418 19 - 25 September 2008 16 Pages Rs 30
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#418 19 - 25 September 2008 16 pages Rs 30 Weekly Internet Poll # 418 Q. How would you describe the government’s program and policy announced Wednesday? Total votes: 2,991 Weekly Internet Poll # 419. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q. How would you charterise the prime minister’s India’s visit? DAMBAR KRISHNA SHRESTHA LOOKING UP TO GOVERNMENT: Children walking to the Mane Danda Primary School in northern Dolakha last week. Friday’s ‘B’ for Budget budget is expected to set aside money to ensure 100 per cent KIRAN NEPAL and not slither like a snake,” and only apply to the landless. literacy in two years. he is satisfied with letting a few An ambitious plan to ensure fter he became finance large highway and hydropower 100 per cent literacy by 2011, is Bhattarai has put his sights on minister last month, projects to drive growth for now. unlikely to happen, and not revenue generation by controlling A Baburam Bhattarai asked “There isn’t enough time to because of lack of money. “It is smuggling. A recent study showed the visiting Afghan economist completely overhaul economic just not possible when that only 59 per cent of goods Ashraf Ghani: “How can I keep my policy, the budget will just put 11 per cent of the children don’t imported from India come through party happy while at the same time some dressing on the old go to school and see no need to,” official channels. Just reducing maintain economic stability?” policies,” says Bhattarai’s says TU educationist Tirtha smuggling by 10 per cent is Ghani gave Bhattarai a written budgetary aide, Dipendra Chhetri. Khaniya, “children aren’t going to expected to yield up to list of things to watch out for. As Costly programs like go to school just because you Rs 20 billion. This won’t be easy: he prepares to present the budget ‘revolutionary’ land reform, build schools.” the Kodari customs was closed to parliament on Friday afternoon, increased urban property tax, However, the Rs 225 billion last week by traders after the Bhattarai will follow the advice of pension to women and farmers are budget is expected to announce government tried to stop smuggling. donors to balance the need to to be dropped. Even the allowance major investment in expanding The biggest challenge will be push some populist measures with for the elderly, widows and the network of rural roads in the to ensure industrial security so keeping the economy on track. handicapped is expected to be hope of creating 100,000 jobs in that foreign investors will come Bhattarai has said he wants limited to the Karnali, and debt the coming year and providing to Nepal. The record so far is the economy “to leap like a frog forgiveness for small farmers will farmers with access to markets. not good. z 2 EDITORIAL 19 - 25 SEPTEMBER 2008 #418 Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Editor: Kunda Dixit CEO: Ashutosh Tiwari Design: Kiran Maharjan Director Sales and Marketing: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Marketing Manager: Sambhu Guragain Asst Managers: Deepak Sangraula, Subhash Kumar Subscriptions: 5542535/5542525 Hatiban, Godavari Road, Lalitpur [email protected] GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu 5250333/845, Fax: 5251013 www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 5250017-19 Goodwill hunting “He is more like Manmohan Singh than Mao” NEW DELHI—Nepal’s prime investment. headed by Maoist sympathiser minister was a celebrity in Delhi “I am really impressed,” said Anand Swaroop Verma, he said: MOLARS AND TUSKS this week. From arm chair one Indian corporate executive, “I “I remember the time when you In Nepali there is a saying about elephants having tusks outside revolutionaries to national had heard him the last time he helped me during the war. Our for show and the real chewing teeth hidden inside the mouth politicians to the policy elite, was in Delhi two years ago and he revolution is not yet over. A (‘Dekhaune dant ra chapaune dant’). Dahal in Delhi showed off everyone wanted to have a has come a long way. His English communist republic is not his tusks, his pragmatic side. He waxed eloquent about glimpse of a rebel leader who is has improved and he sounds possible immediately but we do democracy, the free market and his vision for rapid investment- now the head of government. more like Manmohan Singh than not accept formal parliamentary led economic growth in Nepal. Mao.” democracy. The main battle now Not everyone was convinced. Least of all the CEOs of Prachanda then addressed a is with remnants of feudalism, Unilever and Dabur whose manufacturing bases in Nepal are the