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New home 9 for Nepal’s rhinos EXCLUSIVE More embassies The government is considering setting up an embassy in the Nordic ‘Nepal oil corruption’ countries to better liaise with donors and investors in Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. At present, Nordic affairs are handled from the A NEPALI TIMES/HIMAL INVESTIGATION embassy in faraway London. The ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○wo weeks ago the country was almost Foreign Ministry is also considering shut down to protest a steep hike in opening an embassy in Canberra, tfuel prices. What the opposition parties and perhaps downsizing the should actually have been protesting is a Rangoon mission. The only nationwide adulteration scam that costs the embassy in the African continent Nepali people Rs 1.2 billion a year. may be relocated from Cairo to Our investigation has shown that from Pretoria. Ambassador Damodar the moment the “mother stock” of petrol Gautam has been recalled from and diesel enters Nepal from India, there is Washington, and Kedar Bhakta systematic adulteration every step of the Mathema’s term in Tokyo has been way: along the side of the highway to the extended by two years, presumably Nepal Oil Corporation depot at as a reward for getting Prime Amlekhgunj, in the distribution network Minister Yoshiro Mori to visit Nepal. from Amlekhgunj to Kathmandu, at petrol Meanwhile, career diplomat Lila pumps all over the country. The protection Prasad Sharma has been named racket goes up the NOC ranks, to the ambassador to Russia. politicians. And everybody gets his share. Krishna Upreti of New Sita Oil in No chads here Parsa, Chitwan, told us bluntly that there is no way he can make a profit without mixing The Nepali Congress’ local kerosene with petrol and diesel. “By the elections are over, and from the time I sell my petrol it is almost 50 percent results so far, Prime Minister Girija adulterated,” he told us. “If adulteration Prasad Koirala’s loyalists seem to was stopped, half of all the petrol pumps be leading, giving him an edge in

would go out of business.” SUBAS RAI the run for presidentship. So far, 65 We checked if Upreti wanted percent of the delegates to the his name used in this story. “Go general convention are from the right ahead,” he told us. The Koirala camp with 25 percent from fact that petrol pump the Deuba-Bhattarai panel. The owners can say such remainder include results yet to be things on record is an declared, and the “unpredictables”. indication of how barefaced and brazen the crime has become. Tour de France When the government Krishna Prasad Bhattarai had to decided to crack down on cancel his trip to Paris just as he adulteration two years ago, petrol stepped down as prime minister in pumps went on strike. Today, our March. Now his successor, prime sources tell us, the tentacles of minister Koirala is set to do what no profiteers from adulteration reach the In Nepal oil and water mix. So do kerosene and petrol, Nepali prime minister has done highest levels of government. since Jang Bahadur Rana in 1850: Protected by their patrons, the foot water and diesel. A few people get rich quick, the visit France. Jang Bahadur was soldiers in this business are the tanker presented with a sword of operators and petrol pumps. One senior Napoleon’s, wonder what Koirala NOC official, appalled by the blatant Nepali people lose out. will be presented with. corruption within his organisation, says: officials and even the cynical public, have a burn completely and releases more cancer- unburnt and harmful hydrocarbons from the “Cuts from allowing adulteration is the only ho-hum “so what else is new” reaction. But causing hydrocarbons, nitrous oxides and kerosene. way you can make extra money in this the matter is much more serious than just carbon monoxide instead of the less-harmful Finding the bureaucracy is up to its corporation.” loss to the consumer, the national carbon dioxide. “It shortens your life, and it neck in it, the government two years ago set Last year, an internal NOC investigation exchequer and the damage done to the shortens your vehicle’s life,” says Amrit up a three-member commission under a charged a petrol pump in the tarai with having internal combustion engines. Adulterated Nakarmi, who teaches at the Institute of former Supreme Court judge to investigate its regional chief on a Rs 60,000 a month fuel is not just cheating consumers but has Engineering at Pulchowk. the NOC. It found up to 65 percent retainer to look the other way during spot other far-reaching effects. Adulteration of diesel has a different adulteration in petroleum products. checks against adulteration. If that is the Adulterated fuels make exhaust gases effect, kerosene additive lessens diesel’s “going rate” for one gas station, and there are more poisonous, worsening the pollution lubricating function, leading to faster wear 600 of them nationwide it is easy to calculate crisis, causing acute respiratory infections and tear of the pistons and higher ð Thou shalt not adulterate the scale of this scam. and other ailments. For example, when maintenance costs. In addition, the soot page 7 Jang Bahadur When confronted with evidence, most kerosene is mixed with petrol it does not particles carried by diesel exhausts also have Now

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND WRONGS The month of UN days is upon us. This week alone 1 December is World AIDS Day, 3 December is the International Day of Disabled Persons and the 5th is the International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development (shouldn’t every day be for social and economic development?). Then come the International Civil Aviation Day on 7 December, the Human Rights Day on the 10th, the International Day of Solidarity with Migrant Workers and Their Families on the 18th and the International Day for Biological Diversity on the 29th. At this rate, we will need an almanac to figure out what all the days in the year are for. In this land of jatras, the bikas anniversaries have themselves become jatras. Devoting a “day” to something as important as social development in a sense trivialises it. Perfect excuse for ministers to give vapid speeches that people hear, but don’t listen to. Television covers it in detail: minister at podium reading from a prepared speech, pan across bored-looking donor faces, cut to chief guest delivering keynote address. On the Human Rights Day, you can be sure there will be more ministers giving more speeches, NGO-wallas organising seminars and paying ample lip service. This year it will be marked on an even grander manner since the Human Rights Commission has just come into being.

