Nepali Times Nation 25 - 31 May 2001Nepali Times 3

#44 25 - 31 May 2001 20 pages Rs 20

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EXCLUSIVE Mao Zedong met visiting Nepali Prime Minister BP Koirala on 18 March 1960 in Henchow after a sudden midnight summon from the Chairman. A transcript of their chat has recently been JUST TALK made public in Beijing. China’s relations with India were deter- Wires are crossed, and there is too BPBP andand MaoMaoiorating and a brief border war was soon to break out. Mao much grandstanding and rhetoric Zedong comes across here as mellow and liberal. BP Koirala, about peace talks with the Maoists. instead of playing India off ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○ against China, tries to ease tensions between Beijing and BINOD BHATTARAI ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ New Delhi by offering Kath- f there was less talk about talk and more talk, maybe we would be mandu as a venue for talks. The getting somewhere. But for the moment, wires are crossed, there Nepali prime minister is quite i is duplication of effort, and too much political grandstanding pushy, and also brings up the and rhetoric. dispute over the world’s highest border pillar: Mt But no one seems to know for sure whether the Maoists genuinely want Everest. There is agreement a negotiated solution, or they are just pretending. The government for its to have embassies in each part, feels it is losing the war and unless it can wield a big stick the Maoists cannot be persuaded to talk. Deputy prime minister Ram Chandra Poudel other’syou for your capitals. kindness. Excerpts You have every of the transcript: who took part in the first abortive talks in November is not optimistic. He good intentions. When Nehru said ittold us: “There has been …no progress on the possibility of talks.” (see p. Midnight handshake inwas not convenient for him, we had to2) What’s more, Poudel doesn’t even trust the mediators who are trying to make concessions to him. We have had Henchow in 1960. get the Maoists to the table. quarrels○○○○○○○ with○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ India for about a year, but we are still friends. There are often A five-member group (all men) representing 11 human rights groups has Chairman Mao Zedong: We and India BP: During our talks, Premier Zhou Enlaiquarrels between friends, between spent the past two months trying to lay the groundwork. A 15-point have been at odds. Never mind. It willput beforward a draft for a friendly treaty.husband We and wife, and between “concept paper” has been prepared. over soon. We have common interests,shall take it back to the cabinet for brothers. We have had no quarrels withThe government has read the paper and the Maoists will get their copy you, Burma, Ceylon and Cambodia. We because we are both undeveloped decision, there may be some revisions. It when Padma Ratna Tuladhar, one of the five facilitators returns from a countries. It is a false charge that Chinamay be signed at Kathmandu when have serious quarrels with only one invaded India. We do not want an inchPremier of Zhou Enlai visits Nepal aftercountry his in the world, the United States.junket It in Geneva. “The process is being publicised as needed because that (their) land. We have a vast land of trip9.6 to India at the end of April. has occupied our Taiwan and has calledwill also contribute to peacemaking,” says Sudip Pathak, of the Human million sq km, with a large part us “aggressor”. We shall call it Rights Organisation of Nepal. The Tuladhar initiative would first require Mao: Very good. We have received two of uncultivated. It is a crime to take others’ aggressor, too. both sides to put it in writing that they are committed to dialogue. land and not run one’s own country yourwell. prime ministers separately and ourNow there is one country that wants toThere are others. A loose alliance of professionals, politicians and Have we invaded Nepal? We do premier should visit you, making it equal. We thank you very much. It is excellenthave ‘‘joint defense’’ with you againsthuman rights activists is trying to organise an all-party conference to find a that we are to set up an embassy in usyour. I learned that you did not agree. Weway out of the bloodshed. The immediate goal is to stop army and armed not want capital this year. You may set up an are pleased. You said that Sino-Indiapolice mobilisation, which they believe will trigger a civil war. This group a single inch of Nepalese land. Canembassy we here without many people, relationsthree should be solved by has been doing quiet behind-the- sign a border and erect boundary or four, maybe seven or eight. It won’tthemselves be and youwould not interfere.

scenes spadework since 8 April. ItBUDHATHOKI SAGAR markers? very expensive. It is not difficult to findIndia alleged that we had invaded you Prime Minister B.P. Koirala: Yes, we people out of eight million people. and you made a statement declaring met senior Maoist leaders, and can. I have discussed it with PremierBP: When we are ready to send them,there it was no invasion. There is a upon receiving their commitment Zhou Enlai. will not be too many, because we cannotrumour about our troops intruding into to attend, met the prime Mao: Do you agree? afford it. your country. Is there any intrusion, after minister who issued a statement all ? BP: An official marking of the boundaryMao: We heard that you are building aBP: Because there isn’t, we made the saying the is needed. highway directly to our country. statement. On the question of the Nepal- government was BP: No. We wanted to build a highway two Mao: It is necessary to mark the Chinese border, there are still ready for direct talks years ago. It could not go on because of boundary. Once it is drawn, there can be differences. In our view, there are with the Maoists. Members lack of funds. Now technicians from the an unpatrolled zone. The length of the disputes in four places, based on the of the group say he also Soviet Union are helping survey, in unpatrolled border can be decided historical situation in the past 50 years. preparation for a east-west highway.Now it is time to settle the disputes. okayed the all-party meet, through consulation. If you like, we can but the government has have a clause in the stipulating an Mao: You have to go via another foreignMao: Good. unpatrolled border area, the length of BP: In our talks with Premier Zhou we since backtracked, country if you come to our country…in one saying he had agreed to which can be worked out through year, ten years, or 20 years sooner orhave later worked out several principles: first, consultation. It will be 40 km altogetherwe shallif have a direct road. draw the boundary based on the existingall partiesexcept the Maoists. The group has also met the UML who think each side has 20 km, 20 km if eachBP: side I invited Jawaharlal Nehru and traditionally accepted boundary line, conferencing is a good idea. The group is now ready to announce a date. has ten km, ten km if each side has five Premier Zhou Enlai to hold talks in oursecond, take into consideration the Secretary of the group, leftist journalist Shyam Shrestha says: “We can organise kilometers. It is up to your convenience. capital, Kathmandu, but they could notpractical situation of jurisdiction by eitherthis conference if the government does not pull back. It will have to trust us.” How about it? (come). BP: It is worth considering. The only trouble with all this is that peace seems to have become Mao: It was because Nehru wanted our politics. And one group is racing to outdo the other. “I’ll believe in talks Mao: If you are interested, we can signpremier a to go to his capital, Delhi. At first only when the state and the Maoists do it directly, and the interlocutors friendly treaty of non-aggression. Wewe are suggested Rangoon, but Nehru did have no other political agenda,” says a constitutional expert. The a big country and we never suspect notyou agree. Now we have agreed to go to preparations for talks should also be done in secret to prevent will invade us, but you may suspectDelhi, that so he cannot go to Nepal. Thank grandstanding by people who have a declared position on the nature and we shall invade you. We would commit a blunder if we broke the treaty after it was type of polity after the talks take place, he says. The allusion seems to be signed. towards Padma Ratna Tuladhar and Daman Nath Dhungana. But for those who genuinely seek peace, it seems some talk of talks is better than no talk of talks.

