www.nepalitimes.com #136 14 - 20 March 2003 16 pages Rs 25 “ needs a supportive international environment.” The Indian ambassador to Nepali Times: After many years of somewhat strained wouldn’t be surprised that every now and then some issues crop Nepal, Shyam Saran, relations, we in Nepal sense a slight relaxation in up. But sitting here in or even in Delhi, we see Nepal- ties. Are we imagining it, or is it for real? that all the good things that are happening don’t make news. spoke to Nepali Times on Shyam Saran: I am at a disadvantage because I don’t know Say, the boundary pillar issue. For the last few years, we have Tuesday on a wide range whether the relationship before was lacking in trust. My general been working very smoothly repairing border pillars, of issues, including the impression is that there has all along been a very easy relationship correcting whatever distortions may have come into the Maoist insurgency, between our leaders, even at times when there were differences demarcation. But that doesn’t make news. Somebody raises on certain issues. There is very easy communication between our one issue about one pillar in one particular sector in this bilateral relations, trade leaders, which continues to this day. long border, and this gives the impression that everything has and hydropower. He Currently the relationship is more relaxed, because there is fallen apart. emphasised that the greater understanding between the two countries. It may be We ought to be a little careful in making assessments partly because Nepal has been going through a certain crisis. about India-Nepal relations. Take the trade treaty. Every Maoist insurgency was India has responded to this particular crisis by extending one agrees that the 1996 trade treaty was very favourable to not just a threat to the whatever support it can whether it is providing training to Nepal. It still remains a favourable treaty. I always say Nepal security of Nepal, but also security forces, being part of a supportive international should look at India as an opportunity because which other to the security of India. environment in which the government of Nepal can deal with smaller country has such a huge growing market right at its these issues. Perhaps allaying some of the fears about India may doorstep, to which it has virtually duty free access? Of The ambassador also have helped in the matter. course, problems do arise like the problem of vanaspati ghee reports progress on or acrylic fibre. The important thing is whether we have a bilateral issues like trade, But despite this understanding between senior mechanism in place where such issues can be dealt with leadership, things seem to get stuck at the successfully. The temptation to politicise each such issue and transportation and the bureaucratic or state government level… make it the sum total of our relationship has to be avoided. Birganj dry port railway I think that perception is perhaps not entirely accurate. There is agreement. such a range of interaction between India and Nepal that I continued p4-5 MIN BAJRACHARYA

Pun was also close to Koirala’s home minister,

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ BHAGIRATH○○○○ YOGI Weekly Internet Poll # 76 Govinda Raj Joshi, and Karnali’s choppers clocked a Q. Which of the following would break the current arayan Singh Pun’s career, like the helicopters lot of hours. When his insurers asked him why he was he pilots, was a vertical takeoff. In less than ten Narayan Singh taking the risk (one of Pun’s Ecuriels was destroyed by political deadlock: Reinstate parliament, All-party interim government, Keep Chand govt till next polls, Nyears he has gone from being an army pilot, to the Maoists in Khotang last year) his standard reply None of above/don’t know MP, to aviation tycoon, to minister, to forming his own was, “The nation is in crisis and this is my duty to offer political party, to being the only man King Gyanendra my service.” trusted to handle peace overtures with the Maoists. Pun proved to be a wily politician. When Koirala Even his critics will admit with a lot of envy that was ousted he joined the Deuba faction, and even they admire Pun’s meteoric rise up the political accompanied the prime minister on his high-profile ladder. The retired Lt-Colonel has always shown a visit to the US and Britain “at my own expense”. Pun knack for being at the right place at the right time to advised Deuba on the Royal Nepali Army’s hardware make the right move. needs. And when things got too hot for Deuba, Pun As the government’s chief negotiator, Pun carried knew which way the wind was blowing and quickly out top secret negotiations in Nepal’s leaky political formed his own Samata Party. milieu for two months before the truce was finally The 54-year-old soldier-turned-politician who lives announced on 29 January. In private conversations, with his fourth wife at Dhumbarahi, is completing his Reinstate parliament Pun uses aviation jargon to dismiss concerns that the PUN BA and plans to go to do a masters in economics. He All-party interim government peace process is in jeopardy: “It is normal to Is this helicopter pilot the is a good tennis player and has recently taken up golf. Keep Chand govt till next polls encounter some turbulence, but we are on autopilot.” “Pun is a very articulate, very polished, very None of above/don’t know Total votes:917 He was able to finalise a 22-point code of conduct best man to steer the informative and a very hard-working individual,” says a during the peace process, made public on Thursday, well-placed activist. “He was Weekly Internet Poll # 77. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com which will hopefully ensure that violations do not take amazingly close to Girijababu but never too close to Q. Should the main political parties extend more place and both sides scale back deployment. peace process? His Deuba.” support to the peace process? Born in Myagdi, son of an ex-Indian After King Gyanendra sacked Deuba, Pun cleverly soldier, Pun joined the Royal Nepali Army as an supporters think so. gained the trust of the palace and got appointed officer cadet soon after completing college in minister for physical planning, promising not to Deharadun. He went on to Sandhurst, learned to fly at contest elections. When he was appointed chief the Indian Air Force Academy and got helicopter government negotiator, it caused envy among his own training with the French Air Force. Even in France, his cabinet colleagues who saw the ambitious and colleagues recall, Pun was used to a flamboyant charismatic Pun as a threat to themselves. lifestyle driving fast expensive cars. In 1985, Pun was Pun speaks French and has good rapport with appointed helicopter wing commander and chief Kathmandu-based diplomats. “It was a brilliant move,” training officer until he voluntarily retired from the says one diplomat about Pun’s appointment as Royal Nepali Army in 1993. coordinator. Indeed, having for the first time a He then joined the Nepali Congress in 1999 and politician from an ethnic background, who understands was elected MP from Myagdi. Pun had unprecedented military issues, and who has an electoral constituency access to Girija Prasad Koirala’s inner circle, and behind him was a masterstroke. himself piloted Koirala during his whirlwind election “Politics is a game of coordination and Pun is all over Nepal. Koirala rewarded Pun by making him trying to master in it,” says DR Lamichhane, a leftist assistant tourism minister. journalist and one of Pun’s contacts with the Maoists. A member of the Foreign Relations and Human “He works very hard and is honest.” In the past weeks Rights Committee in parliament, Pun was seen as a Pun has been to his home district and Gorkha to studious and hard-working lawmaker. He reads a lot, address huge rallies. His entry is always dramatic: in a ordering books on diplomacy, parliamentary practices, flurry of dust as his helicopter settles in a nearby field. international relations, leadership and management. The crowd is enthusiastic about what he has to say, his When few MPs would dare defend Koirala during the peace and development efforts, and his promise that Lauda controversy, Pun stood staunchly by his no one Nepali will be excluded. The janjati, dalit, mentor’s side saying there was nothing wrong with the royalists and disenchanted democrats are all flocking deal. Insiders tell us it was in fact Koirala who pulled to Pun. strings to allow Pun to retire from the army, since the “It is likely that the Samata Party will emerge as a military did not want to lose such a senior instructor loose confederate of political forces that would profess

It’s never been easier to subscribe pilot. Pun dabbled with other private helicopter democratic radicalism while actually being to Nepali Times. Just dial this companies before setting up his own outfit: Karnali Air conservative,” says another political analyst we EASYEASYEASY TIMESTIMESTIMES number and leave your address. which now has a fleet of six helicopters. interviewed. “Pun flew helicopters for 25 years, if he When most private companies were too scared to engineers a safe landing for the peace talks then he’s

5543333 transport policemen in their choppers, Karnali did so. MIN BAJRACHARYA home.” 2 EDITORIAL 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 NATION 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 3 Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit COMMENT by HENNING KARCHER Design: Kiran Maharjan Webmaster: Bhushan Shilpakar [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Advertising: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Subscription: Anil Karki [email protected] Sales: Sudan Bista [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 01-5543333/ 5523845 Fax: 01-5521013 Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hattiban: 01-5547018/17 Participation=democracy=development GIVE PEACE A CHANCE he most bizarre aspect of the present period of national deadlock is that Peace and development are two sides of the same brick. our political forces are fighting over the spoils of peace even before

T peace returns. A ceasefire in any conflict is the most delicate time, But how are we going to attain them? ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

where words have to be weighed before being uttered, actions thought ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ through for their impact. A truce is a tight-rope act. And yet, our politicos are

NICK DOWNES/PROSPECT f one carried out a survey among all survive. The continuous denial of a their respective district development plans doing aerobics on the high wire with wild and woolly pronouncements. Even peace doesn’t seem to be sacred to them. women and men of Nepal asking them dignified life free from fear and want to the and budgets. Let me emphasise here that Whatever goes on behind closed doors in their meetings with King I the question, “What are the two highest majority of people on this earth will we are not advocating a one-size-fits-all Gyanendra, they cannot control themselves from posturing and bravado when priorities for you personally and for the continue to breed tension and conflicts approach. What matters is the setting of they come out. Funny, we never get to hear the king’s side of the story. You’d nation,” the vast majority would probably that do not stop at the borders of specific targets in line with the specific have thought that they would have learnt a few lessons by now, that they say “peace and development”. Peace and industrialised nations. circumstances that prevail locally and have enough of a pulse on public opinion to figure out what Nepalis say about "What we need to do is look into the root cause as to why they want to attack us." development are two sides of the same Out of the Millennium Development commitments by all concerned to keep these hollow men. But that has been the problem all along, hasn’t it: we never coin. Without peace there can be no Summit and the Monterrey Conference on these targets high on the agenda, until they showed a capacity to learn from our mistakes. (These words could have been STATE OF THE STATE by CK LAL development and without development no Financing for Development a new global are fully realised. written at any time during the past five years and they would have aptly peace. consensus has emerged demanding mutual The benchmark of whether policies are described the state of affairs.) Apart from the undeniable political and commitments are matched by mutual working will be: There has never been a time in Nepali history when the Nepali people had How to make ideological causes of the current conflict, accountability: a political bargain has been Are more children in school? so little trust in the individuals and institutions who purport to rule over them. there are legitimate grievances of the poor built around a partnership of self-interest Is maternal mortality declining? They have lost what little assurance they had on national-level politicians, they Nepalipan more inclusive. We Nepalis and excluded. They feel that they have between the countries of North and Is poverty dropping? don’t trust the throwbacks calling the shots now, they don’t trust the Maoists and their brutal methods, they don’t trust the Kathmandu elite with hardly tasted the fruits of development and South. Sustained political and economic Are we making progress on HIV/ ometime ago, King Gyanendra said Narayan thought he was free to move the aspiring population group and the have lost hope and confidence in the reform by developing countries will be AIDS? its arrogance and pompous airs, they fear the security forces almost more that every Nepali should rise above towards east and west. Thus, The Great entrenched power elite would have been capacity of the existing system to deliver matched direct support from the rich If in the final report the answer is “no” than they fear the rebels. And they have questions about the king’s motives, S “I” and begin to think as “We” Gorkha Emperor himself delineated the inevitable. As it happened, the Maoists but are willing to go along with him because he is only one who is dispensing services and provide them with the basic world in the form of the trade, aid and to all these questions then it clearly points instead. Implicit in the message is the belief spatial features of his ambitions— appropriated the agenda of cultural hope. that all of us know who we are. We must mountains, hills and valleys. The plainsmen pluralism and may have helped avert an even elements of a dignified life. investment. The goals are in fact the UN’s to the need of change in policies. If it is Still, the palace and the parties must patch up. There is no other way. And UNDP’s Human Development Report effort to set the terms of a globalisation “yes” then it provides a powerful if it needs the party leaders collectively meeting the king, there is no reason accept our power-determined identity and were nowhere in his picture. By the time he more calamitous conflict. But if the then learn to behave accordingly. annexed , its residents insurgents desert their declared mission of 2001 draws attention to governance as the driven not by the interest of the strong but vindication of current strategies. The such a meeting can’t be arranged before King Gyanendra embarks on his “missing link” in the current development managed in the interest of the poor. Millenium reports are a real time pilgrimage tour to holy sites in India. This certainty about the self is so had been Hinduised by the Malla kings for creating a political identity, their fate will be ingrained in the social elite of Nepal that centuries. In addition to the mountains, much worse than that of other mainstream situation of Nepal. Unless management of The Millenium Development Goals accountability framework tracking year by When a group of musicians decided to do a peace roadshow this month, the development process becomes truly campaign in Nepal has at its core eight year what is working and what isn’t. In the organisers were surprised by the unexpectedly large turnout. People didn’t no questions are entertained about the Nepalipan received Hinduism as its second players of the power game. need to be bused in as they are in political rallies, this was no rent-a-crowd. basis of the definition. There is no room in defining feature. A plural political identity has to be participatory at all levels, until those who simple targets that are of direct relevance Nepal, ultimately, the future of the The 200,000+ mostly-young Nepali men and women who attended the concerts it for doubts, and dissent is heresy. All must The third dimension of this new based on the supremacy of the constitution are to deliver services are held accountable to the lives of every Nepali. These political system will be determined at the in Dharan, Hetuada, Butwal, Mahendranagar, Dang and Kathmandu were rally around the idea of “We Nepalis”. identity—Gorkha Bhasa—emerged almost with a secular state and multi-lingual society by those who are to be served, little represent the ultimate bottom-up ballot box both at central and decentralised spontaneously and openly telling the politicians in Kathmandu what they want. The problem with the idea of an automatically as the nobles from the Gorkha as its two other nodes. Awadhi speaking progress will be made. grassroots pocket-book development levels. They want them to stop trying to wreck this chance for peace. The concert in imagined community, however, is that it court began to displace the Newar Nepali Mussalmans will then not feel left A democratic state with all its checks agenda, they are firmly focussed on the All over the world, the Millenium Tulsipur, in the heartland of the insurgency, was the most heavily attended must have the “other” to assert itself. There aristocracy from the positions of state power out as they do now. After all, how can a and balances enshrined in the constitution bread and butter issues everywhere and Development Goals have electrified the MIN BAJRACHARYA with upwards of 50,000 people from the outlying villages of Dang, Salyan and is no “us” without “them”. In the politics in Kathmandu. These three points of Bhojpuri-speaking Christian from Parsa begin needs the support of civil society one certainly does not need a PhD in development community by connecting Rolpa. This was a musical referendum for peace. of identity, hatred of all other is even more reference with the king at its centre has to think as “we” when her whole being is institutions to promote the value of economics to participate in the debate. them to real public opinion. Donors are The Nepali people are so down they need a break. They deserve a break. important than the love of self. Hence, remained the fixed form of Nepali identity presented as the inimical “other” of Hindu, transparency and accountability—and From a sheepherder in Humla to a realigning their support around the reports, The economy needs a break. Tourism needs it, too. And development needs a whenever cultural nationalism appropriates for more than two centuries. Even when the Nepali-speaking, “us” Nepalis? development—and individual rights. Civil shopkeeper in , the idea of cutting development agencies are doing the same breakthrough. All we are saying is, give peace a chance. political patriotism, conflicts are inevitable. Sugauli Treaty of 1816 put a sizeable So, when Subhas Rai portrays Parbati as society can and should play the role of an poverty, putting children to schools, and so is much of civil society. Rather than That seems to be what is happening in number of non-Hindu plainsmen who spoke a coy Chhetri damsel, and represents Shiva educator and watchdog at all levels of the building a cleaner environment and using the language and subject matter of Nepal as a resurgent cultural nationalism languages much older than Gorkha Bhasa, as a confident, muscular and sun-burnished country and also the role of social mobiliser providing better health care for mothers academic seminars the report seeks to take Millenium Development Goals for Nepal begins to displace the Nepali political identity. they remained outside the ambit of power- Magar chieftain that is just a minor and service deliverer all the way down to and infants is something that everyone can the issues to classrooms and teashops, fields If immediate steps aren’t taken to defuse the defined Nepali identity. diversion. Redrawing myths is an integral the level of communities and households relate to in a very tangible way. and factories showing everyone from the Goal 1 - Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger emerging crisis, there is no telling where the The People’s Movement tried to tinker part of cultural nationalism, bound as it is to where the state cannot reach. Already, the National Planning Head of State down to school children search for “Nepalipan” will lead Nepal. with this, but even the constitution that Goal 2 - Achieve universal primary education an imagined past. To paraphrase Marx, if We in the United Nations believe that Commission has decided to reflect these where their country is lagging behind its The idea of Nepalipan isn’t new. It made Nepali citizens sovereign for the first Rembrandt painted the Madonna as a Goal 3 - Promote gender equality and empower women our Millenium Development Goals have goals in the government’s planning process neighbours and where it is leading. Where dates as far back as the reign of King Prithvi time in their history refrained from reframing Dutch peasant woman, why should Subhas Goal 4 - Reduce child mortality the potential to transform the world. It’s an and annual budgets. The Poverty more attention needs to be paid and where Narayan Shah who had to invent an the Nepali identity. Reverence of crown, and Rai be censured for depicting Hindu deities Goal 5 - Improve maternal health idea whose time has come. They can also in Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) will in things are on track, where more resources identity for a country that he united. He not the constitution, as the symbol of in a form which is dear and familiar to him? Goal 6 - Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases chose to define the new entity—Gorkha national unity meant that the state couldn’t Pramod K Mishra (Letters, #135) a very direct way change the social, its final form contain specific measurable are essential and where they are not being Goal 7 - Ensure environmental sustainability Empire, later Nepal—in terms of a yam be secular, and the court language was lingua questions this interpretation of art as economic and political face of Nepal targets and indicators in line with the effectively used. between two stones. This definition is franca. In real terms, 1990 didn’t change the “Nepali” or otherwise. It is the including addressing the root causes of goals. Even more important is the Monitoring the performance of based on the assumption of an unyielding basic power structure of the country. All ethnocentricity of Nepalipan that is conflict. translation of these goals into concrete politicians and bureaucrats in the Ultimately, these will only yield (Henning Karcher is the UN Resident competition between two rocks of geo- that it did was confer political legitimacy dangerous, not the imaginary recreation of The goals were adopted by 189 nations tangible sub-goals targets and indicators at realisation of development is of vital results if citizens of all caste and Coordinator in Kathmandu and this politics—one beyond the Himalaya and the upon the cultural hegemony of power elite. Shiva and Parbati per se. So, when King at the Millennium Development Assembly the local level. Workshops have been held importance to the nation. creed, women, men and children comment is adapted from his statement at other in the Ganga plains. If a class war in the name of the Maoist Gyanendra asks us to think of “we”, it in New York in September 2000 based on with the Local Development Offices of all Decentralisation and social mobilisation stand up and hold elected and the National Convention of the NGO Between these two fixed boundaries to insurgency hadn’t begun when it did, should inspire us to all be inspired to make the realisation that an unequal and divided 75 districts informing them of these goals are critical elements in a workable appointed leaders responsible for Federation of Nepal in on MIN BAJRACHARYA the north and the south King Prithvi perhaps a communal confrontation between space for all of “us” within it. world as we have it now can simply not and encouraging them to reflect them in management and monitoring system. the realisation of agreed targets. Wednesday).