In an age when media and public have become jaded with all the OS sterile rhetoric, it is difficult to imagine how revolutionary the Universal Declaration of Human Rights truly was when it was signed in 1948. But STATE OF THE STATE by CK LAL in the years since, it has become clear that if you leave it up to governments they will define human rights according to what serves their interest. It doesn’t matter that they are sons-of-bitches, as long as they are our sons-of-bitches. Basic human rights are not just inalienable. Political rights must co- The India gameplan exist with social and economic rights. Freedom does not just mean not being jailed for one’s political beliefs; it also means freedom from hunger, freedom from illiteracy, and freedom from disease. In Nepal, this uring a human rights seminar here last means at least the minimum amount India must realise that a poorer Nepal is not in its week one Indian journalist was of food for a healthy life, the right to at dparticularly emphatic that we should not long-term strategic or economic interest. least basic education, the right to say ‘Indians’ when all we mean is the ‘Indian accompanied by harassment at the border. onslaught following the hijacking of IC-814 primary health care. In today’s Nepal, it Government’. Point well taken. But there is a Customs officials have introduced debilitating sabotaged this. Even the partial recovery of is also the right to go and tend the slight problem. When it comes to issues non-tariff barriers like quarantine charges, for tourism this season has been thwarted by fields without being shot, the right to be concerning Nepal, or any other foreign policy instance, on Nepali cauliflower exports to the absurd new bilateral agreement that a teacher without being beheaded in issue for that matter, Indian media functions India. If a cauliflower farmer of Bhedetar has to only Indians and Nepalis with passports or broad daylight in front of your students. like an extension of South Block. fork out Rs 5 per kg for the privilege of taking voter ID cards are allowed to visit each Violations of human rights need not The latest proof of this is the campaign his vegetable across the border, he is better off other’s countries by plane. always be overtly violent. Human rights launched by foot soldiers of India’s External feeding the cauliflowers to his cattle. There are Our government needs to realise that all can be violated silently by crooked Affairs and Commerce ministries in the Indian other new and imaginative bureaucratic hoops diplomacy is economic diplomacy these days. priorities and crooked politicians. media. First, they spread outlandish rumours that Nepali traders have to jump through: they Shital Niwas should be more proactive in using When a corrupt official pockets about Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence need Bureau of Indian Standards Certification. friends across the border to anticipate and kickbacks while building maternity (ISI) subsidising Nepali businessmen to In theory, quality checks are good. In practice, counter the Indian gameplan. If our embassy in hospitals, and schools don’t have roofs because the contractor bribed smuggle cheap Chinese goods to Delhi was less preoccupied with ferrying someone to get away with it—those are violations of the peoples’ rights. India through Nepal. But that Nepali VIPs to and from the airport as The challenge for Nepali civil society is to show the same sense of turned out to be a red herring. The they transit to Bangalore for a outrage about the mass death of thousands of children in Nepal every real issue came out this week in a darshan of Sai Baba maybe it day of preventable causes like diarrhoeal dehydration, measles and daily barrage of news leaks in Indian would serve as a more effective respiratory infections as they do about high-profile prisoners of financial newspapers and the early warning system for sounding conscience. Internet about Nepali goods out the Indians on what to expect Indeed, we have seen that the violations of social rights within flooding the Indian market. at the talks in January. countries ultimately lead to the violation of political rights as well. Just It is difficult to say what plot is In the final analysis, India must look around you: it is deprivation, neglect, impoverishment and being hatched in the byzantine realise that a poorer Nepal is not in its corruption that create the conditions for demagogues in government and corridors of power in India this time, long-term strategic or economic extremists to carry out their agenda of intolerance. This is the beginning but it must have something to do interest. So the present policy-makers in of the backlash against an uncaring national elite. A ruling class that with the scheduled minister-level talks in South Block’s Nepal desk should stop cannot after 50 years fulfil the basic human right to health, education and January to discuss trade and transit during no Nepali needling Nepal with paranoid accusations shelter of its neediest citizens has no pontificate about human rights. Let which India would like to roll back the Gujral entrepreneur will and find win-win ways to benefit the people us remember the saying: “If you are among thieves and you are silent, doctrine, the gains made in bilateral trade since probably be able to negotiate of both countries. We are not denying there then that makes you a thief as well.” 1996 and impose a more favourable definition this latest maze of Indian babudom. The is smuggling, but many Indian businessmen This December, please spare us the speeches. for manufactured goods. Indian trading houses only Nepali enterprises that will be able to will be the first to admit that the level of and policy-makers in Delhi were never happy compete in India will be those that have their contraband crossing the border is miniscule 1000% BETTER with the treaty, since for the first time Nepali de facto head offices in Calcutta or Delhi. compared to India’s total imports of the same goods were given limited access to the Indian The withering broadsides from the Indian goods. Those affected are small-time traders in Indiscipline is the mother of all evils. All domestic institutions— market. It went against the general strategy media in the past week have been effective in West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and agencies, banks, and companies—have been hurt due to lack of that these pesky small neighbours must be put doing three things: they are the ones raising a big hulla. discipline or governance. If institutions cannot stand how can society in their place, and power is the only language • WORSEN already shaky relations Having said that, our own authorities at move ahead? All the political parties should try to write down discipline they understand. Being an enlightened between Nepal and India Singha Durbar need to take a close, hard in their policy platforms. Their leaders and members should act as role forward-thinking person, IK Gujral did not • CONFIRM the Nepali public’s look at the way unauthorised trade has models. They can do so by keeping their word, acting in good faith, think so: he felt a more prosperous Bangladesh perceptions about Big Brother hijacked the agenda between India and completing their assignments according to a specific time frame, setting or Nepal would actually be in India’s strategic • AMPLIFY the managed voices of protest in Nepal. Smuggling cannot be the basis of the targets and accomplishing them as promised. If they can do half of interest. Poverty breeds instability, and a richer India’s trade lobby Nepali economy for much longer. Not only these things, the country will be 1,000 percent better off. middle class in both countries could, after all, Can it get any worse? That’s exactly what does this empower the mafia, it also has no —The Nation (Bangkok) only mean bigger markets for Indian goods. bothers us. It’s with a lot of effort that at least future now that the WTO will make it In the internal policy battles in New some Nepali products like biscuits, noodles, obsolete. Some individuals may benefit from Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd Delhi, it seems the narrow-minded hardliners vegetable ghee, milk and milk products, or such transactions, but they damage the Mailing address: GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal have won out again. They are cracking the yarn were able to compete in the Indian national economy almost permanently. The Editor: Kunda Dixit whip, and once more, the media vanguard is market, even that only in the border areas. But countdown for the sacrifice of Nepali trade Desk editors: Deepak Thapa, Samuel Thomas softening the Nepali positions for the muscle- the surge in Nepali exports after the 1996 at the altar of Indian intolerance has [email protected] flexing and arm-tweaking in January. It’s a treaty had a role in narrowing the huge gap started. Both Shital Niwas and South Block Marketing, circulation and subscriptions: deliberate strategy aimed at drawing parallels that exists in the balance of trade between our must look beyond scoring diplomatic (01) 543333-7 Fax: (01) 521013 with similar media bashing that preceded the two countries. But the gap is still there and points. Poor people in India and Nepal are [email protected] www.nepalitimes.com embargo of 1989. another way to bridge it could have been suffering for the follies of the high and Printed at Jagadamba Press (01) 521393 The media harassment has been tourism. But the motivated India media mighty on both sides of the border.t PROFILE 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 3 “We have not had a real statesman

more a reflection of the Indian exceptions. after 1990.” worries on how they will compete Having workers abroad is —Prabhakar Rana after 2004 when the WTO regime important because they send money comes into effect, because the and Nepal’s overseas reputation is On Nepali business culture Prabhakar Rana is corporate chairman of the Soaltee Group initial surge for investing in India growing. But with a continuous A corporate culture is not taking which we saw at the last World drain of trained workers, it takes root in Nepal as fast as I had which has invested in hydropower, tourism, agri-business and Economic Froum meeting is no time and money to prepare the next expected. But it is inevitable, it is even shipping. After 40 years dealing with successive more. batch. the future. We talk about joining governments in Nepal, he understands the inner mechanism of the WTO—but we need to run our Goal-setting Nepal’s silver lining businesses professionally first. That doing business in Nepal very well. He spoke on a wide range of Nepal needs to focus on three In the last ten years we’ve had an

is what makes Sri Lanka different issues in an interview with Nepali Times. Exceprts: things: agri-business, tourism and open press. It has often been

