#75 4 - 10 January 2002 20 pages Rs 20 INSTANTINSTANT EVERESTEVEREST 10-1110-11

Golf in Gokarna 19 Summiting in

BINOD BHATTARAI AND

○○○○○○○○○ HEMLATA○○○○○○○○○○ RAI erhaps there was really no doubt that this SAARC Summit would P ultimately go ahead. Perhaps all the sabre-rattling of the past weeks Kathmandu between India and Pakistan was in fact This SAARC Summit is going to be an India- carefully calibrated brinkmanship to make this summit happen. Pakistan affair. But we don’t mind as long as SUBHAS RAI Whatever the case, the two South they patch up in Kathmandu.

Asian nations nearly went to war over ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ the 13 December suicide attack on ○○○○○○○○○○ Parliament in New Delhi. They have now stepped back from the brink. Will more teeth by making it compatible Kathmandu be where they patch up? with national laws, and agreed with More importantly: will Kathmandu be provisions of post-11 September where they will find some mechanism United Nations Security Council Weekly Internet Poll # 15 Q. Do you think 2002 will be a better year for Nepal to prevent a risky escalation like this Resolution 1373. But what if one nation’s than 2001? in future? terrorist is another’s freedom fighter? The Not likely, say experts and officials answer from one delegate: “We did not from the region who have gathered in go into definitions.” Kathmandu this week prior to the Officials in the preparatory Summit. “We shouldn’t be too ambi- meetings also agreed on deadlines: tious,” one senior South Asian diplomat having the SAFTA framework treaty told us, “The fact that the Summit is ready by end-2002, re-starting SAARC taking place is already a miracle.” Indian meetings at different levels to keep and Pakistani officials are coy about the dialogue open. More could happen by question on everyone’s lips: will Prime the time we reach the Summit because Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and General everyone, including leaders, seem to be Pervez Musharraf shake hands in front of under a lot of pressure to show that the television cameras after the Nagarkot SAARC works. Total votes: 850 retreat? “Let’s wait and see,” is all they say. “The timing may have worked As the tit-for-tat cancellations of perfectly for all because despite trains, over-flights and satellite transmis- tension, the Summit provided an sions show, things can get pretty petty opening,” says Sridhar Khatri, execu- between New Delhi and Islamabad. tive director of the Institute of Foreign Even in Kathmandu, organisers said, Affairs in Kathmandu. “It looks like there was at least one request for a Churchill’s jaw-jaw being better change in seating arrangements by one of than war-war is at work inside the the countries which didn’t want to sit closed doors.” next to another. Ironically, participants There is little doubt that the entire said the atmosphere during the prepara- spotlight during this summit is going to tory meetings was one of surprising be on Vajpayee and Musharraf. In fact, friendship and camaraderie. “Outside their every gesture and eye contact (if not they are about to go to war, inside they shoulder contact) is going to be minutely are best of friends,” one Nepali partici- recorded for signs of thaw. The danger is pants told us. “We have Pakistan that the media glare in Kathmandu may seconding Indian proposals and the tempt both to play to the domestic other way round. Despite everything galleries. But for SAARC’s sake, everyone wants SAARC.” everyone is hoping for a truce. By all accounts, the draft declaration Sixteen years of SAARC have made diplomat told us: “We have taken only answer to of the Summit and other conventions not just the leaders of India and Editorial p2 terrorism for so long, we just had to South Asia’s Tsk Tsk have seen surprisingly smooth sailing Pakistan, but the smaller countries as draw the line.” But Pakistani officials troubles. There through the committees. “There are no well guilty enough to at least show they say they have gone out of their way to is no other CK Lal p2 hitches, no needlessly long debates can meet during these annual sum- assuage India on terrorism. “There is road.” But going South Asian-ness about commas and brackets that we saw mits—even if it is just to deliver real mistrust. They don’t want on this road has Mahbub-ul Haq p3 in previous summits,” another delegate speeches. This time, the added compli- to believe we are acting in good been painfully Sub-Saharan Asia told us. The reason could be that cation was India’s ban on overflights by faith,” said one. slow, and everyone wants this on-again-off-again Pakistan International Airlines which Former SAARC Secretary General, SAARC appears to need new vision and Summit to go without a hitch. forced Gen Musharraf to take a round- Nepali diplomat Yadav Kant Silwal commitment if it is survive its self-inflicted The meetings discussed giving the about route via China. India denied it saying most of this is posturing. He is a injuries. Kathmandu should mark the 1987 SAARC anti-terrorism convention is being petty, one senior Indian true-blue believer in SAARC: “This is the beginning of this process. 222 EDITORIAL 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Editor: Anagha Neelakantan Design: Kiran Maharjan [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Leave Kashmir aside for a moment. Isnít a moderate Pakistan in everyoneís Advertising: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Subscription: Anil Karki [email protected] interest? Itís in General Musharrafís interest, and itís in Prime Minister Vajpayeeís Sales: Sudan Bista [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur interest. Escalating the current tension only benefits extremists in both India and GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal Pakistan. By its short-sighted sabre-rattling New Delhi is not giving Gen Musharraf Tel: 01-543333-7, Fax: 01-521013 Printed at Jagadamba Press: 01-521393 political space, and playing right into the hands of those who want to Talebanise Pakistan. Gen Musharraf needs to reign in the Talebanís mentors within his own intelligence community, but threatening to go to war is not going to make that job easier for him. TSK TSK The leaders of India and Pakistan need to once and for all redefine their perspec- tive on security. It is no longer about outdated military concepts like ìstrategic depthî or The daily ceremony at the India-Pakistan border ìdoomsday deterrenceî, it is no longer about adolescent posturing with nuclear crossing where turbaned border guards go through erections. It is about human security and development. The enemy is within, not in the an extravagantly choreographed flag-lowering ritual otherís territory. Poverty, inequality, decades of mal-governance and corruption have has now come to symbolise the vacuity and swag- rotted the innards of both countries. More than half the populations in both countries ger of the relations between these two countries. live in poverty, the parameters for infant mortality, literacy and safe drinking water are What they think is a patriotic pageant at Atari shameful even by sub-Saharan standards. actually resembles a cock-fight. While people on both Having nuclear weapons does not mean zilch. Remember the Soviet Union? It had sides cheer, the rest of the world is laughing. Separated at enough warheads to destroy the world ten times over (once would have been quite birth, the governments of these twin nations are so enough, but thatís just how mad they were during the Cold War). The Union of Soviet consumed by their envious loathing for each other they Socialist Republics imploded under the weight of its own inability to address economic are holding their own people and the rest of South and governance crises. International stature comes from the strength of your eco- Asia hostage. Come on, guys, grow up. nomic and social indicators, not the size of your arsenal. The enmity between India The latest brinkmanship came in the run-up th and Pakistan, besides threatening us all with radioactive contamination, is dragging to the 11 SAARC Summit. Just look at the down the economy of the rest of the region. inane chest-thumping. Calling From our vantage point in the Himalaya, we see the bilateral bickering between these two governments New Delhi and Islamabad for what it is: a dangerous game that is diverting precious infantile would be an resources away from a more urgent task that they (and we) need to addressóSouth insult to children. With Asiaís development challenge. the Afghan war But Indian and Pakistani hawks need each otherís hatred to perpetuate their holds drawing to a close, the on power. Saner leaders must now call the shots and take bilateral relations to the conflict is now threatening fundamental need to give all Indians and Pakistanis a chance for more decent lives. On to creep eastwards. New that they both need to be fundamentalists. Delhi, which felt peeved and left out as Washington wooed Islamabad for support in the anti-Taleban campaign IS US is now trying to get back the worldís SAARC attention. ìWeíre here,î they seem to say There is really no sense blaming the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu for the mess when they mass troops along the Pakistan border, that this regional body is in. SAARC is us. It is the lowest common denominator of or cancel the overfly rights of Pakistani airliners. In our red-tape, lack of transparency, our debilitating fatalism. It is a symbol of our trying to imitate Americaís ìwar on terrorî, the Indians collective failures to manage our own countries. are making the same mistake: not addressing the roots of Maldivian and Sri Lankan delegates flew to Kathmandu this week via Bangkok and extremism. And in Indiaís case it has (for the past 50 Singapore. To fly from one SAARC member country to another SAARC member years) always been the struggle for autonomy in Kashmir. country they went all the way to the edge of the Pacific. Maybe the dips are amassing Resolve Kashmir and everything else will probably fall frequent flyer miles, but you canít blame them when our governments have made it as into place. Let Kashmir fester and this corrosive extremism difficult as possible to fly within our own region. The Delhi-Colombo flight is at 3AM. will consume us all. It is difficult to see why it isnít easier to The most convenient connection between Delhi and Dhaka used to be on British find a solution to this. Airways. And now PIA canít fly delegates to the summit because India has suspended As long as India and Pakistan were just destabilising overflights. If air connections were bad, you should try land and rail links. Actually, each other, the rest of South Asia didnít really care. But you canít. There arenít any. now they are playing with nukes. And the rest of us are So, in Kathmandu this week letís not make grandiose plans for SAPTA or a free- quickly trying to figure out prevailing winds so we wonít be trade area. Letís just make South Asia a free-travel area. After that, other things may downwind when the firecrackers go off. fall into place. SUBHAS RAI

STATE OF THE STATE by CK LAL Celebrating South Asian-ness National boundaries do not erase a common cultural identity. ne of the very first acts of the has become even more dangerous. South Asia riding the wave of the strongly as our food. Picture an Oriya underprivileged that doesn’t recognise May be by the time we have the 12th post-Taleban regime of Kabul National politics has played havoc Crusades, it was brought by Swami Agnivesh, a Nepali Dipak the artificial lines drawn on maps by SAARC Summit, there will be a O was to send an SOS to New with the civilisational unity between missionaries who spread their word Gyawali, and a Kannada Pradeep agents of an imperial power in retreat. simultaneous Parliament of Cultures Delhi for musical instruments to the peoples of this region. To forge a through exemplary service to society Sebastian longing for home-food in a Cultural identity goes to the very taking place between Pashtuns, record Afghanistan’s new national common identity based on politics is in education and health. Despite the small town on the France-Belgium soul of a person, an identity that Awadhis, Bengalis, Tamils, Nepalis, anthem. If ever there was any doubt thus fundamentally flawed. The massacre that marred the partition of border. And then imagine all of them national boundaries cannot erase. It is Assamese and Kashmiris, rather than about Kandahar being a part of likelihood of a United States of South British India, no culture of South ending up in a ‘Kashmiri’ restaurant this identity that the leaders of the just the so-called eminent persons of South Asia, it was dispelled by the Asia any time soon does not appear Asia has to bear the guilt of mass owned by a Sialkoti Muslim from region must re-emphasise while the request of Hamid Karzai’s cultural to be a realistic possibility. murder on the scale of the Holo- Bangladesh with a cook from Peshawar reconceptualising South Asia. region. ministry for a set of harmonium, Future unity based on the caust. in Pakistan. Then a lovelorn Without that, SAARC will tabla, sarod, sitar, tanpura, economic commonality of nation- Controversial Harvard professor Bollywood star is in perfect lip-sync continue to remain surmandal, sarangi, pakhawaj, flute states in this part of the world is also Samuel P Huntington is a much- with the soulful voice of Nusrat Fateh periodic jamborees. and dholak. a mirage. Despite all talk of SAPTA maligned man, perhaps deservedly Ali Khan on a video in the restaurant, There is a fundamental unity and SAFTA, the emergence of a so. All he sees is the conflict between and you realise the absurdity of LK between the cultures of this region, South Asian Union patterned after cultures along civilisational fault Advani’s rhetoric of “Hot Pursuit” the inheritor of a civilisation that the European Union looks remote. lines. Actually there is an element of followed by General Musharraf’s once extended from Kashmir to Forget about a union, even an unity between the cultures within a thundering “Lay Off”. How can you SUBHAS RAI Colombo, and from Bamiyan to association like ASEAN is difficult to civilisation, which could be an ask a Sindhi in hot pursuit of Burma—and exported its beliefs achieve when there is so much important factor for global peace. Baigan Rogan Josh to lay off Kabuli across the seas to Bali, and beyond acrimony between the top leaders of Most contemporary conflicts are Nan, Saffron Rice, Machher Jhol the Himalaya to Beijing. Despite SAARC member states. When even within civilisations, not between and Mango Pickle? millennia of natural upheaval and Indians need a passport to fly them. Hamid Karzai may have After the music and the food, the rise and fall of several empires, smoothly into Kathmandu— fought his war with the help of CIA there are the reform movements of the civilisational commonality of our mercifully, a visa is not a require- money and American B-52 bomb- every religion that emphasise the cultures remains intact. Had ment as yet—you can rest assured ers, but he and Mullah Omar differ unity of purpose inherent in Jawaharlal Nehru not appropriated that not even religion is a unifying only in their beliefs, not culture. every faith. Sindhi Sufis, the name India for his republic, factor in a region dominated by Come to think of it, even the Bengali Bauls, Bhakti Panth perhaps we would all have been parochial politics. Crusades were intra-civilisational: Swamis in the Indo-Gangetic proud to call ourselves “Indic”. Ironically, to chart a common Christians and Muslims worshipped plains, neo-Buddhists blessed Now we have to make do with the future, all we need to do is look at the same book as far as the Old by broadminded Maharashtrian expression South Asian so as not our collective pasts where empires Testament was concerned. All they or Andhra Bhantes, reforming to offend the patriotic sensibilities competed with each other, even fought for was the finality of their Christian Fathers preaching in of people insecure about their while accepting the harmony between respective prophets, a conflict that the backwaters of Kerala or the identity in the young nation-states their cultures. Aurangzeb is an was later to emerge with equal tribal areas of Meghalaya and of this region. aberration. It was not the sword of ferocity between Catholics and Madhya Pradesh—they don’t Sadly, ever since Bill Clinton Islam that conquered Hindustan, Protestants, and Shias and Sunnis. teach patriotism, they spread declared South Asia “one of the but the service of Sufis that did the Nothing exemplifies the unity the word of humanism. They world’s most dangerous regions”, it trick. Christianity did not arrive in between the cultures of our region as display a concern for the REGION 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES 333 The Subcontinent of Sub-Saharan Asia

In this article written before he died in 1998, Mahbub-ul Haq ○○○○○○○○ MAHBUB○○○○○○○○○○○○ UL HAQ Global military expenditure, which was at he rest of the world is heading towards $1,000 billion in 1987, is down to $750 argued South Asia would not get ahead until it started investing peace and prosperity, but India and billion dollars today [in 1996], a $4 billion

Pakistan would not know it. Despite reduction each year. The two poorest regions in its people. Never truer than today.

