, slated to perform at “Jazz at Boudha” at the Rox Bar on Sunday, Dec. 5. That’s not all. His first solo album “Aja” hit the mar- ket two weeks ago. Does this mean Pradhan has ended his six-year associa- tion with the eminent 1974 A.D.? “My solo album was just a side project,” ex- plains Pradhan who joins the band for their upcoming Bhutan and Australian

tours. Rai B

B Rai B How often do you come across people who come here on a short holiday and forget to go home? Meet Yuko Akiba—a Japanese photogra- pher who came to Nepal in 1990 and has stayed here since. Her photo- graphs were on show at the Park Gallery recently. “Near Wild Heaven, Voice From The Moun- tain,” Akiba’s first ever exhibition, was highly appreciated. More than half of the 43 photographs put on show have been sold. These pictures are of people and landscapes from around the country, mostly Rasuwa and Gorkha, as seen through her eyes. “The beautiful mountains, the rich culture and the amiable people in Nepal attracted me to live in the country,” says Akiba. “Letting others see through my photographs the THROUGH beautiful Nepal I had seen through- HER EYES out these years left me the most satisfied.” 52 DECEMBER 12, 2004 | nation weekly JobsJobs VACANCY

Handicraft Design & Development Center of Handicraft Association of Nepal, a new organisation to provide a wide range of design related services, is looking for the following personnels.

1. Post : EXECUTIVE OFFICER(ONE) Qualification: Masters Degree in Business/Public Administration with 3 years experience in organization related in product design & development or Diploma in Fashion/ Product Design with 5 years of relevant work experience. Skill: Computer Literate(MSOffice), 3D max is preferred. Age: Above 30 years. Responsible: Planning, Implementing, Monitoring, Reporting of centers activities. Managing, Supervising and developing the staff of the center. Coordination and networking with partners and cooperating Agencies. Salary: Attractive salary as per the rules and regulations of the center.

2. Post : ACCOUNTANT(ONE) Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Management or Equivalent. Expereince: 3 Years experience in Accounts. Skill: Computer Literate(MSOffice)& FACT. Responsible: Prepare books of Accounts, Prepare monthly as well annual report accounts. Formulation of Budget/Reconcilation of bank accounts. Attractive salary as per the rules and regulations of the center. (Women are encouraged to apply)

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film festival. Over four days, audiences majority of films touch on some aspect beautifully shot images, like a National at the Russian Cultural Centre will be of mountains—as a sport, about a people, Geographic presentation, they should treated to the continuous blitz of film- a lifestyle, wildlife, conflict or the envi- also have an element of passion, conflict fare. Still, this edition of KIMFF is a ronment. By mountains, we don’t nec- and drama and should inspire people. special one for her: Limbu’s own docu- essarily have to be above 6000 meters or I’ve tried to get a mix of such films so mentary, “Daughters of Everest,” is be- have a gleaming, crystal white peak in that the festival appeals to a wide audi- ing screened at the festival. Yashas the picture. It’s about perspective. For ence. Vaidya talked to Limbu about the film example, “Hummingbirds” is about festival, mountain films and her own ex- South America’s tiniest bird that inhab- Seven years down the road from Film perience as a moviemaker. its the Andes while “Shepherd’s Journey Himalaya, do you think such documen- into the Third Millennium” is about taries and indie films are now finan- How did the KIMFF come into being? high-tech shepherding in a mountain- cially viable in Nepal? Himal Association organized the Film ous country like Switzerland. Well, I wouldn’t say that yet. We haven’t Himalaya back in 1997. Then it did the got to that stage. There are a few excep- Film South Asia, a festival that focused What about you—how did you, a tions that have done well. Outside films on South Asia. We saw then that there freelance journalist, get involved in all festivals are a market for filmmakers to were both filmmakers and an audience this? sell their films, to meet distributors. We for documentaries and films [that were I am interested in the outdoors, trekking, [the KIMFF], on the other hand, are a not regular feature films]. We saw, not stuff like that. When Himal Association meeting place where people express and exactly a market, but an interest. The decided to have the KIMFF, they asked exchange their ideas. We’re a small festi- Himal Association then decided to do a me whether I was interested. The project val. mountain film festival—a regular fea- combined my interests—films, moun- ture in North America and Europe— Let’s now talk about “Daughters of focusing on the mountains, which are I’ve tried to get a mix of Everest,” which you co-directed and co- part of Nepal’s identity. produced with Sapana Shakya. How did films so that the festival that come about? What do you expect to achieve? appeals to a wide What happened was I came to hear about We hope the films will attract peer re- the first all-Nepali women’s expedition view and critiques from filmmakers and audience to Everest in 2000. I thought, well, the audience. And that this in turn will there’s adventure involved, there’s a lead to better documentation and a bet- tains, meeting people and documenting story and the mountains. That interested ter understanding of mountain issues issues. So I thought it was ideal for me. me. I got in touch with Sapana who has and people, especially in the highland a background in broadcast journalism. regions of the developing world. We aim What do you do as festival director? She jumped at the idea. We asked the to educate, inform about the lives and It isn’t as grand as it sounds. It involves organizers if we could tag along and they times of these places and, at the same basically coordinating everything—from agreed. time, entertain. doing the PR to looking for good moun- tain films. I look for the films, corre- How was the experience? Not all the films you screen are films spond with the filmmakers and coordi- We spent six weeks at the Everest base about mountains nate the four-day festival. camp. We, Sapana and me, had to do all Except for a few films, one about surf- the shooting, the interviewing by our- ing the Amazon and another about a What would be the right films for you? selves. It was basically two women and a paraplegic paraglider surmounting the While some films are good from a tech- camera. It was tasking at times; at times odds and a few experimental shorts, the nical point of view, informative with it was exhilarating.