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Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd,Kunda Editor: Dixit Desk editor:Anagha Neelakantan Design: Swosti Rajbhandari, Kiran Maharjan “We are optimistic we can reach an agreement [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Marketing: Anup Adhikary [email protected] “The Maoists won’t come to the talks Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, development process will come together. If there is unity between us it can help Pulchowk, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal us in tackling the present extreme leftist tendencies. Tel: 543333-7 Fax: 521013 Printed at Jagadamba Press: 521393 unless they are cornered.” on constitutional reform with the Maoists.” There has been criticism that you are crossing the boundary of constitutional opposition in harassing the Nepali Congress. IN THE REALM OF THE SENSELESS MIN BAJRACHARYA Jhala Nath Khanal is the Standing Com- We have also heard comments to the effect that the main opposition has Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandrawhat will happen Poudel to the prime spoke minister, to become a “gentlemanly” opposition (laughs). In fact, the ruling party did not A senior Nepali Marxist, disenchanted with the personality cults thatNepali have Times this week aboutso theytalking are saying to who Maoists, should we talk mittee Member of the main opposition respond to polite talk that is why we have been forced to combine opposition on destroyed the application of true communism in Nepal and elsewhere, Congress infighting, and the to?opposition I think the Maoists street figure agitation. the left Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marx-the streets and in parliament. In the process, we may have touched boundaries, once confided to us that he had hit upon the reason why people join the and in some cases even crossed them. We are ready to listen, and are willing to left movement: envy. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ opposition is demanding the resignation ist-Leninist). He heads the party’s Intel- make amends. Our main objective now is that the streets should not be This was a startling confession for someone for whom communism is of the PM, and if they sit down for talks they could be branded lectuals Department and is regarded as amonopolised by extra-constitutional voices. an evangelical crusade for equity and social justice. And it was probablyWhere do we stand as regards finding a because they speak their mind that Marxists like him now shun solutionorganised to the Maoist problem? opportunists. shadow foreign minister. Is that why you’re shutting the country down for three days? communism and have turned into freelance leftists. To his Theory ofThere Envy, has been no development, no What are groups preparing for Have you had talks direct talks with the Maoists? We are hoping that will not happen, we don’t want to have the three-day we must add Greed. How can you even begin to control greed andprogress envy? on theA possibility of talks. His talks with the Maoists saying to you? ○○○○○○○○○○○○ Not at a formal level. But○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ informally, nationwide, we are there where theybandh. But for that the government would need to take proactive steps and local political leader’s relative fails to make the entrance exam toMajesty a private has approved the internal Integrated school, and it is forced to close because of threats. Someone has a I have been telling them let’s not are. At the field level we meet and talk. In some places they listen to our make a proposal for finding a solution. Security and Development Package (ISDP) do a drama in the name of talks. Ten years after democracy, where do you think this country is arguments in others they do not. We have not had formal talks at the central successful export business, but he has to pay out so much extortionwhich is now being started. It aims to look at Is your party in the school-reform protests because you feel the Maoists money to our revolutionary friends that he is closing a business that Let us not make excuses and headed? level, but we are in favour of holding such talks. employs 300 people. A politician drives around in a fancy four-wheelour problems drive in totality, security in a nationalpropaganda, it will just confuse The way we have run the country in the past 11 years is not what was and the ML have overtaken your student wing? that he bought with ill-gotten wealth, and his comrades want himperspective out so of which the Maoists are a part. Isn’t it at the field level that your cadre are being wooed away by The directionless, indisciplined and blinkered situation of the educational the people. The government government performance, and affected the envisaged by the constitution. We have distorted the constitutional provisions. they get a chance to amass ill-gotten wealth too. Security comes with development, which can has been saying it is ready Maoists? And isn’t that the reason for the radicalisation of your politics?sector is because reforms have not been implemented after 1990. What we see Nepalis can’t seem to be able to improve on anything withouttake first place when there is peace. There are people. We have not been able to use our How? Not only our cadre, anyone unsatisfied with Nepali Congress rule or whotoday has is the sum total of all the problems that have accumulated over the years. for talks—I have been energy to do the things we want to, we have wrecking what exists. We want to fix things even if it ain’t broke, orattempts break to make local government units Democracy is not only the freedom to speak and organise rallies. They arebeen victimised, and doesn’t see any solution in the near future has been The quality of public education is bad, the management of education is saying I am ready—they are been forced into day-to-day damage control everything while trying to fix things. To reform our school system,defunct, we first development workers are threatened, inseparable parts of democracy, but we have not been able to implement attracted to the Maoists. Among them are also those who support us. politicised, and there is corruption. But there are those who are in only to make also saying they want talks. mode. I have spoken with the dissatisfied want to shut them all. We want to bring down a ruling party throughroad andstreet bridge-building are stopped. The But there are no talks taking democracy in social, political, administrative and cultural aspects. Now our money out of education. The government should have had devised a regulatory protests, and nearly end up bringing down the country. Few countries,ISDP seeks it to win the confidence of the group in our party and with the PM and told democracy is showing signs of getting derailed, and this has implications for otherWhat about your card-carrying members? mechanism to stop this. But we don’t agree that schools should be shut seems, can match our talent for self-destruction. Newly-reunited leftist place. Why? I have told people coming with both sides we need to find a solution becauseBAJRACHAR MIN We have about 90,000 organised members. They have not joined the people and create a situation to bring the peace proposals: “Come, we’re ready. What sectors also. The country now is in a state of crisis. down or nationalised. The demand of the Maoist students is knee-jerk and factions under the main opposition UML now will stop at nothingMaoist to bring to the mainstream. Both sides need to the country is in crisis. I’ve told them let’s put Maoists. But they are having difficulty working in areas where the Maoists have this country to its knees while trying to bring Girija Koirala to his knees. Not security arrangements do they need?” harmful both to education and the national interest. We think the want peace for talks to take place. The ISDP our individual interests on hold and What factors led to this crisis? influence. There have been stray cases of people being disillusioned in our government should improve management of public schools, increase satisfied with a one-day strike, they have now decided to close down the Do you think the Maoists are serious aboutconcentrate on the Maoist problem. I have We could not establish good governance. We got democracy, but retained half of next week. It is Bangladesh that has become our role model.does not mean we believe in crushing the organised ranks, but that is more among supporter groups and voters. investment and improve the quality of education. Maoists, but would like to give development adialogue? also asked all parties to think beyond petty the old administrative system. We should have re-organised the VDCs, districts, Dhaka airport used to have a sign that said: “Visit Bangladesh Before the YA You are heading a party team that is studying the Maoist problem. Tourists Get There”. Ours should now be: “The last one out, turn chance.off the The plan needs political support. The I still do not believe the Maoists are interests and protect democracy and the zones and developmental regions in light of changes, and devised a system Why should college student unions be agitating? Isn’t school reform lights.” insurgency is an attack on multiparty serious about dialogue. I have told the same tonation. compatible to democracy. We also looked upon the bureaucracy as agents ofAny the progress? the purview of legislators? Fact: Of the 40 forced bandhs in the past seven years, in not evendemocracy one and those that believe in it. That isthose coming to me with proposals. If the Ultimately it is the prime minister’s party in power, leading to politicisation of the civil service. We have divided the study into three parts: first we visited places affected by We’ve discussed education policy many times in parliament. We have raised why those who were active to bring democracyMaoists really want peace and don’t want the the insurgency and collected facts on the excesses committed by the government has the main demand of those calling it been fulfilled. responsibility to find a solution. What But aren’t political parties like yours responsible for this? the issues in parliamentary sessions and concerned committees and with have to unite and support the ISDP. Only country and people to suffer further, they first and the Maoists. Then we met political parties and others stakeholders. Now, we Fact: A one-day nationwide involuntary strike costs the country upwards advice have you been giving him? When the party in power began doing it, others were forced to follow suit. ministers. The government has also formed then will the plan succeed. have to convince me that they are serious. are analysing the data and will have a report ready in about 10 days. We arecommissions with valid recommendations. of Rs 80 million, a three day shutdown will cost Rs 240 million. (Can we I have told the PM he should try to During the interim government when I represented the left alliance, we had That is why the government has to make its trying to find out why the insurgency began five years after democracy, andBut there is no implementation. Our send the bill to the UML?) But the opposition is not even talking include all (party opponents) because he is agreed that employees should be allowed to organise in a united manner. own preparations, which is what we are now the factors that led to its rapid and unprecedented spread. We will proposestudents identified the problems and Fact: This time, even hospitals (except emergency wards) willwith be youforced on the ISDP… president of the largest democratic party, and But once the unions started taking shape the Nepali Congress began setting doing. We cannot stop doing that, hoping that a formula for resolving the crisis. suggested solutions, which we took to to shut. UML leaders are also concerned, but they for the sake of democracy which is under up “democratic” unions. Now almost every institution has politically- the talks will resolve everything. That is like parliament but the ruling party didn’t have a problem because they are trapped by attack. And doing that would be his greatest affiliated unions. Fact: The rich are not affected by bandhs. (They get some much- saying the tiger will become a vegetarian. The In a recent public opinion poll, many Nepalis said political partieslisten. This is why the students feel the their earlier decision. The UML came with a achievement. needed exercise.) Those who suffer the most are daily-wage earners, training for Armed Police has begun but it will Your party’s demands for constitutional changes are close to what arethe threatening democracy with their activities. Does the UML have ademocratic process won’t lead to a petty shopkeepers, taxi drivers. single point-agenda: remove an elected prime strategy to counter that cynicism? take another year for them to be ready for duty.You haven’t advised him to step down? Maoists want. Is that the way out of this impasse? solution, and have decided to Given the universal negative public opinion about these forcedminister strikes, without due process. That has made In the past 12 years, the Congress had a majority twice, but has failed to Have you and the prime minister been All of us have to work to give him a There may be similarities but many of their positions are unclear. The get out on the streets. one wonders what the organisers have in mind. There is only oneit difficult thing forwe them to come and talk with us. establish working relationships with opposition parties and other social forces. stepping on each other’s toes? respectable way out. can think of: the soft left wants to take the wind out of the sails ofAt the the samehard time, the Maoists are pulling the Maoists want an interim government to formulate a people’s constitution byWe have to learn from that failure. If we are unable to prepare a long term left by punishing the centre right party in power. But will punishingrug ordinary from beneath the UML and wooing away So far there has not been one instance Is he looking for a respectable way out? electing a constituent assembly. We cannot agree to that position. The national development vision and implement plans based on that, then our people get them to that goal? The parties that call bandhs do nottheir benefit cadre. There is possibility of the Maoistswhere he and I have a difference of opinion. I The situation now is different. He is now constitution is the outcome of the 1990 movement, and it has problems but we from them. situation, too, may not be different from that of the Congress. But we are making them irrelevant. But if this situation have coordinated with him and done under intense personal attack, and he has to think they should be corrected through amendments. Maoists want a cleanalso a little worried that we may inherit the mess that the Nepali Congress So who benefits? It is not difficult to figure that one out: those continues,who want the UML could even be pushed everything with his concurrence. The PM hadface them. I don’t know what he plans to do break. But we are still hopeful they can be brought back to the mainstreamis going to leave. to sow anarchy and discredit parliamentary democracy. And whoaside. in Nepal said the Congress may participate in an all once he comes out of this round. if the government has vision and is aware of the problems facing the wants to sow anarchy and discredit parliamentary democracy? No prizes country. That process can begin by bringing them to the negotiating table Is UML talking with you informally? party conference (excluding the Maoists) for What are the possibilities of the UML and other Communist parties, for guessing. finding ways to resolve the problem. I also sayWill his exit bring unity in the to discuss what are the main changes they want in the new constitution,especially and the breakaway Marxists-Leninists, re-uniting? Informally, yes. But they say the problems Congress? Having said that, the Nepali Congress has become a part of the that Congress can participate in an all party if those things can be corrected through amendments. But this option has Basically, we don’t have any ideological or political differences with the ML. problem by not being a part of the solution. It is destroying democracycan only beby solved after the prime minister meet of that nature. We both agree that any It won’t be easy in the present not yet been explored. The present government seems unwilling or unsure resigns. They want us to throw him out. But We agree on almost every issue, but there were differences over party leadership being its feckless self. Two years after being elected, the one political party talks to resolve the Maoist problem has to situation. I don’t think unity will come the about talks because of a lack of political vision. They must realise that positions. This can be resolved over time and leftists who believe in a peaceful that has a majority in parliament has lost its moral legitimacy. It weis can’t do that. They want our party take place between the government and the moment he leaves, or that the Maoist problems can only solved by give-and-take. You should be willing to give BAJRACHAR MIN paralysed by infighting, it cannot take decisions even to save itself,president and toits exit in disgrace on something thatMaoists directly. problem will be resolved, and that all something to get something. We are optimistic that we can reach an prime minister has now become the focus of anger for everyone isfrom yet to bethe proven. The party will never agree parties would unite to face the Maoists. agreement on constitutional reform with the Maoists. Maoists to members of his own cabinet. to that. Do you have full support of the army? Sher Bahadurji’s group believe talks are the We will say this again: for his party’s sake and for the sake of the What is the reason for the deadlock in How can the government not have only way to go. I think that is a bit naïve. If us be vigilant against crooked Indians, but defend the rights of YA country Girija Koirala must remove the log jam by removing himself.talks with the Maoists? support of the army? he is saying that for public consumption, ourmadhesi brothers who fit in children across the border, saving The Maoists are saying they’re uncertain Theoretically, but in reality… then he will know better. But for someone Prithivi Narayan’schar “ barna, who has been in a responsible position in a lot of money. It is a shame that it about talks because of the clash between and They have been preparing and visiting the chhatis jaat” . took violent attacks on schools to the past, I don’t think that is mature. The within political parties. They are unsure aboutfield following orders that have been given, so Bijaya B Mali wake the government up. But Maoists won’t come to the talks unless they private schools should not be Chhetrapati LETTERS #43): “X” is the unknown factor. this is not the time to discuss if they support are cornered. They have to be forced to CK LAL made scapegoats for the Neelakantan about the Amidst the chorus of senseless restoration of Keshar Mahal. “Spurt” is a drip under pressure... the government or not. realise where they stand, only then will they The column by CK Lal (“Time to la image of my forefathers’ government’s negligence. Shame go”, #43) on Prime Minister opposition to the Citizenship Billhomeland suddenly looking on the government and shame Theon before and after photos of Jan Salter What about the confidence level in the come to the table. Koirala is just right. But what isby the Kathmandu’s ultra-nationalists,phoney. European, American andyou and I for our apathy. the staircase proves that where Gairidhara your editorial and CK Lal’s column there is a will, there is a way. army? As home minister, what do you have to alternative? All politicians are other dollar-paying tourists on the Neeta Pokhrel (“Powder keg” and “In a state of other hand got lavish treatment Abhas Parajuli, Baneswor They would like to move in gradually involved in petty politics, they London, UK say about the strikes next week? have forgotten the sacrifices theystatelessness”, #41) come out aseverywhere. Perhaps the Nepali LORD PASHUPATINATH and systematically. They are preparing dissenting voices of sanity. I wish I agree with Binod Bhattarai in “A We’ve been saying to all parties: let us made for democracy. When are proverb “Guest is God” was I have been following the on- your publication well in an classless society” (#43). The work-plans based on that. Their work will they going to stop wasting time updated to “Dollar is Deity”. again-off-again saga of Girija not shut down the country just for party environment that is extremely students’ wing of the Maoists BORGESIAN be co-ordinated by civilian administrators at and begin making this country Anupama Ghale and friends Koirala in your paper. What if interests, because that affects the interests hostile to rationality. must realise this is a very After reading your editorial strong? Koirala steps down, who next? I different levels. Kalimpong unpopular move that needs to“Grenada be and Nepal” (#42) I and livelihood of ordinary people. We have Sonali Regmi Dr. Taslim Ansari can’t see any leader that can put condemned by all conscious had this eerie feeling that the Can the government pay for the new been requesting them to call off their strike. Adarshanagar, Birgunj our country back on track for New York, USA Nepalis. If our so-called revolu-Indian media inhabit a development. Maybe we need security program? CK Lal’s State of the State columns CLASSLESS SOCIETY tionaries are opposed to privateBorgesian world where fiction What do they say? Lord Pashupatinath himself to Because of the Maoist problem we’ve been are almost universally exceptional.My grandpa and papa were alwaysI have been following the recentschools, let them sort it out contaminates reality, and They have not come to the meetings we come down and help us out. forced to spend money that would otherwise They are balanced and give a keen that I never lost sight of mymadness of private schools closingthrough negotiations, not journalism reads like a branch have called, but we’re still trying to hold violence. And what has the Dibesh Karmacharya be used for development. But you can be sure judicious interpretation of eventsNepali in roots. That is why I down due to Maoist threats of metaphysical fantasy discussions. As a responsible party they have to Nepal. We need more writers likeundertook to visit Nepal, our through your Internet government been doing all theseliterature. Jorge Louis Borges New Jersey, USA this programme will not stop because of lack realise the impact such a long strike can him, particularly at a time when family’s spiritual homeland, withedition.Finally something is years—either sleeping or would feel at home. of funds, what is needed will be mobilised. rationality seems to be clouded bymy classmates from St Helen. shaking up those complacent recklessly experimenting with the Ram Limbu cause.Over time the opposition may have to excessive emotionalism and a Imagine the rude shock that wepoliticians, administrators and education system. Public schools How will you do that when the pay for the losses their strikes cause to the Sydney penchant for attack and slander. received when some local boys peoplein to look into the much are shabby, and if it had not ANTI-DEPRESSANT government is in such disarray? nation. It’s their credibility at stake. Important also is Mr Lal’s respectPokhara for taunted my neglected state of public been for private schools our Yours is the best paper to ever The opposition blocked parliamentary language: seldom will he presentfriends on the basis of their skineducation in Nepal, the lawless-education system would be in an articles flawed by incoherent or colour. “Dhoti chicks” was one ofness the and the lack of quality even worse state. COMMON SENSE come out of Nepal. CK Lal should be commended for his proceedings, and that spilled over into our inconsistent arguments. Thank you.nicer remarks. I came back with control in the private schools. Sushil Thapa Saundarya Thapa has an analytical writings, even though party with one group trying to reap benefits. Bhaskar Koiralasome unforgettable memories, Beingbut a product of both a public understanding well beyond her Winchester, Virginia, USA some of his analyses end up in Then we have had incessant Maoist attacks there were other nasty CK Lal- school and a private school, let fifteen years. Wouldn’t it be by email circular reasoning. Binod esque experiences (“Nepal fizzles nice if everyone in government, while the opposition has taken to the We have jubliantly proved that Bhattarai is well researched and as India sizzles”, #42). It was a loss and also the Maoists would streets. All this has naturally affected Buddha was indeed born in Nepal, convincing. But what stands out of innocence for me: the Shangri- think about what she had to say but as CK Lal says, if the Buddha is Kunda Dixit’s Under My Hat which was not politically was born today he would not be column. His articles for me work motivated, or to gain power. elgible for Nepali citizenship (“In a like an anti-depressant. They Her statements were astute state of statelessness”, #41). Aren’t have helped me maintain my— observations and common we playing into South Block’s and I think everybody elses’— sense. “grand design” by denying our sanity. “End of ceasefire” (#43) Barbara Collum fellow citizens their birth right? Let me say we have come a long way acted like therapy, I laughed in stopping the mass migration of Kopundol myself silly. Nirmal Niroula Kentucky, USA KESHAR MAHAL EXPAT Thank you for “Garden of dreams”Here is another definition of (#43) by Salil Subedi and Anagha“expert” (“Expat=expert”, Letters OS 4 NATION 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES NATION we get electricity, we train the 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES 5 labour force. Our company arranges all this and charges a fee, and the profits are ploughed into charity work in Thailand. The idea AnotherJana Sarkar ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ choice. When you have a war, is to ultimately be free of outside It’s official, sort of. The underground Communist Party of Thailand’s Mr Condom comes youto don’t just useKathmandu the army, you donor support and do things Nepal (Maoist) has declared the formation of the fourth Jana use the air force, the navy. The yourself. It’s a very simple idea, and Sarkar (people’s government) in Rolpa district. The an- A pioneering Thaiof the country’sactivist GDP. says Instead, Nepal can learn a lot from Thailand’s Ministry of Health can’t fight this in Nepal you may say there are too nouncement was made at a public meeting held at Bhawang- Mechai’s awareness campaign alone because it is before coming many problems, it won’t work. But -about eight hours trek east of Liwang, the district headquar- mistakes and achievementsturned the epidemic around, in and fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. to the doctor that people get MECHAI SOUNDBITES someone has to try, and someone ters. A local Maoist commander, who goes by "Manohar" only, the number of new infections has diseases and AIDS is different. said village and ward people’s committees had been formed ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ infected. You have to work on has to start. declined sharply. Today, Human nature has made us “Sick staff can’t work and dead customers don’t buy.” in all of the 51 Village Development Committees. Late last think of any sensible politician prevention: changing attitudes year the Maoists announced similar People's Governments in emergency break glass”, Thailand has about one million interested in sex whether we like “If you believe the citizens of your country are perfect and not taking it on head on. The and behaviour. The only way Salyan, Jajarkot and Rukum. Other districts where the and a restaurant called infected people. His advice to it or not, and through that you moral then you don’t need condoms.” Cabbages and Condoms in cost of inaction is huge, it is not Nepal will probably win this fight announcement of people's governments are imminent are Nepal is simple: “You are in the are going to get infections. “The more you do today, the less of a problem it will be in Bangkok to raise money just the loss of life. It is going to is when the prime minister chairs What is the main message you are Kalikot, Jumla and Gorkha—districts where government same stage of the epidemic as we Everyone who has sex, even if institutions have effectively been paralysed. The timing of the for awareness. The idea be a tremendous strain on the National AIDS Committee. future. The less you do today, the bigger will be thesharing with South Asian were in 1992. Please Nepal, government health services and ayou are monogamous and your problem in future.” announcement in Rolpa is ominous coming as it comes was to break taboos don’t make Thailand’s early partner isn’t, is at risk. There politicians, businessmen and when the government plans taking its new security and loss to the economy. You will be “There is no such thing as a high-risk group, only a high- surrounding sex, and mistake. Act now.” is no such thing as a high-risk activists in Kathmandu this week? development package to the district and while talks of peace- spread awareness by losing a minimum of 25 years of risk nationality.” making abound. Locals fear the worst: the possibility of being Asked about countries where a person’s working life and you group, only a high-risk Every other Asian country has demystifying the condom. nationality. Thailand is a “Instead of bringing people to the factories, let’s take the caught in the crossfire. people are squeamish about multiply that by the number of How much of Thailand’s success gone through the stage of denial Today, a condom in high-risk nationality, Nepal factories to the people.” about HIV/AIDS. And when are Thailand is called a discussing sex and condoms, infections in the next ten years is due to the fact that you joined could be too. an ever-increasing demand. you guys going to come out of it? “mechai” after this Mechai says with his and you have a staggering figure. government? characteristic bluntness: “Would Stop the denial, the problem is visionary activist, son of a Add to that the medical costs to I started on the outside, and I to stay conservative and then go you rather be sensitive, or dead?” take care of people who are sick, to your children’s funeral when going to be there sooner or later, Thai father and Scottish don’t know how much harder You moved on after your family some sooner, some later. You have mother. Thailand’s condom man was in the indirect cost for the family. they are 25 or 30, or do you planning and AIDS work. What Kathmandu this week to address There seem to be worrying signs we’d have had to push if I had to see it as a war. Everyone has to Says Mechai: “We had Three basic sectors of the remained outside. But by accidentprovide scientific information and took you to rural industrial “Man, mountains, and monsoons” that the gains you made in along if you are going to have sex. fight together, and the chief ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ a high-level South Asian meeting economy will be hurt: Nepali moral guidance so that they know development? to get people to be Thailand in the past ten years are I got in, and once in, I gave the executive of the country has to lead on children. In front of delegates workers abroad may face Do you think Thailand had an that one of the ways HIV is spread Four decades after he wrote about the three M’s (man, relaxed. We had to wipe slipping a bit? politicians little choice. I told the We had factories around it. The Ministry of Health alone mountains and monsoons)Nepal, in Toni Hagen’s compre- at the Crowne Plaza, Mechai problems if there is an epidemic easier time because of higher is through sex, and you can’t tell if out any embarrassment.” literacy levels and the higher cabinet meeting everyone in this cannot do it. It is not a medical distributed condoms, blew one at home, foreign investment will There is always a threat in people are sick with HIV from theBangkok and people were hensive book on the society, culture and geography of this Condom use in Bangkok’s status of women in the family and room will have a relative, if not problem, it is a societal problem. country, is now available in Nepali. into a balloon, and showed the be hit as workers fall sick, every country of being somewhat way they look, and how using a delighted because we had sex industry went up from community? themselves, who will be HIV Public education and information About time too, say Nepali develop- multipurpose uses a rubber can tourism will be affected as nonchalant, saying AIDS is not condom is the only way. investment, but if you took a 30 percent to 90 percent positive ‘x’ years from now. I told is the most important, and if you ment gurus, who believe only that will be put to: “A tourniquet for visitors avoid Nepal. So, it’s not around anymore so we can relax a I think we use education and closer look you saw that people in seven years. the military, very few of you will migrated to the city, it believe the citizens of your country help educate masses about their snake bites, to keep dust out of just the health of individuals bit. It is happening in the US, country and its multi-faceted intrica- In 1992, Mechai was literacy as a crutch. We tend to be generals because you will be If you were directing AIDS policydestroyed the traditions and are perfect and moral then you soldiers’ gun barrels, the ring can that will be affected, the Australia where infections among under-estimate the role of face- in a country like Nepal with very cies–the ignorance of which has asked to join the dead by then. You have to push, social fabric of the villages, and don’t need condoms. But if they be used to gather ponytails, the nation’s economic health is at gay people is up 30 percent. In to-face communication. A lot of limited resources what would your stalled progress. A geologist, Hagen government, and took his politicians will not do it the money they could send are ordinary people like my people lubrication can be after shave risk. I can’t imagine any Thailand, the government started the message that you need to priorities be? did Nepal's first geological survey anti-AIDS message on a naturally. And foreigners can’t do home was very little because of then you better have condoms between 1950-1958, a time when the lotion. There are different politician or businessman saying spending less on condoms, and spread in Nepal must go out on war footing—defying the it, Nepalis will have to do it Definitely education and the high cost of living in the around and lots of them. That is country was closed to foreigners. He colours: red for Sundays, black this is not a problem. they went quiet on public radio and television. Women in all-important tourism themselves. information are the most city. So I thought instead of the only thing that will prevent the was the first foreigner to travel in for mourning.” information. But the new most developing countries are at a industry, which said he important. Also, family planning, bringing people to the factories, transmission of HIV when sex Nepal's interior, trekking over 14,000 Nepali Times talked to government has corrected that. disadvantage when it comes to was giving the country a because you reduce the demand let’s take the factories to the comes into it. So, you have got to km in eight years. The book was launched on 18 May and so Mechai this week about the So I think the slight rise is now Part of your strategy has been to was the formation of a new Toni Hagen Foundation. The sex. We may have higher status at get everybody involved, everyone bad image that would hurt lessons for Nepal from Thailand’s going to go down. break taboos on sex, make the on limited resources. Look at the people. They stay at home, they organisation is to provide opportunities to young men and How did you fight the initial work, but probably not much difference between Thailand and stay with the family, nearly all who can change attitudes and business. Mechai ultimately proved experience, the importance of higher when it comes to being condom a household word, and women to conduct research like Hagen once did. that awareness about HIV actually denial in Thailand in the early the Philippines. We were the samethe money goes to the family, behaviour. You must be very political will and public 1990s? That there are other more How much of a factor does beholden to men on sex. Being not something to be ashamed of. saved the tourism industry. He awareness. Excerpts: What about ultra-conservative level in 1972, same population, agriculture flourishes. I call this careful about keeping the ratio of KUNDA DIXIT serious medical problems. migration play in the spread of able to say: “Hey, husband, wear ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ growth rate 3.3 percent, 7 “the privatisation of poverty AIDS money for prevention and lobbied to get the prime minister to the condom!” Often it is the lack countries where HIV is a head the National AIDS Committee That is a typical reaction. AIDS across boundaries in children per family. Today we are alleviation”. care. A happy ratio would be 75 echai Viravaidya is Thailand and its neighbours? of effort rather than the illiteracy problem, how can they go about it an iconoclast in the made up of all ministeries. “We But what we did in Thailand is and avoid a backlash? 