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ T ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ the crushing poverty of their respective in the world increased their expenditure. Not populations, the two countries spend $20 the Middle East or Latin America, but Sub- Soviet Union collapsed because it could not the only prosperous democracy in a exporting two billion dollars worth of billion a year on defence, twice as much as Saharan Africa and South Asia. These facts feed its people. All its tanks, submarines and troubled Central America. garments to North America and Europe. Saudi Arabia, a country 25 times wealthier. have to be highlighted to embarrass secret service meant nothing. India has the However, economic growth alone is not Both countries have six times more soldiers policymakers into action. largest number of poor people in the world. If enough, there has to be distributive justice. Towards cvivilian rule than doctors. Pakistan recently bought two South Asia is just not prepared to enter it can deliver social justice while it maintains Three decades ago, Pakistan had one of the India and Pakistan must take the lead and turn French submarines at a cost of $1.2 billion, the 21st century. It does not invest enough or expands its defence expenditure, India is highest growth rates in the developing world, 7 South Asia away from the abyss. The SAARC and India deploys missiles while millions live in its people. welcome to become a regional superpower. percent a year. So, why were people protesting organisation, which has remained an exercise on pavements. But it cannot, and so should choose in the streets? Economic growth had not in protocol, must be energised. Each member How tragically comic that after bleeding The goddess of growth between bread and guns. touched their lives—income distribution was must agree under a multilateral agreement their economies to fund defence expenditures, India hopes to be a regional superpower, but Fifteen years ago, in 1980, the ratio of skewed against the poor. In high growth West to cut five percent of military spending the two governments beg and submit to all cannot become one with the scale of sheer military to social spending was highest in lraq Pakistan, it was in the hands of landlords and annually, and earmark the money released sorts of conditionalities from international poverty that exists. Indian policy-makers must (eighttimes), Somalia (five times) and industrialists—22 families dominated the for education and health. lending institutions. The economic costs of mull over the Chinese growth rate of 12 Nicaragua (3.5 times) Yet none economy. The lesson was clear: you have to Why spend a million dollars a day to the continuing confrontation between percent, and see how China is investing in its could effectively defend its stop worshipping the goddess of growth, put contest the frozen heights of Siachen? Why Islamabad and New Delhi are prohibitive, but people. The lesson of Cold War rivalry is national security. Costa Rica people at the centre, enrich their lives, provide not withdraw the troops a few miles down the policy-makers in the respective capitals seem not that capitalism triumphed over abolished its army in 1948, and them with options. ridgeline, continue to argue across a table, and unable to recognise what is obvious to communism, but that political now spends one-third of its Amidst all the gloom, South Asia itself save some money? India and Pakistan must everyone else, that human security is the most power not backed by economic national income on education, provides examples of the dynamism that can be also come to an understanding on the nuclear important element of national security. strength is unsustainable. The nutrition and health. Today, it is released when human lives are made the focus. issue, rather than keep embarrassing each Some say that there is a need for balance In Bangalore, once they started training other in front of others at UN forums, so that of terror in South Asia. Where should that people in computers, the industry took off an enormous packet of funds can become balance be set, if people are sleeping on and India is now the second largest exporter available for social needs. pavements, and children suffocate in window- of software in the world. It presently sells a The existing political structures of India less classrooms? Nations might accumulate billion dollars’ worth, and may top five and Pakistan are not conditioned to accept all the weaponry they want, but they have billion by 2000. Before 1971, what was such proposals, which require rationality and no strength when their people starve. then East Pakistan did not have significant statesmanship. The people should take the The World Bank, in a “wealth of nations” industry. Bangladeshi businessmen went lead, through energetic advocacy and use of report which studied 190 countries, points into ready-made garments, put their the increasingly powerful and borderless out that 16 percent of the wealth worldwide skills into it, and today the country media. It is time for civil society to conduct a comes from physical capital (buildings, roads, has out-competed India and “bypass operation” around reluctant politi- machineries), and 20 percent from Pakistan, and is cians, who are never willing to stake their lives natural capital (minerals, forests and reputations for social justice. and other resources). Sixty-four Of course, there are tremendous percent of the wealth of nations vested interests in the power is human capital. Yet, as we structures of the two countries, collect hardware and exploit our among policy-makers and natural resources in South Asia, we military generals. That is a do not bother about people. We all given. People are hesitant to want to be South Korea, but that country challenge defence expenditure invests $130 per person every year in basic because it is camouflaged education. Malaysia spends $128. India under the shroud of national invests nine dollars, Pakistan three, and security. There is little understand-

Bangladesh two. AJIT NINAN/IPS ing of the social opportunity costs of With India and Pakistan leading the way, buying more and more sophisticated South Asia trails behind while the rest of the armaments. But why should we developing world surges ahead. Even Sub- assume that these things are Saharan Africa’s basket case is doing better immutable? than South Asia in some sectors. Their average Only the people of South Asia can adult literacy rate is 55 percent, compared to change the complexion of the region. South Asia’s cumulative 47 percent. 800 The swamp of human despair can million South Asians do without elementary become a frontier of human hope once we sanitation, 380 million are illiterate, and 300 begin to invest in education, training, and the million drink from ponds rather than taps. spirit of the people.

LETTERS MILITARY should also look at whether wife and I have quaran- falsity rule the roost, your While I appreciated the we can afford such an expen- tined our son at home. Nor weekly editorials stand out as candid responses by Gen sive institution, and whether it Sarah Acland POLITICS is it because there are a beacon of hope, a clarion Prajwalla SJB Rana in the can do more for development. Kathmandu The internal feuds and dangerous Maoists (or is it call to moderation and the interview (ìThis is not a S Nepali ECONOMY hatred of the leaders of the terrorists?) out there. voice of reason. Keep up the Royal Army, but the Royal Kathmandu Binod Bhattarai says in Nepali Congress have Actually it is because last good work. Nepalese Army,î #73), I ìEconomic emergencyî (#74) manifested many times over week, two of our neigh- Saradchandrika Sharma wish Vijay Kumar had CIVIL that the government will have past 12 years, and have bours in Chun Devi found PK Campus asked other pertinent I was impressed by the article to spend over Rs 3 billion played a pivotal role in stray bullets in their yards, questions like the lack of by Seira Tamang on basic civil for security. feeding corruption, discredit- one still warm. The next transparency within the rights and the responsibility of I really donít understand ing democracy and inviting time you are strolling in military. civil society (ìEmergency soul where this money is going to the present emergency. We town and you see a guy in CORRECTION: The army must change searchingî, #73). Hope that come from except by divert- are fed up with Kisunji and a green suit behind The pie chart for the poll in with the times, reform its old article found its way into ing it away from develop- Girijababu, they are finished sandbags packing a huge #74 was incorrect. This is ways, and not just stick to Nepali language papers too. It ment. Money for weapons intellectually, and they have weapon, you may wonder: how it should have been: its ìold boyî traditions. We would also apply there. and guns and helicopters failed the Nepali nation. is he providing security or will not permanently solve Girijababu is now calling for is he a safety hazard? Q Do you think the SAARC the security problemóthe a ìmassive democratic Paolo Bonetti Summit will be held as long-term answer to that lies allianceî when there is no Chandol scheduled? in spending more on devel- alliance even within his own opment. The late King party. The two of them should REASON Birendra had the right idea, retire from politics, and help The misgivings of the by pushing for Nepal as a save Nepali democracy. Nepali Times team about Zone of Peace. War never Kumar Regmi their editorial role (ìAni- resolves anything, negotia- Kathmandu mated suspensionî, #73) tions are the only way. are misplaced. In this age Bibek Adhikary BULLETS of unreason, when cyni- by email No, itís not because of the cism, passion, demagogu- state of emergency that my ery, dissimulation and Total: 602 444 NATION 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES Not all gloom and doom WWF NEPAL

Rhino at Chitwan being pursued for translocation. Despite all the bad news, Nepal has shown considerable progress in the past 12 years. We review some of

KUNDA DIXIT the little-known success stories.

Community forests drape mountainside in Dhading district.

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RAMYATA○○○○○ LIMBU The deregulation of Nepal’s committees. Villagers formed user Think locally In a country where the central Nepal is a regional leader in eye care. epal has lurched from one crisis hydropower to foreign investors was groups to plant, protect and manage Nepal’s constitution says in its government has lost credibility, this In 1981, there was only one eye to another since the restoration also a South Asian first, it has allowed forests. Within years, denuded preamble that people should be could be the answer to Nepal’s ills, hospital in Nepal, today there are 17 Nof democracy in 1990. The a slew of medium-scale projects to slopes had turned into lush allowed to participate in political including the Maoist insurgency. hospitals and 32 other eye care latest is the declaration of a state of come on stream and ended chronic forests in districts like decision-making. No one believed “Where decentralisation has worked, centres. Sanduk Ruit, is the director national emergency. But however electricity shortage. Sindhupalchok, Kabhre, devolution of power could happen in there have been little problems even of the Nepal Eye Program who bleak things may look, Nepal has Domestic aviation took a great leap Dhading and Tanahu. Nepal’s a society with such strong feudal from the Maoists,” Krishna Prasad pioneered low-cost modern cataract forged ahead in many areas with forward with privatisation, improving community forestry experts are controls. But it did. Despite political Sapkota of the Kavre District surgery, and has trained doctors in innovative development initiatives, services, reducing prices and providing now helping other countries in wrangling, parliament passed a Development Committee told us Eritrea, Cambodia, China, Vietnam and pioneering rural development valuable service to the tourism the world to replicate the revolutionary law that would make recently. “What happens when and Burma. He says: “In a country schemes that have sustained them- industry. success here. decentralisation real. The Local Self- people’s expectations are raised and like ours, the trick is to provide selves over the years. More than a quarter of Nepal’s Even though Nepal’s Governance Act (1998) broke there is no delivery?” he asks, and realiable service cheaply.” Despite headlines about deforesta- land area is made up of national parks aggregate forest cover has gone traditional and cultural barriers, and answers: “It will just turn young tion, the Himalayan midhills have and protected areas. down—reflecting deforestation transferred not just decision-making people into extremists.” Wild successes seen a dramatic return of forest cover Everytime there are floods in in the tarai plains—the resur- authority but also the right to frame In November 2000, Nepal in the past 15 years. India and Bangladesh during the gence of the canopy in the mid- local laws to elected village and The vision thing showcased its successes in wildlife Democracy may be in crisis in the annual monsoon season, fingers are hills is real. Says Bhumi Raman district committees. Unnoticed, by the rest of the conservation by holding a major capital, but local self-governance and pointed at the denudation in the Nepal, one of the earliest Implementation of the law has world, Nepalis have also mastered the conference of the World Wildlife the revolutionary Decentralisation Act hills of the Nepal Himalaya. activists for grassroots owner- not been as fast as expected, but local craft of providing low-cost, reliable Fund (WWF). And there was a lot to have boosted grassroots development Researchers wrote books 20 years ship of forests: “When we began governance units around the country and world-class ophthalmologic care. be proud of: the rescue of Nepal’s giving rural Nepalis the power to ago on how deforestation and soil lobbying to give forests back to have begun to exercise their new Twenty years ago, if Nepalis devel- one-horned rhinoceros from the make the decisions that affect their erosion would turn Nepal into a communities two decades ago, we powers. And in places where this has oped cataracts they either went blind brink of extinction, the dramatic daily lives. desert before the end of the thought it would take 50 years for happened, decentralisation has finally or had to go to India for treatment. comeback of the Royal Bengal Tiger Until the emergency was declared, century. Not only did that not our dream to come true.” Bhumi begun to deliver democracy. Starting Today, thousands of patients from in Chitwan, research on the elusive the Nepali media was perhaps the happen, Nepal is green again. Raman is now the chairman of the next fiscal year, local bodies will be India line up at Nepali eye hospitals snow leopard, the conversion of nearly most free in South Asia. Nepal was In 1993, the government passed Forest and Environment Conserva- allowed full authority to plan and and specialised centres in the tarai for a quarter of Nepal’s territory into the first country in the region to allow the community forestry law which tion Group in Dhading district. implement projects for agriculture, treatment. national parks, and successes of eco- community FM stations and private handed ownership and management “Just look at the trees now.” postal services, primary education and It is one of those little-known tourism models like the Annapurna broadcasters. of commons in rural areas to village basic health care. success stories of development, today Area Conservation Project (ACAP).

HERE AND THERE by DANIEL LAK Step back from the brink amily squabbles are the worst. More than disharmonious, they’re also General Musharraf understand that the days of supporting cross border militant never-ending, and as time goes by, hostilities resume for ever more trivial Mr Vajapayee does not want war. Nor groups in Kashmir are over? That any organisation advocating violence against F or incomprehensible reasons. Any one whose clan is prone to disagreements does General Musharraf. But do they India can no longer be based on Pakistani soil. It has to stop, and not just because knows what I mean. And when you look around a region like this one, where Washington or London is worried about nuclear war. No one—including nasty everyone is related in some way, shape or form, add danger and cynical disregard know just what is at stake here? nihilists like bin Laden and his ilk—should be allowed to think that violence for reality to an already explosive mix. works. Full stop. At the moment, I’m talking about those two feuding cousins, India and But for that to be so, we all have to behave less emotionally, with more of an Pakistan. Their latest flare-up is holding much to ransom. Regional peace of eye to the future and the fate of our children. Just because the Americans have course, the Himalayan environment if they confine any future fighting to chosen to use brute military force against the Al Qaeda doesn’t mean that is the convention weapons, the wider South Asian skies and soil if they go nuclear, answer to everything. Indeed, many of us urged Washington to avoid easy poverty alleviation across their vast pool of poor people, investment in their options like bombing Afghanistan to dislodge the Taleban, precisely because flagging economies for the middle and upper classes, tourism in every country, of the can of multi-hued worms that now gapes open. including Nepal, badly in need of planeloads of spendthrift sophisticates. The list India—with full justification—sees itself deeply violated by an act of terror, is bleakly endless. the attack on Parliament. It endured similar acts in the past, and even a territorial And why are they fighting—or refusing to make peace—this time? Well, as invasion by Pakistani forces around Kargil in 1999, and did not threaten the region ever, talk to one party and you hear how the other is totally to blame, a demon, a with war. Now, with Afghanistan still under US bombardment and crucial state pariah, untrustworthy and a dealer in death. It matters not which one—each elections in Uttar Pradesh in February, even a wise old moderate like Atal Behari thinks ill of the other. In India, a free media spins constant speculative tales of Vajpayee can barely resist hardline and populist pressure to beat the war drums as support for Islamic extremism across a dangerous border, some true, others loudly as possible. fearfully fantastic. The fantasies, in part, are because Islamabad denies Indian I believe that those elections are what’s pushing the current situation past critical journalists visas. In Pakistan, people hear a nightly tirade disguised as news on mass. I also think Mr Vajapayee does not want war. Nor does General Musharraf. It’s state-run media, a litany of rape, pillage and human rights abuses in wrong, but the rest of us have no voice in a conflict that will engulf us all, poison our Kashmir, all blamed on Indian security forces or the government. Steps to children and set this region back a hundred years or more. The two leaders are the key curb those problems aren’t mentioned. You had only to watch the scenes on to this crisis. I hope they know just what is at stake, and what their places in history television last week from the Wagah border crossing, crowds baying for each whoever is to blame, it is clearly part of the plan for groups like Al Qaeda— will reveal, whatever they do. others’ blood, Punjab 53 years after bloody partition still divided by and yes, many of them are involved in fighting in Indian Kashmir, even I plead with them on behalf of the overwhelmingly young population of South carefully maintained hatreds. based in Pakistan. Asia, the people who crave peace and prosperity, not radiation sickness and annihila- Not that the assault on the Indian parliament on the 13th of December But don’t they understand in Delhi that a war pitting a largely Hindu tion. Step back from the brink, find common ground, win the Nobel Peace Prize. Or wasn’t an outrage. As an attack on democracy and openness, it was evil. But country against a Muslim state is exactly what the bad guys want? Equally, doesn’t go down in history as men of war. NATION 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES 555

