Gujarat Ouake Shakes Nepal Spoilsports Ruin Football "THE PERFECT PLACE for the EXOTIC EXPERIENCE YOU EVER HAD"
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Gujarat Ouake Shakes Nepal Spoilsports Ruin Football "THE PERFECT PLACE FOR THE EXOTIC EXPERIENCE YOU EVER HAD" N ewari Cuisine is not only popular for deliciousness but also richness. In a typical Newari feast, more than twenty varieties of dishes are served. Newari Cuisine at its best Now you can savour all these authentic and relishing dishes in addition to various r types of unique Newari tHHH snacks at the 'Lajana' - the exclusive Newari restaurant. Enjoying the ambience you will never forget ..... Enjoy the Legendary Newari delicacies at Restaurant Lajana & Every evening colourful Nepali Cultural Show in Traditional Fashion. Near Radisson Hotel, Lazimpat Kathmandu, Nepal Ph: 413874 E-mail: caan@infoclub.com.np Web Site: www.nepalifood.com/lajana .- CONTENTS Page Letters 3 News Notes 4 Briefs 6 Quote Unquote 7 Off The Record 8 COVER STORY: Preparing For Fresh Elections? The main opposition plays a doubtful role by casting serious allegations against the Prime Minister but stopping short of SOUTH ASIA: Missed Opponunities 9 demanding fresh elections Page 16 FIRING AT JAIL: Death Without Cause 11 FOOTBALL : Messed Up 12 CHILDREN : Painful Picture 13 ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK: Continued Assistance 14 PALESE PLA YERS : In Search Of Green Pastures 15 ART: The Magnificent Seven 24 EARTHQUAKE IN GUJARAT: Convulsions In Kathmandu Tremors in western India send shivers down the spine of MUSIC: Ugra Karma 25 Kathmanduites. Page 10 FACE TO FACE: Deepti R.L. Rana 26 THE BOTIOMLINE 27 VIEWPOINT: 28 PASTIME 29 INTERVlEW: KUBER SHARMA President of Green Nepal Party LEISURE 30 Sharma says Nepal's revolution ary leaders have failed in the task FORUM: Yuba Raj Pandey 32 of nation-building Page 22 SPOTLIGHTIFEBRUARY 2, 2001 SPOTLIGHT EDITOR'S NOTE THE NATIONAL NEWSMAGAZINE --~ V~. 20, NO.29, February 2,2001 (Magh 20,2057) he recently concluded convention of Nepali Congress does not seem to - -- have strengthened Girija Prasad Koirala's fragile position, neither as Chief Editor And Publisher Madhav Kumar Rima! Party president nor as Prime Minister. As a matter of fact he should have been able to command an unassailable leadership by virtue of his pany"s Editor absolute majority in the parliament and his strong showing in the party. Sarita Rimal erBut the spate of demand for his resignation from the post of Prime M i nistcr is ri sing steadi Iy Managing Editor every day. Girija Prasad Koirala has lost all credibility. Except a handful of sycophants, a Keshab Poudel fewcloserelativesand insignificant numberofthc mercenary party cadres. he would hardly Associate Editor find a man with a kind word for him. His commitment to root ou t corrupti on, ensure good Bhagrralh Yogi governance and provide total security to the people has proved to be nothing but empty rhctorics of a power hungry corrupt politician. Thecharges he had levclcd at his prcdeces ... Senior Reporter to oust him from the chair of the Chief Executive have boomeranged agaInst 111111 in a m Sanlaya Ohakal devastating manner. 1f he had even a tiny bit of wisdom Girija Prasad Koirala should quit Reporter peacefully in the overall interest of the nation. But Koirala is made of difrerent kind ofstuff. Akshay Sharma He will not bat his eyelid IOsacrifice his country's interest. ifhe can make hiscorerie happy. Design and Layout As such, he is not going 10 oblige his critics but use all means in his power to stick to the Jyoli Singh chair. Portents, as they are. signify bad days ahead. jf there is anyone who can save the situation from deteriorating, it is the king only. Although we do admire his patience and Photographer Nishchal Chapagain faith in constitutional monarchy, we do urge him not to forget that both sides have to play by the rule. If one party is bent on ruining the country. the other party cannot afford 10 stay Art a silent spectator.1fhe has certain obligation to preserve the constitution. he has even bigger M.S. Khokna obligation 10 preserve the integrity of the count ry and safeguard the li ves and propeny of Legal Advisor his twenty twO million poor people. It need not be emphasized that the country and the Advocate Lok Bhakta Rana people are bigger th an the constitution. Marketing/Advertisement * * • Saril Rimal (USA) The more than a decade old Bhutanese refugee problem. many may think. is on the way 10 be resolved. But. we would rather not come to such a hasty conclusion. Becausc. if Bhutan Marketing Madan Kaji Basnet docs agree to take back all the refugees. why did it drive them away from their home and Navin Kumar Maharjan hearth? It seems so unnatural. Even though she ha!) agreed for spot in