#25 12 - 18 January 2001 20 pages Rs 20

EXCLUSIVE Palace and Paramilitary WHICH YOUNG TURK? After five months of ping-pong, King Birendra has approved the ordinance for setting up a crack paramilitary force With a race for leadership coming up in to be deployed to tackle the Maoists. We hear it took over 20 meetings Pokhara, the Nepali Congress may finally between the Prime Minister and a hard- be evolving into a true political party. SUBHAS RAI to-convince king before all the questions were cleared. Even though BINOD BHATTARAI the floor. (Nominating the other half will there was no official word on the ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ still be the prerogative of the president). ordinance till Wednesday, we were told ndividually, the membership in the ruling The election of half the delegates is sure that only “formalities” remained. party reads like a political Nepali Who’s to transform the inner dynamics of the Nevertheless, there is word that some i Who. Among them are leaders who’ve ruling party. To begin with, the relative last minute changes have been made, what they are will be clear only when spent the best years of their lives in jail for strengths of the different factions and the sarkari Gazette is published next the sake of the people, technocrats with factional leaders will be cleared than in the week. The earlier draft was silent on unrivalled experience and specialisation, earlier situation where the party president arms procurement; the final version is grassroots workers risen up the ranks, and chose one and all. Also, it is not clear how said to define a procedure. The draft even Panchayat-era politicos made good. As the relationship between those who have had a clause allowing the armed police a party, however, the 50-year-old Nepali been nominated and others who have made to search any premises or vehicle if Congress is still struggling to emerge as an it on the strength of votes cast will evolve. they had reason to suspect wrongdoing. entity that is not constantly crippled by It is likely, however, that this first time We’re not sure if that has been retained power struggles at the top. election for CWC membership will point to or erased in the seesaw between Two weeks ago, the party, now headed the likely successor(s) after the Narayanhiti and Singha Darbar. for its 10th General Convention on 19-22 septuagenarian dons Koirala and Krishna January to be held in Pokhara, staged its Prasad Bhattarai retire. This would be Immobile? umpteenth drama. A recap: as Nepal was much better, and a more ‘democratic’ (77) and Koirala (78) recovering from the rampage over what was process, than having to choose successors cannot go on forever. The Supreme Court is not said by a young Indian actor, a Congress only from among those already anointed by Bhattarai, the now-you-see-him- hearing a case filed by faction—instead of rallying behind its the presiding don. now-you-don’t leader of the anti- has been no clear employees of Nepal government to restore calm—made a grab The Congress has always been a Koirala camp, is actually semi-retired. front-runner among the Telecommunication for power. By the end of the week the rebels president’s party. Delegates to the General Even Koirala has set a deadline for himself. ‘youthful’ wannabes. The Pokhara Corporation (NTC) seeking to bar were back licking their wounds and the NC Convention elected him, and he in turn “I will quit both positions within three convention may be regarded as the the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) from issuing a license government of Girija Prasad Koirala went nominated the entire CWC. years,” says the prime minister and party primaries for the leadership round among to a private mobile operator. The back to work, pretending nothing had A CWC appointment, meanwhile, has president in Himal Khabarpatrika’s this second employees are banking on provision happened. always been seen as the first step towards a forthcoming issue. “The younger generation rung, where Editorial p2 22.2.1 in the Telecom Act 1997, which All eyes are now on Pokhara, where ministership. All this may change after must be more patient.” the wheat will says no other licence will be granted for history of sorts is going to be made as Pokhara, making it possible to gauge a Laughably, that younger generation is be sifted from Pakauda Politics five years for operating the same delegates from all over gather. Whereas in leader’s popularity among the party rank itself in its mid- to late-fifties. But even the chaff. telecom service. On the other hand, the past the elected party president and file. then they quarrel like boys (and a girl— Among the top leaders in this the same law also states that a license nominated all the members to the NC’s For years a subject of ridicule for its there is Shailaja Acharya) over a new toy. In generation are Ram Chandra Poudel, Sher can be granted if “additional service” is Central Working Committee (CWC), this inability to hand over power to the second fact, Bhattarai and Koirala have borne the Bahadur Deuba and Shailaja Acharya. required. The Telecom Policy (1999) is time half the members will be elected from rung, the NC realises well that Bhattarai burden of leadership mainly because there clear on the government’s intention to WHICH YOUNG TURK?, p6ð have two mobile telecom service operators, one of them the NTC. “At exactly 24 minutes and 22 seconds past 2 o’clock in the Officials at NTA told us NTC was granted a “preferential” licence without afternoon, a great rumbling was heard deep in the earth and with having to go through the nine-month that began the earthquake of 2 Magh 1990 [15 January 1934]. Earthquake coming Because of the strange sound from down below, at first no one knew bidding process. They also argue NTC employees could have sued earlier if what was happening. Then the land moved like waves in the water. their intentions had been anything It seemed at first that the earthquake was moving east to west. Then other than to delay the arrival of the ground seemed to twist and turn, and buildings and monuments private-sector competition. Meanwhile, began to topple over Houses collapsed with sounds like cannon the NTC has suspended issue of new shots. The dust made everything dark Thousands were crushed to mobiles due to “congestion” of its death under the rubble; thousands others were injured; the soldiers network and plans to add capacity with parading in Tundikhel could not stand and crouched on the ground; another 10,000 lines within four a portion of the Tundikhel to the east ruptured and water erupted. months. The Corporation has also sought bids for setting up 50,000 Just then, Dharahaha and Ghantaghar both broke into pieces and mobiles to be distributed along the fell down like a sawed-down tree ” --From Nepalko Mahabhukampa highways from Kakkarvitta in the east to (1990 Saal) by Brahma Shumsher JB Rana, 1935. Pokhara in the country’s centre. One of the most visible legacies of the Great Quake of 1934 is today’s New Road. Seen in the picture taken from INSIDE Basantapur Darbar in 1936 is a section of the street that was widened while reconstruction was taking place. Rana Prime The gobar economy p4 Minister Juddha Shumsher named the road after himself and Flying trucks p9 had his statue installed at its western end. The big con p12

VVVVIP p20 IMAGES OF A CENTURY (See also: Waiting for the Big one, p 11,12) EASY TIMES It’s never been easier to subscribe to Nepali Times. Just dial this number 543337543337 and leave your address. You pay upon delivery of the first issue. 2EDITORIAL 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES

PAKAUDA POLITICS

Last Sunday, Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president, Girija Prasad Koirala, had his party MPs for high-tea. The same evening, Koirala’s competitor and leader- in-waiting Sher Bahadur Deuba invited his loyalists over for dinner. Apparently, ruling party faction-leaders seem to have come to the conclusion that the way to the hearts of parliamentarians is through their stomachs. No wonder, really, as their tribe can stomach almost anything. From chicken-legs to leg-pulling, anything goes. Everything seems fair game in the ruling party these days. Those who struggled for a multi-party system hadn’t quite bargained for this multiple party politics of non-stop partying. When the Nepali Congress parliamentary party enacted the farcical no-confidence motion last week against the leadership of Girija Prasad Koirala, the only ingredient missing was the five-star safe-house for captive MPs pioneered by Bam Dev Gautam in the bad old days of the hung parliament. Otherwise, it was a tiresome replay of the same uncertainty and instability even though we have a lower house where one single party—the Nepali

Congress—is in absolute majority. This time round, MPs only jumped the camp-fence OS instead of party fences. Some consolation. At a time when everyone is feeling the need for all political forces reaching a consensus over issues of common national interest, the petty infighting in the ruling STATE OF THE STATE by CK LAL party is not only distracting, but downright dangerous. Its tragic consequences were seen in the last week of December. When the capital was burning, one group of ruling party MPs was walking to the parliamentary party secretariat to register their no-confidence motion. The other group, presumably, was chalking out plans to counter this challenge to Koirala’s leadership. Deuba was baking his separate cake, Look back in sadness while Koirala-loyalists were trying to fry their own pakaudas. None were interested in the fire outside the kitchen that had started consuming the whole country. Prime Minister Koirala, or his challenger Deuba, do not seem to have realised that My storehouse having communal conflict, if not handled properly, will prove to be even more dangerous than the Burnt down Maoist insurgency. A hill-plains divide puts a question mark over the very survival of Nothing obscures the view Nepal as we know it. The ruling party does not seem to have realised that if there is no Of the bright moon -Masahide kitchen, they can’t cook their khichadi, neither together nor separately. One reason for the lack of cohesion in the ranks of the Nepali Congress could be its ideological confusion. The slogan of democracy, socialism and nationalism has own through history, Kathmandu characteristic display of Marx’s “rural have been misplaced. outlived its utility for the party of B.P. Koirala. Nepali Congress, as it stands today, is d evolved as an important entrepot idiocy”, Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Through its incendiary coverage, the neither democratic in its functioning nor socialistic by conviction. Its nationalism has for Tibeto-Gangetic commerce. For Comrade Prachanda allowed the press poured generous quantities of ghiu degenerated into Panchayat-style chauvinism. The party must find what it stands a trader, tolerance and humility come peasant’s pettiness and parochialism into the fire started by politicians, for. Only then will it be able to maintain its relevance. with the territory, which is why the prevail over the politics of social encouraging under-educated youth to On the surface of it, there seems almost nothing in common between faction- world over mercantile sophistication accommodation. How do they expect to wreak mayhem. It was the private sector leaders Sher Bahadur Deuba and, let’s say, Ram Chandra Poudel. Deuba swears by makes for an urbane and cultured take the whole nation ahead? media that disappointed most, for the the market, has his eyes on mega-dams and finds nothing wrong in associating citizenry. No wonder, even high-caste The very professionals and broadsheet dailies and FM stations fell himself with the likes of Khum Bahadur Khadka and Bijaya Gachhedar. Poudel, on Newars are generally bereft of what Prof ‘intellectuals’ who now piously join upon the post-Hrithik scenario like flies the other hand, still goes by Gandhi’s self-reliance, quotes Schumacher’s Small Is Dor Bahadur Bishta chose to call rallies and carry sombre banners calling upon a dung pile. Oliver Wendell Beautiful with stars in his eyes, and tries to maintain a safe distance between bahunistic bigotry. for social harmony remained firmly Holmes Jr of the US Supreme Court himself and Govinda Raj Joshi. The question then is: why are they together in the And this is why the old towns of indoors the whole week that the capital once wrote: “The most stringent same party? Bhattarai and Koirala aren’t for ever. It is these middle-aged youth Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur was taken over by the lumpen brigade. protection of free speech would not leaders who have to learn to chart their own different courses. Like-minded remained relatively calm during None, not even one to cite as an protect a man falsely shouting fire in a politicians will then get on board, and the country will have something to December-end display of mob fury in the exception, came out against the insane theatre and causing panic.” But that was choose from. Valley. If a Dhoti-clad Madhesi and a jingoism of the day. what the Kathmandu press did, and it We have said it before, and we say it once again, it is time for the Nepali wool-capped Pahadi could warm It turned out writers had not needs to be condemned for that. Congress to formally bifurcate instead of wasting all the political energy of the themselves from the same tyre-fire (see outgrown their Panchayat-infused knee- The editors shouted fire, all right. country in fighting each other in the same party. Will that happen any time soon? photograph in this column last week) it jerk hatred of India and Indians. The They gave prominence to a patent plant, Don’t bet on it, watch this space instead. To be continued, as usual. could happen only in Asan or wonder of it all was to see Kishor Nepal printed coloured reportage, and were Mangalbazar or Chyamasingh. and Khagendra Sangraula—two gifted unwilling to qualify the false Hrithik LONG MARCH TO NOWHERE Such a culture of accommodation is penmen of the right and left, quote with a simple ‘alleged’. By playing increasingly being challenged by the respectively—condoning the Hrithik- jingoistic songs non-stop, the fledgling The dawning of the hour of the Peace March (Revolutionary) bodes ill for the lazy venality of politicians, FM stations amongst our leaders and would-be leaders. The call of the hour is walk, walk, and the vacuity of the ratcheted up the then walk some more—for peace, which we won’t see in the near future, and intelligentsia, and the Khagendra Sangroula Kishore Nepal insane rage of the spouting messages of hope we are beginning not to believe in. Why does it take vulgarity of the media. goondas. As a something like the chaos with which we ushered in the new Gregorian millennium to Most of the members result, anyone bring our self-righteous many to their feet? And it could be argued that it’s fitting of today’s Nepali who ‘looked’ punishment that those who either fanned the flames, or did nothing to stop the power-elite have Indian was fair idiocy, should be made to inhale the dust and carbon monoxide. First we fiddle while brought the baggage of game. A dark- the Valley burns, then we go on padayatras weeping crocodile tears. As a species, biases from their rural hued fellow with stunning regularity, we seem to be prone to missing the forest for the trees. backgrounds. journalist, whose Sanity, change and good governance are a long way off, but not down this road. Our politicians surname itself is certainly share more of ‘Newar’, was the blame for the chased down the conflagration. Not one main thoroughfare of them stood up to by a mob that took RAVI MANANDHAR RAVI be counted when him for an Indian. adversity paid a call A Bahun milkman on Kathmandu society was nearly burnt on 27 December. The alive in Baneswar minister for ‘communications’ chose to bashing and its dark fallout. The for the same reason. follow street rumours and asked for an eminences were celebrating lawlessness The lesson to be learnt from the apology from a Hindi film actor! While and vandalism, no less. Mr Nepal saw in disaster of end-December is clear. Kathmandu burnt, Nepali Congress the mob violence “an awakening of Evidently, the foundation of Nepali Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel worn out after a peace rally. dissidents marched on Singha Darbar to national pride”, while Mr Sangraula nationalism is still shallow. Our much- register their lack of confidence in Girija saluted the vandals who set fire to a vaunted tolerance is fragile. The social Prasad Koirala. Comrade Madhav Kumar cinema hall as “flag-bearers of Nepali harmony of the surface is wafer-thin. Deep Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Pulchowk, Lalitpur Nepal did ask us to beware of those who pride and honour”. One was left down, we still harbour shards of hatred for Mailing address: GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal would fish in muddy waters, but what of wondering, looking at the pyrotechnics each other. If that is so, then it was Phones: (01) 543333-7 Fax: (01) 521013 his party’s student wing, which was of the (pahadi Bahun-dominated) perhaps to the good that the pus was Editor: Kunda Dixit actively involved in roiling the waters in national press, whether bahunism and allowed to flow. If we are indeed shaken out Desk editors: Deepak Thapa, Samuel Thomas, Anagha Neelakantan Editorial: [email protected] the first place? bigotry go together. The belief that of our complacency, then perhaps the scars on Marketing, circulation and subscriptions: [email protected] The self-proclaimed Maoists too Nepal’s media scene had advanced in the the psyche of Nepalis of Tarai-origin will have www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press (01) 521393 failed to rise to the occasion. In last decade of democracy turns out to been worth it. t VIEWPOINT 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES 3

COMMENT by PADMA JYOTI MIN BAJRACHARYA expression of a group’s opposition to epidemic of existing policy or certain state of unpredictable affairs, it is not a frivolous act and bandhs and cannot be taken lightly. It is the allow people to bandh organiser’s responsibility to plan their lives. andhs and general strikes are keep it peaceful, be in complete Or take the matter of forced the ultimate weapons of On bandhs control of the actions of its cadre on “chakka jams”. These are not an b citizens to express the streets, be accountable for the acceptable form of protest, and a dissatisfaction in a peaceful and damage to private and public government that cannot ensure the democratic way. They are protest property, and compensate wages and smooth flow of vehicles and public methods we use to boycott work, earnings lost. A few public interest transport probably isn’t serious march, make a speech or two and litigation cases will do wonders in about governing. Nobody has the shout slogans to express our hammering home the principle of right to block the freedom of displeasure, instead of breaking accountability, and sending a message movement of fellow citizens—even each other’s limbs or skulls. By to all political parties. in a democracy. The anarchy in our providing a peaceful outlet such as that, a society channels protests into civilised and non-violent forms. However, general strikes can be misused as they have often been in Nepal. After the spontaneous street protests during the 1990 People’s Movement, most general strikes here have since degenerated into coercion, intimidation and violence. Streets are deserted and shops down their shutters usually because MIN BAJRACHARYA of fear of retaliation than genuine support for the strike call. This is counter-productive even for strikers, because the entire protest exercise leaves the impression that MIN BAJRACHARYA it is not voluntary even when there Freedom does not mean the freedom to deprive the public Nepal’s parliamentary democracy highways when traffic is blocked for may be some genuine support for of its freedoms, including the freedom to disagree. currently provides enough political days because locals take the law