Bagmati finds friends ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Kathmandu residents havenít given up on Bagmati yet. Rather than screw up their noses and ignore the rising piles of garbage on the banks of the Bagmati, a group of locals have come together in a cam- paign to revive the spirit of a largely cynical population. Sixty Friends of Bagmati got together last week to clean up the area around Kalopul, Teku. They believe it is possible to not only reverse the degradation of the Bagmati River, but to restore it to its former glory. The Friends, who aim to raise awareness among the locals about the plight of the river and encourage local people to take positive steps in reviving the river systems in the valley, collected two truckloads of rubbish, plastic and bio- KUNDA DIXIT degradable waste, with equipment provided by the Kathmandu Parking full at Pokhara airport with planes from private airlines. Metropolitan City. The Friends also plan to clean up the Teku- Thapathali area which covers approximately a 2-km stretch of Conservationist Chandra Gurung Nepal tarai to the banks of Yamuna running under-graduate level percent of the population has access riverbank and temples. is a pioneer in some of these efforts, River in India. courses. Today, there are more than to electricity but with present and has seen dramatic changes. 12 medical and engineering colleges trends, this is bound to increase in “Today, Nepal is a leader in commu- Flying high catering to the increasing need for the years ahead. Problems of high Mountain Year nity based conservation in Asia. In Till the early 1990s getting an air technical expertise. Some of these tariffs and mismanagement exist, ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ After the SAARC Summit got us going, Nepal has a year full of 1988, seven percent of the income ticket on a Royal Nepal Airlines flight schools are among Asia’s best. In but compared to other countries in mountains ahead. The opening of the Daman Mountainous from tourism in ACAP went directly to a domestic destination was like 1998, Thailand’s Asian Institute of the region Nepal now has reliable Botanical Garden - a vantage point for viewing the to communities there, today nearly winning a lottery. Seats were scarce Technology (AIT) ranked technical and adequate power for the Himalayaó paves the way for a variety of programs designed half of it does,” says Gurung, who is and only government officials could fly schools on the basis of the perform- foreseeable future. Aside from larger for 2002, including an international mountain film festival and now the Nepal representative of without hassles. Today, the domestic ance of their alumni in campuses. projects, Nepal is also a model for an international mountain womenís meet. Designated by the WWF. Since 1961, the number of airline network has expanded, private Nepal’s oldest engineering school, the development of indigenously United Nations as the International Year of the Mountain, the rhinos in the Royal Chitwan and competition has brought down fares the Institute of Engineering (IOE) designed micro-hydro plants in the year 2002 is to be spent promoting sustainable mountain Royal Bardia National Parks has somewhat, but more importantly, Pulchowk has consistently ranked 5-20 kilowatt range which can development. 2002 will also see a series of programs to grown six-fold to more than 600. flying has never been easier. All this is in the top ten. Last year it was easily be installed at sites with commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ascent of Mt Everest Tigers which numbered less than a a result of the deregulation of ranked third in Asia in terms of traditional water mills. Nepali micro- by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. hundred have now gone up to 350, domestic aviation in 1992. calibre of graduates. hydro technology has been exported and 125 of them are breeding adults. “Compared to other SAARC This change had partially to Lesotho, Sri Lanka and to parts of In the Annapurnas, the King countries, the government here was reversed a dominant trend of India. Fake certificates Mahendra Trust for Nature Conserva- more positive about private invest- Nepalis heading to India, Pakistan ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ tion is implementing a unique eco- ment in airlines because it encouraged or Bangladesh for higher technical Jhapa Chief District Officer Chandra Bahadur Karki became the tourism project that ploughs growth,” says Narayan Singh Pun, an studies. Today, Nepali medical highest-ranking bureaucrat to be accused of presenting fake tourism income directly into the MP who runs his own helicopter schools have foreign students from academic certificates for promotion. For the first time, the village economy to boost incomes company and an airline. “Now we the Maldives, India, Bangladesh and Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has and foster education and conserva- need to update the policy to Sri Lanka. filed a case against a joint secretary level (first-class) official. tion. Learning from the Annapurna ensure that we can sustain the CIAA filed a case against Karki at Patan Appellate Court after project, conservationists have industry.” This year’s tourism Power to the people obtaining necessary evidence to establish their case. replicated the eco-tourism model in slump has hit aviation the One of the most dramatic Two other senior officials, under secretaries at the Ministry of Malaysia, Costa Rica and other hardest. But the ones that are successes of the government’s new Land Reform and Management Phatte Bahadur Batuwa and areas. doing the best are those who had investment policy was a paradigm Sanat Kumar Regmi at its Lalitpur office have been charged of WWF and the government are invested in domestic aviation and shift in 1992 that prioritised presenting fake academic qualifications for promotions. CIAA now gearing up to implement the did not just rely on tourism. medium-scale investments in cheap estimates that approximately 50,000 government employees ambitious India-Nepal crossborder and quick power projects. “With have presented fake qualifications for promotion and recruit- Tarai Arc Landscape (TAL). Jungle Brain gain political pluralism in 1990 hydro- ment. Presently, CIAA is investigating the academic qualifications habitats of Nepal and India will be Till the 1980s, Nepal had no generation also became pluralistic,” of more than 100 joint secretaries and under secretaries. These joined into a contiguous forest for medical schools other than the recalls water expert Ajaya Dixit, “It are officials who had obtained their certificates from 12 different tigers, rhinos and wild elephants. TAL Tribhuvan University Teaching provided an alternative to govern- universities in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. will spread over 49,500 sq. kilometres Hospital in Kathmandu. There used ment-led development thinking.”

starting from the Bagmati in the to be just one engineering college Despite development, only 15 Declaration of wealth ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Three cabinet members have declared their wealth. Ministers Ram Sharan Mahat, Bijaya Kumar Gachchhedar and Jaya The Best of Bangladesh Prakash Prasad Gupta own houses and other housing plots in Kathmandu Valley. Each has at least two cars. Besides, all the three own more than four housing plots in their respective home Bangladesh Single Country Trade Exhibition districts. Interestingly, they do not seem too keen on claiming January 2 - 6th, 2002 Hotel Blue Star ancestral properties. Though the Nepali laws enables sons to Paush 18 - 22, 2058 Thapathali make claim for equal distribution of parental properties among FREE ADMISSION parents and brothers when they reach 18 years of age; all three Ministers have undivided (with their brothers) ancestral lands. They also hold an average of 700 grams of gold jewelry and silverware. They have also invested on shares, bonds, compa- nies and have at least two bank accounts. Mahat is the only one has saved his money in US dollars. All three parliamentarians have made it to the cabinet at least three times.

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really any places that take in people from what they’re used to in the with HIV, we expect a lot, villages.” especially mother-to-child cases, When she’s not interrogating which are on the rise,” says Koirala. traffickers or prodding parliamen- The complex has been tarians to bring about effective A home of one’s own designed to ensure that space is policies to check trafficking, and used most efficiently, with attending international meets and practical considerations being congresses, she’s usually among taken care of. “There are separate her extended family—patting a blocks for women and children, little head here, directing a stern so the kids don’t contract reprimand there, giving a pep talk infectious diseases like tuberculo- to her staff, and ticking off sis, which many of the girls suffer donors. from. There’s a huge laundry Says Gereon Wagner, a 37- room on the top floor to dry year-old Maiti Nepal supporter, clothes in the monsoon, and also instrumental in contacting Dr Kill a 50,000 litre water recycling with the idea of helping the plant. And then there is Koirala’s organisation, “I never expected own touch—a small tulsi tree and such a thing to happen. We a little temple. “Religion plays an didn’t even have a plan for a important role in life,” says the separate children’s home.” social worker. Wagner first came to know of Koirala appears to be enjoying Maiti Nepal’s work through a setting up house. “We cannot documentary on sex slavery in compromise on quality, that’s Asia. Initially Wagner, an what Dr Kill has insisted,” she independent business consultant says, sorting through piles of from the same city as Dr Kill, quilts and bed linen that she’s approached the millionaire for selected herself. “I think the funds to set up a café that Maiti

young ones will like greens, Nepal girls would manage. “The

MIN BAJRACHARYA ○○○○○○○○○○○○ RAMYATA○○○○ LIMBU Maiti Nepal is getting ready to move anta couldn’t have been more generous. That’s what into brand-new premises, with a S Anuradha Koirala, founder little help from German friends.

of Maiti Nepal, must be thinking. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Never in her dreams did Nepal’s ○○○○○○○○○○○○ nationally and internationally- touches. The petite social worker nursing babies, runaway children known social worker—she’s been graciously acknowledges Dr Kill, who found that life in Kathmandu on Oprah—think she’d be able to an economist from the German was not so easy, and women house her extended family of over city Bergisch Gladbach, who was working the streets. 200 women and children under so impressed by Maiti Nepal’s The word spread, and the one roof, and a large one at that. work that he decided to donate numbers of destitute children and But it’s happening. $1.7 million to build the new women grew. Today Maiti Nepal is Maiti Nepal is preparing to complex in memory of his 21- sheltering 138 children and 68 move into its new home, a neat year-old daughter Sonja who died women in a couple of rented houses brick complex at Pingalshtan in in a cycling accident on 20 in Gaushala. It has also expanded as

Gaushala generously built by Dr January, 1993. an institution, and runs eight BAJRACHARYA MIN Winfried Kill, a German philan- “I guess hard work and halfway homes around the country thropist. Situated on over 4,900 dedication do pay off,” says for women intercepted being sq m, the new Maiti Nepal Koirala as she bustles through trafficked, one hospice for people Protection and Rehabilitation corridors smelling of fresh paint with HIV/AIDS in east Nepal and Centre will be officially opened in her trademark crisp cotton another one planned, and a on 20 January by Queen Komal. saree. A decade ago, Koirala, a primary school in Kathmandu “Having your own home is a former teacher, rented three tiny aptly named Teresa Boarding. Reebok Human Rights Award. yellows and blues, they’re idea was to combine the café with dream come true,” says an rooms in Baneswor, where she “The school was opened the The new complex houses a legal cheerful colours.” But she’s an information centre on traffick- animated Koirala, proudly took in destitute women trying to day Mother Teresa passed away,” section, a shelter each for careful about going overboard. “I ing,” says Wagner. But that idea walking us through the new make ends meet around says Koirala, speaking of her idol. children and women, and a 20- don’t want the children to be has been put aside for the premises. Workmen and labourers Pashupatinath. They were women A pioneer in HIV/AIDS rehabili- bed clinic operated by a doctor overwhelmed by their new moment. “I’m too busy trying to scrub, paint and polish, adding abandoned by their husbands, tation and care in Nepal, Maiti and four nurses trained in HIV/ surroundings or get accustomed help finish the complex in time hectic last-minute finishing abused by their in-laws, some still Nepal recently won the $50,000 AIDS care. “Since there aren’t to a lifestyle that is so different for the opening,” says he.

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Amarabati, Toukhel, Godavari. Tel: 560675, 560775. Fax: 977-1-560777. E-mail: [email protected] ~ Website: www.godavariresort.com.np NATION 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES 777 SOMEWHERE IN NEPAL by PUSKAR BHUSAL Naipaul, Udit and Tenzing

What if Sir Vidiadhar refuses honorary Nepali citizenship?

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voice in the actor’s blockbuster debut. couldn’t forget those musicians who Indians nevertheless longed to see the first duo to conquer Mount Everest, After seeing how Nepalis could burst deliberately spoiled their arpeggios or day he got the Nobel Prize. Such there was much political contro- into a fiery orgy of patriotism against struck the wrong note just to make abiding kinship must have inspired versy between Nepal and India. We slanderous remarks everyone said the him record extra takes. Nepalis Naipaul to revise his views about wanted Tenzing to assert he was Indian actor had made but no one had unconnected with those studio India. Even then, the best he could ours and the Indians wanted him heard him make last year, Udit machinations would have been do was come up with a portrayal of a to affirm he was theirs. Tenzing, should have been more circumspect gratified if Udit could have risen country in the midst of a million who at the age of 18 left Nepal while answering questions concern- above those slights. But, again, it’s mutinies. When he finally got the for Darjeeling where he hoped to ing his citizenship. easy to preach the virtues of Nobel last year, Indians felt their be able to join one of the British Regardless of what Udit says magnanimity when you’re not the perseverance had paid off. But expeditions to Everest, was fed up today, he probably can’t forget the one nursing the grievances. Naipaul had other ideas while with the feuding. “I was born in hours he spent squatting on the little Udit is perhaps more Nepali preparing his acceptance speech. Two the womb of Nepal and raised in lawn in front of Radio Nepal’s than the actress in Bombay who years ago, somebody sent him papers the lap of India,” he once told a yellowish studio with that other happens to have a politically suggesting that his ancestors might reporter. No doubt, the game of crooner from Birgunj. Their duet prominent Nepali surname. That’s actually have come from Nepal. For a celebrity-snatching continues, Sainli ra maili poila gaye chan not my slur, by the way. I’m just country still overwhelmed by the with one author claiming as spawned countless parodies before paraphrasing another Indian critical acclaim Samrat Upadhyaya recently as a year ago that they decided to do their own video newspaper interviewer who got in the West, Naipaul’s revelation Tenzing actually might have been remix. Even today, when Udit responded to the leading lady’s had to merit nothing short of front- born and raised in Tibet. But speaks about Madhu Chettri, he suggestion last year that she was page-anchor display. One ebullient since the man himself had already sounds like he’s referring to a the first Nepali in Bollywood who reader urged the government to spoken, we didn’t have to be too mentor rather than a mate. didn’t have problems acknowledg- extend Naipaul honorary Nepali distressed by endless speculation. Udit might have wanted that ing her origins. citizenship. Other commentators Udit’s dilemma is different. national award so desperately this This brings us to where origins were already thinking a step ahead, And not only because he’s the one time that he didn’t realise he was really do matter. How many prime wondering whether we would have making conflicting assertions going overboard in identifying ministers and foreign ministers can any determination left to move on if depending on which side of the himself in that interview. He you name who were born outside he declined. border he happens to be on. But was not entirely inaccurate, Nepal? Three, four—or more? Udit could have done what a the singer’s identity crisis is not though. The Koshi river is Count as many as you want, but you prominent personality of an earlier era unlike that of Naipaul’s protago- Saptari’s Sorrow. If perennial have to acknowledge that they didn’t did in a similar situation. When nist in his 1979 best-seller, A floods forced young Udit choose their birthplaces. When their Tenzing Norgay became part of the Bend in the River. and his siblings to flee to ancestors were banished to Banaras

SUBHAS RAI the safety of his maternal or even further south after each shift grandparents’ abode on in the power equations of the Nepali the southern side of the court, our forebears didn’t rally to AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE IN HARDCOPY open border for part of plead for compassion. If we can live Nepali Times is now available on the year, blame with foreign-born leaders, can’t we PEPC Worldwide vending machines Mother Nature or realise the futility of arguing over the at major airports and hotel chains. the fathers of the dam character of the boy from Bharda Receive 40 pages of the latest iven the national mood of that every time he tries to shape an project. who started out vocalising patriotic editions of Nepali Times and exuberance it has produced, identity that would please fans on Udit might not have wanted to songs for Radio Nepal and decided selected material from Himal South G VS Naipaul’s apparent both sides of the border, he ends up in hurt us on purpose. Even if he did, to redefine himself as he moved along Asian and Himal Khabarpatrika in acknowledgement of his Nepali roots deeper trouble. If he can be accused of maybe he wanted to get back at those his career graph? 150 cm x 70 cm format on high- seems to have come as a balm for anything new this time—apart from who he thought messed up his As for Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad, quality paper printed while you Nepalis bruised by Udit Narayan spousal abuse—it has to be poor recording schedules at Radio Nepal the Trinidad-born author long wrote watch commercial video content on the monitor. Price: US$ 2.50, all Jha’s reported rejection of his. The judgement. Udit should have learned because his accent and complexion of India as either an area of darkness major credit cards accepted. sad part about the playback singer is from Hrithik Roshan, who he lent his were a bit different. Or maybe he or a wounded civilisation. Many

FOLLOW-UP Still Nepal Oil Corruption here was a sabotage scare at the airport two weeks ago. The army press (including “Nepal Oil Corruption”, NT #19), the Ministry of crew refuelling a helicopter that was to ferry Prime Minister Sher Industry, Commerce and Supplies ordered a probe. And that was the end of T Bahadur Deuba discovered unidentified floating objects in the that. The probe committee decided its fact-finding mission would consist of aviation fuel. A swift examination revealed that the sludge had resulted from writing to some newspapers, asking for evidence of their reports. The a ruptured valve in the storage tank. The problem was corrected immedi- committee also issued public notices calling on people to report adultera- ately because the army crew showed the sample to their VVIP passenger. tion. Meanwhile, during the middle of a state of national emergency, one of But such speed and efficiency is a lot more uncommon in matters the most blatant and open forms of corruption in the kingdom goes on concerning adulterated fuel at the Nepal Oil Corporation unabated. (NOC), which has the dubious distinction of The official reason the investigation fizzled out was there were being one of Nepal’s most corrupt public sector no complaints. Some gas station owners had openly admitted that undertakings with fuel adulteration kickbacks the only way to make a living retailing oil was by mixing subsidised up and down the line. kerosene with diesel and petrol. The gas station owner told us on When government last week announced record that the diesel-kerosene adulteration was 50-50. that it was setting up a task force to The adulteration of fuels is said to recommend improvements at the NOC, cost Nepalis over Rs 1.2 billion in there seemed to be hope that Nepalis kickbacks paid to NOC staffers and

might soon be able to buy unadulterated SUBHAS RAI politicians, and maintenance of vehicles fuel. But those who thought the commit- that run on poor quality oils. Besides, there tee would also look into fuel adulteration are the longer-term health and and the corruption associated with it were environmental impacts that are mistaken. Sher Bahadur Pandey, head of difficult to quantify. The the task force, told us his study was a way mafia that is responsible for to respond to the changes taking place in adulteration and corruption the business of importing and selling in the NOC are at large. fuel, and would make recommen- Some anti-corruption dations on making the NOC activists say the govern- “more effective”. He told us: ment should use its “It will not be an investiga- emergency powers and clean tion.” Then why bother? up the act. It is impossible to Just over a year ago, adulterate and get away with it unless after a series of reports on you have friends at the NOC who test fuel adulteration in the and certify your supplies. 888 NEPALI ECONOMY 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES BIZ NEWS ECONOMIC SENSE by ARTHA BEED

SAARC occupancy

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ The SAARC summit has given Kathmandu hotels a much- Big shark, little fish needed occupancy boost, coming in a year that has seen tourism slump to perhaps the lowest levels ever. The larger hotels on the conference circuit are booked to capacity and the Soaltee Crowne Plaza, which will be hosting the heads of The pundits of this region harp on about the economic sense of state and government in special suites, has the largest cut of getting together, ignoring the political sense that requires. the pie. The Everest Hotel, which has the SAARC media centre, is also booked to capacity and has even converted eople are getting aggressive. The so ‘ought to’ continue? Do the allowing airlines freer use of each some of its regular restaurants into rooms for press briefings. Sri Lanka Investment Promo- numbers make sense? Does the other’s airspace—would mean Up on the hill east of Kathmandu, the Club Himalaya P tion Board has been advertising economics of it pan out? immense gains for all nations. Allow Nagarkot Resort, is booked for the nights of 4 and 5 January. The mountain resort will be where the heads of in Indian newspapers and magazines Economies cannot be interde- easier and cheaper transportation, and state and government will head for a retreat, the only time in the summit that leaders will have the chance to extolling the competitive advantages pendent and benefit from the desire (if then only will we know what free interact informally and out of the eye of television cameras. available to Indian industries that not the fact) of close linkages until trade can do. The benefits of cheaper might want to set up shop in the there is political will and co-operation. sources of energy cannot be

