DOCSLIB.ORG

The Maoist Insurgency in Nepal: a Monograph

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Maoist Insurgency in Nepal: a Monograph THE MAOIST INSURGENCY IN NEPAL: A MONOGRAPH CAUSES, IMPACT AND AVENUES OF RESOLUTION Edited by Shambhu Ram Simkhada and Fabio Oliva Foreword by Daniel Warner Geneva, March 2006 Cover Pictures – clockwise from the top: 1) King Gyanendra of Nepal; 2) Madhav Kumar Nepal, leader of the CPN-UML Party; 3) A popular peace rally; 4) Girija Prasad Koirala, President of the Nepali Congress party; 5) The Maoist leadership; 6) The Maoist People’s Liberation Army (PLA); 7) A political rally of the Seven-party Alliance in Kathmandu; 8) Soldiers from Royal Nepal Army (RNA). This publication has been possible thanks to the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Bern, and is part of a larger project on the “Causes of Internal Conflicts and Means to Resolve Them: Nepal a Case Study” mandated and sponsored by the SDC in May 2003. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the PSIO. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means - electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording or otherwise - without the prior permission of the Institut universitaire de hautes études internationales (HEI) Copyright 2006, IUHEI, CH-Geneva 2 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS __________________________________________________________________________________ LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.................................................................................. 5 FOREWORD....................................................................................................... 7 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................... 9 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER 1: Locating the 'Structural Causes’ of the Maoist Struggle............... 19 CHAPTER 2: Proximate Causes of Conflict in Nepal ......................................... 62 CHAPTER 3: The Role of the Media in Nepal ................................................. 104 CHAPTER 4: Development Cooperation and Conflict..................................... 135 CHAPTER 5: Peace Process and Negotiation in Nepal..................................... 175 CHAPTER 6: A Vision of Democracy, Peace and Prosperity............................. 205 INDEX ............................................................................................................ 230 4 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS __________________________________________________________________________________ ADB Asian Development Bank APF Armed Police Force BOGs Basic Operating Guidelines CCOMPOSA Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties & Organisations of South Asia CIAA Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority CNAS Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies CPN (M) Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) CPN-UML Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) CRZ Compact Revolutionary Zone DDC District Development Committee DFAE Swiss Department for Foreign Affairs DFID Department for International Development (British government) EU European Union GTZ German Technical Co-operation HEI Graduate Institute of International Studies (Geneva) HMGN His Majesty's Government of Nepal ICG International Crisis Group IDP Internally Displaced Person IISDP Integrated Internal Security and Development Programme IHDP Integrated Hill Development Project IMF International Monetary Fund JICA Japan International Co-operation Agency MLM Marxist-Leninist-Mao-thought MTEF Medium Term Expenditure Framework NC Nepali Congress (Party) 5 NC (D) Nepali Congress (Democratic) ND New Democracy NDF Nepal Development Forum NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NRM Natural Resource Management NHRC National Human Rights Commission PMRD Popular Movement for the restoration of Democracy PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper PSIO Program for the Study of International Organisation(s) PW People's War RIM Revolutionary Internationalist Movement RNA Royal Nepal Army RPP Rashtriya Prajatantra Party RRR Reconciliation, Reform and Reconstruction SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation SPA Seven-Party Alliance TADA Terrorist & Disruptive Activities Ordinance (control & punishment) Act TADO Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Ordinance UF United Front (Maoist political wing) ULF United Left Front UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UPF United People’s Front USAID United States Agency for International Development VDC Village Development Committee WB World Bank 6 FOREWORD Daniel Warner1 ___________________________________________________________________________ The Program for the Study of International Organisation(s) (PSIO) of the Graduate Institute of International Studies (HEI) was launched in 1994. Over the past decade, the PSIO has functioned as an umbrella organization for a wide range of activities from conferences to publications to training programs to outreach activities. These activities are all related to the field of international organization(s) and serve in one way or another to promote the reputation of the Graduate Institute, Geneva and Switzerland. The PSIO was founded with the aim of harkening back to the original mandate of the Graduate Institute of International Studies as a venue to contribute to peace and security. Geneva, as the world center for multilateral diplomacy and the Graduate Institute as the second oldest institution for the study of international relations in Europe, have a privileged vantage point from which to carry out numerous projects. The PSIO had been fortunate to be able to expand its activities geographically as it continues