#288 3 - 9 March 2006 16 pages Rs 30 Growing up in a war KASHISH DAS SHRESTHA

FOUR YEARS OLDER: Last week, this young Maoist teenager in Budagaun in Rolpa (left) displayed one of the socket bombs in his backpack to a visiting journalist. Four years ago, he was only 14 (NT #124).

TOM FARRELL Donors divided s the conflict shows signs of nearing a climax in the coming month, Nepal’s major donors are embroiled in a row among themselves A and with the government over new aid that could be seen as support for an autocratic regime. Most bilateral donors have frozen aid since the king’s February coup and say they will not add new aid until he restores democracy. They argue the king’s move has made it more difficult to find a political solution to the insurgency. However, multilateral lenders like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank argue that the Nepali people should not be punished for the king’s power grab and say they are mandated to continue supporting infrastructure and development projects. The long-simmering row has now broken out in the open. Meanwhile, the royal regime itself has locked horns with Switzerland and Britain over their new $5 million project to support democracy and human rights. Under pressure from its intelligence services, the government is threatening to scrap the project which it calls a ploy to channel money to opposition political parties. Full coverage p4

Weekly Internet Poll # 288 Q... Do you agree with US Ambassador James Moriarty’s recent comments about the Maoists? Total votes:6,245

Weekly Internet Poll # 289. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q... Is Nepal being left behind by the rise in living standards in the rest of South Asia? 2 EDITORIAL 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288

Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Desk Editor: Marty Logan Design: Kiran Maharjan Web: Bhushan Shilpakar Vicepresident Corporate Affairs: Sneh Sayami Advertising: Sambhu Guragain [email protected] Subscription: [email protected] Hatiban, Godavari Road, Lalitpur [email protected], GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu Tel: 5543333-6, Fax: 5521013 www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 5547018 What intervention? Fashionable anti-Americanism finally meets reality he word ‘intervention’ has many flavours. We look to two months pay from this same AS IF THERE IS NO TOMORROW lost all meaning in Nepal’s history and the weight of cohort on their return from duty. There may be no military victory to this conflict. But there is certain T current political landscape. evidence since 1996 and a Despite endless double-speak, to be economic defeat. The Maoists consider Ambassador complete lack of connectivity debate and intellectual inquiry Revenue is down, the bottom has fallen out of tourism, even Moriarty’s recent skepticism of the between what that the and a respect for logic, so remittances are faltering. The Indians are putting the squeeze but 12-point agreement as yet another Maoists say and their actions necessary for democracy, are alien raising fuel prices won’t be enough to pay them for the backlog. If it example of an ongoing pattern of as our compass. concepts in their culture. wasn’t for remittances and the fixed exchange rate with the Indian American imperial intervention. First, one of the core elements Ambassador Moriarty’s rupee we wouldn’t even have to wait till June for this country to The political parties welcome of Marxist ideology bears position offers clarity not seen in go bankrupt. Indian facilitation of democracy repeating even when volumes the 12-point agreement or in the Public frustration will rise this summer with inflation in the on Indian soil as diplomatic have been written on this subject. generally naive deportment of the double digits due to the recent diesel price hike, the combined The end-game is the defeat and parties or intellectual leaders in effects of a disappointing monsoon and an unprecedented five- GUEST COLUMN control of state army. Altruism adding the Maoists to the month drought that has turned Central Nepal into a dust bowl. And Pravin Rana isn’t the underlying motive nor alliance. Security in the villages, then we have power cuts the likes of which Nepalis didn’t see even are the Maoists interested in as he further points out, is a in the worst days of the Panchayat. But Nepal’s city-dwellers are an making a prospective national critical issue and one barometer apathetic lot and they’ll probably sit tight till the worst is over on or goodwill yet consider those that army more transparent, of success against this around 6 April—Comrade Prachanda’s D-Day. question the naiveté of this subordinate to civilian insurgency. But even if public anger isn’t boiling over yet, the bureaucracy agreement as ‘foreigners who leadership and representative Inability to speak parlour is seething. There is outrage at the arbitrary heavy handedness of (even as the RNA’s recruits and English isn’t the problem with royal nominees. Which is why the chief secretary had to appease don’t understand the situation the civil service with promises of raises and perks. The anger is in Nepal’. senior officers are becoming ever the parties. Their demonstrated strongest among those looking after finance and audit as officials Our intelligentsia, mainstream more diverse and professional). failings in running parliament, have watched aghast at the open plunder of the national exchequer. media, some rights groups who are The Maoist goal rather is to shutting down commerce and According to a cover story in this week’s edition of our sister increasingly demonstrating wield the very power of the state educational institutions through paper, Himal Khabarpatrika, a staggering Rs 50 billion as been paid themselves as ideologues of the in the name of the proletariat, bandas, failures to deal out from state coffers to fund purchases of royal limousines, first order rather than with predictable disastrous effectively with the Maoists, and organising royal weddings, handing stashes of cash to loyal royals dispassionate analysts, consider results. Such ‘people’s liberation now an obsessive indulgence in and large mysterious payoffs to the Home and Defence Ministries. A ambassadors who express armies’ have more blood on their viewing the 237 years of rule as detailed list of dates and amounts paid shows billions transferred opinions contrary to their own as hands than all of the kings since the root cause of everything from budget account heads to Contingency and Miscellaneous and being out of touch with the the earliest civilisations. weigh heavily on their then slipped across. ‘people’. Yet, they have almost a Second, the Maoists have credibility. On the week when victims of the Myaglung fire were sent back religious belief in any third-party shredded the fabric of Nepali No one is asking for a empty handed in January 2003 because of “lack of budget” a sum of willing to broker peace. society since they took up arms groveling apology–just actions Rs 130.5 million from a disaster relief budgetline was transferred to With so many hegemons in 1996. Everyone hates that demonstrate that they can another account and then sent to the palace. Rs 70.9 million from around, intervention comes in feudalism, poverty and lead and compromise and make the ‘Integrated Development’ account was moved to oppression and when the Maoists the right choices. The choices Miscellaneous over a period of four days last first began their movement, we faced by leaders and statesmen, month. In July 2002, Rs 20 million was transferred all scratched our heads and especially in such times, are with unusual haste from a standard budgetline to a thought that maybe they were always among bad, worse and contingency account within four days of the national justified in bringing to attention much worse. Exigencies in such budget being passed and then used to purchase of the state of affairs in the villages. situations favour practical two bullteproof Jaguars. But their sudden and massive solutions. Utopia is not an We can perhaps understand the Home Minister attempts at re-engineering have making fungible transfers for intelligence-gathering option. The choice, though during times of insurgency but other opaque, brought more misery than anyone difficult, should be obvious arbitrary and unaccountable transfers since 2002 of bargained for. and it entails reconciliation with an amount equal to the annual development budget Despite all their rhetoric the current government (and is systematic ransacking of the treasury on a against royal and imperial armies vice versa). breathtaking scale. An even more damning and autocracies, theirs has not So let us not dismiss the indictment is that the leadership of the poltiical turned out to be an army of ambassador or his statements parties were in key ministeries for some of liberation. They do not leave free with the tired ‘imperial that period. people in the wake of their Americans’, ‘Americans are the Had there been a parliament, the Public battles but even more oppressed, terrorists’, ‘Americans support Accounts Committee would have provided oversight destitute, displaced and dictators’, ‘they’re in it for the and no one would have dared do this, not even the terrorised victims. They say they oil’ rhetoric. And let us place the palace. But without democratic safeguards, and the bleed for the Nepali that is faced word intervention in proper country in the hands of shadowy powerbrokers, it is with the tough demands of context and reason and recognise plunder as if there was no tomorrow. working as a servant in the genuine diplomatic goodwill Middle East, while they extort when we see it. z

The mystery of the Great Helmsman has unravelled. He is no more the master strategist he was once believed to be. Without a determined Stalin and Basking in reflected glory disinterested Lloyd Johnson Mao too would have probably gone down in history as a failed warlord. In any case, China has The two chairmen are mirror images of each other so successfully drowned the memory of the last Chinese Emperor with Deng ipped off by incendiary interviews of the attention span of a tv journalist. Westerners do not fear Marxism capitalism that the People’s Republic Prachanda, the sky is dark again with There is no frontline here. A reporter is anymore. They have seen that it is refuses to even use the ‘M’ word. T media parachutists. They think as safe or unsafe in Libang as in Lajimpat, socialism and not capitalism, that Naxalite Charu Majumdar and Shining something is afoot but are astonished by an IED can go off with no warning ultimately collapses under the weight of Pathist Comrade Gonzalo have passed the raucous calm of Kathmandu in the Chipledhunga. All parties to the conflict its own contradictions. Marxism is now into history of revolutionary have-beens. nuptial season. Perplexed, they look think they have a higher calling and swear the fatalism of academia and fetishism of Unable to pigeonhole Nepal’s Maoists into towards local columnists for explanation. by the same constituency—the people. How intelligentsia. The elite worldview is that any known model of leftist radicalism, Nepal do you boil all this down for the Asia Briefs if a classless society is a historical therefore, conflict experts now like to is their newsbar? So the deadline reporter goes for inevitability, then we may wait for eternity. equate them with Pol Pot. No matter how STATE OF THE STATE stopover dath from an exotic dateline: body bags and It is the resurrection of Lenin’s ghost hard Prachanda tries to convince his C K Lal between sound bites of an obligatory my-encounter- in Asia and Africa that spooks the audience that he wants to be a statesman Baghdad with-a-Maoist. Europeans and Americans. Bolshevik like Gandhi or Ganeshman, the diplomatic and Bangkok. Most have neither time nor Journalists can get away with gross fervency lies buried under the rubble of community refuses to accord him patience for the intricacies of Nepali simplifications but donors and diplomats Berlin Wall. That is why the UML any status other than that of Brother politics. They want to be briefed about the have to sound a little more profound. They apparatchiks at Balkhu HQ in 2003 took Number One. Maoist rebellion in five minutes so that have to pretend that they can make head down the wall-mounted portraits of their Perhaps the easiest way to understand they can grab that flight to Nepalganj to see and tail of this mess. Since the Maoists five avatars (Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin a future Maoist republic is to picture it as the ‘frontline’. have been claiming Prachandpath is and Mao) when western envoys came the mirror image of monarchical The problem is that the conflict in Nepal synthesised Marxism, Leninism, Maoism, visiting. Threats of ‘or else’ was all it took democracy. The two chairmen are alike in is maddeningly complex even for an and Shining Path, conflict experts evaluate for the UML comrades to desert street their moods, methods and machinations. insider. It’s impossible to simplify the their rhetoric and activities from the prism of protests and join the royal cabinet of Sher Once we get rid of one, the other will insurgency or monarchist regression to suit these models of left extremism. Bahadur Deuba. automatically cease to exist. z 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288 3