“Regular” tourism island. How true is this, one wonders. It is not possible, for instance, to have harnessed for the benefit of the ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Sure, there are competitive advantages regional headquarters for multinational region if free flow of power between Three years after Nepal began focussed tourism marketing, 2001 was as bad as it could be in terms of arrivals. for countries within South countries is impossible. If Last week, the Nepal Tourism Board announced the preliminary numbers for 2001 and said arrivals by air were Asia, including Nepal, to woo we wire the region—as a down by about 20 percent, compared to 2000 numbersóand the arrivals that year were already low compared Indian industries with, but region, not as a collection of with 1999. Indian arrivals dropped by a whopping 33 percent and those from third countries by almost 17 how does that play with the fiercely independent and percent. Pradeep Raj Pandey, Chief Executive Officer of NTB says all this has happened despite increased self-sufficient countries—it efforts to market Nepal in both India and overseas. The effort had begun to pay off early in the year when rhetoric of South Asian arrivals had begun picking up. The numbers began tumbling after the 1 June royal massacre, and were cooperation—within all the can mean a cheaper source pushed further down after the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States. The emergency has also restrictions we impose on of power for all of us, taken its toll on tourism: the year-end total arrivals were 43 percentóa full ten percentage pointsólower than each other? whether from the waters of the declining figures in the first ten months of the year. The South Asian Nepal and Bhutan or the Government last week announced some measures to bail out the industry, especially hotels, whose Association for Regional natural gas of Bangladesh. overdue electricity bills are to be rescheduled, and there is also talk of helping banks reschedule bank loans. Cooperation (SAARC) Similarly, the potential of The government will even waive visa fees for overnight visitors, though industry sources say that wonít make comprises of a big shark and free access to the educa- much of a difference. The industry, in an attempt to reduce overall package costs to Nepal had asked the small fish, in terms of tional institutions and Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation waive visa fees for three-day visitors. However, when immigration population, economic growth health care systems of each statistics were extrapolated to assess how much that could cost in lost revenue, it turned out that the fees for and GDP. In the context of the companies. The person who sits in other’s countries would reduce the about 100,000 tourists would be lost, hence the one-day-free gimmick. Still NTB officials are hoping they will political issues that the region has to Delhi may not be able to control social costs of all our economies. get transit passengers hereóand then be able to lure them for a longer return visit. The NTB also says it will deal with, it is worth asking whether Pakistan operations, and a person in Network the communication system, also step up its marketing efforts in the 12 countries that provide 75 percent of Nepalís tourists. The primary this association of supposedly equal Islamabad, similarly, will likely have and global companies would find us markets are India, USA, Japan, United Kingdom and Germany. France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain and partners makes economic sense or not. no say in Indian operations. While a almost irresistible. Australia are the major secondary markets. It is time for some introspection, and company that has regional headquar- Perhaps in trying to make the analysis of what the economic benefits ters in Bangkok can have full control SAARC a success only within its

Euro currencies of the association have been in the of companies in South East Asia, this limited political boundaries, we are

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ past fifteen years, and not simply cannot be replicated in Kathmandu. limiting our thoughts on the The central bank discontinued maintaining separate exchange rates for several European currencies starting endorsing or moving to endorse the How can we even begin to harp, as economic potential of the region. 1 January. That means banks will stop exchanging German Marks, Dutch Guilders, French Francs, Austrian supposedly brilliant idea of SAFTA. is our wont, on the NAFTA or The WTO and China’s accession to Schillings, Belgian Francs and Italian Lira. Commercial banks with stocks of these currencies will have to sell In a business environment where ASEAN models of economic growth, it, together with a decade-and-a-half them to the central bank by 15 January. The exchange of these European currencies will in future be based Indian domestic industries are when barbed wire fences, embank- of economic reforms have changed on their ìlockingî rate with the Euro, the Nepal Rastra Bank said. crying foul over Nepali exports to ments and border posts are of the landscape of the regional India, and refusing to renew treaties, perennial and prime importance? economy. It is obvious: for survival,

Paddy prices the Beed does wonder where that Sure, the potential of this region leave alone prosperity, there are few

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ wretched spirit of co-operation is when is immense, and though we don’t options for our economies than to The price of the new rice crop has fallen to the lowest levels in recent times, much of the drop taking place in you need, like when Nepali exports are need to be told it again, the Beed band together under various this past year and the year before. A study by the Agriculture Department and the Agriculture Marketing still on the lower side of the decimal as will remind readers that a quarter of arrangements. Whether SAARC and Directorate says the drop was steepest in 2000, and the trend continued during 2001. The prices have far as the total volume of Indian the world’s population live here. SAFTA are the best is debatable. dropped by an average of Rs 200 between 1996 and 2001. The main reason for the drop in prices is lower imports is concerned. Are we simply Just consider even tourism, where prices across the open border with India. going after SAFTA, blinkers on, loosening political boundaries and Readers can post their views at because it has been adopted once and freeing up transportation—and [email protected]

INTERVIEW “South Asia must prepare for globalisation and manage capital flows effectively.” all countries are affected depending on their openness to trade. All them so that they can intermediate effectively between entities. Asian countries are experiencing a common external shock namely a Countries also need to develop well-functioning capital markets to synchronised slowdown in the major export markets in US, Japan, and reduce the risks of potential instability in an integrated world. Most Europe. importantly, capital account liberalisation should be sequenced properly. It is not advisable for countries to open up their capital Is it true that the less developed parts of Asia, like Nepal, are account too hastily and in full force. Prudence in capital account, cushioned by the fact they are not as closely linked to the however, does not mean being complacent and freezing the reform globalised economy, as say, Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore? process because the benefits of globalization are large. It means That is correct. Countries that have been less open to trade and adopting a pace of liberalization consistent with the state of develop- capital flows and, therefore, relatively less linked to the global ment of the financial sector and the soundness of macroeconomic economy have been relatively less affected than those that are open. management. This, of course, does not mean that countries should control trade and At the sub-regional level, South Asian countries need to further capital flows. The East Asian experience shows that openness to enhance cooperation in monetary and financial areas. The establish- trade and capital flows brings in immense amounts of benefits in terms ment of the SAARC Finance group, under which Finance Secretaries of growth and poverty reduction. But globalization has to be managed and central bank governors meet to discuss issues of common effectively. Reforms have to be designed and sequenced properly. interest, is a good beginning. They should also participate in the on- going efforts to promote monetary cooperation is East Asia. From your vantage point, what kind of policies have worked in Pradumna B Rana is a Nepali economist who is turning around the economies of Asian countries? How far are we from setting up an IMF type monetary fund for The rapid growth in the US economy during 1999 and 2000 had helped Asian economies? Director of the Asian Development Bank’s Regional the region to recover quickly from the crisis. But policies also mattered. The Asian Monetary Fund was proposed soon after the Asian crisis Economic Monitoring Unit (REMU) which was The Asian crisis of 1997-1998 was a capital account crisis. This began in 1997 but the idea was shot down very quickly. In its stead, established in the aftermath of the Asian financial means that investors panicked and fled when they saw weaknesses the ASEAN and ASEAN+3 Surveillance Process was established. crisis in 1999 to help Asian countries harness the in the banking and corporate sectors leading to currency devaluations Under this Process, the Finance Ministers of the East Asian region benefits of global financial integration and and banking crisis in the region. The initial responses which comprised get together twice a year for peer review of economic policies and international capital flows. Rana spoke to Nepali contradictory monetary and fiscal policies were not appropriate in exchanging information on recent developments of mutual interest. In Times in Manila about the new Asian crisis, prospects such a situation. Subsequently, however, the stance of these policies March 2001, in the sidelines of the ADBís annual meeting, the were altered and they contributed to the recovery of the region. Ministers also announced the Chiang Mai Initiative under which a for SAARC cooperation and prospects for Nepal. Efforts to resolve banking sector and corporate sector problems have network of bilateral swap arrangements are being arranged among also played an important role, although a lot more remains to be done. the countries. Efforts are being made to further enhance monetary Nepali Times: There is a new economic crisis verging on reces- and financial cooperation in East Asia including developing some sion in Asia, how is this different from the 1997-98 crisis? As a Nepali, what kind of lessons do you see in this for Nepal? collaborative exchange rate arrangements and establishing an early Pradumna Rana: Sharp economic slowdown in East Asia: Yes. But a Globalization is for real. It cannot be wished away. Hence the major warning system. The ADB is supporting these efforts. Such experi- recurrence of the crisis: No. These are the key messages of our lesson for Nepal, or for that matter other South Asian countries that ences could be useful for South Asia as well in order to prevent and, December 2001 Asia Economic Monitor report. In 1997-1998, when we are fairly closed, is that countries should prepare for globalisation and if not, to manage a crisis. experienced a severe crisis in East Asia, it was mainly the countries manage capital flows effectively. This requires actions at the individual As for the Asian Monetary Fund, although it was shot down with open capital accounts such as Indonesia, Korea, and Malaysia, country and sub-regional level because financial contagion tends to be earlier as I already said, it has not been completely forgotten and Philippines and Thailand that were affected the most. This time around very virulent. Countries need to strengthen banks and recapitalize keeps being revived every now and then under different names. ECONOMY 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES 999

serious implications on the country are made without even getting the NPC’s input?” Not according to plan NPC insiders admit that the professional team of technocrats, all

well trained and experienced, end BINOD○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ BHATTARAI very once in a while Nepal’s The National Planning Commission seems to be suited to more up being government National Planning Commis- authoritarian times. Is there still a role for it? speechwriters or proposal writers E sion goes through an for donors. They are convinced existential crisis. The NPC is there is no way the NPC can be always in a heads I lose tails you reformed without a clarification on win situation with politicians. the chain of command. When things go wrong, planners Today even NPC members are blamed and in the rare occasion don’t hesitate to admit that the when things go well, politicians institution could have done better. take the credit. Many are also convinced it is not The NPC is currently putting possible within the existing final touches on its Tenth Five- governance mechanism. Still, most Year Plan, which some are already people we spoke to for this article saying will be Nepal’s “Poverty agreed on the need for an agency to Reduction Strategy”. It is reviewing do the “big-picture long-term and evaluating the Ninth Plan and thinking”. incorporating changes into the new Says Sharma: “There is no document expected to be readied question that we need a vision or a later this year. plan, or whatever you want to call Nepal has been making Soviet- Shankar Sharma Mohan Man Sainju Ram Sharan Mahat Dipak Gyawali it. Someone has to do it. Our style five-year plans since 1956, concern should be why the plans but doesn’t have much to show for backup will be the Medium Term was created by a cabinet decision us.” Sainju, like technocrats before that way. NPC appointments haven’t worked.” One of the it. Will the Tenth Plan be any Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and does not have statutory anchor. him, were appointed by the king and ended up reflecting the power reasons could be the NPC’s overall different? “We are trying to focus which is now being drawn up, and Its policies therefore do not were able to focus continuously on tussles within the ruling party incompatibility with the changed on poverty reduction, to be attained its finalisation may help secure reflect the political priorities of planning and co-ordination. “Our eroding the even credibility of the polity after 1990, which reflects on by maintaining a stable macro- funding. parties or a nationally accepted chain of command was very clear,” top planning jobs. After ten years plan implementation. Agriculture, for example, was economy,” says Dr Shankar Every new five-year plan is framework that is vetted by adds the economist who now heads of democracy, NPC jobs are not as th Sharma. “There are five priority greeted with a chorus of criticism parliament. And for Nepal’s the Institute of Integrated Develop- coveted as they used to be. the priority of the 9 plan but areas: agriculture, health, educa- about the effectiveness of the NPC. donors, the NPC remains a conven- ment Studies (IIDS). Engineer-economist Dipak according to Sharma, investment in tion, water resources and rural This time will be no different, and ient window through which to bypass Many former members dismiss Gyawali was sounded out for NPC the sector in real terms was actually infrastructure.” there is already talk of a major politicians and the bureaucracy and today’s NPC as a “dead institution”. membership but turned it down. down by almost 36 percent during Sharma thinks the new five- reshuffle of its membership. The push projects of choice. Even technocrats working in it say it He does not mince his words the plan period. And every plan is year plan may be the one that fundamental questions about It wasn’t always like this. has become an employment agency about why: “The NPC has a basic derailed because of funding gaps finally does it. It will primarily be whether we need an NPC keeps During the Panchayat, the NPC for political apointees and rejects structural flaw. It has little, or no caused by diversion of funds to focussed on poverty-reduction, and coming up, especially since 1990 was at the centre of things. Those from other ministries. They wallow role today.” Gyawali’s main new politically tinged projects. be the first one to be backed with a when short-term political expedi- were the days when it had a role in there until retirement or till some criticism is that the NPC doesn’t Despite all this, Finance realistic budget. But that was before ency has become more important controlling other ministries— political benefactor comes and bails have the institutional mechanism Minister Ram Sharan Mahat, who the emergency was declared and the than a long-term strategy, but the possibly reflecting the authority of them out. “This has to change, to analyse and learn from past was once vice-chairman in the early army was deployed against the debate usually fizzles out. the absolute monarch. Dr Mohan otherwise we may as well close it failures. “I have not found any 1990s, remains a strong advocate Maoists. The added expenditures Today’s NPC is a misfit. It is Man Sainju who was vice-chairman down,” said one insider. analysis done by NPC on major of retaining the NPC. “That is one for the war and how it will unfold outside the political loop because during the 1980s remembers: “We Even after democracy the NPC projects such as the Arun III or place where we can get professional may reflect on the eventual even though the Prime Minister did not have to worry who the could have worked to push the even Mahakali,” says Gyawali. analysis done. There is still a role outcome. chairs it, it does not have effective prime minister was and how strategies of the party in power. But, “What is the point if decisions on for planning. And it is still The Tenth plan’s budgetary cabinet representation. The NPC political gimmicks would influence of course, things didn’t work out such impo rtant projects with relatively unaffected by politics.” 101010 TRAVEL 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES Summiteering by air If the SAARC Summit gets unbearable, delegates can get away to other great summits.

View from the cockpit of a Beech 1900C. Mt Everest and Makalu on the horizon, with Namche Bazar in the valley below.

