Nepali Times for Giving So Much Charnawati Khola Disaster Due to Friends and This Does Not Equate Them to Because He Failed in English
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#255 8 - 14 July 2005 20 pages Rs 30 Weekly Internet Poll # 255 Q. How do you evaluate the security situation since 1 February? Poorer and poorer Total votes:541 Weekly Internet Poll # 256. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q... How confident are you that the new budget will help Nepal make an economic turnaround? KUMAR SHRESTHA KIRAN NEPAL the drop in investment, fall in even though the number of WALKING THE PLANK: A woman tourism, plummeting agricultural workers went up and money crosses a dilaptidated bridge t is simple arithmetic: if a and industrial production and it transfer became more streamlined. linking Libang to the rest opf country’s GDP growth is less is clear that Nepal is getting Nepalis aren’t sending their Rolpa last week, the bridge I than its population growth poorer by the day. money home and political symbolises the state of Nepal's economy--ravaged by conflict and rate then its citizens are getting Finance Minister Madhukar instability has spurred starved of budget. poorer. Nepal’s population is Rana, who is preparing the budget capital flight. growing at 2.24 percent a year, for presentation next week, has an Tourism revenue is down 33 GDP growth this year will fall to unenviable task of paying for percent this year, third country from Bombay that it traded for US 2.1 percent. more with less. exports have fallen by 20 percent dollars. Private banks are awash If the inflation rate, which Remittances from Nepali and there is a severe shortage of in cash, but they have Rs 3 billion has climbed from 1.7 percent last workers abroad, which served as a Indian currency to pay for invested in unproductive sectors year to nearly 6 percent this year, parachute for Nepal’s economy, imports. The Rastra Bank like housing and consumer is counted it means sharp erosion only grew by 3.7 percent this year chartered a 757 recently to air- lending. in purchasing power. Add to that (compared to 4 percent last year) freight IRs 4 billion worth of cash Continued p4 2 EDITORIAL 8 - 14 JULY 2005 #255 Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Desk Editor: Abha Eli Phoboo, Aarti Basnyat Design: Kiran Maharjan Web: Bhushan Shilpakar Advertising: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Subscription: Pushparaj Sharma, [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal No sermons, please Tel: 01-5543333-6, Fax: 01-5521013 [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 01-5547018 Foreign meddling impedes Nepal’s democratic development ET A THOUSAND RADIOS BLOOM aving squandered the ‘Bhutanisation’. street shows. L people’s trust through their (See: Martin Hoftun et al in The people’s trust in the Of all the ridiculous decisions that have been taken lately, the one Hcorrupt and unaccountable Democracy and Social Change in parties can be restored only on that gets the prize for sheer idiocy is the continued ban on news by behaviour, the unrepentant Nepal, 1999). It may be worse, three conditions: the parties FM stations. leaders of the major parties have senior Indian diplomats have should get rid of their corrupt It was news on FM that chronicled the barbarity of the Maoists, been making a beeline to New even hinted publicly about the leaders, make their finances their intimidation and blockades. Now, the only news on FM is positive news about the Maoists: through their own clandestine Delhi to grovel at the feet of their ‘S’ word: Sikkimisation. transparent, and establish intra- transmitters. mentors. While we may have ourselves party democracy. Can they do it? But what makes that move even more foolish are the repeated Why are they seeking the trust to blame for our own disunity, Will they? In sheer exasperation, assertions by members of the cabinet that no FM station in the world of Indian leaders instead of trying the southern neighbour since a previous chief election is allowed to broadcast news. But this falsehood has been repeated to figure out why the Nepali British India days has often used commissioner had once publicly so often that the regime now seems to believe its own lies. people aren’t trusting them? political fissures in Kathmandu asked what good would a free Take it from us: news is broadcast over FM stations in most Upon return to Kathmandu, to further its geopolitical interest. and fair election do if the contest countries in the world. Thailand and the Philippines have vibrant There was 1951, 1961, 1990 and were to be held between two community radio networks, all of Latin America listens to FM news, now there are the Nepali Maoists smugglers nominated by their South Africa’s rural radio broadcasts studio discussions that have GUEST COLUMN who still enjoy freedom of