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ from all other countries in South ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ hydropower. And we need to set negative, but we have not had Asia. It adopted the corporate secretary was witness to the They will not come here to invest just Our trade agreement comes up for and meet firm targets. Why can’t another revolution because people culture long ago in the 70s, and if JR agreement. How can you change (the because they like our mountains. renewal every five years. I think we make Nepal self-sufficient in can now talk freely and let off Jayawardene had had his way he tariffs) after you have agreed to it? I there could be difficulties this time food in the next five or ten years? steam. A free media has served as a would have joined ASEAN and not represent my shareholders and not the Political will, leadership when it comes up (because of) the Now that prices of agri-products safety valve. The charges about too SAARC. Here in Nepal, the government of Nepal, and securing There are problems with political Bombay Club. You may have have fallen (as is bound to happen much freedom are hollow. Maybe foundations lie in better education the best deal for my shareholders is leadership but the private sector noticed the articles coming out in in a free market), farmers are we just don’t know how to use our and more say for women. Without paramount. Bhote Kosi should teach too has to change and become the Indian newspapers, even demanding protection. There was a freedom. that there will be very little change. us a lesson. They had a watertight more professional. At the though Indian diplomats have bumper crop in India and also in agreement and shareholders interests FNCCI [Federeation of told me they are a little Nepal. If only the government had Next generation Hiccups were protected. Nepalese Chambers of embarrassed by these reports. silos, it could have bought the I never studied business, which is Whatever progress we have made in Commerce and Industry] I The agreement is favourable surplus. Without that, it alternates why I am quite confident that the investment legislation and a general Future of hydroelectricity am sometimes amazed to us since it has between plenty one year and next generation in my company improvement in the business climate Hydro-investment opportunities have by the automatic renewal, scarcity the next. India has food would do much better because they was achieved during that first half of been lost because we don’t have a discussions—most unless abrogated reserves for three years and with have been trained in business the 1990s when the Nepali clear policy. For example, after the of the time they by one side. I another bumper crop they may be management. We need better and Congress was in power. After that, it Bhote Kosi they had given us a survey are concerned don’t think thinking of a fourth year. more education centres here. has been downhill. I don’t licence for middle Bhote Kosi, which about protection India will go to We need to concentrate with Kathmandu University is doing a understand why leaders have not could have been much quicker to to compete with that extent [of real targets for tourism too. Stop good job. What I found at a class been able to convince people, build. All we needed to do was reuse India. Now they abrogating it]. talking about it, and start building there was every encouraging—there because that is what leadership is all water from the upper turbine and realise how things It all depends the roads, airports and other basic was an equal number of girls and about. If you cannot take firm generate electricity. But the will change after on how we handle infrastructure for tourism. Growth boys, and I found the girls were decisions for the fear of losing votes, government told us that NEA now has WTO, and they the grievances of in tourism has happened on its smarter. There were also many in then you are led, not a leader. We sufficient power, and asked us to sell are clueless. For the Indian business own, not because of the result of the class who had studied abroad as have not had a real statesman after power to India. We have tried to do example, the law community, some of any government policy. children and had come back. Their 1990. If only we had one statesman, that. But NEA is also building its own says you can have a which are of course The third area of promise is parents could have afforded to send things may have been different. projects. So my partners feel that we joint venture in unfair. We should water, and hydropower. But we them abroad for college. If there are are unwanted. We need a clear policy courier businesses. ask what is wrong if need to be clear on what will be good schools, Nepalis will remain Soaltee’s hydro investments to attract private investment. We have applied for a Nepal supplies done by the private sector and what here. It was Girija Babu’s goading that led Investors ask why distribution and joint venture with a large cheaper and better by the NEA. Should transmission us to take up Bhote Kosi. Our transmission is not privatised. We are multinational forwarding goods that come under and distribution be privatised? They On retirement generators are already working and ready to establish our own company company, but we’ve not the 4-digit harmonised tell us to sell to India, but the I was planning to quit as chief we’re confident that we’ll come for that and we will sell our own been granted a licence. codes? The CII power sale agreement they signed executive this year, and the job as online soon. On the price issue, I power. But NEA fears we’ll take their Why are we being denied [Confederation of Indian has not been ratified for three years. chairman of Soaltee Group when it remember it took us two hours and best customers away. Obviously, since something that is clearly Industry] is not That agreement is crucial. ends next year. At the last board forty-five minutes—for the US customers will choose better services. stated in the law? Some supporting Indian business meeting, my colleagues said that I ambassador and the then water FNCCI members are even on ghee because they Brain drain should stay because there are resources minister Pashupati Taxes on dividends, interests opposing it because they feel [those who are There is a worrying trend today— changes in the ownership structure

Sumsher Rana—to go through the Recent changes in policy are sending their little businesses will be complaining] did not come some of the best and brightest of the hotel. My stay here could BAJRACHARYA MIN five-volume document. Now Dr out wrong signals to investors. hurt. to our joint meeting even Nepalis are going abroad and not help facilitate the process. Although Ram Sharan Mahat says (the Investors will come to Nepal only if though they were coming back. Some eventually they would prefer to have me here, agreement) was wrong. But he was they see an opportunity to make Trade relations with invited. The media return and bring back their I am confident that there will be no finance minister then and his finance profits they would not elsewhere. India reports against Nepal is experience, but they are the problems after my exit. t

