TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE: Covers - Personal accident Travellingabroad - Medical + Emergency expenses ? - Hospital benefits Business or pleasure, now you can - Loss of checked baggage travel with a free mind... - Delay of checked baggage - Loss of passport - Personal liability Pyramid Hotel, Las Vegas www.nepalitimes.com EVEREST INSURANCE COMPANY LTD. #147 30 May - 5 June 2003 18 pages Rs 25 Hattisar, Kathmandu Tel: 4425758, 4444717, 4444718 BAR Royal banquet in HOPPING Kathmandu, in KTM Summit of summiteers Rimpoche’s prayers NAVIN SINGH KHADKA A Russian ascent from the north was the first golden jubilee party to raise money for in Khumbu. in TENGBOCHE th ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ climb of the 50 Anniversary day. Hillary’s Himalayan Trust which funds hile gala celebrations continued in At the ceremony in Tengboche, the development work in the Solu Khumbu Kathmandu, Tengboche marked the monastery’s Rimpoche, who has been at the Region. After starting out with the school in W 50thtt anniversary of the first ascent forefront of efforts to preserve the Khumjung, the hospital in Khunde and the of Sagarmatha with a prayer ceremony on environment in the Sagarmatha National Park airport at Lukla, the Trust has built dozens p 15-16 Thursday in memory of those who died on and to clean up the trails, thanked Edmund of schools, hospitals and renovated the mountain. Hillary, his family and friends for their monasteries in the region. Edmund Hillary’s son, Peter, was chief energy and sacrifices over the past 50 years to There has been a steady stream of Weekly Internet Poll # 87 guest at the ceremony, and in a rousing speech develop Khumbu. summiteers coming off Mt Everest. Among Q. Do you agree with the CIAA’s current anti-graft he said development was a bit like climbing Mt “For the Sherpa community Edmund them is Appa Sherpa, who was tearing down campaign against senior political figures? Everest. “Both need dedication and teamwork, Hillary is like a caring parent,” the Rimpoche the mountain towards Lukla for a flight to and with that nothing is impossible,” Peter said. “We pray for his good health and long Kathmandu after climbing Mt Everest for the Hillary told a gathering of 1,000 local Sherpas life.” The monastery was rebuilt after it was 13th time. “The important thing is set a goal and visitors. razed in a fire 15 years ago, and Michael for yourself and fulfil it,” Appa said, as he It was a brilliantly clear day in Tengboche, Schmitz, coordinator of the Tengboche hurried off. with an elegantly tilted Ama Dablam looking Monastery Development Project, said a Some Sherpas voiced private misgivings down approvingly on the monastery. To the visitor’s centre and expanded sacred area about whether the competition to set records on north, the summit of Mt Everest peeped over are being added. Everest wasn’t getting a bit out of hand. “This the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge with a plume of The meadow outside the monastery was the kind of competition is not healthy, it breeds Total votes:2,531 spindrift blowing off the summit ridge. On the venue for a traditional Sherpa dance, and the antagonism and ill will,” said one elderly Weekly Internet Poll # 88. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com south side, climbers have been waiting out high New Zealanders reciprocated by performing a Sherpa here. One-fourth of the 1,702 summits Tenzing p4-5 Q. Do you agree with the student unions targetting private schools? winds and may make a push on Thursday Maori dance. The field is filled with tents, and a have been made by Sherpas, and 175 of them Messner p8-9 night itself when the winds are expected to ease. large one in the middle was the scene of a died on the mountain. The royal massacre left deep scars on the Two years later national psyche. ANALYSIS by KUNDA DIXIT ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ June 2001 seems like a bad dream, but Nepalis have now woken up and have decided to move on. 1 The tragedy left scars on the national psyche that will never completely heal. All MIN BAJRACHARYA we can do is try to deal with the legacy, learn its lessons. The single most significant consequence of June First was that King Gyanendra became king. Thrust onto the throne after the death of his brother and nephew, he has tried to come to terms with a deep personal tragedy while simultaneously having to learn the essence of statecraft at the most turbulent time in the kingdom’s history. CNN’s Satinder Bindra, in town to cover the Everest jubilee celebrations, interviews Rajendra Last year, in a candid television interview, the king told Durga Nath Sharma: “I am not Pandey of the UML (left) during Wednesday’s march