the cause. The organisers may claim space for everyone to be heard. There into their own hands after an ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ that a bandh is “successful” because ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ are alternatives to bandhs, and these accident only shows a breakdown in the streets were deserted, and the definition of a bandh: under police escort, and the main fear of a reprisal. Most citizens or should be explored since in most cases state authority and capability. government may say it was • it should be directed by legiti- organisers of the strike are generally students groups that perhaps should they will actually be more effective in Any government worth its salt “peaceful” because there were no mate demands; under custody or directing it from off be at the forefront of challenging the addressing the grievance. Some must develop an operating “untoward incidents”, but usually it • it should be voluntary; and the streets. If they get their demands bandh culture because it disrupts their suggested alternatives: procedure to handle bandhs. The is neither. Both are simply suffering • it should be peaceful. fulfilled they gain, though that has lives or affects their studies are either • Make full use of the media for police, crowd control, information from self-congratulatory illusions. A bandh cannot be a cheap almost never been the case. About all cowed down by the threat of public debate . handling, emergency services like Given a free choice Nepali people substitute for a programme of they get to do is create a public retaliatory violence, or are in some • Organise protest meetings and fire, and medical help—all need are smart enough to decide what action to achieve something. But nuisance to embarrass current rulers way allied to one or other of the rallies of party members. professionalism and training. they support and what they don’t. that is exactly what it has and massage their own egos. An myriad political parties. The time has • Ceremonially hand over protest Municipal ward representatives and Numerous surveys in media become—announce a bandh opposition which calls a bandh is only come, therefore, to adopt some basic notes and memoranda of officials should be included in these have now proven that most urban through a press statement and a returning the favour, because when it norms and guidelines for bandhs in grievances. efforts. In the end, the maturity of a Nepalis are fed up of bandhs, and three-wheeler going around town was in the opposition the present Nepal. • Hold press conferences, and issue nation and its leaders is shown by want to see an end to them. So, with a loudspeaker, and a government perhaps did the same Only the political entities and media statements. the form protests take in that why not declare a moratorium on conditioned public will comply by thing. This eternal tit-for-tat neither groups actually calling the bandhs • Wear black bands, wave banners, country and by the orderly process all bandhs for a year and see what staying off the streets because they proves the righteousness of a cause nor should be the ones to make the flags and placards. it has developed to address happens. Most people are going to don’t want their motorcycles does it imply the consent of the sacrifices and bear the self-inflicted • Initiate boycotts and similar grievances. When our political welcome it because it will mean smashed or their shops stoned. This people. It is a cynical use of a threat of pains for the cause they believe in — actions. leaders start behaving like industry, trade, education and violates the basic freedom of violence by politicians for whom the not the general public. If they are not Even if bandhs are forced on the anarchists, can you blame the normal life will not be periodically citizens and dilutes the importance end justifies the means. We have to prepared to make that sacrifice, then public, the following sectors should citizens for following in their disrupted. We have imported this of the issue because it is enforced by call a halt to the chain reaction of you can be sure that the cause is not not be affected: pharmacies, methods? A general strike is an form of protest from the north fear. bandhs and counter-bandhs and arrest worthwhile, and no one else should be hospitals, clinics, eating-places, extreme means of communicating Indian heartland and Bangladesh, Our country has ground to a the epidemic of forced strikes before it made to suffer. hotels, public and private transport, grievances. Unfortunately, it is which have become famous for their halt for 34 days in the past five tears the fabric of our economy The target of a bandh should be electricity, water, garbage often the voice of a loud minority violence-prone shutdowns. There years, with estimated cumulative beyond repair. the party in a position to do collection, communication and that purports to speak for the silent still haven’t been week-long hartals losses to the tune of Rs 1.3 billion. It has been argued that in a something about it, not innocent phone services. majority. here, but, with the two-day strike Who paid the price? Besides the democracy, people have a right to citizens, schools, colleges, trade and And if bandhs there must be, Nepal needs to tone down the last week, we seem to be getting country’s economy, manufacturing, protest. Fair enough. But, by the same industries. Everyone not responsible why not have them on Saturdays? decibel level of its protests so that there too. We have also imported a tourism, shops and businesses, it is token, in a democracy you cannot for redressing a grievance should be Seriously, this is not as crazy as it the saner voices of our usually silent political culture that equates a the ordinary citizen who faces coerce people to protest for you left out. Why hold the entire country sounds since it is traditional here majority are not drowned out in bandh with the exercise of immediate hardship. The sick and either. Bandh organisers argue that to ransom to further the aims of a to have auspicious days the din. t democratic rights, so it may not be emergency medical cases, students their cause is legitimate and that a political party? A right not to designated for every milestone in (Padma Jyoti is Chairman of Jyoti possible to do away with them who want to study, daily wage- general strike is the only way to put participate in a bandh is as important life. It may be a good use of a Group of Companies, former completely right away. But we can earners, the self-employed, small pressure on a ruling party to listen to as the right to, and that must be non-productive day to further a President of FNCCI and presently bring some order, accountability shopkeepers, and tourists all suffer. their demands. Again, that could be respected. Not everyone agrees with cause one believes in. This will Vice President of SAARC Chamber of and common sense to bandhs. First The affluent can get by. Top true if people closed their shops and every cause. also bring some order into the Commerce & Industry.) we have to be clear on the government officials travel around didn’t bring their vehicles out without A bandh is a very serious lives of Nepalis dislocated by the LETTERS YO NEPAL HO the late-December issues of Nepali accomplished; we covered Let me first congratulate you for Times and let them read for Southeast Asia from Australia, such a wonderful newspaper. I themselves. nationhood”, they will probably ask STILL NO MAIL North America from the USA, and have been reading every issue of Of course, they will find it funny yet another question—“Will the King You’ve got mail, maybe, and so Europe from Germany. I have the Nepali Times. And I had to as well as sad reading the Hrithik save our country?” They will also do I, sometimes. I am a already received notice from write to you after reading the last Roshan story. I know their exact figure out that Nepal has no planning foreigner living in Kathmandu people who received our newsletter issue (29 December 2000-4 whatsoever and the Melamchi for the past 15 months. I have in the USA and Europe, but am yet January 2001). project is a clear example of this sent and received many to hear from recipients in Nepal! Ke I work in the US as a chaos. And the editorial itself packages and letters to and garne, yo Nepal ho! transcript of his rantings, my molecular biologist. Every year I will give them a clear view of from the USA and Italy. Most of Paolo Bonetti try to come home and be with what is going on in this so- these parcels came and left Bishal Nagar perception changed. I found out that he is anti-Nepali and does my family and friends. And called peaceful Himalayan Nepal by hand carrier exactly not care about the country. He is when I get back to the States my kingdom. because of what you mentioned BAM DEV Nepali friends always ask me And there you have it, the in your article (#23). I am a regular reader of Nepali someone who is easily carried away by rumours. I don’t about Nepal—some of them whole past, present and future Last week the organisation I Times and want to congratulate understand how a person like him have not been back here for of Nepal in one single issue of work for sent out a newsletter with you for what you guys are doing over a decade. It is relatively Nepali Times. A newspaper a circulation of about 400 for the state of the free press. can say such things in the media and how he became the Secretary easy to give them parcels of reaction to this—“Are we stupid?” cannot get better than this. recipients, 385 of whom are In your last edition I read Bam General of a national party is still sukuti and chiura and tell them The article on “Journey to Hopefully, next year when I come outside of Nepal. We decided to Dev Gautam’s interview to the how their moms and dads are, but Maoland” will make them worry back, I will find such an issue take the time and bear the extra BBC. Now I realise why parties a mystery to me. Shame on being a Nepali like Bam Dev Gautam. I find it so hard to tell them about about the future of Nepal. Are we again. expense to find people split. It’s all because of Anup Shrestha the condition of Nepal. This year getting ourselves into a civil war? Dibesh Karmacharya travelling overseas to post it intellectually challenged people though I decided to take copies of After reading “Symbol of Nepali Princeton, USA from a foreign country. Mission like him. After reading the Kathmandu 4 NEPALI TIMES NATION The gobar economy12 - 18 JANUARY 2001

The biogas pit showing the brick lining and intake pipe. Construction process in building a Nepali design biogas plant in Lesotho. says power expert Bikash Pandey, director of the research organisation Winrock-REPSO Nepal. “We now know that forests can’t be saved with electricity, biogas is the only true alternative renewable energy source.” Besides saving firewood, biogas also helps forest regeneration by requiring livestock to be stall-fed, which means forests have a chance to regenerate because there are no free-ranging cattle to munch up the undergrowth. In fact, Nepal’s community forestry programme combined with the spread of biogas has been credited with a dramatic rise in forest cover in Nepal’s mid- hills over the past 20 years. The technical breakthrough that made this all possible was the design perfected by Nepali and Swiss engineers in 1978 of an underground digester capped with Don’t laugh. The future is in cow dung. Biogas is an airtight concrete dome. This simplified construction made it already producing as much power as a medium- cheaper and cut down maintenance drastically. Unlike

KUNDA DIXIT scale hydroelectric plant, and we haven’t even ○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○ plants several years ago, and has the Indian design at that time n a country where there is so now even surpassed China. And which consisted of a floating steel

little to cheer about, the more impressive is the finding begun to scratch the surface. drum, the Nepali concrete dome ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ienormous success of Nepal’s that as many as 98 percent of the ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ did not rust, didn’t need to be biogas programme has been a household gas plants constructed Surveys confirm that in some four years we have paid back biogas plant for a family of eight painted every year, and lasted shining beacon for development in the past 20 years are areas biogas has saved women the loan, and we save about Rs can be built for Rs 30,000 and almost indefinitely. Also, because projects here, and also serves as a functioning optimally—the figure three hours of hard work cooking, 1,000 every month in firewood will pay for itself within a year or of lower temperatures in the hills, model for other developing for China and India are only 60- cleaning and gathering firewood and kerosene. But more than two. The beauty of biogas is that the underground pit had countries. The accomplishment 70 percent. Still, Nepal has only every day. And even more that, it has given us pride and it has no moving parts. The cow advantages because it prevented has been possible because of a constructed 3.8 percent of the importantly, it has reduced the made us self-sufficient,” Sri dung goes into an airless pit, the temperature of the digester strong and sustained national estimated 1.3 million plants that incidence of acute respiratory Prasad tells visitors. bacteria already inside the cow’s from dipping too low. focus on this alternative energy are possible all over the country. infection among women and Nepal has one of the lowest stomach go to work breaking Amrit Bahadur Karki, a source, the development of a For Brinda Chaudhary of a children who would otherwise be per capita energy consumption down the waste into methane pioneer of biogas in Nepal simple and affordable design tiny hamlet in Rupandehi breathing smoke from wood fires in the world, and most of this is which is piped to the kitchen and summarises it all: “The success of suited to local conditions, and District, biogas has been the best indoors. met by burning agricultural lit just like any other gas stove. Nepal’s biogas programme was political commitment accompa- thing that ever happened to her On the outskirts of Bhaktapur, waste and firewood, known as And that is not all: one by- because we had a good design, a nied by donor support for a family. She likes to show visitors Sri Prasad Neupane serves piping biomass. Still, the country product of gas generation is the workable private sector system subsidy strategy efficiently her kitchen, where the clean, hot tea to visitors—and there are spends nearly 40 percent of its digested slurry that comes out of subsidised by donors and the implemented by the private odourless blue methane flame many these days: curious villagers, hard currency earnings to import the pit which is prime fertiliser government, and in addition there sector. from the fermenting gobar is people from other parts of Nepal petroleum products to meet that can sometimes double was effective quality control and Just look at the figures. There heating the evening meal. “Look, and even foreigners who want to mainly urban demand. Nepal is vegetable production. follow-up.” Today, there are are now nearly 80,000 biogas there is no smoke, it is easier to inspect his biogas plant. Neupane better known for its enormous “At a time when our nearly 40 private companies plants all over Nepal, and at clean the pots because they aren’t had no personal property, and hydropower potential, but electricity grid is having a hard which build biogas plants all over present growth rates this number black, we women in the family needed first to convince his father hydropower is capital intensive time meeting demand in remote the country. The procedure is is expected to reach 100,000 by don’t have to spend hours looking to sign off the family land as technology and the energy is too areas, here is an energy source very simple: the farmer applies for end-2003. Nepal overtook India for firewood. It has made our life collateral for the soft loan of Rs expensive to use for heating. On that is already generating the a loan, the paperwork is finished in the ratio of people per biogas much easier,” says Brinda. 14,000 to have the plant built. “In the other hand, a 10 cubic metre equivalent of 120 megawatts,” within a week after the collateral

HERE AND THERE by DANIEL LAK (Bio)Degraded in Bangkok few days in Bangkok and feeling very much the country cousin, I’ve it’s already so biodegraded Sometimes you have to go away to really

abeen marvelling at the various temptations presented by vast that tropical plants, burrowing appreciate what you’ve got at home. consumer choice. In the mega-malls of this mega-town, there’s much insects and questionable ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

to make the jaw drop open in amazement. For example, did you know that reptiles are thriving in the ○○○○○○○○○ the latest thing amongst the au fait of Krung Thep (what Thais and firangs countless cracks and crevasses huge premiums over what the village folk labouring in Colombo in the know call this place) is rough wooden furniture that was probably of the well-rotted wood. factories could ever hope to receive. rejected from the set of Little House on the Prairie. I mean it. Amidst the Another thing, Indian The food shops of this town are something to marvel at too. Here, designer toilet paper and French porcelain fountain pens that line the glass seems to be popular here in Asia’s other great nation that’s never, ever been colonised, the shelves at the Central department store on Ploenchit Road, you enter an too. This is an area where I supermarkets brim with Japan’s imperial cuisine. Apologies to Japanese earlier, cruder age in the home furnishings department. Looking for all the am somewhat of a self- friends, but I’ve never been able to see the point of eating raw fish, or world like bolted together log piles of sawmill offcuts and weather-beaten appointed expert. In various plain vegetables cut into shapes too lovely to chew. But the sushi picnic benches, you spot them at first because of the crowd of breathless exotic places and hellholes counters in Thailand are doing a roaring trade. Perhaps it tastes better Thai homemakers hovering around. that occupied my time, I on a splintery, log bench with rusty iron bolts to balance the seaweed Okay, it turns out that they’re actually there because a local have usually bought a few wraps. politician is making the rounds. He’s probably there thanking people pieces of the local glassware. Last stop, Asia Books, the country’s top chain. Oh dear. I didn’t for the result of last week’s general election, for booting out a perfectly A lot of that is Indian know Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum or Jeffrey Archer had such good government and installing what’s bound to be the sort of coalition glass—the same sort that the transcontinental appeal. And like Indians, the Thais seem to devour the that would make Israel look stable. He’s got a few goons with him, and Thais are buying. It has two worst sorts of western self-help and pop psychology—the kind photographers, hence the attention. But the ladies out for their Sunday attributes. It’s nice, and it’s disguised as the secrets of the world’s great managers. Given that those shop soon start running speculative fingers down bits of log, flaking off the cheap—made by Muslim artisans (and their children) in a town near managers seem to have managed to steer a booming global economy into an bark and getting impossibly painful splinters. Hey, the sales person assures Agra. But wait, how much are the good folk of Bangkok paying for this as yet inexplicable recession, the appeal of their thoughts on anything but them, it’s the latest thing. I personally watched two full living room suites stuff? Well, I bought my best pieces for around 10 cents each, but here rough-hewn furniture seems to be of little interest and even less validity. of this hideous muck get bought, despite those splinters and the clear the smoky amber vase or the artfully spiral-cracked bowl costs close to So after weeks abroad, it’s back to the real world of Kathmandu, discomfort of families trying out the couch—a steal at $400! The best thing 50 bucks! And then there are the Sri Lankan candles and high-end bandhs, Hrithik Roshan riots and all. Sometimes you have to go away to that can be said about this furniture is that it is truly biodegradable. In fact, handicrafts on sale from vendors’ carts everywhere, again commanding really appreciate what you’ve got at home. It’s good to be back. t NATION 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES 5

is valued and subsidies worked Gautam, an early promoter of Women have benefitted most from biogas. It has cut out. For a plant costing Rs appropriate energy: “Perhaps the down the time they used to spend gathering firewood,

30,000 the subsidy amounts to greatest change in the past 20 years cooking, and washing blackened pots. The smoke free Lauda, Lauda ○○○○○

Rs 12,000 in the remote moun- is that Nepalis have overcome their fire has also cut down the incidence of respiratory ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ tains, Rs 10,000 in the hills and traditional taboos against using infection from kitchen smoke. A month after Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation added Rs 7,000 in the tarai and urban human waste.” The latrine a Boeing 767 aircraft to its three-jet fleet, it seems areas. The technicians inspect the connection not only improved clueless as to how to use the new addition. The site and start digging the pit. The sanitary conditions within operation plan—or lack thereof—as witnessed on biogas company provides a three households, but also augmented gas Tuesday, 2 January is a case in point. Passengers year guarantee on the digester supply. Today, more than half of all bound for Osaka first boarded Royal Nepal’s own dome, inlet and other fittings and biogas plants in Nepal are hooked B757, and at around midnight were asked to deplane makes regular diagnostic visits to up to latrines. and board the B767 leased from Lauda Air. The flight see if everything is working fine. So Although technically there is eventually took off about three hours after its far there has been nearly 100 potential for 1.3 million plants, scheduled midnight takeoff. percent payback of all loans. Says most experts say it is realistically half RNAC sources say the problem resulted from the Karki: “The economics of it makes that number. Even so, at present controversial leasing decision, which has failed to so much sense that more and rates of growth, Nepal can probably address many issues related to day-to-day operation. farmers are showing an interest, and reach that target in 15 years. An As the story goes, the B767 reported technical there will be 25,000 new plants Alternative Energy Promotion problems after its morning flight in from New Delhi. built every year.” The Biogas Centre (AEPC) under the Ministry The Support Programme was launched of Science and Technology has been scheduled in 1992, and is supported by the set up to promote not just biogas, evening German Financial Cooperation but also wind energy and solar flight to (KfW) and the Dutch organisation, power. The cold winter months see Delhi was SNV-Nepal. The only future problem a drop in gas production in biogas then could be with sustainability as more plants, but it is possible to integrate passed on and more private companies join what solar heating of underground to a RNAC has come to be seen as a lucrative digesters and some organisations are B757. After business, and when the donors pull carrying out research to see if it is the aircraft out the subsidies. economically viable. For example, came in Twenty years ago when biogas with an additional Rs 40,000, a from Delhi plants started being built in Nepal, solar heater can bring the The mould for the concrete dome on top of the pit is nearly complete. in the the main rationale was that they temperature in the underground evening it would save forests. The focus has digesters to a constant 24 degrees and even lamps for biogas used for Banijya Bank and Nepal Bank have was assigned to fly to Osaka. Newspapers reported now shifted slightly: also being even in winter and increase gas lighting purposes are now been involved in channelling the that this flight to Japan even refuelled with stressed these days are the benefits production by 25 percent. manufactured locally. About 3,000 loans, and the private biogas passengers on board after pilots realised just before to agriculture of the nutrient-rich The boom in biogas has also people (engineers, masons, and companies do most of the takeoff that the aircraft did not have enough fuel. (This slurry, and the connection of family benefited ancillary industries: most others) are directly employed by paperwork for the client. could not be confirmed independently despite several latrines to the biogas digester. Says stoves are now manufactured locally, biogas companies. The Agriculture Nepal has seen the future and attempts). Lauda Air then reported it was ready to fly agricultural expert Krishna Murari the gas pipes, slurry mixing devices Development Bank, Rastriya it’s odourless. t and hence the switch. Pilots at RNAC say Lauda’s operations are co- ordinated from Vienna and the Corporation’s operations department has little or no control on the use of the aircraft. The technical snag may have been Immobilising the nation reported to Vienna and therefore taken a very long time to fix. That’s the straightforward explanation though: “When we have no control over operations, how can we use the plane to our benefit?” asks a In response to the government decision Royal Nepal pilot. to ban old and polluting vehicles, RNAC said it needed a wide-body jet to expand its transporters’ unions threaten to bring all flights but so far it has not added any new routes. Instead it has been using the B-767 in routes that public transport to a halt. were adequately covered by the corporation’s two B- taken because this is the only way we can improve the air quality,” says Govinda 757s and one leased B-757. The New Delhi connec- Raj Bhatta, Secretary of MoPE. Earlier when the government banned diesel- tion has been RNAC’s most profitable route but of powered three-wheelers from the streets, it offered the owners of those vehicles late—because of the post-hijack publicity and regular duty concessions of upto 99 percent on the import of new microbuses. This bad press in the Indian media—has not had enough time, though, the government says it has no plans to do the same, because the passengers even to fill up the smaller B-757s. owners have been given a year’s notice to make alternate arrangements. The Presently the leased Lauda aircraft is doing two government’s resolve to not provide import tax subsidy also has to do with the Osaka flights, one to Frankfurt and one to Singapore.