62 million and they are 76 We go to a company like Nike percent for prevention and 25 or the status of women. Nepal is million—14 million more. They percent for care, and later when the mbattle against HIV/ took it to the High Command, just just keep on talking, raising the It has neutralised itself now. putting in terms of its own budget or Pierre Cardin to convince Mission: Purnagiri the Ministry of Health was not issues in public warning people There were Cambodian women The choice is very simple, youdidn’t do the job that could have them, we build the factory by epidemic comes under control AIDS in Thailand. An only $30,000 a year for AIDS ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ economist, Mechai saw as far going to be able to do it.” He about the consequences of doingcoming across in the sex industry, either spread awareness or you been done. So, with the same borrowing money and they rent it, reverse it. But no Asian country control. That is equivalent to the resources they have to spread it to except perhaps Singapore will have First the United Marxist Leninists marched to Purnagiri. Now it back as 1987 that Thailand wasoverturned a government ban on nothing. Media is important, they didn’t understand AIDS. But allow your children to die. It’s as is the turn of the Marxist Leninists to express their national- economic cost of one and half enough money for treatment. Don’t headed towards a national AIDS messages being broadcast over civil society, businessmen, the Cambodians are taking actionperson who dies of AIDS. So the simple as that. Would you prefer ism. About 200 women, health workers, politicians, including disaster if it did not do radio and television. students—all have to be now, so it’s not so much an issue. expect to solve this problem the Chair Sahana Pradhan, have headed west. Nepal and Nepal is at the same stage as civil servants and others say, if we medically, that is a long way away. something about the spreading If Thailand hadn’t woken up to involved. The argument about In the case of Nepal, you have a don’t put our own money into it, India are looking at Purnagiri as a possible site for building a Thailand was in 1987. What is Business has to be involved because dam. The marchers say building it there would benefit India infection. With his experience its HIV/AIDS crisis when it did other diseases is also very lot of men and women going out. it can’t be important. in family planning, Mechai (and largely because of the work of your impression of how we are common: if not enough money isSometimes you go out infected sick staff can’t work and dead and not Nepal. The dam site has not been formalised to date. dealing with the HIV/AIDS This is a war. The more you launched a major national this one man) it would have had not being put into addressing and you come back infected, and customers don’t buy. If you think epidemic? do today, the less of a problem it campaign to spread awareness four million people with HIV today those diseases it doesn’t mean after that you can’t blame the of your children and you don’t we don’t have to do something other country anymore. What will be in future. The less you do want to see them dead, you better about HIV. His unconventionalat a cost amounting to 20 percent It appears that there is today, the bigger will be the methods included condom- awareness and willingness in about AIDS. We have to do Nepal must do is educate men start now. You have to have Say No to child domestics both. But AIDS you cannot and women in the villages, saying problem in future. It’s your political commitment backed up by ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ blowing contests, condom key Nepal to understand the Child rights groups are asking households and individuals rings that said “in case of epidemic. If you look at the deny. The cause of the other wherever you go take condoms a financial commitment. Don’t just rely on foreign assistance. They not to employ children under 14 years as domestic help. A consequences for Nepal I can’t statement by CWIN appeals to all not to abuse or overwork might get tired of you and stop children in their homes and to provide them with education, giving you money after a while. health and other facilities. The International Labour Organisation (ILO), recognises child domestics as one of the HERE AND THERE by DANIEL LAK worst kinds of child labour and in a new, time-bound programme, has set out to eliminate it along with other forms of exploitation of children at work - as porters, rag pickers, bonded labourers and victims of trafficking. Which countries in the region have you been most impressed with, the An ageing enlightenment way they have tackled AIDS? floundered across a personal Rubicon this week and got myself a pair of glasses. For the first time in two years, I can see clearly. But I Malaysia’s prime minister Sticky fingers was right to resist the urge to clarify things around me. No, it’s notThe bond between our children and their grandparents, the same thing that gave the Mahathir Mohammad hosted a ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ that I don’t like what I see, it’s something the eye doctor told me. “Ah, major AIDS conference. Vietnam Senior government officials are continuing to use official long sightedness, it happens as you get older.” Older? How old is Cro Magnon the edge over their ugly Neanderthal neighbours, is ignored. vehicles for personal use even after they were allowed to and Cambodia are taking it import cars for personal use duty-free. Many are still using i ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ older? Does that mean the long slide into senility and decrepitude has seriously. Unfortunately India’s official vehicles even though they don't have their jobs begun? And what’s next? Hair? Already response is like chicken soup where triumph. Apes and the evolutionary dead end known as Neanderthals anymore. By rule official vehicles are to be returned within a gone at age 23. Sculpted body? Never had pollute, develop weapons of mass destruction and eat junk food—all the chicken flies over the pot only. things that self-evidently shorten the human life span. barely made it out of their week of leaving office. But no one seems to care. Some top one. The short-term memory has been India may not be as bad in terms of offenders: Former prime ministers Lokendra Bahadur Chand, twenties, spending all of their time mating or fighting. Across the deteriorating for years. I’m calling my kids Elephants, parrots and turtles all live proportion as Africa, but in Sher Bahadur Deuba; Former Chief Justices Biswonath forest, a group of hairless, weak but brainy geeks called Cro Magnon’s by each others’ names and then wondering longer than we do and they don’t seem to numbers it is going to be far greater Upadhyaya, Trilok P Rana, Surendra P Singh, Om Bhakta were busy discovering fire and sharpening bits of flint so they could why they laugh at me. I talk to myself as I get decrepit decades before they pass into with already five million or so Shrestha and Mohan Prasad Sharma. The firebrand chief of kill something and cook it. Cro Magnon’s lived to be sixty or more the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority walk along the street and don’t notice the the animal afterlife. Mind you, how can infected, the base is very large. and scientists speculate that their elderly were the repository of Surya Nath Upadhyaya is also among other ministers and pitying glances of passers-by. you tell with a turtle? Our most distant People in India should go to Africa wisdom, knowledge and solutions to common problems. Just as the politicos, all listed in a parliamentary committee report. ancestors in the evolution theme park are and take a look—countries like So what’s with this ageing thing? I’ve Neanderthal figured out that sabre tooth tigers were not to be trifled something called cyanobacteria. They live Zambia where life expectancy has been surfing the net, reading books and with, he died of old age. His species soon followed and a good thing in volcanos, eat sulphur and cyanide and dropped to 32 years. Unless India talking to older and wiser friends. too. Those heavy bone ridges over live forever. There are bacterial colonies in takes real action it will start Apparently, scientists don’t know why our the eyebrows would look terrible on a television newsreader. western Australia and the Canadian boreal showing the same horrifying bodies and minds go downhill as we get Now in western countries, and increasingly here in the developing older. There’s no obvious reason for it. It’s forest that probably date back to the results as Africa, with orphans Underfire world, old people are a burden, an obstacle to the pursuit of ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ not as if we have a “best before” date beginning of life, or at least back when and mortality. In Thailand, if we happiness and material success. We whack our parents into old folks’ Another government decision has come under fire. The parlia- stamped on our behinds next to the Michael Jackson looked normal. Highly hadn’t started in 1990, we would homes and come see them on their birthdays. The bond between our mentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has asked why it has “Manufacturers Recommended Retail paid scientists and researchers have spent have had 4 million HIV infected children and their grandparents, the same thing that gave the Cro promoted a number of senior government officials found guilty of Price”. Cells can live for ever if they keep years looking at these things through people by now. We now have one financial misconduct and/or irregularities. PAC is asking why Magnon the edge over their ugly neighbours, is ignored. I met ageing getting nourishment so there’s no reason microscopes, not realizing that the little million. If we could do it, anyone instead of taking actions recommended by it, the government men and women in India who’d been dumped on the steps of hostels why we couldn’t last just as long. It may be creatures were staring back and giggling else can do it too. In Nepal it’s has promoted officials who have been categorically named for or charities so the twenty-somethings could pursue cyber-stardom in a built-in population control measure to madly at the antics of short-lived, balding, just a question of getting started departmental and other action. That’s not all. The Supreme Court America. This is still the exception to the rule, but it’s changing, is also looking into an earlier decision on promotions of secre- keep us from overrunning the planet but we sagging, long-sighted louts on the other and getting someone to push. end of the tube. subtly and dangerously. So when you see me shuffle by in ugly You need a new organisation taries which seven government officials have challenged. The have so many other ways of doing that. We joint secretaries, including a consul general who flew in from Mind you, we’ve made good use of the slippers, peering over and under my new specs and forgetting your dedicated to saving lives, helping name, remember that I am the future of the species, whatever the Hong Kong to file the lawsuit, say the government was unfail elderly over the years. Being able to live to the country. while making the pick of those that were promoted. a ripe old age actually helped our species evidence to the contrary. and it can safeguard our security at the border. Neither of us will suffer losses. If all NATION 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES 6 NATION of it is given to you, sentimentally we shall 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES 7 feel sorry. If all of it is given to us, SOMEWHERE IN NEPAL byPUSKAR BHUSAL sentimentally you will feel sorry. We can have a boundary marker on top of it…the mountain OPINION byDUBBY BHAGAT from p. 1 can be renamed. We shall not call it Everest, side at the border, third, try to solve the disputethat was a name given by Westerners. on the few places, if some cannot be solved,Neither shall we call it Sagarmatha, nor shall hand them to a joint committee. we call it Qomolangma. Let’s name it Mount Sino-Nepalese Friendship. Mao: Good. Those disputes are easy to BP: All right. There are five other places in The Block India, Nepaldaju-bhai? resolve. There are no human beings in thedispute, three of them major ones. mountain passes. As for disputes over theSurya P Upadhayaya: The question is to t must surely have occurred to several wags just Himalayas, a joint committee may be achievement once we try locating draw the boundary one or one mile to the how aptly named “South Block” in New Delhi’s How about inviting Pakistan’s General Pervez Musharraf established to solve them. south. Prussia on today’s political map. BP: To you, the currently disputed places are iMinistry of Foreign Affairs is. While the South is onNepali a Congress three-day started becoming official visit to Nepal? Mao: That is not hard to solve. With no We can claim federal subsidies every of no importance,Zhou while Enlai they and matter to us. It is sometimes a misnomer specially when dealing with more○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ visible at diplomatic receptions. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ population, it is easy to solve it. time we feel the local budget deficit a question of prestige.BP in Beijing. the North, the Block lives up to its name by Consequently, the panchas allowed BP: How can we put it to you if it cannot be willingness become part of the systemNepalis by having a frank exchange of risks spawning heavy inflationary effectively blocking everything including such to tourism needs. But presumably this will take a the Nepali Congress to carry out its solved in our talks in Beijing? incidentals as good relations with ones neighbours. tree plantations and clean-up they want to dismantle. Since the ideas on the entire gamut of bilateral pressures. What’s more, we could little time to sink in. By then the present blockers Mao: You do not have to talk with me, but The latest case in point is when The Block, after campaigns as long as it used the prefix conference at which the Prachanda ties. The agenda should be flexible even lobby with the centre to make will be replaced by clones who will stop or pass or Pathists made that policy revision wasenough to include everything from Nepal a big export processing zone, continue to talk with Zhou Enlai. You may what must have been a cosmetic meeting with its block the fallout. And Nepal which is the ninth “banned”. The political change of continue the talks when he visits your Nepali counterparts, decided to overturn a 50- 1990 was another grand compromise said to be held in the Indian city of maintaining the status quo of nominalwith the captains of Indian industry nation on China’s list of nine places the Inscrutables Gorakhpur, speculation on the Nepali independence, transforming and generals in charge of defence country. We shall keep in communication year-old tradition and impose new documentation largely facilitated by India against the through telegram. The two sides have to can visit wooed the Chinese with the same external hand that might have the country into an autonomous production recreating a military- on Indian tourists to Nepal. So tourism to Nepalattractive holiday packages offered to Indians backdrop of what was heralded as the agree in the joint committee. If you do not is blocked. democratisation of the planet. The facilitated this strategic shift is a logicalregion of India, to gaining full industrial complex of agree, you should insist. If you insist, what when Chinese premier Zhu Rongji visited on May extension of our political discourse. statehood of the most populous Eisenhoweresque proportions. can we do? Can we fight a battle? We are Mr and Mrs Bhindiwallah from Ludhiana Cantt 14 Indian government was already th supporting the Nepali people’s While the role of our Indian democracy on earth. Once the optionsMany of us who castigated the BBC optimistic. who have pots of money to spend must now obtain . And the Block will say that Nepal is playing BP: So are we. aspirations for liberty by blocking all friends in ensuring our well-being is inare on the table, we can decide on oura few months ago for asking Mao: Don’t worry; they can be solved. either passports or voter I.D’s for all the the China card and/or a Foreign Hand is at work, but two border transit points. Indian keeping with the true spirit of our negotiating posture. A couple of thingslisteners whether they thought BP: There is another question, a question of Bhindiwallahs who want to get away from the or all of the above. are clear enough. Nepalis have millionsNepal should come under the Mao: We want friendship from you, and youburning plains, and wallow in the coolth and casino opposition leaders of all persuasions special relations, have we reciprocated sentiment. We call it Sagarmatha, the Westfrom us. This is the crux of the matter. With The Block must be seen as working to of cousins already living across the Indian security umbrella always arrived in Kathmandu to address the the cordiality? The government even calls it Everest and you call it Qomolangma.this central point, everything will fall into replete Kathmandu. The Block in its infinite wisdomperpetuate itself. Being possessed of mass they eastern, southern and western border. knew that Kalapani had gone Chaksibari convention to persuade us today is struggling to prove its This place has always been within our place. Isn’t that so? has decreed that the Bhindiwallahs need nothing cannot bend to Nepal at the negotiating table with Most of us speak better Hindi than down the drain. The stream of boundary, but Premier Zhou Enlai said it was to rise up against the source of all our friendship but fumbles every time that BP, Upadhyaya:Yes. more than a wish and a scrappy bit of paper to crossinfinitely more carrot and much less stick. At the former Indian Prime Minister HD denunciations was just within yours. troubles. Ever since, our political combative cable operator wants an the land border into Nepal. Because being mere moment it is said that the Indian embassy in Deve Gowda. (All India Radio would symptomatic of our inability to permutations and combinations have update on the status of his satellite Mao: You should not feel uneasy about it. (From the verbatim record published citizens,in and not terrorists, their intentions like halosKathmandu has being trying to get the Nepalis, be happy to amalgamate its domestic break out of the nationalism- will precede them at check points. This is, firmly reflected the ancient ties uplink application. True, the main BP: It is a sentimental question. Mao Zedong on Diplomacy, Foreign wounded by the negotiations, to meet again. But the and international units handling soaked mindset three decades of subsisting between Nepal and India opposition CPN-UML and the apparently, beyond the capabilities of those manningNepalis are busy till two months from now – so the Nepali programming.) disorganised politics fostered. Mao: It can be solved, half for each side. The Language Press, Beijing, 1998) and our shared social and cultural Rastriya Prajatantra Party have been checkpoints at Tribhuwan International Airport in Block mindset has been passed over several high (What was interesting, though, southern part is yours and the northern part is heritage. During the days of the hung careful not to use the Supreme Court But let us allow the Indians to Kathmandu who are dab hands at voter I.D and mountains. Only in Nepal it is not called the about that rephrased BBC ours. parliament, Nepal finally succeeded in ruling against the citizenship do their own homework on what passports but not terribly good at halos. Block it is called Singha Durbar, or Sheetal question was that most of the BP: How about the mountain top? achieving genuine national amendment bill to increase the they stand to gain by absorbing an And the best terrorists can’t possibly travel Niwas. Amazing what trans Himalayan osmosis Indian respondents wanted Nepal reconciliation when the ex-panchas pressure on the prime minister to stepinsurgency-battered country whose Mao: Half for each side as well. Will that be all overland having need of Business Clubs liquid can achieve in making the bureau in bureaucracy prime minister of democratic Nepal. became accepted as full partners of thedown. However, you cannot gain theonly natural resource flows down to maintain its independence!) right? If it cannot be solved now, we may sustenance on Indian Airlines or Royal Nepal to heavy and immovable. ur amazing ability to reach Most of the power squabbles betweensystem that was supposed to have confidence of your neighbours by suchsouth anyway. What are the If this modest proposal sounds postpone it as well. The mountain is very high perform their evil deeds. Anyway The Blocks and The Block has to block so their budgets are ever half-hearted gestures. benefits for us? We wouldn’t have political compromises with then and 1960 were settled through swept them aside. The diplomats in un-Nepali, we might want to do India’s, “Security Perceptions” are assuaged and higher, their power over the fate of twenty three to be constantly duped by the foreign assistance is matched the good offices of Indian Prime Lainchour deserve full credit for this It is time for some real thinking something tangible that would everyone can now concentrate on seeing that the Redmillion people absolute and they can truthfully tell o pontificating of politicians whose make us believe that we are truly Fort and Railway stations are not attacked by baddies Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in full cleansing of the Nepali body politic. on giving and taking. The Indian their children, “We were working our blocks off to by our readiness to accept them as patriotism ends with the election public glare. The panchayat system Our road to perpetual security establishment, following the independent. How about some instead of splitting their concentration. But the see you through school, college, marriage and a revolutionary. From the dawn of campaign. We can avoid the did not have to rely too much on compromise was not without its tradition of its colonial forebears, has instant action like, say, inviting Bhindiwallahs are not the only people being Blocked.house in the hills since you cannot go to Nepal with democracy to the restoration of affliction of emotional distress every Indian assistance for internal conflict bumps, though. The Maobadis went always regarded the Himalaya as the Pakistan’s Chief Executive General Bombay Dyeing, Hitkari and a number of Indias,a passport or voter I.D. And since your children multiparty democracy, Nepali politics time we see Indian cops raiding resolution because the power underground to present themselves as equivalent of the Great Wall of China. Pervez Musharraf on a three-day Business Houses, as well as suppliers of livestock, can’t get Voter ID and their passports will take has thrived on deals struck among suspected hideouts in Baneswor. equations between our northern and advocates of total revolution. They, From RDX hauls to the Hrithik official visit to Nepal? massalas you-name-it are halted in their tracks as forever, forget Nepal altogether. We have”. major domestic players through the We get to maintain Nepal’s mediation, arbitration or facilitation ofsouthern neighbours determined muchtoo, have now expressed the their Roshan protests, everything inevitably Nepal’s orders to them diminish in direct proportion of our politics. gets a security-perception touch. We geographical and linguistic identity our Indian friends. within a larger federation, which we In 1951, the “New Delhi External realities necessitated can try to be a little more accommo- dating to India in the larger interest ofwill understand is no mean compromise” saw Shree Teen Mohan major internal adjustments. By the last (reprinted with permission from The Asian Age) Sumshere Jang Bahadur Rana decade of partyless rule, leaders of the succeeding himself to become the first resentment and compound the problem. While the 1990 framework agreed upon a ANALYSIS Westminster-stylebyDIPAK parliamentary GYAWALI model with a winner- take-all system of elections, it has not been able to represent many identities, views and aspirations, whether ethnic, religious, linguistic or simply secular developmental. Today, the winners of elections are afraid RPP is searching forto go to the villages its and face their electorates.soul other ills. Calling for national consensus on current Those calling for alternative modes of economic or n Tuesday last week, the Rastriya Prajatantra The party has a good chance toproblems occupy or constitutional the currentlyamendments without vacant addressingethno-linguistic development find that there is no party Party (RPP) organised a discussion to explain its“liberal democratic” band of thethe flaws Nepali in the framework political of the original spectrum understanding thatthat emotionally represents them. This has led to a oidea of “larger national consensus” to a wider to reach this goal: a discussion between all parties, then abetween the three forces will not bring down the fever thatpolitical culture where peaceful protests are not heard or Nepali intelligentsia. Arguing that the deteriorating socio-isconference left ofof all nationalthe hardline political parties royalistsin parliament, and gripsand the Nepaliright state. of After the all, asocialists. parliament is the very placeresponded to (forcing a trend to violence), where parties political and economic situation in Nepal has come to finally○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ discussions with those parties outside of the currentfrom where consensus○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ is normally supposed to emerge, andcall for bandhs at no cost to themselves (but only to the this sorry pass from the failure of the ruling and framework (Maoists and others). what we have in Nepal currently is a colossal failure on thisworking public), and where elected offices are not meant opposition parties to uphold the norms of parliamentary This is no doubt a commendable exercise. But the count. There is no doubt that the Nepali people will not for public service but are merely rent-seeking enterprises democracy, they made a plea for a national consensus effort is hampered by several factors, only one of the RPP’stolerate a return to the autocratic past. The flaws in the for personal gain (“the best business in town”). that includes all parties and also wins the confidence of own doing. This party has a good chance to occupy the political understanding of 1990 have become glaringly The RPP’s call for a larger national consensus has to the king. It is possible, they argue, to find this common currently vacant “liberal democratic” band of the Nepali obvious in four areas: the role of the army, issue of local self-go to these issues at the heart of current malaise in meeting ground from within the current constitutional political spectrum that is left of the hardline royalists andgovernance, representation that is more real and equitable,Nepal, but they seem to be coy about challenging the framework. They identify six areas that need an across- right of the socialists. But for this to happen, the party mustand the role of a proper political culture. 1990 framework lest they be seen as reactionaries out to the-spectrum consensus: shed its self-created image that it is a party of ex-panchas The 1990 framework tried to create a modern state turn the clock back to the Panchayat days. To be and come out aggressively as liberal democrats capable ofwhere the army is not under the country’s government. Thecredible, they must begin by reforming themselves, calling for a political program of their own that does not the Maoist problem, Maoists have challenged that understanding rather clarifying their political philosophy both intellectually have to drag in the king as a shield every time. and in practice, and broadening their liberal democratic socio-economic and political reforms, successfully and shown that a government without force is If they were to take the suggestion from Raghav Dhoj base. Not really being party to the 8 April 1990 minimum conditions for good governance, an invalid. Mao said that political power grows out of the Pant that they begin self-reform by making sure that at leastbarrel of gun, and so it has in the districts of Nepal. Peopleconsensus on the political framework (the Palace ditched eradication of corruption, half their central committee members are not senior ex- listen to the Maoists because the barrel backs what they say.them as political bureaucrats with a public image the political culture to be maintained between panchas, they might have a chance. Given the reality of Nobody listens to His Majesty’s Government of Nepal liability), they do not carry the burden of its baggage. parties, and present-day, donor-dependent Nepal, it is better that a because what it says has no such backing. Hence they should be in an ideal position to bring forth a less expensive and more representative electoral liberalisation program be pushed honestly and openly by The 1990 framework also refused to devolve political innovative suggestions to rectify the flaws in the body politic that would inspire the youth of Nepal, then not system. liberal democratic politicians than undercover and power from Kathmandu to local self-government. It is not even teenagers who could vote today. Is their leadership They suggest a three-phase program of interactions politically fraudulently by socialists and communists, as hasthere in the constitution, and the half-hearted passage of up to it or is it a tired group of old-time politicians that happened in the last ten years. And this way, they may evenacts that are never seriously implemented has not helped is content to remain “all Chiefs and no Injuns”? pull to their side the frustrated middle and lower rung matters nor inspired confidence in those on the periphery. cadres of the Congress, which have come from the erstwhileThe Maoists have simply stepped into this political vacuum Panchayat anyway. in rural Nepal’s aspiration, and seem to have been welcomed The RPP’s efforts are hamstrung because the politicalby the villagers. The attempt now to run development problems in the six areas identified by them come mainlyprograms from the centre in the name of an Integrated from a flawed political framework agreed upon between theSecurity and Development Package again bypassing local king, the Congress and the communists on 8 April 1990 units of self-governance is bound to create more local (Chaitra 26, 2046). It is this framework that gave birth to the malfunctioning 1990 constitution, which in turn gave birth to the defective administrations, elections and many

