#413 15 - 21 August 2008 18 pages Rs 30 Weekly Internet Poll # 413 Q. How would you characterise the political developments since the elections? Total votes: 3,726 Checklist What the new prime minister needs to get cracking on Weekly Internet Poll # 414. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q. Can a Maoist-led government make a positive difference? MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA PRASHANT JHA Peace Process integration, make army flexible Economy 333 Keep the peace process on 333 Address truth and justice, 333 Restore proper energy Finally, we have a prime track especially for families of the supplies, clean up NOC, sort minister. To help him get straight down to business, 333 In the plains, ensure a just disappeared things out with India here is his to-do list: and effective government 333 Reform the police to prevent 333 Fast-track investment in 333 Address growing discontent more mutinies, warn them they’re hydropower with short and Immediate Relief among Tharus, Muslims and being watched long-term strategy 333 Reassure us that the state Dalits 333 Reassure small and exists 333 Make state structures in the Development medium businesses that the 333 Provide consumers with basic Madhes inclusive, start back- 333 Launch showcase development state will help revive them needs channel talks with Goit schemes in the plains 333 Help management and 333 Ensure food for the neediest. 333 Consult Madhesi parties and 333 Prioritise food security and unions resolve conflict Nepal is now on the UN’s hunger civil society on security connectivity in the hills 333 Provide basic social hot-spot list 333 Ensure the Maoists return 333 Launch job-creation campaign security for unorganised 333 Ensure security, tackle crime seized property, stop YCL through investment in labour 333 Crack down hard on those hooliganism infrastructure blocking highways on whatever 333 Work with UNMIN on PLA 333 Install alternative mechanisms Foreign Relations pretext for local government 333 Reassure our neighbours to 333Educate donors: tell them we north and south that their want infrastructure, irrigation, security interests will be met skills training and mass 333 Reassure donors that the employment generation. Make state is focused on them accountable. development 2 EDITORIAL 15 - 21 AUGUST 2008 #413 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, Tanka Sitaula Subscriptions: Nawaraj Guragain Tel: 5542535/5542525 Hatiban, Godavari Road, Lalitpur [email protected] GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu 5250333/845, Fax: 5251013 Government at last www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 5250017-19 And time for the Maoists, finally, formally and publicly, to renounce violence US AGAINST OURSELVES s the government finally In no way can the electoral As prime minister, Pushpa The only thing we can say about the election of the prime minister gets formed via the success be read as justification of Kamal Dahal will be attending by the Assembly on Friday is: better late than never. Constituent Assembly, the armed insurgency. The 10 office at Singha Darbar rather The country is being engulfed in an Us Them confrontation A vs hope abounds: of a return to years of people’s war benefited than directing affairs from the between Madhes, Tarai, Pahad. What should worry us is not what we call each other, but that the short-sighted, self-destructive structured democratic the Maoists, but proved costly for Baluwatar living room, which in politics of identity are now threatening our social fabric and governance, a conclusion to the the country. It brought the party itself will provide tangible national integrity. peace process, drafting the new to the frontline of national momentum to government. The Latent prejudices have been whipped up into mutual animosity, politics but set the people back revival of state administration animosity has turned into hatred, and hatred into intolerance that by a decade in terms of throughout, control of Tarai COMMENT feeds a militancy that is forcing the displacement of hill people development and economic criminality with its cross-border from the Tarai. It is only a question of time before this provokes a Kanak Mani Dixit progress (though there was some aspect, restart of service delivery, backlash. ancillary social bonus). energising of the civilian police In the name of inclusive political representation, political constitution, and the arrival of With the government finally force: all of this is necessary for leaders of every ethnic hue are pushing an extreme exclusionary long-awaited political stability to in place, the Assembly must the ride back to stability, peace agenda. They seem to think this is a short cut to leadership and trigger development and work for the people by generating and prosperity. power, and a way to keep the Maoists out of the eastern Tarai. How mistaken they are: history is replete with examples of economic revival. momentum for its twin tasks as The stillborn post-conflict countries that have reaped the whirlwind. Amidst the effervescence of parliament and as constitution- rehabilitation process must be We haven’t even started work on the new constitution yet, and Nepali politics, Pushpa Kamal writing body. On the former, it is revived, including support for the eastern Tarai has now been closed down for over two weeks. Dahal will take charge as prime impossible to imagine the the victims of both Maoist and Tarai militant groups, agitating bus companies and anyone with minister following Friday’s vote Maoists’ announced grand state-sponsored violence, the any grievance target the highways. Even ambulances aren’t in the Constituent Assembly. Our designs being fulfilled in the less management of combatants, and allowed to pass. Private cars with Bagmati number plates don’t way to emerge from a ‘people’s than two years ahead. Much as we massive investments in dare head east or south infrastructure and the economy from Dhalkebar anymore. to make up for lost time. Looking Those that try to avoid ahead, the government must blockades by travelling guard against inter-community at night are robbed by armed dacoits. conflagration and join a The police force is a countrywide campaign to push joke. They patrol the back the culture of violence that streets carrying SLRs has overtaken society. but make no effort to But peace must go hand in clear the handful of hand with pluralism, and as the hoodlums blocking a Maoists enter government they major national highway. A must understand that the public former health minister’s already understands and daughter is kidnapped in appreciates democracy. The Kathmandu by an armed democratic era between 1990- gang, a huge ransom is paid. Western Nepal is 2002 was derided in unison by reeling under a Kathmandu’s nobility, the devastating food donor/diplomats and the Maoists shortage—not because of in the jungle, but it was actually KIRAN PANDAY drought but because the an era of successes. Besides East-West Highway in Attariya was blocked for three weeks war’ has been to gentrify the may want it all (great concretising the freedoms and because of a dispute over bus syndicates. insurgents by handing them the infrastructure projects, rights that we today take for There is one reason for all these examples of anarchy: the accountability of legitimate revolutionary land reform, granted, it was those dozen years absence of the state. There hasn’t been a functioning government power. The Maoist triumph in double-digit growth, tripling of which made participatory in this country for two years. We can only hope that all this will the elections represented a vote the government budget and the development possible and gave change with the election of a prime minister on Friday and, for change, but it was also a promised transformation to rural Nepal a voice. hopefully, the expeditious formation of a government. They have their work cut out. calibrated response by the voters Switzerland and/or Singapore), it If the Maoists underestimate to ensure their transformation would be best for the new cabinet the citizenry’s ownership of into peaceful politics. to focus on what is doable. democracy, there will be much LLL ETTERS ECONOMIC CLASS (‘Economic class,’ #412) is anything but serve as a substitute of already existing Tamangs, Rai, Chhetris, and Maithali Undoubtedly vocational training would realistic. How about providing quality food options. The international brands will Bahuns—stood up to the British Raj and help (‘Vocational training is the way to education to today’s children so that when give a hint of what the rest of the world is China, unafraid to shed blood, to give go’, #412). All potential migrant workers they grow up, they may not have to go to like to the local Nepali population. They us this gift of a nation called Nepal. No must be educated and informed about foreign lands to fill the absolute lowest, also illustrate how to protect and expand a matter how imperfect our nation may the country they are going to work in. most labour-intensive positions. brand name, and what a brand name can do have been, like many others, a modern The information must include not only Name withheld, email for a business. nationhood of Nepal was created by a the country’s customs, culture, religion, Name withheld, email visionary Prithbhi Narayan Shah and geography, climate, and per capita FAST FOOD there is nothing to be ashamed of. As income but also how locals treat foreign Why such excitement SLOW BURN IN TARAI an independent nation, it has outlasted workers with different faith from a poor over these fast food Prashant Jha is right, many other countries in the world.