LLL ETTERS

MORIARTY really care about Nepal while privileges of the high profile forum #287) comes with sense and about not being able to obtain I think we are giving a bit more others, like the US ambassador, of the Nepali Times, which we rational arguments. Having insurance but, sadly, closer to emphasis than necessary to have their own vested and short- guess is addressed to the ‘non- watched the movie, I could not the mark when he speaks of Ambassador Moriarty’s speech sighted interests at heart. upper crust’ as well. We will let even for a moment concur with the irresponsible tour operators and (‘Professor Moriarty strikes Ranjan Thapa, email the ‘shoe-string’ phrase go. Just idea of how they were trying to (mishandling) tourism being a again’, #287). First we should as the media, we also sometimes draw the analogy to Bhagat Singh missed opportunity. Our understand his desire for war Nepal’s political parties are provide fora for discussions. by showing what this actor was website’s central tenet is that, if against terror. For him it is easy like a pack of dogs. Right now they The address by Ambassador supposedly forced to draw upon the British negative travel to vouch for such a war because all claim to be working together but Moriarity in the venue and media (the violent path) to wipe off advice were not whimsical, why for the US war against terror is if the fate of the nation was back in reverberations are quite natural. society’s ill. However, to a then have they now removed against some foreigners in Iraq their hands, they’d turn on each But by no stretch of majority of young blood this that lethal phase advising and Afghanistan. Few innocent other. To prove my point, they might seem appealing, which I ‘against all but essential travel people (actually several should be challenged to put forth fear most. No doubt this is far off to Nepal’? Is the situation here thousands so far) killed here and an interim government of their from reality and does not involve suddenly so improved or, more there doesn’t seem to matter to choice to guide the nation to creativity. I wonder why people likely, was the case for the the US. But here a single person peace. They will show their true have completely neglected the ’travel ban’ proven to be so killed on the either side is a colours by fighting amongst correct route of eliminating insufficient in the first place? Nepali and as CK Lal writes, a themselves, the same in-fighting society’s ills. Have we really The website also concerns itself Nepali will silently weep that let the murderous Maoists go abandoned our belief and with how the FCO paints such a whenever anyone dies in this from strength to strength. The conviction to resolve issues paranoid picture of the risks to meaningless conflict. Second, shocking part is how they have with opportune and discredit tourists here and about the what Moriarty says does not spun things around to make His violence? Isn’t it high time we possible re-imposition of the always have to be true. It is his Majesty the bad guy, when he’s the all believe in a system to cure negative travel advice for personal or may be his one man who can and will save and do away the dream of reasons no better than those government’s view and we just this nation. resorting to violence? that proved so unwarranted have to look into the claim of ‘Just another Nepali’, email journalistic ethics can Mr Lal label Anjan Pandey, email earlier. weapons of mass destruction in the Academy as rightist on this Niraj Shrestha, email Iraqi to see how off mark that In ‘Professor Moriairty strikes score. It is an infra dig of an TRAVEL ADVISORIES can be. Third, even if his US again’ (# 287), C K Lal writes: ‘The ‘advocate’ of free media as Mr Lal It’s helpfully provocative to have H AT RISK views are correct, we don’t have venue was Ganesh Man Singh to pen such irresponsible Marceau’s views (Letters, #287) in Your silence on the issue of the to follow that doctrine if it does Adhyan Pratisthan, a pseudo- comments. which he says: ‘The embassies security of people working in not suit us. Cuba has been doing academic body known for its right The Academy leaves upper don’t issue these advisories on a development is regrettable. If a pretty well ignoring the wing sympathies…the crust and hopefully ‘non-upper’ whim but as a last resort’. There newspaper such as yours does Americans. Let’s just remember Ambassadors’ address has proven crust readership of your paper to is now a website not raise this then who will? that if we had been able to keep to be a public relation coup staged infer what they may of Mr Lal on www.nepaltraveladvice.com Peoples’ lives are being put at our own house in order then we’d on a shoe string budget’. This his downright demeaning dedicated to this issue receiving risk but this could be reduced. not have to be listening to these Academy had embarked upon a allegations on the Academy. At scores of views of quite the From the Nepali people working lectures from foreign diplomat mission to continue the legacy least we don’t make value opposite persuasion, namely that in development: Help! and then make a such a big deal of Ganesh Man Singh to safeguard judgments for mileage. the western governments are Suman Panday, email out of it. democracy and sovereignty of Nabindra Raj Joshi President, indeed whimsical about how they Sagar Sharma, email the Nepalis to the best of its Ganesh Man Singh Academy judge the need for ’negative travel UNMASKED resources. Has Mr Lal ever visited advice’. No views such as M I’d grown so used to the masks. CK Lal’s piece on James the Academy or kept up to date KILLING MINISTERS Marceau’s have been posted Why has Kunda Dixit reverted Moriarty was interesting. It with its performance since its As always, Kanak Dixit’s outburst on the website so it is good to see back to wearing those seems that the US doesn’t really inception in 1995? The Academy in his Southasia Beat column from your newspaper that there is outrageous hats again? want a stable Nepal. With the end may not have similar access to (‘Why not to kill the minister’, debate on this issue. He is wrong Subodh, email of the Cold War, a unipolar system has emerged with Washington dictating most world affairs at will. However, China and India are rapidly emerging and will play a pivotal role in world affairs in coming decades. The US fears this change and what better way to foil the Asian giants’ growth and prosperity than by trying to destabilise the entire region using Nepal as a platform? Santosh Pokharel, Maine, USA

I am not a political activist, but I agree 110 percent with the last statement of Bamdeb Gautam (From the Nepali Press, #287) that the violence or ‘terrorism’ in Nepal was born, grew and spread like wildfire when the monarch, parties and the international community were standing together. Therefore, going back to the same situation as suggested by the US ambassador ‘is the wrong prescription to resolve this crisis’. By now, every genuine peace-loving ordinary citizen of Nepal knows it is not possible to achieve even an initial state of peace or political resolution by isolating the Maoists. In fact, the US should learn from and reflect on the results of its actions in Iraq before proposing any solutions to Nepal’s crisis. Nepal needs a negotiated political settlement that enables people to take charge of their destiny, not an autocratic regime and more arms that will spur further bloodshed. G Gurung, Italy

I have rarely seen a non- Nepali who has understood Nepal’s nuances so deeply as Sam Cowan in his Guest column (‘Nepal’s two wars’, #287). It shows that some foreigners 4 ECONOMY 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288

ROAD TO WAR: The Karnali Highway near Jumla is an example of a World Bank project that has gone ahead despite the conflict.

MIN BAHADUR SHAHI Where will the Bilaterals vs money go? he royal regime has taken strong exception to a new project being launched by Nepal’s two major donors, the UK multilaterals T Department for International Development (DfID) and Swiss Donors in row over continuing development aid to royal regime Development Cooperation (SDC), which it says could fund political parties. NAVIN SINGH KHADKA endorsing this regime.” problem for the development The nearly $5 million Rights, Democracy and Inclusion Fund (RDIF) is designed to support rights groups, NGOs and even The multilaterals have so far sector,” said a senior diplomat government agencies but the government’s intelligence services ost aid is frozen, ignored the criticism. But now with one of Nepal’s biggest have smelled a rat, saying the money could be channelled to development projects are even they are firing back accusing bilateral donors. political parties opposed to the royal takeover. M grinding to a halt, but the bilaterals of double standards To be sure, the government They are now leaning on the Finance Ministry to reject the Nepal’s big donors are and hypocrisy. Bilateral donors did feel an easing of pressure project outright. The Swiss are said to be firm on not backing down preoccupied with something have committed $356 million to when multilaterals resumed aid while DfID has held several rounds of discussions with the much more earth-shattering: the government in the last year but in the middle of last year but the government to iron things out. The Finance Ministry says it is unhappy at the way the project squabbling over whether they don’t want this to be known regime shot itself in the foot was introduced with just one page of guidelines and because its continued development aid lets for political reasons. with its controversial guidelines steering committee pointedly excludes government officials. the royal regime off the hook. “They have asked us to take for NGOs. And when the “DfID is saying it doesn’t have the mandate to fund political After King Gyanendra took over some of their projects, but in government failed to respond to parties but we need to be assured and we also need to know what is over on 1 February 2005, most public they paint us as villains the unilateral Maoist ceasefire in this all about,” State Minister for Finance Roop Jyoti told us, “if it is bilateral donors (representing while posing as heroes,” one September and announced something to help Nepal then individual countries) suspended agency official told us privately, municipal elections, relations the government must have ownership in it especially new aid and froze other “our charter requires us to stick to with bilateral donors soured when there is change in assistance. They also accused development, we can’t play further. The last straw was the donors’ policies.” multilateral institutions (like the politics with aid.” arrest of political leaders last DfID officials admit there World Bank and the Asian A senior Finance Ministry month which was slammed by is a problem. “There Development Bank) of being soft official confirmed that some even a restrained bilateral donor certainly have been some on the royal regime by not bilateral donors are asking like Japan. differences of views on how stopping aid. Budgetary support multilaterals to include them in “We have been instructed to the fund should be managed,” said DfID Nepal from multilateral banks, they projects. “They wish to spend closely monitor the situation to chief Mark Mallalieu, “but we said, would ultimately fund their money but they don’t want decide on our future assistance will end up making a security expenses. to be seen as helping the plan for Nepal,” Koji Tomita, reasonable understanding MIN BAJRACHARYA Since February First, the government directly,” the official First Secretary at the Japanese with the government.” World Bank has made confirmed. But the ministry is Embassy, told us. The project is already being implemented and the two donors are commitments on two projects now involved in a potentially The government’s last line of seeking proposals for funding from NGOs activists. They say even worth $35 million and is now set bruising row with the Swiss and defence is to invoke aid in the government agencies are eligible for the money. But ministry officials say they are being squeezed between the to provide $90 million in grants the British aid agencies which name of the people, and its donors and the intelligence services. One ministry source told us: for higher education and the now want to directly fund argument now is that donors “They tell us that the project aims to pump in money into the Poerty Alleviation Fund. political parties in their pro- should not punish the people by opposition parties and they want to scrap the project.” The Asian Development Bank democracy struggle. holding back aid. “We have told During his walkabout in Patan last September, King Gyanendra says it made no new Despite their disagreement, the donors that if they had directly instructed district officials to be vigilant about new commitments in 2005 but both bilaterals and multilaterals discontinue their assistance to overseas funds. “Foreign money is being brought in to do different approved two loans of $60 are critical of the palace and want Nepal, it will be the people who activities that are against national interests,” the king had said, warning, “so we believe you will work extra hard to monitor such million that were committed the king to roll back his takeover. will suffer,” says one senior activities.” earlier. Bank officials say two The last formal meeting Nepal’s official, “in that sense they DfID’s Mallalieu explains that the new fund is aimed at making other projects worth $40 million donors had was in January 2005. would be no different from the multiparty democracy sustainable: “Since the king, parties and the have also been signedbut they There is no preparation of holding Maoists who are using the people Maoists have been stressing on the return to multiparty democracy, were committed earlier. the Nepal Development Forum, for their cause.” we think the fund could play a positive role toward that end.” “Assistance like this shows the annual meeting of the Some multilateral officials in In this row, Minister Jyoti seems to be angrier with the Swiss that these institutions care least consortium of donors. State Kathmandu agree, “Even if we who have been less compromising than with the British. “The way SDC has been issuing statements about the fund is totally about the present situation in Minister for Finance Roop Jyoti is oppose the political changes, unacceptable,” said Jyoti. An SDC official declined to comment at Nepal,” said a visibly annoyed meeting donors for the first time we don’t want the people to the present time. chief of a bilateral donor on 6 March, three months since he suffer and that is why we have Navin Singh Khadka agency, “by continuing its was appointed. not stopped our assistance.” assistance programs it is “This is becoming a real Said one. NATION 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288 5