ALL PICS: MIN BAJRACHARYA ALL ○○○○○○○○○○○

JANAKI○○○○○ GURUNG that take off and land from the thing is, with the new higher-flying, ummit this, summit that. By same airport. pressurised aircraft, no matter how now, most Kathmandu A mountain flight is a kind of rainy or fog-bound Kathmandu may S Valley residents and very meditation. There is no one sitting be, and even during the worst likely a good number of visitors next to you, resting their chin on monsoon rains, the flights do take here are somewhat tired of the S your shoulder or showing you off. In winter, flights are delayed by word. And yet, it has another, more photographs of their grandchildren. fog in Kathmandu, but once you sublime meaning. To get away from On the more superior flights, such climb steeply out of the Valley, and it all, and also to start the Interna- as the Beechcraft 1900 C and D you soar over the haze you get a tional Year of the Mountains in a that Mountain Air and Buddha Air splendid fly-past of the world’s fitting manner, we propose the use, the next seat is across the aisle highest mountains. Mountain Flight, an aerial pilgrim- and the windows are large. And as The most frequently asked age over some of the most awe- there is no destination—you come question aside from which airline inspiring landscape in the world. back to the same airport you take offers the best views, is which side There are people who will try off from—your mind is focused of the plane to sit on. It is now to tell you that most flights in solely on the moment, and the official: the right-hand window Nepal are mountain flights incredible sight of the highest peaks seats are better because the “one way or the other.” Do not in the world, born of violent mountains are closer on the flight believe them. tectonic upheavals, looking like so back, but the return flight is also It is spectacular to fly from, say many whipped egg whites in an Iles shorter, since the plane is descend- Window on the roof of the world during the one-hour flight. Pokhara to Jomsom and feel like Flotantes dessert. ing. If you are on the right, you will you’re about to hurtle over Even as tourism has risen and have to curb your impatience on than from the cabin. Lhotse-Nuptse Wall. Generally, the the long ridge of Xixapangma with headlong into Nilgiri and fallen in the last four years, the the outbound leg, as the passen- Another common question is: earlier morning flights are less its mussel-like striations, and Dorje Machapuchre, but an entire 30-40 number of tourists taking mountain gers across the aisle go oohing how close do we get to Everest? bumpy, but fog in winter can often Lakpa, which appears a perfect minute flight dedicated solely to flights has quadrupled—nearly and aahing. On some flights, The answer is: it depends. If there is delay even the first flight by as pyramid from every angle of the ogling at mountains is a different 70,000 people took the Everest though, it might be possible to turbulence and clouds, you could much as four hours. mountain flight, you head towards kind of decadence entirely. Sort of flypast in 2001. It is expensive, at use this time to venture into the be pushed further away. Later in Beginning with the somewhat Phurbi Gyachu and the twin peaks like the difference between Nescafe $109 a pop (the rate is lower for cockpit and be more astounded winter the jet stream makes the grandfatherly and stentorian of Gauri Shankar. Behind it looms and Colombian. And the only Nepali and Indian nationals), but than you thought was possible, as flights bumpier, and planes don’t Ganesh Himal north-east of the the fortress-like mass of Melungtse IATA-approved flights in the world worth every cent. And the good you seem even closer to the peaks venture closer than 20 km from the Valley, past cuties like Langtang, in Tibet, which could be an ice Which mountain flight to take? It was only after the As the SAARC summitteers deregulation of the domestic airline industry arrive, you need to knowÖ in Nepal that private airlines started gearing up for the profitable sight- ï Himal is the only South Asian magazine. seeing flights. Three ï The January 2002 issue is just out. airlines, in particular, have made Mt Everest flights ï It is a ëSouth Asia specialí. their niche markets: Buddha Air and Mountain Air. Fares may vary depending on the ï It challenges SAARC regionalism. travel agent, but the official cost quoted by all airlines is $109 for ï It proposes an alternative regionalism. foreigners, IRs3,000 for Indians and Rs 4,800 for Nepalis. Other airlines like Necon Air and Cosmic Air also operate mountain ï It contains a special gift: flights, but these make up a smaller proportion of their total A downside-up atlas-quality map of South Asia. revenue. Cosmic has aisle seats and does not guarantee you a window seat, but Necon says it sells only 23 seats at the back of its ATR-42 and offers a $164 couple discount for a second person Extra copies of the Himal, as well as the map separately, are available at all major book shops including: in the aisle seat. The Beechcraft flown by Buddha Air and Moun- Pilgrims (Thamel, Kupondole), Saraswati Book House (Pulchwok), Ratna Book Distributors (Bagbazaar, Bhotahity), Mandala Book House (Kantipath), tain Air are the best bet, and Buddhaís 1900 D allows you to stand Ekta Books (Thapathali, Manbhawan), Gemini (Jawalakhel), and Barnes & Nobel (Thamel). up to your full height inside the craft (provided, that is, you are To subscribe, whether you live in Quetta or Colombo or Chittagong, call Rinzina at tel: 543333 under six ft). TRAVEL 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES 111111

Everest 8848 Pumori Nuptse Lhotse 7161 Makalu Cho Oyu Ghyachung Kang 7855 8516 8463 8201 7952 Thamserku Kangtega Numbur Melungste 6799 6937 6623 Gauri Shankar 7181 Choba Bhamare 7134 5960

sculpture of a Lo Manthang palace, handmaidens, squat, table-like or the Potala. In the middle of this Nuptse (7,855 m) and perky Lhotse panorama, and for the rest of the (8,516 m), it isn’t the most flight, you can often see past the attractive mountain in the world. mountains and into the Tibetan Ama Dablam (6,812 m), way Plateau, brown and arid, but for the below to the east, is far more occasional deep blue of its lakes. charming, with its reassuring For those who have spent time symmetry and snowy face. But in the Valley, this segment of the Everest brings home to you, far flight is like meeting local heroes more than any other sight, just how and finding that they are just as nice extreme the terrain is. This close up in real life. It is at this point that, as it looks so inhospitable you wonder you get even closer, the 25,000 ft why anyone would want to go up cruising altitude of even the that desolate, rocky face. And yet, if Beech seems inadequate. You will you think one step further, you Buddha Air’s Mountain Flights wait out the monring fog at encounter four eight- start to understand a little why Melungtse’s elegant flanks and the Tibetan Plateau beyond. Kathmandu Airport. thousanders—there are only ten mountains can drive people to in the world—including The Big distraction. There is something moment, you may catch a glimpse of the Khumbu Icefall, and the One, and their summits will be almost holy in the magnificence and of Kangchenjunga (8,586 m), the second-longest glacier in Nepal, the even higher than the plane. expanse of Himalaya When you think third-highest mountain in the Khumbu Glacier. There is Namche Chugimago (6,297 m), about the violence of the tectonic world, and the second-highest in Bazar, the strating point for the Pigferago (6,620 m), Numbur forces that caused the Indian landmass Nepal. The turn-around is a good Everest Trek and headquarters of (6,957 m) and Karyolung (6,511 m) to collide with the Eurasian plate, time to catch a glimpse of the chaos the Sagarmatha National Park. are nice enough, snow-topped and sending rocks soaring into the with a whimsical sense of shape, but stratosphere, the true scale of the FOR BOOKINGS Cho Oyu ((8,201), is different. planet comes home to you. Dark and brooding, it seems to say, The final treat is Makalu, at Airline Phones Aircraft like Hamlet, that the rest is silence. 8,463 m the fifth-highest mountain Buddha Air 542494, 437025 Beech 1900D And indeed it is, for then hoves into in the world, its pink rock face Cosmic Air 241053, 244955 SAAB 340 view Everest, and the sudden exuding a calm detachment. If Mountain Air 489065 Beech 1900C silence is only broken by the clicks you’re really lucky and manage to Necon Air 480565 ATR-42 of cameras. An enormous mass of look out of the right-hand side of Mountain Air returns for another plane- load of summiters on a brilliant dark, solid granite flanked by its the cockpit at just the right Shangri-La Air 439692, 416028 Beech winter morning. 1900C 121212 TECHNOLOGY 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES COMMENT by CALESTOUS JUMA Bridging the genetic divide

ebates over genetically modified Can genetically-modified foods help feed the world’s underprivileged? ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

(GM) foods engulf every corner ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ D of the globe. While many in agricultural production, health care countries fear approving international and resources, are not matched to these concerns about GM foods are and environmental management. biotechnology cooperation programs desires. Only a handful of developing legitimate, these debates mostly reflect Prospects for closing the gap will in fear of a domestic political countries (including China, India, the interests of developed countries. be determined by at least three backlash from environmental and Brazil and Argentina) have clear But countries facing constant threats to interconnected factors: consumer groups. policies on biotechnology. More their food supply consider access to l how debates over the safety of Complicating matters further, needs to be done to bring govern- new biotechnological techniques as GM foods are resolved; international organisations such as the ment policies into line with the best essential to their development. Their l developing countries taking Food and Agriculture Organization global practice. hopes of using these technologies safely responsibility for constructing the (FAO) and the Consultative Group on In addition, most developing located. Old ideas about a “brain from new and important fields. and responsibly are threatened by basis for engaging in international International Agricultural Research countries lack adequate regulatory drain” must give way to more creative Even if undertaken heartily, all the environmental and consumer activism cooperation in biotechnology research; (CGIAR)—created expressly to arrangements to guarantee safety, approaches to tapping skills in a efforts of developing countries will lead in industrialised countries. l industrialised countries sharing promote global food security— protect foreign investment, and globalised world. Advances in nowhere unless industrialised Because most biotech products are technology and expertise with a wider cannot provide leadership on this promote international cooperation communication technology, indeed, countries broaden their cooperation produced and consumed in a few circle of developing countries. issue because of conflicting signals through strengthened local research. make it possible to utilise human with developing countries through countries—the United States, Canada, At present, these prospects do not from governments. The absence of domestic safety resources efficiently irrespective of building scientific capacity in Argentina and China—a “genetic look good. Some industrialised But blame is not all on one side. regulations leaves countries vulnerable their geographical location. universities and research institutions divide” has opened up between rich countries are reducing support for Although most developing countries to external influences, particularly to Back home, developing country in the developing world. Recent and poor countries. This gap will international biotechnology research are interested in using biotechnology forces that want to limit the use of inventors will soon start to demand decisions by Monsanto to place the rice likely pose serious problems due to the programs to meet the needs of to meet their food, health and biotechnology. Even more significant that the fruits of intellectual labour be sequence data in the public domain growing importance of biotechnology developing countries. Other industrial environmental needs, their policies is the weak institutional and scientific accorded the same level of respect and must be only the beginning of a wider base within developing countries. protection their counterparts in other partnership program involving more Developing countries need to parts of the world receive. But developing countries. review their research infrastructure and developing country governments must Bridging the “genetic divide” will re-design universities to serve also ensure that international stand- take a lot of effort among countries. economic goals. Many universities in ards, such as intellectual property The key starting point is for develop- developing countries are still geared to protection reflect wider social values as ing countries to make their policy goals primarily producing civil service already acknowledged by the WTO’s clear and seek to engage in interna- functionaries even though government Agreement on Trade-related Intellec- tional partnerships with the industrial- employment is in decline. Because tual Property (TRIPS). That may be ised countries from a more informed there is a worldwide shortage of tricky but attempts must be made. policy position. Any measure that fall scientific and technical expertise in a Attempts can be fulfilled if science short of this basic requirement will range of fields, developing countries is allowed to find its proper, central only widen the divide. must redirect their universities towards place in society. Countries that (Project Syndicate) scientific and technical fields. facilitate the flow of knowledge between (Calestous Juma is Director of the Developing countries bemoan various sectors in society will be in Science, Technology and Innovation the migration of scientists to the a better position to make use of Program at Harvard University’s Center for International Development and industrialised countries but do little to advances in biotechnology. Those former Executive Secretary of the ensure that these scientists can that fail to reinvent their social United Nations Convention on contribute from wherever they are institutions will be marginalised Biological Diversity.)

Check out the January Issue. On stands now! WORLD 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES 131313 COMMENT by ALBERTO ALESINA AND ENRICO SPOLAORE

One nation, White Australia

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ SYDNEY - ìDespite what a few hyperbolic types might allege, the White Australia policy is dead and gone,î Dr Gerard Henderson, The problem of oil executive director of the Sydney Institute, wrote in The Australian recently. ìHowever, if influential Australians have their way, it might he price of oil was supposed to soon be replaced by a Muslim Immigration Restriction Act or, skyrocket after 11 September perhaps, a Judeo-Christian Australia policy.î Australian diplomats T due to political instability in the and politicians are quick to dismiss such suggestions, even pointing Middle East. Instead, it has dropped out that Pauline Hansonís racist One Nation Party was soundly by 30 percent to under $20 a barrel, beaten in the November polls. But in order to win back voters from the lowest level in two years. the far right anti-immigration party, Prime Minister John Howardís This drop is due to three causes. anti-immigration rhetoric very much reflected the platform of One First, recession has hit high oil Nation. Until the mid-1970s, Australian immigration policy specified consumption sectors such as air that only people with European ancestry could migrate to Australia, transport hard, and so the demand for to check the ìyellow perilîóthe possibility of large numbers of oil has gone down. Second, American It isn’t scarcity, Asians, especially Chinese, flocking to Australia. Now, some policy has avoided an open confronta- respected economists, sociologists and influential media commenta- tion with the countries of the Persian but volatility. tors are openly debating economic argumentsóagainst a backdrop Gulf, and Afghanistan, thank god, is And even that of fear about ìinternational terrorismîóto justify the re-introduction not an oil producer. Third, Russia, of a discriminatory immigration policy. Wolfgang Kasper, emeritus coming out of its post-Soviet crisis, may soon not professor of economics at the University of New South Wales, seems decided to continue expanding be an issue. wrote recently that, ìof the various institutional systems developed its own oil production, despite its by man, probably none is more resistant to accepting new ground recent sop to OPEC. rules than the Middle Eastern tradition. This is not a consequence of But this short-run fall in oil dropped by more than half, to $11 a decades. Certainly, oil reserves are oil revenues to maintain consumption, biology and race, but of environment and race.î Kasper argued that prices should not obscure the long- barrel. In 1997 a US government not infinite. But there is no reason political power and patronage—try to Middle Eastern migrants can have friction with ordinary Austral- term political problem—the fact that study estimated that it is possible to to think that they are becoming raise prices by cutting production, and ians, and so Australiaís immigration policy ought to be restruc- the major part of the present oil produce more than 500 billion barrels more “scarce”. the cycle resumes. This process tured to include selection criteria that ìmeasure production is concentrated in of oil from non-conventional sources Technological innovation and new increases political instability in the readiness or otherwise of newcomers to fit in with our autocracies which use oil resources to (“shell oil” and “tar sands”) at less discoveries are reducing the impor- producing countries and involves open society.î maintain repressive patronage regimes, than $30 per barrel. Such reserves of tance of oil in the production process. them in a vicious circle. When the Another key figure in the debate is John Stone, former secretary finance extravagant consumption by oil are about 250 times more than The price of oil, corrected for inflation, price of oil is high, their governments to the treasury and ex-senator of the National Party. In 1988, when the elites, and acquire a terrifying conventional reserves and could has not increased in the last decade, spend the money on arms and palaces then opposition leader Howard suggested restricting Asian immigra- amount of arms. Enormous oil theoretically satisfy world energy and despite all the “oil shocks”, its fit for pharaohs. When the price of oil tion, Stone, a member of the shadow cabinet, was one of his revenues and their unequal needs (at today’s levels) for the price has, on average, oscillated around falls, they risk discontent, coups strongest supporters. In a recent article in The Australian entitled, distribution are a continuous source next 5,000 years. today’s prevailing price. Oscillations d’états, wars, and revolutions. ìWe only want of internal instability and external Non-conventional reserves are for in oil prices do not reflect “structural” The problem of the oil market is those who are aggressiveness, as demonstrated by the most part unexploited, because scarcity in the long term, but are due not scarcity, but volatility. As noted by prepared to be Iraq’s recent history. they are uncompetitive, price-wise, to movements of demand and supply former Saudi oil minister Sheik like usî, he So should the scarcity of oil, and with conventional oil and other in the short and middle run. In the Yamani, sooner or later the age of oil called for a its concentration in the Middle East, sources of energy, such as natural gas. short run, the demand for oil is will end, but not because of a lack of new immigra- be a permanent source of global Perhaps it will never become necessary “inelastic”—it responds little to oil, much as the Stone Age did not tion policy that uncertainty? No. In reality, there is to use the non-conventional reserves of changes in price, and even small end because of a lack of stones. discriminates now a global abundance of oil and a fossil fuel, if the development of reductions in supply result in great (Project Syndicate) not on the great part of it is in one of the most alternative technologies (for example, price increases. In the middle run, basis of race, stable countries on the planet: Canada. liquid hydrogen) should render oil high prices lead to expansion of (Alberto Alesina is Professor of but culture. In the last 20 years, the cost of obsolete. But these reserves exist, and supply and reduced demand, and the Economics at Harvard University; Stone said: Enrico Spolaore is an Assistant Canadian oil extracted from non- conventional reserves themselves can price comes down again. At that point ìAustralians Professor of Economics at Brown.) conventional fossil deposits has cover world needs for the next few producer countries—which depend on must fundamentally rethink the stupidities which for 20 years now have dominated our immigration policies and, along with them, our OPINION by MARCIN KROL official policies of multiculturalism.î He defines multiculturalism as ìnon-assimilationî to the mainstream culture. ìOur future immigration policyÖ,î added Stone, should have everything to do with whether those concerned are capable of assimilating into Australiaís basically Judeo-Christian culture, and disposed to do so.î He added: Omar and Osama’s Kampf ìAll cultures are not equal, and it is ridiculous (and since 11 Septem- ber much more dangerous) to keep insisting that they are.î Sydney istory has many such stories: a political party emerges that most Democracy’s greatest enemy is the Instituteís Henderson disagrees, pointing out that Muslims have been people think is a bad or sick joke. When they are not laughing at it, in Australia since 1860. While the Islamic population has been Hthey ignore it. Suddenly, the economy becomes bad or an profitable anarchy of a crippled state. growing rapidly in the last 20 years, most of them are not Arab, and

