NEW SPOTLIGHT | Jan 08. 2021 | 1 NEW SPOTLIGHT | Jan 08. 2021 | 2 NEW SPOTLIGHTFORTNIGHTLY Notes From The Editor Vol.: 13,14, No.-11,No.-10, January-January-08, 24, 20212020 (Poush(Magh. 10.2076)24. 2077) Price:Price NRs.NRs.100 100 Requesting Indian government to lift the restriction Editor and Publisher Afterput a dramatic on palm day oil of violenceexport, Nepalat the US government Capitol, the Househas shown of Repre its- Keshab Poudel sentativesweakness and the to Senate traders have who confirmed have been Joe Biden’sthriving presidential and making victo- ry certifying Joe Biden’s election as US president and Kamala Harris as profits through the misuse of trade agreement’s loopholes. Contributor vice president. The storm by violent supporters of U.S President Donald TrumpInstead in the Capitalof restricting Hill, a pillar this of kindUS democracy, of short showsterm business,democracy Sabine Pretsch is notthis only request vulnerable will in boosta new countrythe morale but even of tradersin countries and like business United Statescommunity with strong institutions,who has hardly traditions shown and long interest practices. in sustainedOne of the Design/Layout beautiesand of long-term democratic industrialization order is peaceful transferof Nepal. of power With andthis rule kind of Sahil Mokthan, 9863022025 law. ofHowever, backing, storming traders capitol often with misused the instigation the preferential of a president treat of- democratic world showed the rise of despotism is possible everywhere. ments time and again to make individual gains. In the last Marketing Manager Despite mayhem and despotic nature of individuals, the US institutions, three decades, Nepal and India have signed several trade Madan Raj Poudel overwhelming politicians of diverse political parties and democracy agreements with preferential treatments to Nepalese prod- Tel: 9841320517 have been saved. Although President Donald Trump forced rejection of the results,ucts with the joint certain session percentages chaired by Vice of local President value Mike added. Pence, This who strictly followed the constitutional order, traditions and practices, finally Nabin Kumar Maharjan aimed to promote industrialization in Nepal. By misusing paved the way for Biden’s victory. Tel: 9841291404 this kind of preferential treatments to generate short term benefits,Although Nepal this chapterhas neither has closed seen now,a long in theterm history and ofsustained modern democratic world and in the history of United States, January 6, 2021 Editorial Office will beindustrialization remembered as anor dark consistent day. Leaders export. from This western was world not onlyhave Kathmandu, Nepal condemnedapplied the to violent India butscenes with in otherWashington, countries where as rioterswell. Insupporting 1990s, Tel: 977-1-4430250 US PresidentNepalese Donald traders Trump exploited stormed the Capitol markets building. of Germany Many leaders and E-mail calledUnited for peace States and anincreasing orderly transition the volume of power, of export describing of carpet what andhap- pened as “horrifying” and an “attack on democracy”. For the people of [email protected] garment under preferential treatment. Once the period of Nepal,preferential it is nothing treatment surprising tocame see violentto an end, mob theyattacking collapsed. democracy In P.O.Box: 7256 and forcing legitimate authority including monarch to accept forceful Website abdication1996, from India the opened street. The all mob the rulemarkets works toin theNepalese country productslike Nepal www.spotlightnepal.com wherewith institutions preferential are weak. treatments With the for strong many institutions products. and Nepalese commit- mentstraders of overwhelming and business of people communities in the rule invested of law and in rightsVegetable of the Kathmandu DAO Regd. No. people,Ghee some with leaders very can nominal infringe localthe process components. not the democracy. Some traders What 148/11/063/64 Alexismade de Tocqueville billions individually in his book “Democracy but it has innot America”, made any expresses long is it’s the very strength of democratic institutions Americans are able to Central Region Postal Regd. term contribution to Nepal. Even recently, Nepalese trad- retain democracy. He also warned weakness might lead to anarchy and No. 36/067/068 ers have started to increase export of palm oil using the disorder. The United States stands for democracy around the world and a peacefulloopholes and orderly of preferential transfer of power treatment. can still However, control the it damage. came to US Library of Congress Catalogue an endHowever, following we have the decided new restrictions.to cover Prithvi This Narayan is what Shah theand No. 91-905060, ISSN : 2091-0711 his rolecurrent as a cover cover story issue of thishas issue. tried Given to look his at. important contributions (Print), ISSN: 2091-0754 (Online) in nation building and his views on inclusion, secularism, economy and institution building are highly relevant today. As the country is cele- Printing brating his birth anniversary, we have decided to cover Prithvi Narayan Shah’s role in this context. Megha Offset Printing Press P. Ltd., Dhapasi, Kathmandu Tel. : 977-1-4363624 Keshab Poudel Editor NEWNEW SPOTLIGHT | JanJan. 