Nepal-China deals ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Growing a human face Nepal and China will sign two agreements during the special visit of Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Thang Jia starting 16 March, sources say. They are an agreement to provide zero tax on Nepali Nepali businesses must learn to invest in HR exports to China and the announcement of new Chinese financial assistance of 20 million Yuan as part of an 80 million Yuan annual ost general-interest between, he says that he made assistance package. Thang will also hold talks with King business books are written plenty of mistakes, hired, coached Gyanendra and meet opposition political party leaders. Until Mby management and fired thousands of people, recently China described political developments in Nepal as an consultants, who need to produce got out of struggling industries, internal matter but on 24 January, it went further to express concern such tomes to reach out to exploited new business and urge reconciliation among all political forces. Thang’s was to business executives and to land opportunities, drove costs down have visited Nepal last month, but the government was said to be unhappy about his plans to meet political leaders. consulting assignments. Often, the and made money for process they follow goes like this. shareholders. This book is filled They visit companies, interview with answers to questions that

Expensive strikes senior management, interact with audiences around the world asked ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ A single day shutdown causes a loss of Rs 870 million to the non- the employees, survey the him when he went on a tour with agricultural sector and about Rs 1 billion in total, said speakers at a his first book a few years ago. Of all the lessons that the recent talk program ‘Banda and its impact to economy’. Dr Shanker STRICTLY BUSINESS retention of talented employees. He Sharma, vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission said book imparts, the one that has elevated HR by giving it resources Ashutosh Tiwari 40 percent of the rural population is affected by bandas and nearly stayed with me is the importance and by involving himself in 1.7 million households who depend on daily wages suffer. In industry landscape, pore over of human resources (HR) for interviewing candidates and addition, there is incalculable loss to the economy from numbers and then eventually any company. evaluating employees. One result cancellations of tour groups, trekking and climbing expeditions. come up with some grand- Most top-end Nepali was that, by the time he left, many “Bandas and strikes not only cause a day-to-day loss but also sounding theme that tries to tie companies do have human of his top-level colleagues also left hinder foreign investment in the longer run,” he added. Mohan Man up their disparate findings. resources departments but they GE to run other Fortune 100 Sainju, vice-chairman at the Poverty Alleviation Fund, said that the practice of shutdowns should be replaced by other means of The results–whether are managed only around a flow companies. Looking back, Welch protests. “There is a need to give momentum to the economy and ‘management by walking around’ of paperwork. Employees get their credits his HR department for bandas only deteriorate it,” Sainju said. or ‘the secrets of Microsoft’ or time sheets punched, receive turning GE from a producer of, say, ‘reengineering works’ or ‘turning information about leave days and jet-engine turbines, into a producer your front-level staff into mini- find out about the company NEW PRODUCTS of business leaders who could leaders’–are often no more than picnic through messages from HR. competitively adapt to rapid COME HOME: Southern Heights, common sense. But they are Such paperwork, though changes in any industry. Upper Harisiddhi housing estate smartly packaged, perhaps necessary, ultimately makes HR Welch’s emphasis on HR is opened for bookings on 25 February. stamped with the logo of a look as though it were a mere important for us in Nepal because Located 4 km southwest of the Ring big-name business school press bureaucratic body there to rubber- it underscores that, in today’s Road en route to the Royal Botanical and priced to burn a hole in stamp managerial decisions. world, products and processes are Gardens, Godavari, its 41 ready for one’s pocket. Besides, since it’s seen to be becoming commodities that occupancy homes include marble Indeed, reading most business not involved in the core business anyone can produce and sell. To and parquet floors, spacious books, one gets the sense that one of selling products and building balconies, and earthquake-resistant stay competitive, whether in construction. Developed by the Continental group, the estate’s is being taught swimming by brands, HR is perceived to be a tourism or hydropower, what seem services include a convenience store, swimming pool, gym and 24- those who themselves learnt to weak department—not worthy of to matter more and more are hour electricity and security back-up. splash around by watching senior management’s attention. adaptability and the innovation instructional videos. These help explain why those that talented employees bring to BANKING ON REMITTANCES: Western Union money transfer How refreshing then to skim, who have studied HR tasks at hand. That is why, the services will now be available at 25 banking offices of Nepal Bank read and re-read Jack Welch’s management have a hard time sooner the top-end Nepali Ltd, starting with branches in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar and Winning. Welch joined General getting and keeping jobs at Nepali companies see themselves in the Nepalgunj. “The strategic relationship with NBL will help widen the Electric (GE), one of the world’s companies. business of tapping employees’ network in reaching more people,” said Anil Kapur, vice-president biggest companies, in 1961, spent But Welch writes that one of brains for opportunities and align South Asia of Western Union. Consumers can use the system to his entire career there, rose his biggest achievements at GE their HR processes accordingly, pay bills and transfer money around the globe, which should boost through the ranks by working in was making that global company’s the growing flow of remittances into the country. the more likely they are to be different divisions and retired as HR department a formidable force better prepared for business the company chairman in 2001. In in recruitment, training and challenges. z

some families supported by overseas wage- months of the fiscal year grew over last earners have decided to invest their dollars year’s figures and public expenditure was in India, where the political situation is within the limits and criteria set by the stable. “If the available information is any annual budget. Economic alert guide, it will lead to a sharp decline in “These figures indicate that the receipts from remittances,” it predicts. government will be able to achieve its set More bad news is that a Rs 4 billion goals and ensure economic stability,” Jyoti It’s not just Nepali politics that is in a surplus predicted in last July’s budget added. An IMF report released in February (excluding development spending) will didn’t sound any alarm bells, but did project mess, warns a new report actually be a Rs 3.6 billion deficit, thanks to a revenue shortfall and predicted the tariff cuts announced in January’s government would need to take domestic MARTY LOGAN supplemental budget, economic activity loans equal to 1 percent of gross domestic since July and based on the accuracy of the product (GDP). The economy would grow akash Shrestha has watched Ministry of Finance’s past forecasts, adds 2.5-3.5 percent, it added. business at his Camera Mart in the report. With political stability, better security A Thamel plummet about 60 percent in ‘As the World Bank and the conditions and structural reforms, “Nepal the last nine years. “I didn’t sell a camera International Monetary Fund have decided could see a gradual return to growth rates yesterday and I probably won’t sell one not to release additional resources under of 5-5½ percent through 2009/10,” added the today,” the young man said early one recent the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility, the IMF, “but if the conflict persists and the evening. “Maybe tomorrow,” he added with a government (will have) no independent political impasse stalls reform smile and a slight shrug. resources at its disposal,’ says the IfDS implementations the fiscal and external Such an attitude might work for a retail report, and will have no choice but to position could deteriorate, and international businessman but those entrusted with borrow from the Nepal Rastra Bank. reserves could be lower.” managing Nepal’s economy should do more With inflation soaring, the trade deficit But recent economic figures have been than happily count the $1 billion sent home widening and draining reserves of Indian unsettling. The trade deficit grew by more by the growing number of citizens working currency, the fear is that the problem could than 24 percent in the first six months of the overseas, says a recent report. In fact, if the get out of control and ignite social anarchy. fiscal year, as imports rose faster than government doesn’t start balancing its “We are not trying to criticise the exports. And the NRB reported that in the books, it could soon be bankrupt, adds the government,” IfDS Executive Director first seven months, revenue went up just paper by the Institute of Development Raghab D Pant told us, “we are just trying three percent, much below the government Studies (IfDS). to point out the political implications of the target of 15 percent. The central bank also After a decade of conflict, the only current economic situation.” revised its inflation prediction for the year economic bright light here is the export of It’s not only the government that is to seven percent from the previous five labour overseas. The roughly 130 workers ignoring the risks, says Pant, the main percent. who leave the country daily help boost opposition political parties hold a belief that Tourism which saw a healthy rebound overseas earnings. Remittances now once the country’s political problems are during the autumn 2005 ceasefire is in deep contribute at least 15 percent of the solved its economic knots will naturally gloom. Trekking bookings are being country’s GDP. unravel. cancelled because of the uncertainty and But look beyond the influx of workers’ State Minister for Finance Roop Jyoti Maoist threats during the peak season. KIRAN PANDAY dollars deep into the country’s finances and called two press conferences earlier this At Camera Mart, Aakash Shrtestha like GOING BUST: Aakash Shrestha’s camera there are unsettling signs. Even month to repudiate the findings, dismissing most other Nepalis is resigned: “I’m business, like the country’s economy, is in remittances are showing signs of the IfDS report as the product of “political waiting, and hoping for peace to come shambles. weakening, says IfDS, suggesting that bias”. He said revenue in the first sixth soon—it’s been so long.” z 6 FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288