LETTERS

MADHESIS way he could help other madhesis Great Britain, India and China government and media to ensure politically deficient section of the National Parks. Apart from the Royal Bardia National Park have to when we try and apply for entry point in your hard-hitting editorial ALL THAT JAZZ term thinking about its own party bigger blunder by insisting on a I agree with CK Lal’s assertion become writers like him, even risks escalating and that these misconceptions are Nepali diaspora. scenery, I think the most special pay “protection money” to the into one of their countries? Every ("Tourism vs Terrorism", #135). Perhaps, Nepal’s politicians too interest. What we need is a showdown with the king who is in “The tarai cauldron” (#134) though the editors in Nepali media internationalising a domestic corrected before they can do T Sherpa, aspect of your country is the army (under threats from the local one of us who tries to apply is The terrorists have won if we could play some jazz and learn compromise between the parties busy trying to start a peace about the lack of representation are mostly Bahuns. conflict whilst plainly lasting damage. Bellevue, Washington, forbearance of the Nepali people. Major) the lodge owners still treated like a prospective illegal punish the tourism industries of from the organizers of Jazzmandu. and His Majesty with the country’s process with the Maoists. For of people from the tarai. But I Prem Chapagain, Florida, USA demonstarting US naivety in Andrew Duncan, USA Even though the hotel businesses greeted me warmly. Despite the immigrant no matter what our our countries. The advisories Girija Prasad on vocals, Madhav interest foremost in their minds. once, the political parties have don’t believe in how he is thinking that such an internal Nairobi, Kenya are nearly collapsing in Pokhara, political disturbances and credentials are. At least visas are serve no purpose other than to Kumar on harmonica, Lokendra And the country’s interest at the to look beyond their narrow presenting the problem. Madhesi DONALD CAMP conflict can be resolved militarily VISAS AND ADVISORIES the staff still have a ready warm uncertainties in Kathmandu, all the granted for our country on prevent the governments of Babahdur on cymbals, while present time can only be to restore political power games, beyond society itself needs major The speech by US Deputy rather than through dialogue. It WHAT? I have just spent a wonderful smile when they greet their restaurant and hotel staff still payment of the said amount. And some countries from being sued “Peacenik” Pun could go on sax. law and order and make the peace competing for ministership reform, and can’t be satisfied Assistant Secretary of State would appear that the US fails to At the risk of being mocked by all month touring Nepal, seeing guests. Even though the hotels in semed positive. I would like to in their currency I don’t think it is by their citizens. They aren't And they could just keep on process successful. Other things portfolios in the new all-party with putting some token Donald Camps (#135) would be recognise that the injustices those in the know, what exactly is Pokhara, the , and wish the propects for peace in much at all compared to the visa effective against terrorists, improvising. will come later. But this endless government, and start madhesis in positions of power. amusing if it were not so scary. For perpetrated by successive so- a “constituent assembly”? I am Royal Bardia and Chitwan this great country. fees we have to pay for their because let's face it, they can Jack Prasai, Cape Town quarrelling between the parties cooperating. I am sure there are At Tribhuvan University in Camp to claim that the current called democratic elected pretty certain there are other Chris Lebonne, Switzerland countries. I know I can be strike just about anywhere. They and His Majesty isn’t helping more people like Mr Rana in the Kirtipur, one hardly used to see ceasefire is “a tangible signal of governments in Nepal, supported ignoramuses like myself but we debated by someone else’s view just spread panic. Meanwhile, the DHAWAL RANA matters. The parties say the king other political parties as well, any madhesi girls studying our (US) policy success” is untrue, by US foreign policy, are the are hesitant to ask about the I don’t mean to play spoilsport in of the “economics” rationale and economies of countries that Mr Dhawal S Rana seems to be has to “correct his mistake”. What they should speak up. there. But I don’t think you can arrogant and risks derailing direct cause of the current differences between what we this great effort everyone, that of ground reality but I do think depend on tourism are one of the few sane voices in the mistake? They are making another Sarita Neupane, email blame the Bahun-Chhetri-Newar carefully negotiated peace talks conflict and the significant level have now and what “they” want. especially in the tourism industry, there also exists this small aspect devastated, pushing them further rank and file of the political parties domination for that. It is the before they have begun. To further of popular support that the The devil is in the details. So, how is making to loosen visa of ‘national dignity’. into poverty, thus aggravating the (“Preventing Peoples’ War II”, madhesis themselves who do state that the US will not let the Maoists enjoy within the country. about a column next week from a regulations to allow people from C Nawang, by email very problem that probably #135). If the rest of the parties not want to send their girls to Maoists prevail smacks of The most worrying and political pundit to give us a primer? abroad visit more easily. I realise triggered terrorism in the first thought like him wouldn’t this crisis get higher education. CK Lal interference where it is neither frightening aspect of such Everything you wanted to know the great contribution visitors It was high time someone place. be resolved sooner? The hardline needs to go into these issues, welcome or necessary. It also statements is that they will be about the constituent assembly make to our impoverished said something about the travel Can these countries be stance taken by Mr Rana’s own SAGAR PANDIT instead of complaining about shows a total lack of understanding unquestioningly believed by the but were afraid to be smirked at. economy. But is it only me who advisories issued by foreign slightly more intelligent about party hierarchy is confusing, it how the Maoists are not of events in Nepal. The claimed majority of the American people. You’d be contributing a lot to the realises the total contempt with embassies about Nepal. I'm glad advisories? lacks long-term thinking about the including the madhesis. That coordination of military aid with It is incumbent on the Nepali education of the well-read but which we Nepalis are treated that you have picked up this sore Kalden Lama, Thamel national interest, and even long- 4 NATION 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 NATION 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 5 DOMESTIC BRIEFS But there seems to be extreme sensitivity on Also, India can’t pay more than what it pays others some issues like the proposed transport for power from alternate sources. So, we have to work out

agreement and the extradition treaty. between the two countries whether it is viable. If it is, Nepali art exhibit in ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ “The Maoist insurgency is not only a threat to the security Regarding the transport agreement, the Nepali side had let’s go ahead. But if right from the beginning it is ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ raised the issue that they would have a problem entangled in political problems how can we move ? Siddhartha Art Gallery is organising the first-ever exhibition of Nepali art in India by taking the works of six including cargo vehicles in the transport agreement Given the fact that India has a very large and growing contemporary artists to New Delhi next week. Himalayan Expression 2003 will feature 30 works by Uttam because there are transport interests here who feel need for energy we are interested in purchase of power Nepali, Shashi Bickram Shah, Batsa Gopal Vaidya, Shashikala Tiwari, Kiran Manandhar and Ragini of Nepal, but also a threat to the security of India.” Upadhyaya (l to r in pic). threatened by unlimited opening to cargo vehicles from Nepal. But it has to be done on the basis of very The exhibition will be opened by Royal Nepali Ambassador in New Delhi, Bhekh Bahadur Thapa on 11 coming in from India. So, we said OK, let’s put it aside cool, calm and economic assessment. Both countries March at New Delhi’s Habitat Centre’s Habiart Foundation. “We’ve always wanted to do a show in India, from p1 But you agree that this is a conflict with trans-boundary for the time being. Despite that there were people should benefit. and we are really excited about this opportunity to show contemporary Nepali art to the Indian public at ramifications? making statements about Indian transport entrepreneurs such a prestigious venue,” says Sangeeta Thapa of Siddhartha. The exhibition will go on till 20 March. Once more, the issue of inundation has arisen. Why do these When you have such an open border, and where there are thousands of taking over the transport sector, etc. With the other part You have gone on record saying that India things keep happening? people going back and forth that some people slip across, then it is of the agreement that is related to the movement of would not like to mediate on the peace talks We have a Standing Committee on inundation problems. It is headed by a imminently possible that some guns slip through. But we have to try to passenger vehicles, we want to achieve as easy a between His Majesty’s Government of Nepal Director General on the Nepali side and the Commissioner of the Ganga see how we can deal with it. The way to deal with it is through much movement between India and Nepal as possible. There and the Maoist rebels. Would India accept any Water Commission on the Indian side. Given that we have this long border better cooperation. And cooperation between the security forces of both are thousands of Nepali and Indians visiting each third party mediation or facilitation in this and so many rivers, there will be issues of inundation because of the sides has increased. As the problem became more acute over time, we other’s countries, this would make their travel easy. At a context? structures built on the Indian side and its impact on the Nepali side and vice made assessments and devised cooperative measures to deal with it more time when you are trying to promote tourism by Let me clarify. This is really a matter to be decided by versa. By the way, there are also issues we have with the Nepali side: in the effectively. organising road shows in India, the transport agreement Nepal. My point was very clear: Nepal needs a last meeting, there were about 20 or 21 inundation issues raised by the should reflect that. The reports that India refused to give supportive international environment. If you have a