MIN BAJRACHARYA fact that this ban calls for a change in the entire transport sector of the country

ALOK TUMBAHANGPHEY and providing duty concessions on replacements will mean a heavy revenue loss. Where’s the LPG? ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○ his could turn out to be the mother of all strikes. Peeved by a Transport entrepreneurs say the ban would put thousands out of work and ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ government decision to throw out all ageing vehicles now used in create new problems for the government. They are convinced that pollution is First it was the price of kerosene, and now with t Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) becoming scarce, public transport, the Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs not caused just because their vehicles are old and poorly maintained but more (FNTE) says it is determined to do anything to stop the government from because of adulterated fuel and bad roads. “It’s a one sided decision,” Bishnu winter couldn’t be worse. The Nepal Oil Corporation having its way. Transport operators already have a three-pronged strategy Siwakoti, General Secretary of the FNTE remarked. “We suspect they are (NOC) has repeatedly said that supply has improved to oppose the government—stop paying taxes, submit memorandums, and trying to help manufacturers of new vehicles sell more cars.” Even environ- but there’s just no LPG at the distribution outlets. most importantly, bring all public transport to a halt. The deadline for the mentalists agree that a complete ban is not the best solution. “If the The NOC maintains it could be seasonal demand government to capitulate or have another crisis on their hands—15 January. government’s present policy of labelling offensive polluters with red and others and the increase in LPG-run vehicles that could have The transport operators mean business. “The government decision will take with green stickers can be strictly applied, and adulteration of fuel controlled, a skewed its assessments. “We’ve increased monthly away the livelihood of one million people. There is no way we are going to get lot of this pollution can be checked,“ says Ramesh Parajuli of Martin Chautari, imports to 3,500 tons since December. We think that our vehicles off the roads. If they don’t revoke the decision we will raise hell for the group that conducted research on pollution in the Valley a few months ago. should be enough to meet the demand,” says Madan them and ultimately either the government will go down or we’ll go down,” It isn’t difficult to understand why transport workers are ready to fight Raj Sharma, General Manager, NOC. “The scarcity is warns Bharat KC, who runs a goods carrier. tooth and nail to keep what they have, in many cases their only means of not due to any real shortage but related more to In a decision aimed mainly at cleaning up the air in the Kathmandu Valley, income. “Instead of just trying to throw us out the government should matching demand and supply.” the government announced last November that it would ban all vehicles concentrate on supplying unadulterated fuel, and providing us with a Businesses say the hike in kerosene prices late manufactured before 1980 from the streets starting mid November 2001. The maintenance subsidy,” says Tulsi Ram Maharjan, whose only source of income last year may have led to more people using LPG for same decision also aims to ban all petrol and gas powered three-wheelers with is the creaking Mercedes Benz minibus he bought in 1975. Said one bus cooking, one reason for the increased demand. two-stroke engines from all municipalities across the country by July 2001. Later driver: “You should watch government vehicles coughing when they climb the Besides, not just microbuses and three-wheelers but the Ministry of Population and Environment (MoPE) said that the ban would Pulchowk hillock. Our vehicles are better maintained because they’re our only even many taxis use subsidised cooking-gas as a not apply to privately-owned and operated vehicles that have crossed the age means to earn bread.” substitute for petrol. Part of the problem is poor LPG limit. The one group unaffected by the MoPE decision is electric vehicle storage capacity, which nationwide adds up to about The pollution and congestion caused by Kathmandu’s ageing vehicles is no operators. They say the government should press on with its decision and think 835 tons. secret. Research by an environment forum concluded that Kathmandu has at about subsidising the import of batteries. They also want MoPE to consider

least three times more suspended particulate matter in the air than the level replacing at least 25 percent of the old vehicles with battery-run three wheelers. Well done IOE ○○○○○ specified by the WHO. Most of it is due to two stroke engines like the ones The FNTE had planned a nation-wide shutdown for 2 January, but ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ used by Bajaj three-wheelers. But those competing for road space and fighting for postponed it due to the recent riots. Their sympathy for the ailing government Nepal’s Institute of Engineering figures among the their right to exhale also include buses left here by hippies in the 60s and 70s won’t last long if their means of living are taken away and they are not offered top ten engineering colleges in Asia, according to the after overland journeys, and those retired from long-distance “night bus” duties. better alternatives. If the decision is not revoked before15 January, or some sort Bangkok-based Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). It Smaller polluters include over 50,000 two wheelers, Japanese cars from the of compromise is not reached, we could be looking at another long month of was rated as the third best engineering school based 1970s, and hundreds of three wheelers that run on petrol. The most notorious strikes and shutdowns. on the performance of its Masters level students in polluters however are government vehicles and old buses. Combine all of these The government and the FNTE are now having discussions on how to find 2000. The Institute, established in 1972, has and you start to understand Kathmandu’s air. a mutually acceptable solution. But it’s hard to see how any solution can avoid produced 985 civil, 64 electrical, 61 electronic and 46 About 5000 vehicles in the public transport sector in Kathmandu alone, and one of two unpleasant things—polluting vehicles stay under a watered-down mechanical engineers, and 21 architects so far. another 55,000 across the entire nation including buses, minibuses, and tempos, version of the government’s decision, or the nation’s public transport system will be displaced by MoPE’s decision if it is implemented. “The decision was grinds to a complete halt. Any which way, Nepal stands to suffer. t 6NATION 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES MIN BAJRACHARYA ð from p1 For now, Deuba represents the centric vision, Poudel lacks the vortex of anti-Koirala sentiment, strong regional support which is WHICH YOUNG TURK? through his one-point agenda of Deuba’s trump card. By siding with forcing Koirala to relinquish one of Koirala since March 2000, however, his two responsibilities. Deuba’s Poudel has improved his chances. strengths are his support in the Far He can carry the delegates that West, his having been prime Koirala controls in Pokhara. minister once, and the fact that Besides, serving as home minister is Koirala castaways have coalesced said to be good for your political around him—the power brokers career. Khum Bahadur Khadka and Bijaya The other Congress-wallahs to Kumar Gachhedar in particular. watch in Pokhara are the party Disadvantage: affinity to Nepal’s general secretary Sushil Koirala and former ruling elite, including a Khum Bahadur Khadka. Of the clique within the Royal Palace. two, Sushil is said to have a firm Koirala’s maverick niece grip on the party machine, but he Shailaja Acharya began politics well prefers backroom manipulations to Khum Bahadur Khadka Sushil Koirala Ram Chandra Poudel before both Deuba and Poudel. taking the rostrum. Ditto for Without popular or regional Khadka, a one-time home minister second rung was never tested. In Ditto, of course, for Koirala and his with the sheep of east. support and having lost her who is now said to be Pokhara, even if partially, it will be. henchmen and women. And what of the slew of other parliamentary seat, Pokhara’s vote masterminding Deuba’s challenge. For Deuba, the upcoming There is no doubt that Deuba is tried and tested fifty somethings is her only chance of re-emerging in However the cookie may convention will hold a special the frontrunner in the race to who too are waiting in the wings— the race. Her well-known crumble, the Pokhara convention challenge. He has used opposition inherit the party, but now the rules from Ram Sharan Mahat, Chakra disadvantages: frank honesty and looks like it will mark the beginning to Koirala as a useful strategy to of engagement have changed and Prasad Bastola, Narendra Bikram unpredictability. of the end of the NC’s two-man establish himself as a strong the party election has given Nemwang, Tara Nath Ranabhat, The other underdog is Ram oligarchy—an incongruous situation challenger. He will now have to prove delegates the power to make or Chiranjibi Wagle, Prakash Koirala, Chandra Poudel, described as a that was maintained (with all its his ability to garner votes from NC break the leaders. An upset is Amod Upadhyaya, Govinda Raj hard if unimaginative worker. tantrums and unnatural patch-ups) representatives from all over, and not always possible, and the lion of the Joshi and so on. They, too, are all Known to have a limited, Tanahu- mainly because the strength of the just from his Far Western satrapy. far west may not be able to sleep ‘young’. Oh, well t Sailaja Acharya Dharan at 100 This village of settlers has grown to be a center of excellence in education and development. It now wants tourists.

DUMBARKRISHNA primary school, which was set up

SHRESTHA in a local teashop. By the early ○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○he accompanying photographs 1940s, Dharan had developed into are testimony to how rapidly a main gateway for people t a place can change in a short migrating from the eastern hills to span of only four decades. An the fertile tarai plains. Economic asphalt highway and concrete and commercial activities buildings have replaced the rural intensified, accompanied by a dirt road and the tin roofs of rapid increase in population. And yore. Only the small tin-roofed by 1944, with two weekly house seen in the right corner of markets on Fridays and the new picture remains Saturdays, the city had grown unchanged. into a centre of commerce for the Dharan, a city in east Nepal, is entire eastern tarai. celebrating its 100th year of During the 1950 revolution, establishment this year. It saw its Dharan was a hotbed of rising first residents around 1894. They political consciousness. Around the were settlers who lived in clusters same time, the city began to grow of small huts near the forests and into a center for art, literature and made a living by felling trees from education. The city has come a

what used to be thick forests of the long way since, especially in the BIREN SUBBA Char Koshe Jhadi. In fact the city field of education. It now has 20 got its name from the Nepali word secondary schools, 70 lower- for a platform on which wood is secondary schools and 60 public sawed, because these first settlers and private primary schools, in Main street of old Dharan Bazaar (left) taken circa 1960, and today’s bustling Bhanu Chowk (top) used the platforms to work the addition to seven colleges and one trees they chopped in the forest. medical college. decade ago. When Nepal was decade ago Dharan remains a Rana ruler Chandra Shumshere, The British set divided into 14 administrative beautiful and vibrant city. who announced the formal up a Gurkha zones and 75 districts in 1965, Dharan is about 350 meters settlement of Chandra Nagar recruitment Dharan was designated the zonal above sea level. The city, which (now called Purano Bazaar) in camp in Dharan headquarter of Koshi zone. spreads across 1,223-hectares, is 1901, is credited for the in the early Bijayapur, the capital of Kirati home to 125,000 people. Dharan, beginning of planned human Fifties, after kings on a hillock east of the city, where the flat plains start merging settlement in Dharan. which it grew was a planned settlement long into the hills, has a moderate It took another 37 years for into a hub before Dharan was established. climate with temperatures ranging the neighboring township to for the Likewise, the Bhatabhunge Rajako between 31 degrees Celsius emerge, which is part of present- entire Darbar, and the Buda Subba, during the summers and 14 day Dharan. In 1938, another Rana Eastern Dantakali and Pindeshwori temples degrees in winter. ruler Juddha Shumshere established Development all have histories dating back Dharan is already a leader in Juddha Nagar (now called Naya Region. Today, hundreds of years. The ancient city different arenas of development and Bazaar) and established the Juddha the BP Koirala Institute for of Bijayapur, Ghopa Camp (British planners now want it to also Nagar Aspatal (the now-closed Health Sciences, one of the leading Camp) and the Bajagara village become a center for tourism, and Dharan Hospital) to encourage teaching hospitals in all of South development committee in the excellence in health and education people from the eastern hills to Asia, uses the infrastructure left south, all come under Dharan’s in the next two decades. t migrate and settle there. After the behind by the British when the municipal boundaries. Even after

hospital came Dharan’s first DHARAN STUDIO PHOTO COLOROMA camp moved out of Dharan about a the devastating earthquake about a (Adapted from Himal Khabarpatrika) NATION 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES 7 Cancer refuge

public heath threat and the development of specialised health care

was slow. It was only in 1992 that the HEMLATA RAI BPKMCH was established in the central tarai city of Bharatpur in Chitwan with assistance from China. Four years later, it was declared Clockwise from left: The entrance autonomous under the BP Koirala to the BPKMCH; patient Cancer Hospital Act of 1996. undergoing counselling before being The hospital conducts activities admitted for treatment; and a to raise awareness among hospitalised cancer patient. communities at risk, and provides service for diagnosis and treatment. endoscopy procedures. In addition, a Out-patient services (OPD) began in total of 124 beds at the hospital are June 1999 and in-patient services with available for patients requiring short 25 beds from July that year. The and long term hospitalisation for medical team comprises Nepali, multi-modality therapy including HEMLATA RAI Chinese and Indian specialists. There radiation, chemotherapy or surgery. A are 30 doctors, 10 graduate nurses, 42 hospice situated within the hospital registered nurses and 12 premises provides domiciliary care to chemotherapy-trained nurses. On 36 terminally ill patients. and women are affected by cancer

HEMLATA RAI HEMLATA average it provides OPD services to “The government concentrated in Nepal. The highest percentage t is ironic. A smoke-belching The BP Koirala Cancer Hospital provides about 130 patients a day and only on communicable diseases all fall within the 50-69 age bracket Vikram tempo takes you to the BP undertakes 15 major and 10 minor these years. As a result public followed by people from the 30-49 iKoirala Memorial Cancer Hospital excellent treatment and spreads operations per week. Chemotherapy, awareness regarding cancer is low. age bracket. The Registry also (BPKMCH) in Bharatpur. Ironic, awareness to help prevent thousands of radiotherapy and simulation services Even medical professionals hardly revealed another curious fact—most

because it’s common knowledge that cancer deaths each year. are provided to 50 patients each day. consider the possibility of cancer in cases are reported from the Chhetri, ○○○○○○○○

toxic exhaust fumes can trigger fatal ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ In recent months the hospital has their patients. When they get here, in Newar and Bahun communities. lung cancer that the hospital identifies with cancers of the cervix, breast and caused by changes in lifestyle brought seen an increasing number of Indian many cases it is already too late,” said “These are preliminary findings, we as one of the top three killers among lungs as top killer cancers in Nepal. about so called modern living,” said patients from the states bordering Public Health Officer Kishor need further investigation and data cancers prevalent in Nepal. The irony Doctors believe that most of BPKMCH Public Health Officer Nepal. Cheaper services, subsidised Pradhanang who conducts an to establish the facts behind why is compounded when one also these deaths are preventable. Studies Bhola Chalise. A random survey medicines and a lower patient burden awareness programme for people these three communities have discovers that most deaths due to show that a third of cancers are conducted before the establishment of in the hospital draw them here. visiting BPKMCH and awareness higher cancer prevalence,” says Dr cancer are due to lack of awareness— preventable and another third are the hospital showed cancer prevalence “Treatment is almost 50 percent workshops for medical professionals Murari Man Shrestha, head of even among medical professionals. curable if detected early. Giving up in urban areas of Nepal at nearly five cheaper than in India, and one does at sub-health posts, health posts and Department of Cancer Prevention, Medical research indicates that smoking can prevent about 30 times that of rural areas. not have to wait,” said Gauri Shankar district health care units. The Control and Research at 90 percent of cancers are caused by percent of cases triggered by Approximately 25,000 new cases Ghusala, an oesophagus cancer outcome of a 1995 random survey BPKMCH. He says that lack of environmental factors, the rest are environmental factors, while another are detected annually, but oncologists patient from Sarlahi who was being conducted at six major hospitals in awareness among medical attributed to genetic factors. Nepal 35 percent require minimal changes in suspect an equal number of patients treated at a Patna hospital before the Kathmandu revealed that of 172,000 professionals and patients and the lacks a comprehensive study on cancer food habits, like avoiding fats and die without diagnosis and treatment. BP Koirala hospital was set up. The patients discharged, 5100 displayed consequent delay in availing prevalence, but it is emerging as one of smoked food. Other environmental Their concern needs to be taken hospital provides a whole range of symptoms of various cancers but had treatment is causing high cancer the leading non-communicable factors need changes at the policy seriously, since only about 20 percent radio-diagnosis services, pathology and not been referred to an oncologist by deaths in Nepal. “If the government diseases in Nepal—there are an level like limiting pesticide and of Nepalis have access to more radiation oncology services, including their doctors. had intensified cancer awareness estimated 35-40,000 cancer patients chemical fertiliser use in farming and specialised levels of medical help. CT scanning, mammography, general The Hospital Based Cancer programmes 20 years ago, we could in the country. Deaths are curbing air pollution. Until about a decade ago health and special X-ray, tumour markers, Registry started in 1995 reveals have prevented almost half of the approximated at 120 per 100,000, “Most preventable cancers are policies totally neglected cancer as a histopathology tests and a range of that a similar percentage of men cancer related deaths at present.” t