Whose welfare? ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Nepal, 5 March

Between two The UN pays all soldiers in its peacekeeping forces the same rate: $ 1,350 in monthly salary and extremisms $ 70 for recreational leave during Senior advocate Ganesh Raj Shama in the six months of their service. Kantipur TV and transcribed by Jana But riflemen of the RNA take Satta, 25 February home only $ 720 every month while officers draw $1,000 as At present, one type of extremism in monthly salary. Most of the lower Nepal is providing fertile land for ranked soldiers do not even know another type. This has resulted into how much is deducted from their deepening of mistrust. This situation is salary, with the major chunk of it favourable neither to the people nor to going to the military welfare the king. One type of extremism has fund chaired by the Chief of the been inspiring the king to be an active Army Staff. monarch which in turn is indirectly helping the anti-monarchist extremism. Today 3,027 Nepali soldiers for the last 22 years. The Auditor of this tug of war and that is the The two extremisms have combined to are on UN peacekeeping stints. General’s report of 2004 noted reason why they have been getting yield the same result: elections have The fund, aimed at the welfare of that it had repeatedly reminded away with making statements that been delayed and there is no serving and retired military the RNA to do the auditing but are a direct threat to our reconciliation. Even foreigners have personnel and their families, has the army replied it was sovereignty and independence. been saying that all forces should get collected over Rs 1 billion a year unnecessary because the canteen This comes more from the US, together to solve our problem. from the UN peacekeeping was not run from the national UK, India and the EU. As well- The environment for reconciliation should have been made by agreement. Official records show budget. Ex-general Dipta Prakash wishers there is a way to express both the sides. Both the king and the political parties need to use that last fiscal year it earned more Shah says the fund has concern, instead their appropriate language for resolution. If the two sides are really willing than $13 million from the UN. established residences and clubs involvement has reached a level to patch up, the last speech of the king on the occasion of democracy for serving officers but has done where it is starting to create rifts day can be a basis for such reconciliation. Of course, if you don’t The money that goes to the want reconciliation then you can find many faults with the speech. Military Welfare Fund is nothing for retired ones. “There is within society. Word is out that The king is under pressure to find a way out. For dialogue, the two disbursed by nine committees. not even a single guesthouse for the UK and Switzerland have sides need to focus on activating the constitution. In the past, we used They spend Rs 40 billion on the army officers who come to promised to provide Rs 350 to hear arguments that a conducive environment had to be made for Birendra Military Higher Kathmandu on duty tour,” million to Nepal to promote elections or that the House of Representatives had to be restored Secondary School every year and he says. democracy. The amount is going briefly. But now the issue of the house restoration has simply fizzled also run the Birendra Military to go to the seven parties out. Now that we only hear declaration of a decisive fight, the situation Hospital, Swayambhu Arsenal movement. It is obvious that the is becoming more and more complicated. Why foreigners?

and an explosives manufacturing ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ government is going to react by There are hints that the king realises the need for dialogue. In the plant in Makwanpur. The fund Nepal Samacharpatra, 26 February icreasing its own repression. It is last one year, there has been a sea of change in the situation. Even if also bears all expenses incurred in the people who will suffer. So far you need a democracy with the king, the constitution has to be sending Nepali troops as UN the seven parties have said they activated. Of course, if you are for democracy without the king then Direct foreign intervention in there is really nothing to be said. peacekeepers. In the last four Nepal is growing. Now it is not will continue their movement Under the present polity, how far can we constrain the king? How fiscal years, the fund has also just suggesting and advising but without help from external much of the illusions about traditional powers of the king can be provided Rs 10 million annually they are directing, commanding sources but if the foreigners are gradually removed? We have the power to address these issues to the Army Officers’ Wives and in some instances have even willing to help they will not through parliament. If the king continues to be a hurdle even then, Association, which has started telling us what to do. We refuse the offer. we can have a public discussion. But in absence of the parliament, disgruntled many former army Nepalis ourselves play a big role When King Gyanendra was on how would the discussion about the relevance of monarchy achieve officers. in encouraging such intervention his walkabout in Lalipur, he any result? In addition, the Tribhuban and this has increased after the mentioned that the movement We can go on talking intellectually but that is a luxury. The Army Officers’ Club has used the seven parties started their was ‘being fuelled by foreign understanding Nepal’s geopolitical realities also shows support for fund to run two petrol pumps movement towards restoration of money’. At that time seven parties the monarchy. For constituent a assembly or referendum, or even the criticised the king but it is now restoration of the House, it is the king who has to be the medium. In and to establish the Basundhara democracy and called on a peaceful political course, one may choose to accept the king canteen, which provides goods to foreigners for help. In response, proving to be true. So, foreign or reject him. But the king remains the lifeline of the present soldiers at discounted prices. But the regime too has started leaning money is being used to burn tyres geopolitical reality. the financial records of the on its allies. The international and pelt stones and foreign committees have not been audited community is happy to be a part money is also being used to buy Dangerously dry

MIN BAJRACHARYA Himal, 28 February-13 March

Low rainfall in winter is not unusual in a country with geography like Nepal’s. But what seems extraordinary, and cause for serious concern, is the absence of rain for more than four months now. The 2005 drought was the country’s worst for nearly 100 years. The last time Kathmandu saw rain was on 22 October and there is still no sign of spring showers. By this time of year, 54 mm of rain Hear the growling. Seems like something will happen now should have fallen on average. The drought has also affected India and Table: Seven parties Bangladesh.The lack of snow in our mountains, especially in the centre and Pacard: Peoople’s movement east has affected power generation and irrigation downstream. This is a trend: precipitation has been diminishing every year for the past decade. The same

Samaya, in 2 March change in weather pattern that has cut rainfall is probably the reason for the

growing cold wave in the tarai, which was deeper and more widespread last winter than in many recent years. Most shocking was when the temperature in QUOTE OF THE WEEK “ alpine Jumla was warmer than usually tropical Nepalganj. Drought manifests itself in three phases—dryness, food shortage and famine. At present, Nepal is All the ministers do is preach—they don’t work entering the second phase. Nepal’s agriculture is predominantly rainfed, and “ even where there is irrigation there is no water because streams and springs have dried up. There is a real danger of the water shortage turning into a crisis in coming days and a crucial need to look for alternative water sources. We all - RPP (Nationalist) President Rajeswor Debkota after his audience with King know that Nepal is a water-rich country but that will seem meaningless if no Gyanendra in Pokhara in Rajdhani, 2 March rain falls and as we see more and more the effect of climate change and variability.

SELECTED MATERIAL TRANSLATED EVERY WEEK FROM THE NEPALI PRESS FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288 7 Capital plan Jana Aastha, 1 March

As the 6 April deadline given by Prachanda for a ‘decisive’ hit on Kathmandu nears, the army is getting intelligence reports that Maoist forces are amassing in and around the Valley as well as Biratnagar, Pokhara, Hetauda, Butwal and Nepalganj. According to these reports, a Maoist special force directly under the rebel special central commander Barshaman Pun (Ananta) is already in the Valley. Going by past patterns of Maoist attacks and recent battles it is easy to predict what will happen next. Till last year Maoist forces were scattered across the country making sporadic attacks from Ilam to Kailali to prove that they had a nationwide reach. But the Maoists have now withdrawn from the rural heartland and are concentrating their eastern and western forces to the centre of the country. That is why the midwestern districts are quiet and recent skirmishes happened along the highways or in the vicinity of the midwestern districts. The four divisions of the Maoist western command are now concentrated in the Nepal-Butwal-Bhairawa area. The eastern divisions are adding to the special central command in charge of the valley to focus on the entry points to the capital as seen in recent attacks in Thankot, Dadhikot and Kabhre. In recent speeches, Prachanda has also spoken of simultaneous attacks on three big army barracks and even if only one of the attacks is successful it will spread such panic that soldiers will run flee or surrender in subsequent attacks. In case all the attacks are successful, the survivors will regroup and continue attacks. The Maoist strategy seems to be to prepare for their big attacks with the announced blockade of Kathmandu from 14 March and an indefinite nationwide banda from 3 April. The rebels have perfected the strategy through a dozen or so attacks in the past two years on district capitals by pinning down army bases so they don’t have to be distracted by attacking police stations, CDO offices and government buildings. Based on these intelligence reports, the Home Ministry has sent circulars to all police and government units in the Valley to be on maximum alert. teargas and rubber bullets. problem—they must go to Foreigners think of this as Nepalganj for x-rays. The hospital something to be happy about but called in an engineer from Delhi this kind of polarisation will not but he was unable to fix it and solve Nepal’s crisis. said it could only be repaired in India. This will cost Rs 80,000,

Condition critical money that the hospital does not ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ have. Kantipur, 21 February Maoist mistakes

KHOTANG—With its doctor ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ absent, the district hospital has Editorial in Annapurna Post, been unable to treat people for the 1 March past two weeks. Out of the three designated posts, the doctor has Although the Maoists have time left for a workshop in Biratnagar and again reaffirmed their and the hospital does not have a commitment to not harm the single trained medical general public, their promises professional. There are no doctors have always turned out empty. in Ainselukhar or Chisapani since Last Saturday when they the establishment of health detonated a bomb near the busy centres—instead, health assistants Chaurpatan intersection in are running these centres. In most Pokhara, six locals were of the district’s health centres, wounded. After the incident was posts are vacant. The vacant posts criticised by many, the rebels include one medical supervisor, issued an apology. But 24 hours one medical assistant, nine later, a bomb targeted at a security health assistants, five staff nurses, forces vehicle was attacked in two lab technicians, nine Chipledhunga and a dozen auxiliary health workers, five civilians were injured. A day auxiliary nurse/midwife, eight labourer died in Dang when a rural health workers and 15 bomb left by the Maoists maternal child health worker. exploded, a taxi driver in Dulegauda in Tanahu was PALPA—He hasn’t studied murdered and nine oil tankers radiography or any other and crew were abducted in Banke. profession and from the Such events clearly reveal the gulf government office all he gets is a between the Maoists’ words and peon’s salary. But since July 2004, actions and benefit no one. They peon Karki has been working as will further weaken the rebels’ the radiographer, dark room tenuous relationship with the assistant and has even been taking seven-party alliance, a x-rays. Karki, who continues to do partnership that has given the the cleaning, says he has been Maoists, who were long a target of interested in radiography for the international criticism, a chance past seven years. “I used to to return to mainstream politics. observe how the sirs used to do it The rebels were praised for their and then they would answer my four-month unilateral ceasefire, questions in simple language so which gave rise to a slight hope that I understood how it is done,” that they might abandon armed he explains. struggle for peaceful politics. But now that they have returned to SALYAN—Ever since the x-ray their old path there is reason to machine in the district hospital doubt their commitment. They broke down, locals have faced a must renounce violence at once. 8 LIFE ThamelLean and mean in Kathmandu’s tourist hub is waiting for a rebound