to be of special service to the Swiss Government and Geneva. During the past years our activities have included projects in the Caucasus, Tajikistan, Algeria, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Much of this work has moved from merely academics, research and training, to work involving peacebuilding and, to some extent, even peace- negotiation. In the last decade, the Kingdom of Nepal has been affected by a complex conflict. On 13 February 1996 the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) – or CPN (M) – launched a “people’s war” aimed at replacing the monarchy with a communist republic. In 10 years more than 13,000 lives have been lost, mostly civilians. Thousands of people have been displaced – either directly or indirectly – by the conflict. Cities have become overcrowded and the quality of life in the rural areas has deteriorated. This Monograph is part of a larger inquiry and a long process. In June 2003, the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC) mandated the PSIO and the Graduate Institute of 1 PSIO Executive Director – Graduate Institute of International Studies (HEI), Geneva 7 International Studies (HEI) to carry out a study on the “Causes of Internal Conflicts and Means to Resolve Them: Case Study of Nepal”. The research team, under the supervision of an International Advisory Team, carried out extensive research in Nepal during 2003 and 2004. A two-day workshop was organized in Nepal on 22 and 23 February 2004. The preliminary drafts of the research papers commissioned to some Nepali scholars were presented and they received the comments from a varied and competent audience. The report was then presented in Geneva in April 2004 and again in Nepal in May 2004. A Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography (CAB) on the Maoist insurgency in Nepal has also been prepared and published in November 2005. This Monograph comes therefore at the end of an inclusive and long process. Practitioners and experts on Nepalese affairs will hopefully benefit from this comprehensive endeavor. At the same time, the general audience will also have the opportunity to know and become more familiar with the history, the actors and the dynamics of a very particular armed conflict that has yet to receive the deserved attention. 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS _________________________________________________________________________________ I express my sincere appreciation to a number of individuals and institutions for making this publication possible. The inspiration and support to this study by Ambassador Walter Fust, Head of the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC), is a reflection of his desire to assist developing societies prevent and mitigate internal conflicts so that the objectives of the rights-based approach to development can be achieved. I must also express appreciation to others in the South-East Asia Division of SDC, in particular the Head of the Division Mr. Walter Meyer, Mr. Markus Schäfer, Ms. Catherine Favre and Laure-Anne Courdesse as well as Dr. Jörg Frieden, Director of the SDC Nepal Office and Mr Marcel Von Arx responsible for Governance Desk in Kathmandu for their cooperation. I owe a special appreciation to Dr. Daniel Warner, PSIO Executive Director, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva for the Visiting Fellowship at the Institute and for the opportunity to lead this particular study and this publication. I have greatly enjoyed working with a distinguished group of scholars in the International Advisory Team consisting of Prof. Nicholas Haysom from South Africa, Prof. Liz Philipson from the UK and Prof. Astri Suhrke from Norway. I am also thankful to Dr. Günther Baechler the Special Adviser for Peacebuilding in Nepal, Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Seven distinguished Nepalese scholars, Prof. Chaitanya Mishra, Prof. Dhruba Kumar, Bharat Dutta Koirala, Dr. Ratna Rana, Dr. Sharad
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Civil Society in Uncivil Places: Soft State and Regime Change in Nepal
    48 About this Issue Recent Series Publications: Policy Studies 48 Policy Studies Policy This monograph analyzes the role of civil Policy Studies 47 society in the massive political mobilization Supporting Peace in Aceh: Development and upheavals of 2006 in Nepal that swept Agencies and International Involvement away King Gyanendra’s direct rule and dra- Patrick Barron, World Bank Indonesia matically altered the structure and character Adam Burke, London University of the Nepali state and politics. Although the opposition had become successful due to a Policy Studies 46 strategic alliance between the seven parlia- Peace Accords in Northeast India: mentary parties and the Maoist rebels, civil Journey over Milestones Places in Uncivil Society Civil society was catapulted into prominence dur- Swarna Rajagopalan, Political Analyst, ing the historic protests as a result of nation- Chennai, India al and international activities in opposition to the king’s government. This process offers Policy Studies 45 new insights into the role of civil society in The Karen Revolution in Burma: Civil Society in the developing world. Diverse Voices, Uncertain Ends By focusing on the momentous events of Ardeth Maung Thawnghmung, University of the nineteen-day general strike from April Massachusetts, Lowell 6–24, 2006, that brought down the 400- Uncivil Places: year-old Nepali royal dynasty, the study high- Policy Studies 44 lights the implications of civil society action Economy of the Conflict Region within the larger political arena involving con- in Sri Lanka: From Embargo to Repression ventional actors such as political parties, trade Soft State and Regime Muttukrishna Sarvananthan, Point Pedro unions, armed rebels, and foreign actors.