OS Gyawali is a Pragya of the Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology NEPALI ECONOMY 8 NEPALI ECONOMY 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES 9 BIZ NEWS OPINION byPAUL D. GROSSMAN

Stocks tumble ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ between organising trade fairs and going Commercial bank shares took a downturn last week, causing the Nepal Stock Exchange To whom it may concern on junkets, has not yet let anything slip Index (NEPSE) to fall by about 20 points to 331.7 on 18 May, down from 351.1 the week except that he believes Rabi Bhakta’s Pradip Kumar Shrestha before. Commercial banks are the most heavily traded stocks on the NEPSE and so any MIN BAJRACHARYA Running for president change in prices is directly reflected in the index. The only bank whose prices did notince fall my first visit to Nepal in actions “threaten to disturb the consensus.” was the Nepal Arab Bank. Brokers say one reason for the drop in prices and demand1991 for I have not seen a level of The major charge against Pradeep is that he banking sector shares is the new regulation that comes into force mid-July (NT # 38).discontent with the current ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○ Ravi Bhakta Shrestha Nepali business sufferspersonal gain from with institutional the interests, samehas failedmalaise to be more than as a figurehead, politics: a Among others, the regulation requires banks to hold more money as provision sfor losses charge he doesn’t so much answer as political and social environment as I something those at the top forget. Another and capital adequacy. The prices of banking stocks were bearish since an earlier central deflect. “How can you expect the FNCCI bank directive requiring banks to increase paid-up capital to Rs 500 million, whicham seeing most in the last year and factionalism and infighting.reason the organisation ends up being ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ to be different when government has not banks met by issuing bonus shares. Investors bought bank shares because ofespecially the possi- the last six months. In the dominated by one lobby or another rather than focusing on long-term policy beneficialbeen serious and stable?” he asks. bility of getting bonus shares and also because of the low interest banks offeredlast onmonth alone I have seen bandhs unhappy with its election system, which to all. But there was a time when the Rajendra Khetan, who heads the savings. Banking sector shares dropped by a total of almost 30 points last week.which The closed traffic and the entire places most of the onus of selecting leaders NEPSE last took a similar fall in early March when insurance and finance companies—the PHOTOS: MIN BAJRACHARYA FNCCI looked like an organisation that Employers’ Council, says much remains city, and attacks on schools, on the district and municipal chambers, other major group traded—went into a tailspin and caused the index to fall 22 percentage meant business: Binod Kumar Chaudhary undone at the FNCCI. One of the key individuals and police. There appears whose members are mostly small businesses. points. The group continues to remain low, and dipped one percent last week. The manu- (president from 1993-95) of the Chaudharybehind-the-scenes “kingmakers” at the to be an overwhelming need, often Associate members say this means they facturing group did not fare better—its index dropped three points. Group installed it in permanent quarters—aFNCCI, he says the institution has not done competitive, to demonstrate and don’t really have a voice in the election or posh building on the banks of the Bagmati enough to lobby for improved industrial consolidate power among political the federation’s decisions. Associate Destroying is easy. Harder, and more im- in Teku. Padma Jyoti of the Jyoti Group security and relations, or to build an groups in a negative and destructive members ask that the federation reform, or Diwakar Golchha must move ahead with the far harder succeeded Chaudhary and led the FNCCI environment to attract investment and way. Obviously, there is overwhelm- portant, is building a vision for the future. they will form their own organisation. ing anger and frustration, but these are ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ work of creating something new. The to lobby for the preferential trade treaty prepare for Nepal’s eventual entry in the power achieved is far more solid and “All this has happened because the negative ways of dealing with this: Padma Jyoti with India. Jyoti’s successor was Anand RajWorld Trade Organisation. It isn’t Aqua vs Aqua Smile strikes and bandhs which demonstratemanner which demonstrates profound. Anger is a deep yet fleeting FNCCI has been hijacked by office bearers Mulmi, who won the elections. When he surprising then, perhaps, that about 50 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ something about their ability to use emotion, but the forces that drive promoting their own interests,” explains wasn’t hobnobbing with the powers that be,percent of the FNCCI’s associate members A battle royal is brewing between Aqua, one of Nepal’s most successful bottledno water positive vision, no effort, and result in… nothing. power. It is about character. It is positive change are vision, willpower Suraj Vaidya, of the Vaidya’s Organisation he managed to pull off a term that was have not bothered to renew their companies, and a rather cheeky new competitor that has begun selling a product with a about “walking your talk”, brothers of Industry and Trading Houses (VOITH). name, which many find too similar to the older brand to be a coincidence. The newAttacks entrant, which are violent and and tenacity, elements of character, business-as-usual at best. Pradeep Kumar memberships in the last four years. Many and sisters. Imagine a political group He supports finding a consensus president Aqua Smile, also claims to use a similar purification technology—the reverse osmosisdestructive provethat that the acting not temporal emotions like anger or Shrestha promised to change that but now other successful and new industry groups— Aqua promotes in its ads. Sources at Aqua say the company, which has spent millions on calling a new kind of bandh as an act frustration. There has never been a but on the condition the new chief revampshe is under criticism for doing just as muchhotels, tourism, and information technol- parties are frustrated and have gained of positive change: cleaning up the organisation and its structure. publicity, is so angry at the government for permitting a new product with such asome similar power, but that is all. Strikes better opportunity for political parties politicking as Mulmi did, possibly more. ogy—have also stayed away. Now there is a name, that it might sue the government for losses. KB Ghimere, managing director, of Kathmandu’s streets, a music concert affect all people, but considering that to demonstrate positive political will Others say that is not an option, “Look at the newspapers and you’ll know group that wants to form a new Confedera- Asian Drinks P, makers of Smile, is unconcerned. “Aqua is generic for water and our brand in which the proceeds benefit some and leadership. No one wants Nepal because the 35-year-old FNCCI already hasexactly what Preedep has been up to in thetion of Nepalese Industries (CEN), similar has a Smile, that’s how we are registered,” he says. the communist groups’ greatest worthy group or area, repainting support comes from rural areas and to become a blank spot on the tourist a network of district and municipal past two years,” says a FNCCI insider. “All to the Confederation of Indian Industry. schools, planting gardens, a bicycle map like Kashmir, or be like branches that has taken years to build. Thehe did was go on junkets and promote Proponents say the CEN would look into the poor who live hand to mouth as itrepair workshop, a day of repairing Rajendra khetan is, these actions have a profound effect Bangladesh where too-frequent 84 district and municipal chambers elect 50himself and his own businesses.” The July larger policy issues and let the chambers auto rickshaws and motorcycles to bandhs have become a barrier to percent of the executive committee, the 48election looks like it will be a repeat of engage in petty politics over licenses or on those they are intended to help. make them less polluting. Such Visit Nepal for Being unable to work for one day foreign investment. But that may be commodity groups 20 percent, and the 425what happened before Jyoti nudged out other concessions. An anonymous four-page actions are not concessions to the the future. I have no interest in which Binod Chaudhary associate members 30 percent. This, say Chaudhary in 1995. Like Pradeep, document received by NT names Binod brings them one day closer to disaster.government, they are acts of a Maruti Crippling the economy is not a viable movements gain power and lead this business leaders, is where the problem lies. Chaudhary had agreed to work for a term Chaudhary as one of its founder-sponsors. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ leadership and civic mindedness. A country; only in that whoever does so The district and municipal bodies are vote and pass the baton to Jyoti. But when the FNCCI sources say the associate members method of bringing the current true leader is one who sees what needs The Nepal Tourism Board administration to its knees. Members leads Nepal down a positive path in banks and whoever has the time to time came to go, he wanted a second term.hope to use this threat as a bargaining chip has switched gears, as is to be done and does it, one who does accordance with their values and campaign—and the money to hand out— Jyoti challenged him and voted him out. for more power in the federation—perhaps apparent from this ad of the government are the least likely not wait for conditions to be perfect to be affected while members of the with the legitimate support of their wins. The president then becomes hostage to Pradeep has not yet said he will not to ensure that the first vice president comes which appeared in the or expects it to be easy, or waits for constituents. We need leadership the demands of these constituents and cannotcontest. If he does, the odds will likely their corps. Times of India on 18 May. police force, for example, who are not others to begin first. based on a persuasive vision for the focus on national policy. And yet it is the favour Ravi Bhakta, who won’t stay The machinations this situation is Maruti is offering a free rich or powerful and likely have taken It may be true that agents of a dangerous job to support their future, not on fear, violence, associate and commodity members who away. He would like to see a smooth inspiring are numerous and varied. Binod holiday to Nepal to anyone meaningful change must necessarily coercion, destruction and short- buying a Maruti 800 paying families, will be affected greatly. contribute two-thirds of the funds needed to change of leadership based on consensus,Chaudhary, who has scores to settle with begin with demonstrations of term thinking. IRs125 a day. More tie ups A viable political movement must keep the FNCCI going. “Because you need and says that since people’s “word” is Padma Jyoti (who backs a consensus Ravi discontent and expressions of district support to become president, the what business is all about there should be include one with Gillette act according to their values and in a Bhakta as president), had a one-to-one with and Jeep. Good start NTB. frustration. But such things are merely associate members and commodity no elections. Still, Ravi Bhakta isn’t Pradeep Shrestha at a posh city hotel last an early stage. After that, organisations organisations have been reduced to second taking any chances and has been politick-Thursday. The next day, he met the backers class members,” says Pravakar Rana of the ing in the districts to strengthen his Soaltee Group. That someone like Rana— chances, no matter what. He denies he’s who runs what is perhaps Nepal’s most panning for votes, saying only that he successful and professionally managed businesswants to understand the organisation to KIRAN NEPAL ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ empire—has been on the sidelines of the be able to run it better. Pradeep, of the new to-be-formed CEN at another Management Development Programme f you’re fed up by just how low the FNCCI is itself telling. five-star location. Kathmandu’s top hotels Connecting You To business of politics in this country has The office of FNCCI president is are filled with whispering groups conven- Calendar 2001-2002 ifallen, take a look at the business of obviously attractive given its prestige and ing meetings, and cells phones ringing European Rail Network Straight business. The same story, but the actors arethe doors that open to the incumbent. And relentlessly. Until July all the business in pinstripes. It’s election time at the occupying it is a question of balancing community will talk about is politics. At to the Heart of the city Sn. MDP Title Prog. Director(s) Date Course Fee Federation of Nepalese Chambers of the end of the day, they will have to ask Commerce and Industry (FNCCI): there what the role of the FNCCI is, and whether it is running on empty. Trip to Europe is fun with us. Here at President Travel & Tours we offer 1 Strategic Marketing Prof. Ranjan Das Jun 13-15. 2001 Rs. 12,000/- are three contestants vying for the top spot, you a wide range of service from which you may have your pick. and one embittered group that thinks it is 2 Management of Creativity Prof. V. Jha Jul 23-26, 2001 Rs. 14,500/- all a farce. The cast is as follows: and Innovation Eurostar rail tickets Ravi Bhakta Shrestha First vice president at the last election two Eurail pass, Europass 3 Finance for Profit Centre Prof. Ranajan Das Aug 23-25, 2001 Rs. 12,000/- years ago, he agreed not to run for Heads and Senior Managers National passes of Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria, Spain & Greece. president in favour of Pradeep Regional passes for Benelux, Scandinavia & Eastern Europe. 4 Value-Based Leadership in Prof. Victor Van Bijlert Sep 06-08, 2001 Rs. 10,000/- Kumar Shrestha. In return, Pradeep promised to support the VP in his Britrail Passes London Political and Administrative Prof. S. K. Chakraborty bid for the presidency in the Transport (underground). System upcoming election. Ravi Bhakta, Computerised sector tickets & seat reservation throughout Europe on wanting to play it safe, asked 5 Strategic Cost Decisions: Prof. Mousumi Ghosh Sep 12-14, 2001 Rs. 10,000/- Pradeep to make a constitutional Euronet, the computerised EURAIL reservation networks. Production-Finance-Marketing change to enable this to happen, Interface but it wasn’t made. Now Ravi 25 Years Of Bhakta, the Nepali partner of 6 Managing Business and Financial Prof. Ranjan Das Sep 14-15, 2001 Rs. 8,000/- Nepal Lever, is campaigning to Quality Service become a president of consensus, Risks-System, Policies and (N. R. Mumbai) but if that is impossible, he will Techniques take on any competitor.