Nepali side, but there were 16 similar issues raised by the Indian side. The Post-11 September, we see increased Western interest in the routes to Patna and Delhi are not true. All we said was third party mediator, he will have to take a neutral stance Japanese hope ceasefire will hold

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ important thing to remember is, with population pressure many of the region, and in the conflict in Nepal as well. We have heard since these two routes were raised during the meeting between the two sides. We do not wish to see a violent The Japan Nepal Society held a seminar in Tokyo on 8 March on “Peace-building Nepal” in which Japanese previously uninhabited riverine areas in both countries are affected by senior Indian officials cautioning Western governments itself, we would have to consult the concerned state insurgency and an established government put on the academics, students, environmentalists and activists hoped that the current ceasefire would lead to lasting flooding. The only way to deal with it is to sit down and see what we can do about the lethal military support to Nepal. What level of governments. same footing. The third party may also inject its own peace so that they could visit their “second home”. to minimise the problem. We have a mechanism in place. It is important coordination is here between New Delhi and Western We have no problem with that. That’s just a formality. agenda into the negotiations. There may be temptation Speaking fluently in Nepali, Dr Abe Yasuo of NPO Kathmandu said, “We must all work together for peace that the mechanism works and that the people who know the subject verify governments vis-à-vis Nepal? On extradition, there are certain aspects of the treaty for a donor to use aid as leverage in the process and this to be restored. The Maoist violence has brought nothing but horror to the villages.” The seminar was also what the problem is and find how we can deal with it in everyone’s interest. Certainly, both the US and the UK are good friends of Nepal as is India. that are standard in other extradition treaties around the may be not in the best interest of Nepal. But this again, attended by Sudip Pathak of the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON) who gave a brief history of We have a common interest in making sure that Nepal continues to be a world. The model treaty that the UN has does not is a matter for Nepal to decide. the roots of the conflict. “People are still sceptical about permanent peace, but the ceasefire will hold this There is a general belief in Nepal that the Maoists agreed to country with political stability and economic prosperity. To that end an exclude the extradition of third country nationals. Even time,” Pathak told the audience. Tanaka Toshiyuki of the Institute of Himalayan Conservation said things were the ceasefire because New Delhi leaned on them, and raided exchange of information and assessment, which is quite normal, has been before the discussions started newspapers started talking Is there a possibility for a new wave of Indian getting better after the ceasefire and that his group’s activities could now begin anew. their hideouts. To what extent was this a factor, and will this taking place. We are very happy to see that they are consulting us on the about no third country nationals being included. This investment in Nepal? Hageshita Toshiyuki, a former JICA volunteer called on the Maoists to stop their extortion drives, and the pressure mount? evolving situation, and whenever we have been asked we have shared our can’t be done. The fact is, if Nepal says that its territory There is tremendous opportunity for Nepal to attract civil service should be less corrupt. Okura Yoshitomi of Japan Alpine Club said that Nepal has always been a We don’t have any contacts with the Maoists. We regard the Maoist perceptions with them. will never be used for any hostile activity against any foreign investment. Nepal’s proximity to a large and safe destination and the ceasefire had made it even safer. Yoshitomi was more worried about the recovery insurgency not only as a threat to the security of Nepal, but also a threat to neighbour, how can you exclude a third country growing market next door, its tariff free entry into this of the Nepali economy. Takaoka Shuncho condemned the destruction by the Maoists of the Mahendra the security of India. Why? Because this particular group also has links with Does that include military hardware assistance as well? MIN BAJRACHARYA national? Indeed, we are still in the process of market, lower wage rates and a less congested Sanskrit Library and compared it to the destruction of the Bamian Buddha by the Taleban. (from Kumar insurgent groups in India like MCC and PWG. We know they have worked We have conveyed to the government of Nepal that we will take care of its negotiation. It is something that takes time. We can’t infrastructure are advantageous. Nepal can certainly Basnet in Tokyo) and trained together, and so right from the start, we have extended all requirement in terms of its military and security forces to a certain extent negotiate through the media. It is not accurate to say that capitalise on these aspects. We get a lot of queries from

possible cooperation to the Nepali side in dealing with this. We shared on a concessional basis. If the US or the UK supplies those items or there is an impasse. Indian companies who want to invest in Nepal despite Disappeared Nepalis

○○○○○○○○○○○○ intelligence with the Nepali authorities and handed over some people who provides training in certain areas—that is always welcome. Most the insurgency. But you need to create the right ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ were apprehended on our side. If this has been a factor in convincing the importantly, the major role that can be played by Western countries is to There have been reports of Indian interests in investment climate and fiscal incentives. A report of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to the forthcoming Maoists that they must come to terms with the government of Nepal, we are focus their attention on the developmental requirements of Nepal because “You can’t put both the sides on the hydropower sites in western Nepal. How The interest is there, that I can vouch for. What we UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva contains serious allegations of violations. The report covers the very happy. As you know in the last few months, we have also strengthened that is where the real crux will lie for the future of this peace process. same level because the Maoists concrete are these plans, and do you see the need is to sit down together and see how we can remove activities of the Working Group during 2002 and concludes that the highest number of cases of our own security presence at the border by deploying some of the Special climate now more conducive to push through some of the deterrents. In tourism, some five million disappearances in the world during 2002 occurred in Nepal (28) and Colombia (14). It has also reminded the Security Bureau forces so cross border movement can be monitored. Maybe Your government has been fairly direct in stating its have used violence, while the bilateral hydro projects? Indian tourists go abroad every year. But Nepal hasn’t Nepali government of its responsibility to take effective measures to prevent and terminate acts of that too has helped. preference for the political parties to be a part of the peace government is a legitimate We are always ready. The question is whether or not we been able to attract even a fraction of that. During the disappearances and of its responsibility to conduct thorough and impartial investigations “for as long as the process. What role do you see them playing? And, how do are ready to focus attention on economic viability of entire summer Nepal is like a hill station for the whole fate of the victim of enforced disappearance remains unclarified” and to bring perpetrators to justice. (http:// There is also a feeling that perhaps India in the past had not you view the crisis of confidence between the monarchy and representative of the people.” certain projects. Politics can come later. India doesn’t of north India. So, you need to be more pro-active and www.unhchr.ch/pdf/chr59/70AV.pdf) done enough to control Maoist activities on its territory even the mainstream political parties at the moment? expect Nepal to subsidise power for India. send the right message. though their hideouts were known, and this despite the danger We can only share our assessment with the political leaders here and the to thrash out all the pending issues except for a couple of technical ones of a spill over of the insurgency. other important segments of society. But ultimately it is the political because they were raised during the meeting and we had to consult our People in Nepal forget that India is a huge country with over one billion parties, perhaps the monarchy and others who have to decide how they authorities in order to come to a solution. That has been more or less people and in order to apprehend, or to have any kind of control over the would like to deal with this issue. Whether before the ceasefire or after, we completed and fairly soon we should be concluding the agreement. Many kind of presence you are talking about requires very good intelligence. It is are convinced that for the future of Nepal, being a parliamentary people do not realise that India itself constructed the railway line under a not enough to say that the Maoists held a meeting at a certain place or that a democracy, it is important for the monarchy and the political parties to grant. If we were not interested in the ICD [Inland Container Depot] project Maoist leader was giving an interview somewhere else. Unless you have a very work together. Cooperation is something they have to work out why would we have contributed? Secondly, the customs procedures that have good and real-time intelligence exchange it is like looking for a needle in a themselves. Our job as a friend is to point out how we see the situation been worked out are virtually the same as it is for any importer in India with haystack. And, sometimes it is said that if Indian agencies had wanted to but only if we are asked for advice or assessment. It is for the political only one exception—that the importer has to put in a declaration regarding apprehend the Maoists they could have done so easily. That is a very childish forces here to decide how they move forward. the content of the container. There will be a seal, which will be put in way of looking at things because if the Indian intelligence agencies were so Kolkata and if that seal is there it will get through the border without further efficient then why would we have insurgencies in India at all? Within Recent Nepal-India talks on the transport and railways treaty checks. Nepal itself, have you been able to find exactly where they are? One should have been inconclusive. What is holding things up? The paperwork too has been drastically reduced. If customs procedures not be unfair about allegations, people should realise what the ground What unfortunately emerges from the coverage of these meetings does not are simplified, both sides benefit. Our efforts have been to negotiate a win- realities are. reflect reality. For example, on the railway agreement we actually managed win situation for all concerned. Available worldwide HERE AND THERE by DANIEL LAK in hard copy

Nepali Times is now available on PEPC Worldwide vending machines at major airports and hotel chains. Some of the kiosk WalMart vs Iraq venues around the world:

Kowloon Hotel Hong Kong, New World Renaissance Hotel ies, damned lies and statistics.” US President Harry Truman was a Hong Kong, Maurya Sheraton Delhi, Bali Hyatt, famously plain-speaking man and he had no time for number Intercontinental Resort Bali, Nusa Dua Beach Hotel Bali, “ Radisson Hotel Bali, NZ National Maritime Museum, Hilton crunching when he coined that much-quoted phrase. But the A largely innumerate L Auckland, Hotel Bangkok, Bumrungrad Hospital Bangkok, admirable fellow that he was, Truman was wrong. Statistics don’t lie. They The Dusit Thani Bangkok, Marriott Resort & Spa correspondent gives economic Bangkok, Le Royal Meridien Bangkok, Shangri-la Hotel can be misused, but the numbers are the numbers. So here—from your Bangkok, Club Andaman Phuket, Dusit Laguna Resort largely innumerate correspondent—are a few economic points to ponder Phuket, Khata Thani Hotel Phuket, Merlin Beach Resort, about the war in Iraq. pointers on a future war in Iraq. Phuket Arcadia, Evason Phuket, Hilton Vienna Danube, Victoria Park Plaza London, The United States, Great Britain and Australia—the core components of Holiday Inn Amsterdam, Dorint Hotel The Hague, Holiday the military “coalition” against Saddam Hussein—have a combined gross with psychobabble while some LA gang members sneak up behind the opposing Inn Eindhoven, Radisson SAS Schiphol, Hotel van der Valk Schiphol, The Westin Rotterdam, Sheraton Schiphol, domestic product of nearly $16 trillion, measured by the economists’ forces and frighten them into surrendering. The Fairmont Dubai, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, The Westin favourite method, purchasing power parity. In other words, what local Another point to consider. Wal Mart, the World’s Biggest Retailer, sold Atlanta Airport, Marriott La Guardia, Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki, Marriot Los Angeles Downtown, Sofitel Hotel incomes can buy. Let me repeat that as a number: 16,000,000,000,000 $250 billion—250,000,000,000—worth of widgets and groceries last year. Los Angeles, Best Western Marina Park Miami, Sofitel United States dollars. That’s a rough measure and possibly an underestimate Almost five times the total economic activity of Saddam’s Iraq. Wal Mart could Miami, of the economic activity in these three advanced, industrial democracies. beat the Iraqis. But there’d be no need to. The good people of Baghdad would Novotel New York, Marriott Stamford, Hamilton Crowne Plaza Washington DC, Latham Hotel Washington Now let’s look on the other side of the battlefield. Ah yes, Iraq. Well the shop ‘til they dropped at the merest whiff of the consumer cornucopia in a Wal DC, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel Washington, Omni Butcher of Baghdad, as we all know, sits on huge oil reserves. His is one of spoiled, petulant, rich child. Mart. And they could have their cars serviced at the same time by on-site Shoreham Hotel Washington DC. the most well off Arab countries. They can afford weapons of mass To add a little more perspective, even Nepal, one of the world’s poorest mechanic. Most major American companies, most major western companies and destruction after all. So they must be flush with cash in Iraq. A worthy countries by any measure, has a GDP approaching $34 billion. That’s with all many in India and China, tower economically over Iraq even in bad years. opponent for our $16 trillion men on the other side? Right? Wrong. By our problems—depressed tourism, non-existent foreign investment, rampant tax Finally, how about this? Don’t forget that Iraqi GDP of $57 billion. Have current measure, Iraq’s gross domestic product is a piddling $57 billion. dodging by the business class, bad governance and so on. Do I really have to you seen what the latest estimates are for the cost of the war? Best case scenario? That’s right, 57 billion or shall we express it as 57,000,000,000. That point out that we don’t have any oil? And we still come close to Iraq, that anchor Two or three weeks of relatively “clean” military activity and easy victory in looks more impressive, doesn’t it? of the axis of evil. Bagdhad…$95billion tops. That’s an American government estimate, probably But it doesn’t hide the fact that in GDP alone, the so-called “coalition” Or how about this? Most American states have far bigger economies than on the low side and based on assumptions impossible to confirm in advance. But represents three hundred times the economic might of it’s opponent. Three Iraq. Hell, California is richer than Britain, as rich as France. If California bet on this: the US taxpayer will spend far more than the GDP of Iraq to give the hundred times more powerful economically. That’s 300 times. It’s the difference seceded from George Bush’s America tomorrow, and you can’t rule that out, it’d place a new government. between abject poverty and middle class affluence, it’s Rs 1 in a beggars hand be the world’s sixth largest economy. California alone has the military and That’s what I call bad economics. And someone, somewhere is telling versus Rs 300 in the pocket of a rich child going to buy sweets after school. A economic might to crush half the Middle East. They can certainly baffle them damned lies. 6 NATION 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 ECONOMY 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 7 SOMEWHERE IN NEPAL by PUSKAR BHUSAL BIZ NEWS Business connect Small○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Industries Promotion Programme (SIP-P), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Wanted: Nepali Managers Co-operation (SDC), has started a campaign to inform Nepali entrepreneurs about the relevance of business services and to encourage them to buy them. The program was introduced to fulfil the It’s cheaper to hire (and fire) bideshi managers.