down Singha Darbar. Pandey was later like my brother, I can’t sit idly by while the country sinks deeper into crisis.” What he meant among those who suffered head injuries in scuffles with riot police (right). by that was soon clear: Prime Minister Deuba was sacked a few months later. The king then appointed a cabinet of trusted political figures and technocrats, and got Col Narayan The Maoists tried to capitalise on the uncertainty and anarchy in the weeks after 1 Singh Pun to forge a ceasefire with the Maoists. But he was less successful with trying to June, 2001. But despite government bungling Baburam Bhattarai’s conspiracy theories did convince the political parties to join his government. not carry much weight with the public. The Nepali people, it seems, make a mental The five parliamentary parties first went into a deep sulk, but regrouped to launch a distinction between the institution of monarchy and the persona of the king. united street agitation. In reality, they felt left out of the peace process, and had dark This week the Maoists are all gathered in the cradle of their revolution for an extended misgivings about the country being dragged back to pre-1990 days. politburo meeting in Rolpa. The comrades are evaluating the last four months of ceasefire It is a measure of how low the stock of the political parties has fallen that there hasn’t and plotting the next course of action. It doesn’t look like the peace been a groundswell of public support for the anti-royal agitation. The public generally process is in mortal danger, but it isn’t in the pink of health either. seems to regard this as a power play, and don’t want to jeopardise the peace process. So, two years on, the palace and parties are stuck: the main Patan Museum Café But public opinion may shift if this stalemate drags on. A recent survey (Nepali obstacle is that no compromise candidate for prime minister is accept- Times, #140) showed people overwhelmingly reject a return to absolute monarchy. able to anyone else. Things seem to be veering in the direction of an We are pleased to announce that we have Girija Prasad Koirala was prime minister during the royal massacre. He is now RPP-lead all-party coalition—that is if the powers-that-be can decide extended the opening hours of the leading the charge against the king, still threatening to disclose some mysterious between Surya Bahadur Thapa and Pashupati SJB Rana. Patan Museum Cafe. “grand design”. The UML supremo Madhab Kumar Nepal refused to join the This week, the parties are bent on keeping up the pressure on the king From1030 – 1930 hrs royal commission to probe the massacre, and he is now hand-in-hand with with street protests during the Everest anniversary when the world media is For reservations and more information ex-rival Koirala on the streets. in town. Meanwhile, their student wings are competing with the Maoists to please call 55 26271/ 55 24694 Speaker Taranath Ranabhat headed the commission and released the disrupt education. “We have to show our fangs in public, but there is a lot report that became the only official inquiry into the palace killings. He of behind-the-scenes efforts to find a compromise,” admitted one party earned the nickname “Bhatatata” after re-enacting the murder scene by stalwart. The UML plans a “protest of unprecedented proportions” on Jesth 19. holding up one of the weapons used for the benefit of the press (pic, right). Only when an all-party interim set up is agreed on and is in place can the task This week Ranabhat refused to join kangresi colleagues at the convening of of planning for the next local and general elections begin. But before we get to the virtual parliament at the Academy Hall. that: the peace talks must be concluded and the Maoists agree to disarm. 2 EDITORIAL 30 MAY - 5 JUNE 2003 NEPALI TIMES #147 Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit STATE OF THE STATE by CK LAL Desk Editor: Trishna Gurung, Design: Kiran Maharjan Webmaster: Bhushan Shilpakar [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Advertising: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Subscription: Anil Karki [email protected] Sales: Sudan Bista [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 01-5543333/ 5523845 Fax: 01-5521013 Let them eat cake Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hattiban: 01-5547018/17 Most schools in the country are still built-owned-operated INTERVIEW WITH BP by the government. How about improving them first? ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Nepali Times: Mr Koirala, sir, it has been more than 20 years since you have been in self- ○○○○○○○○○ imposed exile in heaven. This has given you a certain perspective on how things have turned out after your departure.