LETTERS KMNTC from KMNTC. This is misleading. Humla (“Nepali timber to Tibet”, HOTEL STRIKE This is in reference to the item KMNTC is one of few organisations #17). The deforestation was already Thank you for highlighting the “Future of KMTNC bleak” (From with a reputation for effective Al&W nor Bush is any good, but Gore rampant two years ago when I impending hotel strike the Nepali Press, #17) which was utilisation and accountability of Enjoyed reading the brilliant at least has some good instincts, visited the area, and at the pace it (“DEADLOCK”, #18). It looks translated and reproduced from funds received from various editorial (Al and W, #16) on the though whether he could get was going I was certain there would like neither the politicised Deshantar. It sems the reporter donors. Donors usually provide US election fiasco. I especially anything done for his country be no forests left by the end of the unions nor the hotel owners was trying to build a case against support for specific projects or liked the punch-line: “The world and the planet is an open decade. If I were a concerned care about the country, which the King Mahendra Nature programmes for a period. This is to has too much at stake to let only question. Humlali, I would give up on the can go to the dogs so long as Conservation Trust (KMNTC) just reduce donor dependency and to Americans decide who becomes Rajendra government in Kathmandu doing their own selfish concerns because some staff had left the make institutions self-reliant and their president.” However, you via Internet anything. It is this dependency that about money and power are service of the Trust. In fact, sustainable. Even so, there has may be giving a bit too much created the crisis in the first place. met. These two are holding the among the names mentioned in been no decrease in support from credit to Al Gore’s HUMLA After all, you can’t keep flying in country’s tourism industry to the news, Siddharth B donors for KMNTC despite environmentalism. The candidate Thank you for printing the foodgrains forever—even if it ransom. By not negotiating Bajracharya has not left the Trust competing claims for the limited has not followed up on his earlier excellent expose by Hem Bahadur means the foodgrains will save the seriously, they’re playing but is on study leave to pursue his funds available. commitments to clean up. And it Bista on the plunder of northern forests. dangerous brinkmanship. They PhD programme in the UK. The most-far fetched argument is certain that Ralph Nader would P Gurung better both wake up and start Similarly, Anil Ranjit and Mukesh in the report is the mention of a have been much better for the Kathmandu talking. Otherwise they’ll end Pudasini had to resign to join letter by Sir Johan Chapple of global environment than Gore. up taking themselves and this UNV, as there is no provision in KMUKT to imply that the letter Mina Matthew UJELI country down with them. the Trust regulations to grant itself was a reflection on the via Internet I read the article by Jan Salter (Name withheld on request) unpaid leave as requested. Staff weakness of management. Both about Ujeli (“Ujeli”, #18). The Kathmandu mobility is continuous in any the information and the I liked your editorial about the organisation and the people organisation and is a natural interpretation are misleading and correlation between the United involved are to be commended for process. In fact many reputed malicious. States elections and the global their help to Ujeli. national and international non- It is unfortunate that the environment and am mailing it This true story shows how a little governmental organisations Deshantar staff reporter has tried to on. It is important to see the help and concern to begin with can working in conservation have staff put together unrelated bits of news issues laid out so clearly and with end in helping someone find a members who once worked with and gossip to fabricate a such impact. We get spun around normal life once again. We should CORRECTION KMNTC. This we believe is the damaging article about the Trust. so much here by the media. take a lesson from this kindness and strength of the Trust rather than a Arun Rijal E. Fabian humanity that saved a life that The picture accompanying the weakness. Director, Information and Connecticut could have been easily lost to the article CENSUS 2001 (#18) The Desanthar report has Public Relations confusion of modernity. missed the credit. It was taken also assumed that SNV and KMNTC Your editorial on the US elections Mahesh Kumar Malla by Mani Lama. NORAD are withdrawing support was very insightful. Neither Gore Lazimpat 4 NATION One step forward,1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES Hotel unions and owners are on a collision course, and the impact could shatter Nepal’s tourism industry. 1991 agreed with its workers’ HAN says it represents the the present investor-unfriendly union to introduce the 10 percent entire hotel industry, and is not Labour Act.” service charge from October the lobbying on behalf of any particular Bajracharya says that by same year on condition that the section. A HAN representative says rejecting the government government did not object. he is “hopeful” that the mediation committee, unions have directly According to the unions, other panel constituted on 14 November challenged the government. He is hotels like Yak and Yeti, de l’ (a day after the unionists agreed to adamant that there have to be Annapurna, Shangri La, Malla, and postpone the 19 November changes in the taxation and labour Dwarika’s, had also stated they had agitation) would be successful in laws because without that Nepal’s no problems with the service convincing the unions to wait for tourism products would not be charge. But the government another three months. By then the competitive in the regional market. approval never came. high-powered committee would Other countries that have the So why did the government have submitted its report on service charge provisions, he said drag its feet? The only explanation introducing the service charge. have lower taxes on other items seems to be that successive However, HWJAC has refused to and limit the collective bargaining governments have been far too pre- recognise the committee saying it rights of unions. occupied with staying in power to was “tricked” into postponing the HAN has already registered its devote attention to much else— strike. HWJAC refused to attend demand that the Labour Act 1991 even to a sector of the economy as mediation meetings called by the be amended, describing it as an vital as tourism. In 1997, the government twice this week. obstacle towards a liberal economic Ministry of Labour did form a “We do not recognise the policy. In another attempt to avoid

MIN BAJRACHARYA taskforce to study what the committee and we will not sit for the proposed strike, HAN has unions under its umbrella will start economic impact of levying a 10 talks unless the government and the already appealed to the government wearing black armbands to work percent service charge would be. management promises to levy the to put the hotel industry under the starting Thursday next week. If However, the taskforce avoided service charge. We are ready to wait Essential Services Act that would there is no agreement they will then making any recommendations for another six months or a year to outlaw all kinds of lockout and launch an indefinite strike from 12 claiming that it was not mandated decide on the modality and strikes in the sector. Given the December. Eyeball-to-eyeball, the to do so, but neither did it rule out percentage of the service charge,” trade union background of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) a service charge. Analysts now say HWJAC member secretary Bishnu prime minister himself the says it is still “optimistic” about that the two parties could have Lamsal told us. This shows some government is not quite likely to finding a “amicably acceptable used that document as a basis for flexibility on the part of the unions, agree to that, but that has not solution”. But privately hotel negotiation. and could be the starting point for stopped HAN from trying. owners are defiant: they say they The government’s reluctance to compromise. But, as the deadline For the first time in 20 years, will shut down the hotels, come announce a service charge in hotels approaches, it is difficult to see how the HWJAC has brought together what may. even after several of the big players a shutdown can be avoided if hotel the Nepali Congress-supported The HWJAC says the strike have agreed to it in principle, and owners and the unions are not even Nepal Tourism and Hotel threat is the culmination of its 20- the present intransigence on the speaking to each other. Workers’ Union and the UML- year struggle to get a 10 percent part of some hotel owners has Despite official optimism on the backed Nepal Independent Hotel MIN BAJRACHARYA service charge added on all hotel intrigued some independent part of HAN, it is easy to see that Workers’ Union. A HAN insider

HEMLATA RAI hotel owners seem adamant to lock ○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○ bills. Five-star hotels in Nepal have observers. “The present inflexibility both sides are rolling up their says that if the proposed strike is hotel strike planned for mid- out. The government is trying to at various times over the last displayed by HAN represents the sleeves for a showdown. Says HAN postponed, the government could aDecember threatens to mediate, so far ineffectively, while decade agreed to the service charge vested interest of a certain class of President Narendra Bajracharya: influence the NC-supported union wreck years of concerted the 12 December deadline for the demand provided the government investors in the hotel industry,” “We are not going to compromise to withdraw the strike threat. But effort to develop Nepal into a major strike looms ahead. gave the nod. But the official says one independent industrial on anything before the report of the that may not solve the problem tourist destination, and unleash a Having agreed to postpone sanction never came, and the relations expert, who requested high-powered committee comes because the rival union backed by chain reaction of damage on the their agitation on 19 November, agreement with the unions could anonymity. “Levying service charge about. And, even if the government the UML is likely to continue the economy. Hotel workers agitating the Hotel Workers’ Joint Agitation not go into effect. According to helps make hotel transactions decides to levy the service charge strike, and add a politically for a ten percent service charge are Committee (HWJAC) says documents made available to us, transparent, and some hotels might we will not comply under the polarised element to the current in no mood to compromise, and thousands of members of the two Hotel Soaltee had as far back as not find that desirable.” present structure of taxation and dispute. t