    [Show full text]
  • Jay Friedman LOCATION: Nepal TIME PERIOD: 20 Mar – 1 April 1973
    TITLE: Trekking for Smallpox in Nepal AUTHOR: Jay Friedman LOCATION: Nepal TIME PERIOD: 20 Mar – 1 April 1973 ROLE: Outbreak investigation FOREWORD In Nepal, as is well-known, the mountainous terrain made for many logistical and administrative difficulties in smallpox eradication. Conversely, from 1972 onward Nepal Smallpox Eradication Program (SEP) staff were present in all 75 districts of the country, which helped ensure that surveillance and containment of the few outbreaks that occurred in some of the mountainous areas would be well done. One of the best examples of this was an outbreak in Jurali Village, Latamandu Panchayat, Doti District, Seti Zone in early 1973. (At the time Nepal was divided into four Regions, 14 Zones (“Anchal” in Nepali), 75 districts and, within each district, a number of "panchayats", which in turn are sub-divided into nine wards and a number of villages.) A total of 13 days were spent going to and returning from the outbreak area by Dr. Benu Bahadur Karki, several members of a surveillance team and me. The story is as follows: THE TALE The SEP office in Kathmandu was notified of the outbreak via a telegram from our district office in the town of Silgadi Doti. Because Doti District is in the remote western hills of Nepal and difficult to reach from Kathmandu, my boss, Dr. M. Sathianathan (known to one and all as Sathy), persuaded his boss, the WHO Representative Dr. Peter Kim, to charter an airplane to transport us there. On March 20, 1973, at 12.30 PM, Dr. Karki, the surveillance team and I left for Doti in a Pilatus Porter of Royal Nepal Airlines.
    [Show full text]
  • Unicef Nepal
    -.;*• la 8 2 2 N P 7 5 '\ gà| UNICEF NEPAL WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY By S. Radojicic •••-• <*, 1975 LIB RA a Y !»<; • ¿I Roiere'iee Centre for GuiiiiM unity VVaier Supply WATER SUPPLY MD SANITATION SECTOR STUDY - NEPAL NP I'S WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY by S. RODOJICIC UNICEF Hy&rodeologist 1975 Li;:-- •' tnj -: • ••.•..V¡..*¡ t , ; :• . ,¡w »'.;•<;f- supply CONTENTS SUMMARY 1 - V RECOMMENDATIONS VI - IX INTRODUCTION ...,..,,, 1 1. SURFACE WATER OCCURRENCES „(liijàt ! 2. GROUND WATER OCCURRENCES ,..***,*. 5 2.1. Mountain complex ..............,..,........*.****,»*«** 5 2.1.1. High Himalayas *..*..*.. 6 2.1.2. Midland Zone 7 2.1.3. Mahabharat Range 13 2.1.4. Churia Hills „,., 14 2.2. Terai Region 15 2.2.1. Eastern Terai 17 2.2.2. Central Terai 18 2.3-2. Western Terai 19 2.2.3.1. Lumbini Zone 19 2.2.3.2. .Bkeri Zone 22 2.2.3.3. Seti-Mahakali Zone 24 3. FEASIBILITY OF TAPPING GROUND WATER IN THE TJ3RAI BY SHlJjLOW TUBE WELLS 24 3.1. Hydrogeological Conditions 26 3.2. Drilling Method and Equipment Required 29 3.3. Well Design, Construction and Cost .....30 4. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THE WATER RESOURCES EXPLORATION AND EXPLOITATION . .*, 35 4.1. Water Supply and Sewerage Board ,.35 4.2. Water Supply and Sewerage Department 36 4.3. Remote Area and Local Development Department 39 4.4. Ground Water Section 40 4.5. Nepal Resettlement Co ,42 4.6 Constractors Service Available in Nepal ...4...42 REFERENCES SUMMARY x I. In Nepal there are real feasibilities the water supply of people to be settled by developing two water resources: surface and ground waters.