need of expert manpower in the fields of management, market promotion and financial ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ management for small and medium-sized industries, said Leon Heudret, project manager at SIP-P. ver wonder why there is a Nepal’s set of rigid labour laws with such unprofitable prospects “The program would provide a regular forum for conducting seminars and interactions between shortage of Nepali managers that have been stuck in a time-warp and a legal system that spells out the sellers and buyers, apart from other promotional programs,” said Nabin Dahal, program officer E at the top, decision-making since 1992—refined with further instructions in excruciatingly at SIP-P. He added that the forum would also conduct visiting-card exchanges between service- Kampuchea seekers and service-providers to help in building direct contact. levels in many Nepali-owned big socialist hues in 1997—also slows prescriptive detail, is it any wonder business houses? down Nepali managers. As a result that most Nepali big business You may say, rather it’s cheaper and even easier to hire, houses prefer to give the laws a Nepal does the Dew uncharitably, that most Nepali retain and fire non-Nepali managers short shrift and continue to bring in on our ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ managers are not good at managing The much contested cola market is expanding to accommodate another contender. Varun on renewable contracts for seven non-Nepali managers and get on Beverages (Nepal) will market and distribute Mountain Dew, a new citrus soda manufactured by their own careers. They tend to years than develop Nepali employees with business as usual? You can’t compare Pepsi Cola. Mountain Dew is the third largest soft drink brand in the US, and is being promoted in jump back and forth between the into trustworthy long-term staff . The spirit of the labour laws is apples and oranges the subcontinent as an “energy and exhilarating” drink and is the first-of-its-kind in Nepal. The same old companies without ever Take, for instance, the legally to protect workers and employees . brand will initially be launched in 500 ml PET bottles priced at Rs 25, followed by a unique smaller acquiring depth or a track record. mandated hiring practice. The laws But as those laws stand in Nepal just because they bottle of 200 ml costing Rs 9. Or you may add that most seem to instruct Nepali businesses to today, they serve neither party’s are painted red. lack the quiet aggression, the automatically make new hires interests. However you look at it,

King-Size Yamaha polished professionalism, the permanent after only eight months it’s clear that for bodies such as the ○○○○○○○○○○○

minds ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ business know-how and even on the job. Such employees are Management Association of Nepal oncerns that a Maoist victory “Whatever is emanating from the Vietnamese sanctuaries in destruction of local religious movement since the death of still a unipolar world. Our internal in Nepal would trigger a Western media appears to be highly Cambodia is still raging in the practices and family structures, communism. The Cambodian combustibility, too, raises anxiety Morang Auto Works, distributor for Yamaha motorcycles relevant social networks to be the further entitled to annual (MAN) nurture and develop for Nepal, is going to introduce its latest model, Libero, to Khmer Rouge-type genocide exaggerated to us.” That kind of United States. For those who forced collectivisation of analogy pops up so often because of levels everywhere. (Here, too, the kind of profit-spotting managers incremental salaries and perks, enabling conditions for Nepali C offer customers more choice. Libero is not only fuel here have always sounded candour with an avowedly right- survived the legacy of American agriculture, torture and executions the similarities in, to borrow Cambodian parallel is striking. that today’s competitive regardless of how their own firms managers, the work ahead can only efficient at 85km per litre but also has more heft. The marketplace demands. fare in the marketplace. If profits go be started by making Nepal’s labour scandalous to our comrades. So wing publication was more than policies, the argument on the left that claimed at least 1.7 million Bhattarai’s words, “ground Rumours that a Thai actress had King-size Yamaha has been awarded the Most Exciting You may further conclude that down, the already struggling laws friendly to the market portions of US Deputy Assistant enough to rankle the neo- went, the awesome task was to lives happened under a movement realities”. suggested that the famous temple New Bike of the Year Award by Overdrive magazine. Secretary of State Donald Camp’s conservative flank of the Bush transform accumulated bitterness in full control of the country. You For years, the Khmer Rouge complex at Angkor Wat in Available in four colors, Libero will be sold from 22 since almost all big business houses businesses pays generous conditions. Who knows, one remarks at a conference in administration. and suffering into impetus for can’t compare oranges with apples had Norodom Sihanouk at its head Cambodia should be handed to branches and sub dealers of Morang Auto Works are run by old-line families anyway, compensations to employees they let pleasant consequence could well be Washington DC earlier this month The Maoists’ real objection socio-economic reconstruction just because they happen to be in order to burnish its international —a charge she denies— throughout the country at an introductory price of Rs there’s no point for other Nepalis go. As lawyer Tanka Dulal of that more and more Nepalis may were bound to provoke rancour in seems to be to the aspersions such of the country. painted red, right? image. It was only after the Reds, sparked anti-Thai riots in Phnom 99,990. to aspire to top positions as long as Institute of Law and Development find it easier to climb up the rebel ranks. (“Motivated and ill- parallels cast on Prachanda Path. Champions of the Nixon- Hair-splitting over the details of overconfident in their invincibility, Penh in January.) the families boast of “command- in Anamnagar says, “Much of corporate ladder through results intentioned”? What did our “We are no Khmer Rouge but the Kissinger policy on Cambodia Cold War history would do no put the prince under house arrest The Maoists’ political and-control” sons (and increasingly, business strategy in Nepal is that are awarded by the market than comrades expect from a CPN (Maoist), who believe in no continue to remind the good. A little embellishment here or that the “free world” began to commissars say they have gauged Here comes Mama daughters and relatives) who are centered on tiptoeing around the play the usual union politics on the conservative think-tank’s initiative blind aping of anybody but in the Chomskyites that the Khmer Rouge there is inevitable when the Khmer hound them in earnest. Bhattarai’s the influence of foreign forces on Fast○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Foods (Nepal), a subsidiary of the Chaudhary Group, has introduced yet another instant more comfortable working with labour laws to hire and fire people shop floor. titled “Preventing A Communist creative application of the universal was carrying out its totalitarian Rouge happens to be the only recent exegeses about how his Nepal’s internal political dynamics , Mama100, to the Nepali market. Available with four seasoning spices, the company claims non-Nepalis who they can shout at without inviting legal troubles.” Takeover in Nepal”?) law of development of nature and practices in areas it controlled from Maoist movement to have seized movement is the first to have and don’t want to see the country it also has nutritional value along with more . Assistant brand manager Kumar Dipendra than with Nepalis who may be seen Anything less, and the trade (Readers can post their For years, Maoist ideologue society as embodied in Marxism- early 1972, three years before it power outside the Great amalgamated the imperatives of the sucked into the vortex of a larger Sagar, says: “Consumers can now get more for less, a bargain that should entice most Nepalis.” as internal rivals or even eventual unions start raising hell, further comments and suggestions to Baburam Bhattarai has been Leninism-Maoism to the concrete overran Phnom Penh. So the Helmsman’s homeland. Had the palace’s nationalism and the international conflict. If that’s really spies for competitors. damaging the bottom-line. Faced [email protected]) equating such apprehensions with a conditions of Nepal,” Bhattarai “killing fields” had to be part of a Shining Path taken over the political parties’ democracy have an what spurred the peace process, lack of awareness of either added in the interview. deliberate policy. remaining 10 percent of Peru, Pol ominous ring. Those intent on then it’s just a few more leaps to movement. “First, there is no The Maoists’ ire is evidently Even if our comrades were to Pot & Co wouldn’t have dominated preventing history from repeating the safest landing. Just look at independent and authentic account aimed at the messenger as well. The concede that the Khmer Rouge’s the discourse with such deadliness. itself as a curse can’t afford to laugh Prime Minister Hun Sen and his of events in Cambodia under the debate over whether the Khmer record was so repulsive, they Nepal poses a special challenge off the slightest peril. band of ex-Khmer Rouge Khmer Rouge available so far,” he Rouge’s brutality was the result of wouldn’t run out of complaints. to the West because it has, in the Nepal may be divided between revolutionaries who are today the “Nepalis have to take leadership.” said in an interview with The America’s massive “secret” The Cambodian holocaust, the words of one commentator, the two armies and two states, but only trustees of Cambodian Washington Times late last year. bombings to eliminate North dispersal of rural populations, most successful communist one can claim legitimacy in what is democracy. How is DfID going to respond to Nepalís call for reconstruction and What is the rationale behind the appointment of Sir Jeffery as special rehabilitation assistance? representative? Our overall objective of the program here is to do what we can to support The mandate of Sir Jeffery James is to help coordinate the response by the the process of bringing about peace and security to this country. The international community to the situation here. He is a high-level official conflict is the major obstacle to poverty reduction, which is our mandate. who will ensure Nepal receives sufficient priority in London and other world We are extremely positive about recent developments and we want to give capitals, and he will be able to ensure that the British government’s efforts them whatever support we can and in whatever way we can. We believe the [to restore peace in Nepal] are well coordinated and well targeted. We The lying Dutchman development experience in this country has been deficient. It has not regard it as extremely important that the country comes together to support delivered to enough poor people in various parts of the country. The the peace process. We would very much like to see the political parties

in AMSTERDAM conflict and peace process now is an opportunity to correct that. What we working with the government to restore peace in Nepal. MARIAN○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ AARTS want to do is to support the government to deliver visible and tangible court in the Netherlands on Wednesday In a dramatic court benefits to these communities that have been ignored for too long. We How badly has the insurgency of the past seven years affected heard the tape of a walkie talkie conversation revelation, a Dutch have been working on various ideas for elements for RRR (reconstruction, development aid policy? A in which Dutch climber Bart Vos admits he rehabilitation and reconciliation). I don’t believe that the problem here is lack of resources. The problem is never reached the summit on 8 October 1984. climber’s claim that he ensuring that the government provides the right kind of leadership in order After his climb, Vos had become a national reached the top of Everest Is immediate humanitarian assistance on the agenda? to attract resources from the international community. What the hero and was offered a job by IBM. But his success There is a very, very urgent need, particularly in the mid-west and far west, government has to do is to demonstrate its commitment on two things: has been disproved nearly for food and cash through employment. In addition, work needs to be firstly, to help the poor people of this country and secondly, come up with was always in doubt and became a full-blown done to repair infrastructure and to support or restore—and in some cases, effective reforms to deal with obstacles in terms of poverty reduction. If the controversy when his climbing colleague, Mariska 20 years after the event. introduce basic services—to rural communities. So we are interested in government is able to do that, it will unlock a much larger flow of foreign Mourik, wrote a book called One Meter Everest in providing support to programs that would do all of these things and do assistance to this country. I don’t believe the problem is money. The 1999 saying Vos never reached the summit. The them quickly because the peace process can’t wait for things to happen. problem is the evidence of serious commitment to reforms and poverty similar allegations surfaced after the controversy was taken to court, and a long-lost reduction. We want to see the government providing leadership around expedition. The Russians on Dhaulagiri, which tape of the radio appears to have finally clinched How about long-term partnership with the government on issues like which the whole international community can come together to support MIN BAJRACHARYA included climber Anatoly Moshnikov, apparently the issue. poverty and unemployment? When do you think that can resume? them. declared Vos a “persona non-grata”. The conflict has forced us to re-examine the ways we were working in Vos is clearly heard saying on the tape: “We On Everest, Vos says his guide, Ganesh Gurung, support of development in this country. It stressed the importance of Have you seen this commitment after the 4 October move? reached the south summit, but the saddle to the waved at him from the South Summit when he was making sure that development is actually delivered to people at the Yes, there have been some positive developments. We see a commitment main summit was partly collapsed, so we went on the main summit. But many climbers later said grassroots. That is what the government has to do. This is where we can to reform on the part of this administration, which we strongly support. The down in a hurry because time was running out.” help the government to address these fundamental issues. Addressing government has made some good official appointments, it confirmed the this was nonsense because the main summit is not Vos’ later ascent of Dhaulagiri in 1996 is also issues of inequality, caste discrimination, the position of women and the new management arrangement of the state-owned bank. It announced plan Nepali Times interviewed David Wood, head visible from the south summit. Vos also claims he doubted. fact that a part of this country has been left out of the development for privatisation of some key enterprises. It is looking for ways to do a short- of the DfID (Department for International did not see a teddy bear and a blue oxygen cylinder In an investigative piece titled “Deceit of a process are our objective. The other thing, which really matters, is the term program of development assistance in the rural communities. All of left by an earlier expedition even though climbers issue of governance. We really would like to see and provide support to these things will help alleviate poverty and we support them. We also Development) of the British government in mountaineer” published three years ago, journalist the next day saw it there. He did say that the the government to take a much more effective position in relation to support the action being taken by the CIAA to deal with corruption. We want Nepal. He spoke about foreign aid, Milja de Zwart wrote that accounts of other Chinese tripod was gone, but he could have got this corruption and social exclusion. to see more of it. We want these efforts to be continued and strengthened. mountaineers proved that Vos never made it to the corruption, reconstruction and the recent information from earlier expeditions. top of Mt Everest in 1984. She also investigated Do you think the absence of elected local bodies will hamper How serious is corruption as an impediment to development? appointment of Sir Jeffery James as Britain’s the 1996 Dhaulagiri expedition and pieced implementation? It’s a major problem because it erodes both the people’s confidence in the special representative to Nepal. together evidence from Austrian and I think the government needs to put in place a committee at the district government and the government’s reputation. It’s part of the frustration that Russian climbers who were also on the level that represents all elements of the community in order to implement many people feel about the government and development in Nepal. It DfID itself is said to be top heavy, and uses old and inefficient mountain with the account of the Nepali programs in ways that are seen to be transparent and fair. Once the simply must be addressed not only by prosecuting people but also by models of aid. condition allows for it, we hope the government will re-introduce local improving the system that leads to corruption. There must be preventive You can hardly expect me to agree with that. I believe we are trying to liaison officer to conclude that Dhaulagiri elections. actions. change the way of our operations. For example, we have appointed a was also a hoax. “In fact Austrian Edi whole team of Nepali advisers for the first time and we no longer use Koblmuller is quoted as saying, “The How are you positioning yourself to help with the peace process DfID has pushed the privatisation process in Nepal. Has it been worth it? the expertise of our UK-based advisers. We are also going to be Netherland- man got a new nickname among itself? We are considering further support in this area. I would be the first to more transparent. We are going to have better communication climbers on Dhaulagiri as Neverland-man.” The key thing is the responsibility of the peace process rests with the acknowledge that our previous support was not successful. In the past, the about what we do in Nepal. We have an enormously strong track Vos always stuck to his story, saying parties in the conflict. We would support this process in whatever way we primary obstacle to privatisation was political. There was no serious record of what we have done and what we have achieved in this Mourik was making up her allegations so her can, but the leadership has to be taken by the people of Nepal. In other commitment at the political level for reform. I think the situation is different country and helped others to achieve similar goals. I do cases, development assistance has been useful in providing benefit to now. The ADB is supporting a program that will involve the privatisation acknowledge the fact that people have not known what we did in the book would sell more copies. Mourik says she people that have shown the benefits of peace. We are also talking about and liquidation of certain public enterprises. We are considering past. I want to address that and also want to diversify our staff in the had suspicions all along about Vos’ Everest providing short-term peace dividends. We would be happy to make supporting a few should the present government display a stronger office. We are in a much better position now to understand climb, but she started investigating it after available to Nepal expertise from other parts of the world. commitment to privatisation. developments—both political and social—in Nepal. 8 TRAVEL 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 9 Wild and free in