HERE AND THERE by DANIEL LAK Guilty (and filthy) as charged

he failure of the climate change talks in The Hague last week might Whatever the reason for the failure of the they won’t change their own behaviour, or slow their consumption of t come up in court some day. That will be the day that our children sue climate talks in The Hague last week, the scarce or polluting resources. And they, we, let the climate change talks us for making an absolute mess of things and pretending all was well. fail. In the early 1990s, my sort of person was becoming the dominant loser is the Earth. And our children. Okay, okay, I am being too harsh. And maybe there is slight taste of demographic in the developed world. Educated, middle-class, liberal, even sour grape since my own stock market activity hasn’t exactly put me in the radical—social values inherited from the struggle in the 1960s to assert the Forbes 500. But I am angry about our priorities and how vividly they agenda of youth. When Bill Clinton was elected to the White House, and resemble the things we used to hold in contempt. And how little the fate later Tony Blair to Number Ten Downing Street, we had arrived. One of us of our children seems to mean to us. What will be the point of leaving was in charge, and things were going to change, baby. Injustices, vast legacies of cash, property and securities to our progeny if they have to inequalities, the environment, and senseless militarism—all the diseases wear anti-pollution masks when they go out on the street? What indeed bequeathed by our parents’ generation (as we saw it) were on their way out. are we leaving them? A decade of serious prosperity was just beginning, and we were going to The talks in The Hague were unsuccessful because American Have It All—a just, clean, green society and a good life. Call it meaningful forty-something negotiators failed to agree with mirror image materialism if you like, but we all felt that way. Reagan and Thatcher were counterparts from the European Union about reductions in gone; the sixties generation was in charge. greenhouse gas emissions. No one disputes the reality of climate Wrong on all counts. As we smugly made our way into boardrooms and change anymore. It’s fact, not theory that the world is getting warmer parliaments everywhere, change was happening to us, not the system or the and will continue to do so for another hundred years or so even if we situation. It’s a natural process. You acquire things; your interest changes reduce our carbon dioxide and other emissions. Americans wanted the and you shed your old ideas. Churchill’s adage, “A man less than twenty five right to keep spewing filth into the atmosphere so long as they who is not a socialist has no heart. A man over thirty who is not a capitalist planted a few trees to offset the CO increase. Europeans objected 2 has no head”, was being demonstrated as fact. and wanted drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across the Looking around my circle of friends from college in Canada, I can count board and tree planting. Cynics said the mediocre statesmen and five or six millionaires. These are people who rode the wave of information women of Europe always resort to America-bashing when things are technology-driven share markets and opportunities to amass fortunes that most like to change about the world? They’ll reply that their taxes are too tough at home. their parents could only dream of. These are also people who marched in high, that we’re letting too many immigrants into the country, and Whatever the reason, the loser is the Earth, and my children. That’s anti-nuclear rallies and joined Amnesty International, and spent time affirmative action for women and minority groups is denying opportunity to why I’m urging them to sue. My daughter has already been on the hugging trees. Ask them now what really gets under their skin, what they’d the privileged. Oh, they’ll still pay lip service to environmental causes, but Internet, looking for a lawyer to take the case.t NATION 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 5

Everest shrinking?

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ A Xinhua report from Beijing last week said Mount Everest is shrinking as a result of global warming. Scientists from two steps back the Chinese State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping said they had discovered that snow on the peak of Everest has thinned in the past 30 years. The Chinese researchers also discovered that Everest was moving between 2.4 and 2.8 inches at an azimuth angle of 54 degrees [northeast] every year! Surveys over the past 30 years show that changes have occurred in the area through crustal vertical movement, and experts said that these changes have resulted from a large rupture on the northern side of the mountain. Research also showed that the changes corresponded to different seismological periods.

Polluting vehicles to go

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ A year after the government threw out 640 smoke- belching diesel three-wheelers from the streets of “Employers are not sincere about ending the dispute.” “We don’t work with ultimatums.” Kathmandu, it has Bishnu Lamsal, Member Secretary, Hotel Workers’ Joint Agitation Committee Narendra Bajracharya, President, Hotel Association of Nepal decided on a blanket ban on all What is stopping you from sitting for talks to resolve the issue? What is keeping you two from sitting for a talk to resolve the problem? From the very beginning we have shown flexibility to resolve We are always open for talks, but the unions should also come to the polluting vehicles. this issue through talks. At the request of the government we table with an open mind. This is an old problem, prolonged for more The ban is to take agreed to postpone our agitation, overcoming opposition from than two decades because neither the government nor the employers effect in all of Nepal’s 58 municipalities. All vehicles made our members. But the employers and the government took our nor the unions were serious about it. Now HAN is serious about finding a before 1980, and three-wheelers running on petrol or decency to be our weakness. Instead of finding ways to end permanent solution to the problem, but we don’t work with ultimatums. liquefied petroleum gas are to go when the decision the deadlock, the government constituted a committee to The question of imposing a service charge does not concern hoteliers only, becomes effective 15 November next year. The study our demands that we refuse to recognise. The employ- the unions are jeopardising a lot of other jobs. Introducing a service charge in government notice also bans diesel tempos from Nepal ers are not sincere about ending this dispute. They have, till the hotel sector will have a spillover effect on other sectors also. Hotel workers effective August 2001. date, cheated the workers of their rightful benefits. They are already better paid with various other benefits than workers from other Of roughly 260,000 registered vehicles in Nepal, half have broken promises to introduce the 10 percent service sectors. With the introduction of the 10 percent additional service charge, they are two-wheelers and of the remaining 130,000, some 60 charge time and again, and this time they would be earning three times more than workers in other comparable sectors. percent ply on the streets of the Kathmandu Valley. “We’ve are trying their best to impose the Essential Services Law begun work to see how many vehicles will be affected by and to deny the workers from exercising their right to What problems do you have with giving workers 10 percent service charge? the new law,” Krishna Murari Sharma, Director General of peaceful agitation. But nothing will stop us this time, not Tipping is a reward, it is voluntary, it cannot be forced on clients. We are aware the Department of Transport Management told us. unless an agreement is reached between the employers and that some workers may never get tips because they never come into direct The Ministry of Population and Environment (MOPE) unions. contact with the guests. But the salary structure is such that they are compen- says work on the ban had been underway for some time sated. Nepal is already an expensive destination, imposing extra 10 percent now, and, according to Sher Jung Karki, an official at the Are you not concerned about what a lockout can do to the charge would make the competition with rival destinations like Thailand, legal section, is aimed primarily at checking pollution. economy? Singapore, and India stiffer. The government should play the role of “We have several technical committee studies saying it’s We have not conducted a comprehensive study to assess what mediator and find an amicable solution to this agitation. But introducing the old vehicles and their numbers that cause most of the ill effect our strike will have on the national economy, but we the charge without a comprehensive study of the salary and other benefit air pollution.” Last year MOPE threw out 640 diesel-run are aware that such strikes cost everyone dearly, the government, structures in the hotel sector vis-a-vis other industries, and without a three wheelers from the streets but allowed their owners the employers and the workers themselves. We are aware that comparative study of other countries allow service charge in the hotel to import 15-seater vans for public transport by mandating one million family members of hotel workers will suffer if sector could be suicidal for the hotel industry. VAT exemption and just one percent customs duty, as we are made to go for a lockout. But what we also realise is that opposed to the normal 130 percent. “There are no the peak tourist season is the most effective time to make our You say Nepal’s labour laws are anti-investor. Is that what is financial incentives this time,” says Karki. points clear to the government and the employers. We are putting behind the present deadlock? our own and our family’s welfare at stake to make our point, to tell The present labour law is against the spirit of the liberal economic Hepatitis-B