FEEDBACK by PETER KARTHAK The enigma of Naulakha Tara Udae

think the time has come for us to jazz and razzmatazz, have prevailed Darjeeling in 1960. The music was Through so-called intellectual processes, a pure ished the habit of continuing to go all along at the cost of minimising, unprecedented. Frankly, it was musical happening was distorted beyond all back into the politics of poetry, if not losing, the true musical heretic to us then. It was difficult the diplomacy of dialogue and the ramifications of it all. for us to fathom its pitches and civilised decency by uncalled-for interpretations. literature of lyric discovered by The poem is only a lonely scales, orchestration range, chord the ease of his own glottis, for his and the decision of recent clever critics in Naulakha Tara soliloquy, albeit a forceful one. This progression, harmony, and own individuality and comfort. employees and retirees in alien Udae. Its interpretations at all private, esoteric and iconoclastic arrangement. It was so Naulakha Tara is never about lands who decide to remain levels, mostly in India and Nepal, lamentation went public only later revolutionary and unfamiliar that its the so-called Nepali diaspora, where they were employed. have been cleverly manufactured by when defined by the arty as a sudden modernism was like a because there is no such thing even In Naulakha Tara, Agam all and sundry for many years. festering sore of a wounded lyric strange looming monster we had to faintly similar to the exodus of the Singh Giri simply identified Umpteen paeans have been written aired by the musical poetic justice grapple. Only continuous and Biblical Israelites, or the exile of the and described the existence to the Agam Singh Giri-Ambar of Ambar Gurung. Naulakha Tara is rigorous rehearsals brought us to Tibetans. The old migration of the of Nepalis in their foreign Gurung partnership of Naulakha much more than a mere cry-baby terms with the score of the song and Nepali hill and mountain people enclaves. There is no farfetched Tara Udae. The late Shanker literary piece. We need to look at Ambar’s singing of the lyric. We were was due to their own choice and notion of nationalism or sense of Nepal, that distant Lamichhane upped all ostentatious Ambar Gurung’s unique rendition, forced to familiarise ourselves with the the magnetising “lure of the south” being an outsider. Far more and forgotten land of yore and his academics by stamping it as “the his pioneering orchestration despite song and its musical dimensions from where they moved further importantly, since these Nepalis ancestors, but to the anachronistic right song penned by the right poet the availability of only obsolete through our own willing conscription down and then dispersed to the east had entertained no thought of ever seesaw and pendulous systems and composed and sung by the right instruments, the primitive to its notes, scales and major and and west, or opted for similar returning home, the poem provoked prevailing within his people’s own singer at the right time”. What right condition of monotrack recording minor chords springing with quick northern heights and altitudes of the powers that be in their host chosen and leavened spheres of time, when it provoked so many and a single microphone in the surprises. It was the first instance in the Muglan. A diaspora is a journey countries to amalgamate them into influence and existence. unnecessary and controversial studio, plus young Ambar’s own our musical memory when we had to that is ultimately a preparation for a the respective national mainstreams. These are the reasons why reactions and outbursts? Mere lack of experience in the become not only musicians but also return home. In this case, no long- The song sounds pithy and maudlin Naulakha Tara is a milestone in academic exercises pointing out phonogenic mechanisms of those technophiles. Nepali music went gone Nepali is expected to return to but the portrayal of the situations and Nepali and world music. The others political overtones distracted days. (All this, however, can be techno more than forty years ago. Nepal, whether from Fiji, Thailand, conditions are real enough not to be are effervescent, temporal and sincere searchers, and they missed improved in today’s digital world: Ambar Gurung never tires of Burma, Sikkim, Bhutan, Darjeeling, so simply taken as something chameleon-like interpretations the musical milestone of Ambar’s the song can be re-recorded as a telling me, “What’s all the big fuss Bhagsu or Dehradun. Anything like convoluted or vacuous. There is a nurtured by a fleeting fleet of Nepali creation. Through a so-called neo-choir in Kathmandu’s about the song? I merely composed a real Nepali diaspora began only raw, gritty world out there, carved and critics more prone to speculation than intellectual processes, a pure sophisticated studios with an it as [an] ekohoro and saral ‘geet’”. with the disillusioned departure of crafted by Nepalis for generations. understanding the solid truths behind musical happening was distorted amalgamated ensemble of Nepali True, he is right about the linear Bala Bhadra Kunwar and Amar Ambar Gurung understood this and the phenomenon of the poem-song. beyond all civilised decency by singers and musicians.) monotony of the tune and the Singh Thapa, a pattern that applied his musical talents to the The difference is in whether you uncalled-for interpretations and It was the avant-garde musical song’s simple staircase melody. This continues to this day with the poem’s literary dimensions. The choose to see it as a provocative poem inflated meanings that were challenges of Naulakha Tara that is because he crafted the melody for deliberate economic migration of music redefined and then conveyed penned by an angry Agam Singh Giri, ostensibly sought and found in it. awed us young disciples and his own convenience—he designed opportunistic and politically the message of the verse. Agam or a spontaneous song made immortal Such critique and its circus, fanciful musicians at his Art Academy of the singing segments of the song for frustrated Nepalis to foreign climes, Singh Giri’s message is not to by Ambar Gurung. t 8 NEPALI ECONOMY 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES

BIZ NEWS ECONOMIC SENSE by ARTHA BEED

Business is bad, and could become worse

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ The February 10 deadline labour unions have given government to resolve the service charge hotel workers are demanding expires in under a month. The threat of a strike Shareholding Nepali style looms large and comes at a time when the spring tourist season and bookings begin. But even this is no longer an issue, businesses say, given how the investment climate in Nepal has deteriorated over the past year. Where company business seems like fish-mongering. Last week (Trade in tatters, NT #24) we wrote about how bad things were—it could now be getting worse. Large multinational companies are getting increasingly edgy ast week the annual report of a meetings should get themselves named about doing business in Nepal, wondering if it’s worth their while at all. “Last week we l hotel company was circulated to its proxy for a shareholder and go to take had a meeting and they are very worried,” says Prabhakar Rana, chairman of the Soaltee shareholders. A small slip was part, or at least observe, the fun. The Group, which also runs Surya Tobacco. “That’s more worrying to us because they can attached to the report that stated that loudest din breaks out when the time afford to just pack up and go.” The Nepal operations of a company like Unilever—whose no gift, money or food would be comes to appoint auditors. The Act, Indian operations even account for only 2 percent of its global business—doesn’t mean provided to those attending the for reasons of its own, requires an much to the conglomerate. But businesses know that a company of that scale packing- annual general meeting. It really made auditor to be appointed and his up means irreparable losses for Nepal as a whole, and a dark shadow over business people think whether shareholders remuneration fixed at the shareholders prospects. have fallen so low as to deserve such a expenses for attending the meeting to meeting every year. Here you can see Just look at some of the problems they already face: The government is sitting on notice? free meals and even cash rewards. and indeed even participate in the over Rs400 million of money belonging to companies like Unilever. Worse still, it shows The Nepali corporate world was They feel that as owners they can honourable process whereby an no signs of being willing to pay it back. “At the very least, it could promise to pay back in really introduced to public demand and get what they want. A auditor is auctioned and bargained instalments. We know the government has used the money already,” a business source shareholders only after the group of such shareholders have over like a Dasain mountain goat. It is said. “Instead they refer us to one ministry or another and keep us going in circles.” establishment of the stock exchange. become a permanent feature at each miserable to watch members of a Now businesses say there are other issues the government must decide. Chief The then Company Act required at of these meetings and they raise issues respected profession being made among them is whether it wants a liberal business environment. It indicates nothing of least a quarter of the total number of that are most of the time either stupid laughing stocks just because of the sort, and is far from amending a number of regressive clauses in the Company and shareholders to be present at annual or nonsensical. The worst of course is antiquated laws. Labour laws. “Or the government should declare that we want to go back to agriculture general meetings making it practically that there have been violent incidents What is urgently needed is a and we’re prepared to pick up the spades and get to work,” says Rana. This middle-of- difficult for companies with a large in the past where people have been review of the legislation in order to the-road vacillation won’t get us anywhere, he adds. number of shareholders to get the manhandled. make it more pragmatic and suited to The coalition of 16 business and industry groups that came together to fend off the requisite quorum for the meetings. The main reason for all this chaos contemporary business mores. The unions’ threat to shut down hotels is particularly worried by the lack of governance, which With shareholders crossing the forty is that our Company Act takes people who hold a greater number of has become clear in recent weeks. The coalition has commissioned two studies, one to thousand mark in some companies, democracy too far. We believe that a shares should have their way and as look into the socio-economic impact of the 10 percent service tax demanded by the this provision became absurd. Though Nepali Company Act must have that long as legal conditions are complied worker’s unions, and another to unscramble the legal tangles governing business and the new Companies Act has made touch of socialism. We tend to forget with, minority shareholders should investment. The report is to be submitted to the government in the coming weeks. shareholder strength and presence the that companies are a capitalist really have no reason to complain. We Rajendra Khetan, the chair of the Employer’s Council at the Federation of Nepalese criteria for a quorum, it is still concept in the first place. The present need these changes quickly—there are Chambers of Commerce and Industry does not mince words: “The labour law needs to interesting to see minority Company Act requires that ‘public’ companies that want to share their be balanced, we want inclusion of the no work-no pay principle and the right to fire shareholders in action during these shareholders nominate directors from success with the public but fear that unproductive employees,” he says. Other worries: Nepal is perhaps the only country in meetings. their own shareholder group, and also dark day that they must suffer every the world that has close to 150 officially sanctioned non-working days. “Add to that the The last month and the coming auditors. Minority shareholders have year when company business starts to two-day weekends, and we end up having barely five months of workdays in the two months are when companies made this a major issue. They tend to seem like fish-mongering. Nepali Kathmandu Valley, but we’re required to pay 13-month salaries.” generally hold annual general forget that the directors seated at the shareholders, regardless of the size of meetings. It is very interesting to see dais very likely have enough voting their stake in a company, need to people with just ten shares occupy the power to see any of the resolutions graduate to being serious investors and

Readymade garments podium for hours, telling people who through anyway. These outdated and play a more positive role in making

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Nepal has a few years to go before the garment export quotas hold more than 90 percent shares impractical clauses in the Company companies efficient, transparent and to the United States expire and exporters could do better with what to do in order to make the Act give people enough reasons to profitable. t a better transportation infrastructure and without frequent company perform better. The wish list create pandemonium. general strikes. Garments exports in the rayon/cotton dress of these shareholders is never- People who’ve never had the Readers can post their views at [email protected] categories averaged only about 80 percent of the total quota ending—from gifts to transportation pleasure of witnessing one of these allocated to Nepal. Top sellers were men’s and ladies’ shirts and trousers, according to the Garment Association of Nepal. Canada is the next Grindlays Gazette biggest importer of Nepali readymade garments. CURRENCY UPDATE Last year, Nepal’s garment exports to the US totalled Rs 12 billion. It sold an INTEREST RATE UPDATE additional Rs 7 billion worth of garments to Canada. Nepal has also begun exporting NEPALI RUPEE CURRENT% PREVIOUS% AG/USD CURRENT * WK/AGO %CHG readymade garments to European Union markets. “We have just Call Money Avg. 5.10 5.20 OIL (Barrel) 27.95 26.80 + 4.29 four years to make the most of the quotas because they will go after the WTO takes effect,” an exporter says. “But in some 84 Days t/bill 5.04 5.06 GOLD(Ounce) 268.80 272.70 - 1.43 categories we’re barely exporting 50 percent of the volume 91 Days t/bill 5.24 5.26 GOLD ( NPR *) 7070 7160 - 1.26 allowed.” Nepal’s garment industry imports all raw 364 Days t/bill 5.53 4.87 EUR 0.9582 0.9422 + 1.70 materials, which make its exports more expensive than those from competing nations like Bangladesh, India and Repo. rate 5.74 5.76 GBP 1.5050 1.4930 + 0.80 Pakistan. The average rate of 91-day T/Bill plunged lower on aggre- JPY 116.28 114.35 + 1.69 ssive bidding by some banks. The market is liquid as most banks opt for investment in the primary market. CHF 1.5995 1.6105 - 0.68

Vandalism and arson in Birgunj The average rate is expected to remain under pressure AUD 0.5693 0.5592 + 1.81 ○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ next week as banks offload long dollar positions. The Two unidentified groups vandalised two factories in Birjung and set property worth expected range for next week - 5.15 to 5.25 %. INR 46.69 46.66 + 0.06 millions of rupees on fire. An armed group overpowered guards and set fire to a FOREIGN CURRENCY : Interest rates *Currency bid prices at 1.00 p.m. on 8/1 - Source Reuters storehouse belonging to Balaji Petrochem on Saturday night, and another group may have hurled what appears to be a petrol bomb at the premises of Jayswal Wood Industry. USD EUR GBP JPY CHF Oil: Oil prices have risen in the last week on expectations Balaji reported losses worth Rs 60 million and the Jayswal group said it lost Rs1.4 LENDING 9.50 6.50 6.00 1.50 5.38 that OPEC would cut output. OPEC members are said to be million in the fire. considering a 1.5 to 2.0 million barrel output cut when they LIBOR (1M) 5.93 4.76 5.86 0.66 3.39 meet in Vienna on 17 January. Currencies: The US dollar rallied last week when the Fed

Bonus Shares BANK RATES (DEPO/LENDING) Mkt Hi/Lo Mkt Avg announced a half percentage point cut in short term interest ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ rates aimed at shoring up the economy. Analysts say The Bank of Kathmandu (BoK) began distributing bonus shares to its shareholders, S/A NPR 6.25/3.0 5.15 markets are still mulling the longer-term impact of the taking its paid-up capital to Rs 240 million. A Nepal Rastra Bank directive requires all F/D 1 YR 7.25/5.5 6.63 surprise cut. The dollar had been languishing at six-month banks to have Rs 500 million as paid-up capital by the end of this fiscal year which ends lows against the euro. The yen hit a fresh 10-month low OVERDRAFT 14.0/11.0 12.67 against the euro and 17-month low against the dollar. Sterling mid-July. There is to be another rights issue after the necessary approval is obtained. A TERM LOAN 14.0/12.0 13.17 held at four-and-half month highs against the dollar over BoK press release says that until now it has generated Rs 5.45 billion in savings and concerns of a sharp economic slowdown in the US. invested Rs 3.80 billion. The bank also has branches in Nepalgunj, Butwal and Hetauda. IMPORT LN 11.0/9.00 11.88 INDIAN RUPEE OUTLOOK : The rupee ended firmer at 46.68 EXPORT LN 11.5/9.50 10.38 compared to last Friday’s close of 46.71 on dollar sales by foreign funds amid mild demand. Forward premium remained MISC LOAN 16.0/13.0 14.50 higher triggered by uncertainly over interest rate movements.

0.74 0.37 0.40 0.22 0.37 0.04 53.76 0.69 0.37 0.58 0.37 0.22 0.02 46.44 0.64 0.36 0.57 0.28 0.14 0.05 46.62 INTERNATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES FOR NEPALI TIMES 0.25 0.28 0.40 0.30 0.42 0.21 11.82 6 months 1 year 0.41 0.42 0.51 0.22 0.12 0.03 59.10 SAARC countries US$25 US$48 0.72 0.36 0.60 0.23 0.19 0.03 83.00 0.65 0.38 0.63 0.36 0.30 0.09 74.30 Other countries US$40 US$75 All prices are in US dollars, collected from informal sources, and are only indicative. [email protected] NEPALI ECONOMY 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES99 Here come the Flying Trucks

RAMYATA LIMBU ○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○ says the Civil Aviation Authority “One of our helicopters was shot at hurba Basnet thought he’d hasn’t been very forthcoming with in western Nepal. The bullet went die. Delirious with typhoid the specifics required for this sort of through the baggage compartment. dfever and too weak to walk, modification. Fortunately, no one was hurt.” the documentary film producer Till more formal certification The hills are alive with the thought he would never make it and evaluation, the Russian crafts sound of choppers and in many down from the remote mountain will continue to service the far-west ways—for cargo transport, rescue pass in Gorkha—a five-day walk sector, where desperate passengers operations and even tourism— from the nearest roadhead. Then he often engage in scuffles. “We’re that’s a good thing, but the heard the faint whirr of rotor wings, sometimes forced to carry more question now is what happens to the incredibly welcome sound of a people than there are seats,” says the porters, already among the most Bell Jet Ranger flying up the Buri pilot Tashi Sherpa. “Those who disadvantaged of hill communities. Gandaki Valley. Basnet spent a have to stand complain mildly. The A single trip with the Mi-17 filled week in hospital and a month Russians built a great craft. It’s a to capacity puts 500 porters out of recuperating at home. He says: “I pity they forgot to put in straps.” work for five days. Choppers are didn’t think I’d live. I owe my life Other companies, like Col important, but is the diverted to that helicopter.” Pun’s Karnali Air, used to fly the income finding its way into the The inaccessibility of Nepal’s far west, but have discontinued national economy or is it simply rugged mountainous terrain makes flights to Dolpo, Upper Gorkha paying for expensive foreign helicopters the ideal mode of and other areas affected by technicians, imported machinery transport, even though for decades Maoist activity. The fear of and fuel? t they were out of bounds for Maoist retaliation forced the everyone except the Army and the company to withdraw its support Clockwise from below: An Mi-17 royalty. Today, thanks to the 1990 to the police. “There have been belonging to the Royal Nepal Army, deregulation of the domestic airline Nepal is finally entering the Age of the Helicopter, and several incidents where a Karnali Airlines nine-seater industry, private helicopter helicopters have been hijacked Kawasaki BK-117, an Asian Airlines operators are issued licences, and it there is nothing to match the lifting capacity and and pilots threatened,” says Pun. Mi-17. has never been easier to hire a affordability of hardy Russian-built choppers.

helicopter in Nepal. Mountain ○○○○○○○○○○○ rescue (Nepal Army pilot, Captain ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ BN Sharma, holds the world record Sherpa, founder of Asian Airlines, altitude performance. This Flight Mechanics and Regulations for the highest ever landing by a headed for the former Soviet capability has proved valuable in (IFR), one of the most stringent helicopter when he rescued a Greek Union and in mountainous several rescue operations. Asian avionics evaluation bodies. trekker stranded at 22,000 feet on Kirghizstan managed to lease two Airlines MD and Mi-17 pilot Certification or not, most Khumbu’s Island Peak), sightseeing, Mi-17 copters along with a Tashi Sherpa recalls the rescue Russian whirlybirds have seen some cargo flights and even pilgrimages Russian crew. “Kazan, the and evacuation of 500 tourists modification in their role in Nepal. are now possible because of these Russian manufacturers, were keen from Phanga in the Everest area Firefighting Mi-8s have been used vertical takeoff and landing to test their craft in Nepal’s in November 1995, when for helitourism as well as lifting whirlybirds. terrain. They thought it would be unexpected snowstorms left work, for instance. Kazan MIN BAJRACHARYA The mountains and valleys of good for promotion,” says Tashi hundreds stranded in the Helicopters claim they can modify Nepal are abuzz with the sound Sherpa. mountains. In 1998, he was also even the Mi-8 and the Kamov Ka- of helicopters: the deep thuds of The Russian choppers were a engaged in rescue operations at 32 to suit passenger requirements in Russian built Mi-17s, the whine resounding success, and have Kangchendzonga Camp 1 at 5850 m. Nepal, but Asian Airlines’ Sherpa of French Ecureuils, and the since carried 200,000 passengers Nepal’s Mi-17 operators are distinctive double-tailed over more than 20,000 flight now trying to get permission to Kawasaki BK-117. While smaller hours in Nepal without a single operate passenger flights once again. choppers like the Kawasaki BK- accident. There are now six Mi- Passenger charter flights were 117 and the Ecureuil AS 350 offer 17s operational in Nepal, while a discontinued suddenly in 1998 after tourists a bird’s eye view of the few others are awaiting their it dawned on Nepal’s Civil Aviation Himalaya, it is the Mi-17, aptly mandatory $500,000 overhauls Authority that the Russian craft nicknamed the “flying truck”, having completd 1,500 flying were not certified to carry that has proved invaluable. The hours. The Royal Nepal Army passengers. An exception was made chopper can carry up to four tons operates one Mi-17 and is said to for remote areas in Rapti, Karnali of cargo and an additional 24 be so impressed with its perfor- and Bheri zones in western Nepal, people—about as much as a Tata mance and lift capacity that it is where road transport does not truck—and is the only feasible thinking of acquiring more. exist. Operators are permitted to way to transport food supplies The Russian machines are take in passengers on the way back and construction material to cheaper than European ones like from these areas once they have Nepal’s remote districts. the French Super Puma, which delivered cargo. “When we And to think these incredible carries half the weight of an Mi- operated passenger flights in the Shangri-La work machines arrived in Nepal 17 and costs five times more to Everest area before 1998, our almost only by chance. “We operate. An Mi-17 can be helicopters completed 700-800 actually applied for a licence to chartered for $2,200 per hour, flight hours in a year. Today, we operate fixed-wing craft. But while a four-hour sightseeing trip do 440-500 flight hours annually,” since three companies had already around Everest costs $3,000 in a says Phurba Tsering Sherpa, been granted permits, tourism five-seater AS 350 and $5,400 in General Manager of Asian minister Ram Hari Joshi a nine-seater BK-117. “Russian Airlines. suggested that we apply to helicopters are cheap, easy to They have reason to hope operate helicopters instead,” operate, and ideal for heavy-lift things will change. South African recalls Tashi Sherpa, Managing work,” says Nepal’s first and Canadian passenger transport- Director of Asian Airlines, the commercial helicopter pilot, Lt type certification have already given first Mi-17 helicopter operator in Col (retd) Narayan Singh Pun. Russian helicopters solid footholds Nepal. The range of the Russian in Europe and North America. In his hunt for the ideal choppers is impressive—the Mi- However, it is the certification helicopter for Nepal’s rugged 17 can fly up to 6,000m, and conforming to the US Federal needs, the late Dawa Norbu pilots swear by the craft’s high- Aviation Authority’s Federal Aviation Regulations that opens up a massive market for a helicopter manufacturer. A new variant in the Mi-8/ Mi- 17 series, the Mi-17KF has been manufactured jointly by the Kazan Helicopter Plant in Kazan, in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, and the more design-oriented Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant. Many consider the Mi-17KF, a mid-size multi-role helicopter, a good cross- over craft, suited for commercial as well as passenger transport. It is currently being evaluated for certification by the Institute for MIN BAJRACHARYA 10 FUTURE SHOCK NEPALI TIMES Waiting for the big12 - 18 JANUARYone 2001