Here, where arid hills stagger toward the Tibetan Plateau, the Fargirth of the Kali Gandakiand Valley widens. Andaway along the deepest JomsomSpring is here, gorge in the world is enchanting . and this is the time to SRADDHA BASNYAT

IN JOMSOM Pokhara on Cosmic’s fast planes. KUNDA DIXIT visit the gateway to Mustang. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Jomsom is savvy to the needs of he high mountains IN JOMSOM travellers. They have safe drinking RUPA○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ JOSHI police men and women in will frisk and remove any around Jomsom are water stations (to discourage ollowing the contour of the river bed, and perilously close plastic bags still in your possession. The streets in and around redolent with myth bottled mineral water), police and to the cliffs on either side, the aircraft flies over the Jomsom are clean and litter free. The Mustangis’ bid to free their and legend that have ACAP check posts, telephone and towns of Lete, Tukuche and Marpha. The plane’s shadow district of the plastic menace that is plaguing the rest of the country interwoven with the The Pokhara-Jomsom flight is one of the most spectacular on earth. radio communication, a post office, skims swiftly over apple orchards, terraces of pink has been assisted by the various organisations working in the area. KUNDA DIXIT F T lives of ordinary buckwheat, across the sandy banks of the Kali Gandaki. A tight Every tree in and around Jomsom is heavy with red and yellow banking and money changer service, people. The residents talk about you are on Main Street which is formed at the bottom of a porters and ponies at negotiable bank on finals brings the swirling grey waters out the left window apples ripening gently under the balmy autumn sun. Exorbitant air Manang where the poet-saint dotted with hotels, lodges—no prehistoric ocean. freight costs, and the punishing mule ride to the road-head means that rates and airline offices. And and deep blue sky out the right, then we are bouncing on Jomsom’s Milarepa once rested his weary prior reservations necessary. And Globetrotters who want luxe recently-asphalted and roaring to a stop. most of the fruits in the Kali Gandaki valley get either desiccated and Jomsom is so clean you have a body. They speak of Tilcho Tal there is something to suit every will not be disappointed at the eco- Outside, the clean and crisp seems vacuum- candied or metamorphose into cider, brandy and wine. feeling you are in Zermatt or further northwest that blazes wallet. At the end of the main strip friendly Jomsom Mountain Resort. cleaned. Nilgiri’s fluted ridges of ice tower over the The Kali Gandaki cuts the world’s deepest Murren in the Swiss alps. turquoise in the sunlight where, Sushila Gauchand has a lodge above Captain RP Pradhan’s 102-room deep green conifers at its base. In the morning, the gorge between and Dhaulagiri. The main reason for Nepalis to according to the Skand Purana, her shop, Gauchand stores. palatial resort dominates the hill sun shines from behind the mountain, giving it a hazy Geologists say the river is older than the mountains go to Jomsom is because it is a Sita spent a part of her exile. Although tourism is not exactly overlooking the town. It may be hue. But as the day wears on the mountain plays and sliced through the Himalaya as it lifted. The stopover on the Locals also say that more recent enjoying a renaissance here, she large and expensive, but this is an hide-and-seek with the clouds, and finally when the gorge is a funnel linking the Tibetan plateau with pilgrimage. A two-and-a-half-hour legends like Bob Marley and Jimi continues to charge a standard eco-friendly place. Guests dine on sun dips behind the tall himals to the west Nilgiri the Gangetic plains to the south, and this is the walk along the Kali Gandaki with Hendrix came their way in the Rs 150 for a double room. “We homegrown organic vegetables reflects its rosy light. reason for the fierce winds. The prevailing wind the legendary winds pushing you heyday of hippie culture (see box). hope things will improve and I’ll fertilised by treated wastewater. The Life bustles around in the means the trees all lean northwards, with their

from behind brings you to Kagbeni. SRADDHA BASNYAT Jomsom is a 20-minute flight name the guesthouse after my resort, with 70 percent of local staff, mornings. Farmers from neighbouring villages sell branches pointing towards Tibet. From time to time, Overnight in this medieval town the “wrong” winds blow in from the plateau and from Pokhara—depending on the daughter,” she says as she deftly utilises local materials for the apples and vegetables to the locals and to takes you back centuries. Next passengers flying out to Pokhara. Porters mill about that is when the elders in Thini take it as a bad the whims of the weather, or the tosses buckwheat pancakes from interior and offers local produce on morning take the long climb up to hoping to find prospective clients. And then there are omen and gather at a special chhorten above the fancies of RNAC. Private airlines a hot girdle. the menu. The general manager Muktinath, admiring the awesome the locals, who just come to watch who comes and village to pacify the wind spirits with special and Gorkha Airlines Just next door is a Jomsom Samanta Tuladhar sees a definite views of Tukuche Peak and who goes. Jomsom-based civil servants throng to the offerings. also fly the route which is one of institution—Om’s Home. Twenty advantage in promoting the entire Dhaulagiri to the west. And to the airport terminal catching up on Kathmandu Flights out of Jomsom all depend on the wind the most spectacular flights on years it was the first registered region and working together with north is arid, mysterious and mystic newspapers that come on the morning flight. By mid- gods. The first question in everyone’s mind in earth. The Dornier steers guesthouse. Soak in some sunshine the people of Jomsom. Mustang. For anyone who has morning, the legendary Kali Gandaki wind tunnel starts Jomsom every morning is: “Will the planes come in northwest and threads past in the courtyard where owner In the spirit of co-operative ventured so far, the magic of to show what it can do. The planes stop flying, the today?” Sometimes you have to wait a week, as Annapurna South, just grazing the Bishnu Raj Hirachand remembers growth, Jomsom hoteliers and Mustang beckons—even with a sand starts flying and people huddle inside homes View of Jomsom from Thini with turbulence over the Kali Gandaki, clouds or snow top of Ghorepani pass so close to the salt traders who used to come Cosmic Air have devised a scheme hefty $700 ten-day permit and an and hotels. airstrip in foreground (top). The cancel flights. Pokhara is a 3-4 day trek away the treetops that you can see down the traditional salt route where any flight into Jomsom on the additional $70 daily levy. Then A signboard at the airport alerts everyone that imposing Jomsom Mountain Resort along some of the most rugged terrain on earth. But trekkers waving at you from Poon along the Thak Khola Valley. They carrier entitles the passenger to a and the legendary Om's Home. there is always the view. there is Thorung La above Mustang is a no-polythene bag district. In fact, alert Hill. Through the pilot’s used to stop here for butter tea, free night stay in any participating Muktinath which is the hard and windscreen you can see the later Peace Corps volunteers came. hotel. With 20,000 coupons at the steep way to Manang and a solid through the hills. The introduction looming presence of Dhaulagiri. But it was only after 1976, as ready, Jomsom is ready to lure one-day near-vertical climb to the of eight noisy tractors and a few Then a sharp right turn to follow trekking took off that Om (and tourists back. “People come to 5,400 m pass. motorbikes occasionally breaks up the Kali Gandaki past the Jomsom with it) became so popular. Nepal to see the mountains so this is For those who can’t afford the serenity of the recently stone snowcovered lower ridges The price of rooms at Om’s an ideal destination because we have Mustang, the mountains around paved Jomsom Bazar. It is an of Niligiri. Home ranges from $5-20, and each it all here—natural beauty, ethnic Jomsom have plenty of short day unnerving if apt reminder that The number of visitors to room has a colour TV and phone. diversity and all the facilities hikes with breathtaking views. Jomsom, for all it’s legends and Jomsom decreased by over 30 Every two rooms share a bathroom travellers today seek,” says Afternoons are best spent indoors, myths, is real, accessible and really percent between 2000 and 2002, that has running solar-heated water, Tuladhar. And now it is all very out of lashing winds that sweep not all that far away anymore. but it remains the most popular a luxury after a few days on the trail. accessible from Kathmandu and mountain destination in the ACAP To heat the sauna, Bishnu uses area and is second only to Solu Shaligram rocks, or ammonite. Khumbu. The entire river is full of Jomsom has the newest and ammonite, proof that this land was best domestic airport in Nepal. When you get out of the terminal They here…were

In the hippie heydays everyone came to Nepal in search of mik Nirvana. Even wannabe hippies. Bob Marley is said to have visited Muktinath in the 70s, undoubtedly aided by some prime regional hash. Today, just past the temple of the eternal flame is his shrine—the Bob Marley Restaurant. A sign in Old Jomsom says guitar god Jimi Hendrix stopped there for a rest. And in a restaurant named after him is a marble plaque marking the exact spot where Jimi sat. ANAGHA NEELAKANTAN 10 WORLD 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 11

ANALYSIS by GEORGE SOROS Lion’s share ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Water for all ○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ SYDNEY - The Australian government is denying claims that it bullied GENEVA - Privatisation of water services has had negative East Timor to grab a large slice of a $48 billion gas and oil deal signed consequences in many countries, says the environmental network between the two countries recently. The Australian Senate passed the Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), which urges global Timor Sea Treaty (TST) after intense debate but Greens leader Bob resistance to the commercialisation and commodification of this Brown accused the Australian Prime Minister John Howard of essential resource. The Bubble of American supremacy “blackmailing” the Timorese prime minister, by insisting that if the deal The FOEI report “Water Justice For All: Global and local was not signed in Dili, the Australian parliament would delay the resistance to the control and commodification of water” released s American and British has not been established beyond reinforce the misconception that ratification of the treaty. on Monday in which it outlines the precedents and outlook for the troops prepare to invade Kabul. Indeed, President Karzai gave rise to it. That is to be Prime Minister Howard called the claims of blackmail “totally false”, 3rd World Water Forum, to meet in the southwestern Japanese city Removing Saddam is a good thing although leaked documents showed contentious discussions between of Kyoto from 16-23 March. A Iraq, public opinion in must be protected by American feared here. Canberra and Dili. Timorese Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri told the The water question is centred on its scarcity in many parts of these countries does not support yet the way President Bush is bodyguards. The Israeli- It is not too late to prevent Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) that “a lot of pressure was done from the world, a situation aggravated by human activities that war without UN authorisation. Palestinian conflict festers. the boom-bust process from the Australian government, which was not helpful for the whole process.” contaminate or degrade the water sources. FOEI said international going about it must be opposed. Under the Australia-East Timor agreement, at the first slated project The rest of the world is Beyond Iraq an even more getting out of hand. The UN at the Bayu-Undan field, East Timor will get 90 percent of the revenue financial institutions, along with multinational water corporations, overwhelmingly opposed to war. dangerous threat looms in could accede to Chief Inspector “are paving the way” towards privatisation by making it a condition and Australia 10 percent. The conflict arises with the neighbouring for granting loans to poor countries. Yet Saddam Hussein is regarded I see parallels between the market booms are aborted long North Korea—a crisis Blix’s request for several months Greater Sunrise field, which Australia claims falls 80 percent within They are developing a global campaign for justice in access to as a tyrant who needs to be Bush administration’s pursuit of before the extremes reached by precipitated by President Bush to complete his inspections. Australian waters. East Timor would be entitled to only 20 percent of the water to protect water from privatisation and propose new models disarmed, and the UN Security American supremacy and a the recent bull market. The in his eagerness to break with America’s military presence in revenue from this venture. (IPS) for ownership and management, based on collective or community Council unanimously passed boom-bust process or bubble in sooner this happens, the better. what he deemed to be Clinton’s the region could be reduced,

systems that respond to the specific needs of the population. Other resolution 1441, which the stock market. Bubbles do That is how I view the Bush appeasement. Bush repudiated but it could be beefed up Renewed fears ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ campaigns are focused on reducing consumption, expanding the demanded that Saddam destroy not arise out of thin air. They administration’s pursuit of the sunshine policy introduced again if Iraq balks. Invasion ○○○○○○○○○ re-utilisation of water, and restoring rivers and wetlands. (IPS) MANILA - Insecurity and fears of renewed and intensified conflict in the his weapons of mass- have a solid basis in reality, but American supremacy. by President Kim Dae Jung of could take place at summer’s Philippines’ restive south are rising, a week after the 4 March bombing destruction. What caused this misconception distorts reality. The Bush administration South Korea and included end. This would be a victory outside an international airport there.