7 Managerial Leadership and Prof. B. N. Srivastava Sep 13-20, 2001 Rs. 20,000/- Pradeep Kumar Shrestha The incumbent president, from the Pepsi Conflict Resolutions Panchakanya Group, says he’ll 8 “Ethics and Corporate Citizenship Prof. B. K. Chatterjee Sep 18-22, 2001 Rs. 15,000/- stand by this understanding, but is prone to double-speak. He often for Shareholder Value” Prof. S. Elankumaran says he’s just learnt the ropes of 9 Advanced Management Programme Prof. Manabendra N. Pal Sep 18-30, 2001 Rs. 50,000/- running the organisation, enough hint that he would not mind a (Module-I) second term. Prof. Pulak Das Oct 15-25, 2001 Rs. 2,30,000/- (Module-II) Mahesh Lal Pradhan A former Programme will be at IIMC Campus president and still a proponent for the protection of Nepal’s failed textile sector, where his business interests lie. He argues that there is PRESIDENT TRAVEL & TOURS PVT.LTD For further details please visit our Website: www.iimcal.ac.in/exp or write to no alternative to an election. P.O.Box: 1307, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal Administrative Officer, CMDP, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, D.H.Road, Joka, Associate members Large Tel.: 252995/228288/221774/224956/246685, Fax: 977-1-221180, Kolkata - 700104, corporate groups and joint ventures say they are fed up with the politics E-mail: [email protected], www.president-nepal.com Tel: 467-9189/8300-8304, Fax: (033) 467-8751/8307, E-mail: [email protected] at the FNCCI. Mainly they are that summer here are creating a serious problem with soil erosion ADVENTURE 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES ADVENTURE 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES 10 on the plateau. 11 The nearest road-head is at The national park office has a guest moved up with their goths to spend Dipayal, situated at 540 m on the summer with their cows, goats houseand the charge for lodging and food at the banks of the Seti, sometimes and water buffalos in the pastures the park canteen is reasonable. But food is a full day’s drive from called “patans”. scarce in this food-deficit region, and Dadeldhura. Three days walk to sometimes you cannot buy rice whatever you May is also the month of the south-east is theairfield at are prepared to pay because there just isn’t any the annual Khaptad Mela, the Sanfebagar which is connected to available. Visitors can also stay at the KHAPTADfull moon night when villagers Nepalgunj erratically by Royal Resplendent andcuriously-named The Third Triangle, the only in traditional finery dance all Nepal Airlines. From the depths of “hotel” in the area, located just beyond the night to the beat of drums in these hot and dusty valleys, you park boundary. the moonlight. The mela is also have to climb nearly vertical to the Rara is not one of those places you would a no-holds-barred match- Khaptad plateau at 3,600 m. It is a want to rush through. We had an easy way in making festival where boys and climb that tortures your body, by helicopter, but most will have to take the girls from all three surrounding humbles your soul and shows you three-day walk from Jumla. And once you get districts meet, pair off, and the true scale of these mountains remote Rara here, the question that will strike you is: ultimately get married when in Nepal’s wild west. they get back home. Already- what’s the hurry? So you linger and laze Nothing really prepares you for around, drinking in the unforgettable sights married pilgrims also take time off to take a holy dip in the the dark, mysterious and and letting the silence soak in and cleanse your sometimes even ghostly interior of heart. You watch the sun rise, the moon set Khaptad spring and make a side-trip to the Shiva shrine in the Khaptad forest. You both reflected in the crystal surface of the lake. understand why pre-historic You take a dugout canoe and row along the far Shailung, the highest point in Khaptad at 3,700 m. human tribes revered forests and shore. If your batteries need recharging, this is saw them as the homes of fairies, Because of its location at where you do it. leprechauns and other enigmatic Forest walks are invigorating, and if you the bio-diversity crossroads of beasts and spirits. The locals have hear a rustle in the undergrowth you can be South Asia, Khaptad is a their own stories of mythical sure it is a shy musk deer watching you. The goldmine of Himalayan herbs mongrels like half-wolf, half- wild boar, of which there are many are not so and plants, the forests are alive humans and other animals that shy and entire clans of them will grunt as they with birds including the rare prowl the jungle. Leaving the forage for food. Rara is a major centre for satyr tragopan pheasant and main path can be dangerous, migratory water birds making a stopover as migratory species. The pilgrims have got lost and their they cross the Himalaya from as far away as Department of Medicinal skeletons found months later Siberia to the Indian plains and back. There Plants runs a nursery for west of Jumla. The lake was formed after very near the trail which they are resident species like coots which stay all traditional herbs, trying not relatively recent tectonic upheavals blocked could not find. Trekkers have own right. The Russian Mi-17 thunders up the year round and pheasants, including danfethe always successfully to cultivate wandered in circles for days the outlet of the streams that fed into the wild plants. Conservation in before finding their way out of the f there is one jewel in Nepal’s tourism mid-hills to gain altitude to fly over the in the forest. valley from the surrounding hills. The lake Khaptad faces threats from forest. A guide, therefore, is a must. crown that outshines all else, then it shouldmountains north of Surkhet and then follows There you have it: undiscovered by itself is about 6 km across at its widest point forest encroachment, the This is no place for solo treks. The be Rara. In few places on earth do sky and the scenic Sinja Valley. “In winter, this place is outsiders, visited by only the most intrepid If your batteries need andrecharging, its placid ink-blue waters the reflect shores the steep of 10,000 or so heads of livestock brooks, waterfalls, ponds and lakes like Switzerland,” says the pilot in his broad trekkers, the most uncommercial nature Right in the heart of far- earth, mountain and water merge with such coniferous-covered sides. At nearly 12 sq km, of Khaptad make this unique Slavic accent. SinjaLake is a tributary Rara of the Karnaliis where you do it. reserve in Nepal. There is talk of rebuilding an ven the name evokes western Nepal, soaring like scenic splendour as they do in Rara. And it is it is the largest lake in Nepal. It is supposed to national park well worth the and we branch off to the east after overflying old unused Pilatus Porter airstrip near the mystery, remoteness and Olympus above the arid terraces Rara’s remoteness and inaccessibility that give be at least one km deep, although no one trouble to get to. PHOTOS: GAURAB RAJ UPADHAYA GAURAB PHOTOS: the lake its added aura. You go to Rara as a Manma. The mountain flanks on either side ofseems to know for sure. Our arrival at Gam eholy tranquillity. of Bajhang, Doti, Accham and treasure hunter, a miner for a heart of gold. the river are rocky crags—brown and dusty atGhadi’s school playground is greeted by the Khaptad. Let the hard Bajura is Khaptad’s amazing their base and bristling with pine on the high physically faraway. As far as the locals are The journey to Rara usually begins with entire township which pours out to watch us concerned, Kathmandu may as well be on consonants roll around your hulk. Declared a National Park ridges. Some of the north faces of the Punga land in a cloud of yellow dust. Since there is tongue, recite it like a mantra, in 1980 and guarded by the ithe flight to Nepalgunj from where there are Lekh still bear unmelted snow from the another planet. There is very little to remind flights to either Jumla or Mugu. But these are no airport, this link to Surkhet by “flying you of the presence of the Nepali state in this let it bring to your mind’s eye Royal Nepal Army, Khaptad winter. The helicopter’s rotors change tone, trucks” is a lifeline for remote northwestern the ambience of a forest faraway. looks like a gigantic volcanic flights operated by Royal Nepal Airlines and and you realise the pilot is making the intricate township which even the people of Jumla the schedules are rather iffy, so you may be Nepal. The nearest road is Sanfebagar, at (three days walk to the south) regard as Yes, Mugu and Humla are far- cone forever shrouded in mist approach to Rara. least a week’s walk to the southwest. flung. But Khaptad has an and cloud. The slopes are better off driving up to Surkhet and taking one And what an approach it is: the lake lies at remote. of the regular Russian cargo helicopters that fly Kathmandu school children may A short bracing walk brings us to the entry extremeness to its isolation that thickly clad in oak and to Jumla and Mugu. 3,050 m and fills the top of the Ghurchi Lekhassociate Rara more with instant noodles is not comparable to anything rhododendron, and in the point to the National Park, which is guarded undergrowth there are orchids, Both flights are tourist attractions in their than with this unique lake. Nearly 400 km by the Royal Nepal Army and where visitors that we traditionally west of the capital, Kathmandu is not just think of as being off lichen and thick carpets of moss. are required to autograph the park log with Khaptad the beaten track. On top is a unique undulating names and addresses. Once inside the park, Rara plateau with coniferous forests and you don’t even see the woodcutters, the sheep herders and villagers. The untrammeled lush meadows which wilderness, combined with the feeling of are covered in a isolation, overpowers us with a sense of metre of snow in oneness with nature. Thick forests of blue pine winter, but yield to and blackjuniper scent the air with a sharp verdant and wet and fresh tang of resin. But it is the first summers. Villagers sight of the lake an hour after the army from the checkpost that is the most striking. The lake, and if that is done Rara may be more accessible. But if it becomes surrounding valleys serenity of the spot, the breathtakingly have traditionally scenic surroundings, the feeling of utter more accessible, it will lose its charm. Therein calm and peace soothes the soul. As the lies the paradox of tourism, but for Rara’s sake afternoon turns into evening, the lake and for the sake of this divine destination we ripples with the breeze blowing up the must chart a third course. Karnali Valley, and little waves lap upon the Like all good things, it is time to go. The reed-filled shores. Startled water birds taketrek to Jumla follows the lifeline between flight as we approach. This is the only shoreMugu and Jumla, the walking superhighway that is relatively flat, elsewhere the steep for traders, herders, farmers and migrant ON NEWSSTANDS NOW mountains plunge into the icy waters. workers going or returning to their homes. You have to cross two high passes, and in winter there can be snow up to your knees on Tang Gurchi Lekh and Danphe Lekh. Compared to the wilderness we just experienced, getting down to Jumla is like coming to a big city. There is Coke, and beer. It is a good idea to stay in one of the lodges near the airport so you can run out and catch a flight when you hear the plane arrive.

Rara Festival Gaurab Raj Upadhaya in The banks Mahendraof talin Mugu will be buzzing with festivity June 6-8. Across the Gam Gadhi 10.8 km sq area in the Rara National Park, villagers are hosting a large new festival with traditional food, crafts, cultural shows, and plenty of interaction between the good folk of the park and visitors. The festival has been made possible because of the efforts of the District Development Committee and other institutions like the Dakshinkali Resort district administration and education offices, the national park and the army Dollu, Pharping ph 710072/710360 stationed in the area. The Nepal Tourism Board has been promoting and marketing Reservation Ph: 274445 the festival at across the country. There is discounted accommodation and travel for Fax: No: 977-1-281708 visitors. The organizers say they might fly special guests and foreign dignitaries from Surkhet to Gomgadi by helicopter. “Our main objective is to show and inform people An Ideal Resort for Seminar/Workshops about this hidden beauty. We hope that people are inspired to come here, as locals Only Rs 1000.00 per person on Twin/Triple sharing basis with all meals. will benefit a lot and this will be another impetus taking development work forward,” Even Includes 2 times refreshment during the workshop. says Mohan Baniya the DDC chairman. In addition to the famous charms of lake 2% TSC+10% VAT APPLICABLE TAX EXTRA Rara, Mugu is also known for its historical and religious sites like the Chayanath, Rinmochya, Kalika Malika and Tharpmasta temples. For adventurers it has the All The Facilities Are Also Free! Murmatop peak, and the Kanjirongba, Garudnani Chuchemara, Kehshmamalika mountain ranges. 12 TECHNOLOGY 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES WORLD 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES 13 committed suicide. Things here haven’t reached that pass yet, but there are already tell-tale signs that Fewer “poorest nations” it could happen. “This person I was ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○ chatting tokept sending me nasty neuro-scientists been able to figure BRUSSELS – EU Commissioner for Development Cooperation Do you knowespecially where chatting in the US shows your children are? Poul Nielson said at the end of the Third UN Conference on that most chatters are male—and thatemails. I eventually changed my email out that these are different kinds of Least Developed Countries (LDC III) that there would be fewer Anatomy ofmemory, rather thanfear one memory with female names get all the attention. Noaddress,” says 17-year-old Srijana. cyberspace. Will we wait for the first juvenile cyber criminal or victim. LDCs in coming years. The number has almost doubled to 49 in Even more terrifying for parents of multiple forms of expression. the last three decades. Industrialised nations pledged to reverse in-depth study has been carried in cybercrime to happen before we think Manythat evolved ashuman behavioural solutions emotions to are related to Nepal, but an overwhelming number younger children is how paedophilia about safety on the Internet? Talk to Many common psychiatric the declining trends of Overseas Development Aid (ODA), and (Names have been changed to protect problems of survival. In order to disorders that afflict humans are enable debt cancellations progressively to full cancellation of of chatters we found turned out to be seems to have found its home on the your children and watch where they arethe identity of minors.) theunderstand brain’s feelings, we needfear to step system. female. “My parents would rather emotional disorders related to the outstanding bilateral debts within the framework of the enhanced net. In South Asian countries like Sri clicking before we have our first back○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ from their superficial expression Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Since the 1999 have me at home, using the net ratherLanka and Bangladesh, many brain’s fear system, like anxiety in our conscious experiences and dig disorders, including phobias, panic Cologne Summit of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, than going out to a disco. I don’t paedophiles find their targets chatting deeper into how the brain works when Canada and the US, 22 countries have decided to ease the debt really mind,” says 17-year-old on the net.Authorities in Sri Lanka attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, Safety tips for chatters we have these experiences. A funda- obsessive compulsive disorder, and burden and 17 LDCs are already profiting. They will be given a Ameena. Parents and children alike estimate that around 600 boys mental discovery has been that the nominal debt service relief of some $23 billion. Estimates are Don’t respond to flaming (provocation online). generalised anxiety. Research into the that the HIPC initiative will free funds equivalent to 1.2 percent of see the Internet as a “safe place” for below 18 are used for paedophilia brain has multiple memory systems, brain mechanisms of fear helps us to young people to socialise. on the net. Children as young as ten Choose a gender neutral screen name. each devoted to different kinds of the LDCs’ Gross Domestic Product on average. Post-conflict Don’t flirt online, unless you’re prepared for the consequences. understand why these emotional countries will also receive debt relief. But Rubens Ricupero, And it can be, but you must are known to chat in Kathmandu, memory functions. For memories of conditions are so hard to control. You have the right to flirt and the right to a provocative fear arousing experiences, two systems UNCTAD secretary-general, was cautious, saying that much know that when you chat, your and not always at home, but also in nickname, but sometimes it’s better just to back off a bit and not Neuro-anatomists have shown that the are particularly important. For depends on the global economic environment and commodity system is open tothe whole wired cybercafes. The number and exercise all your rights all the time. connections from the cortex, the prices on which LDCs rely. But there are already positive example, if you return to the scene of a world. Operating systems like diversity of users in Nepal will only produce responses likely to keep an thinking brain, to the amygdala are developments: Industrialised nations recently agreed to untie Save offending messages and report them to your service Amygdala recent accident, you are likely to have a financial cooperation with the LDCs, which would enable them to Windows 95 or 98 are insecure and increase because of the ISP’s price- provider. organism alive in dangerous situations. considerably weaker than those from physical reaction that reflects activation buy know-how and equipment anywhere they wanted, and not have technical loopholes any wars. “The larger problem here is that JOSEPH E LE DOUX Once the fear system detects and the amygdala to the cortex. This may ○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○ of memories stored in the amygdala. its not impossible for some sexually Don’t give out any personal information about yourself or anyone explain why, once an emotion is necessarily in the donor country. Also, The EU’s Everything Talk to your children and watch experienced hacker can work their else. ow does your brain form its moststarts responding to danger, the At the same time, you will be But Arms Initiative gave the LDCs free access to deveoped way through. “Linux and Unix are frustrated, middle-aged person with human brain, with its enormous aroused, it is so hard for us to turn Get out of a situation online that has become hostile, log off or significant memories? Often reminded of the accident, will markets. where they are clicking before wemore secure compared to Windows, sweaty palms to harass you,” says Bela capacity for thinking and reasoning, it off at will. This asymmetry may surf elsewhere. hthrough mechanisms of fear. Fear remember where you were going, also help us understand why Malik, a teacher at Rato Bangala have our first cybercrime. but due to their complexity only is at the core of many human begins to assess what is going on and who you were with, and other experienced users use them,” says School, who is running a campaign to Change your password regularly. tries to determine what to do. This is psychotherapy is often such a pathologies, and so breakthroughs in details. These are explicit difficult and prolonged process, for ○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Deepesh Pradhan, director of make her students aware of the when feelings of fear arise. But in understanding the brain’s fear system (conscious) memories mediated by it relies on imperfect channels of Yomari Inc which designs web pages dangers of the Internet. Malik feels order to be consciously fearful you Guidance tips for parents: may lead to new ways to treat these another system, the hippocampus. communication between brain ALOK TUMBAHANGPHEY and develops software for companies. young people should be encouraged to have to have a sufficiently complex Memories mediated by the amygdala (IPS) ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ a porn site with pictures of classmates disorders. The core of the brain’s fear systems involved in cognition and go out and meet real people rather Keep the computer in a central family location, not in the child’s kind of brain, one aware of its own t’s dinnertime and your teenage who’d taunted him. The net may not Hackers have countless ways to enter system is in the amygdala, which are unconscious. These are memoriesemotion. (Project Syndicate) than on the chat. room. The computer shouldn’t be an escape for the child, but a activities. While this is undoubtedly in the sense that they cause your daughter doesn’t respond to your turn children into criminals, but it your life through your computer. family activity. receives information from all the senses Cookies are small files that websites Nepali users are still in the dark and controls the various networks that true of the human brain, it is not at allbody to respond in a particular way The energy divide calls. Then it strikes you: you’ve may well take them deeper into a Joseph E Le Doux is Professor of ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○ i Get to know your children’s online friends. You wouldn’t let them clear which (if any) other animals haveas a result of past experiences. The use to identify visitors. It’s a tag that about what can go wrong on the net, inspire the speeding heart, sweaty just bought her a brand new personal seamy world than they ever need to spend loads of time with a new friend in the neighbourhood until this capacity. So, in evolutionary Neural Science and Psychology at UNITED NATIONS - A third of the world’s population still lacks go. Even searching for Britney Spears identifies your personal computer not because nothing can happen here, palms, wrenching stomach, muscle conscious memory of the past computer with all the latest features you’ve met them. Online friends are no different. terms, the fear system of the brain is experience and the physiological the Center for Neural Science, New access to reliable, regular and affordable energy, according pictures can lead to a world your childand this can also be used to retrievebut because we’re at an earlier stage of tension and hormonal floods that to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). and given her an exclusive Internet very old. It is likely that it was responses elicited thus reflect two York University. has never imagined. information from your system. The engagement with the net. Some Screen e-mail with all younger children. Many paedophiles characterise being afraid. It is through “At the most basic level, affordable, modern energy carriers, account. So you assume she’s safe and attach child pornography to e-mails sent to children. The child studies of the way the brain learns designed before the brain was capable separate memory systems that One phenomenon of particular possible material damage is people are waking up to this, and 11- of experiencing what we humans refer like clean fuel and electricity, are critical drivers for human sound in her room, surfing the net, pornography is used to convince the child that other children are about stimuli, such as the sounds that operate in parallel. Only by taking development,” says Mark Malloch Brown, administrator of the insignificant compared to the year-old Serina, a regular net user and performing sexual acts. Make sure you screen all attachments or widening her knowledge. Maybe not. concern in Kathmandu is chatting, precede danger, that our systems for to as “fear” in our own lives. The best these systems apart in the brain have UNDP. Currently less than $1 billion (approximately 10 One of the defining characteristicsand it isn’t restricted to children. In emotional, mental, and physical chatter is lucky: her parents ensure limit e-mail through parental control features or software. way to understand how the fear system trauma this can result in. In the there is always someone to guide her learning about fear, and memory as a percent) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and of the Internet is that you never knowcorporate offices that use leased lines, whole, have been elucidated. Studies works is not to chase the elusive brain Development (OECD)’s publicly funded energy-related US, a 25-year-old woman when she is online. No one here is Help your children keep being online in perspective. Too many when it will startle you. Virtually there is almost always someone suggest that early on (perhaps since mechanisms of feelings of fear, but to research goes to renewable energy and less than $1 billion researching chat rooms gave away thinking yet of laws against crimes in children get compulsive about computing and forget to play with study the underlying neural systems chatting. Eavesdrop on any teenage real friends, and ignore physical activity. dinosaurs ruled the earth, or even to energy efficiency, and over $150 billion dollars are spent every crime is possible here. There is her identity on the net and started paedophile racketeering, stalking, highconversation and the words “this guy/ before) evolution hit upon a very annually worldwide on subsidies to conventional energy. But receiving mail divulging information If you can’t be home with them when they’re online, use a net this is changing. “In the next two decades, an estimated $10- security systems hacking, and child girl I met on the net” are sure to pop nanny—child protection software to help keep an eye on them. effective way of wiring the brain to up. It’s fun: the chatter can assume about herself hardly anyone knew. 15 trillion will be invested in new long-lived energy-sector pornography. The net can be a The harassment got so bad that she Some software keeps them from sharing personal information with projects,” Klaus Topfer, executive director of the UNEP told dangerous place for a growing mind toany identity. “I go to general chat others online, like their names, addresses and telephone the CSD. “If that investment is directed toward clean energy experiment. There was the 20-year- rooms because I don’t have to go numbers. technologies—including solar cell, solar panel, hydro, tidal, old Israeli who hacked into the through the pain of meeting the wind and thermal power—everybody will enjoy a world Make sure they understand that they should never meet anyone sophisticated Pentagon system and person in real life,” says 18-year-old OPINION byGASPAR M TAMAS economy what is more secure, robust and clean.” The EU in real life that they met online without parents in attendance, now believes sustainable energy should be integrated into the 16-year-old Indian boy who made Mamta. Research on Internet use and and that people online are often not honest about who or what they are. poverty reduction strategies and overarching issues of financial assistance, transfer of technology and capacity The extremism of thebuilding. centre BUDAPEST: First Haider, now Berlusconi. The government of my country, Silvio Berlusconi, new Italian Hungary, is also part of that worrying trend. Along with Bavaria’s provincial prime minister (IPS) government (provincial in more senses than one), it has been the strongest foreign supporter of Jörg Haider’s movement. Viktor Orban’s government here, besides other misdeeds, attempts to suppress parliamentary government, penalise local governments controlled by its opponents, and is creating a novel state Peru’s past ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○ ideology in cahoots with a group of lumpen right-wing intellectuals. LIMA – 20,000 deaths, 4,000 disappearances. A decade after I cannot consider myself a neutral observer of all this. A video from 1988 the capture of the leaders of the Shining Path and the Tupac shows Orban protecting me with his body from the truncheons of communist Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) ended almost 12 riot police. Ten years later, Orban appointed a communist police general as his years of political violence, Peruvians may finally learn what