08. 24. 2021 2020 | 1 1 CONTENT MAHAKALI TREATY A Breakthrough 3 NEWSNOTES 4 BUSINESS BRIEF 6 OPINION BINOJ BASNYAT 8 COVERSTORY: PRITHVI NARAYAN SHAH : Remembered For A Reason 22 GLOBAL VIEW Abijit Sharma and Nischal Dhungel 12 LOOMING LOADSHEDDING NEA SAYS NO 14 ARITICLE Hemang Dixit 16 MAYHEM IN US CONGRESS Blackest Day 17 POLITICS Fight To Finish 18 ENVIRONMENT Batu Uprety 28 CHINESE DELEGATION VISIT: Security Concern 10 WORLD BANK REPORT Nepal’s Growth At 0.6 30 ARITICLE Pratik Poudel 32 BOOK Remembering Past 34 BOOK Nepal And The Great First World War 35 VIEWPOINT Dr. K. Uprety 36 GLOBAL IME BANK: Growing Fast 13 NEW SPOTLIGHT | Jan 08. 2021 | 2 MAHAKALI TREATY A Breakthrough Secretary-level committees of Nepal and India have reached an agreement over a few con- tentious points of the Mahakali Treaty. By A CORRESPONDENT or Secretary of Energy, Water Re- Project. However, it sources and Irrigation Dinesh Kumar has now softened that FGhimire, another feather was added stance. According to to his cap. Lingering for over two and half Ghimire, both sides decades on various contentious issues of have agreed to begin interpretation of Mahakali Integrated Trea- construction of the ty during implementation, his team was canals. able to make a breakthrough in the talks. “Our focus During recent meeting held in should be to respect New Delhi, Nepal and India agreed on key the needs and wish- points of Mahakali Treaty. es of the people as it Given the nature of the treaty will help facilitate the and its state, there are still many conten- overall implementa- tious issues of the treaty which was rati- tion of the project. fied by Nepal’s Parliament in 1996 by two That is why we pro- thirds of majority. posed building the The Indian side has been claim- The agreement was finalized canals,” Ghimire said. “The Indian side ing that 93,000 hectares of land in Nepal through bilateral talks held in New Del- took this positively.” will be irrigated by the project and that Ne- hi under the leadership of Dinesh Kumar Nepal had already prepared a pal will also be helped by the 18-kilometre Ghimire, secretary of the Ministry of En- Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the ir- embankment that will be constructed. ergy, Water Resources and Irrigation, from rigation canals in Dodhara and Chandani It asserts that Nepal will gain a Nepal and UP Singh, secretary of the De- and submitted it to India. But no concrete benefit of 22 per cent. However, Nepal has partment of Water Resources, River De- progress had been made. But now, the In- been saying that it will not share the costs velopment and Ganga Rejuvenation, from dian technical side has agreed to study for these aspects because it is making alter- India. and comment on the DPR and complete native arrangements for the irrigation and As the issue of implementation all the related works within two months. A has already constructed an eight-kilometre of Pancheshwor Project had been em- 1.1-kilometre portion of the canal will have embankment on its own. “The Indians ac- phasized during the recent Nepal visit by to be built on the Indian land. knowledged our facts and have expressed Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan The two countries have also their commitment that an expert group will Shringla, the agreement is seen as a break- agreed to share the costs of the Panchesh- study and conclude these matters as soon as through. wor Project on the basis of the benefits possible,” Ghimire said. According to secretary of Min- each side will receive. The Mahakali Trea- The issue of the Lower Sarada istry of Energy,Water Resources and Ir- ty was signed between Nepal and India in Dam was also discussed in the meeting. rigation Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, both the 1996 and one of its provisions was to build India has been using all the water from the countries reached an agreement on articles Pancheshwor as a bilateral multipurpose Sarada Barrage since it was built in 1920. 3, 4 and 7 of the treaty. Article 3 discusses project aimed at generating a large amount Nepal has been asking for a share of that the cost-sharing of the Pancheshwor Mul- of hydroelectricity, provide irrigation facil- water. The two sides agreed to discuss fur- tipurpose Project, Article 4 deals with the ities and control the river. ther on the issue. construction of the Dodhara and Chandani Article 3 of the treaty mentions The meeting also looked at the irrigation tunnel and Article 7 includes the sharing the costs based on the benefits. Ne- issue of water consumption in the coastal provision of releasing water upstream. pal has been stating that since it will only area above Pancheshwor Dam.