Sexploitation of immigrants Government officials are blaming the biggest Muslim separatist

○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ disconnect? Here, the dominant position of came into office with an North Korea in the axis of evil. for the UN and for the US group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) but MILF spokesman MADRID – Although the European Union has given women access Iraq is the first instance the US is the reality, the pursuit ideology based on market Rapid victory in Iraq with whose prodding made the Ed Kabalu denied involvement in the attack, which he called “barbaric”. to spaces that they were previously denied, not everyone is when the Bush doctrine is being of American supremacy the fundamentalism and military little loss of life could bring Security Council act On Monday, Defence Secretary Angelo Reyes said MILF may be reaping the benefits. Many of the excluded are undocumented applied and it is provoking an misconception. supremacy. Prior to 11 about a dramatic change in resolutely. That is what the classified a terrorist group. Before the blast, the Philippine government immigrants who are marginalised, mistreated and sexually allergic reaction. The Bush others. To be sure, the Bush administration. Prime Minister you are with the terrorists, he For a while, reality September, it could not make the overall situation. Oil French propose, but that is was working on a draft peace agreement with the MILF with the support exploited. of Malaysia and Libya. The bombing also occurred just as the There were a million prostituted women in Europe in 1997, doctrine is built on two pillars: doctrine is not stated starkly. It Sharon of Israel shares the same proclaims. reinforces the misconception, much headway in implementing prices could fall, stock not what is going to happen. Philippines and the United States worked on a plan to hold “military according to the Transnational AIDS/STD Prevention among Migrant first, the US will do everything is buried in Orwellian belief and look where that has Of course, the presence of but eventually the gap between its ideology because it lacked a markets could celebrate, President Bush has practically exercises” in Jolo, Sulu and Mindanao, where all Muslim rebel groups Prostitutes in Europe Project (TAMPEP). That figure has not been in its power to maintain its doublespeak. The doublespeak led. The idea that might is right extremist views in the executive reality and its false clear mandate and defined consumers could resume declared war. have a presence. After the bombing, President Gloria Arroyo asked updated, but experts agree that the total grows dramatically each unquestioned military is needed because the doctrine cannot be reconciled with the branch does not make America interpretation becomes enemy. Terrorism provided spending, and business could It is to be hoped that Iraq’s Congress to pass an anti-terror bill that allows warrantless arrests and year. Every year, some 100,000 women from Eastern Europe, supremacy and, second, the US contradicts American values. idea of an open society. Hence a totalitarian state. The unsustainable. During the self- the ideal enemy because it is step up capital expenditures. conquest will be swift and searches. mostly under 18, end up as prostitutes in the EU, according to the The incident, which killed 23 people and injured more than 130 intergovernmental International Organisation for Migration (IOM). arrogates the right to pre- The Bush administration the need for Orwellian principles of open society are reinforcing phase, the invisible and never disappears. America would end its relatively painless. Removing others, damaged not just the economy of Mindanao, where the airport Most sex workers in Spain come from Eastern Europe, emptive action. believes that international doublespeak. enshrined in the Declaration of misconception may be tested By declaring war on terrorism, dependency on Saudi oil, the Saddam is a good thing; yet the at Davao City is located, but also the rest of the country. The Philippine Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil, and are lured by false promises of These pillars support two relations are relations of power: But nobody is in possession Independence and the and when a test is successful President Bush gained the Israeli-Palestinian conflict way President Bush is going peso plummeted to its lowest level in history on Thursday, hitting 54.85 jobs. When they reach their destination, traffickers take their classes of sovereignty: American legality and legitimacy are mere of the ultimate truth. Those who institutions of American the misconception is domestic mandate he lacked. could become more tractable about it must be opposed. In to a US dollar. (IPS) identification documents, and in most cases rape the women sovereignty, which takes decorations. This belief is not make such claims are bound to democracy are protected by the reinforced. This widens the gap, But his policies have and negotiations could start the long run, open society

before forcing them into prostitution. precedence over international false but it exaggerates one be wrong at times, and so can Constitution. There are checks leading to an eventual reversal. already caused severe with North Korea without loss cannot survive unless the people Weak support for public health ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

TAMPEP detailed the proportion of immigrant women among ○○○○○○○○○ prostitutes in several European countries (in descending order): 90 treaties and obligations, and the aspect of reality to the exclusion enforce their claims only by and balances, and the President The later it comes, the more unintended consequences. The of face. That is what Bush who live in it believe in it. NEW DELHI - India’s continued lack of commitment toward public percent in Italy, 85 percent in Austria, 68 percent in the sovereignty of all other states. of others. The aspect it stresses coercion and repression. Bush must obtain the support of the devastating the consequences. EU and NATO are divided. counts on. But military victory (© Project Syndicate) health is reflected in the government’s latest budget, which public Netherlands, 62 percent in northern Germany, 50 percent in Spain, This is reminiscent of George is military power. But no empire makes no allowance for the people. Nevertheless, the Bush There seems to be an The US is perceived as a giant in Iraq is the easy part. It is health experts and funders say is pushing it deeper into the privatisation 45 percent in Belgium, 32 percent in southern Germany and 25 Orwell’s Animal Farm—all could ever be held together by possibility that he may be doctrine could do untold harm inexorable quality about this, but bully throwing its weight what comes after that gives (George Soros is Chairman of of services that overlook the needs of the poor. percent in Norway and Sweden. (IPS) India’s National Health Policy of 2002 acknowledged that public animals are equal but some military power alone. Yet that wrong, and he tolerates no before it is abandoned—as a boom-bust process can be around. Afghanistan has been pause. In a boom-bust process, Soros Fund Management and of health investment in the country had actually declined from 1.3 percent animals are more equal than belief guides the Bush dissent. If you are not with us, eventually it will be. aborted at any stage. Most stock liberated, but law and order passing an early test tends to the Open Society Institute.) in 1990 to 0.9 percent in 1999, the decade in which it undertook a program of liberalisation and structural adjustment. But where the policy had called for “the injection of substantial resources into the OPINION by DEEPAK CHOPRA COMMENT by NINA KHRUSHCHEVA health sector from the central budget,” the 2003-2004 outlay on the sector has actually been pared down even further. The figure may be closer to 0.8 percent of GDP after the current budget, according to initial assessments by Ravi Duggal of the NGO Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT). But private healthcare providers were delighted by income tax and 10 ways to avoid war customs concessions to the rapidly expanding hospital industry, which caters to the well-to-do, with a view to making the country a ‘global CALIFORNIA - It is simple to see because I suggested that if Pope The choice to change history or become its health care destination’. (IPS) that war is always a failure, a John Paul, Nelson Mandela,

perilous risk that leads to immense Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the next victim faces us right here, right now. Stalin and memory