policy the government talks so much about. It protects workers, but ○○○○○○○○○○

the government and the employers that we can and will use our ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ collective strength to get what we should rightfully get. does not protect investors. We have already put forward our suggestion Doctors say Hepatitis B, the “silent killer”, is becoming a to amend the Labour Act, we have demanded that the hotel industry major problem, with 200 new liver cancer patients being Why is the 10 percent service charge so important? be enlisted as an essential service to outlaw lockouts in the industry. added every year. The reported number of Hepatitis B It is customary to fix a percentage of service charge in hotel sectors The present law allows workers to go on strike, while it bars patients in Nepal stands at 200,000 but doctors say there all over the world. We are not demanding an extra benefit, but managements from doing the same without prior notification. We also could be many more hidden cases around. Doctors say asking what rightfully is ours. By not agreeing to a charge that would demand that the management be given the right to fire workers and the the viral disease is the cause of 34 percent of liver cancer bring equal benefit to workers in all areas of the hospitality business, provision no-work-no-pay be introduced. Without these provisions, cases reported in Nepal. Santosh Man Shrestha, the employers are encouraging mistrust among workers themselves. trade unions can go on strike for even the smallest problems. The chairman of the Nepal Liver Foundation, says that about That will certainly affect their productivity. Fixing a service charge present tension between the management and the workers has been 10 percent of those suffering from acute jaundice is helpful also to ensure other rights of the hotel workers such as made worse by political parties, not by weaknesses in the Labour Act. between 1982-1985 were infected with the Hepatitis B bonuses on a hotel’s profit. But it is not only for the workers’ HAN feels that both the management and trade unions should come to virus. Now the infection rate has gone up to 35 percent. benefit that we are staging this agitation, it is also good for an understanding and wait for the recommendation of the high-powered The dangerous disease is difficult to diagnose until it is the national economy. It makes the hotel accounts transparent, committee formed by the government to look into the issue of service too late and, like HIV, it spreads through body fluids and and helps the government collect tax from this sector. charge in the hotel industry. contaminated needles, in addition to spreading through contaminated food and water.

Lauda Air deal

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ It appears that another deal by the Royal Nepal Airlines JOB OPPORTUNITY Corporation (RNAC) may be terminated after a sub- committee of the parliament’s Public Accounts Committee A newly built school at Matatirtha, Kathmandu (PAC) recently recommended its cancellation. The PAC sub-committee says the deal was “irresponsible and wants a dyanamic, self motivated and Everyday enjoy a traditional Nepali thali lunch in a palace garden at Patan illegal” and has also recommended legal and hardworking Nepali national, who has experience departmental action against the officials responsible for of running good boarding school in a senior Museum cafe. the deal. The committee found fault with Royal Nepal’s Free entrance to cafe decision to lease a Boeing 767 from Austria’s ailing administrative position. Salary negotiable for right v Lauda Air through direct negotiations instead of seeking candidate. Apply immediately with a handwritten bids from suppliers through a global tendering process, application, CV and passport size photograph to: Every Friday, enjoy the most famous and against the express instructions of the Commission barbeque dinner (or bbq snacks) for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). The commission has begun its own investigation into the in Kathmandu valley at Summit Hotel. leasing deal. Principal 6:30—9:30pm Investigations by the PAC have revealed that the For reservation: 521810/526271 aircraft to be leased does not belong to Lauda Air but to Buddha Academy, Jorpati Kathmandu. another company in Hong Kong not mentioned in the Phones: 470293, 478478 & 310036 lease document. RNAC has already paid Lauda Air $1 million to guarantee the deal, which it stands to lose Only short listed candidates will be called for interview. Fax: 977-1-523737, email:[email protected], should the contract be cancelled. Website : www.summit-nepal.com 6NATION 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

I’ll take that road. Otherwise why should I make enemies of my neighbours?” says an old man in The roads not taken Kalanki as he walks away, fuming. Engineer Khand of the Lalitpur SALIL SUBEDI AND Road Department has a different ALOK TUMBAHANGPHEY

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ perspective on managing the Ring hen the Ring Road was Road: “It cannot be directly termed w completed in 1980 it encroachment because people using looked futuristic. It took the land there do not claim that the into account the projected growth land is theirs. But since they have in vehicular population and the not been given any other improbability of heavy traffic alternative, they simply go about running the narrow inner routes. It using the space.” He says an included a green belt running along incomplete understanding of the its length and a service road for concept of a service track is causing connectivity to settlements flanking most of the problem. “The best the road on either side. The solution lies in community approximately 27-km-long Chinese- participation and public awareness built Ring Road was to have a main whereby people understand what is road 20 m wide, with 15 m green being done and co-operate instead belts on either side, and service of protesting against it,” he says. tracks of 6 m each. From the centre In any case, the Road of the road to either end that’s a Department does not have the total of 31 m. necessary jurisdiction or the budget Two decades later, the to offer compensation for land condition of the Ring Road is an acquired from the public. They may example of how myopia, apathy and be criticised for inefficiency and a top-down approach to slackness but there are also times

management can ruin a good idea. MIN BAJRACHARYA when their work disappears The Ring Road lies neglected, the overnight. “We do fence the green green belt has been encroached belt but the wires are gone within a upon or simply destroyed and the few days,” says Dhakal. The same service track is virtually non- happens to trees they planted. existent in places. The roots of the mess lie in

Construction of the service The Valley’s main artery has been slashed at several places, but no one seems to care. the lack of will, clarity and ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

track began more than a decade ago ○○○○○○○ efficiency in the central planning when the Panchayat government last and all activity ground to a halt. inner track. We are in the process started to squat on this land, even is made operational, encroachments system. The concept will not passed a Bill to the effect and The blame lies with the early of inviting a tender bid early opening small tin-roofed shops and will continue.” work unless local authorities are started tearing down all structures planners. They did not assign December,” says Indu Dhakal, automobile workshops. The worst Further, it is obvious why most given direction and empowered to that stood on the space required. responsibility to any agency to Kathmandu Divisional Head of the of this ‘reclamation’ is at houses have their own small trail act, and the community is No compensation was paid to protect and develop the idea—both Department of Roads. According to intersections where traffic flow is connecting them to the main street. involved. Right now, a majority of landowners. While a few demanded Lalitpur and Kathmandu Ananta Poudyal, engineer at the high. At places like Koteswor, “Who are we to go and ask house landowners in these areas seem recompense for houses and municipalities, and also the same division, Kathmandu will get Chabahil, Kalanki Chowk, Balaju owners to tear down their houses open to the idea of a service buildings torn down, many kept Department of Roads simply pass Rs 5.5 million and Patan, Rs 2 and Gongabu, the greenbelt simply because I need the service track? track, compensation or no silent as they believed a service the buck now—and took no million. does not exist, and any official It’s the job of the government and compensation. It is up to the track skirting their land would initiative to involve communities. But it is not clear how and undertaking to clear the settlements the road department. If they do it authorities to seize the day. t result in a higher real estate value. Although the Department of where the work will begin, and will certainly be met with strong, For some time after, the Roads now claims that the plan is many government officials don’t possibly violent resistance. construction of the track looked back on track, past record indicates even know of the existence of such At Kalanki, for instance, scrap real. Truckloads of gravel, stone that such optimism is misplaced. a fund. Damodar Gautam, chief metal and the remains of vehicle The Maharajgunj model and sand were dumped along the “Last year, the budget allocated for engineer at Patan municipality, chassis litter the area of the area. State-owned television and the service track was diverted to says, “There is no budget to carry service track. On the other side The Ring Road can be developed and protected through com- radio told us that even the houses pave roads during the SAF games. out any activity. The central people sip tea in a tin-roofed munity participation. Shanti Thapa of Maharajgunj has done it. of big guns had been torn down. This year Rs 7.5 million has been government policy is weak. It is shop besides a huge garbage It wasn’t easy converting the wasteland that the green belt But predictably, it was too good to allocated for the construction of the very tough to implement any dump. A local club, the Kalanki had become into a park. Shanti had to bury open toilets, clear actions against the will of the local Chowk Sudhar Samiti even bushes, plug an open sewer, and remove heaps of construction people.” He believes local collects a ‘tax’ from each shop— material along the 156 m stretch. “My first lot of roses worth Rs participation is crucial for things to up to Rs 10 every day. Says a 3,600 disappeared the very next day. Some people still dump start working. fruit-vendor from Jhapa: “We pay garbage around the area, but locals are beginning to realise its Theoretically, the process of them five rupees per day. In importance,” recalls Thapa. She was even manhandled once by initiating the project might sound return we get to sell our stuff a neighbour, although the man later got a talking to from the simple, but the ground reality is without any hassle from the neighbourhood. that encroachment and interference traffic and the municipality It started with a proposal to the Ministry of Population and by communities and local clubs police.” Environment to create a park for children. The road department around the Ring Road has become According to the chairman of approved the plan and released Rs 400,000 for the construction too complicated to be solved easily. the Kalanki committee, Ram of the Hausala Bal Udhyan. “There were prolonged delays in Dhakal remembers how he was Sharan Thapa, the funds are used to the supply of materials. But now I feel happy that at least the almost burnt alive inside a truck by do things like pave the area and area has been developed,” says Shanti. an angry mob which had gathered manage parking space at the Her reward is the company of neighbourhood kids at play. “I to protect illegal settlements at Chowk. “These are the love this space. I am attached to every plant that grows here,” Tinkune which Dhakal, with a responsibilities of the government, says Shanti, who contracted polio when she was three. Shanti has a female MIN BAJRACHARYA