home secretary. Political conflicts between friends are usually acrimonious and MARTIN ADLER/PANOS this is no exception. Our opponents are, in personal terms, too close for comfort. Orban, Haider, and Berlusconi represent a new politics of exclusion that has found a comfortable niche in today’s global capitalism. The old politics of exclusion was Fascism. This new post-fascism is very different: it lacks a Führer,After communism collapsed in Europe, one-party rule, or an SS. Yet it shares a crucial feature with Fascism: it seeks todissentHaider, Berlusconi, became and Orban pointless. are prime examples of this. Their discourse is ○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ reverse the great Enlightenment idea that linked citizenship to the human partly libertarian/neo-liberal. Their ideal is the propertied little man. They condition. By equating citizenship with human dignity, the Enlightenment strongly favour shareholding and home-ownership, and are mostly free of the old extended it, at least in principle, to all classes, professions, sexes, races, and Fascism’s romantic-reactionary nationalism, as distinct from the new parochial creeds. The state was conceived as representing everyone—citizenship ceasedselfishness to and racism. They seek to achieve their goals though a “soft” exclusion be a feudal privilege for the few and became a universal ideal, delivering virtualof borders, immigration laws, neglect, and the movement of capital. In the old happened. Interim Justice Minister Diego García Sayán equality in political conditions. days universal citizenship resulted from liberation struggles and efforts at recently announced the establishment of an investigative The Fascism of the first half of the 20 exclusion were used to suppress these insurrections. Such struggles are impossibleTruth Commission. The commission will have to decide to imagine for today’s wretched of the earth because no one exploits them. No whether it will look into cases from 1980, when Peru returned th century attacked the notion of to democracy after a military dictatorship; from 1985, when extra profit or surplus value is being extracted. The poor are superfluous. Far Alan García assumed the presidency; or 1990, when Fujimori Shangrila universal citizenship, but not in the name of conservatism. For although Fascismfrom abusing those on the periphery, the centre (majorities within rich countries) was elected. Many of the worst atrocities, including massa- was counter-revolutionary, it did not seek to re-establish hereditary aristocracy.focus on keeping the poor at bay. Awesome frontier barriers are erected. cres in the highlands and several Lima penitentiaries, Nonetheless, it obliterated the universal citizenship within which the nation-Humanitarian wars are fought in order to prevent masses of refugees from occurred under García, who runs for president in next state represented and protected everyone inside its borders. Under Fascism, theflowing in and cluttering up Western welfare systems. month’s election. In Fujimori’s administration, massacres sovereign power determined who did and did not belong to the civic community.Abetting this extremism of the centre is the international economic system. were carried out by a death squad (the Colina Group) The Fascist idea of denying citizenship through exploitation, oppression, allegedly overseen by national security adviser Vladimiro Fights for higher salaries and better working conditions are met nowadays, not by discrimination or even annihilation is being replaced nowadays by a new form of Montesinos, now a fugitive, and Fujimori could be held legally violence and strikebreakers, but by capital flight and rebukes from the IMF. exclusion. The new politics of exclusion—what I call post-fascism—does not responsible. Alleged subversives also received summary Only one exit—exodus—remains for the poor and it is the exclusionists’ job to need stormtroopers and dictators. Freedom, security, and prosperity are left trials in military courts before judges with hidden faces and prevent their taking it. The attacks on the domestic and global underclass whichdisguised voices. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights undisturbed, at least for that productive majority living in rich countries. But the follow provide post-fascism with populist energy. Citizenship in a functioning recently ruled that amnesty laws passed in 1995 to protect idea of citizenship here is akin to what existed before the Enlightenment: it Western state is the one safe meal ticket in the modern world. Post-fascists needmilitary officers involved in human rights violations “lack becomes a grant from the sovereign, not a universal human right. not put non-citizens into freight trains; they only need to prevent them from juridical effect”. The National Human Rights Commission of These new politicians of exclusion represent a striking new phenomenon: an boarding any train that might bring them to the West. Of course, post-fascist the Justice Ministry is preparing long-overdue reports to UN extremism of the centre. How can you have an extremism of the centre? Before committees that oversee international conventions. The Truth ideas are not unique to Austria, Italy, and Hungary. They exist throughout Commission expects to review at least 300 requests for communism collapsed, the old bourgeois world was permanently confronted Europe’sby anti-immigrant movements. Extremism of the centre may not threatenpardon and 300 requests for commuted sentences. About strong competitors to the right and left. Both those antagonists vanished ten liberal democratic rule, but is incompatible with the Enlightenment idea of 2,000 additional cases are pending. years ago, leaving capitalism as the sole force on the political horizon. In suchuniversal a citizenship. For the threat posed by post-fascism is not that of incipient world, dissent is pointless, because anti-capitalist politics is taken seriously byauthoritarianism, but of a politics that reserves the benefits of citizenship to very few. As a result, political repression is unnecessary and exclusion can be the few. accomplished from the centre. Citizenship itself is increasingly defined in apolitical terms. Interest groups and other voluntary associations—the touchstones of the much-lauded “civil society”—cannibalise politics, and citizenship ncreasingly becomes a matter of policy, not politics. (Project Syndicate) Gaspar M. Tamás is a philosopher and a former leader of Hungary’s Free Democrats. (Gemini) 14 ASIA 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES 15 those against it to examine its including animal husbandry or non- into the country, timber forest products that earn but to no effect. accounts. Back to basics “If you cannot support people who want to rehabilitateThe fees collected by schools them little money. The more ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ How did you Climbing to independencerenumerative enterprises are run by become HIV- in Kathmandu have to be studied COLOMBO - Rising living costs and attempts to liberalise deprived of the fruits of development male entrepreneurs who have better Sri Lanka’s labour markets have propelled the country’s themselves, you mightpositive? as well shoot everyone.” scientifically and in terms of their Mountainand welfare. The women over-exploitation from of aroundaccess to capital, the creditworld and gather bigger main Marxist group into the forefront of workers’ rights, I did drugs practicability. You should analyse heremountains’ next natural year. resources has hit markets. outdoing more established trade unions. Sri Lanka’s third around 1996 how much it costs to keep a political force, the now-mainstream People’s Liberation Excerpts from an interview with Rajiv Jana Kafle, Aastha Nationaland I shared Weekly, 16 May women○○○○○○○○ hardest. Studies○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ in the Recently, governments, global student in school and how much Hindu Kush Himalayan region show Front (JVP) is pushing for a wage rise of at least Rs 2,000 syringes. I am each one pays in fees. You have agencies such as the International “I studied in St Xavier’s school, where very few students fail thenot school- very certain that women’s workload increases ($24) per worker per month. Inflation is officially estimated to find out how much money the Fund for Agricultural Development to rise to 9.5 percent this year from 6.5 percent in 2000 due leaving (SLC) exams. I failed by one mark. It’s a tragedy whenabout you failthe in time with environmental degradation as (IFAD) through its network of to hikes in diesel, kerosene, gas and electricity prices. The your mother tongue. My Nepali is still not too good. I had to waitframe. for Ia did not school is making. There should they walk longer distances to fetch NGOs, and local groups have begun price of diesel, used extensively in the transport of goods, year to retake the exam. In this time, I had to figure out what becometo do, and HIV-positive because of my sexual habits. At that time,be we a line drawn on schools’ water, fuel wood and fodder. They has more than doubled in the past year. Last month’s I made a decision. I chose new friends—all people who had failedcouldn’t the buy new syringes, even if we had the money. Many people—profits. If the amount a school trying to effect change. Their exam. Then we began moving towards drugs.” around ten—had to share one. village eatery. She took pity on also have to cope with the hazardous budget also announced a wage freeze for six months and spends per student is equal to the schemes teach women simple skills the dogs and gave them some effects of environmental degradation, the government is determined to go ahead with labour Rajiv, who is HIV-positive, has now completed a diploma courseHow in do you feel when you hear that friends with whom youamount they charge as fees, then that help them become small-scale food she was eating. Earlier all landslides and erosion of topsoil, reforms for greater labour mobility requested by the IMF as Danish. These days he represents Nepal at international drug-abuse-used to do drugs are dying? the ANNFSU (R) has no moral entrepreneurs. But in the end, part of a $500 million bailout package. The business related, and HIV/AIDS conferences. He recently represented NepalA friend at a died a couple of days ago. Another one died a few days dogs survived on leftovers from crop failure, and the migration of UN seminar. And he is doing all he can to promote awareness about right to tie up teachers and pour ICIMOD officials say, change must community has for a long time complained of rigid pro- before that. I had told that person not to drink ever, as alcohol is the hotel. After this incident, AIDS and HIV. But Rajiv is sad, because he is stigmatised as HIV- kerosene on them. The men to cities and towns for jobs. come from within mountain women poison for an HIV-positive person. I cannot believe that the person is worker labour laws. Transnational firms like Bata and positive and furious because he believes foreign aid is coming into the dogs followed the woman Access to health care facilities is no more. He was much younger and used to live with me. After ANNFSU(R)I should not blur the communities. They must realise the Unilever are considering shutting down production units Nepal in the name of people like him, but misused. home. She then took these limited and the heavy workload, due to JVP-influenced worker unrest. There are now fears stopped drugs, I lived at the rehabilitation centre run by the lateline Fr between political and 250,000 ($5,000) Elsewhere in the important role they play in the Why is it assumed that people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS animals into her house. Soon all malnutrition and unending cycle of of a repeat of 1988-89 when the JVP launched crippling Gaffney. When Fr Gaffney was murdered, that person was very, verycriminal acts. Otherwise it, too, majestic Hindu Kush Himalayan maintenance of families, economies, cannot do anything for themselves. Why do people look at themhelpful to me. His parents were poor and illiterate, so he didn’t get the stray dogs and cats of the pregnancies take a heavy toll on cultures and communities. In strikes and shutdowns as part of its attempts to oust the will have to face the music once TV PADMA ranges in Asia, home to some 140 contemptuously? much support, and kept up with friends who did drugs. It is really sad to village started moving to the ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ women’s health. The trafficking of government through armed revolt. Thousands were killed the people rise up to oppose China’s Yunnan province, the A few people may have this opinion, but it isn’t shared by everyone.see people close to you dying slowly, one by one. area around this person’s million people in Burma, Bangladesh, mountain women into cities of by government forces and the JVP before the military them. KATHMANDU - When Bhago Devi, Women’s Federation runs literacy Do you realise the problems and sorrow your family went residence. The villagers were China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, PakistanSouth Asia has also increased. crushed the revolt. You cannot generalise. If you publicise this sort of statement, HIV- an illiterate grandmother in her fifties and health projects, and trains them positive people will find it very difficult to come out into the open.through I when they got to know you were positive? Another important point is surprised, but the condition of and Afghanistan, women are slowly Though the survival of households in the remote Kangra hills of the in rural skills. In Burma, a UN- needed a lot of support and strong willpower when I announced I wasThe more you are attached to something, the more you feelwhether for it. the ANNFSU(R) is the animals did indeed improve. awakening to the need to set up HIV-positive at the Khula Manch (Open Theatre near Ratna Park). I went Indian Himalaya, enthusiastically and communities rests largely on supported project has set up I am thier son, and it was definitely painful for my parents. Theycollecting raised money from private small-scale enterprises. Such public to see for myself whether people with HIV/AIDS are discriminated ...After a couple of years, the contributions of women, most me, looked after me. Definitely they were very hurt. But I gave andthem boarding all schools? If yes, they took to horticulture, she proved it is women’s income generation groups against, whether they are shown any warmth at all. I went public six programmes aimed at financial planners ignore their needs and my love and respect. the dogs and cats in the village never too late to change life in the and is training mountain-based months ago and since then I have got more warmth and affection than we must ask why they are doing security, and experiences in coping (IPS) became mal-fed and began tough mountain terrain. Hundreds of problems, and women’s women in knitting, tailoring, jam before. What should the government do for people with HIV/AIDS?that. What is the philosophy of with tough mountain life will be Rehabilitation centres should be established for them. People who straying all over the village. The Kangra hill women like Bhago Devi, perspectives are not reflected in How does it feel to be questioned about your illness? the ANNFSU(R) about the and jelly making and candle money the woman had left with trained in a simplified version of tissueshared by many Asian mountain the discourse for development I realise I am very lucky, in that everyone loves me and showersmake mistakes should be given the chance to reform. The governmentsecurity and future of our making. Some are given access to a should care for these people, but we don’t have enough rehabilitation the house owner for the well culture—a method of rapidly women, and their sisters across planning and interventions in the Up in the air affection on me. If there is still some discrimination in the villages, then students? We hear of children in revolving fund and trained in ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ centres, and often people who want to change don’t get the chance to. mountain ranges in Africa, South and it is the duty of city people to try and change such attitudes through being of the animals was also producing hundreds of plants by Hindu Kush Himalaya, says bookkeeping. Nepal is providing If you cannot support such efforts, you might as well just shoot Rolpa, not more than 11 or 12 North America and Europe at an On his first visit to the US this month, Okinawa Governor their actions. spent. The villagers have not growing tiny pieces of root, stem, Jeanette Gurung of the technology and credit access for everyone. Today’s drug-doers are in the same situation I was in.years old, walking around with international meeting in Kathmandu Keiichi Inamine will raise one of the most contentious You have been treated with warmth, but do you think everyone given up hope and pray that flowers or leaves on a special nutrient International Centre for income-generating projects to issues for this Japanese island: the relocation of a US Is it wrong to publicly emphasise that HIV can be transferredgrenades. The ANNFSU(R) has next May to mark the UN Year of the who is open about having HIV/AIDS will get the same response? another foreign woman will medium—are augmenting their Integrated Mountain women’s farmers groups. military air station. There are 250,000 US troops in through sharing syringes and unsafe sex? to make clear its opinion on this. Mountain in 2002. It is not possible for everyone to get such a reaction. I had the move in someday. (Today) as income by supplying flowers to the Development (ICIMOD) here. Okinawa, over half the total US forces in Japan. Local People have been saying for years now that clean syringes shouldIs it really concerned about the support of my family and also access to different platforms which I could soon as the dogs see a foreigner, Women across the Himalaya are Income-generating projects for opposition to be used. But has it made any difference? When users go to buy plains. Thousands of kilometres across use. This made it easier for me. future of this country’s children? American syringes, they are asked to furnish a prescription. The government they wag their tails. When they the Himalaya in Chitral in north- responsible for almost all farm Himalayan women are mostly JIM HOLMES/PANOS The ANNFSU( R) is trying military Do you feel all the aid coming into the country in the namepassed of a law that requires you to have a doctor’s prescription to buy see an unfamiliar Nepali face, west Pakistan, women are patiently activities and household maintenance,farm and home-based activities, to prove that it is very different are holders of indigenous knowledge presence has people like yourself is being used well? new syringes. HIV did not just fall from the sky, it is transferred by they bark and attack them. building up their meagre savings people. If this law is annulled, then the transfer of HIV through sharedfrom its mother organisation. By and also entrepreneurs in small-scale grown since Many NGOs bring affected people to the forefront while asking for from farm produce to set up small September syringes will stop. asking for changes to be brought businesses such as crafts and food money. If they had used the funding they have received well, the lives of shops and become financially 1995, when many people would have been different today. People would haveWon’t been making access to syringes easier increase the numberabout of in the field of education it independent. Over five years, their production. Yet, hill inhabitants are three US educated and the difference between people with HIV/AIDS andabusers? others wants to portray itself as a force savings have multiplied five times marines gang would not be so great. If I give you a new syringe, does that mean you will immediately from PRs 50,000 ($1,000) to PRs raped a 12- Are you scared of dying? go looking for injectable drugs? Anyway, if people can’t get new year-old Okinawan girl. The Futenma air station, on a We will all die… I am not scared of death. But I realise I madesyringes, a then why make a big deal about telling users not to share Good times for military base in the heart of the populous Ginowan city, mistake. I feel that though I will die young, I should do somethingthem? for Drug my abuse is a problem of the mind. It can be treated. We nephews (IPS) was another sore point until the US agreed in 1996 to nation. This is why I have refused offers to live abroad. need the environment for that to happen. In our society, when ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ relocate to a remote coastal village. The proposed facility Are you making this effort so people will always remembersomeone you? starts doing drugs, they marry him off in the hope his wife will Tarun National Weekly, would be either a floating or an anchored sea borne I don’t expect to see the results of what I do, I am just interestedbring him in under control. No one has ever thought of the problems a drug addict’s wife and children have to go through. 14 May airfield. Inamine is lobbying for a larger land-based airport doing my duty. My only concern is that I should do the maximum that is ANALYSIS byMUSHAHID HUSSAIN that allows civilian use, has cargo handling facilities and possible. If you are talking of establishing records, well, how manyWhat is the main reason for the spread of HIV in Nepal—shared runways for mid-sized commercial jets, and can handle records can a sick person establish. Since I was a child I’ve beenneedles or unsafe sex? 200,000 passengers a year. The Americans accept this, interested in trekking and climbing and would like to climb Mt Everest.There are no official red light areas in Nepal, but there are The prime minister has taken a but not the 15-year limit Okinawans propose, after which it People have promised me full support, should I try to do it. I want to commercial sex workers. And many people in the profession also direct interest in the Nepal request the Nepal Mountaineering Association to help me. If they train would revert to civilian use. There are also environmental do drugs… Telecommunication me, then one day I definitely will climb Everest. support the construction of a new port concerns. The coastal location involves construction Corporation’s Six Telecom techniques like pile driving and land filling that environ- Are you depressed when you analyse your situation? at Gwadar on Pakistan’s southern Project. The project is to lay Gossip in a strategic backyardmentalists fear will threaten endangered animals such as Everyone feels frustrated sometimes. I am not sad just because I am for positive change, and not a cables across the country at a Arabian Sea coast, facing the Persian the dugong, a south-east Asian sea cow. The facility would HIV-positive, in fact I am happy. People may say I’m putting on an act, reactionary force. But this claim Gulf, and help build a coastal highway encroach on the Yambaru Forest, home to two rare bird but believe me, I really am happy. I am just sad that I made a mistake. becomes suspect when you ask cost of over Rs 10 billion. ISLAMABAD - Chinese Premier Zhu linking the principal port of Karachi species—the Okinawa Rail and Pryer’s Woodpecker—and But there’s no use crying over spilt milk. See, yesterday I had an Apparently, the prime minister appointment with you but fell sick suddenly. I thought I would die. I what the connection is between Rongzhi’s recent visit to Pakistan, with Gwadar. This would have impact on nearby coral reefs, the habitat for coral fish and positive change and the could not stay aloof. That is sea turtles. wondered if I had developed AIDS already. There is no medical facility proved by the moves to award marking the 50th year of diplomatic ties tremendous potential for travel and in Nepal to check all this. We requested that the equipment be brought collection of money from between Islamabad and Beijing, comes overland trade with Central Asia, a role schools. This raises doubts about the contract to a company in the context of significant develop- Pakistan has been keen on after the the student union’s commitment whose ability to perform is ments in the regional political scene. break-up of the Soviet Union, but not and so-called sense of duty. suspect. Sources say the former The timing of Zhu’s journey, which communication minister had able to play due to the Afghan civil war. Also in the name of positive included Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Politically, the most important almost decided to award the Lanka and Thailand, is important. changes, the Maoists have project to a Chinese company, aspect was Pakistan’s support to China imposed a dress code for women. Zhu’s trip came following US on the NMD. Pakistan’s military ruler (Gemini) which is known to be very President George W Bush’s May Day What a woman wears should be proficient at the task. Sri Harsh General Pervez Musharraf said left to her choice. Some time ago announcement of Washington’s plans Islamabad is “opposed to any move Koirala, who is the agent in for a National Missile Defence in India the pro-Khalistan forces Nepal for many big Indian that re-initiates the nuclear and missile Dams, again and now the pro-BJP groups, (NMD), which has pitched China ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ companies, didn’t like that. race in the region.” Zhu for his part Talibanised especially the Bajrang Dal tried and India on opposite sides. ISLAMABAD - Faced with one of the worst water crises in QUOTE OF THE WEEK ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ The prime minister then supported Pakistan’s stand on its the same thing. The Taliban in China attacked the NMD saying it decades, Pakistan’s government has approved an Yuvaraj Ghimire in “Zero Hour”, stepped into the picture, called China and Pakistan getdispute closer with India due on Kashmir to the and urged a peaceful settlement through talks. ambitious plan of building hydroelectric dams—but not Afghanistan is also doing the will “start a new arms race.” India’s We suspect the government is Kantipur, 21 May the concerned minister, the India factor, the US’s Henew also endorsedmissile the policiesprogramme of the military regime, saying these have brought without calls for caution from green groups. Reports say same. They call themselves euphoric endorsement was rewarded by about “political and economic stability in Pakistan.” India, with its military trying to bulldoze the opposition secretary and the deputy water shortages have caused financial losses of more by creating an armed police force Islamic Revolutionaries. The the prompt despatch of a US special and developments in centralconflicts and Asia.adversarial relationship with both, remains the centrepiece of the than $1.5 billion through lower crop yields, the subsequent minister and asked them to stop and using the Maoists as an ANNFSU(R) has not protested envoy who also visited Japan, the other ○○○○○○○○ Asian country that○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Washington now Pakistan-Chinaseeks bond. China has an unresolved border dispute with India that importation of food crops, lost employment and low There are about 600 students in the deal with the Chinese excuse……..what kind of armed this sort of behaviour by to promote to counter China. Likewise, with India and Bangladesh having theirerupted into war in 1962, and the Kashmir dispute has caused three wars industrial output. The $4 billion Water Resources and Notre Dame School. About 120 elements in its sister company and award the job to worst border clash since 1971 in mid-April and India holding last week its biggestbetween Pakistan and India. Hydropower Development Vision 2025 programme police force is it that only enlists are Dalits or from poor an Indian company. Now, Sri envisages more than 25 small and large dams and Congress supporters? organisations. It is getting very military exercises on Pakistan’s border since 1987, China’s role in South Asia, itsProbably the most significant strategic post-Cold War shift is taking place in backgrounds and pay no fees at difficult to believe them when Harsh has become very active. strategic backyard, is crucial. If India looks to the United States to counter China, identifies 591 sites for small hydropower projects on small all. Their education is free. He called the telecommunica- the region of Pakistan and China: Changes in America’s Asian strategy that is falls and barrages. Green groups say the option of – KP Oli, Coordinator of the they talk of bringing about smaller South Asian states look toward China to counter India. Another 120 students pay only tion secretary and the chief of the transforming China into a competitor and India into a partner. US special envoyharvesting rainwater and developing and better managing Central Agitation Organisational changes in the field of education. But new realities make the Pakistan-China relationship more challenging.and deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage spoke recently in India of a “newa hill torrents system was totally ignored in the decision- half the fees. Every month the NTC and told them to cancel the Committee (UML Striking Force) in Important for both is the conflict in Afghanistan and its possible fallout on relationship” and said the NMD was directed at “rogue nations, some in India’smaking process. Government reports say system losses school has a fund shortfall, deal with the Chinese. The prime Central Asia and China. The Chinese do not have a problem with Islam or neighbourhood,” including Iran, Iraq, Libya and North Korea. Other develop- in the irrigation sector exceed 40 percent of total inflows. Budhabar Weekly,16 May. which is covered through minister’s nephew has been Afghanistan’s regime—after all, China cordially coexists with Iran’s Islamic ments also make clear this “new relationship,” such as India’s strong support forUnlined canals lead to water losses of some 24 to 25 Japanese aid—this deficit is successful in getting what he million cusecs every year, which later result in waterlogged regime. But Beijing is concerned that Afghanistan-based Muslim dissidents fromthe US over the NMD, the Dalai Lama’s potential to play the “Tibet card” from anything between Rs 80,000 wanted to a limited extent. But lands, says a report by the International Institute of Water and Rs 200,000 every month. both the NTC and the National Chechnya, Uzbekistan and Xinjiang could destabilise Xinjiang—its sensitive andhis exile in India, India’s justification of its nuclear and expanding missile Management (IIWM). Environmentalists say the need for strategic western region that borders Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Kashmir,programmes by invoking the “threat from China”, and India’s naval expansion The real reason for describing Planning Commission have said reforms and equity in the existing water distribution system the Indian company will not be Tibet—and cause unrest among its own Muslim minority in this region. east. India was among those few “friends and allies” the US briefed prior to is the first step to overcomepresent the and any future water this school is not that it is not It is in this context that the Chinese military has revived cooperation withBush’s the speech on the NMD. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the most doing good work, but for able to complete the project. crisis. They recall the controversy that shrouded the Kalabagh NPC member, Rameshananda Russians after a 40-year hiatus, within the framework of the Shanghai Five groupsenior military officer in the United States, is to visit India later this month. USDam for more than two decades, because the site selec- something else. A close relative Vaidya has even put it in writing that includes Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. In Pakistan, Zhu indirectlysanctions imposed on India after the 1998 nuclear tests may soon be lifted and attion did not reflect popular sentiment and involved major How many times have I told you not of Devendra Parajuli (leader of Every dog… ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ that the Indian company will alluded to this aspect. Giving an “all-is-well” message, he said: “Despite the height of the US spy plane crisis, Bush took time off to receive Indian social and environmental costs. They also note that to run away to school ! I’m fed up. the Maoist students’ wing, the never be able to complete the job. differences between Pakistan and China in social systems, cultural traditions andForeign Minister Jaswant Singh in a pointedesture g of goodwill to China’s hundreds of thousands of people affected by the construc- Please put him in his place. ANNFSU-Revolutionary) Binaya Kasaji inBudhabar, 16 May tion of the Tarbela Dam, built in 1976, are still awaiting Many say the NTC dealings could ideology, our bilateral relations have not been affected.” During the visit, all main adversary. appeared for his school-leaving compensation. be the beginning of another Pakistani political and religious parties supported friendship with China, endorsed certificate (SLC) exams at this Lauda Air scam. Beijing’s policies and denounced any attempt to destabilise China. The visit was school. He had applied for a After a foreign woman working in symbolic and substantive, enlarging the scope of bilateral cooperation. Six new scholarship but his application a development project moved agreements, ranging from tourism to transportation, were signed. China agreed to was rejected. On its part the into a village, dogs began to have school has always called upon a good time. One day, she noticed a malnourished dog (IPS) Kantipur,19 May feeding its four puppies near the (IPS) THIS PAGE CONTAINS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI LANGUAGE PRESS 16 SPORTS 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES CULTURE 25 -31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES 17 SAVING FAITH byDESMOND DOIG COLONIAL CRICKET BOWLS OVER TALIBAN benign face which is more in line is played on horseback—they with modern times. It’s a public- Afghan refugees havelearned also adapted to to theplay local cricket while they relations stunt to create established a Karnatak dynasty in environment. Afghan children goodwill among the people,” he the Kathmandu Valley; or were living in campsborn in Pakistanin Pakistan. havegrown up Now, they have gotsays. Harisingha Deva was hospitably the Taliban rulersplaying to cricketagree on the tostreets make like the game official.Afghan cricket officials hope Whenfine temple spires and pavilions, received as a royal refugeea by the goddess played dice emotionally charged game and the locals and speak local languages. that the annual meeting of the but the temple of Teleju Malla king and given the Afghan○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ youth, watching play on “We want to prove that○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ICC in June will give some official surpasses them all as if proudly freedom of the Valley for as long television and on their field, became as he cared to stay. His influence Afghanistan is not far behind in and fine arts, spent $1,300 or so recognition to their efforts to join he temple is the most conscious that it enshrines the enamoured of it. “I am here to cricket and we should get the cricket world. But former majestic in all of Kathmandu. royal goddess. on the political and cultural support my team. They will win, buying cricket gear in Pakistan scene was nevertheless great. It is associated membership of the for the tour. Pakistan test cricketer Farukh t Its legends are the most Teleju Bhawani is a goddess inshallah,” said enthusiastic believed by many to this day that International Cricket Council,” It was undertaken at a time Zaman, who coached the Afghan romantic. When it was built in from South India who well may teenager Zabiullah, who was among 1576, at the command of a king, the highly talented people of the says Noori of the just- concluded when Maulvi Kalamddin is players in 2000, says there is little feel far from home were it not 300 spectators at the Arbab Niaz tour. Noori, who speaks fluent chance of getting ICC affiliation in it was required to be seen from for the great devotion lavished Kathmandu Valley, the Newars, Cricket Stadium braving the 42 heading the sports ministry. the old city of Bhaktapur, some derived their name from the Urdu, the national language of Previously he was in charge of thethe near future. “Most of the on her here. She was brought to degree Centigrade heat, to cheer hisPakistan, has styled himself on cricketing world does not ten miles away, from where the Nepal in the early fourteenth Naya who accompanied the national side. Zabiullah, like most dreaded ministry that handled resident goddess was brought. No Karnatak king, and remained to Pakistani fast bowler Wasim vice and virtue and enforced a recognise them. They do not have century by Harisingha Deva, a of the other Afghans at the stadium,Akram. Afghanistan’s strongly the financial resources for building other building was permitted to Karnatak king who ruled over intermarry with the local people. came from refugee camps scattered strict Islamic code in the streets rise higher than its gilded roofs One of the greatest Malla kings Islamic Taliban rulers, who are and public places of Kabul, the infrastructure. Above all the the small kingdom of around Peshawar. Some, like averse to any kind of cricket culture is missing in them.” and golden finial. To attain its Simroanghar in the foothills of was of mixed Malla and Karnatak Afghan capital. Ilyas Khan, a descent. Nasirbagh and Kachagari are only entertainment including music But cricket captain Noori has imposing height, it was raised on present-day Nepal. When 10 km away. Like most of the senior journalist who writes As soon as Ghiyas-Ud-din set his sights high. “It may sound several receding brick plinths. Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlak, who others in the team, captain Noori regularly on Afghan issues for the odd to you but let me assure you The plinths alone would rival an had marched on Bengal to Tughlak tired of besieging spent 19 years in Peshawar as a leading political magazineHerald , that our aim is to play in the Aztec temple and the mind suppress a rebellion, was Simroanghar and marched away, refugee. His family has a foreign- believes the Taliban agreed to the World Cup and win it,” he says boggles to think of how they werereturning triumphantly home to King Harisingha Deva returned exchange business at Chowk Pakistani request for a cricket confidently. made, of how many people Delhi, he laid seige to home. He left behind him his Yadgar, an area in the old city of tour to soften its image as a laboured to construct them, of Simroanghar. The royal family, son, who was to rule the Valley, Peshawar known for such reactionary group. “Through the enormity of faith or disciplinethe court and presumably the several members of his court, and transactions. Though he returned cricket they are trying to put up a that inspired the builders. defeated army, fled northwards the precious gift of Teleju to his native Afghanistan three Bhawani. The goddess came to (Gemini) Several small pagoda-style into Nepal. Here historical years ago, his family still lives temples, housing the guardians of opinion is divided. Either the be greatly venerated by the kings near Peshawar. It is such the eight directions and the Malla king, then resident in of Nepal. The magnificent Teleju interaction that has made cricket Panchayan gods, are set Bhaktapur, fled before this temple was built to enshrine her Afghanistan’s newest sport. symmetrically upon the plinths. unintended invasion and and here only royalty may NADEEM YAQUBIN PESHAWAR ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ sceptics that all is not lost. Not that others haven’t They supplement, rather than abandoned his kingdom to worship except at Dussehra when ho had ever heard of a “Although soccer is the most wanted to introduce cricket to detract from the soaring Harisingha Deva, who the public is permitted to enter, cricket tour that lasted popular sport in Afghanistan, Afghanistan. In the 1920s King magnificence of the temple itself. to pray and make sacrifices. wless than a week? many youngsters are taking to Amanullah Khan tried to have a A paved courtyard away is the old Legend takes over. Some two Afficionados of the game might becricket seriously,” says bearded cricket team but he did not get palace, its roofs pierced by many hundred years ago a young shocked at the thought that the Allahdad Noori, the 28-year old far because of political instability. Newari girl found wandering once-leisurely game had been captain of the Afghanistan team. “The Afghan culture had always outside the palace claimed to be turned into a fast turnover—like Curiously enough it was not remained distinct and Anglo- possessed by the spirit of Teleju instant noodles. Britain that taught Afghanistan Saxon culture had never been able Bhawani. When the news was But Afghanistan has just the game, unlike other countries to make a mark on it. Cricket brought to him, the king, completed a cricket tour of where it planted the Union Jack. reflects the impact Anglo-Saxon thinking her to be an evil Pakistan that was over in five The thanks must go to the culture has made on the Afghans imposter, had her banished from ○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ days and four matches. Unknown Russians, who are more adept at in recent times,” says Kamil the kingdom. Within hours, one to many in the cricketing world holding a volleyball ball than a Bangash, a columnist for of his queens suffered not only and blessed by the puritanical cricket ball. When the Russian Pakistan’s national dailyThe convulsions but delusions that Taliban leaders, Afghans who army came to Afghanistan in Nation. That is because the she too was possessed by the have never been heard of holding 1979, hundreds of thousands of cultural dimensions have changed spirit of the goddess. The a bat, battled on the playing fieldsAfghans fled the country, many with the influx of thousands of Summer Special Package worried king had a search made of Peshawar from 10-14 May in crossing in to neighbouring refugees, many of them young. for the girl and finding her the first-ever cricket tour by an Pakistan. They were housed in While they brought their own Per person for two nights on twin sharing basis NRS. 2400. declared her to be the Living Afghan team. They may have lost refugee camps that dotted the culture to Pakistan—including Goddess Kumari. The queen was this 40-over war of bat and ball frontier areas and Peshawar, the the traditional sportbuzkashi that Accommodation with Breakfast Round trip transportation (If required) immediately cured. A more to neighbouring Pakistan by threeprovincial capital. It was those Fruit basket & cookies in the room Welcome drinks on arrival colourful story has Jaya Prakash Afghan refugees who picked up Malla, the very same king, matches to one. But the one game 20% discount on food & beverage Escort for mini trek/hike Afghanistan won by five wickets the sport watching Pakistani and playing dice with the goddess A desolate and repentant King Jaya Prakash against a Federally Administered South Asian cricketers. Teleju, who appeared to him as a Tribal Areas team showed In South Asia cricket is an Children below 12 years sharing parents’ room free except meals. beautiful mortal after his Malla ordered a search for a suitable child. devotions. While they played, Package for Nepalese & Expats & valid till September 2001 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ she advised him on affairs of state, a happy and helpful night looked lustfully upon the herself would manifest. followed him to his rendezvous situation that would have goddess. In great wrath she A third, more human story, where the goddess saw her continued had not the king one announced she would never come has the goddess Teleju playing peeping from behind a curtain. Call: 560675 or 560775 to him again. Worse, she dice with King Jaya Prakash Mistaking the queen’s curiosity predicted that both the end of hisMalla as before, but herself for a betrayal of the king’s vow reign and the fall of his dynasty succumbing to a very ungodly never to tell anyone of their were at hand. When the king failing. One of the queens, meeting, the goddess Wet & Wild Summer begged humbly for forgiveness, growing suspicious of her immediately vanished. Appearing Every Saturday at Godavari Village Resort the goddess made a strange husband’s nightly disappearances to him in a dream that night she concession. The king was to informed the king that she would select a virgin child from a never return, but he would find Newari caste, proclaim her the her if he searched, in the guise of Living Goddess Kumari, and a virgin child of the Sakya class. worship her, for in this child she Whatever the legend, the consequence is the same. A MIN BAJRACHARYA desolate and repentant king at once ordered a search for a suitable child. When she was discovered with the help of his advisers and priests, King Jaya Prakash Malla had a fine dwelling built for her close to his palace and within sight of the temple to Teleju. There she was installed with LIVE with great ceremony and jubilation and Kantipur FM the king instituted a yearly jatra in 1pm - 2pm her honour. Perhaps, in the midst of all this joyful activity he forgot something very important. The goddess Teleju Bhawani’s prophecy; the loss of his kingdom A fun time awaits you this summer at Godavari Resort. Beat the heat and splash into the cool blue and the fall of his dynasty. pool. Then, enjoy the fascinating natural setting of the Resort while savouring a sumptuous Buffet Lunch. Good clean fun for the entire family - courtesy the Godavari Village Resort. And to further add to the excitement, starting 7th April, Kantipur FM will conduct and air a “LIVE” Village Resort program straight from our pool-side. So watch out, you just might be on air! Owned by: Greenwich Village Resort Hotel (P) Ltd.