○○○○○○○○○○○○ misery, and to be belligerent in the Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ name of peace is a form of war. Laureates and other luminaries he duty we owe to history is to rewrite it,” said Oscar Russia has alternated between politicians and historians portraying Russians as the victims of a “false Recently I was caught by surprise went to Baghdad, bombing would about fear and using violence to Europe or the US. “ Wilde. As a Russian, I am familiar with rewriting history. culture,” with foreigners responsible for all problems. Many now find it when a newspaper reporter in be impossible. My hope was that “solve” it. 7. Keep tenfold the current T The Soviet Union spent a century touching up the warts on rampant discussion or absolute difficult to know what to make of seven decades of communism. More Memphis said to me, “You have symbols of peace might be a If you step out of the war number of UN weapons inspectors Lenin’s nose, revising harvest statistics and making the dying Yuri have given up trying. stated that there is a creative startling reminder, if they physically mentality, there are more than a on the ground in Iraq and have Andropov look less cadaverous. But in dealing with Stalin—dead 50 silence and self-deception It will never be easy to produce a version of Russian history that all solution to every problem. What’s travelled to Iraq, that humans exist few creative ways to avoid an them report every two weeks. years this week—most of us now rewrite history by pretending that a Russians agree on; competing conceptions of national identity militate the creative solution to prevent the for a purpose higher than war. invasion of Iraq. There are dozens, 8. Teach American students the chunk of it never happened. about Stalin. against it. But some other countries sloughing off the skin of bombing of Iraq?” The war mentality is blinded by in fact. If every person who doesn’t pros and cons of globalisation, Don’t get me wrong: Stalin has not disappeared like people sent to communism are only too ready to adopt a new history—even one based My answer caused a minor fear, which fuels aggression and want war sent in his or her instead of instilling the false belief the gulag. He has not been blotted from our memories the way Trotsky on fancy and invention—to suit current needs. stir—both of outrage and support— violence. The other rationales are suggestion, tens of thousands would that nationalism is the answer. War and Bukharin were cropped out of official photographs. Once, as I was Ukraine provides an example of this. Does Ukraine have a history? pointless, and when we obsess over materialise. Of these I’m sure that is a logical and horrendous them—whether the US is acting as five or six would be completely extension of nationalism. getting out of a Moscow taxicab, the driver lifted his scarf to show a Well, the place certainly does, but is the place a country? Ukraine saviour, imperialist, world workable. Let me mention ten to 9. Withdraw US troops from regions Stalin photograph pinned to his jacket. I thought about this sly means, literally, “on the edge.” It is more a frontier than a region, let policeman or cynical oil power— begin with: where seeing an American army gesture. He seemed to represent a true underground, someone who felt alone a country. So it is well suited to an invented history—and who the net effect is to forget that war is 1. Congratulate President Bush on uniform inflames hatred. shocked and betrayed by the world that arose out of Gorbachev’s better to supply it than a Ukrainian Diaspora eager to boost the land of already succeeding. Saddam’s 10. Open a Disney World glastnost and perestroika. their forefathers? It may be no accident that independent Ukraine’s first bluff has been called. somewhere in the Middle East. Half But clinging to the past uncritically is probably better than history textbook was written in Toronto, not Kiev. Disarmament has begun. If the population is under the age of allowing the past to dominate the present. After all, it was history that So far, Russia, a country of little moderation, has alternated between pressure is kept on with US military 15 and in danger of cultural incited Yugoslavs to turn their corner of Europe into a medieval rampant discussion or absolute silence and self-deception about Stalin. presence, without dropping bombs, isolation. Find a way to expose slaughterhouse of rape, pillage, and siege. On 28 June 1989, St Vitus’ These swings keep many people (not only the elderly) voting communist. further progress will occur. American children to the children Day, while most Eastern Europeans were daring to dream of a non- German Gref, Russia’s young minister of Trade and Economics, responded 2. Assign prominent figures of of the world. communist future, a million Serbs prepared to leap into the past with to a sympathetic question about his parents being prisoners in the Gulag by peace to be in Iraq constantly, Whatever you think of these Slobodan Milosevic, descending on the Field of Blackbirds in Kosovo Self-improvers are the rarest. Recently, only Germany, or rather West saying, “So what, all were prisoners then.” along with UN inspectors. Let them particular suggestions, the most th address the the world every day on obvious thing is how easily they to mark the 600 anniversary of Serbia’s defeat by the Turks. Germany, unambiguously confronted its past in order to remake itself. It In truth, few people other than the Germans are ready to be honest in the value of peace. arise once you stop being History, of course, is not some medicine with a label cautioning took the enormity of the Holocaust to bring about the necessary self- their Vergangenheitsbewältigung, their coming to terms with the past. Most 3. Ask 100,000 international well- infected by the war mentality. about the proper dosage. History is what gives nations their character, examination. Anything less terrible might not have been enough. others dwell on the laudable, suppress the inglorious, and embellish the wishers to bring aid to Iraq’s Weapons of mass destruction are their institutions, their identity. It can be misread or misused, but For Russians, long split between Slavophiles and westernisers, rest—or else pretend that the past doesn’t exist at all. children in person to Baghdad. disposed of when they are seen never rationed. Milosevic did not give the Serbs an overdose of history; victimhood vies against self-examination where history is concerned. In Before succumbing to pessimism, however, there is something else to 4. Start a global Peace Corps of as irrelevant. The choice to he simply administered it as they imagined it, undiluted by criticism. 1989 and 1990, as communism collapsed and glasnost took hold, many consider. Although it is impossible to have too much history, it is possible volunteers who will go to Iraq to change history or become its Plainly, the best thing is to confront history—and oneself— Russians hungrily sought the “facts.” What caused the famines of the to spend too much time looking into it. For like the past, the future also fulfill any humanitarian need. next victim faces us right here, forthrightly, and to draw the most honest conclusions. But what are 1930’s and were they planned? How many people died in the purges? What needs to be written. If Russians are silent about Stalin, it may be because 5. Offer MTV, CNN and right now. (IPS) the right conclusions when you are dealing with history as bloodstained did Khrushchev actually say about Stalin in his secret speech of 1956? we are busy writing that history of the future. (© Project Syndicate) Nickelodeon free to any Iraqi household with a TV to make them (Deepak Chopra, founder of the and corrupting as Stalin’s era? Some are ready to look at the past with Historical facts became front-page news. feel like part of the world. Chopra Centre, is a board an open mind, in pursuit, if you will, of self-improvement. Others are For others, the demise of the political system meant the end not (Nina Krushcheva, the grand-daughter of Nikita 6. Sponsor 25,000 Iraqi high member of the Alliance for the more concerned to use it to justify failure or even aggression; this is history merely of the only historical narrative they knew, but of an empire and Khrushchev, teaches history and international relations at schoolers to live for a year in New Humanity and an author.) as self-pity. Still others indulge in simple self-delusion. a sense of national identity as well. Into that void stepped right-wing the New School University and Columbia University.) 12 FROM THE NEPALI PRESS THIS PAGE CONTAINS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 HISTORY AND CULTURE 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 13 OPINION by JIGME GATON NEPALITERATURE by GOVINDA BARTAMAN: POEM FOR PEACE The grandsons also rise Govinda Bartaman’s poetic voice is gaining strength with experience. The poem below was written during the darkest hours of the emergency, and in it he speaks as finely as any Nepali poet has done on the pain and Himal Khabarpatrika, 28 Feb-14Mar 2003 more aggressive and must acknowledge in good humour Jyoti, Saurav assists his businessman-cum-academic father HolyAnimal cow! rights in Nepal? destruction wrought by the insurgency and counterinsurgency. the advice from older members in the business. and also heads several enterprises under the Jyoti Group Nirvan has been learning the ropes as a management trainee Rajendra Khetan, the son of Mohan Gopal Khetan who including the Philips account, the Himal Iron and Steel and at the international department of Chaudhary Group for the last heads the Khetan Group, admits he has been at Honda. I'll never forget learning how to gutter—one of the many “street- on animal care and animal rights, toe-deep in pooled animal blood few months. He knows this will give him an advantage as he loggerheads with his father at times. Vice chairman and Shekhar Golchha joined the Golchha Organisation, set up ride a motorcycle in Nepal just cleaners” of Kathmandu. She is something that back in the West pooled. I can’t deny what works his way up the ladder—right to the top. Nirvan is Binod spokesman of the FNCCI, the media savvy Rajendra says by his grandfather Ram Lal Golchha, 14 years ago with a months ago, and realising that now an icon at the shelter, her was not much of a priority for me happens there is worthy of Chaudhary’s son, and grandson to Lunkaran Das. “When I joined the business, our group had diverse management degree from the UK. Today he is considered a there are more hazards here than and her calf, who sits in the sun because animal slaughter there is respect. Yet on the other hand, The third generation of Nepal’s business houses are interests. I insisted on running the show alone by doing major entrepreneur as the managing director of Him one would expect—me coming munching hay, awaiting done clandestinely behind barbed after seeing a Nepali TV turning their lucrative family operated businesses into away with partners but my father wanted to keep the status Electronics, where he has 300 employees and oversees a from the West and all. For adoption. On the day I met wire fences. Most meat sold in broadcast on the last Gadimai corporate empires. The leadership of business groups like quo.” With the entry of Rajendra and his brothers to the business worth Rs 1 billion annually. example, I never thought I would Parvati I met another of her kind: stores come with all traces of Mela in the Bara district where Soaltee, Jyoti, Chaudhary and Golchha are gradually being family business, the Khetan portfolio has diversified to At the Chaudhary Group office that overlooks the capital, be negotiating two-ton bulls on dead legs protruding from a animal features like feet and head thousands of buffaloes are handed over to the next generation which is bringing with it include beer, noodles and finance. Nirvan’s cousin Megha is dividing her time between studies my daily commute to work in plastic tarp. removed. There are probably sacrificed, I must say I have youthful exuberance and new management techniques. This Pravin had no plans of returning home after earning his and business. A student of commerce at Poona in India, Lalitpur. Not to mention goats, All of this was a bit shocking more shelters erected for homeless questions. But these are questions could be viewed as a natural progression—children falling into degree in the US. The son of Shyam Bahadur Pandey of Megha is a “trainee director” at Norvic hospital that offers chickens and the menagerie of to say the least, coming from a dogs and cats than homeless for my Nepali friends to answer, the family business—except the “family businesses” are Shangri-la Hotel, Pravin changed his mind and came home state-of-the arts services to heart patients. Megha may soon street animals found between country where there are leash laws people each year and the not for my kind as these issues are massive conglomerates and the “children” are often foreign- at age 24. Within six years, he had developed a reputation as be the first woman to head a Nepali business house. educated ambitious youngsters with fresh ideas and an efficient hotel entrepreneur. Pravin became the youngest It is easy to dismiss these scions of business. After all, work and Boudha. for smaller four-legged creatures, expression “kicking the dog” is deeply imbedded in faith and the strategies that often don’t sit well with their elders. person ever to head the travel forum when he was elected they were all born with silver spoons in their mouths. But their All this was exciting until I and cows are relegated, fairly or just a metaphor, and not a way of religious traditions of Nepal. DISPLACEMENT Nirvan says a certain amount of tension with his seniors is chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). birth did not guarantee a berth in the upper echelons of their found out the fines involved not, to pastures with fences to life: as I witness almost everyday I’ll never forget growing up natural. “The difference in approach between my father and me Rajan Shakya, 28, has also stepped into the footsteps of family businesses, they had to earn it like everyone else when a white boy hits a cow on a keep them out of traffic and in the shadow the monastery of Irish in a Greek orthodox Melancholy marches like policemen motorbike, and that literally herds harms way. But isn’t it for my new neighborhood. No, in neighborhood. As a young seven- Peals of silence resonate in is obvious in activities like dealing with employees and in his versatile father, Karna Shakya. Rajan is now running the through hard work, attention to detail and by being street- the obscene remoteness Words take ill marketing style,” he said. The young entrepreneurs admit that legendary Kathmandu Guest House in Thamel. After taking smart. “The Golchha organisation is a platform rather than a of cows wander the streets of “shock” that foreigners comes to some of the more developed year-old, I became fast friends Letters nod off on sheets of paper they often have differences of opinion either due to a over as chairman of the renowned Soaltee Group from his paternal gift,” says Sanjaya Golchha, who worked his way up Kathmandu unchecked, and for Nepal? Yet yesterday morning the countries, the evidence of cruelty over a period of months with a The snow-peaks, mountains and valleys generation gap or simply different perspectives. Some of them father, Prabhakar Shumsher, Siddhartha has also been from the accounts department through marketing and the most part unowned. Legend shock of seeing a just-beheaded is more hidden, covert and goat tied in the neighbour’s yard, mind over the harvests of the dead have even gone into new spheres of business, not their actively engaged in diversifying his group into dynamic areas operations at Hulas Steel. No one cut him any slack just has it that the male of the bovine goat still baying with its last perhaps “under control”. only to find out on Easter families’ traditional ones. like hydropower and textiles. because he was the boss’ son, he says. While in London, Days are lost unheeded species is left to wander as a “holy breath was a bit much right So what can a visitor do in afternoon that my friend was on The evening lamps slowly burn out Sanjaya Golchha had to wait for several years before Saurav Jyoti takes calculated risks. He would rather have Nirvan Chaudhary worked as a waiter in a Nepali restaurant cow” should. I remember before breakfast. And right there this land of so much beauty? So the dinner table as the centre of getting permission to float IT Nepal, a private information his existing businesses run professionally than diversify into for experience. Pravin Pandey still has the £24 that he earned There are no newborn babies’ cries anywhere thinking, “How exotic…how on a city street, where one might much wisdom and culture edification. Did I craft a sign and nor their mothers’ voices A cold wind blows technology company. He believes the young generation is new fields. The grandson of Mani Harsha and son of Padma at the Nepali-run Montis Restaurant. Asian...” expect a sidewalk to be. Still, I am stems from sincere devotion to head for a picket line? No, I just Tree branches and branch leaves tremble in the dark And then I met Parvati. a student of world religions, and I the gods, even if the blood began questioning my mother’s There is no rustle of squirrels The cats sit with eyes aglow Parvati is one of many cows at the deeply respect the cultures of spilled stains the opinion of stew, which I still relish and There is a fluttering of bats but no cocks’ crows SPCAN (Society for the others, even if that culture visiting travellers. Well I, for appreciate even today after Moments pass There is no sign of light Prevention of Cruelty to Animals includes what seems to this alien one, am not about to go on decades of being a vegetarian. – Nepal) shelter. Parvati was resident, as cruel and unusual record (along with thousands of Now, after living in Nepal for Progressively the jails widen Their walls grow tall found on the streets of our fair punishment to animals considered others who have) as an anti- a year or so, I look optimistically Prisoners cackle in their sleep city blind, diseased and pregnant. sacred and not. sacrifice activist. I will never into the future for balanced The guards are busy issuing warnings She had been hit by a vehicle and My experience here in Nepal forget the devotion and faith I animal-rights laws, perhaps a Fleeing from the feathers of pheasants had survived as so many cows do has given me pause for reflection witnessed at places of worship “lease” law for all roaming city colors take refuge in history here, eating trash out of the like Dakshinkali, even as I stood animals and while I’m No painter sweeps a brush through this drab world daydreaming, perhaps the “dog- The face of time glimmers on the canvas It has eyes and the nightmares of millions tagging” of licensed pets to curb Not water but fire rages in the river rabies. One must applaud what’s The color of snow has blackened already being done: the new Meat as of the souls of the constitution and law Act in Nepal and the efforts of As though all this were not of earth but of heaven SPCAN, who is ready to open

ALL PICS: MIN BAJRACHARYA as though water were melting CP Khetan Saurav Jyoti Shekhar Golchha Nirvan Chaudhary Sanjaya Golchha another shelter in Siphal this and mountains solidifying month—a larger facility to help as though by killing the poor homeless and sick street animals, the country could all at once become rich QUOTE OF THE WEEK as well as an adoption and as though the ruins of the future

Minor marriages Talks soon were scattered over the lap of the present time

○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○ relocation centre. These are all like an unconvincing fairytale that “If the king had made a well-planned move, a republican state might have been established in 1991.” Dinesh Gaule, Budhabar, 13 March steps to enrich an already rich Himalaya Times, 11 March grandfather used to tell long ago Interview with Dina Nath Sharma, Politburo member of the CPN (Maoist) culture without undermining sitting on the side of a courtyard -Shailaja Acharya of the Nepali Congress in Kantipur on 11 March. or like the dreams of a madman Kasai Gau in Ramechhap stands as a after a joint meeting between 11 leftist parties on 11 March. religious ritual. the displacement of hearts from people challenge for the Ministry of Health, How did the meeting go? (Jigme Gaton is the pen name the displacement of touch from awareness which has been trying to raise the age It was a goodwill meeting, we did not decide on anything concrete. We the displacement of screams from suffering for marriage among girls. According to agreed to launch a movement against the king’s move. for an aid worker in Nepal, the displacement of the waking state from the waking state VDC documents almost 95 percent of who is now skilled at cow- the girls are married off by their What kind of movement is this going to be? dodging Kathmandu city How elaborate a thing is this? How unkind? parents before they turn 14. We will work towards a peaceful resolution, that is why we agreed on a streets and can be found Over and over the questions come According to Bhim Bahadur Kasai, ceasefire. But we are concerned the government has not been able to Over and over the answers run away occasionally giving fresh hay parents arrange early marriages for create a conducive environment for talks. Internal difficulties may have their girls because they believe that prevented them from announcing a code of conduct. to Parvati, the blind homeless As preparations for the peace talks get underway, Bartaman’s poem they will gain karmic merit if a girl is cow at the SPCAN Shelter, can remind us to remember what is at stake for us personally and How do you think this meeting will effect the proposed peace talks? offered in a marriage before she gets 467953. collectively, should Nepali society have to return to the nightmare of the This meeting will have a very positive effect on the peace talks. We past year. her first periods. Kasai’s neighbours believe it will help the country move to a forward-looking political solution. www.fospcan.com.np) say there is little benefit in educating daughters, and so they choose to Are you willing to talk with the Chand government? relieve themselves from familial We never said we would talk with the Chand government. All we agreed to responsibility towards daughters who was to open doors to communication with the present regime. We are In the March Himal are often viewed as a burden. In Kasai talking about a dialogue between the old and the new regime. The current Gau even the boys marry early—by ceasefire is between two armies. 16 most of them have tied the knot. When do you think the peace talk will happen? Seventy-year-old Kali Maya says a lot We don’t know the exact date, but we hope it will be soon. We are ready to The Shroud: has changed since her time when she sit for negotiations as soon as the government makes an atmosphere that An investigation became a bride at seven years of age. will foster peace talks. Kasai Gau is close to district into Indus-Ganga headquarters and the nearest school is fog a 15-minute walk. None of the girls have ever been enrolled. “The development slogans haveno effect Special feature on these villagers,” says Sudarshan on HIV Balloon: “Shall we eat it or not…!” Raya, a local. The eldest daughter of Man Maya nearly died in childbirth in South Asia Basket: Talks last year at age 14. This year, her younger sister, only 13, will be Spacetime, 9 March married. Their mother, Man Maya, says she cannot defy tradition. To subscribe: Call 543-333 or write to [email protected] 14 CITY 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 EVENT 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 15 BOOKWORM

Regional planning and development Jibar Joshi (PhD) Lajmana Joshi, 2003 Rs 285 This book is a revisit to basic concepts and some of the theories of regional planning. It urges planners to make use of regional planning which has otherwise remained partial and diverse in nature. The author argues that the present global economy is influenced more by regional theories than any other.