vestigation and has Madan Raj Poudel sent her first team, the resolution of the vicious problem does not ~cem to be easy. It is going to be a long drawnout and laborious process. That the Bhutanesc refugees shoulll Editorial Office GPO Box 7256, Baluwatar, Kathmandu, to Nepal is in itself quite surprising. Without acontiguous border. even ofN"palese on Tel: (977-1) 423127, Fax: (977-1) 417845 the Bhutallese refugees should have stayed in contiguous Inllia. But the first few batches Chief Edllors : 435594 of the refugees had reponed that they were forced by the Indian Border Security Force to E-mail: spot@mail.com.np Internet Add: http://www.nepalnews.com/ come intoNepal. And after that all those who were driven out of Bhutan followed the same spotlight course. The involvement of Indian B.S.F. in the innux of Bhutanese refugees to Nepal is indeed incomprehensible. But one thing is certain. lndia coulll play a very positive role in Cover Design Wordscape the speelly solution of this vexing problem if she agreed to use here good offices with Kamal Pokhari, Ph: 410772, Fax: 432872 Bhutan. But she insists this is a bilateral problem and Illllst be resolved bilaterally. That India follows different pattern in her relationship with here two smaller northern ncighbors Distribution is th ere for anyhody to sce. Where as India took.an active role in pulling down thedictatorial Bazaar International 228 Sanchaya Kosh Bldg. Kathmandu Rana regime in Nepal more than fifty years ago in the nam ~ of introducing democracy. she G.P.O Box 2480, Ph: 222983 Fax: 229437 is not only blessing the authoritarian regime in Bhutan but rather helping ilLO entrench the a-mail: bazaar@mos.com.np feudal rule. Such blatant discrimination is apt 10 generate serious misgiving. With her given Printers: Kishor offset Press (P.) Ltd. clout on Bhutan. her refusal to intervene in the early solution or the refugee problem is P.O. Box 4665, Galkopakha, Thamel, bound to create doubts in the minds of Nepalese about here bona fide. Be that as it may,the Kaihmandu,Tel: 351044 (Off), 351172 (Res.), SPOTLIGHT is lerribly shocked mlhe vicious tragedy thal has struck Ihc people ofGujarat Fax: 977-1-351172, E-mail: kishor@groupktm.mos.com.np in the shape or the earthquake and would like to express heartfelt sympathy at the tremendous loss of life and property. • c.O,O. Rcgd, No 151/039-40 Postal Regd. No 42/057/58 U.S. LibraI)' of Congress Catalogue No. 91-905060 Madhav Kumar Rimal Chief Editor& Publisher 2 SPOTLIGHT/FEBRUARY 2. 2001 LETTERS ____________________________________________________________ of political clout, dynastic in terest and rent-seeking ten After The dencies. Policy MUlllla Dada Lazimpat Now that the govern ment has come Olil \I1'ith ils Follow The IT policy, there are certain things tt needs to do fur Rule Of Law ther, For starters, the gOt' While there is serious ernment should introduce doubt, abuu. the honesty of Hari Bhakta Shrestha, the cyber laws to regulate e CIAA, too, should give him commerce. which can do due opportunity to clarify his l1'ondersfor Nepal. The tax stand ("On The Move", Janu policy also needs a felt· ary 19-25). lt should follow changes to suit the demal/ds the international norm of 'in of present-day IT rel'olu- nocent till proven guilty'. Bu. 11011. Nell' and mure this does nOI mean it should sCielllijic tax laws need to not try and investigate the be adopted for making e matter to establish Shrestha's commerce and e-payment guilt, if .here is any. TI,e pri mary thing is to follow the practicable, And, abol'c al/, rule or law. Best of luck to the gOl'emment needs to CIAA. implement \l'hal it has KamaI Sharma promised in the policy - Chabahil and quickly. Billod Kafle Terrors Of Tremors Lagwzkhel .J ust two weeks after Nepal Less On Education observed Earthquake Day. Nepal. As things stand, it must not lose any time at all. there was a devaslating quake Your cover story on the seems logical for Nepal to Dines" Shreslha in IndIa which reminded us of sector did not cover the pursue the seCLOr of IT-en MabarajgunJ the disaster that could also l:ondition of computer edu abled services. The sector also strike us any time (" 'Tremors cation in the country. [T edu promises to bring in huge Halo Of Democracy Of Concern", January 19-25). cation is the most vital com amounts of foreign exchange. Nepal is acountry blinded If a quake of a similar magni ponent of this sector which r hope the ongoing CAN by the haloofdemoeracy. The tude that hit India was to strike we cannot afford to miss. Infotech show helps in this pleasure of living in Nepal is us, how would we cope with Unless we have adequate direction. that there is a never-ending the aftermath. Has anybody numbers of IT-literate man AI/it Shrestha political drama that is trans thought about this') Surely, we rower.