DEEPAK THAPA MIN BAJRACHARYA

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ alking past the Bhaktapur Darbar Square, one wcomes across a tiny whitewashed shikhara-style temple, all out of proportion with its large, multi-tiered plinth. What could have happened? There did once stand a grand pagoda on the site, but it came crashing down in the Nabbay saal ko bhuichalo, or the Earthquake of ’90 (AD 1934). The shikhara was put up as a ‘tempo- rary’ home for the idol. Talk about earthquake, and conversation inevitably turns to the that can are also pretty regular in What worries seismologists is ALL MAPS COURTESY: NSET-NEPAL Nabbay saal ko bhuichalo. It has occurrence: M4-M5 - five per that the 700-km segment between become the yardstick against which month; M5-M6 - six per year; M6- Kathmandu and Dehradun all earthquakes, large and small, are M7 - one in six years. (The (including all of middle and west measured. There are still plenty of difference between each point on Nepal) seems not to have seen an witnesses around who can recount the Richter Scale is 30 fold.) M8+ earthquake for a long time. the horrors of that fateful day, and Earthquakes of M7-plus are rarer, There were big tremors in 1803 and every inner city family has a lore in but they do strike with geological 1833, but there were most likely in its memory chest. But there is regularity. the M7 range. Says Roger Bilham, nothing as meticulous as the There are two continental the University of Colorado description by Brahma Shumsher JB plates under Nepal’s northern geologist who first raised the Rana in his book Nepalko border, with the Indian plate from warning flag with an article in Mahabhukampa (1990 Saal), the south trying to burrow under Himal magazine in 1994, there published just a year after the the Asian or Tibetan plate to the could even be a potential of up to tragedy. (See excerpt, p1.) north. With the two plates forever 20 metres of slip ready to go off The five active faults in the Kathmandu Valley (left). Map on right shows the different intensities with which the 1934 The Nepal-Bihar Earthquake, earthquake hit the Valley . Intensity VIII: Damage to masonry structures. Heavy furniture moves or overturns. People frightened and pushing against each other, anytime between now and 2150. have difficulty standing. Intensity IX: Poorly built masonry structures collapse. All structures are damaged. General panic. Intensity X: as the 1934 event is officially something has to give and it does as Most well-built masonry and frame structures destroyed. People thrown to the ground. known, measured 8.4 on the a tectonic slip along faultlines—and Grim reaper Richter Scale. In Nepal alone, it we get an earthquake. (The 1994 Kathmandu Valley is at grave risk in of the residences is also much The likely aftermath would be where a majority of the new killed 8591 and damaged more than Seismic Hazard Mapping and Risk the event of a big earthquake higher. And so it is not surprising even deadlier. Around 60 percent of settlements are, such as along the 80,000 houses. The Valley was hit Assessment for Nepal found 92 such because of the population density of that the Kathmandu Valley the houses in the Valley (75 percent Bishnumati, Dhobi Khola and both its old and new Earthquake Management Action in Bhaktapur to the east) will be Bagmati. neighbourhoods. The epicentre of Plan, 1998, estimated that up to severely damaged. Many of the the 1934 earthquake was near 40,000 people could be killed houses will topple because of Fire Chainpur, around 200 km to the outright and close to 100,000 liquefaction, when the soil acquires Then there is the danger of fire, east of the Valley. But even back injured if a 1934-intensity earth- a liquid consistency. The effect of much more grievous than in 1934. then, when the Newar towns were a quake strikes Kathmandu—which it liquefaction is likely to be more Gas leaks will start conflagrations, fraction of today’s size, the will sooner or later. pronounced in the river valleys as will electrical sparks, and the devastation was more fierce in Kathmandu. That was mainly due to the relatively large population of the Valley, but equally so due to the sediment soil of the Valley’s former lake-bed that made the intensity of the earthquake greater. hard, with 4296 dead and 12,397 active faults in or near Nepal, and Within the Valley itself the silted houses totally destroyed. Among five of them within Kathmandu southern and eastern parts was the dead were two of King Valley alone.) According to experts, affected more than the north where Tribhuvan’s daughters and a the Indian plate is creeping the soil is more compact (see map, granddaughter of Rana Prime northwards at a speed of at least 2 above right). Minister Juddha Shumsher. cm per year, which means that The losses will be much greater every 200 years there is a 4-metre when the next earthquake hits. The Plus Eight Richter slip ready to happen. But if no population of the Valley was Earthquakes are natural phenomena major earthquake has happened for 300,000 in 1934; it is now 1.5 for the Himalaya, where tectonic 500 years the slip can be 10 metres, million. Simple extrapolation from plates twist and fold to push up the enough to trigger off an earthquake the proportion killed in then would mountain ranges. Records show of M8-plus. In the past hundred give us 20,000 Kathmandu residents that between 1994 and 1999, Nepal years or so, four M8-plus earth- killed were an M8+ quake to strike experienced an average of eight quakes have struck different today. But that would not be taking earthquakes every day of less than sections of the Himalaya (see map, into account the tall buildings that Magnitude 4 (M4) on the Richter above). A segment which has just have come up in every tole and Scale. These are slight tremors that suffered such a tremor is relatively bahal, with bad construction and cannot be felt by humans. The ones secure for centuries to come. poor materials. The occupancy rate What to do During an earthquake If you are inside: • Stand in a doorway, or crouch under a sturdy desk or table. • Get away from windows that could shatter. • If on the ground floor near an exit, leave the building quickly and calmly. • Never jump from windows. If you are outside: • Move away from power lines and buildings. • Move away from glass windows. • If the street is narrow and the buildings tall, stand in the doorway of a nearby building. • If driving, pull off the road and stop in a safe place. After an earthquake • Immediately after the shaking stops, leave the building. Be prepared to take cover in case of aftershocks. • Provide first aid if necessary. • Control fire. • Turn off gas and electricity mains. • Listen to the radio for reports and instructions. • Do not enter any building unless you are sure they are safe. • Do not use the telephone—leave it for emergency professionals. • Gather in an open space. (National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal) FUTURE SHOCK 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES11 greater use of synthetic materials International Airport is usable. they could also begin making their means fires will spread easily. There There will be shortages of food and own preparations. MIN BAJRACHARYA will be practically no way to control supplies, and warm clothing will be Far from being active, the the fires that have started. The at a premium if the earthquake hits government has over the years Valley’s fire brigades are hopelessly during mid-winter. chosen to sit on the one action that Building disaster unprepared to tackle any emergency The capacity of government could save thousands of lives—

situation. The three main cities hospitals in the Valley is 2,200 beds implementing a building code. A JITENDRA BOTHARA ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ have a total of seven fire tenders, (provided they all remain standing Building Act was passed in 1998, ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ and most of the water storage tanks after the quake). Another 3,500 of which would make it mandatory for All around us are examples of how exactly one they rely on are empty. There are the earthquake-injured could be new constructions to follow the should not build in a seismic zone. fire hydrants still standing in a accommodated in the corridors, but building code that has already been Studies shows that on a world average more than 75 percent casualties due to handful of areas of the cities, but that would still fall far short of the prepared. But a clause within it says earthquakes are because of building collapse. That figure could be as high as the mains do not have water in facilities needed. Even the unin- that the code will be enforced only 95 percent in the case of Nepal. The risk from earthquakes in Nepal, and in the them most of the time. Even if fire- jured would have difficulty finding after notification in the gazette. Kathmandu Valley in particular, has increased because of urbanisation and the fighting equipment were ready, the space to stay in. In 1934, a city of That has yet to be done. While the consequent rise in population density, unplanned development of new narrow streets of the inner cities tents went up at Tundikhel to question remains what good is a settlements, and settlement in high-risk areas. and new settlements will be quite shelter the homeless. Today, code if it cannot be implemented, Traditional masonry buildings are generally defective for a number of impassable due to fallen debris after Tundikhel is a fraction of its former in the absence of building codes and reasons: height (four- or five-storied buildings in mud mortar are common in the an earthquake. area, and there is hardly any open zoning laws, the unplanned growth valley core area), weak construction material (brick or stone in mud mortar), lack In the longer aftermath of the space left for the residents of the of Kathmandu continues unhin- of connection at wall junctions (making do with either a false joint or just a upcoming earthquake, large parts city centres of the Valley. Hundreds dered. There are death traps in vertical joint), and no connection between wall and floor and wall and roof. of the Valley would be without of thousands will be left without every neighbourhood. Since the 1960s modern materials (cement, reinforcing steel) began to be increasingly used in buildings but the inherent weakness of buildings remained pretty much the same. Besides the fact that construction water and power supply. Sixty shelter. “It will be very difficult,” In a report titled Kathmandu quality has gone down over time (such as no wetting of brick before laying in cement mortar, leaving joints of percent of the telephone lines admits Poudel. Valley’s Earthquake Scenario masonry units unpacked, no/very little curing of cement work), new building practices have also contributed to would be down. Hospitals would produced by the Kathmandu making buildings as prone to earthquake damage as traditional structures: irregular shape of houses, be unable to take care of a large What, building code? Valley Earthquake Risk increased heights of buildings and individual floors, wall-to-wall windows, and prominent use of cantilevers. portion of the injured. Most Government initiatives have so far Management Project the scene a Then there is the faith people have in the typical Nepali framed (pillar) buildings, believing they can likely, because of landslides on been restricted to creating year after a future earthquake is even pierce the sky with such buildings. Framed buildings are preferred in seismically active regions like the mountain highways, the awareness—such as the week-long envisaged: “The earthquake has Nepal because of their ductile (‘flexible’) behaviour and light weight. But the typical Nepali framed buildings Valley would be cut off from the programme to begin on 15 January, taught many lessons to the severely lack both strength (because of very small columns on disproportionately small foundations, very little plains. There is not much the which has been designated the residents and leaders of reinforcing steel, virtually no quality control, height irrespective of strength) and ductility (because of wrong government will be able to do: National Earthquake Day in Kathmandu Valley... Lessons on reinforcing steel placing, wrong ring shape, many there is a Central Disaster Relief memory of that tragic day in 1934. natural disasters and safety drills times undefined load path). Moreover, walls in frame Safe building structures are not anchored to the main frame and that Committee under the Home Together with organisations such as have been added to school makes them susceptible to collapse; walls above Minister that is to be activated in the National Society for Earth- curriculum. The army, police and General cantilevers are particularly dangerous. Such buildings · Make building shape as regular as possible, the event of an earthquake. But quake Technology-Nepal, other government and non- will not be able to tackle shaking and are expected to maintaining a vertical load path (i.e. walls that is the problem: the workshops are being organised at government groups are developing behave no better than masonry buildings, and in should always be on top of another wall) committee will be active only in different levels to educate people. plans to work together to respond many cases even worse. · Height should not be more than three times the the event of disaster, when the However, the sense of urgency efficiently the next time a disaster Earthquake-resistant construction is the only width. damage has been done. has yet to be transferred to public strikes...The city is being rebuilt solution against earthquake risks. Technology exists for · Avoid extended wings. “The main focus will be to save mind. in a much more earthquake- such construction. And it is not very expensive either, the ‘life-line’,” says Min Bahadur The least the government could resistant fashion.” since it involves an extra cost of 5-10 percent more if Masonry Buildings Poudel, chief of the Disaster Relief do is to make an assessment of The report is prescient. In all modern materials are used and up to 20 percent in the · Control number and size of openings. Section at the Home Ministry. existing government buildings (they likelihood, we will begin to take case of traditional materials. Existing buildings can Openings in opposite sides of wall should be also be ‘retrofitted’ against future earthquake risk, That will be difficult, with the same. could begin with hospitals) and real precautionary measures only although obviously this will cost more than Valley roads blocked, bridges down, begin strengthening (retro-fitting, as after The Big One arrives. As it · Wall junctions should be ‘stitched’ together. implementing seismic strengthening features during · Provide vertical steel bars from foundation to and highways unusable. Kathmandu it is called) them. That way the will. This year (or decade) or the construction. roof at wall junctions. will be forced to rely on airborne public would get a clear message next. t · DPC/sill/lintel bands needed on all walls. supplies. Provided, that is, the that the authorities are taking the (Jitendra Bothara is a structural engineer with the National · Connect wall and floor, wall and roof single runaway at the Tribhuvan earthquake threat seriously and (With reporting by Salil Subedi) Society for Earthquake Technology.) · Provide bracing to floors and roofs if made of timber/steel.

Reinforced concrete frame buildings · Make pillar stronger than beam (prevailing practice is contrary) by using more steel in

MIN BAJRACHARYA pillars than is generally used now and making JITENDRA BOTHARA them wider than beams. · Use rings of proper shape and at closer Two ways of spacing. retrofitting masonry · Overlapping of bars should not be less than 56 buildings: left, ‘splint and times the bar diameter. bandage’, and right, · Walls should be integrated with the frame. Frame buildings require very stringent quality ‘column beam’. control NEPALKO MAHABHUKAMPA NEPALKO IMAGES OF A CENTURY Clockwise from top left: Ghantaghar before the ‘34 earthquake, and after; the destruction in Patan Darbar Square; Dharahara before, and after; the Tundikhel tent city for the shelterless. 12 MULTIMEDIA 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES

hugely by investing in hi-tech stocks: secretaries turned into millionaires by the grace of Microsoft. The fantastic appreciation in Internet shares in The big con 1998 and 1999 was said to be a special sort of boom, only comprehen- sible to the unpretentious. While the As the US cuts interest rates in a bid to stave off old money looked at the numbers and sold short, We, the People, got it. recession, Thomas Frank explains how the “New None of it really worked out as

Economy” was always based on a dangerous myth promised. All the overheated talk

○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ about the infinite democracy of mere elections. They conferred Hispanics. A thousand populist cyberspace turned out to be concerted democratic legitimacy and looked out revolts shook the office blocks of the this was democratisation. 90s puffery of an industry whose real for the interests of the little guy. nation. Market populism could management gurus insisted their larger source of optimism was its discovery One reason market populism explain nearly any social phenomenon. project was liberation, “empowering” that it could palm off one overpriced prospered so fantastically in the 90s Asian “tiger economies” collapsed, the individual and striking blows flotation after another on the most was that it was an extremely useful market populists told us, because they against hierarchy. The problems of the credulous market in decades. As the doctrine. Business leaders melded had relied on the expertise of elites corporation weren’t its refusal to Nasdaq fell some 50 percent from its themselves with common people and rather than the infinite wisdom of the bargain with its workers collectively or high in March 2000, we learned the discovered powerful new weapons to people. Western European economies the massive disparities between bosses appalling price of Wall Street’s use against their traditional enemies in were stagnant because the arrogant and bossed. The real problems were phoney populism. But it may have government and organised labour. aristocrats who run them were moral ones: “elitism”, “arrogance”, been too late. In the political sphere, Since markets expressed popular will, clinging to welfare-state theories. “certainty.” And the solution was Wall Street was able to parlay what any criticism of business was “elitism”. More important, market embracing the Jacobin forces of the seemed to be overwhelming public According to market populism, elitists populism proved astonishingly market ever more closely and support into victory after victory over were not those who watch sporting versatile as a defence of any business throwing out such relics as loyalty and its traditional antagonists in govern- events from a private box, or fire half beset by critics in government, unions lifetime employment. Understood this ment. Antitrust enforcement was their workforce and ship the factory or the environmental movement. The way, entrepreneurs, by virtue of their allowed to go slack (Microsoft ewsweek magazine marked the privilege of old money and false south. Elitists were trade unionists Wall Street Journal editorial page close relationship to the market, were notwithstanding), the Glass-Steagall passing of the 20th century expertise, and waging relentless war on and Keynesians who believed society wheeled out market populism to the true bearers of populist humility banking act was repealed, and—glory nwith the hokey cultural the principle of hierarchy. From could be organised any way other than defend the advertising and auto and the true heroes of the common of glories—a Republican president populism Americans love. Staffer Deadheads to Nobel-laureate the market way. What the market did industries, to support demands that man. Bill Gates’s money is thought to was elected promising to “privatise” Kenneth Auchincloss looked back at economists, from palaeo-conservatives was the Will of the People, so any the software industry be permitted to endow him with the approval of the social security, to turn over to Wall the “people’s century” and opined to New Democrats, American leaders scheme to operate outside its auspices import more workers, to hail stock people, to establish him as vicar of the Street public funds that secure the that for once in human experience in the 90s came to believe that or control its ravages was the hubris of options as the people’s currency and, general will. nation’s retirement. “ordinary folks changed history”. He markets were a popular system, far false expertise. remarkably, to defend Microsoft from By insisting that bosses were the Nor was this confined to the US. singled out a succession of heroes: more democratic than (democratically This fantasy of the market as an its antitrust pursuers. Since a real commoners, that outsourcing was Wherever the “New Economy” suffragettes, feminists, anti-war and elected) governments. This is the anti-elitist machine made most sense company’s size (like a billionaire’s an act of humility, that downsizing touched its magic finger, the same civil rights movements, and, finally, central premise of what I call “market when it was couched in the language pile) was simply a reflection of the was an opportunity to pursue your perverse cultural logic appeared, “the entrepreneurs”, illustrated with a populism”: that in addition to being of social class. The scions of ancient people’s love, antitrust was fundamen- authenticity, that corporations recasting economic discussion along drawing of Bill Gates. The labour mediums of exchange, markets are banking families were supposedly tally illegitimate, a device used by because of their attunement to market these oddly inverted democratic lines. movement wasn’t mentioned at all. mediums of consent. With their being wiped out by the streetwise elitist politicians, “to promote the forces were bearers of a soulfulness In Britain it informs the work of Entrepreneurs in the 90s mechanisms of supply and demand, know-how of some kid with a goatee; interests of the few at the expense of that government and union could political theorists like Charles occupied the ideological space once poll and focus group, superstore and arrogant stockbrokers of old were the many”. Even after the Microsoft never touch, management theory Leadbeater whose 1999 “New filled by the noble sons of toil. In all internet, markets supposedly being humiliated by e-trade masses; verdict, the paper asserted the brought an unprecedented degree of Economy” book Living on Thin Air media businessmen sounded off expressed popular will more Wasps were getting their asses kicked company “should have argued that we workplace quiescence. Many of the asserts that democracy and the against the arrogance of elites, the articulately, meaningfully than did by the women, Asians, Africans, have a monopoly because our downsized agreed that what had dawning “knowledge economy” are customers want us to have one”. And happened to them was right, was somehow intrinsically linked, since the when Al Gore began his feeble attacks necessary and talked about their “New Economy” thrives on “a culture on big business, the paper suggested impending careers as “free agents”. of dissent, dispute, disrespect for Gore was “attacking you and me.” Even more tellingly, in a decade when authority, diversity and Market populism proved unemployment got as low as 4 percent experimentation”. He suggests that to particularly useful in the workplace. —making management vulnerable to fully swallow the ways of the “New Whether you toiled for a great demands for increased wages— Economy”, Britain had to adopt a American corporation, a zesty startup, unionising and strike activity remained new “narrative”, an “engaging and or on an assembly line, class power at their lowest since the 1920s. The compelling account of [the] future was lopsided as never before. US was able to endure the wrenching that captures the popular imagination, Management held all the cards, and upward redistribution of wealth in the and which people can buy into, CEOs could work their will without 90s with small, localised outbreaks of endorsing and enacting it in their much organised resistance. The social unrest. everyday lives.” And it was as a corporation “delayered”, throwing off Market populism did equally narrative of social legitimacy that entire levels of white-collar workers; it valuable service in the passionately, market populism proved most useful. “disaggregated”, ridding itself of its stridently optimistic rhetoric of the During the most lopsided prosperity extraneous operations; embraced rising stock market. The 90s saw Wall in our lifetimes, market populism told “flexibility”, replacing career Street’s “democratisation”. The great us all was well, that with the demise of employees with zero-benefits temps; it bull market of the 1990s was of the the welfare state and the crushing of “outsourced” every possible piece of people, a powerful tool for economic union power a newer, more extreme work to the lowest bidder; it “re- democracy, the final victory of the form of economic democracy was Pepsi ad engineered” its various processes in a common people over their former being born. Because our billionaires less labour-intensive way; it masters. It was said that the market were so cool, because our websites “disintermediated”, used new itself had worked these great changes were so very interactive, this was the technology to cut out middlemen and to humiliate the suits and enrich most democratic of all possible move some jobs to the lowest-paid proletarians. Sometimes it was worlds. t (Guardian) climes on earth. Unions shrank and, described as a demographic in the US, organised workers slipped phenomenon, a reflection of the vast This article is based on Thomas Frank’s below 10 percent of the private sector percentage of the nation’s population One Market Under God: Extreme Capitalism, Market Populism and the workforce. Meanwhile, in 1999, entrusting their savings to the market. End of Economic Democracy, Secker American corporate chiefs were paid, The common people, we were told, & Warburg, 2001, £17.99. Frank is editor on average, some 475 times what their understood this market. of the Baffler magazine blue-collar employees took home. In the late 90s we were deluged (www.thebaffler.com), a journal of Management literature claimed with tales of average people prospering cultural criticism.