MIN BAJRACHARYA small police force, was about to but since the situation started demolish. getting worse, we decided to run gardener who she “The problem lies within the this committee ourselves,” he says. pays Rs 1500 a Budhanilkhantha system. First of all, the government Locals like feeling empowered. month. Recently, the Manakamana Cable Ring Road should undertake strict and Says local resident Roshan Kaji strategic planning and implement it Maharjan, “It’s good they are Car company helped paint the Balaju accordingly. Otherwise the managing things the government is department is in no position to use supposed to do. But at the same poles and swings, and they contribute Baudha force except to go about fencing time, it is very important for the Ring Road areas with barbed wire,” he says. municipality to keep track of the Rs 3000 every Pashupatinath “Everybody talks big during revenue to prevent it from being month. Some Royal Palace planning meetings and interaction. misused.” people in the neighbourhood also volunteer time Swayambhu KATHMANDU But at ground level, only a minority The Road Department’s and money for the park. “Friends like Ramkaji

Khome, Tshering Lama, Sita Gurung, Lamabhai Ring Road Ring of us remain. We can’t just go solution to encroachment seems to and the Dabur Nepal office have been contributing Rs 200 a Singha Darbar about pulling down houses and be occasionally bulldozing the small Airport disrupting public life,” he says. trail roads that connect the service- month,” she says. A decade after the service track track to the main road. “But that Recently, Shanti added another 50 m stretch of the green was laid, the roads department is does not result in any permanent belt to the park area, with a budget of Rs 40,000. Half the money came from her own NGO (Hausala), and the rest from the LALITPUR unable to open it fully or pave it. solution to the problem and neither There are several houses and is it healthy,” acknowledges Social Welfare Ministry. “It doesn’t need much. If a polio patient workplaces built on the service engineer Shyam Bikram Khand of like me did it almost single-handedly, can’t the young citizens do Zoo so… It just needs awareness and an aesthetic will,” she says. Ring Road track, which have inevitably spilt the Lalitpur section of the Road Ring Road The residents of Maharajgunj and Dhumbarahi are certainly over to the green belt. New settlers, Department. Poudyal of the t a large part of the migrant Kathmandu division offers a grateful. population into the valley, have solution: “Unless the service track 7 NATION Thou shalt not adulterate1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES ð From page 1

he estimate of our sources who takes the different products it From l to r:Tankers on the highway from Birgunj to Amlekhgunj , entering t have carried out tests to see needs—including petrol, aviation the depot at Amlekhgunj, motorcycle being refueled in the capital. how much deviation there is fuel and lubricants—from between diesel sold at the pump convenient IOC depots along the 26.50 and kerosene is Rs 22. The series of rhetorical questions: “Yes, and the mother stock from India say border. Roughly two-thirds of tanker operator sells petrol and it is, but why single out petroleum the adulteration is as much as 45 NOC’s supplies from the IOC enter diesel for a rupee less than the products? Is edible oil pure? Can percent. For petrol, it is 25 percent. Nepal at Raxaul and are stored at market price and purchases you guarantee that Coca-Cola is Translated: for every litre of diesel Amlekhgunj. The tanks here can kerosene at a rupee over, thus the not adulterated? If I were a trader you buy, nearly half has been store up to 12,770 KL, but our pump gets two rupees for every wouldn’t I too have done that?” removed and replaced with kerosene sources tell us the fuel is already litre. It’s even more lucrative for the One way for testing oil quality and water. contaminated by the time it reaches tanker operator: the differential is at Amlekhgunj is by measuring the ALL PHOTOS : MIN BAJRACHARYA Last year Nepal used 800,000 Amlekhgunj. Rs 23 per litre for petrol and Rs 3.5 volume (after making allowances for kilolitres of petroleum products, of Every day up to 200 tankers per litre for diesel. In other words, evaporation losses) and density. which petrol was 70,000 KL and hired by the NOC transport for every 25,000-litre petrol tanker There is a two-degree temperature diesel 350,000 KL. At today’s prices petroleum products from the border he drives, he makes Rs 34,500. Of difference between Raxaul and and if the 25 percent added to town of Raxaul to Amlekhgunj. The late, many petrol pumps have Amlekhgunj, so the volume of oil petrol was kerosene, then the tankers are filled at noon, but they started operating their own tankers shrinks by the time it reaches the amount Nepalis have overpaid for come across the Nepali customs to increase their profit margins. depot. The standard loss allowed is petrol adds up to Rs 437 million. only at around 2 pm, and show up There is a petrol pump every 1.06 litres per KL petrol and 0.75 the Indian border. during spot checks. Likewise, the amount you’ve been at Amlekhgunj, just 35 km away, kilometre along the 35 km stretch litres per KL of diesel. The second tier of adulteration Sharma says the government’s overcharged in diesel purchases adds only after 20 hours. between Raxaul and Amlekhgunj, a But the same standard can also takes place at the petrol pumps move to lower kerosene prices from up to Rs 708 million. Altogether, We followed some of these density several times higher than serve to justify thousands of litres in where owners, by their own Rs 26 to Rs 22 after opposition the Nepali people are cheated of at tankers, and found out many the national average. And there are accumulated losses. Our NOC admission, add kerosene to diesel pressure will boost adulteration. least Rs 1.2 billion every year, and stopped at petrol pumps between more coming up. source told us that if employees at and petrol. Tirtha Dongol of the “Today there is a price difference of the spoils are shared by the tanker the border and the depot at Tanker operators privately its depots reported losses lower Consumers’ Forum Nepal told us 5.50 rupees (between kerosene and syndicates, the filling station Amlekhgunj. All of these have a admit to hanky-panky, but they than the “standard” they were that most pumps have two or three diesel) and in a poor country like owners, NOC officials and similar layout: storage tanks in an have their own gripes. The dismissed as “ghans khane” (grass- underground storage tanks: one for ours it becomes difficult to politicians. area adjoining the station but Amlekhgunj depot only takes in fuel eaters). Trucks leaving Raxaul are holding adulterated fuel, and the guarantee there is no adulteration Sources at the NOC with inside separated by high walls and tall in the mornings, and they have to kept on the road overnight to other for “unadulterated” supplies at all,” says Sharma. information on the process told us metal gates. Many tankers headed pay NOC officials even to get their ensure that the tanks cooled down received from the NOC. There are That doesn’t seem too convincing adulteration takes place in three to Birganj, where our sources told supply unloaded at Amlekhgunj; the and even water is added for cooling. valves to switch the supply from one considering that just across the border stages: us the petrol and diesel are rate is the price of 100 litres of the The greater the temperature tank to another, and Dongol says in India, they don’t have an • during transport from the Indian extracted and replaced with the fuel being transported. If it is differential, more room there is for gas stations open the tank adulteration problem. Some of it does border to Amlekhgunj cheaper kerosene. One tanker petrol, that makes a greasing charge adulteration. containing unadulterated supplies go on, but at the petrol pump level • on the way from Amlekhgunj to operator bragged to us that the of Rs 4,700 to the official. But that A petrol pump and tanker during the NOC checks. and certainly not at an institutional the dealers, and amount mixed depends on an is a small price to pay because after operator in Birganj told us that In Kathmandu, NOC’s general level like with the NOC. In fact, oil • before fuel is actually sold to “understanding” between the petrol it is taken in at Amlekhgunj, the payoffs can be made at Raxaul to manager, Madan Raj Sharma, says companies there challenge customers consumers pump owner and transporter. He fuel then gets the NOC’s seal of ensure that a higher temperature is the corporation has taken action to test their fuel if they are not so NOC imports kerosene and said that the going adulteration approval. noted in the despatch slip. There against those who are caught, but sure. And here petrol pumps shut diesel from the international market ratio is “putting 1,500 litres of Pradip Raj Adhikary heads the have been days when, according to laments: “We do not have the down just at the hint of a check, and through global competitive bidding kerosene in a 25,000 litre tanker”. Amlekhgunj depot. He does not drivers, they’ve reported a 8-10- capacity to do nationwide spot the government sits with them across and delivers the fuels to the Indian The present per litre market mince words when asked if his fuel degree temperature difference checks.” Just as well, given how the table and begs them to come back Oil Corporation at the port. It then price of petrol is Rs 47, diesel is Rs is adulterated. He responds with a between that of Amlekhgunj and much money seems to change hands in business.t