KIRAN PANDAY

PANKAJ RAYAMAJHI momos, chiya and bread so isolated that people were exchange rate meant that the safety standards. omelettes. Drug dealers, some scared to go out at night and it exotic Shangri-la experience Traffic frequently grinds to a t is 10.30 PM in Thamel from as far away as Africa, peddle was very dirty too—we had to roll could be a relatively cheap standstill because the narrow and things are heating up their wares: “Hash, you want up our trousers to keep them vacation. Thamel was often a alleys were never designed to I in the most entertaining marijuana, pot?” Transvestites clean while walking.” tourists’ first point of contact squeeze a dump truck past a and possibly the most dangerous, and eunuchs flirt with groups of The golden years began in with Nepal and by then it had police van on a one-way street. corner of Kathmandu. The latest Nepali men looking for a cheap 1967 when Karna Shakya took an cleaned up enough to serve as a There are potholes that could Bollywood hits blare from dance thrill. Street children try to make old Rana palace and turned it into cultural buffer between the East swallow a whole car. “We bars competing with live bands eye contact with customers Kathmandu Guest House. With and the West. contribute to the economy and playing rock n roll covers. The spilling out of restaurants. the drop in popularity of Freak For Nepalis quick to identify we pay our taxes so the least the music adds to the cacophony of a Just 50 years ago, this hot spot Street among tourists on the a good thing coming, land prices authorities can do is repair the traffic jam as irate drivers lean was the back of beyond. “No one Hippie Trail because of frequent were still affordable and rent roads and provide better hard on horns. wanted to come here,” recalls police raids to curb drugs and even cheaper. Single-room travel security,” says Pemba Ghale who The air smells of exhaust and long-time Thamel resident lawlessness, news spread by word agencies, trekking and rafting runs a dance restaurant. He, like food from hawkers selling Rajendra Man Sherchan, “it was of mouth of a wholesome place operators popped up to fill the all business owners in Thamel, for backbackers. gap between the do-it-yourselfers also shells out hefty monthly Those in search of nirvana and the ritzy agents in Darbar ‘protection fees’ to the various found that Thamel was closer to Marg. “That was the best time,” quarters that demand it. the Swayambunath Stupa than remembers Sunil Shrestha, who Dark shadows loom in the Jocche. Those in search of the has been a travel agent, neon lights of Thamel. The road next big high were delighted to restaurateur and today manages a into Thamel becomes a meat find cheap cannabis from cyber cafe. “Those days it seemed market every night. The Nuwakot and Dhading. House like everyone wanted to come to legalisation of prostitution is a owners along the filthy alleys of Thamel. We were, well at least I hot potato that no one wants to Bhagwan Bahal, Chakshibari and was, minting money.” touch and so sex workers put Paknajol recognised the It seemed simple enough to themselves at risk with each opportunity and slowly started let the area grow but unchecked encounter. This could well be the converting their properties growth can be disastrous. Today, biggest breeding ground for AIDS, into guest houses, restaurants there are almost 500 lodges and despite the sight of discarded and pubs. guest houses, nearly double that condoms that litter the narrow The 1980s saw a different number of restaurants, bars, side alleys. Long-time Thamel kind of tourist arriving. RNAC shops and agencies crammed resident, Kiran Adhikary, 31, and other major carriers were into the Thamel area. With land says, “It was once cool to live connecting Kathmandu to the now at a premium, there is only here but now it’s both world. New trekking and rafting one way to grow skywards and embarrassing and scary. I’d get routes were being opened and the buildings are violating seismic the hell out if I could!” 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288 9

The downturn in tourism Pokhrelis take pride in their lake has busted many businesses. and despite temptations, controls Lodge owners wait for walk-in have been placed on development guests after bookings are of this most lucrative strip of real cancelled at the last minute estate. because of embassy advisories. Ganesh Bhattarai of Pokhara Shopkeepers still open their Tourism knows what the problem shutters and dust their goods with Thamel is: “Everybody is and travel agents prop up just waiting for the guy next door boards advertising the next to take that first step. Well, it’s budget trek. not going to work that way.” In some ways Thamel is a The Nepal Tourism Board, the good metaphor for the nation— Thamel Tourism Development while lawlessness, economic Board, HAN, REBAN, NATA, desperation and uncertainty NARA and all others involved prevail, it is not too late to turn must now assess Thamel’s state things around. Thamel just in order to start planning its needs to learn from places and future. Sherchan sums it up with people doing it right. Lake Side cautious optimism: “It has an in Pokhara is a good enough identity of its own and as long as example. Pokhara Tourism budget tourism is around, this organises events to engage place will be around. Thamel foreign and domestic tourists, won’t die.” 10 REVIEW 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288 Pico makes an ass of himself In a reversal of roles, Pico Iyer goes from hero travel writer to zero commentator

“…one of the most revered travel writers… sneer at Nepal’s present misfortunes with Born in England, raised in California, righteous sniggering. My suspicion is that educated at Eton, Oxford and Harvard, his Bhutan’s widely-advertised disdain for essays and other writings have appeared in Nepal is actually a perfectly-pitched but Condé Nast Traveler, the New Yorker… His delusional ploy to mask fear and envy. books include Video Night in Kathmandu, Nepal represents all that Bhutan can’t be Falling off the Map…” due to its geographical and international Google Pico Iyer and this is what comes insignificance, its myopic vision that up: an immediate applause for his confuses self-preservation with seclusion worldliness, erudition and and the ruling clutch’s realisation that its accomplishments. So it was no surprise hold on powe (royal and political that chicanery notwithstanding) is finite. when I To quote Iyer ‘…the first law of modern RETORT saw his life is that everything is as impermanent as Kunal Lama article an image on a screen; the only form of Tale of confirm Bhutan as the new Shangri-La. All Nepal is slowly coming to terms with continuity is change’. Deep within, Bhutan Two Kingdoms in Time I thought, at last, sentient souls this corner of the Indian the implications of democracy, instituted knows that it can’t stop the clock from someone who can put an intelligent handle sub-continent know that Bhutan’s Gross as recently as 1990. The going has not been ticking and controlling the time it will on this silly Bhutan vs Nepal thing into National Happiness sags with sadness comfortable or even certain, compounded inevitably tell. proper perspective. I should have paid when 100,000 of its ethnically-cleansed by the 10-year-long Maoist insurgency. Finally, by coining linguistically- more attention to the sub-title. Reading it, I population languishing in the eastern However, Nepal continues to remain a challenged words such as ‘Nepalmed’ with got into one of those situations where one plains of Nepal for the last 15 years are vibrant country full of appealing its non-Nepal connotations, clumsy stabs feels so insulted, invectives and murderous taken into account. anomalies. Nepal may have welcomed at promiscuous semantics and scurrilous thoughts flow senselessly. A few boutique hotels and a promise to tourists in the 70s with the easy promise of second-hand comments about Nepal and, Iyer has obviously cobbled together one relinquish the throne in 2008 make not a hashish and hedonism but the natural especially, Nepali women, Iyer has made of his periodic essays for Time, his former magic kingdom or a noble king. The beauty and the curious charm of its an utter ass of himself. By criticising Nepal employer of four years, with little respect Bhutani subjects’ attachment to their pluralistic peoples have always been the while romanticising Bhutan, he has merely for history or reality. His puerile attempt at medieval costumes rapidly wears off in the real attractions. Even Bhutani citizens are followed trend, missing a chance to correct comparing Nepal and Bhutan was irritating; shopping malls of Delhi, go-go bars of welcome here but it has always puzzled it. He once said that the most important the destruction of his usual clever language Bangkok and, one might add, Casino Tara of me why we are not allowed to enter challenge in the writing process for him bemusing, his commentary clichéd and the Boudha. And, pray, why drag in religion? Bhutan freely. was clarity. Since clarity was clearly conclusions specious. The practice of Christianity is now We have never closed our doors on lacking in his article, perhaps it is he who Let’s get one thing straight: Himalayan constitutionally allowed in Nepal, but it is visitors: western governments have with should be listening to the King of Bhutan, Kingdoms both might be but that is where a recent import largely spread by their alarmist travel advisories. Its foreign, deposing himself of all literary and the similarity ends. He regurgitated the oft- unspiritual promises of economic defence and economic policies all but analytical responsibilities in 2008. Or, quoted litany of quirks that is supposed to advancement. governed by India, Bhutan can ill-afford to better, sooner. z DELHI 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288 11 Delhi’s Little Himalaya Majnu ka Tila is a speck of Boudha in the teeming Indian capital