NIIT

14 ASIA 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES

Powerless in India ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Japanese justice on trial ○○○○○○ NEW DELHI - When a massive power failure hit north India

DOUG STRUCK IN TOKYO picky about her workplace, he said, affecting over 200 million people last week, state-owned ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ he was a career woman by and had sex in abandoned buildings electricity utility managers rushed for help to a big power day, a respected economist in such as the one in which she was killed plant run by a leading global energy company. s But they backed off when the US- a big utility company. By and robbed of $357. night, a streetwalker driven by her Five days after, police arrested based Enron Corporation demanded own demons to methodically service Mainali who shared a nearby room three times the normal rate for supplying four customers each evening, offering with other Nepalis. They had no power from its Dabhol thermal plant in herself cheaply to foreign labourers in evidence to connect him directly but western India, to re-start the stalled the neighbourhood. said he had a key to the room where electricity stations. Electricity was finally He was an illegal immigrant from the murder occurred, that a condom sourced from the government’s own units Nepal, working in an Indian curry was found there with semen that to partially restore power to north India the shop to send money home to a wife matched his and that a hair found at next day, but losses of hundreds of and two children. On occasion, they the scene matched his DNA. millions of dollars were caused. met for a transaction that met their Mainali initially denied knowing This was perhaps biggest power mutual needs. But when Yasuko her, but eventually told police that he failure in the country so far, and has added urgency to the Watanabe was found strangled in a had the key because they had had sex demand that India’s inefficient state-controlled power utilities shabby vacant room in March 1997, previously, and that the condom was be privatised soon. But it has also shown the costs of rushing police arrested Govinda Prasad from an earlier visit. Prosecutors headlong into privatisation, say critics of Enron, which runs Mainali for the ‘office lady murder’. couldn’t prove when the condom was the world’s largest private power project in Maharashtra. Some say too quickly—the evidence used and admitted finding hairs from Enron was forced to renegotiate an earlier power sale seemed far from certain and he at least one other unidentified person deal with the state government, scrapped following a vehemently declared his innocence. near the body. They also could not sustained campaign by people’s groups and protests by The case became a major cause explain how a train pass belonging to opposition parties. But the new contract threatens to bankrupt for human rights groups after the her was later found in a the state’s electricity utility, Maharashtra State Electricity Board Tokyo District Court acquitted neighbourhood far from Mainali’s (MSEB), and the state exchequer itself. Under the 1995 deal, Mainali in April, holding that the haunts. “Because he first said he didn’t the MSEB can ask Enron to cut production only if it picks up circumstantial evidence was flimsy. know her, the police concluded the bill for capital costs and interest. It must pay Dabhol a But he was not released. Instead, he Mainali was a liar and made him a minimum of $220 million a year whether it needs the power was jailed to prevent his leaving the prime suspect,” Sano said. “They produced or not. The deal also passes on effects of currency country, an extraordinary act that would never do this to Japanese, or a devaluation and hikes in international petroleum prices to the legal critics say could not have Caucasian. There is an element of MSEB. Over the past year, both things happened, pushing the happened to a Japanese citizen. A Nepali man is sentenced for life in Tokyo amid racism against Nepalis because they cost of DPC power to two cents a unit, thrice the 1995 rate. Prosecutors appealed the acquittal, allegations of racism and a raging debate about are coloured.” Sano went to Nepal to Says Grish Sant, researcher of the people’s group Prayas: and on 22 December the Tokyo High the Japanese criminal justice system. interview workers who were deported “The project was negotiated in a non-transparent, non-

competitive manner and the MSEB highly inflated its power

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Court summarily reversed the verdict ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ from Japan after the inquiry. He said without explanation and sentenced “The criminal courts are Mainali’s supporters say police were they told him they were physically demand projections.” The MSEB’s hydro-electricity plants in him to life in prison. Mainali, 34, who comatose. They do what prosecutors under pressure to make an arrest abused, and threatened to give the state produce power at a third of what Dhabol charges. had cleared out his jail cell expecting tell them,” said Katsuhiko Tsukuda, because the victim’s unusual statements against Mainali. Sano But the state utility has been forced to back down production to leave for Nepal, was stunned. “I one of five lawyers who represented background attracted intense public asserts that one worker said Mainali and even shut down some of its units as a result of the Enron didn’t do it,” he cried. “God, help Mainali. Lawyers raised complaints interest. Watanabe, 39, had graduated was with him the night of the murder. deal, says Sant. MSEB tariffs are so high that many energy- me.” from the start, including a civil suit to near the top of her class in the tough Toyo Atsumi, a law professor at intensive industries in Maharashtra have switched to captive Mainali’s case has unleashed protest non-access to their client. economics school of Keio University Chuo University, said: “I think this power plants, causing a glut of expensive power in the state. criticism of the entire Japanese They won a rare judgement and a and had a promising career path as an decision is bad for the image of Japan’s Experts argue it would be far cheaper in the long run to criminal justice system. Defence $3,300 award against the government. economist at Tokyo Electric Power legal system. This case vacates the make state-run utilities more efficient than to bring in foreign lawyers note that over 99 percent of “Even though we don’t have faith in Co. But after work, she went to a whole protection against double investors who have little understanding of India’s power criminal cases brought to court result the judges, I was shocked by this [the sleazy district in Tokyo’s Shibuya jeopardy.” The Tokyo prosecutors’ system. Ashok Rao, a top executive at the Bharat Heavy in convictions, that judges ignore the verdict],” said Mainali’s attorney, Ward of “love hotels” and bars. Her office refused to discuss the case. Electrical Limited (BHEL), says affordable electricity has been presumption of innocence for the Hiroshi Kamiyama. The lawyers plan regular customers paid as much as Deputy chief prosecutor, Kunitaro recognised as a major ingredient in India’s food self- defendant that is part of Japanese to appeal to the Supreme Court, but $500, but she also serviced foreigners Saida, issued a statement that read: sufficiency because it is used to power irrigation pumps. criminal law. Furthermore, police say the system is stacked against them. who did construction work or menial “The verdict confirmed the State-run utilities have raised power production in India from operate with few safeguards against “Defendants have to be acquitted in jobs, often illegally. She charged them assertion of the prosecutor and 1,362 MW 50 years ago to some 86,000 MW today. Rao abuse—physical and mental pressure lower court, then in the appeals court, as little as $30 according to Shinichi had fully clarified the truth of the blames pro-liberalisation policies followed by successive to confess are routine and poor and then acquitted in the Supreme Sano, an author who says he case. We regard this as a fully governments in the last decade for starving the government t suspects often do not get a lawyer Court before they are freed,” conducted hundreds of interviews for justified and appropriate power utilities of funds. (IPS) until they get to court. Kamiyama said. a book about the murder. She wasn’t verdict.’’ t (Washington Post) Thai “Genghis Khan”

BANGKOK - Thaksin Shinawatra, administering the country. People naïve because he talked on all mesmerised by his vision and Thailand’s next Prime Minister and close to Thaksin say he has a good eye subjects, including those about which business success, seeing him as a reputed to be one of its richest, once for recognising who is suitable for he knew little. But he’s a fast learner sort of Thai Bill Gates. They’re likened himself to Genghis Khan, the what job. He delegates well, but still and now talks more cautiously, now waiting to see how he handles Mongol leader who conquered China. doesn’t easily trust people. and has though he still pushes issues he is coalition politics. Between 1987 “I’m the Genghis Khan type of become sensitive and reacted passionate about. and 1994, 51 year-old Thaksin manager,” Thaksin reportedly told excessively to perceived criticism Many of these leadership qualities built Shin Corps, now the country’s Asian Business Magazine during an lately, because of anxiety over the are undermined by his tendency to leading telecommunications group. interview in 1995. election. think that money solves all problems, The swiftly constructed empire has “When you start a company, you His wife Pojamarn looks after and his occasional inability to control reportedly made him the country’s What kind of prime minister will need someone to propel it, to set a Shin Corps and Thaksin’s finances, his temper. These two aspects and the richest man, with a family fortune vision and force everyone to work like and she, more than anyone, has always National Counter Corruption estimated at Bt60 billion ($1.4 Thaksin Shinawatra be? barbarians. But after a certain point trusted Thaksin’s business instincts, Commission’s indictment of him billion). In 1994, leaving his businesses 2,000 wheel clamps for illegally you need a builder, who must be and has been supportive, though she reflect badly on him. Foreign Not bad for a civil servant who operations to professional “builder” parked cars. professional, so they don’t need initially opposed his political institutional investors and the foreign started out as a police lieutenant types, Thaksin jumped into the Six months later Bangkok’s someone like me anymore, who might ambitions. His other close confidantes press have expressed strong colonel in 1973. Thaksin, who dynamic world of national politics. traffic was as bad as ever. It took push too hard,” he explained. include the secretary-general of the reservations about Thaksin. The earned a doctorate in criminal Under the Palang Dharma party he the country’s economic collapse in The statement fits the man who must Thai Rak Thai Party, a key economic foreign community is sceptical about justice at Sam Houston State became foreign minister between 1997 to really improve the always have his way, is impatient and adviser, and an ex-Finance Minster Thai Rak Thai’s policies, which University in the United States, left November 1994 and February situation, because people couldn’t has the utmost confidence in himself. and former president of the Thai amount to a populist spending spree. the police force in 1987 to become 1995, and thereafter led the now- afford to drive their cars. In late These are some of the qualities of the Military Bank. For the sake of stability, an immediate an IBM distributor, mainly targeted virtually-defunct party. In July 1997 Thaksin was called in to act Prime Minister-elect, who received Politics wasn’t his first love, but challenge for Thaksin, even before he government offices and state 1995, Thaksin became deputy as deputy Prime Minister again, this overwhelming voter support with his his business empire was built on it. He takes office, will be to win back the enterprises. His big business break Prime Minister in the government time by the then Prime Minister pledge to move the country forward. entered politics because “spending in confidence of the foreign community. came shortly thereafter, when he of Banharn Silapa-archa on the Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. The job But many warn that he can’t run the setting up my own party would be He and Thai Rak Thai have a group won the first government campaign boast that he’d solve lasted three months, until Chavalit country the same way he has managed better than to give money to the of foreigners advising them on political concession to set up a pager service Bangkok’s traffic nightmare in six was forced to resign in November, his Shin Corps business empire, for it political parties.” Thaksin is never and public relations strategies. and mobile phone network for months. He threw money at it, by paving the way for a takeover by the is “an entirely different ballgame”. afraid of making decisions, although But among Thais there’s a strong Bangkok. He later won a offering traffic police special Democrat Party, the leading party But many of his other CEO caution is not one of his strong points. belief that he should be given a chance concession to operate the country’s bonuses for keeping their sections of the incumbent government qualities will prove useful in In the past, he was seen as politically to lead the country. Many are sole satellite system. unclogged and providing them with coalition. t (The Nation) FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES 15 Bandhs and participate in great numbers philosophy. This is a and with much enthusiasm. personal and opportunistic Can a Nepali live in Nepal or not? the Nine Left The bandhs of 1980 played an battle, one that is being Front page editorial by Shree Acharya (who has since been replaced) in Spacetime Dainik, 2 January. CPN(UML)○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ spokesman important part in that process fought for power and Pradip Nepal, in Nepal and their role was appreciated. position. Therefore we do “Mr Jamim Shah Samacharpatra, 5 January After the restoration of not attach much major Managing Director democracy, bandhs started to importance to it. From Space Time Dainik Three kinds of people play many roles but not one whatever we know, we can Panipokhari, Lazimpat, Kathmandu really benefitted from the has been used to bring conclude that the Bhattarai- This is to inform you that we have some questions to ask you, so please contact this recent bandhs—the bandh democracy. Therefore bandhs Deuba camp is the forward- office at 10 am on 1 January 2001.” This was the signed notice sent to our office on 31 organisers, government called after 1990 have not looking and progressive December by the Assistant Chief District Officer of Kathmandu, Ek Mani Nepal. It was a employees, and black been that effective or bloody. camp, while the Koirala camp holiday, and we received this letter on the same day at about 4 pm in the evening. As soon marketeers out to make a Calling bandhs on the smallest is more conservative. as I received that letter, I rang up the CDO’s office and spoke to the Assistant CDO and profit. The organisers rested pretext has proved to be If you want to fulfil your informed him that our managing director was not present in the office. Since that day was Jamim Shah counterproductive, and they objectives, you must have the last day of Eid, he must be busy meeting his relatives and friends. “If the managing seem to have lost their some new and forward- director cannot be reached today, should I come or is it possible that he, the MD, present himself sometime tomorrow meaning. looking philosophy. For this, or the day after tomorrow?” I asked. Those in the Nine Left you must move away from “You should not come, it won’t help. He himself must come, tomorrow at 10 am. Please inform him about it will now have to analyse their the feudal, class-ridden, and anyhow,” was the answer I got. Therefore the next day, our MD, our lawyer, Hari Neupane, and I went to the CDO mode of functioning. It seems the commission-eating office. Nepal was not in his office at that time. Neither was CDO Tulsi Bhattarai. After some time Nepal came. Around that their programmes are stratum of society and defeat 10.15 am I met him and informed him that we had come and were ready for any discussion. He asked which one of us either helping pro-India those people ideologically. was Jamim Shah. We introduced ourselves and after some small talk, he indicated that our MD was to move into parties, or the extremists. It Only in this way will they be another room for questioning. I said: “If a statement is to be taken, then our lawyer, who is with us, would also like to has been proved twice that able to fight the Koirala be present.” He replied that it was normal and ordinary questioning and therefore the presence of the lawyer was some unseen power is camp. Otherwise there is no not necessary. controlling them. The calling political justification for this The questioning went from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm. They took a written statement and it concerned the Hrithik off of the bandh called during battle. The Deuba camp has Roshan incident, which our newspaper had reported. They asked him about all the issues concerning this incident— the rise in prices of petroleum not given any sign that it is where the news came from, how it came about, how it was printed, what was the basis and origin of the news, the products raised questions. The moving in that direction. source and so on. Meanwhile we got clear indications that the CDO was calling up regularly and giving directions. In recent meaningless bandhs Otherwise the Koirala camp the end the CDO himself gave instructions over the telephone and asked that Jamim Shah present himself again at the have further supported that will not be defeated and it CDO’s office the following Monday. view. The Nine Left will now seems that the Koirala camp Then we were handed a legal notice regarding the same. have to question their is representing the Why did all this take place and for what reason, is what we ask. All we did was print reports of incidents that had existence and also the way progressives and taken place. The news that the Nepali media printed was collected from places where the events took place or were they think. reactionaries. collected from different agencies or organisations. For example, we printed the news on 25 December, one that We support the agitation concerned the Thali Youth Federation. Under the leadership of the chairman of that federation, Yogendra Shrestha, carried out by the Nine Left cassettes of Hrithik Roshan were burnt. In another case, the statement of the ANNFSU, Morang District Pradip Nepal Case against against the fascist and anti- Committee, was printed. We did not create this, we printed it on the basis of events taking place or on the basis of MIN BAJRACHARYA Maoist nationalist government and statements issued. peacefully in their homes or hope that this type of