respective parties. been agents of social change. Bihari K Shrestha movement in India. Recent The need to address these True, our giant neighbours don’t allow it. China for obvious reasons and India because despite being the world’s largest reports of senior Maoist leaders issues was becoming democracy and having a rambunctious press, successive Girija Prasad Koirala jubilantly being escorted around Delhi to increasingly compelling because governments there have realised the power of radio. Lately our announced to the Nepali people meet Indian (and Nepali) of people withholding support ministers (who otherwise never tire of India-bashing) have started that he and his seven party politicians suggest that the to the parties. But the saying that since India doesn’t allow news on FM, we shouldn’t alliance had the full backing of Indian government’s hand may opportunity seems to have been either. So, if the Indians eat gobar we should too? the Indian leaders. Talk about be in much deeper than scuppered at the hands of Nepal’s community radio stations have now courageously shooting oneself in the foot. previously thought. foreign powers, particularly started defying the government’s order with creative forms of protest It should have been perfectly The present crisis should America, Britain and Europe. like reading news through loud speakers in town squares. This clear to Koirala and his ilk that have been a time for serious What is particularly hypocritical week three Kathmandu FM stations simultaneously broadcast a India has always looked at Nepal introspection for the parties. The is that they are all following studio discussion conducted by noted radio host, Kiran Pokhrel of through the prism of its national vast multitudes that converged India’s lead, the same India that Aja ka Kura, on why the ban on news is unconstitutional. As far as freedom of press is concerned, we have one of the interest. And New Delhi has spontaneously on Ratna Park to is very much at home with the most liberal constitutions in the world. And a Supreme Court ruling always extracted its pound of topple the Panchayat regime in Bhutani autocracy and the in 2001 has set a precedence by declaring the electromagnetic flesh. Pakistan’s bifurcation, 1990 have now become Burmese junta. spectrum public property, giving radio the same rights to free helping Sri Lanka’s Tamil rebels, bystanders, watching in One particular foreign envoy expression reserved for print media. The present ban on news is New Delhi has a history of amusement the tantrums of the has even questioned the legality also anti-constitutional because the emergency is over and it is meddling in the neighbourhood. seven-party alliance. It is only a of the RCCC, apparently being enforced on the basis of a simple letter from the ministry. And various independent authors few hundred people they now oblivious to the fact that his There are other reasons why the ban is absurd. The print media have cited over the years that can put together (at considerable own ‘Iraq war’ has been is allowed to get away with extremely critical India’s ultimate aim in Nepal is material cost) for their pronounced illegal by none other content. Private tv stations are broadcasting than the United Nations. news unfettered, Indian news channels are Such meddling by self-styled back on cable. And despite the blocking of two popular websites last week, the Internet is kingmakers sends wrong signals totally free. to the parties which should be Why is it that the government is scared of in self-cleansing mode. They simple old-fashioned radio? The only reason is may think that they don’t need its accessibility and reach. Our rulers are to reform and democratise from scared community radio stations will empower within. These do-gooder the people who will then demand their rights. diplomats should know that And if that is true, it only exposes this democracy is much more than regime’s extreme sense of insecurity. voting or sending corrupt politicians to power. The Maoists, monarchists and mainstreamers are Our 3Ms just arguing about different versions of modernity ver since October Fourth, Girija leaders of the seven-party alliance sound tune with American exceptionalism in when they couldn’t stick to their simple Prasad Koirala has been consistently antiquated as they restrict themselves to world politics. 18-point program of action in the past? E critical of ‘constructive’ monarchy. talk of restoration of parliament. The Religion and race are twin pillars of This question vexes every bystander But February First seems to have made the contestation in the country isn’t between autocratic modernity. This is the version watching protest marches of party octogenarian leader of Nepali Congress modernity and feudalism but between of modernity that seems to have enchanted loyalists pass by city streets in even more vituperative.