BREAKING NEWS Notorious international poacher and trader in illegal wildlife items, Tshering Nima, was recently arrested from Majnu ka Tila and a huge cache of 34 freshly-tanned leopard skins and four otter skins were seized. The raid was conducted by a team attached to Special Operations Group (SOG), Rajasthan Police, with the approval of the Delhi crime branch. Nima’s accomplices are believed to be hiding in the area. According to sources, the absconding criminals are in possession of more banned DANIEL B HABER way to and from Dharamsala. wildlife items, including tiger skins. in NEW DELHI There are even direct daily “We had been trailing the accused for the past few months in connection overnight buses from here to with a poaching case,” an official hen asked where I am Dharmasala and Kathmandu. investigating the case said. “The staying in Delhi, my There are about 25 or so lodges seizure of the skins came as a Wreply “MT”, usually shoehorned into this narrow bonus. We also arrested the driver of the car.” Shadowy times draws a blank stare. riverside strip-a former garbage Most budget travellers head dump on the still green but fetid for Paharganj, the congested area banks of the Yamuna. Aside from yak meat hanging above them. In Beware the Ides of March, opposite the New Delhi Railway local residents it is a place of front of their hotel posters put up Station. Despite last year’s transients. This year it has been by a Tibet animal rights group it is eclipse time again devastating Diwali bombs it still full of Tibetans some from as far plead for a vegetarian Kalachakra. remains popular with away as Kham making their way Aside from hundreds of exiles backpackers. to the Dalai Lama’s Kalachakra there are also, not surprisingly, arch is the month of eclipses, one solar and one lunar. On But Majnu ka Tila (MT) is a initiations held this year at professional beggars, mostly from 15 March, a penumbral eclipse of the Moon will be partially little speck of transplanted Amravati in Andhra Pradesh. Bihar. The aggressive beggars flock M visible from Nepal between 3:06 AM and 07:58 AM. Look for Boudha crammed with Tibetans, In contrast to their more hip around Buddhist pilgrims because the maximum eclipse at 05:32. people from Nepal, Bhutan, (and occasionally hip-hop) they are reputed to be On 29 March 29, a total eclipse of the Sun will be visible from Sikkim. I had an appointment to brethren, the newly-arrived compassionate. within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth, partially interview the Karmapa, and his Khampas swagger about wrapped Last year at this time, the local visible in Nepal. The Moon’s shadow will trace a very narrow path from Brazil to Mongolia via North Africa, Turkey and Central Asia. secretary had booked me a room at in their traditional sheepskin branch of the Tibetan Community This will be a spectacular eclipse, lasting over four minutes and chubas. Due to overcrowding, the Wongdhen House in MT. Welfare Association was collecting visible within a band up to 190 km wide. From Nepal, a partial Majnu ka Tila literally means some of these nomads camp out donations for tsunami victims. eclipse, with the moon blocking ¼ of the Sun, will be seen from ‘Majnu’s hill’ after the famous on the rooftop terraces, braving Generally, the association takes 4:58 PM to 6:16 PM local time, with the maximum eclipse visible at lover in Indian mythology. It is a the bone-chilling Delhi fog. care of its own welfare problems, 5:38 PM. ghetto of narrow lanes near Delhi They sit huddled as if they which range from helping the local From time immemorial, people have interpreted the meaning of University crammed with shops, were still somewhere on the poor, sick and destitute. eclipses—as indicators of upcoming disasters. In fact, the word hotels and restaurants run by Tibetan plateau merrily eating “We also help young people eclipse comes from the Greek word for ‘abandonment’. Tibetan exiles and is a magnet for tsampa mixed with salty butter- with substance abuse problems,” Modern science has given little credence to such legends but the Tibetan diaspora making their tea, as crows try to steal the dried explains Lobsang Dorjee, himself eclipses remain deeply studied a hip member of the community events. A total solar eclipse STAR GAZING gives scientists an opportunity who attends Delhi University. Kedar S Badu to study the elusive coronal Lobsang and his brother Palden ring, the outer atmosphere of A taste of Tibet also help their father run Dolma the Sun, which can only be seen when the moon blots out the solar House guesthouse and a cyber cafe. Tee Dee, also popularly known as ‘Chung town’ among the Delhi University disc. Many such researchers are trying to solve a burning crowd, is situated along the Outer Ring Road near Majnu ka Tila Gurudwara, Lobsang’s father Tobden is question: Why does the Sun’s surface simmer at about 6,000 inside Aruna Colony, down the lane to the right, up the stairs—to be precise. If from Spiti and was one of the Celsius while the outer coronal ring blazes at 2 million C? you don’t have private transportation the best way to get there is to get on to the earliest settlers in Majnu ka Tila, Remember—it’s dangerous to look directly at the Sun even Mudrika bus, get off at the Mall Road and take a rickshaw there. having arrived in 1979. He has when it is completely covered during the eclipse. The only safe The ambience of the place is unobtrusive. The huge picture of the Dalai seen MT rise from being a garbage way to see it is to produce a projected image of the Sun on the wall Lama as soon as you walk in leaves you with no doubt as to where you are. It is dump to a prosperous Little or a screen using a telescope. At moments like this, it seems a place where one can have an undisturbed conversation or even a loud especially unfortunate that amateur telescopes and solar filters are discussion to the tune of Hindi/Nepali songs playing in the background. The Himalaya in Delhi. not available in Nepal. The government has imposed a 100 percent installation of a colour television ensures that you can also watch ‘ the match’ For travellers, there is almost while you enjoy your meal. tariff on importing telescopes! Ke garne? everything that one could want: Other highlights in the March sky: Being within the Tibetan colony, the food served there is well Tibetan food. cheap but clean hotels (rooms Tee Dee’s serves a variety of food from traditional Tibetan to typical Chinese. A normal meal at chung town would consist of a plate of ‘beef chili’ and ‘tingmo’ ranging from IRs175-550), The Sun (traditional Tibetan bread). The cost of this meal would be around IRS 40. For restaurants (which, unlike The Sun is in the constellation of Aquarius at the start of March, someone wanting more there are a variety of chicken/mutton/lamb items, rice, Dharamsala, have not yet catered to moving into Pisces on the 12th. The Spring Equinox falls on 21 chowmein and vegetables to choose from, not to mention the soups and salads. the muesli crowd) with authentic March at 00:11 when the Sun crosses the celestial equator from Even for a meal that constitutes all the major food groups the total cost would be Tibetan dishes, bookstores, cyber south to north, making the length of the day equal to the night. within IRS 80 to maybe slightly more than IRS 100 depending on how much you can pack away and trust me some people once they start eating here just don’t cafes, laundry, shops, etc. The Mercury stop. only drawback used to be that MT Mercury is at inferior conjunction (between Earth and the Sun) on For the more adventurous, the ‘chele fried’ is an excellent experiment. Chele was nearly an hour from 12 March. We are very unlikely to see this elusive little planet this month. fried is to put it very bluntly ‘fried tongue’. Taste it and it guarantees that the Connaught Place. Venus chances of having tasted such a delight are slim. An exotic dish for vegetarians is But thanks to the recent the ‘shabhakalep’, a bit bland but perfect with the chilli chutney. The best way to Venus is a brilliant “morning Star”, visible in the east at dawn each finish off a meal at Tee Dee’s is with their pancakes. It can be ordered with a opening of Delhi’s Metro travel day. It reaches its greatest western elongation from the Sun on 25 variety of toppings such as jam, honey, bananas or all of the above. The biggest time has been cut to 15 minutes by March. debate surrounding Tee Dee’s is about whether or not it should incorporate a bar. train, which costs only IRs10. Mars Talking to students from the colleges around the area, there seemed to be a Stepping into the immaculately Mars is high in the western sky at dusk and sets in the early hours mixed view. Gaurav Anand of Shri Ram College of Commerce says “ Ofcourse clean and shiny Metro, you think of the morning. It moves steadily eastward, night-by-night, against alcohol should be served” but he adds begrudgingly “ though it might make it unsafe for girls but it would be nice to have a drink with dinner”. The girls seem to you are in Bangkok or Singapore, the stars of Taurus. be of the same mindset and would like alcohol but for the fact that a more riotous not India. It was Christmas Eve Jupiter crowd might frequent it should alcohol be served. Says Jahnvi of Lady Shri Ram when I checked out of Wongdhen Jupiter, in Libra, rises late in the evening and is at its highest at College “ it would be nice but it would definitely make it more ‘shadier’. Thus House, Majnu ka Tila’s most around 3AM. You’ll see it as a very bright, steady star—only Venus, nearly 90 degrees to the left, is brighter. ended the debate on alcohol at Tee Dee’s. Aarti Basnyat popular guesthouse for western Saturn Tee Dee’s is a place for college students on a limited budget but if you are in dharmaphiles. There was a big Saturn is high in the eastern sky at dusk. It moves slowly north- Delhi and would like a taste of Tibet on the way then it is definitely a cheap and twinkling Christmas tree in the west in Cancer, well below and to the left of the “twin” stars of reliable source for it. lobby, and as I turned in my room Gemini. Tee Dee Restaurant key, Dolma the receptionist Meteors H-32, Behind Tibetan School, Aruna Colony wished me “Merry Christmas and Majnu Ka Tila, Delhi-100 054 Towards the end of the month, we may see a few early meteors Ph- 2393414 Happy New Year” and handed me from the Virginid shower, which peaks in early April. a candy. 12 INTERNATIONAL 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288 Bush talks to India about Nepal US anxiety over Nepal’s troubles figure in George W Bush’s talks with Indian leaders

Maoists should abandon violence in Nepal and anti-government process in the greater interest of and that the King should reach insurgents in northern India and the nation.” This appeal was out to the political parties to possibly provide a new haven for immediately rejected by leaders restore democratic institutions,” terrorists. of the seven-party alliance. Bush said. Soon after Fallon’s journey to US officials with access to Admiral William Fallon of Kathmandu, US ambassador to intelligence say no evidence the US Pacific Command flew Nepal James Moriarty delivered has yet turned up that the into Kathmandu earlier this an unusually blunt address. He Maoists are supported by China month to meet with King scolded the king and the political despite having taken their Gyanendra, cabinet ministers, parties alike for failing to join name from Mao Zedong. The political party leaders and senior hands to fight the 10-year Maoist Nepali insurgents, however, are military officers. He was the insurgency in which 13,000 reported to get some supplies highest-ranking US military people have been killed. “There is and ammunition from officer to visit Nepal in recent no other practical, workable insurgents in northern India. times and his message was stark: solution to your constitutional Fallon suggested in an “I can’t help you until you take crisis,” he said. interview that, despite Nepal’s steps to establish participatory ordeals, a few bright spots democracy.” “On Nepal we agreed that the shone through. He found the The visit of the leader of the Maoists should abandon king, with whom he met for 90 violence and that the king US Pacific Command to Nepal minutes, to be well informed should reach out to the political took only 24 hours but it spoke parties to restore democratic and articulate in arguing that volumes about US concern over institutions.” security took top priority. The the fate of that increasingly admiral said Nepal’s army, troubled nation. Over the past – US President George W Bush although guilty of sometimes year, Nepal has experienced a at a press conference with violating human rights, had three-way struggle for power. Indian Prime Minister improved and was helping to Maoist insurgents seek to take Manmohan Singh on Thursday. hold the country together. over the country. The king has Moriarty, however, berated sought to consolidate authority About the same time, a the quarrelling king and in his own hands to fight the spokesman for US Secretary of politicians equally, asserting RICHARD HALLORAN The visit comes amidst insurgents. An alliance of seven State Condolezza Rice that “so long as there is no in HAWAII heightened American worries that parties demands that abandoned the state coherent strategy in place to Maoist insurgents in Nepal may parliamentary government be department’s customary roll back the massive gains the he Bush administration has be close to capturing state power. restored and has dallied with the diplomatic stance to criticize the Maoists have made over the been cultivating new Bush told a joint press Maoists in an attempt to gain king for failing to “initiate a past decade, the Maoists will T relations with India after conference with Indian prime political leverage. dialogue with the political rightfully conclude that they decades in which the country minister Manmohan Singh in US officials say that unless a parties. His continuing refusal to are winning”. often tilted toward the Soviet New Delhi on Thursday that he turnaround is engineered in six take these steps is leading Nepal “There certainly is no way Union during the Cold War. US and Singh “agreed” that King to eight months, Nepal will further down the path of for the parties or the king to President George W Bush arrived Gyanendra should reach out to collapse into Maoist hands. violence and disorder.” successfully ride the Maoist in New Delhi on Wednesday and the political parties to restore Besides bringing more instability In response, King Gyanendra tiger for their own advantage,” officials confirmed Nepal has democracy. to South Asia, that would issued a Democracy Day he added, “one could easily fall figured in the agenda. “On Nepal we agreed that the enhance ties between the Maoists statement in an apparent effort off ... and tigers get hungry.” z to reach out to the politicians opposing him. He called on “all Richard Halloran is a commentator willing political parties to come based in Hawaii and was with the forth to fully activate, at the New York Times for 20 years and earliest, the stalled democratic has covered Asia.