    [Show full text]
  • Hazardous Waste Policy Study for Nepal Project Number: 38401 August 2010
    Technical Assistance Consultant’s Report Hazardous Waste Policy Study for Nepal Project Number: 38401 August 2010 Managing Hazardous Wastes (Financed by the Asian Development Bank Technical Assistance Funding Program) Prepared by Amar B. Manandhar Kathmandu, Nepal For the Asian Development Bank This consultant’s report does not necessarily reflect the views of ADB or the Government concerned, and ADB and the Government cannot be held liable for its contents. Final Report on Hazardous Waste Policy Study (Nepal) Submitted to Environment Division Ministry of Environment Singh Durbar, Kathmandu Submitted by Amar B. Manandhar Policy Specialist/National Consultant (ADB TA 6361 (REG) – S 16762) 39, Anamnagar, Kathmandu - 32, Nepal P. O. Box - 8973 NPC 410 Telephone: 00 977 1 4228555, Fax: 00 977 1 4238339 Email: [email protected] August 2010 RETA 6361 REG Managing Hazardous Wastes Nepal Hazardous Waste Policy Study Report ABBREVIATIONS % - Percent 0C - Degree Celseus 3R - Three R – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle ADB - Asian Development Bank APO - Asian Productivity Organization CA - Constitutional Assembly CBS - Central Bureau of Statistics CNI - Confederation of Nepalese Industries CP - Cleaner Production Cu. m. - Cubic Meter DOHS - Department of Health Services EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EMS - Environmental Management System EPA - Environmental Protection Act EPR - Environmental Protection Regulation ESM - Environmental Standards and Monitoring FNCCI - Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry FNCSI - Federation of Nepalese
    [Show full text]
  • Kanchanpur District
    District Transport Master Plan (DTMP) For Kanchanpur District ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Government of Nepal District Transport Master Plan (DTMP) of Kanchanpur District Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads (DOLIDAR) District Development Committee, Kanchanpur Volume I Final Report January. 2016 Prepared by: Project Research and Engineering Associates for the District Development Committee (DDC) and District Technical Office (DTO), with Technical Assistance from the Department of Local Infrastructure and Agricultural Roads (DOLIDAR), Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development and grant supported by DFID through Rural Access Programme (RAP3). District Transport Master Plan (DTMP) For Kanchanpur District ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Project Research and Engineering Associates 1 District Transport Master Plan (DTMP) For Kanchanpur District ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Project Research and Engineering Associates Lagankhel, Lalitpur Phone: 5539607 Email: [email protected]
    [Show full text]
  • Nepal, November 2005
    Library of Congress – Federal Research Division Country Profile: Nepal, November 2005 COUNTRY PROFILE: NEPAL November 2005 COUNTRY Formal Name: Kingdom of Nepal (“Nepal Adhirajya” in Nepali). Short Form: Nepal. Term for Citizen(s): Nepalese. Click to Enlarge Image Capital: Kathmandu. Major Cities: According to the 2001 census, only Kathmandu had a population of more than 500,000. The only other cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants were Biratnagar, Birgunj, Lalitpur, and Pokhara. Independence: In 1768 Prithvi Narayan Shah unified a number of states in the Kathmandu Valley under the Kingdom of Gorkha. Nepal recognizes National Unity Day (January 11) to commemorate this achievement. Public Holidays: Numerous holidays and religious festivals are observed in particular regions and by particular religions. Holiday dates also may vary by year and locality as a result of the multiple calendars in use—including two solar and three lunar calendars—and different astrological calculations by religious authorities. In fact, holidays may not be observed if religious authorities deem the date to be inauspicious for a specific year. The following holidays are observed nationwide: Sahid Diwash (Martyrs’ Day; movable date in January); National Unity Day and birthday of Prithvi Narayan Shah (January 11); Maha Shiva Ratri (Great Shiva’s Night, movable date in February or March); Rashtriya Prajatantra Diwash (National Democracy Day, movable date in February); Falgu Purnima, or Holi (movable date in February or March); Ram Nawami (Rama’s Birthday, movable date in March or April); Nepali New Year (movable date in April); Buddha’s Birthday (movable date in April or May); King Gyanendra’s Birthday (July 7); Janai Purnima (Sacred Thread Ceremony, movable date in August); Children’s Day (movable date in August); Dashain (Durga Puja Festival, movable set of five days over a 15-day period in September or October); Diwali/Tihar (Festival of Lights and Laxmi Puja, movable set of five days in October); and Sambhidhan Diwash (Constitution Day, movable date in November).