It is the responsibility and duty of the government to find out where the news originated, to separate facts from lazed around in the sun at leaders struggle will always be ○○○○○○○ fiction and to make public the truth. All we did was report different events as they took place. On 15 December, a party offices. They could be ○○○○○○○○○ carried forth. As for the issue local paper from Chitwan reported that effigies of Hrithik were burnt and then it was reported that this ritual took Saptahik Nepalipatra, 5 and decision taken by the easily contacted at their January place daily in Chitwan. Is there no government agency in Chitwan? Isn’t it the duty and responsibility of the homes or their offices. The UML standing committee, government to find out the truth, and explain to the people protesting what in fact was the truth? Why did the government employees too we find that it has been government stay quiet till 25 December? What wrong did the media do by just reporting events that happened? A case of dacoity has been rendered irrelevant by its loss were under no tension. Those filed in the Parbat district Children lost their lives when protestors were fired upon by the police. Hrithik himself released statements who wanted to report to of national esteem, the race countering what had been attributed to him and stated that he was hurt by all the violence and destruction that had court against 10 Maoists, for positions and power, and work came in and those who including Baburam Bhattarai taken place. All our respectable information minister did was pass a directive that Hrithik’s movies should not be did not want to stayed put at recent incidents. In the screened. On what basis did he ban Hrithik’s movies? If anyone is to be faulted for the mess, it can only be the home. There would be no present situation it seems government, the information minister and no one else. cuts in their salaries for being that the UML is standing Those who should be held responsible are not shouldering that responsibility, the accused are being set free and all absent during a bandh. between the people’s the blame is being directed towards the media. This is the start of a new conspiracy and the first target is our paper, The police are the ones expectations, their feelings Spacetime Dainik. The letter sent to us and the interrogation is a prime example of this conspiracy. On the one hand, who suffer the most during and wants, and this is going they say it is a simple questioning and then conduct an interrogation in a closed room. They take signed statements and bandhs, although the recent to prove detrimental to the announce it with great fanfare in the official government media. The official news agency, RSS, released a statement bandh did not give them any UML. By acting as a tool of stating that Jamim Shah had been arrested and released in the name of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ). trouble. They did not have to the present fascist What had happened was that the general secretary of the FNJ, Tara Nath Dahal, issued a personal statement on an fire bullets or lathi-charge government it has not only event that had taken place. Zee News of India also picked up this statement of the government and sensationalised it. protestors and could be seen rendered itself useless but The President of FNJ, Suresh Acharya, called us up and said that the FNJ had not given any such statement. He at the crossings engrossed in had also shocked its stated that none of these events took place and that if the government tries to harm the FNJ or the press in any way, deep conversation. They had supporters. then the FNJ and other press people will protest. So why did Dahal issue the statement in the first place? to go hungry the whole day, Forget about providing We have realised that some people are benefiting from all this in some way and they are being directed by the but this is because of the any direction to the country, government to raise and create trouble. Does this then mean that a Nepali cannot live in Nepal? Some people are inefficiency of the the UML of today has not becoming jealous of Spacetime Dainik, which has become very popular among Nepalis in a short time. They are out to government and not due to been able to play its part as a tarnish our reputation and this is what worries us. Everyone should ask one question and that is, what was our fault in the bandh. Yet, they were responsible opposition in the Hrithik incident and where did we go wrong? Why is this conspiracy being hatched against us? Why is the enjoying themselves. Parliament properly. By government conspiring against us? It is upto the government and the information minister to provide answers. Black marketeers had a surrendering to rightist field day. They made huge parties and capitalists it has profits in a short time and played an evil game with its supporters. It has come to QUOTE OF THE WEEK are ready with donations that they normally give to represent all the anti- The parliament is meeting in a month. There was no discussion on the topic in the previous sessions and neither has nationalist and anti-people the government showed any interest in discussing the bill this time round. To promulgate an ordinance just before a different political parties. Apart from the three parties. It has proved that it parliamentary session is not only disregarding the parliament but also a tactic to by-pass it. indeed is a little brother of —Madhav Kumar Nepal, General Secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), categories of people mentioned above, everyone the Nepali Congress. commenting on the recent ordinance to raise an armed police force in Budhabar, 10 January. Baburam Bhattarai This decision has proved else was frustrated and angry and Prachanda, leaders of the with the bandhs. Some were that those people who make insurgency. According to palatial houses and drive so angry that they were sources, the Maoists are prepared to even denounce Pajeros in Kathmandu have accused of looting the betrayed the people’s their being Nepalis. Phalebas branch of the Bandhs in themselves are expectations and the Rastriya Banijya Bank one year revolution. Even then we ask not good or bad. They are back. They had looted money just a means for people to the honest, hard-working and goods worth almost Rs 6.5 nationalists left in that party show their feelings and million. frustrations, and take place to pressure the leadership because of the circumstances and stop the leaders from at a particular moment. The taking decisions in such a bandhs called in the UML is manner. We should not, at

Panchayat regime were to irrelevant the present moment, help the ○○○○○○○ topple the Panchayat system. ○○○○○○○○○ Koirala camp, but get Comrade Prachanda in It was used to secure the together and work for Spacetime Dainik, 4 January democratic rights of the the revolution and the people and therefore those country. We should work We do not see the bandhs used to be very and find ways to provide a infighting in the Congress on So this is how democracy is strengthened in the Congress party! successful and effective. That new direction to this the basis of any new country. Gatibidhi, 6 Janury 2001 is why people used to

THIS PAGE CONTAINS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI LANGUAGE PRESS 16 CITY 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES

ABOUT TOWN MOVIES Movie ticket bookings online at Momo Crave EXHIBITION v Angkor—A black and white photography exhibition by Jaro Poncar from Prague. The RAMYATA LIMBU ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ If you haven’t eaten momos at The focus of the exhibition is the temple complex Angkor Wat regarded as one of the o you’re a regular at architectural wonders of the world. December 20—20 January. 8 am to 6 pm. Indigo Thamel.You’ve guzzled Cave, you haven’t eaten many. Gallery, Naxal. s beer at the Irish Pub, feasted on the garlic steak at MUSIC Rum Doodle Restaurant and Bar, v Gazal An evening with Jagjit Singh presented by L’achievers in aid of Nepali gazed on passers-by from the journalists, Kathmandu District Committee. Banquet Hall, Hotel Yak & Yeti. 6:00 pm terrace garden at Le Bistro, onwards. Rs 2500. 416 698 sipped cocktails at Sam’s and v Jazz Jazz by Cadenza at Upstairs Restaurant, Lazimpat. Every Saturday 7:30pm— played a set of backgammon at 10pm. Rs 200 Full Moon. But wait a minute, have you been to The Cave? The v Rock and Blues Robin ‘n’ Looza play rock, blues, soul, and Nepali tunes at The Momo Cave? Bamboo Club, Thamel. Every Friday evening. Probably Thamel’s best-kept secret, Thamelites swear by the v Live Shows Various bands at The Red Onion Bar, Lazimpat. Every evening. 416071 Cave’s non-vegetarian delights. Vegetarian dishes are available— v Chakra The Piano Lounge at Hotel Yak & Yeti. Every evening 7 pm onwards. 248999 the vegetable pakodas are sublime. But everyone drools over MIN BAJRACHARYA v Unplugged Syabru Lama plays guitar at the Coffee Shop, Hotel De l’ Annapurna. Everyday 7:30pm – 10pm. 221711 the juicy meat momos and the spicy tomato pickle, the fried v Classical Guitar Kishor Gurung plays classical favourites at the Chimney, Hotel Yak & Yeti. Everyday 8pm sukuti (dried meat) and jibro onwards. 248999 bhuteko (fried tongue). There’s more on the menu—especially for brightly-painted advertisements, this is are not likely to find mentioned in v Classical Musicians from Nepal and abroad at the Kiratishwor Mahadev temple, Pashupatinath. January those of you who want more than one place you’ll find that remains tourist brochures. Nor will you find 9 from 4pm—8pm. Free entrance, but charges may apply for special guest appearances. Organised by your money’s worth of local untouched by the commercialism of anything close to The Cave’s momos Kirateswore Sangeet Ashram. 492139 cuisine. The cave’s one and only Nepal’s tourist hub. One place you anyplace else. t waiter—a smiling young man— DANCE makes sure the service is great. v Classical Nepali Dances based on Buddhist and Hindu epics and the Tantric pantheon at the Great Two plates of piping hot, Pagoda, Hotel Vajra. Every Tuesday, 7pm onwards. Rs 300. 271545 juicy momos, a plate of fried v Ballads and Dances of Old Tibet performed by Tsering Gurmey and Tsering Paljor at the Naga sukuti and a plate of fried jibro Theatre, Hotel Vajra. Every Thursday, 7pm onwards. Rs 400. 271545 all washed down with some local liquor is guaranteed not to make EVENTS a dent in your wallet. It will cost v Earthquake Safety—Five-day-long exhibition on earthquake safety, including earthquake-resistant you some Rs 200, the price of a construction and relief/rescue methods. Live demonstration using scaled down models of strengthened and meal for one without drinks at an unstrenghtened buildings in a simulated earthquake. Organised by the National Society for Earthquake up-market Thamel restaurant. Technology-Nepal. 15-19 January. 10am-5pm. Exhibition Hall, Bhrikuti Mandap. 474192 You get pink paper napkins and tooth-picks, too. v Farewell—Farewell to Nepali world-touring cyclist Pushkar Shah cycling around the world promoting Nepal Closeted away in the warm, and spreading the message of peace and harmony. Shah started the first phase of his tour on 29 November dimly-lit confines of the Cave, 1998 and has already cycled through 21 countries in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific. Organised by the warmed by glasses of different Nepal Tourism Board. 12 January, 11.00 am. Tourist Service Centre, Bhrikuti Mandap. Help and advice can be extended to the cyclist at or 492553/431765 local liquors (bottled brands are also available), the Cave’s FESTIVAL ambience is likely to prompt you v Swasthani Fasting. The annual festival of Nepali Hindus, Swasthani Barta, which began on Tuesday, 9 to share your innermost secrets January and will go on till Thursday, 8 February. All pious Hindus gather and listen to the story of Shiva and with friends. Once patronised by Parvati while a family member reads the story of Swasthani in their homes. While silently listening to the story, the late Narayan Gopal (some say devotees make offerings of flowers and food to the holy book. he even composed many a song here) the cave is the favorite haunt v Maghe Sankranti marks the beginning of the holy month of Magh in the Nepali calendar bringing an end of local entrepreneurs who want to to the ill-omened month of Poush (mid-December) when all religious ceremonies are forbidden. This is an chill out after a long hard day. important day to bathe at the union of sacred rivers and streams. Sankhamul, on the banks of the Bagmati As you turn left from the river, north of Patan, is among the most sacred sites for this day. People go in the wee hours to sprinkle police post at Thamel Chowk and themselves with the holy water, polluted or not, and pay homage to the temple of Rato Machhindranath and Ajimata. The Til Madhev idol is worshipped for an abundance of food and wealth in the Bhadgaon community. walk a couple of hundred yards down the street, you might just miss the little gate to your left. For inclusion in the listing send information to [email protected] Sandwiched between buildings displaying colourful tourist-wear and

NEPALI WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL QUICKWORD 15 by CROSS EYES

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SAVING FAITH by DESMOND DOIG NEPALITERATURE by MANJUSHREE THAPA WORDS OF DISLOCATION: A monument to Sarubhakta Poet and novelist Sarubhakta seems at home in a world out of kilter: he writes evocatively on disorientation, de-centredness, dislocation and madness. Based in Pokhara, he is one of the an angry god growing numbers of regional writers in Nepal—writers whose literary identities are based, in some way, upon the place they write from. However, there is no nostalgia for the rustic life in haktapur’s greatest patron of Sarubhakta’s work. His literature is decidedly contemporary: the arts, King Bhupatindra fragmented, collaged, often odd and jarring, and always suited bMalla, probably had it built as a to the shattered landscape of today’s Nepal. When fond clichés culminating edifice, a pagoda-type do appear—about Nepal, or about Nepali tradition and temple to outshine all others, a culture—they do so with ironic intent, often in quotes. monument worthy of the goddess The first poem below, originally from his 1993 collection Siddhi Lakshmi and incidentally Kabi, Premi ra Paagal (The Poet, the Lover and the Madman), himself. So in the heart of ancient shows the poet’s ability to let a simple, everyday matter spiral Bhaktapur in 1702, he had the out of control and veer unimpeded towards philosophical towering Nyatapola built. Then it mayhem: must have been a wonder of the times. Its five elegantly soaring tiers are set DECENTRALISATION upon five ascending plinths, a masterpiece of proportion and artistry ‘May my small sufferings instruct that gives to the massive building an not just a nation of leaders, but everyone…’ impression of gem-like delicacy. The wood carving is superb, each one of These days my daughter memorises the 108 struts illustrating the ka kha ga—the alphabets of national devotion numerous forms of Bhagwati Question: ‘Father, why do we strive Mahishamardini and lesser deities. for supreme faith?’ Doors, windows, recesses, are all lavishly carved and painted. Every tier ‘The reason’—I teach her the science of the Nepali mind is hung with wind bells. A golden finial ‘Daughter! We all correspond to crowns the temple. the physical science of atoms and molecules Even the people of Bhaktapur are uncertain about the main deity of the in which there is innate motion temple. To many she is so powerful, in which there is infinite power so secret, she is nameless and without form. To most she is Siddhi Lakshmi, Daughter! Even now to others Bhairabi, the consort of Nepali atoms encircle faith— Bhairab, Lord of Terror. There is the way the celestial bodies known to be a beautiful sculpture of of brahma’s creation spin! Mahishamardini in the inner sanctum but the temple is seldom open and Daughter! We are faith-centred atoms only select priests are permitted and from the nucleus-centre of faith inside. we are also decentred atoms of gravity Leading to the main door of the When one sits and dreams in the shadow of the Nyatapola from Mechi to Mahakali! temple is a steep flight of stairs temple a coffee or Coke can be the slowest drink on earth. Decentralisation—this isn’t just for Nepalis

flanked by pairs of massive stone It’s the first law of brahma’s creation, Daughter! ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ figures. In ascending order they are ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ powerful human wrestlers, armed was forever building and beautifying consulted his priests and astrologers impressive new temple to the all- Why are we decentralised with bludgeons and shields, his city, had the important but not who came up with an answer that powerful Siddhi Lakshmi, and Bhairab from faith to faith? elephants, lions, griffins and the impressive temple to Bhairab largely must have gladdened the artistic king’s was content. Can you tell me, Daughter?’ deities Simhini and Byaghrini. Each extended. To the existing rectangular heart. He must build without delay a Ironically, a temple so impressive, is considered to be ten times as shrine he had two floors added, temple to Bhairab’s consort so so legendary, is never the cause for The second poem translated below is, in many ways, powerful as the other, and as the crowning the lot with a gilded roof beautiful that it would have no equal celebration. No great processions simpler: an expression of frustration at our tangled, futile wrestlers have the strength of ten and a row of golden finials. Rather in the land. climb its guarded stairs, no worshipful attempts to break free of national myths and fabrications. Yet ordinary men the culminating than being grateful, the fierce god flew From the forests about Bhaktapur crowds throng its plinths. It stands the poem contains the experimental language and play, the protective force is that of one into a tremendous rage at being were brought especially selected trees aloof, deservedly proud, very much contradictions, and the layered connotations that make hundred thousand men, or several disturbed and caused, calamities to which the proper sacrifices had the lovely woman of legend ordained Sarubhakta’s work speak with so much truth about Nepal’s armies of the time. unending to visit the land. There was been made. Kilns to produce the by a god and perfected by a king. But contemporary dilemmas. But all this pales before the drought and pestilence, earthquake slender rose coloured bricks and the there is hardly a festival in Bhaktapur legend. King Bhupatindra Malla, who and war. In great anguish, the king small russet tiles for the temple that does not fill the square above AN OFFERING OF ALMS mushroomed about the city. Wood which the temple soars. Religious A ritual chant—‘An offering of alms!’ The magnificent nyatapola carvers, workers in metal and stone, processions, dancers, musicians, raths, Today the sunrise will take place at, our total population is: temple as it stands today. craftsmen adept in fusing gold to funerals, marriages, they all pass by. ‘…’ copper, artists, thousands of labourers Sometimes the square is an arena for Let’s talk about the present, this time around were kept constantly at work, the impromptu bullfights. Crowds collect The history of our independence is near Gosainkunda king striding among them, praising suddenly from nowhere. Children ride And the blue sky is filled with symbols of peace and coaxing, even lending a hand. It is the temple’s guardian beasts for a I beg you: this time, let’s leave things as they are! said that to hasten the work, the king better view. At the festival of cows, a For just one moment let’s not claim to be brave soldiers himself led processions of workmen, Bhairab made of straw dances before Nor, from time to time, to be products of Swayambhu carrying bricks. The temple grew. It his temple. And now the tourists We’re only hungry—it’s not true soared. Long before it was complete come, taking endless photographs and We’re yetis from the Himalayan region—that’s also wrong its stunning beauty became legendary. browsing in the small curio shops that Believe me, More wonderful, the rain fell, the stand about the square. We’re burgeoning like germs—that’s also wrong restless earth grew calm, and the German restorers have built a cafe Please let’s leave these things as they are plagues and catastrophes that had in the square from the remains of an At the time of the sunrise, now bedeviled Bhaktapur ceased. The god ancient pilgrim’s rest house. It is a At the auspicious time for soul-rising, now Bhairab in his temple nearby was work of art in itself, its carvings When we count, identifying ourselves as ‘we’ obviously satisfied. faithfully reproduced, its furniture Let’s not just talk of the battlefield and the Buddhafield Another version of this story has adapted from old Newari styles. From But mention new sacrifices—the present Bhairab angry, not because of being its verandahs one can watch the city All right, let’s start with eyes half closed in serenity disturbed but because he resented a go by or romanticise that one sails a A ritual chant—‘An offering of alms!’ higher, more magnificent temple being galley into centuries past. Even the Let’s leave things as they are, please! built than his own. So he appeared to young proprietor is understanding. the king one night in a dream, When one sits and dreams in the Sarubhakta’s poems can also be read in the collections demanding to know for whom the shadow of the Nyatapola temple a Banda Khambhitra, Boksiko Awhan ra Ghosanapatra, Kurup temple was being raised. If it was for coffee or Coke can be the slowest Masiha, and Jyanmaya. He is the author of the Madan any deity of lesser importance than drink on earth.t Puraskar prize-winning novel Paagal Basti, and the editor of himself, then he would destroy not (Excerpted with permission from several poetry compilations, including Saraswat. He has been only the temple but the town. So the In the Kingdom of the Gods, active in encouraging literature for nature conservation. t king’s advisers had him dedicate the