VOX POP “We have to sort our own problems, and not leave it to Bush” If Bush really cares about Nepal he would have visited Nepal and consulted with the Nepali people to really understand the depth of the problem and what the solution should really be. Most of these countries are looking at our country from their own interests.

Bush’s visit is a meaningless hope, the US can’t find a solutions between Pakistan and India, nor for Nepal. It will only find more ways to manipulate our countries in giving up our freedoms and make us their puppets. For many years we have relied on foreign nations to find solutions for our problems, it’s time that Nepali people find solutions to our own problems. Pravas Singh

During his trip to India, President Bush will definitely mention for the need of democracy in Nepal. He will ask India to take the lead in the same manner the British and French appeased Hitler by handing over Czechoslovakia. Democracy minded Nepalis should wake up and smell the rat. Our future lies in our hands. Get off the streets, participate in elections and choose your representatives. Fighting for democracy means to earn the trust of the Nepali people not of foreign leaders. Shree Shrestha

The visit of the US President to New Delhi will speak volumes about US concern over the fate of that increasingly troubled Nepal…but he just can’t help us until we take steps to establish participatory democracy. Pankaj Raj Karmacharya

Response from Nepalnews.com readers. LEISURE 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288 13 ‘Scrambled’ golf ? Steve and Emi Nepal’s pros put some fun back into the game Two cyclists pedalling around the world arrive in re you aware of the Golf ‘scramble’? It’s a team event where Nepal after surmounting overwhelming odds players count only the best shots made by all members (eg, A they tee off their second shots from the place where the best drive landed) to compile their score. Although I was familiar with the format, I never played it during my two decades of golfing—until last weekend. The Royal Nepal Golf Club (RNGC) organised the scramble to give both professionals and amateurs a chance to play together and have fun trying something new. Each team included an amateur with a low, middle and high handicap as well as a professional. I could see that the amateurs really enjoyed the experience of hitting second shots from lies where before they could only dream of playing and of seeing just how well shots can be struck. TEE BREAK Humble thanks to the RNGC Deepak Acharya executive committee for realising the need to develop golf in Nepal and special thanks to executive committee member DEEPTI GURUNG Dorjee Sherpa for conceiving of and successfully conducting last weekend’s event. Thank you also to the diehard golfers of the DEEPTI GURUNG countryside. Slowly and corporate world who sponsored teams—without them the event in POKHARA unbelievably her health wouldn’t have been a success. improved. A year later she was I met Dorjee Sherpa a few days before the scramble and found t sounds like something out of able to take walks around her him in high spirits and full of advice: “It’s high time that the a movie. Steve met Emiko 17 home. Her doctor was convinced amateurs appreciate the golf lessons they receive from Iyears ago in Australia. She was a this was a miracle. By 2004 Steve professionals and started to give something back to help the growth 23-year-old Japanese and he was a of pro golf in the country.” andEmi were back in Pakistan to six year older Australian. start where they had left off in They think it was destiny that their bicycle journey. brought them together and their The cancer hasn’t gone and mutual interest in travel. This Emi needs a check-up every week they were in Pokhara, racing month. But the couple have an ultralights, taking in the scenery it, money was always short and added mission to their journey and talking to locals. Their eyes they stayed in cheap lodges and now, they speak on cancer still sparkle when they talk to even carried a tent. The wherever they go. “I don’t want each other as if they’d just met. adventures are inumerable: to fight with cancer, I want to Emi and Steve (pictured at running away from grizzlies in live with it because it has Pokhara airport this week) aren’t Africa, encounters with armies of become a part of me now,” Emi your stereotypical tourists, red ants in the Amazon. says, “I am learning to live with offspring of rich parents off to see After a few years of this, they cancer cells, and I know if I am MIXING BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE: Deepak Thapa Magar, the world. Emi was a daughter of a finally found sponsors from happy they are happy too and Kundan Rana, Niraj Rana and Arun Chand. single mother who had to support Japanese helmet, bicycle and tyre won’t do me any harm, and my two other siblings. They all manufacturers and the going got happiest moment is when I am I know that the whole golfing fraternity supports Sherpa’s helped their mother clean, easier. In 2000, they reached with my husband.” sentiments to support and reinvigorate our professional golf. cook and take care of their Pakistan in their round the world Everywhere Emi has been in For the scramble I was paired up with three seniors—Pradeep youngest brother. journey. But Emi was diagnosed the past two years people have Rana, KB Shah and Vinode Rana—representing St Peters Hospital Even while young, Emi had a with cancer and rushed to Japan urged her not to give up. Steve (England). They all enjoyed the format tremendously, as did the dream of going out to see the where doctors told her she had says: “Everybody has to die one other participants I spoke to, most of whom were making their world. Steve also grew up in a six months to live because the maiden appearances in the scramble. Undoubtedly the team of pro day, so why not live every day to working class family who loved cancer had spread. Deepak Thapa Magar and amateurs Niraj Rana, Kundan Rana and the fullest, do what you like Arun Chanda were simply delighted with their victory. bicycling. After they met, they Steve was devastated and got doing and be happy.” Like other professional golfers in Nepal, I see this event as a pedalled across Australia, then to work trying to make her happy, Steve and Emi have made a boost to the local pro game. Everyone in the golfing community is around Emi’s home in Osaka. For downloading jokes from the list of the places they’d like to aware that professionals need more of these 72-hole stroke-play 11 years since 1989 they cycled internet to tell her on her comeback to when their journey events to improve their standards and an event like the scramble 113,000 km around the world hospital bed. After a few months is over in three years. And always adds an additional fun element to that serious task. z enjoying interacting with different in hospital, they decided to go Pokhara has just been added peoples and cultures across home, Emi changed her diet to their list. z Deepak Acharya is a golf instructor and Golf Director atGokarna Forest deserts, cities, rain and snow. turned to yoga, listened to Golf Resort & Spa, Kathmandu. [email protected] They lived frugally and roughed soothing music and moved to the www.geocities.com/emisteve/ Coz it’s there ait! It’s not April First yet. Bbut get ready anyway for the most W daring hoax of 2006: an 85-year-old British woman and her dog will climb Chomolungma alpine style this spring with her Daschund. Here’s more: the route is a straight line from base camp up the west shoulder and directly up the west ridge which has never been hitherto climbed. Many Woodbridge and her dog, Daisy, are in training now in their backyard doing stretches and going for walks in the village of Greenfield in England. They say they will climb without bottled oxygen without Sherpas, and without camps. “I’m sure we can make it to the top of Mount Everest. We both go for a walk every day and keep ourselves very fit,” Mary said this week just before setting out for Nepal. The expedition has no sponsors, mainly because it didn’t get any. The expedition website (www.mary-woodbridge.co.uk/) has videos and photos of the rigorous training that Mary and Daisy’s training and details on her plans. Mary’s website is now filling up with well wishers and also nattering sceptics like this one: “Mary - your dog will die. His little lungs will give up. You will also die. Soon.” 14 CITY 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288

ABOUT TOWN Raghav Shastri (Nana Patekar) is a caustic, EXHIBITIONS instinctively witty cabbie who needs 30,000 rupees by by Ed Bartlett 10 March. 5.30PM. Indigo the end of the day. Jai Mittal (John Abraham) is an equally † ™ Painting Exhibition Gallery witty heir to a resourceful business family who also ™ Performance Blowing up The Balls By Peter Schrader. needs a lot of money—3 billion actually. That too by the Siddartha Art Gallery. 5 March end of the day. To get the cash, Jai needs to contest his ™ Waves of Echo on Rice Paper (Fish Series) by Gajendra Man father’s will in court and he needs Raghu’s cab to take Shrestha. 2-8 March Park Gallery. Lazimpat. 4419353 him there. For his part, Raghu needs every rich sucker he can find as a passenger. The two meet and a EVENTS predictable cab ride kicks off a roller-coaster journey ™ Indian Film Festival from 3 March. Jai Nepal Cinema. that leaves you laughing and on the edge of your seat. ™ Pre-Cleaning Day Chobhar Village. 4 March. 8AM. 4333555 12-15 March. Quest Entertainment Quest Entertainment

™ Fifth Annual Coca cola Ride Nepal 2006 Quest Entertainment Quest Entertainment Quest Entertainment Call 4442220 for show timings www.jainepal.com Himalayan Enflielders. 4440462 ™ Himalayan healing stones and crystals sales & Work Shop. Baber Mahal Revisted. 3-5 March. 10AM-5.30PM ™ Conferences at Godavari Resort special packages available. 5560675 ™ Great American Films from 6 March. The American Library Yak and Yeti. 4445577 ™ Possibility of Bird Flu in Nepal youth forum. 3 March. 3-5PM. Martin Chautari