56 DECEMBER 5, 2004 | nation weekly Books

both in Nepal and away, with the aplomb Eternal Optimist of a consummate raconteur. But the most important point Unlike many thinkers and commentators who “Soch” strives to hit home is: Unlike what many thinkers and commentators continually mourn the dismal state of our country, Karna who continually mourn the dismal Sakya believes Nepal still has a lot to offer state of our country today believe, Nepal still has a lot to offer. Those who depict Nepal’s situation as dreadful and Hindi movies. And he doesn’t shirk away hopeless are doing a disservice to our BY BISWAS BARAL from mentioning his poor accounting nation; they are failing to put things skills: Even today, he is unable to differ- into a larger perspective, Sakya con- och,” Karna Sakya’s first major entiate between debit and credit. But he tends. Despite the crippling insur- venture in Nepali literature, is a knows his strengths and is proud of what Scollection of memoirs; a travel- gency, our social reforms and eco- he has done so far. nomic achievements since the resto- ogue; a manual for successful entrepre- The book as a travelogue is pretty ration of democracy are commendable, neurship; and, more importantly, a pre- interesting as well. Sakya narrates his vast he says. Yes, without the rebellion, we scription for all dispirited Nepalis. and sometimes amusing experiences— could have achieved much more, but Sakya is a visionary and a highly pas- from swimming naked in the Great Bar- the situation is not as bad as many in- sionate person. The subtle blending of rier Reef in Australia to the tussle with a tellectuals like to put it. He believes these two attributes confers on him the pickpocket in Italy—he has gained dur- Nepal does not lack opportunities. But resoluteness palpable in all his under- ing his extensive travels, takings. He cannot sit idle for because the youth shun any length of time with his get- certain jobs, an ap- go mentality and is constantly parent vacuum has haunted by new ideas. been created. We That the majority should re- don’t have enough main ignorant about a man who construction work- has contributed so much to our ers, carpenters and society is indeed sad. Sakya, cooks, he says. We sometimes single-handedly and don’t take up these vo- working up to 20 hours a day, has cations because of our envisioned and handled some of spurious notion of dig- the most important and ambi- nity. With formal edu- tious projects, mostly in the fields cation getting such em- of nature conservation and tour- phasis, the value of in- ism. And remarkably, due to his formal education is in- uncompromising nature, he has variably being forgotten. managed to keep his image clean, On a personnel note, even when muddled in the often- there are some pretty dirty bureaucracy. touching chapters. The Visit Nepal Year, 1996; Cancer untimely demise of his Hospital With One Paisa, 1989; first wife, Sanuchori, and Tundikhel Road Expansion, 1997; his eldest daughter, Dream Garden, Keshar Mahal, 1998 Samjhana, both of cancer, are some of the important propos- left a gaping void in his life. als he has presented and helped ma- The revelation Sakya has terialize. The development of abed in a Bangkok hospital, Bharatpur as a medical city and the where he is admitted for a introduction of the concept of en- suspected case of prostate demic tourism (a small-scale, epicu- cancer himself, terminates an rean concept of tourism) in Nepal can emotional roller coaster that also be credited to him. this book is. Though, reading between the lines Soch Any thoughtful Nepali, in in “Soch,” Sakya’s reluctance to open up By Karna Sakya Sakya’s optimistic portrait of today’s completely is palpable at times; but, by Publisher: Nepalnature.com Nepal, will find plenty to mull over. and large, he is open and honest. He is “Soch” is a mirror every Nepali should PRICE: Rs. 250 very emotional, he admits—his eyes well take time to look into. An illuminating up at touching moments during mushy PAGES: 286 read, indeed. nation weekly | DECEMBER 5, 2004 57 Last Page Make It Happen