Swimming with Buffet Lunch and a bottle of beer @ Rs. 600 + Tax for adults. (Excerpted with permission from Swimming with Buffet Lunch and bottle of soft drink @ Rs. 350 + Tax for children. World’s friendliest business accounting software In the Kingdom of the Gods, P.O.Box: 12446, Amarabati (Toukhel), Godavari, Lalitpur, Nepal. Tel: 560675, 560775. Fax: 977-1-560777. Corporate Office: P.O.Box 837, Kupondol Heights, Kathmandu, Nepal. 250780/251638 Harper Collins, 1994.) Tel: 521780, 522399, 527619. Fax: 977-1-526683. E-mail: [email protected] ~ Website: www.godavariresort.com.np gold-plated as before. “That is will work under the supervision of impossible right now,” says CITY 25 - 31 MAY 2001NEPALI TIMES 18 HERITAGE Punya Ratna Tuladhar, an old artisan 25 - 31 MAYHiranya 2001NEPALI Vaidya, TIMES the chief19 involved in renovating over a dozen as the pagodas suffered cracks and the archaeologist and conservation ABOUT TOWN BOOKWORM the temple. A similar pillar on the temples in the Valley. The artisans arecarved wooden beams fell off their expert on the south side carries a gold-plated statue busy copying the intricate designs and posts. Local residents voiced their Tripurasundari Restoration shapes of the once-splendid, now MOVIESMOVIESMOVIES The Rulings of the Night: An Ethnography of Nepalese Shaman Oral Texts supposedly of Queen Tripurasundari. concerns and sent in requests for the Concern Committee. The Tripurasundari sadly termite-infested woodwork. Gregory G Maskarinec TripurasundariFrom the south gate, the path curves restoration may not be complete, Nepali and Hindi moviesonline ticket booking at www.nepalshop.com department to do something, but to Mandala Book Point, Kathmandu, 2000 (Reprint) towards the Bagmati. According to the inscribed no avail. Finally this year, a Rs 3 but it is heartening to see such Rs 650 history, the temple was renovated in efforts on the rise in the city. EATING OUTOUTEATING Starting this month, the million budget was set aside for the This book, based on exceptional fieldwork, makes an important contribution to the Department of Archaeology has 1958. But mostly it was ignored, even project. The estimated 3000 sq ft Padharo Hukum Rajasthani Food Festival, traditional dances and music. Chefs Kanwarni anthropology of language and ritual. Maskarinec shows how the words themselves commissioned 12 woodworkers from span of the roofs would require more and Kanwar Vijay Singh Bedla of Udaipur. Complimentary starters. Until 27 May, 7-11.45pm, illuminate the play between shamanic prayers and social reality in the Nepal Himalaya. Bungamati to work on restoring the than Rs 10 million if they were to be Far Pavilion, Everest Hotel. 488100 middle portion of the temple. They Singapore Food Festival Special artists, entertainers, and musicians will perform. Daily The Great Arc: The Dramatic Tale of how India was Mapped draw for a couple—free trip on Singapore Airlines, two nights complimentary hoteland stay. Everest 24-27 was Named John Keay May, Hotel Yak and Yeti. 248999 HarperCollins Publishers, London, UK, 2000 Sekuwa (BBQ) Night Dwarika’s Hotel. Starters, meats, vegetarian selections, dessert,Rs 780 complementary drink. Traditional dance in lamplit Newari courtyard. Rs 699. FridayThe nights. 1,600 mile Great Indian Arc of the Meridian (1800-1850) was the longest 479488 measurement of the earth’s surface attempted. It made possible the maping of the subcontinent, the development of its roads, railways and telegraphs. It has defined India as Brunch with swimmingShangri La Kathmandu’s award-winning garden. Rs 700 + tax. we know it. 412999 Wet & Wild SummerSwimming in a cool pool and a buffet lunch. Saturdays at Godavari Buddhism: An Introduction and Guide Donald S Lopez Village Resort. Adults Rs 600, children Rs 350. Taxes extra. 560675, 560775 AllenLane Mango Tango Exotic mango desserts Hotel de l’Annapurna. All day, all food and beverage The Penguin Press, UK, 2001 outlets. Rs 1,300 Lopez explores different ways the final Buddhist goal of escaping death through the attainment of DANCEDANCEDANCE enlightenment: through meditation and devotion, or through simply recognising the Kilroy’s Bharatanatyam recital by Alarmel Valli. Passes available at: Embassy of India (413174), enlightenment that is within us. Full of miraculous and humorous Buddhist stories, this book Nepal-Bharat Sanskritik Kendra, (243497, 255414), Bhartiya Gorkha Sainik Niwas (413785, offers a fresh perspective on Buddhism. 414283), Indian Airlines, (429468), Chez Caroline (251647, 263070), Nepal Association of Fine Arts (411729), and Indigo Gallery, (413580). Friday, 25 May, 6pm. Royal Nepal AcademyThe Tibetan Hall Assimilation of Buddhism: Conversion, Contestation, and Memory Matthew T Kapstein MUSICMUSICMUSIC Oxford University Press, New York, 2000 Rs 1,500 2:001 For the Love of RockVibes Entertainment presents the third annual rock festival with Kapstein examines Tibet’s eighth century conversion to Buddhism, the tensions that arose out Robin and Looza, Flower Generation, Axata, Albatross, and Hybrid Pressurize. Scout as a tribute to Tripurasundari, the of competing lines of transmission and interpretation and the manner in which Buddhism SALIL SUBEDI Headquarters, Lainchour. Ticket Rs 200. 2 June. Go online and win free tickets at youngest wife of king Rana Bahadur penetrated Tibetan religious thought to become a core component of Tibetan identity. A NEPALI TIMES REPORT www.vibes.com.np ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Shah by Bhimsen Thapa, the queen’s here are many grand ancient prime minister who also built EVENTSEVENTSEVENTS temples in Kathmandu Valley. Dharahara. The temple reeks of raw But thousands of Kathmanduites masculinity, with its numerous images Fanta Grand FunFair Organised by Godavari Alumni Association and Cohort. Mind blowing Courtesy Mandala Book Point, Kantipath t have forgone these wondrous of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu and live music, action packed games and tongue tickling dishes. 1,2,3 June. Jawalakhel Ground. CLASSIFIED reminders of the past to live in a Bhairab. On the north flank of the Stress Free Weekends Overnight stay at the Hyatt, dinner for two at the Rox Restaurant, concrete jungle.Tripurasundari , the courtyard is a huge green metal use of pool, health club, spa and outdoor jacuzzi, ayurvedic massage for two, weekendVisit The brunch, New Bishalnagar Nursery ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ metal top, original paint, AC. Ring Joshi at Shiva temple flanked by the eye trident next to a statue of a nude late check out Sunday. Rs 9000 plus tax. Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu. 491234 for flowers you will not find elsewhere! Just233040. hospital in Tripureswor (which standing Shiva, unlike the usual Pheri Jaun Hai Pokhara Free airfare, room, breakfast, airport transport, use of healthtwo clubminutes from Bishalnagar Chowk on the derives its name from the temple) on lingam. The west side has two bulls and lots more. Rs 1500 for Nepalis, $45 for expats. Shangri La Hotel & Resort; Dhumvarahi Road. Specialties of the season:Fuschias in many colours and Brand new CompaqCompaq PC Deskpro one side and the Bagmati river on standing upon a stone pillar balanced [email protected], 435741 another, is one such relic—thankfully,on the back of a huge stone tortoise. varieties, young plants of early-fruiting PIII, 33MHz, 10GB hard drive, 64 RAM memory, Spiny Babbler MuseumReadings and presentations of contemporary Nepali literatureGerman and vine, and many others. 40xmultimedia, 4MB RAM, 15” S510 colour being brought back to life. On this pillar is carved the history of art Sundays 5-6pm Kathmandu Guest House, Thamel; Tuesdays 4-5pm Kathmandu monitor, 56K int’l fax modem. Three-year The Malla-style three-storey Environment Education Project, Thamel; Thursdays 7-8pm Bamboo Club Restaurant, Thamel, warranty. Singh Computers. 243971. pagoda temple was built 150 years ago Saturdays 5-6pm New Orleans Café, Thamel. [email protected]. 542810, 546725 To let EXHIBITIONEXHIBITIONEXHIBITION Fully furnished apartment, three bedrooms,Meditative Living Lifetime opportunity to two baths, spacious living-dining, kitchen, explore your inner being and find the source HAPPENINGS phone line, terrace overlooking garden. If Bodies have VoicesFrom the Street: Kathmandu 1985-1995. of peace, joy, love. Art of Living classes, Photographs by Wayne Amtzis. 25 May-7 June. Amtzis reads from his Peaceful surroundings, near Jawalakhel Zoo. 524389. meditation, music, dance, Satsang, Osho’s collection City on His Back. 3 June, 4pm. Siddhartha Art Gallery. 411122 discourses on audio/ video. Oshodham Mani: Jewelled Words of Tibetan-Buddhism on Flags, Wheels, Resorts, Chitwan National Park. 056-80067/ 80134. [email protected] and Stones Fulbright Scholar Katherine Anne Paul’s research on the Suzuki jeep for saleVery good condition, popular use and manufacture of Tibetan religious artefacts in Nepal. 1987 model, 4WD, 1300 cc engine, high roof Until 2 June. Bamboo Gallery, Panipokhari. 412507 For insertions ring NT Marketing at 543333-36.