PLAIN SPEAKING gathering of strategic thinkers at the comprador bourgeoisie and targets of chronic stoppages by militant unions affiliated to the Prashant Jha the India International Centre imperialist foreign forces who Maoists. In private meetings with leaders, our prime minister and tried to come across as a have been meddling in Nepal.” was quizzed on his commitment to consensus-building with In a smart suit and tie, statesman who had brought peace Nepal’s prime minister now other parties. Dahal was in his best behaviour, being Mr Pushpa Kamal Dahal was at his to Nepal, and he made it a point needs to reconcile the interests of Pragmatism himself. But the message he got was: we like what charming best. The common to thank the Indian the Tata company which wants to you say but we will be watching what you do. theme in all his speeches was: establishment. invest in Nepal and the Indian And so will we here in Nepal. On Sunday, before flying off to “Trust me.” And judging from the “Everyone I have met has told radical left which wants him to Delhi the prime minister gave us a glimpse of his molars. He reaction, the message hit home. me India wants a stable and fight corporates. He gave a clue went into a long-winded explanation in front of the Constituent The motive of Dahal’s trip prosperous Nepal. I respect and Assembly of socialism and his party’s ultimate goal of about how he plans to do this, communism and how he had no faith in “traditional parliamentary was not as much to energise appreciate that understanding. when he told reporters he wanted democracy”. In fact, looking back at the records, Dahal has bilateral ties but to tell New This peace process is our to carve out “a new form of never really used the words “parliament” or “democracy” in the Delhi he is a man they can do collective responsibility. If we democracy” where the majority of same sentence in the past two years. Instead, he has always business with. So he donned his fail, it will also impact India,” people will feel empowered. alluded to “multi-party competition”. free market hat, taking a business- he said. At the banquet hosted by And speaking to Indian leftist groups in Delhi on Tuesday, dominated 50-member delegation Ties with India, he added, Prime Minister Manmohan Dahal said his party’s real goal was “janatantra” and not and assuring representatives of were far more intimate and could Singh, all top Indian politicians “ganatantra”. There you have it: the goal has been a “people’s Indian joint ventures in Nepal of not be compared with China. He from Sonia Gandhi to Sharad republic” all along. security. He told Indian business reached out to the entire political Pawar, Laloo Yadav to Mulayam It is no coincidence that on the very day that Dahal was what it needed to hear: private establishment but went beyond Yadav were present. “I have been replying to comments from assembly members on his sector is at the heart of growth, to meet critics like the BJP’s L K to 10-15 such banquets but this government’s policies and programs, his hardline party boss Nepal will set up special Advani, telling him he looked up must rank as one of the most Mohan Baidya had also spilled out his totalitarian value system. economic zones, government is to him as a “guardian” and impressive and power-packed Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the comrade went as far as to only a facilitator, we want inviting him to visit Janakpur gatherings,” said Siddharth declare that parliamentary and Pashupati. He Varadarajan, diplomatic editor of democracy had been “a failure spent an hour The Hindu. almost everywhere in the world”. with BJP The next day, political It is now clear whose line the president Rajnath adversaries like the Congress’s prime minister is parroting: his Singh to assure Digvijay Singh, CPM’s Prakash mentor Baidya whose reading of him that concerns Karat, Samajwadi Party’s Amar history we have always known is about Maoist Singh, and BJP’s Murli Manohar lopsided. Parliamentary democracy links with Indian Joshi were sitting on the same is flourishing in most countries, it is sofa to honour Dahal. Prime in fact Baidya’s own Maoist ideology Naxalites were that has been a disastrous failure in misplaced. Minister told them he had spent every country where it has been Dahal knew eight out of his 10 years during attempted. Even the country of Mao’s what to say to the war in India, and wanted to birth abandoned it in 1975. which audience. strengthen the special If Dahal was saying what he did in Talking to a relationship. the Assembly to appease hardliners gathering of the If his aim was to reach out to within his party we have nothing to India-Nepal the Indian establishment and add.