    [Show full text]
  • Final Evaluation Combating Exploitive Child Labor Through Education in Nepal: Naya Bato Naya Paila Project -New Path New Steps
    FINAL (AFTER COMMENTS) Independent Final Evaluation Combating Exploitive Child Labor through Education in Nepal: Naya Bato Naya Paila Project -New Path New Steps- USDOL Cooperative Agreement No: IL-19513-09-75-K Report prepared by: Dr. Martina Nicolls April 2013 Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................ v LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................... vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... 1 Country Context ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Relevance: Shifting Project Priorities ................................................................................................................... 1 Effectiveness ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 Efficiency .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 Impact .................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Sustainability .......................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Participant I Directory
    PARTICIPANT I DIRECTORY FY 1974-1978 SUPPLEMENT, JANUARY 1979 UPDATED, SEPTEMBER 1985 PARTICIPANT DIRECTORY 1974 - 1978 UPDATED 1985 Table of Contents Page Number Section ... ... ... ... ... ... ... i Preface ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ii List of Acronyms ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... A-i Alphabetical Index of Participants ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... G-I Geographical Location of Participants by Area of Training ... ... ... ... U-i ... ...*... ... ... ... Brief Description of the Survey and Utilization Tally Summary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1-1 Principal Listing of Participants : Code 100, Agriculture and Natural Resources ... ... ... 2-1 Code 200, Industry and Mining* ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3-1 Code 300, Transportation ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5-1 Code 500, Health aud Sanitation ... ... ... ...... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6-1 Code 600, Education ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7-1 Code 700, Public Administration ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8-1 Code 800, Community Development ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... 9-i Code 900, Miscellaneous* ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... * No participants are listed under these two codes. Pre face This volume updates the USAID/Nepal Participant Directory covering the period FY 1974- FY 1978. In this edition, the "Home Address", "Training Period" where necessary, "Present
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study of Sarki People from Naubise Vdc of Dhading District
    16 Occasional Papers, Vol 11 SOCIO-CULTURAL SUBJECTIVITIES OF LANDLESSNESS IN NEPAL: A CASE STUDY OF SARKI PEOPLE FROM NAUBISE VDC OF DHADING DISTRICT Jailab Rai * Introduction Land is a primary resource for an agrarian economy in underdeveloped countries like Nepal. More than 85 percent of Nepal’s population lives in rural areas and more than 60 percent of the economically active population is involved in agriculture (HMG, 2003). Rapid population growth and increasing pressure on land resources to earn the much needed calorie is a major challenge in the country (Graner, 1997). In this context, the study of landlessness remains an important aspect of national agenda (Shrestha, 2001), particularly in the national inclusion process (Gurung, 2006). Moreover, the study of landlessness has become a policy debate and an issue of concern in the debates on national economic development (Shrestha, 2001). The sociological and anthropological understanding of landlessness has its own importance since it requires the analysis of cultural dimensions (Caplan, 1970 and 1972) as socio-cultural subjectivities in a historical context. The access to land resources or landlessness is an important social issue, which can be linked with social and cultural aspects of landless people as socio-cultural subjectivities in drawing out the implication of their access to land resources. This study deals with the socio-cultural subjectivities of landlessness with a focus on the Sarki people in the central hills of Nepal who are among the extremely marginalized groups of people in terms of the access and ownership to land resources. It reviews the process of * Jailab Rai holds M.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study on Nepali Modernity in the First Half of Twentieth Century A