ABOUT TOWN Poverty migration and HIV/AIDS in Dadeldhura district (Nepal) Dr Giorgi Pkhakadze FESTIVAL AND EXHIBITIONS ILO and HMG Ministry of Health, 2002 Mapping of Modernity in Nepal 5-18 March at Nepal Art Council, Baber Mahal. Rs 150 [email protected] for details. AIDS affects workers in their productive prime, and the communities and enterprises who Tribal/Village Rugs and Kilims from West Asia. Exhibition and sale on 23 March from depend on them: it is a workplace issue and a development crisis. The author attempts to 11AM-6PM at Sammelan Hall, Shangri-La Hotel, Lazimpat. 432830 demonstrate the complexity of the links between poverty, labour migration and HIV/AIDS in aerodynamic engineering, and one look in a parallel event on the same route. Kathmandu Valley through the ages Paintings by Hari Prasad Sharma organised by Eco the far western district of Dadeldhura. at the generously curved bodies So if you see a posse of bikers Himal. 5-18 March at Yala Maya Kendra at Baggikhanna, Patan Dhoka. explains why their owners have given cutting a swathe through the Francophony Festival showing young Nepali artists from 17-21 March at Alliance Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and his symbolic mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” ENFIELDERS ALL PICS: HIMALAYAN so many bikes feminine personas. Its Pokhara highway early next week, be Francaise. Ranjana Bajracharya (PhD) distinctive sound ranges from a sure to give a wave and honk. Bhakta Nanda Bajracharya, 2003 passion can make an effort for peace, reassuring thump while idling to a EVENTSEVENTSEVENTS Rs 200 then it cannot go to waste however powerful animal roar while accelerating (To join call the Himalyan Enfielders Grand Finale of Jazzmandu 2003 at Rox Bar, Hyatt Regency Kathmandu 8PM on 15 March. Avalokitesvara is the most popular Bohisattva figure in Mahayana Buddhism for his universal small the effect on the larger scheme of and the ride quality is different from at 428650 and 981050432.) Ralph Thomas, Afro Dizzi Act, Natalie Williams. Entry Rs 500. 491234 love and compassion. The book deals with his charismatic ideals, versatile characters and forms. things. Proceeds of this event will be any other modern motorcycle. It’s a Ides of March with DJ Soykom from Belgium at Via Via Travelers Café, Paknajol 9PM It also describes the symbolic meaning and meritorious virtues of his mantra. donated to charity and the bikers bike with character, and sets against the onwards on 14 March hope to raise enough to make a other slick and standardised Bullets for positive impact from doing motorcycles in the Nepali market— Mountain biking Nagarkot to Shankhu on 15 March. $20 pp with Scott Mountain Bike, guide, something they enjoy. with names ranging from the familiar lunch, support vehicle, helmet and first aid. Kathmandu Mountain Bikes 539900/ 545990 Courtesy: Mandala Book Point, Kantipath, 227711, [email protected] Ex AVM party at AVM 1PM on 29 March Tickets Rs 300 single, Rs 500 couple. Contact AVM The appeal of the Bullet lies not to the largely unpronounceable—one School only in its reliability and robustness, can begin to understand the appeal of a Rhapsody an evening with Sukmit Gurung presented by Himalayan Enfielders and CLASSIFIED but also largely part in its aesthetic Bullet. Enfield enthusiasts say the Himalayan Classic Motorcycle Club. 6.30 PM on 17 March at Shangri-la Village, Pokhara. appeal and uniqueness. Originally pleasure of a Bullet is not about ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ manufactured by the British company commuting, convenience or fuel Annual KVPT Fund-Raiser Dinner 2003 at Soaltee Crowne Plaza on 27 March. Tickets Rs Visit Ground Zero Fine wines, designer bathrooms, spacious living, dining, modern Vrrrrooom. Make way for candles, cards, gifts, stationery, wooden kitchen individual telephone, terrace, Enfield, the design of the Bullet has efficiency—it’s about an experience 2000 pp. Available at KVPT patan (546055), Soaltee Crowne Plaza (272555), Chez Caroline not changed much since the first of its once had is always appreciated. (263070) items, perfumes and more. Darbar Marg, overlooking English garden with tall trees in peace the Himalayan Enfielders. kind rolled out of the factory in Being a unique it attracts an opposite Hotel de l’Annapurna quiet surrounding. Contact: 524389 Reiki Level 1 Healing Workshop. Himal Books, Baber Mahal. 17-18 March. 541613 Chennai nearly half a century ago. interesting breed of riders. Past events

SIDDARTH○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ LAMA find ways to share experiences through Since then there have been minor organised by the Himalyan Enfielders DRINKDRINKDRINK Training RTC IELTS courses are taught by Visit Femilines, the Exclusive Lingerie Store he lure of the open road is their common passion for riding. modifications and improvements to its have seen noticeable camaraderie Splash Bar & Grill Exotic cocktails, panoramic view. Happy hour 5:30-7PM. Radisson Hotel, IELTS examiners using the very latest for ladies undergarments, nightwear, irresistible for people who The Peace Ride 2003, an event design, but its heart, a rock solid between riders despite their varied Kathmandu. 411818 materials. Too good an opportunity to bathrobes and more. Ladies staff. Opposite combine wanderlust with a that combines all those elements for 350cc four-stroke engine (with later professional and personal St Patrick’s Day Celebrations at Paddy Foley’s Irish Pub, Thamel on 17 March. Live music, miss. Enroll now! Tel: 429590 Sajha Yatayat, Harihar Bhawan, Pulchowk. Tel: T love for machines. Not just any Enfielders, will set off 15-18 March 500cc and 535cc variations) has backgrounds. With an attitude geared malt whisky, prizes. 416096 547428 machine will do, and in our corner of on an 800km tour across the country, remained the same. towards sharing, the bikers are far St Patrick's Day Noon till late 17 March. Thomas Kilroy at 1905, Kantipath. 225272 To Let In Jawalakhel near Zoo Fully the world the true biker opts for the riding for peace. A bike tour may not Proving its robustness and removed from the stereotypical outlaw Furnished Apartment 3 bedrooms, 2 Advertisements in all Medias: 428575 Bullet. Just ask the Himalayan hasten peace in the country, but the reliability in driving conditions in the biker gangs. Family members will go MUSICMUSICMUSIC Enfielders whose rallying point is a spirit that exists amongst Enfield Indian subcontinent, it has a following along for the Peace Ride and the event Live music at Jivin’ Joe’s Restaurant, Kupondole, every Friday at 5.30 PM. Movie every For insertions ring NT Marketing at 543333-36. workshop in Lazimpat set up by six riders—they number over 100—is the unmatched by any other motorcycle in is open to anyone who wishes to join. Saturday at 4.30 PM. 539909 Bullet enthusiasts. They come here to biggest motivation behind this event. South Asia. The looks are retro-cool, The bikers will be the outriders for a The Steam Injuns with Abhaya on Friday, The Strings on Saturday at The Red Onion Bar, discuss the finer points of their They believe that if a group of people like something out of an old Marlon group of dedicated VW Beetle Lazimpat. 416071 machine, tune up their “babies” and brought together by a common Brando movie. The Bullet predates drivers who will also be taking part Friday Nites at Jatra with The Strings. Free entry. Thamel

FOODFOODFOOD Wood fired pizzas on the terrace. 15 percent off beer. Rum Doodle, Thamel. 443208 Breakfast deal Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs and Filtered Coffee Rs 100. Weekends in March. 9-11AM. Thomas Kilroy at 1905, Kantipath. 225272 Chez Caroline, Baber Mahal Revisited. Weekend designer brunch. 263070/264187 Celebrate womanhood 50 percent discount for ladies on Wednesday at Olive Garden. Radisson Hotel, Kathmandu. 411818 Those who missed Titanic the first time around Dwarika’s Hotel 40 percent discount in March at Krishnarpan.Pool open. 479488 now have a chance to witness director James TITANIC Cameron’s spectacle. Although the romance Saturday Asian Brunch at The Café, Sunday European Lunch at Rox Restaurant. Hyatt between Jack Dawson (Leonardo Di Caprio) and Regency Kathmandu. 491234 Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) dominates the Great Value Lunches at the China Garden. Pizza Promotion at the Alfresco. Soaltee movie, Titanic is great in terms of action, effects Crowne Plaza. 273999 and visuals. It also provides an excellent Café Mitra goes Chinese Wednesday with guest chef Ranjana Yonzone from 5 March. commentary on the issue of class struggle through 259015 the poor-boy-rich-girl theme. The dialogue is witty Traditional favourites at The Sunrise Café for breakfast and lunch. Hotel Yak & Yeti. 248999 and brilliant and Cameron takes his time telling the Traditional Nepali Thali Lunch at Patan Museum Café 11AM-4PM. 526271 story. He could’ve skimped on dialogue, Saturday BBQ Lunch at Club Himalaya Nagarkot. Rs 500 per person. 680083/ 80 cinematography, effects or authenticity and still JAI NEPAL CINEMA come out with a great movie, but he doesn’t. 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Rafting and more. 061-32112 on FM 102.4 Mon-Fri 0615-0645 BBC World Today Sat 0615-0645 BBC Reporting Religion NEPALI WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL VIS -12 -03-2003 04:00 GMT Sun 0615-0645 BBC Agenda The low pressure system this week has moved on, but Daily 2045-2115 BBC g]kfnL ;]]]jf another pattern is approaching over Pakistan as seen in this satellite picture taken on Wednesday morning. Also Daily 2245-2300 BBC g]kfnL ;]]]jf take a look at that cyclone in the southern Indian Ocean approaching Mauritius, a more perfectly formed spiral Sun-Fri 0740- 0800 Ps}}}l5g\\\ -/]]]l8of]]] klqsf_ storm is hard to find. Back in the subcontinent, look for 8anL8anL8anL -ljifout-ljifout-ljifout cGt/lqmof_cGt/lqmof_cGt/lqmof_ cloud cover in the lower Himalaya early next week when Sun-Fri 0800- 0830 moisture arrives on the next system. As the temperature Sun-Fri 2000- 2030 cfhsf s'''''/f -;d;fdlos ljifodf ax;_ rises, we will also see more convection storms in the zflGt cleofg afternoons along the foothills and especially in the high Sat 0800- 0830 mountain valleys. Maximum temperature continues to Sat 1930- 2000 cfrf/ ljrf/ -e|||i6frf/lj?4 ;xsfo{_{_{_ climb. KATHMANDU VALLEY Sat 2000- 2030 s"6gLlts d~r Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Radio Sagarmatha P.O. Box 6958, Bakhundole, Lalitpur, Nepal Tel: ++977-1-545680, 545681, Fax: ++ 977-1- 530227 27-09 25-09 26-10 27-10 27-10 /]l8of ] ;u/dfyf E-mail: [email protected], www.radiosagarmatha.org 18 14 - 20 MARCH 2003 NEPALI TIMES #136 Under My Hat NEPALI SOCIETY by Kunda Dixit Here are the main points again And for those of you who have just tuned in, here are central Los Angeles, Miami, Brixton and parts of hishir Yogi’s music can is a poem written by poet today’s main headlines once again: Copenhagen. The ministry says that although there are no be best described as laureate Madhab Prasad instances of Nepalis being specifically targeted by heavily- Ghode Jatra staring committee formed S “Modern Nepali folk- Ghimire 40 years ago, but its tingling mood that takes us armed street gangs, visitors are nevertheless warned to KATHMANDU – The Ministry of Horsing Around has exercise extreme caution in those cities, and register with gazal”. That automatically words (“We won’t know the back to that night of 1 June formed a 108-member Staring Committee to organise this the nearest Royal Nepali Honorific Consul General in case puts his music above the murderer, because he doesn’t 2001. year’s Ghode Jatra on Tundikhel which, in the interest of emergency evacuation is required. The ministry has also pop audience, but going by have blood on his hands”) set Shishir Yogi was the government’s general policy of austerity and belt- warned visitors to wash their socks regularly while the reception to his debut into music by Shakti Ballab introduced to music by his tightening, will be combined with Gai Jatra, reports RSS. travelling in these uncertain times, since they will be album “Pahichan” it looks have a haunting resonance mother, who was the most “The idea is to start lumping our festivals together required to take them off at security checks and malodorous like Nepali folk gazal (a today. sought-after singer in his since there are too many of them anyway,” one of the 14 socks may set off the smoke alarm. genre that traces its roots The second track uses a home village in Dang every vice-chairmen of the publicity back to Narayan Gopal and poem by Kshetra Pratap Teej fesival. “I used to be a cry subcommittee whose name begins with Nepal wins Submerging Bhakta Raj Acharya) is Adhikari penned after the royal baby,” Yogi recalls, “And my “P” said under condition of complete Nations Cup animosity. Addressing a press finding new lyrics and music massacre (“We did not believe mother says I always stopped BY OUR ULTRA-NATIONALIST to suit the times. it, we thought it wasn’t true, we crying when she sang to me.” interaction program at the Reporters’ UNSPORTSMANLIKE Club, he said several bulls, which had COMMENTATOR The sombre texture and thought it was a rumour, now Music came naturally to him, registered their names for the equestrian KIRTIPUR – Nepal has won the pathos of gazal goes well will this wound ever heal?”). Its but Yogi still needed a guru. events and vice-versa, had been Submerging Nation Cup by thrashing with the general down mood dusky slow-paced gazal So, when he got to Kathmandu disqualified for having fake birth the living daylights out of Maldives in the country caused by arrangement with music by he pestered a reluctant Ambar certificates, and would be charge- and Bhutan. Nyah-nahna-nyahnyah. violence and conflict. Sarangi new-comer Suresh Adhikari, Gurung for two years until he sheeted in due course. The interaction Puny Maldives could only muster a evokes a spine- agreed to take him on as a program was chaired by Rishi Dhamala. measly 34 runs in 23 overs student. “If there is one person Instead of the cavalry making (Harharharhar! So funny, yar!) while in the world I am terrified of, it gravity-defying jumps over Maruti brave and patriotic Nepal made a is Ambar dai,” Shishir admitted Gypsies in the Obstacles Event, fitting and easy reply by reaching a during the launch of Pahichan participating cows this year would be glorious 35 runs in just 7 overs with last week. required to take part in a paragliding no loss (Hallelujah! Jubilation and contest by jumping off a Skytruck Exultation! Long Live the Pahichan (Recognition) flying at 9,000 ft above Tundikhel. Motherland!). Some of the members of has come out under the Music the Nepali squad wanted to Nepal label and has a Nepal Issues Travel Advisories symbolically nip off the noses and ears surprising maturity, elegance BY OUR COMPLETELY UNDIPLOMATIC of the vanquished teams as souvenirs, but were dissuaded and professionalism for a CORRESPONDENT from doing so by the umpires. “I know this is a tradition debut album which has won it KATHMANDU – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of His in these parts, but ICC rules don’t allow it,” the umpire critical acclaim.

Majesty’s Government has issued travel advisories to said afterwards. “It’s just not cricket.” MIN BAJRACHARYA Nepalis to defer all travel for the unforeseeable future because In its second game against tiny Bhutan, splendid Nepal of an uncertain international situation caused by the lack of posted its highest-ever international total of 397 passports. All non-essential travel has therefore been (Take that, you fellow-SAARC Member!) and beat suspended unless such travel is absolutely essential for Bhutan by 353 runs (And that!). One keen observer of the purposes of illegally overstaying. sports scene who did not want to be named because he is, Nepalis who just really have to go, must exercise in fact, this scribe, observed keenly: “Finally, Nepal has maximum restraint when visiting inner city Chicago, south- emerged as a submerging nation.”

CDO Regd No. 194/056/57 Lalitpur, Central Region Postal Regd. No. 04/058/59