MIN BAJRACHARYA HarperCollins, 1999.) 18 SPORTS 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES

Penitent Cronje wants in ○○○○○○○○○○○○ Fiscal fitness ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ CAPE TOWN-Disgraced former South African captain Hansie Cronje is asking the high court to overturn his life ban from

MUKUL HUMAGAIN cricket, saying it has curtailed his work with underprivileged ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ fter a four-month delay, children. Cronje, who was banned from all activities of the employees at the National United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) and its affiliates a MIN BAJRACHARYA Sports Council (NSC) will last year, has filed papers at the Pretoria High Court in which finally receive their salaries. The he says he wants to NSC was in a severe financial make amends by crisis as the Finance Ministry had resuming coaching blocked its regular budget and it underprivileged wasn’t able to provide salaries to children. its staff. It was only after the NSC Cronje said he agreed to downsize that the accepted that the board Finance Ministry cleared its would not employ him regular budget. as a professional

For employees at the NSC it MIN BAJRACHARYA cricketer but felt they has become regular to receive had no power to regulate his playing of the game or control salaries after a delay of three or MIN BAJRACHARYA his participation in other matters related to cricket. four months, particularly in the The Finance Ministry forces a monstrously “I am anxious to make amends for my conduct which has last year. The NSC, which has large National Sports Council to downsize. led to the termination of my cricket career,” Cronje said. been forced to use its “The best way in which I can do that is to use the talents, development budget to pay necessary to inform the finance made during Sthapit’s and KC’s Clockwise from left: A largely skills and expertise which I have acquired in cricket and salaries as its regular budget was ministry about the increased time, the NSC said that it would inactive NSC headquarters, former promote the game in the field of coaching and developing, just not enough, received a workforce. Until the present provide salaries for its new sports minister Bal Bahadur KC particularly in the coaching of underprivileged players.” further blow when the budget for crisis crippled the Council, the recruits from its own resources. (top); and present day Kathmandu Cronje said he had donated cricket kits to Geelhoutboom the current fiscal year was finance ministry had been But that was just big talk. mayor and former NSC member- Primary School. The school is in a poor area close to his announced: it was allotted a total allocating the regular budget for Finally, a committee comprising secretary Keshav Sthapit. home at Fancourt, an exclusive golf estate. Cronje said he budget of Rs 100 million, Rs 32 the 370 staff that the NSC representatives of the NSC, the had been invited to a match but had been unable to go million less than last year. To reported in 1992. Finance Ministry and the The NSC, especially in the because of the severity of his ban. make matters worse, the Finance The crisis did not present Ministry of Education and past decade, has been a victim Before the ban, Cronje said, he had always been involved Ministry directed the NSC to itself earlier as there was enough Sports was formed to solve the of politicisation. Each with the wider cricket community. “All these activities were stop using its development budget money at the NSC from matter. The NSC was advised to government that came to power undertaken on a purely voluntary basis, without to pay salaries. preparations for the eighth SAF to cut staff. But differences in the last ten years installed remuneration,” Cronje said. “I very much wish to continue The present crisis at the NSC Games. It also had money remained between the NSC and their people as the Council’s with these activities... If I obtain the relief I seek in these goes back a long way. It has to do coming from “lotto”, a lottery the Finance Ministry over the top men. Those in charge of the proceedings, it is my intention to extend my activities along with corruption and nepotism scheme that was started by number of staff to be retrenched. NSC never tried to run the these lines.” The South African Cricket Board has until 15 that have plagued the country’s casino magnate RD Tuttle to Before Dasain, the NSC sent institution professionally and January to submit an answering affidavit. top sports body, in particular the help the SAF games, and a 0.5 a proposal to the Finance democratically. It was only due massive recruitment of staff in the percent sales tax that was levied Ministry stating that the number to pressure from the Finance

last seven years. Every time a new on goods coming into the of staff would be reduced to Ministry that the NSC was Savon hangs up his gloves ○○○○○○○○○○○○

sports minister or member- country prior to the SAF games. around 1100, and sacked 158 finally forced to downsize. As ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ secretary came to power, their Revenue from these sources permanent staff. In December, it Kamal Khanal, administrative HAVANA-Three-time Olympic heavyweight boxing champion cronies were appointed to the provided salaries, but after the fired another 100 staff of which chief, NSC says: “We have no Felix Savon announced his retirement from the ring but he will NSC. It all began when Keshav SAF Games concluded, the 40 were permanent. But the option, other than to agree with help train Cuba’s fighters for the 2004 Athens Olympics, Sthapit, the current mayor of Council finally faced a severe Finance Ministry was not the Finance Ministry.” Cuban television reported last week. Kathmandu, was member- financial crunch. satisfied and it once again asked For now, it seems that the Savon was already secretary at the Sports Council. To increase its regular the Council to reduce the financial crisis has passed but it is obliged by international Four hundred new jobs were budget the NSC then began number to 900. The NSC is now still unclear whether the Finance amateur boxing rules to created at the Council during his lobbying for its 1376 employees preparing to axe another 143 Ministry will increase the regular stop competing in tenure. This tradition continued by meeting the Prime Minister, staff in order to get its money. budget next year. The Finance September when he turns during the tenure of Bal Bahadur and the ministers for education, Though the NSC has been Ministry has also stated that 34 years old, but the official KC at the sports ministry. KC, and sports. But the Finance forced to obey orders from the there are massive irregularities in announcement means he who has the distinction of being Ministry remained firm in their Finance Ministry it is facing a the budget at the NSC. The will not take part in the next the first sports minister of the demand that NSC staff be legal challenge from retrenched Council’s budget may not be world championships in country, appointed an additional retrenched before it would clear employees. Those who have been enough to pay salaries, or Ireland in June. The six- 274 staff to the Council. But the even the Council’s regular axed have filed a petition promote sports, but it sure is time world champion had Council never thought it budget. When recruitments were challenging the decision. lining some pockets. t originally intended to fight in Ireland in a final appearance of a glittering career that transformed The best boss in the world him into a popular hero at home and one of the BRIAN WOOLNOUGH

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ The arrival of Sven Eriksson as England’s world’s boxing legends. ven Goran Eriksson starts first foreign coach has the FA jubilant, Cuban television did not

s his new £3million job as and some others sceptical. say why Savon decided to

England’s coach, with FA cut short his remaining ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

boss Adam Crozier hailing him ○○○○○○○○ active career by several months. But, it said, he would join the the best in the world. Swede country wants England to do well. Hill are already taking money at 7- national boxing squad as a coach. Cuba’s sports authorities Eriksson, 52, quit as Lazio Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger 1 that he will be gone by the end of had unsuccessfully lobbied the International Amateur Boxing manager this week to become the have welcomed the appointment and the year. But Crozier added: “This Association (IABA) to raise the competitive age limit in the nation’s first foreign national every manager is offering support. To is not an easy job, nor an easy heavyweight categories to 40. coach. give yourself a chance you have to situation for Sven. Let’s get things In another surprise announcement, Cuban television said A jubilant FA Chief Executive have a world-class backroom team straight—this is not an easy job, that long-time national boxing coach Alcides Sagarra, who Crozier said: “We went for the and that is what we have got now,” nor an easy situation for Sven. We trained the Olympic squad for three decades, was being best and got the best. We are said Crozier. are bottom of our World Cup replaced by Sarvelio Fuentes, another experienced teacher. relieved and excited that he is Eriksson finally quit yesterday group and that has had nothing to Sagarra was being put forward to represent Cuba in the IABA, about to start. This is it for us. morning after weeks of unrest in do with him. in the Italian League, are in the the report said. Savon, a staunch supporter of President Fidel England have had six managers in Rome culminated in last week’s home We have not looked like second phase of the Champions Castro’s government, was hailed as a national hero, not only the last 10 years. We have got to defeat by lowly Napoli. He made up winning a championship for a long League and are holders of the for his success on the world stage but for repeatedly rejecting get away from that. That is an his mind in his car on the way to time and the first job is to qualify Italian League title. But what we lucrative offers to abandon his country’s amateur-only sports extraordinary record, but now we training and told Lazio’s players first. for this World Cup.” are buying into is the last 15 years system and turn professional. Prior to Savon’s success at the must have continuity. This is long Then he broke the news to Lazio Crozier has been in constant of Sven. Anyone who thinks only recent Sydney Games, only Teofilo Stevenson, another Cuban term. We are planning for the president Sergio Cragnotti and rang touch with Eriksson and Lazio of the last nine weeks is pretty boxing legend, had won three Olympic golds in the same next six to 10 years. In Sven, Crozier. His first match is the friendly since he agreed to join England on daft. weight category when he dominated the division in the 1972, Tord Grip, Peter Taylor and against Spain on 28 February at Villa 31 October and is glad to finally “It is fair to say we have been a 1976 and 1980 Games. Savon’s previous Olympic gold Steve McClaren we have as good Park. Then comes the World Cup have his man. He said: “It was a part of destabilising the Lazio medals came in Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996. In a a coaching team as you will find double header, at home against relief. The uncertainty has not been situation. That atmosphere was prolific amateur career, Savon boasted a record of 358 wins in the world.” Finland and away in Albania. good for anyone. His stock hasn’t created from the moment we went and only 17 defeats. “It is a fantastic new team. I have Eriksson has signed a five-year fallen just because he has resigned for him. It is part and parcel of the Cuban television also announced that three other Olympic spoken to them all today and they contract with a two-year option from Lazio. A failure? Oh, come on! England job. We all know England boxing medallists—Juan Hernandez Sierra, Enrique Carrion can’t wait to get started. Let’s get and he will be given control of all Sven has won titles in Portugal, is different. Extra pressure comes and Hector Vinent—were ending their active careers. everyone united behind them. The England sides. Bookies William Spain and Italy. And Lazio are fifth from the job,” he added. t (Sun) 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES 19

OFF THE BEATEN TREK by SALIL SUBEDI

Independent cycling through 150 countries over 11 years—Pushkar Shah is Around the world in 11 years one determined man. 31-year-old Nepali cyclist Pushkar Singapore, Indonesia, even East Shah is taking off again on 13 Timor, and finally, Australia, from January to start the next leg of his where he flew back home to take a 150-country bicycle tour after a break. In all, Shah crossed 28,500 month-long break in Nepal. km in 21 countries on his mountain When Shah left his home, bike. Charikot, in August 1998, many “I took a break to rest and plan conflicting thoughts crossed his mind my future trip. I’ve had no official as he peddled towards the border. sponsors from Nepal and some

“But I remained very determined. I Nepali embassies had been very WAVE confronted all my doubts about unfriendly,” he says sadly. “In China Pushkar Shah poses with peasants in SE Asia, the people he loves to meet most. whether I could do it or not. One of they rudely told me—‘We don’t the things that kept me focused was have any obligation to help you, allowance, which the NTB declined Shah cycles 10 hours on average active during the 1990 People’s preaching peace,” smiles Shah. t the unseen challenge that lay on the please go away’.” Shah gets to give him, saying it would be too daily when on tour, consuming some Movement. 10 years from now, Shah To support Pushkar Shah and learn roads ahead,” recalls Shah. encouragement and many positive long-term a commitment—Shah 10 litres of water and covering about would have cycled more than 330,000 more about his dream, email After reaching Kathmandu, he vibes from a growing number of plans, if all goes well, to cover 150 100 km. The intrepid cyclist holds a km and had incredible experiences. “I [email protected], or call headed towards Pokhara and then young fans who read his monthly countries over 11 years. Master’s degree in education and was have two missions in life. Cycling and 492553, 431765. on to the sacred Buddhist site updates in Wave magazine, which Lumbini. “I collected Buddha’s soil has carried details of Shah’s tour from there and kept it with me as a from day one. Financial support has talisman,” he says. As the journey been hard to come by, although unfolded—hot, humid, dry, sweaty, Shah considers himself a breezy and sometimes pure Zen—it professional cyclist. was that very soil that helped him For the upcoming leg of his connect with all sorts of people. journey through Australia, New Little by little, he gifted it away. Zealand and the US, the Nepal Shah hit upon the idea of a bicycle- Tourism Board (NTB) has agreed to tour because he wanted to spread help out. “We have provided cycling the message of “peace and love from gear like track suits (with the NTB the Himalayan country of Nepal”. logo) and Rs 40,000 for miscellaneous The combination of Buddha’s expenses,” says Diwakar Rana, spirit and the sheer will to pedal Assistant Manager of the NTB. “We carried him afar, starting from India have also prepared a formal letter then to Pakistan, the Maldives, Sri establishing him as a promoter of sharp Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepali culture and world peace. The Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China, letter will be a bona fide for Shah Honk Kong, Korea, Japan, during his travels.” However Shah had Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, also asked for a daily travelling

HAPPENINGS MIN BAJRACHARYA LIVING GODDESS: Kumari heading home in her special palanquin after attending the bathing ceremony of Lord Machhendranath , 6 January.

Khukuri rum MIN BAJRACHARYA FEEDING FRENZY: Victorious Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala hounded by the press after defeating his challenger Sher Bahadur Deuba 69- 41 in a no-trust motion in his parliamentary party, 4 January.

MIN BAJRACHARYA PEACEMAKING: Teachers at the universities leading a peace march calling for restoration of communal harmony and national unity, 6 January . 20 12 - 18 JANUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES Under My Hat NEPALI SOCIETY

by Kunda Dixit Hira means gem Mayor. Now, I’d think twice ike many, King Birendra visited et me say right at the outset that I love about giving the keys of my town l Dwarika’s Hotel and was greatly Mongolia and Mongolians. In fact, both to complete strangers. Never impressed with the restoration l work. Invariably, the management Inner and Outer Mongolias are my know what they’ll do with it. favourite places in the entire Eastern Anyway, a V4IP arrival is a calls in Hira Kaji Bramhacharya to Hemisphere. Nepal and Mongolia have a explain the intricacies of the signal to get the hell out of woodcarvings. After all, he is the lot in common: they are both this city and that is what we senior-most artisan working on the landlocked yams sandwiched between tried to do, but it was too late. hotel’s heritage conservation two large stones, both countries have The whole city was already project. a vibrant vodka industry (the most grinding to a halt. Going by the Everyday for 26 years, 61-year popular Mongolian brand is called bumper-to-bumper traffic jam on old Hira Kaji has been cycling two- SALIL SUBEDI Genghis Khan, and ours should be Sunday that stretched from the and-half hours from his home in called Jung Bahadur, but for some Saat Dobato to the airport, our Bungamati, south of Lalitpur, to his reason no one has thought of it preliminary assessment was that the work place in Kathmandu Gaushala yet), both Nepalis and State Visit of the Mongolian President at Dwarika’s Hotel. Humble and Dhapakhel, Sunakothi and and uncles,” reminisces Hira Kaji. Mongolians love yak noodle could be classified as a moderate cheerful Hira Kaji is in his element Khokana making elaborate wooden In addition to his son, Hira Kaji when faced with his traditional wood soup, and we both share a intensity visit. frames for doors and windows for has long been working with two carving instruments jyawal, new houses. “There’s a booming artisans—40 year-old Shanta glorious tradition of bringing The really Big Ones are Magnitude chupahancha and lyahacha. Time international market for such crafts Muni Shakya and 36 year-old everyday life in Ulaan Bataar Ten disruptions reserved for SAARC has compelled him to use reading- nowadays if quality is maintained,” Gyani Raj Shakya. “The interest and Kathmandu to a Summits, Greek Foreign Ministers and US glasses, but his hands are still firm says Hira Kaji. “But the thing is, has to arise naturally. We standstill as a token of our First Ladies—that is when the entire Ring and accurate and have withstood these things are not appreciated shouldn’t force ourselves to do delight that foreign Road and the airways come to a standstill for the test of advancing years and where they’re supposed to be things that we know we won’t be dignitaries have decided the duration of the visit as a mark of respect technology. “Electric machines help used—in Nepal,” he says. “But then able to do,” he says. “Wood to pay us a visit. After all, for the presence in our city of the distinguished save time, of course, but the wood is very expensive and there carving needs a lot of patience it is not every day that the President of visitors. patterns and your carving style are very few carvers left, so not many and focus.” Anyway, to cut a long come from skills sharpened over the Nepalis can afford it,” he says, “I pray to lord Bishwokarma. story short, by the time years,” he says. pointing to an carved pillar from an And he’s been good to me,” he Before joining Dwarika’s for Very, Very, Very, Very we got to the airport we old Newari house in Banepa. says. Bishwokarma, the god of their Nepali Heritage Architecture The largest woodcarving he craftsmanship, is a favourite deity found out we needn’t Conservation Project, Hira worked and his team have made is a 10ft x of artisans. Every year during have been worried in places like Bungamati, 6ft three-faced window, which would Bishwokarma Puja, Hira Kaji also Important Person because all flights were take a lone worker four months to takes a well-deserved break from running late: air traffic finish. Hira has the memories of a all his obligations. “I really enjoy Mongolia decides to visit Nepal to declare a chukka had been affected for the same reason that ground lifetime in traditional Newari this festival. It’s good to be with jam and temporarily shut down civil aviation. traffic was at a standstill. As I write this, we have patterns including the chain-like friends and make merry… One useful indicator of the importance of a finally taken off, and before long we are already into sikha and leaf-like polo. Earlier sal sometimes you have to do that,” visiting dignitary is the number of hours that the our second Jung Bahadurs with tomato juice, and we wood was commonly used. “But he smiles. Ring Road on Tin Kunay is gridlocked. Anything have raised a toast to the age-old ties of friendship nowadays wood like eucalyptus, Hira’s only complaint is that below two hours and you can be sure it is just a Very and goodwill between Nepalis and the good people sisam and even pine are much his salary is very low. “In the last Important Person (VIP) passing through, for example of Outer Mongolia. The flight attendant comes on more readily available,” he says. year, kerosene prices have “These skills were passed down increased three times. And I’ve the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister or the Prime the intercom to ask us to stow our baggage in the from our ancestors,” says Hira Kaji been working here for quite long— Minister of Togo. But really Big Guys will block the oval head rockers, and to inform us that the pleasure whose elder son Hira Ratna joined it’s high time I got a raise,” he Koteswor intersection for a minimum of four hours, in the cabin is automatically controlled and that in his buttakarmi crew 17 years ago. says. Lord Bishwokarma and or more. This usually means that it is a Very, Very, the unlikely event of the pleasure falling, oxygen “He learned this ancient skill Dwarika’s willing, this last Very, Very Important Person (VVVVIP), flying all masks will drop, and we should then clobber our playfully, like I did. I used to spend complaint of one of Nepal’s gems the way here to receive Kathmandu’s Keys from our nose and mouth and bleed normally. t a lot of time with my grandfather will also disappear. t SALIL SUBEDI

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