external threat looms and the party marches toward power. When it ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ most Arabic immigrants are not Muslims, he explains. (IPS) seizes government—think Hitler, Lenin, Mussolini, even Mullah and threatened violence if his program was not enacted. Ideas about Omar—all laughter stops. civilising Self Defence ended, and parliament evicted Lepper from his In Poland, a “joke” party with malignant intentions is emerging. Called position deputy speaker. In his last speech, he accused many politicians Self Defence, it voices—it says—the discontents of poor farmers and those of taking bribes, naming the amounts, times, and places. He seems displaced and radically dissatisfied with politics here. Its leader is a shrill unable to substantiate these accusations, but has kept his profile primitive named Andrzej Lepper. A thuggish guttersnipe more akin to high—by asking to meet the US Ambassador, claiming knowledge of a Aleksander Lukashenka, the dictator of Belarus, than to the great dictators, Polish role in 11 September. Lepper represents a hideous irrational politics. For this reason, I cannot I wish I could say that by discrediting himself, Lepper self-destructed. laugh at him. Hitler, Lenin, and Mussolini sought power to use the This should happen in a democracy. But Lepper is no empty windbag like state to impose their will, their programs. Today’s anti-democrats view Joe McCarthy, nor is he a nationalist like France’s Le Pen. He is neither the state as an obstacle. They want to gut its power so jackals like Rightist nor Leftist, he loathes the political system and wants to replace it themselves can feed on the corpse. with a nothingness in which feral politicians run amok. Lepper’s supporters Self Defence has participated in several parliamentary elections but are the remnants of lower Communist nomenclatura—apparatchiks too never received more than 2 percent of the vote before this year. Three stupid to steal as Communism collapsed—and those who made money in weeks before last September’s elections, opinion polls gave it 7-8 percent of the grey period of 1989-1991 when state controls were non-existent. the vote. Everyone thought this an exaggeration. It ended up securing Lepper’s people are nostalgic for the profitable anarchy of a crippled state. nearly 11 percent, and was parliament’s third largest party. People were Their enemies are not the traditional targets of lumpen anti-democrats, shocked, but most Poles believe in democratic norms and civilising the such as Jews, masons or gypsies. They repudiate parliament itself, its uncivilised. So Lepper became one of parliament’s four deputy speakers. necessary compromises, and even the rule of law. Political and media commentators were drawn to his provocativeness, but Parliamentary democracy was devised by Europeans sickened by within a month were bored. He then called the foreign minister a traitor domestic (mainly religious) wars. Its greatest enemy remains domestic war. Without exaggerating Lepper’s threat, I believe he represents a model of irrational politics—from Indonesia to Afghanistan, Georgia to Ukraine, his movement is part of a new nihilism that seeks to make countries ungovern- able. As a political philosopher, I find democracy’s internal enemies an intellectual problem. Even if Lepper’s lies are proven false and he is jailed, his followers (and their rage) will remain. Like Hitler, he will likely emerge from prison even more beloved. You cannot win domestic wars (even non- violent ones) through legal processes or poltical means alone. Consider America and Osama bin Laden’s terrorists. We must, to repeat the German political philosopher Carl Schmitt (no friend of democracy himself), treat enemies as enemies. When democracy is at stake you must defend it, as Malcolm X said, “by any means necessary”. This may be difficult for liberals to understand, and for democratic-minded peoples to accept. But hard choices are inevitable if democracy is to prevail. (Project Syndicate)

(Marcin Krol is dean of the history faculty at Warsaw University and editor/publisher of the intellectual journal Res Publica Nowa.) 141414 ASIA 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES COMMENT by JEFFREY D SACHS

Missing recession, and the boat ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ NEW DELHI - As most Asian economies reel under recession, Only part of the story India has been left unscathed thanks to its still largely-isolated economy, says Indian Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha. Investment banking major Morgan Stanley predicts India will remain Asiaís second fastest growing economy after China, recording a 4.8 percent GDP growth rate in 2001, and going up to 5.2 percent in 2002. Sinha attributes Indiaís economic stability to the same strict financial limits that left it unscathed during the 1997 Asian crisis, and prevented over-investment in unpredictable sectors like real estate. A decade after embarking on what were to have been ambitious and aggressive reforms, India accounts for only 0.7 percent of world trade, and continues to be a largely self-reliant but sluggish economy. But economists say there are differences between the 1997 Asian crisis and the present global slowdown. In 1997, India was spared as it had little foreign capital waiting to exit and domestically-owned capital was denied exit through strict capital controls, says Sunanda Sen, who teaches economics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. This is not the case now. he events since 9/11 have Also, over the last two years, India has opened up trade

incited speculation about the Culture, as in “Islamic culture”, is a simplistic excuse. enough to affect the economy, but done little to improve ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ T relationship between culture ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ exports, which declined by 2.3 percent in April-August 2001 and economic development. The example, the cultural acceptance of Yemeni woman on average gives birth remote places like Afghanistan or from 21 percent growth in the same period the previous year. Islamic world is charged with having social and economic equality between to more than seven children in her Chad, weak connections with the world Arvind Panagariya, of the Center for International Economics missed the advances of the European men and women has involved a long lifetime. In Saudi Arabia, the average economy also delayed the processes of in Maryland, says that even now, China maintains seven to Enlightenment when the state and process of political struggle and is over six. In other Islamic societies, social change. eight percent growth, though it is twice as dependent on religion were separated, modern evolving social norms. The pace of the fertility rate has declined in recent These examples should warn us exports as India. The difference, he says, is that unlike India, scientific ideas adopted, and cultural change has varied markedly within decades, signalling a major shift in away from three current tendencies. China has moved forward with reforms regardless of a attitudes towards women modernised. regions and across cultural sub- cultural norms. In Tunisia, it has The first is to give easy labels to worsening external environment. (IPS) Thus, the story goes, it still has groups. dropped from 6.2 in the 1970s to complex and diverse societies. The idea cultural practices hostile to economic The Islamic world, which 2.3 today, slightly above the 2.0 of a single conservative “Islamic More bombs per sq m

growth and cannot cope with the stretches over 15,000 km, dozens of average in the US; in Turkey and world” is as mistaken as a single ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ demands of modernisation, in countries, and over 1 billion followers Indonesia, the fertility rate fell from modern “Western society”. Diversity UNITED NATIONS - The UN and its mostly local mine-clearing technology or in cultural practices. of the faith, displays similar cultural 5.2 in the 1970s to 2.7 now. Women is high, cultural practices vary personnel in Afghanistan must now clear away some 25,000 As always with crude generalisa- variation. Islamic countries in the have entered the labour force in these widely. The second tendency is to unexploded bombs strewn across the terrain, mainly by US tions, elements of truth are here mixed Mediterranean (Morocco, Tunisia, societies in much greater number, forget that cultures everywhere warplanes. UN officials said they have received information with great confusion. Certain cultural Egypt, and Turkey) are culturally and delivering economic gains and change in response to technological from the US-led military coalition that some 244,420 ìsub- practices do support economic politically distinct from Islamic improvements in their social status. developments, economic growth, munitionsî were used during the air campaign against Af- modernisation—greater equality countries in the Arabian Peninsula Tunisia, Turkey, Indonesia and and—of course—globalisation. The ghanistan that began in early October. ìInitial ground assess- between men and women and their (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman), Malaysia have been among the world’s third is to believe that culture is the ments indicate that at least about 10 percent of theseóabout social roles, rewarding educational which differ from those in Central fastest growing economies in recent key to economic development. 24,442óhave failed to explode and are lying on the ground as attainment with high social status, Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan, decades. Islamic culture has shown its Development is determined by very dangerous and deadly unexploded ordnance,î said Dan secularising many aspects of modern Tajikistan), Southeast Asia (Indonesia vibrancy and capacity to adjust to many factors, including geography, Kelly, manager of the UN Mine Action Programme in Afghani- life, including the preeminence of and Malaysia) and Sub-Saharan Africa changing conditions. In the Arabian politics, international relations—and stan (MAPA). Cluster bombs, which are not precision-guided, modern science, and supporting (Mali and Chad). peninsula, cultural change has been culture. Cultural differences across consist of canisters that break apart to release a large number cultural practices that favour social Consider one example: the slower, as has economic development. societies are often more the outcome of small ìbombletsî. Many do not explode but lie on the ground, mobility in the choice of occupation. number of children per woman, or Causation probably runs in both than the cause of differences in much like anti-personnel landmines. US forces used them The false belief is that some cultures “total fertility rate”. Economic growth directions here: cultural factors may economic development. extensively in Afghanistan, in Kosovo in 1999 and during the are static, others are uniquely modern. suffers when this is high, and the have impeded economic growth, while (Project Syndicate) 1990-1991 Gulf War. More than 5,000 Afghans have been All over the world cultures have had to education given to each child in poor poor economic performance (say, bad trained to search for unexploded bombs, and still more are adjust to the changes in economic households also tends to be reduced. economic policies and over-depend- (Jeffrey D Sachs is Professor of slated for training early next year. Last week, two children organisation, technology, and scientific In some parts of the Islamic world, ence on oil) may have slowed the Economics, and Director of the were killed and two others injured near a Herat refugee camp knowledge of the past 200 years. In most notably the Arabian peninsula, adaptation of cultural practices to the Center for International when a bomblet exploded. During the 1980s Soviet occupation Western Europe and the US, for the fertility rate remains very high. A needs of a modern economy. In Development, Harvard University.) of Afghanistan, an estimated 10 million landmines were scattered throughout the war-ravaged country. MAPA, the worldís oldest and largest de-mining programme, said it has cleared 1.6 million explosives from former battlefields, agricul- tural land, roads, and residential areas. Between March 1978 and December 2000, at least 2,812 Afghans have died due to unexploded mines. MAPA says landmines and unexploded ordnance cover about 724 million sq m of land in Afghanistan. Of this, some 344 million sq m are classified as high priority Afghan tale for clearance. (IPS) When you are their welcome guest, Afghans are the most generous hosts on earth. When you Hearts, minds, books

arrive unwelcome and uninvited, they kill you. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ BEIJING ñ President and party chief Jiang Zemin said the battle their total indiscipline made any journey very frightening. But though without a for the hearts and minds of Chinese people is about to gun, Amir Shah had the measure of them. “See that white man in the back,” he intensify, given the rapid economic globalisation and the whispered to them confidentially. “You’d better be polite to him. He’s a close western pursuit of international cultural hegemony. Jiang was relative of the Queen of England, and he’s here to assess how much aid we need. speaking at a Beijing gathering of more than 2,000 artists and We could get many thousands of dollars if you treat him well.” So the gunmen writers last week. The high-profile speech is part of Jiangís just helped themselves to some of our chocolate bars and let us go — showing efforts to leave his mark on Chinese communist theory as the th little surprise that a British prince could be riding in a very old and rusty yellow party prepares for its crucial 16 congress next year. Jiang taxi. Such was the wizadry of Amir Shah’s story-telling. has recently been promoting his theory of the Three Repre- My task, as a humble foreign correspondent without royal connections, was to sentatives, a re-interpretation of Marxist thinking to suit travel from the capital, Kabul, to the Amu Darya river (the Oxus of Greek Chinaís new realities. An article in the English-language China legends) which forms Afghanistan’s border with the former Soviet republic of Daily last week bemoaned the ìflounderingî state of contem- Tajikistan. We reached the small town of Emam Shaheb, a few kilometres south of porary Chinese literature, calling Chinese writers too ìchild- the river, in time for breakfast with a friendly mujahideen commander — freshly ishî and ìselfishî to take on the social responsibility of real picked grapes and almonds, with warm milk and Afghan bread. Never was a writers. Decadence and commercialism are being blamed for breakfast more welcome. The commander’s men took me to the river through the popularity of writers such as Wei Hui and Mian Mian, who villages ruined by fighting between rival mujahideen groups and Russian have depicted Chinaís social underbelly in graphic, grim detail. ROMY GACAD bombing. That evening we sat on carpets round a large pot of mutton stew, and Propaganda officials are even angrier about last yearís Nobel Laureate for literature, Gao Xingjian, a dissident writer who JOHN○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ RETTIE slept on the carpets under the world’s most brilliant stars. even years ago I was briefly a member of the British royal family. True, When you are their welcome guest, Afghans are the most generous hosts on left China in 1987 and renounced his Communist Party this elevated social status lasted only about 20 minutes. But in Afghani- earth. When you arrive unwelcome and uninvited, they kill you, as the British membership after Tiananmen Square, 1989. Jiang told the S stan, where anything can happen, fame evaporates quickly, though while it found out in the 19th century and the Russians in the 20th. And now the Arab writers: ìLiterary and art workers should adhere to the truth, lasts, it may save your life. And so it was with the driver of my battered yellow fighters of Osama bin Laden are suffering the same fate of unwelcome foreigners. oppose falsehood, glorify beauty and goodness, advocate taxi, the brilliantly inventive Amir Shah. But despite the formation of an interim government, the country as a whole seems science and combat foolishness.î His call evoked associations His quick-witted tales saw us safely past many groups of men brandishing to be returning to the state of anarchy of seven years ago. Spanish and Swedish with a famous 1942 speech by the late Chairman Mao Zedong threatening Kalashnikovs on the wide, dusty plain north of Kunduz. “Be sure journalists found this to their cost a few weeks ago when without the protection of where he said art must appeal to the ìmassesî rather to the you’re across that plain before noon,” we were warned in that pleasant little an Amir Shah, they were killed and robbed by armed bandits. It is now forgotten intellectual elite. After that, Mao turned the world of art and northern town, now ruined by war. “After that the bandits are in control.” So we that the Taleban, who became so oppressive and dictatorial, were originally writing into an engine for propaganda. ìIn a way, Jiangís set off at 5.30 in the morning. welcomed for imposing security and order. Who will replace them now? speech is a step backwards,î reflected one foreign analyst. It was hard to tell whether the armed groups who infested Afghanistan in John Rettie is a veteran BBC reporter and was The Guardian South Asia ìThe Party is telling you what you have to write again.î (IPS) those days were mujahideen guerrillas or bandits. Most of them were both, and correspondent in the mid-1990s. FROM THE NEPALI PRESS THIS PAGE CONTAINS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES 151515

Newspaper sales forces. Both approaches are wrong. At apparently gave Rs 9,000 last Tihar to ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ many points, people have to wait in the All-Nepal National Free Students Jana Aastha, 26 December long lines while security forces just Union (Revolutionary), an check their bags and don’t conduct organisation with links to the Maoists. Of the negative impacts of the body searches, so a person could get The ANNFSU-R students, who had emergency that was declared a month past with a concealed weapon. sent word beforehand to the prime ago has been newspaper sales. According to the Nepali Constitu- minister’s residence in Baluwatar Newspaper have not been able to carry tion 1990, all citizens are equal in the saying they would be coming to play out factual reporting like they used to, eyes of the law. But women are still not deusi bhailoi, arrived with two and as a result they are losing allowed to join the Royal Nepal Army. busloads of students and musical credibility and the trust of their The Army Act 2016 does not allow instruments. Devendra Parajuli, readers. Newspaper distributors say women to enlist. At one time, the president of the union, vice president that sales of daily and weekly papers Nepal Police Act didn’t provide for Krishna KC, general secretary Purna have dropped by half. Says Shyam women to enter the police force. But in Paudyal, Lenhnath Neupane and a few Pandey, a newspaper distributor at 1981, a direct order from the Royal others were called inside the residence, Bhugol Park, “Before the emergency Palace allowed women to join the force. offered tea by the prime minister, and I used to sell 400 copies of Kantipur They compete to enter the force, and sent off with the tidy sum of Rs every day and 400 copies of Saptahik women police, from cadets to Deputy 9,000. And in lieu of the traditional Bimarsa every week. Now I sell 350 Superintendents of Police, are doing thank you and goodbye offering, the copies of Kantipur and 330 copies of well there. They are less involved in group blessed the prime minister that Bimarsa.” It isn’t only the wholesalers controversies and cases of corruption. he might have the courage to call for a Door: knock knock who are affected—some news outlets or The recent Armed Police Act also constituent assembly. Man: Oh no, they’re already at the door, do it fast do it fast. —Spacetime Dainik, 30 December retailers find they cannot pay their rent allows women to join the force. The group also reached the because the drop in sales means a Women around the world have Satdobato government residence of the corresponding drop in their income. proven their skills in the armed forces. main opposition CPN-UML leader Sales have dropped outside the The US army is 15 percent female. Madhav Kumar Nepal. Nepal also Kathmandu Valley, too. Since the The women there fly warplanes and played the gracious host and gave them emergency has affected the distribution serve in warships. Keeping in mind Rs 1,000. The Union also visited the of papers, people don’t know what is the current situation, Nepal’s Army homes of CPN-ML leaders Bam Dev really happening. The general economic Act needs to be amended to allow Gautam and CP Mainali. Although slowdown has also caused advertising women to join the forces. As long as the group got Rs 500 from General revenues to dip. The big publication the process of enrolling women in the Secretary Gautam, he was reportedly houses should stop acting as if they are army isn’t completed, female police nervous, as only a few days prior to unaffected by the slump in sales, and officers should be deployed to conduct this, several student leaders of the the sector as a whole should try to solve security checks on women. It is CPN-ML student union had broken the problems affecting the industry. extremely important for the council of links with the party and joined the Many readers have lost faith in political ministers to make a decision to allow Maoist-affiliated ANNFSU-R. stories, with the result that journalists the enlistment of women in the armed Mainali, for his part, was said to be are concentrating on economic and forces. much more comfortable with the