SPORTSSPORTSSPORTS MIN BAJRACHARYA MIN St. Xavier’s School Golden Jubilee Walkathon26 May. YAK YETI YAK by MIKU Participation open to all. St. Xavier’s School Jawalakhel. 26 May 8am. Reporting time 7.45am. 5th Nepal Mountain Bike Championship. Nepal’s oldest annual national mountain bike race. Winner will qualify forth theAsian 7 Mountain Bike Championship in Seoul, Korea in October. 26 May. Race starts at 8 am. Venue: Gairi Gaon west of Swayambhu. TONI IN NEPALI: Toni Hagen’s classic book on the geography and geology of Nepal (first published in 1960) is now out in Nepali. Hagen autographing the book at the launch on 18 May. Carlsberg MARTIN CHAUTARI Classic Literature Discussion SeriesRamesh 6: Vikal’s “Naya Sadak ko Geet” Govinda Vartaman and Manjushree Thapa 29 May, 5.30pm, Martin Chautari, Thapathali. Unless otherwise noted, presentations are in Nepali. [email protected]. 246065

For inclusion in the listing send information to [email protected] NEPALI WEATHER byNGAMINDRA DAHAL

Take a look at that interesting cyclonic storm moving BAJRACHARYA MIN into the west coast of India—the precursor to the first monsoon showers currently lashing Kerala. The north- westerly fronts over the Himalaya have now come on FM 102.4 under the spell of this system and the clouds from the Tibetan plateau are being pulled away—hence the DSES- 23-05-2001 0300 GMT drop in precipitation last week. The present scenario will continue until we begin to see the effect of the THE FUTURE: Twelve-year-old Kelzong Dorjee of Bhutan addressing the Mon-Fri 0615-0645 BBC World Today Arabian Sea system over the weekend in the form of opening of a High Level South Asian Meeting on Child Survival organised by showers and thunderstorms. The tug-o-war between UNICEF at the Soaltee Crowne Plaza on 22 May. Sat 0615-0645 BBCnce Scie in Action the westerlies and the moisture-laden winds from the south-east is beginning. The westerlies are still winning out. The monsoon will start when these winds Sun 0615-0645 BBC Agenda from the Bay of Bengal become too strong to resist. All indications are that it will be a healthy monsoon, and Daily 2045-2115 BBCg] kfnL ;]jf]] will start mid-June in central Nepal. Daily 2245-2300 BBCg] kfnL ;]jf]]

Radio Sagarmatha KATHMANDU P.O. Box 6958, Bakhundole, Lalitpur, Nepal Tel: ++977-1-545680, 545681 Fax: ++ 977-1- Fri530227 Sat Sun Mon Tue E-mail: [email protected] MURLI AND VOOGEL: India’s Minister of Human Resource Development, www.radiosagarmatha.org Murli Manohar Joshi is welcomed at the Regal Suite of Soaltee Crown Plaza by the General Manager, Stefan W Voogel. 29-17 28-17 28-18 29-18 27-17 original, which was sung by 20 25Kamala - 31 MAY Shrestha—the 2001NEPALI TIMES recording was badly preserved—but a new version by Manila Sotang, Under My Hat NEPALI SOCIETY arranged by Prakash Gurung. Renchin says, “This project synergy. In four short months, fulfils my urge to share our by Kunda Dixit Nind ko pari was made, and dreams—Gopal’s and mine—with animation was back in Nepal. the rest of the world, especially with innocent children who are Says Dipendra Gauchan, born into an environment filled ince all private and public toilets throughout the kingdom are director of the video: “We with strife, misery and going to be closed 27, 28, 29 and 31 May, this is as good a (animation artists) were trying todeprivation. My mission in life is time as any to think about who you want to nominate for the get back together, and when thisto create beautiful environments s project came about, it became a Bedtimeto provide food for the soul.” The Annual Most-Authentic Loo in Nepal Contest. The organisers have turning point for all of us. For crew seems to have caught her their septic tanks overflowing with aspirants for the coveted Golden Nepal, this is a milestone in enthusiasm. They say they Potty award—the highest honour a john can be bestowed in this land. animation incorporating artwork,wanted to bring back to us, and This year’s contest has taken on added significance because the whole live shots and computer graphics.”to children’s literature and art in About a decade ago a GTZ this country, an appreciation for country is going down the toilet, and also because the contest is being project brought together 16 officially sponsored by the Nepal Tourism Board’s “Amazing Nepal” life, for the joy in everyday tasks. animation artists to create The video, launched 25 May to Campaign. cartoons for Nepal Television. mark Gopal Yonzan’s fourth Our tourism industry has finally woken up to the importance of They’re still the only trained death anniversary, will be aired animators in Nepal, but they’ve Dharahara, pagoda temple tops, on Space Time’s Channel bathrooms in boosting visitor arrivals. The Nepali loo could prove to not had much work after the project Swayambhu, dotted with lush Nepal, and Renchin also plans be an enormous draw, especially for Indian visitors fleeingloo the in expired. And now,Nind as ko pari plants, chirping birds, jumping fish, to travel to different schools in the torrid Indo-Gangetic plains every summer. (Best slogan entry: and hopping frogs is visualised puts children to bed, it may wakethe Valley with the film. “That fantastic Kathmandu night.around a lullaby composed by theup a new generation to the way I can also interact with the Soothing background late Gopal Yonzan when his firstpossibilities of animation. The children, hear their remarks and music as the camera trailschild was born in 1970. Interest-animators are the artist couple share my views,” she says. a ingly this child, Shrijana YonzanSudarshan and Sunita Rana, Kriti over the city and angles down to Keshar Joshi, Rajesh Rajkarnikar a small house—a Disney-ish Singh, plays mother to her own two and Rajendra Rana. The live shots version of a typical Nepali daughters in this live-animation, were filmed by Manod Shrestha, village house. And this is whereNind it ko pari (Angel of dream). This and the film is edited by Bina begins, the story of Nunu, a fairywould have died out, like so many Gauchan and Ram Prasad Joshi. Faeces of from the moon who sprinkles 30 year old dreams, but for the will And the song? Not, sadly, the sleep dust over the city. But and vision of Renchin Yonzan, Nunu hasn’t arrived yet, and theGopal’s wife, who ignored time and two little sisters who live here, budget constraints to undertake Navashree and Navistha, are what many might have said was an playing with their mother impossible task. She raised the Rs Nepal Shrijana, and asking her to tell700,000 this project cost and got them a story. And so she does,together teama with great bringing them Nunu to make them happy and sleepy. This colourful five minute “Visit Nepal: Our loos are journey through silhouettes of cooler”). The criteria for entering your favourite loo are quite simple, really. Fill out the application form, taking care to provide as much graphic detail as possible about why you think your nominee is eligible, paying special attention to its bouquet (for example: sulphurous and cholera-like, with a musky aftertaste). Olfactory attributes are measured in radial units: the radius from the epicentre at which the WC in question can still cure a person with chronic sinusitis. This year’s entries once more includes the toilet at Nepalgunj Airport which was disqualified last year because it had bagged the Golden Potty ten years in a row and it would not be fair to the other candidates. The Authority on Civil Aviation in The Golden Potty Nepal, which has a nose for these things, has tried its best to keep the ammonia content at Nepalgunj airport roughly in the same parts per million concentration as the atmosphere of the Jupiter moon, Ganymede. But recent visitors have reported that standards in Nepalgunj are dropping. No longer does the ethereal, durian-like odour of deceased oysters assail the nostrils of dear and departing Thompson passengers. Our national flag carrier has been offering a special promo to give visitors a whiff of Nepal even before they get here. Returning Nepali passengers immediately feel at home in the cabin aroma at Gatwick itself. Tourists leaving Nepal are also given a final reminder of the sights and smells they are leaving behind when they visit the men’s room of the Tribhuvan International Airport Departure Lounge. One way to measure if the john you are nominating is up to mark is to carry out the fool-proof canary test. In recent trials, for instance, a caged canary was asphyxiated with methane poisoning inside the VIP bathroom of the Central Secretariat of His Majesty’s Government at the Singha Darbar. Another strong contender for this year’s award is the toilet at Bir Hospital’s Out-Patient Department, where a lake has recently formed because of dam construction involving certain unidentified floating objects. In the nearby ENT ward patients have been miraculously cured. This year’s Golden Potty award promises to be an exciting gala event at the Royal Nepal Academy Hall, which has my own favourite for this year’s contest: a urinal with an arsenal of pisspots each with a warhead in the 20-25 megaton range.

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