irst in Dailekh last month and later Khadka—with Local Development in Baglung this month, people Minister Yubaraj Gyawali and Minis- Fcame out openly against the ter of Science and Technology Balaram Maoists. The apolitical protests in Gharti Magar in tow—promised the Dailekh in particular showed that the protesting villagers that the govern- We’re endlessly efficient 365 days... Maoist ways are far from popular in their ment will “guarantee” their safety supposed stronghold, the Midwest, and against the Maoists. That hasn’t quite people are now daring to break the shack- happened and in part is even under- les. The three visiting Cabinet minis- standable. It’s difficult to foil guerilla ters, all from the region themselves, must Shangri-la Inter Continental attacks even in the heart of Kathmandu Freight (p.) Ltd. Logistics (p.)Ltd. have taken heart from what they saw in and that in broad daylight. As much was Dailekh on Nov. 23. Thousands of men, Thamel, Bhagwan Bahal, GPO Box:11829, Kathmandu, Nepal evident when Maoists detonated a Phone: 4424456, 4410901, 4423671, 4412601, Fax: 00977-1-4414858 women and children from at least a powerful bomb at the Sanchayakosh E-mail:[email protected], [email protected] website: www.shangri-lafreight.com, www.visitnepal.com/shangfreight dozen VDCs chanted angry slogans early last month. against the Maoists and vowed that they were not willing to abide by the Maoist dictates anymore. There have been similar protests in the dis- trict after that, but none in that scale. While we do record Dailekh as an important event in the annals of the “people’s war,” we will keep short of calling it the watershed our officials say it is. Indeed, we call on them to make that happen. The Maoists have made no secret about the fact that they would go to any length to silence the voices of dis- sent, lest it spread like a bushfire in these remote hills. They made their statement right after the demonstra- tions when they killed five protest- ors. What followed gave indications of things to come. More than 400 families fled their villages in the wake of the violent retaliation from the Maoists to take refuge in the district What the government can do—now headquarters. And the district adminis- that the Dailekh residents believed the tration was soon stretched thin. The government guarantee and came out chief district officer in Dailekh, openly against the Maoists—is provide Rishikesh Niraula, gave away a little over support and safety to the homeless, who Rs. 150,000 to 182 families, currently tak- are still not out of danger. The govern- ing shelter in a local school, Tribhuvan ment just cannot afford to abandon them. Higher Secondary School where close Indeed, the cash-strapped government to 2,000 villagers are living in 12 cramped should mobilize the goodwill of the in- classrooms. Despite repeated calls for ternational community and aid agencies help from local officials, the Home Min- to help the needy. Failing this, the great istry finds itself in an unenviable posi- opportunity that Dailekh has offered tion. will be squandered. And make no mis- This is exactly where the govern- take, the Maoists want exactly that. ment and the state apparatus should try to make a statement of their own. For records. On Nov. 23, the visiting Home Minister Purna Bahadur Akhilesh Upadhyay, Editor

58 DECEMBER 5, 2004 | nation weekly cover.pm6 2 12/3/04, 5:11 PM cover.pm6 1 12/3/04, 5:11 PM