social stories. Even the PM pays group and even danced along with

○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○ them holding hands with his wife. He Jana Aastha, 2 January, 2002 gave them Rs 1,000. Bank employees This is the game of the times. People will be surprised to know that Prime Minister Deuba has now

uniteuniteunite forbidden anyone from helping these ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ after the talks between the government Budhabar, 26 December and the Maoists failed, the same prime ANNFSU (R) who he played deusi Board: Welcome! 11th SAARC Summit minister who called the Maoists with, and has even had those who had Man: Whom can we believe? We have to bring the guests even through a tunnel. —Naya Sadak, 30 December Employees of the Nepal Rastra Bank “terrorists” and “traitors” donated helped the Maoists in the past arrested. and the Nepal Bank have formed a money to them. With the declaration of the state of joint committee to protest against the But this is politics and everything emergency and talk of the control of decision to hand over management of is possible in politics. Yesterday’s corruption, all those who have two troubled banks, the Rashtriya enemies will be friends today and contributed large amounts to the Banijya Bank and Nepal Bank Ltd. on enemies today friends tomorrow. Maoists, and corrupt Congress leaders management contracts to foreign Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba are said to be living in fear. managers. They’ve told the deputy governor of the central bank that it was not right to hand over management of the bank to foreigners without making efforts to improve the management from the inside. In a letter to the governor, the Joint Agitation Commit- tee (Sanyukta Sangharsha Samiti) has noted that political interference in management needs to be controlled, a good management system has to be set up, irregularities checked, and those guilty of fraud, have to be punished instead. The employees say the decision of the government to privatise the bank and to hand over management to a foreign group would increase foreign control over the national economy. If the management was handed over to a foreign group, the head of the team would be paid a very high salary and so would other members of the manage- ment team as result of which aid from the World Bank would go outside the country. Another union concern is possible cut down in staffs of the banks once the new management steps in. Women in the

armyarmyarmy ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Ghatana ra Bichar, 26 December

The Royal Nepal Army has set up security check points at various points around the city. This is a positive step, keeping in mind the current situation, but some shortcomings just cannot be ignored. Owing to a lack of women security personnel, women passengers Dont pull too much on that side, its uncovered on this side. —Kantipur, 29 December in public transport feel exceptionally QUOTE OF THE WEEK uncomfortable when they have to undergo checks. Also, due to lack of The freedom of the press cannot be controlled by an emergency. The press has to be daring. When left free, the women in the security forces, at some press here goes overboard. When threatened with action, it starts signing hymns. check points women get away by with —K.P. Oli, UML Standing Committee member, in Budhabar Saptahik, 2 January, 2002. just their bags being checked. At others they are searched by male security 161616 SPORTS 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES Waiting for the world cup In the run up to the cricket Youth World Cup, Nepal has qualified for a place in the International Cricket Council’s Youth World Cup to be held starting 14 January in New Zealand. Who will the team have to play, when, and where?

The following sixteen teams will contest the World Cup, in order of seeding:

India Sri Lanka Pakistan Australia England West Indies New Zealand South Africa Bangladesh Zimbabwe Kenya Namibia Scotland

Canada MIN BAJRACHARYA Nepal Papua New Guinea

The last under-19 World Cup Team Nepal in practice in January 2000 was won by India, who defeated the host The sixteen competing teams League play, the top two teams nation Sri Lanka by six wickets in have been split into four pools as in each pool go through to the the final. In the previous January follows: finals. The bottom two teams 1998 World Cup in South Africa, India (holders), South Africa, from pool play move into the England defeated New Zealand by Bangladesh, Canada, playing in Plate Championship. The two seven wickets. Auckland Plate pools then play to deter- The Under 19 World Cup is a Sri Lanka, New Zealand, mine the top two teams in each One-Day Cricket tournament. Zimbabwe, Namibia, playing in pool. These four teams go The ICC Playing Conditions for Christchurch through to the Plate Finals One-Day Internationals will Pakistan, England, Nepal, series. The minimum number of apply. The opening ceremony will Papua New Guinea, playing in games a team will play is six. To be held in Christchurch on 14 Christchurch win the World Cup final a team January and each side will play Australia, West Indies, will play eight matches. two warm-up practice against Scotland, Kenya, playing in The pool matches will be teams in other pools before the Dunedin played in Auckland, Move with the Times in 2002 competition starts in earnest with Christchurch and Dunedin. The the opening match between New Each team then plays the Plate Championship pool play Zealand and Sri Lanka on other three teams in the pool. will be in Auckland, and the For quick home delivery: Saturday, 19 January. World Cup The top two teams from each Super League pool play and the [email protected] Tournament Director, Tim pool move forward into the Super Finals series for both the World Murdoch, said planning was well League. The Super League is Cup and the Plate Champion- or in place for the event, which is contested by two pools of four ship will be played in call 543337 expected to bring around 300 teams each. At the end of Super Christchurch. players and officials, as well as www.nepalitimes.com hundreds of spectators and media representatives to New Zealand. SOCIETY 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES 171717 NEPALITERATURE by MANJUSHREE THAPA DOUBT AND THE DRIVE TO WRITE: Viplob Pratik ìIíve written something,î poet literature, William Carlos Williams has written: Never, in my life, have I slept a collected slumber Viplob Pratik said in one of our It is difficult Iíll fall into a collected sleep now, today first meetings, ìand I want you to to get the news from poems read them and tell me if they are yet men die miserably every day The next poem is angrier in tone, more defiant. Yet the poems.î This, from a man who for lack same careful word choice is in evidence, the same shift composes exquisite songs, who of what is found thereó from line to line, from one difficult emotion to another. has written poetry since he was a child. I tried to laugh off his It is a sign of hope that someone like Pratik who has written THE UNDEFEATED PERSON statement. But from his intent, from a young age should stop, investigate himself and his candid tone, it was clear that he poetry, and then begin again, in humility. Even after overcoming I stand alone in the field was serious. There was a time such rudimentary, existential doubt, however, a poet faces a life Locking house windows, all of you are shrieking in his life when he was writing full ofósmaller, but equally vitalóquestions about his craft and I like the act of viewing peopleís spectacles something almost every day, he his depth of vision. No matter how deep the drive to write, it must and I feel that people explained. But in the past few always battle doubt. To write, one must accept, even welcome are but a horde watching a spectacle

KUMAR ALE years, for reasons beyond his questions. One must learn to keep writing with doubt. Iím proudóI stand alone in the field own understanding, heíd been unable to write poems. ìNow How to write of sadness without bathos? How to speak I cryóI experience the suffering Iím starting again, but I donít know if what Iím writing qualifies eternal truths without generalisations? What kinds of line-by-line of wounds/assaults/and thoughts as poetry.î movements might make a poem fresh and unexpected? These but Iím proudóI stand alone in the field All writers and poets have, at one time or another, been are the craft and vision questions that face Pratik now, questions Iím eager to meet plagued by uncertainty about their enterprise. Doubt can be that he has answered with a quiet, restrained voice in the poem young men who brave storms debilitatingóit is at the root of that dreaded phenomenon, below: young women who brave attacks ìwriterís blockîóbut it can also be very productive, when met Iím eager to hold out a costly tray without fear. For, contrary to popular belief, a writer does not REPOSE decked with tears strung as finely as pearls simply dash off whatever comes to mind. A poet does not just I stand alone in the field emote. Creatingóin inspired flashes, or in drudgeryóis Never, in my life, have I slept a collected slumber The moon is alone/the sun is alone/the earth is alone merely half of what writers and poets do. The critical mind is Iíll fall into a collected sleep now I stand alone in the field equally engaged in the process of writing, and it is this mind Should anyone be bold enough to wake me that comments, sometimes honestly, and sometimes just Iíll sleep in such a wayóI am a mountain Interestingly, Pratikís book reviews and comments brutally, ìWhat a clichÈ,î ìHasnít all this been said before?î ìIs Jab me as much as you want, I wonít feel a tickle on literature show off a bristling, keenly critical mind. It thisóis anythingóreally worth writing about?î I am a rock is, without doubt, harder for those with high literary Why should I write? What is achieved by it? And what is Iíll shift if Iím movedóI wonít budge otherwise standards to write than it is for the street-side hack: for lost if I donít write? These are the questions that every writer or I am a boulder once you know what constitutes great poetry, you donít poet must grapple with as she develops her own voice and Even if assaulted I wonít make a response want to commit doggerel. It takes great courage to creates her own oeuvre. Even if one is to write, there are confront oneís fears, to answer oneís inner critic, to try surely more useful things to write than stories or poemsó I was the rains onceóyou wouldnít get drenched meeting oneís own high standards. It also takes drive, perhaps this is why Pratik keeps a day job as an editor. To I was the ocean onceóyou wouldnít swim in me the drive to live, fully, in art, the kind of drive expressed counter exactly this kind of scepticism about the worth of You wouldnít look at me when I once was a rainbow in Pratikís poetry.

RECOLLECTION by TRISHNA GURUNG The last journey Not forgetting this intensity of mind-numbing sorrow

OS would be a way of remaining faithful to my mother.

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ move away as the fire feeds greedily. an unattended pyre. purified by the fire as it burned A corpse lies abandoned nearby. The priests inform us that we through flesh and wood. He tucks Its small, twisted form is covered may leave. They will take care of it into his ash-streaked clothes, with a saffron sheet tattooed with what remains. fringe benefits for services rendered. gods’ names, sprinkled with We decline politely. We wish The impulse to shove him into vermilion and a few grains of rice. I to be here till the very end. We owe the river is almost overwhelming. temple. It seems beside the point to am told it was probably a pauper or it her, a last few hours to conclude We are told half-burned logs of explain we never converted back to a destitute from the old people’s a lifetime of love, companionship funeral pyres are fished out Buddhism. We are here because we shelter. We offer to pay for its and courage. I whisper my love and downstream and sold to vendors are here. Had there been a choice funeral rites, to scrape up some thanks to her. who roast meat and corn on them. eath lends razor sharpness to believing that it their dharma, duty, we would have cremated her in our dignity for the dead never accorded Tears are for later, away from It is macabre and repulsive. I am this moment. Life is reduced to send off the dead in an elaborate garden and floated her ashes in the to the living. this circus. I hold my grief within glad nothing is left. D to the aching undeniable funeral involving sandalwood logs, lily pond she had made. She belongs A fine mist drizzles the air. and contemplate a physical symbol It is cold and dark when we get reality of a waning day and half- masses of flowers, incense, enor- there, in the place she lived and Care is taken to see the pyres of my loss—scarring myself, shaving home. Unknown branches of the charred bodies on dying fires. mous quantities of ghiu and wood. loved. are not put out. my hair off, wearing black or family have spawned a host of I have fought to be here, to Before the ceremony begins It is time to begin. A bus disgorges a load of perhaps even killing myself. I never relatives. Funerals become family stand dry-eyed beside my father on there is a heated debate over Her astrological birth charts tourists on the other shore. Their want to forget this pain, this reunions. the silty banks of the Bagmati that whether father need shave his hair that plotted her life are torn and guide gives them the salient points intensity of mind-numbing sorrow. It We are ritually impure and runs by the cremation grounds of off or not. It is a mandatory sign of flung far out into the waters. The of Nepali religious customs in a is my way of remaining faithful to her. cannot enter the house. At the gates Pashupatinath. respect to do so at the funerals of priests ask us to place a gold nugget three-minute lecture and then It is unfortunate the human mind we are made to step over a small We are here to say our final brothers, uncles and fathers but is in her mouth. We do as we are told points them our way. They cross cannot choose what shall be remem- fire. Ganga water is sprinkled over goodbyes to the body that housed not entirely necessary, apparently, without asking. the bridge that separates the temple bered and what shall be relegated to us with tulsi branches. one loved so much. for a dead wife. My cousin accidentally bumps complex from the viewing gallery. the subterranean regions of our Father has to bathe with cold This woman is dead, she who It seems ironic that a scant my mother’s head while placing her Cameras are out and poised to cluttered unconscious. water and change his clothes was my mother and, in the final century ago it was thought entirely on the pyre. Irrationally, I worry capture the drama of burning fires Three hours and twenty outdoors. weeks of her debilitating illness, my appropriate for a wife to immolate that it hurt her. Thoughts skitter against the bleeding colours of minutes later it is finished. Forty- The luxury of my own bathroom child. Her body shrunk by death herself alive on her husband’s around, none daring to stand in the dusk. Flashes go off as they mill seven years of living reduced to a and hot water is allowed to me. and disease lies in its shroud. funeral pyre as an honourable sign spotlight of clarity. around clicking rapidly. These handful of grey ash. Water is I see myself alive and healthy Flowers from her garden surround of grief. Someone whispers to me that photos will make their way to poured over the stones. Steam rises under the cleansing stream of her face, her hair loose, eyes closed. The priests start intoning she is blessed among women for she Occidental suburbia where they in a hiss. The blackened water almost scalding water. I rinse my It is business as usual for several Sanskrit hymns that serve neither to died in the arms of her husband and will become souvenirs of their splashes into the already murky mother’s ashes out of my hair and priests scurrying around, energised comfort nor offer solace to us. he is here to see her off on her final holiday in the “exotic East”. river water. my body, ashes that cling to me in by the smell of lucre that surrounds People from our community have journey. It is difficult, so difficult, This is a funeral, not a photo A funeral priest gropes in the dark flakes and surround me in these ceremonies. Grief-stricken re-embraced Buddhism and they ask to watch father touch the flames of opportunity. Harsh words are ashes for something. He finds the the smell of wood smoke as if in a families are manipulated into us why we are here, at a Hindu the dagbati to her mouth. I need to exchanged and they move towards small nugget of gold that has been final embrace. 181818 CITY 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES ABOUT TOWN YAK YETI YAK by MIKU

EXHIBITION Bamiyan Buddha: Icon of Hope, Peace and Renewal Prints, installation, paint- ings, and video. Until 10 January 2002, Sidhhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal. A part of the proceeds from the sale of paintings go towards the renovation of the Bamiyan Buddha in Afghanistan. Textiles of Gujarat Until 12 January, Indigo Gallery, Naxal. 413580