MUSIC ™ Manose Singh bamboo flute player. 6PM. 4 March. Rs. 650. Patan Museum ™ The Cloud Walkers at Rox Bar. Hyatt Regency 4 ™ Heartbreakers live every Friday at Rum Doodle Bar & Restaurant. ™ Cadenza Collective live every Wednesday g]kfn slifk[ wfg| d'n's xf ] . oxfsf+ *) kltzteGbf| a9L hgtf slif[ (Jazz) and Saturday (Afro-funk and Latin) 8PM k];fdf cfwfl/t 5g \ . sn" /fli6o« cfosf ] ‰G8 } $) kltzt| lx:;f at Upstairs, Lajimpat. clxn ] klg slif[ Ifqn] ] g } cfu6] sf] ] 5 . l;Ëf ] d'n'ssf ] cflys,{ ™ Live Music at New Orleans Café. 4700311 ;fdflhs d?b08sf] ] ?kdf /xsf] ] slifIf[ q] pklIft] x'g' x'Fb}g . sifsx¿[ ™ Best of jazz JCS trio and Friends. Niek’s Place. Tuesday and Saturday. Free entry. 4701324. b]zsf jf:tljs gfos x'g\ . pgLx¿nfO { ;Ddfg / sb/ ugk5'{ { . ™ Jatra Friday nights, live music by Siron. 4256622 s[ifsx¿n ] klg cfˆgf ] kl;gfdfly ljZjf; ugk5'{ { . gof F gof F slif[ ™ Unplugged sessions with Strings, Jatra Saturday nights. k|0ffnL cjnDag ugk5'{ { . k9\b}df vtL] ug '{ gx'g] xfOg] . ‰g\ 4256622 s[lifIfqnfO] { cfwlgsLs/0f' ug { lzlIft / ;rt] ssifssf[ ] vfrf ] 5 . ™ Live Music at Juneli Bar, Hotel de l’Annapurna. 4221711 To;}n] slif[ k;fnfO] { cfb/ u/f,}+ sisnfO[ { ;Ddfg u/f }+ . ™ Uncork the Good Times Fusion bar at Dwarika’s presents Ciney and Par-e-jat playing Popular Sounds of 70’s. Fridays 7PM >L % sf ] ;/sf/ onwards. Rs. 750. Dwarika’s Hotel. 4479448 ;"rgf tyf ;~rf/ dGqfno DINING ;"rgf ljefu ™ BBQ Ban Bhoj with swimming at Godavari Vilalge resort. Saturday and Sunday. 5560675 ™ Breakfast at Singma Restaurant. 8.30 – 11.00AM daily. 5520004 NEPALI WEATHER by MAUSAM BEED at Soaltee Crowne Plaza. 4273999 ™ Strawberry time The change in wind direction this week ™ Stupa View vegetarian creations, clay oven pizza, tasty from southwest to northwest brought desserts, espresso & latte. directly at the Boudha Stupa. fresh cooler air from the Tibetan plateau which cleared the haze, raised 4480262 KATHMANDU ™ Maki Newa Bhutu for Newari cuisine at Hotel Royal Singi. maximum temperatures. However, it also brought drier air something we don’t 4439784 really need at a time when we haven’t ™ Mexican and Italian food at Fuzone Café. 5542935 had rain for nearly five months now. ™ Great Dining options at Al Fresco, Bukhara, China Garden and The effect can be seen all around us: Garden Terrace restaurants, Soaltee Crowne Plaza. 4273999 the Bagmati is a sewer, the rivers are at Le Meridien. Kathmandu. Saturday. 4451212. dry so electricity generation is down, ™ Barbeque ground water table in Kathmandu has ™ The Shangri-La Express Soups, make your own sandwiches and plummeted and there are signs of an salads and choice of dessert only for Rs 399. Everyday from acute water shortage as even the 11AM - 3PM. The Shambala Garden traditional water spouts go dry. This ™ Wonderful Wednesdays at Fusion, Dwarika’s, happy hour 5- satellite picture taken on Thursday morning shows no signs of rain on the 9PM. horizon but a low pressure area of Bihar ™ BBQ Dinner at Summit Hotel every Friday. 6:30PM - 9:30PM. may bring clouds. 5521810 ™ Breakfast With Birds lunch with butterflies and dinner by the fire KATHMANDU VALLEY place. Farm House Café. 4375279 Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue GETAWAYS ™ Home away from home Shivapuri Heights Cottage for bookings 9841371927. [email protected] 27-10 27-10 26-10 27-11 28-10 ™ Tea House-Inn. Nepalese Salads with Nepali Thali every Saturday at the terrace garden. Nagarkot. 668-0048, 668-0080 (ext.2111) ™ Club Himalaya Chiso Chiso Hawama package from Rs.1700 per person with dinner, breakfast, accommodation and shuttle service. 668-0080, 668-0083 km/L] ;rf?' ™ Go Double, Pay Single special air package to Thailand & ASEAN destinations with Air Nepal & Air Asia until 31 March g]kfnL ™ Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, award winning relaxation in Pokhara Reservations 4361500 Daily 2045-2115 on 102.4 ™ Junglewalks, rafting, elephant rides all at Jungle Base Camp Radio Sagarmatha Lodge, Bardia. [email protected] P.O. Box 6958, ™ Nature Retreat at Park Village Resorts & Spa, Budhanilkantha Bakhundole, Lalitpur, Nepal Tel: ++977-1-545680, 545681, 4375280 Fax: ++ 977-1- 530227 ™ Overnight stay at Godavari Village Resort. Rs. 999 onwards. [email protected], 5560675. www.radiosagarmatha.org HAPPENINGS 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288 15 Number one by design

wapnil Acharya’s story is a lesson for those who think the only way to learn the tricks of a trade is to attend a S professional school. Until 2000, Swapnil did not even TRIBHUBAN POUDEL have a computer of his own and the only tool at his POKHARA, NOT BAGHDAD: Chipledhunga in Pokhara soon after a disposal as he set out to learn website design was Maoist bomb exploded leaving 11 people injured on Tuesday. beginner’s curiosity. Initially a friend helped him figure out the basics and then he was on his own. Working his way up by studying the source codes of existing websites and doing research on the internet, Swapnil, who took his A-levels at Kathmandu Academy, started designing his own site, putting extra care into Flash, the technology for animation. The quality of this 20-year-old’s work impressed his friends, who advised him to turn professional. Swapnil turned to the internet once again, this time to find professional contacts, which in turn got him his first job: building the website of a motor workshop for a friend’s father. That MIN BAJRACHARYA was only the beginning. Swapnil is a do-it-yourself guy FREEDOM CALLS: NC leaders pose after their release from prison on and has since built websites for foreign companies and 27 February following one month in detention. Bhim D Pradhan, Dr organisations: all by working online. Shekhar Koirala, Lakshman Ghimire, Nanda Joshi and Tirtha R Dongol. Swapnil’s own website www.himmasters.net/nepali, won two awards—for best technical qualities and best overall in Wave Web Winner 2005, the website designing contest of Himalmedia’s Wave magazine. Said a beaming Swapnil: “Web designing is an art. It involves creativity.” Already swamped with work, Swapnil has no time to go to university just now. “Maybe later,” he says. A man of few words is Swapnil but what a designer! z Alok Tumbahangphey

ANUP PRAKASH

MIN BAJRACHARYA WITH ALL HIS MIGHT: A soldier blows the shankha during Army Day celebrations at Tundhikel on Sunday.

KIRAN PANDAY MADE IN NEPAL: Models showcase local fashions at the 7th Handicraft Trade Fair at Soaltee Crowne Plaza on Tuesday.

KIRAN PANDAY AFTER THE GLORY: Elated students at Padma Kanya Campus in Bagbajar pose for a picture after the results of the Free Student Union elections were announced on Tuesday. 16 3 - 9 MARCH 2006 #288 Complain, complain, complain MI-17LX

t is an age-old custom in this part of the world to have Complaints www.nepalitimes.com and Suggestions Boxes located at convenient intervals throughout I the kingdom. We don’t know if these boxes are ever opened, or if anyone actually reads the recommendations contained therein, but that is not the point. The point is that the boxes prove that the citizens’ right to complain is still intact despite the royal takeover. As a last resort if nothing UNDER MY HAT else works, they can always vent Kunda Dixit their frustrations and pour out their angst by making droppings in the box and relieve themselves. So what if we don’t have ballot boxes, at least we have Complaints Boxes. However, it has come to our notice that there are some units of His Majestic Government that still haven’t installed Suggestion Boxes in their premises. This is intolerable. If this is the state of affairs, how on earth is the ordinary man on the street ever going to lodge a complaint that there isn’t a Complaint Box? By unburdening himself in broad daylight right there on the perimeter wall of the Ministry of Hygiene and Insanity to make his/her point? However, going by the sight of the overstuffed Complaint and Suggestion Box at the airport these days (sign on box: ‘Not To Be Used As Spitoon Except During State Of Emergency’) it is clear that Nepal is a vibrant democracy where all adults have franchises and an avenue exists for everyone to bring pet peeves to the notice of the highest authoritarian in the land. Since we journalists have access to Complaint Boxes under the Freedom of Information Act we have sampled the outpourings, and here are the highlights:

To Whosoever It May Concern My flight to Dhaka has been delayed by another four months due to late arrival of aircraft. The airline says it has been rescheduled for the post- monsoon season. I checked in about this time last year and I really feel at home here in the departure hall. I’m not writing to complain it’s just that I’m bored stiff. Would it be too much to ask the concerned airline staff please let me know if I can expect a flight during my present incarnation or whether I can reasonably expect to get to Dhaka in my afterlife so I can notify my family and plan accordingly? Thank you for your kind attention. Yours etc. Phanindra

You Majesty, I am writing to apprise you of the fact that your airport security disrespectfully just stopped me from boarding my flight to Biratnagar just now. Don’t they know who I am? This is a premeditated attack on the democratic process, and I’m going to declare a nationwide strike tomorrow. We will throw a brick at anything that moves. Girija Prasad Koirala, 27 August 2004 P.S.: How come I’m not invited to Pokhara?

Hi, I am writing to complain about the 12-point agreement between the Maoists and the parties. As I told Vijay the other day, I can’t allow this to happen. Since all the interviews and letters to the editors I have written in the past month don’t seem to be making any impact at all, thought I might as well drop this note while I wait for my plane. Let’s hope it creates some ripples. Jim Moriarty ISSN 1814-2613 CDO Regd No. 194/056/57 Lalitpur, Central Region Postal Regd. No. 04/058/59