    Pathak 1 Tribhuvan University Modernist Imagination in Nepal: A Study on Nepali Modernity in the First Half of Deepak Kumar Deepak Pathak 2017 Twentieth Century A thesis submitted to the Central Department of English for the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Philosophy in English odernity in theCentury First in odernity Half – Twentieth of By Deepak Kumar Pathak Central Department of English Kirtipur, Kathmandu April 2017 Modernist Imagination in Nepal: Nepali A Study on M Pathak 2 Tribhuvan University Central Department of English Letter of Recommendation This is to certify that Mr. Deepak Kumar Pathak has completed this thesis entitled "Modernist Imagination in Nepal: A Study on Nepali Modernity in the First Half of 20th Century" under my supervision. He has prepared this thesis for the partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Master of Philosophy in Arts (English) from Tribhuvan University. I recommend this for viva voce. ____________________ Dr. Abhi Narayan Subedi, Professor Central Department of English Tribhuvan University Kathmandu, Nepal Pathak 3 Tribhuvan University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Letter of Approval This thesis titled "Modernist Imagination in Nepal: A Study on Nepali Modernity in the First Half of Twentieth Century" submitted to the Central Department of English, Tribhuvan University, Mr. Deepak Kumar Pathak has been approved by undersigned members of the research committee. Members of Research Committee: Internal Examiner ____________________ Dr. Abhi Narayan Subedi, Professor External Examiner ____________________ Dr. Ananda Sharma, Professor Head of Department Central Department of English, TU ____________________ Dr. Ammaraj Joshi, Professor Pathak 4 Acknowledgements I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my Guru and supervisor Professor Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Print Media in Nepal Since 1990: Impressive Growth and Institutional Challenges
    THE PRINT MEDIA IN NEPAL SINCE 1990: IMPRESSIVE GROWTH AND INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES Pratyoush Onta The Print Boom Until early 1990, when the king-led Panchayat System gasped for its final breath, the most powerful media in Nepal were all state-owned. The two most important daily newspapers, Gorkhapatra (in Nepali) and The Rising Nepal (in English), were published by Gorkhapatra Sansthan, a ‘corporation’ under government control. Similarly, Radio Nepal and Nepal Television (NTV), both also owned by the state, had complete monopoly over the electronic media. The non-state media was confined to weekly newspapers owned by private individuals, most of whom were affiliated to one or another banned political party.1 Then came the People’s Movement in the spring of 1990, which put an end to absolute monarchy and the Panchayat system. Due to a confluence of several factors, the demise of the Panchayat, of course, being the most significant, media was the one sector which recorded massive growth during the decade of the 1990s – growth seen not only quantitatively but also qualitatively. By the end of 2001, the media scenario was unrecognisable to those who only knew Nepal from the earlier era. And the most dramatic changes came in print and radio. This article deals with the growth in print media, especially the commercial press.2 1 For various aspects of media during the Panchayat years see Baral (1975), Khatri (1976), Royal Press Commission (2038 v.s.), Verma (1988), Wolf et al. (1991), Nepal (2057 v.s.) and Rai (2001). 2 Although the state-owned Radio Nepal continues to be the most powerful media in Nepal with a communication infrastructure unmatched by any other institution, there has been a phenomenal growth in independent FM radio.
    [Show full text]
  • Nepal's Constitutional Process
    NEPAL’S CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS Asia Report N°128 – 26 February 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................. i I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 II. THE END OF THE 1990 CONSTITUTION ............................................................... 2 A. IN WITH A BANG ...................................................................................................................2 B. SECOND THOUGHTS ..............................................................................................................3 C. OUT WITH A WHIMPER..........................................................................................................3 III. THE INTERIM CONSTITUTION............................................................................... 5 A. THE INTERIM CONSTITUTION DRAFTING COMMITTEE ...........................................................5 1. Process .......................................................................................................................5 2. Public participation....................................................................................................6 3. Substance ...................................................................................................................6 4. Lessons ......................................................................................................................7 B. THE FINAL DOCUMENT .........................................................................................................7
    [Show full text]