EVENTSEVENTSEVENTS Talk and talkback with Samrat Upadhyay, author of award-winning Arresting God in Kathmandu. tea will be served. Lounge, GAA Building, Thamel, behind Hotel Malla. Godavari Alumni Association and Martin Chautari. 4PM, 4 January. BOOKWORM Nepali classical dance and folk music at Hotel Vajra. Dances of Hindu and Vuddhist gods Tuesdays and Fridays, 7Pm onwards, Scripture, Logic, Language: Essays on Dharmakîrti and his Tibetan Successors the Great Pagoda Hall. Ticket and tea Rs 400. Nepali folk tunes Tom JF Tillemans Wednesdays and Saturdays, 6.30PM onwards, hotel restaurant. Wisdom Publications, Somerville, USA, 1999 Rs 2,570 Hotel Vajra. 271545 th Contemporary Jazz dance classes by Meghna Thapa. At Dharmakîrti, a 7 century Indian Buddhist philosopher, explored the nature, limits and justification of Alliance Francaise Sundays and Tuesdays 4.30PM-6.30PM, rationality within the context of Buddhist religious and metaphysical concerns. Tillemans, a leading scholar 241163. At Banuís, Kamal Pokhari, Wednesdays 6.30PM-8PM, of Buddhism, sheds light on the interrelated topics of scripture, logic and language, and the theory of reference and problem of entailment as explored by Dharmakîrti and his Indian and Tibetan successors. Saturdays 1.30PM. 434024, 434830 Buddhist Peacework: Creating Cultures of Peace David W Chappell, MUSICMUSICMUSIC ed Wisdom Publications, Somerville, USA, 1999 Unplugged music Fridays and Saturdays through January. Everyday discounts Rs 1,165 with celebrity host Ashoke Rana. The Olive Garden, Radisson Hotel. 411818 This volume makes available for the first time in one place first-person statements of the ideas and works Live acoustic music Dinesh Rai every Friday at the Himalatte CafÈ. 6.30PM-9PM. of such eminent Buddhist leaders as the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Maha Ghosananda, AT 262526 Ariyaratne, Daisaku Ikeda, Shih Cheng-yen, Sulak Sivaraksa and Robert Aitken. A useful collection for Live music Tuesday and Friday nights at the 40,000 Ω ft Bar, Rum Doodle students of peace studies interested in questions of religion, moral behaviour, individual responsibility Restaurant. 414336 and spirituality. Parties over? Feeling Let down? Friday night party with live band, traditional Ultimate Healing: The Power of Compassion Lama Zopa Rinpoche sekuwa, bonfires. Rs 555 per head. Dwarikaís Hotel. 479488 Wisdom Publications, Somerville, USA, 2001 Rs 1,365 EATING OUT Beginning with stories of people who have recovered from disease through meditation, renowned Rox Restaurant and Bar and The CafÈ Traditional European cuisine from wood- meditation master Lama Zopo Rinpoche addresses the central role played by karma and the mental habit fired ovens in show kitchen at the Rox Restaurant. Live music, cocktails and snacks of “labelling” in causing illness and explains how meditation and other techniques for developing at the happening Rox Bar. Buffet and a la carte continental, Nepali and Indian food compassion and insight can eliminate the root cause of all disease. all day at The CafÈ. Hyatt Regency Kathmandu. 491234 Newari and Nepali lunch and dinner Krishnarpan speciality restaurant with six-to Imagining Tibet: Perceptions, Projections and Fantasies Thierry Dodin and Heinz Räther, eds 20-course dinners starting from $19. Lunch also available. Dwarikaís Hotel. 479488 Wisdom Publications, Somerville, USA, 2001 Le Cafe des trekkers Crepes of Brittany, raclette, cheese and meat fondue. 15 Rs 2,325 percent discount until 15 January 2002. Jyatha, opposite Blue Diamond Hotel. Backward shamanistic theocracy, exotic Shangri-La promising immortality, enlightened society ravaged 225777 by outside aggression. Where did such Western ideas of Tibet come from and why did they change? This volume traces the images in the writings of explorers and missionaries, the definitions used by Childrenís Saturday Games, prizes and food every Saturday, 12 noon onwards. Theosophists and scholars, and the contemporary views of political activists and Buddhist practitioners. Bakery CafÈ Baneswor and Teku. Spa and Swiss Food Spa Rejuvenation Cuisine Special brunch with use of Courtesy Mandala Book Point, Kantipath, 227711, [email protected] health club and swimming pool. Sundays, 11.30AMñ5PM. Rs 750. Daily dinner fondue, Rs 1,200 for two and raclettes, Rs 900 per head. Hotel Yak & Yeti, 248999. CLASSIFIED January at the Fun CafÈ Combo meals with

burgers, salads, fries, coke, pastry for Rs 350, Reflexology Technique of applying pressure to the ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ percent off-season discount. and aromatic teas from around. The Fun CafÈ, feet, reduces stress, promotes relaxation and good Radisson Hotel. 423888 health. [email protected] The Borderlands Resort For canyoning, rafting, Authentic Thai food Everyday at Yin Yang trekking at Tibet borders, Professional Develop- Restaurant. 425510 Stupa View and Restaurant & Terrace at ment Program, Leadership Courses and many SAARC Stressfree surroundings, Astounding Baudhanath Stupa. Well-appointed restaurant and more. 425836/425894. architecture, Royal suites and deluxe rooms, terraces with views of stupa and Himalayas. Interna- [email protected]. Cuisine fit for a king. Kathmanduís best-kept tional vegetarian specialties, pizza from clay oven, www.borderlandresorts.com. secret, Dwarikaís Hotel. 479488 ice cream, soft guitar tunes on Fridays, Saturdays, Far Pavilion Indian cuisine with Sapan Pariyar Sundays from 5PM on. Special events on full moon. K-Too! Beer and Steakhouse not the ìlongestî, and Suresh Manandhar. Everyday except Tues- Open daily 11AM-8.30PM. 480262. ìhighestî, ìfirstî or any other superlative. Just a relaxed, easy-going bar and restaurant with the day. 8PMñ11PM, The Everest Hotel Kodari Eco Resort Peace in natural surroundings, coldest beer and juiciest steaks this side of the Tukche Thakali Kitchen Buckwheat, barley, bean, and dried meat specialties. good views of Nepal/ Tibet border, jungle-covered moon. By the Kathmandu Guest House. 433043 Also brunch with porridge and pancakes, all raw material from Tukche village. mountains, Buddhist monasteries, ancient Shiva Darbar Marg 225890. cave. Hike to villages with various ethnic groups, HMB Mountain Biking Have your bike serviced or Barbecue lunch with complementary wine or beer for adults, soft drink for vantage points to Himalayas. Comfortable accom- repaired by HMBís Professional Mechanics at the children. Saturdays and Sundays at the Godavari Village Resort. 560675 modation, attached bath, balcony or terraces, good HMB Workshop. Riding gear, accessories and parts food, friendly service. 480262, [email protected] available. Second hand bikes bought/sold/hired. GETAWAYS New and reconditioned mountain bikes for sale. Fresh air and tranquility in Kathmandu Valley Stay at Triple A Organic Farm The way to Mexico is too far. Botega Restaurant Himalayan Mountain BikesóTours and Expedi- Guesthouse in Gamcha, south of Thimi. Rs. 1,500 per person per night, all-inclu- and Tequila Bar is near Thamel Chowk. 266433. 15 tions. 437437. sive. Email [email protected]. 631766 For insertions ring NT Marketing at 543333-36. TGIF Overnight packageócheck-in, scruptious sekuwa bbq, cocktail, Saturday brunch, massage, only $125 per couple. Dwarikaís Hotel 479488 For inclusion in the listing send information to [email protected] on FM 102.4 NEPALI WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL DSES-02-01-2002 0500 GMT Still waiting for westerlies, and it looks like this time there is a substantial one hovering just over the horizon. The wide Mon-Fri 0615-0645 BBC World Today front seen over Saudi Arabia is moving in an easterly direction and is expected to hit north India by Friday. Sat 0615-0645 BBC Science in Action Which means high probability for a cloudy SAARC Summit weekend with chances of snow flurries at higher altitudes Sun 0615-0645 BBC Agenda and drizzles in Kathmandu and the midhills. Western and Central tarai will continue to be under the spell of thick Daily 2045-2115 BBC g]kfnL ;]jf]] ground fogópart of the swathe that stretches right across the Indus-Ganga plains 9sse satellite pic taken on Wednes- Daily 2245-2300 BBC g]kfnL ;]jf]] day at noon). Morning temperature will hover around zero and even go down to minus one. KATHMANDU VALLEY Radio Sagarmatha Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue P.O. Box 6958, Bakhundole, Lalitpur, Nepal Tel: ++977-1-545680, 545681 Fax: ++ 977-1- 530227 E-mail: [email protected] /]l8of ] ;u/dfyf 20-01 20-00 19-01 19-02 18-02 www.radiosagarmatha.org LIFESTYLE 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES 191919 Hole in one The high-end golf tourism market could be

an easy sell for the Gokarna Golf Course. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

course, a round of golf could take the really come up but we still have a long entire morning. The start and end way to go, because there aren’t enough points of the game can be viewed from tournaments,” says the pro. “Golf isn’t the Club House, situated on a neat just about hitting the ball. There are plateau that overlooks the course. The mental challenges involved, and restaurant serves Thai, continental, and focused energy is required,” says Nepali cuisine, and has a well- Acharya, who, when he’s not on equipped pro shop and magazine Gokarna’s greens teaching beginners kiosk. the A-Z of teeing off, travels the

MIN BAJRACHARYA Often, Chand’s balls disappear professional circuit. into the thick undergrowth that circles A tourism venture of Prem the course but it doesn’t mar her Sachdev, a Singapore businessman, pleasure in the game. Sprawled over former captain of the Singapore Gold 140 acres of land within the royal Club House and single-digit handicap hunting grounds, the course boasts the player, the Gokarna Golf Course is only Bent Grass Greens in South Asia preparing for the launch in a couple of restaurant, and break into the high- to promote golf tourism and seems (imported from the US and grown in a weeks of 16 luxurious vacation club end golf tourism market. undeterred by the current slump in nursery on the grounds), making it rooms, serviced through the adjacent Membership to the Gokarna Golf arrivals. After all, last December 35 one of the highlights of the professional Hunter’s Lodger and Golf Club Club is pretty steep, at Rs 420,000 millionaires gathered to play golf in tour circuits in the region. Among the House. Nearby, on a large plateau at for a couple and their children under Gokarna for a day. Chand and his team competitions in the Gokarana Golf the end of a winding, climbing road 21 for 25 years, though there is a are betting that sort of thing can be Course have been the Famous Grouse through the forest, the 62-room special rate for senior citizens above done on a more regular basis. Trophy and the Surya Masters, and Malla-style Le Meridian Hotel 60—Rs 250,000 for 25 years. now the course is preparing to host the Complex is being constructed. The Annual membership is $1500. But, Green Fee annual New Year’s Cup on 12 first phase of the forest resort and spa, says Chand, this is not too high a Weekdays $40, weekends $50 January. that is slotted for completion next price. “The course boasts facilities and For Hire It isn’t only Kathmandu golfers in winter, hopes to attract golfers and an atmosphere the likes of which you Clubs $10, shoes $5 raptures, but even wealthy Japanese their spouses with a health club, pool, won’t get anywhere else in Caddy Fee $3 and European golf tourists. The David business centre, and speciality Kathmandu,” he says. Chand is eager www.gokarna.com

Kidd-designed course has placed Nepal ○○○○○○○○○ RAMYATA○○○○○○○ LIMBU Course is spectacularly well-appointed on the golfing map of the world. “We okarna - It’s 1PM. Do you and every part of the course and the get Japanese businessmen, Europeans, know where your golfers are? If club house is designed to be in perfect and many expats,” explains retired Vice G you’re in the Valley, chances harmony with these pristine and calm Admiral SK Chand who manages the are they are just trooping off the greens surroundings. course. The green is perfectly kept and in the dense, lush forests of the 470- “It’s a really relaxing course,” says the excess water that is drained out acre Gokarna Game Sanctuary, avid golfer Pushpa Chand. “There are forms canals surrounding the course discussing double and triple bogeys. It hardly any distractions, you just and fills up the artificial lakes that add is hard to imagine that a mere 10 km, concentrate on hitting your next ball.” to the serene atmosphere and challenge or 15 minutes, from the airport, lies Chand who plays golf more for the golfer’s stroke. one of Nepal’s sporting treasures. exercise than for competition enjoys “It’s cool here even in the summer, Designed by the renowned Gleneagles walking the only 18-hole, par-72 and sometimes you can spot deer and Golf Development, the Gokarna Golf course in the country. On the 8.5 km monkeys,” says Deepak Acharya, 26, one of Nepal’s few golf professionals. SAARC HAPPENINGS The course offers a driving range and pitching and putting greens, and for the newbie, golf lessons are available through professionals like Acharya. “The standard of golf in Nepal has

11th SAARC MEDIA INVASION: The SAARC summit is being accompanied by unprec- edented media attention. Journalists from across South Asia gather at the Soaltee Crown Plaza for the foreign ministers’ photo-op.

Rt. Honorable Rt. Honorable President Prime Minister M. Abdul Gayoom, Maldives Begum Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh Rt. Honorable President

Rt. Honorable Chairman General Parvez Musharraf, Pakistan Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, Bhutan

SAARC ATTACK: Billboards draped in SAARC slogans at Bagmati Bridge and racing against time to finish the Patan welcome gate, under construction for the past six months. Rt. Honorable President Rt. Honorable Prime Minister Rt. Honorable Prime Minister Chandrika Bandarnayake Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India Sher Bahadur Deuba, Nepal Kumaratunga, Sri Lanka

It is our honor and privilege to have you and your distinguished delegation.

May the serene and tranquil environment of Nagarkot lead to a conclusion that will bring everlasting Peace, Prosperity and Brotherhood among the seven nations !!

Yogendra Sakya and the entire staff members Club Himalaya Nagarkot Resort

ALL PICS: MIN BAJRACHARYA ALL Windy Hills, Nagarkot THEY’RE HERE: SAARC foreign ministers meet for a chat before their Tel: 680080, 680083

formal Council of Minister’s meeting on 2 January. E-mail: [email protected] www.nepalshotel.com Om ad 202020 4 - 10 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES Under My Hat NEPALI SOCIETY by Kunda Dixit Make love not war Only o it’s final: they are not going to shake hands in around his mid-section) and then comes the moment of Kathmandu this weekend. They’re going to kiss. truth when in all normal human societies a mouth-to- S After getting through the formalities of reviewing mouth resuscitation sequence would have been called for, skin decisions, endorsing agendas and forwarding the modalities but once again at that very instant, we are taken on a tour of the draft declaration, the two are going to smooch in of the world’s most wondrous waterfalls? How can we broad daylight at Nagarkot in full view of spy satellites. expect a tension-free subcontinent when we allow Where and when this intimate moment is going to Bollywood to indulge in such celluloid brinkmanship? take place is a closely guarded secret, mainly because If done often enough, life imitates art, and that is what deep kissing is still taboo on the Indian screen, and we don’t we are seeing now: an eruption of pent-up distress of a want the subcontinent to be scandal- people who have been let down once too ised by this public often by squeamish display of affection directors who on live television, refuse to cut to especially since the chase. The minorities may time has come be watching. It to stop just could be paying lip- potentially service to the destabilising. vital subject of Leaders lead on-screen by example, and kissing, and to he process of being chosen heart.î With an answer like that, ring to it. ìItís been very exciting executing a wet make love not war. to be Nepalís most high- Yash could easily bag beauty so far, and I think more people Brezhnev-Fidel type bear And I don’t mean T profile model is a bit like contests here and abroad. will notice me once the campaign hug-cum-kiss will need that light peck on the eye- getting a government scholarship. Yash will now replace Monica begins,î she says. ìI had not statesmanship, determination and, yes, even stamina. But brow, or a head-on collision that is averted at the very last You are among a shortlist of 200 Chand as Leverís main model for imagined all this when I had my for our sake and for the sake of future generations of South moment by the protagonist veering away from his beloved of the best and brightest, you have its beauty products. She is, ummm, picture taken for the application,î Asians yet unborn such a gesture may be exactly what we to redirect his amorous intent at a nearby pine to learn how to handle interviews. fairly confident she can juggle her adds Yash. need to lift the taboo on osculation in Bollywood once and cone. I mean spreading by word of mouth a major Yash, Nepal Leverís new Fair & studies and modelling. Yash is Thomson Nepal finished the for all. For too long, and in movie after movie, we have epidemic of tongue-lashing across the subcontinent Lovely model went through all that short for Yashawi Shah, and she is first commercial shoot at Changu waited in vain for the singing and chasing of saris in the at everyone’s earliest convenience, and preferably and was the chosen one. What she sure modelling will not detract her Narayan last week and was during the SAARC Summit. hadnít bargained for were tough from her ambition to become a directed by Latha Menon who has undergrowth to finally come to its logical conclusion as questions from inquisitive doctor. ìI have no firm plans to also done commercials for Fair & the hero and heroine duck behind a coniferous trunk, Kathmandu this weekend will be a love-fest like no journalists. continue modelling, but if there is Lovely in India. Towards the end but then the camera inexplicably pans away for a long other, it will take us back to the glory days of Khajuraho We tried to corner her and ask another good project maybe,î she of the chat, we asked Yash if she shot of the scenic Lauterbrunen Valley with Jungfrau in when the SAARC Region was the world’s Sex Superpower what she thought about the whole says coyly. had ever used Fair & Lovely, the the background. and a Tantric Hot Spot. No other region in world history concept of beauty and fairness. Yashawi used to be Rupa product she is going to be How many times has Pretty Zinta got drenched while knew as much about the birds and the bees as our region, Quick as a flash comes the reply: Laxmi Shah, a name picked by her modelling for. ìNever before, only cavorting in a sudden squall with a lover boy named not even the birds and the bees. Restoring this heritage and ìBeauty is only skin deep. Women grandfather, until her parents did a sometimes but I might now,î says Something Khan (the one who can’t seem to move tradition may be the only way to ensure lasting peace. All need not just be fair and lovely, name change some years ago. We the 17-year-old science student without looking like he is swinging an invisible hula-hoop together now, mwwwaaaaaahh! they must be beautiful from the must admit, Yashawi has a certain from Kuleshwor.

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