BARBS by BARBARA ADAMS Alice in Nepal’s wonderland his de-clawed and defanged columnist has hesitated to resume The benign weather is lulling us into Sane deplored the killing and other human rights violations by the writing after returning from the US because every time she sits Maoists, but he made it clear that torture, extra-judicial killings, and t believing that aside from the garbage and disappearances carried out by the state authority was worse than down to the computer she has to control her anger, her passion for and against causes, and her worry about the future of her adopted the traffic, things are still pretty much inexcusable and totally discredited the government’s pallid lip service country. Finally, last week, she took the bit in her teeth and set out to what they once were. to human rights. Referring to ex-Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s

statement that Nepal had abolished capital punishment, he stressed ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ find the new office of Nepali Times. “Opposite the UN building” the ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ man usually seen on the back page with the funny hat, had said. Infuriatingly nonchalant politicians, trying to convince us that if only that although law may have banned capital punishment, the number of When I got to the UN, and couldn’t locate this newspaper, I those “communist terrorists” would go away Nepal would be peaceful extra-judicial killings by both the Police and the Maoists, had increased thought of asking Nepali friends inside if they could tell me how to find and prosperous, and illegal anomalies like torture and disappearances alarmingly. Sane felt it should be possible to bring the Maoists into the their offices. Not so easy any more. It took a lot of persuasive Nepali, would not be necessary. There is an Alice in Wonderland quality in political process. Public opinion in Nepal is headed in that direction: and my best attempts at charm, to persuade the guards to open the today’s air. free elections held by an all-party government is one of the solutions gates for my ancient, and, I suppose, disreputable, vehicle. As politicians continue to squabble over power and spoils, that has come up. One of the most disconcerting aspects of today’s Nepal, for one Western countries continue to provide them the wherewithal for such Sane, whose name is perfect for one so balanced (although it is who has lived here forever, is the “security apparatus” everywhere one quarrels. The Human Rights criterion for foreign aid, which is pronounced differently), was so articulate and so obviously caring and goes. In the old days one walked, drove, or rode one’s horse freely into imposed so rigorously in some countries, when it suits the West, is passionate about what he was preaching, that he held the usually any compound, except the Royal Palace, of course, and was always never mentioned here. Is it that living is so pleasant here that cynical audience of journalists, politicians and auxiliaries thereof, warmly welcomed. In these days, of what is still called democracy, a normally sensitive people just choose to turn the other cheek to what spellbound. When at the end of his talk he said: “Human Rights, disconcerting sort of paranoia reigns. Chanting Buddhist monks in red they know, but somehow manage to forget, when arranging for still spelled H-U-M-A-N R-I-G-H-T-S, spell it with me,” the entire robes are taken for Maoists shouting slogans, human rights activists are more money to enrich the already rich? audience spelled human rights aloud, including this usually cynical non- accused of “supporting terrorists”, and the American Embassy has The recent talk programme on Politics and Human Rights was joiner. We were energised and enthused to join the struggle. Who, or turned its once relaxed club at Phora Durbar into an exclusive fortress attended by Amnesty International’s international directors and its what, is going to energise the Human Rights Commission? t for a handful of diplomats. urbane and quietly passionate president, Pierre Sane, who described The benign weather is lulling us into believing that aside from the and documented the increasing and frightening deterioration of the (Barbara Adams is a long-time Kathmandu based writer and ommentator.) garbage and the traffic things are still pretty much what they once were. human rights situation in Nepal. 8 NEPALI ECONOMY 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

BIZ NEWS ECONOMIC SENSE by ARTHA BEED

Bank reforms

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ The Nepal Rastra Bank has prepared an 18-point strategy which includes prescriptions for the financial sector and relates to its own supervision and monitoring capabilities as well. Top Bullying Nepal on the list is improving management of the country’s two large banks—Rastriya Banijya Bank and Nepal Bank Limited—which an auditor early this year described as “technically insolvent.” There had been similar prescriptions for the two banks in the early 1990s, when the government even put in Rs 3 billion to upgrade their capital. It left ‘improved management’ to Indians lose it over toothpaste and flashlights. the banks, but that never happened and explains why the central bank, this time, wants to hand over the two banks to foreign companies under a two-year management contract. fter the ‘Nepal Game Plan’ it This encouraged Indian manufac- Other reforms include putting a halt to investment by commercial banks in competing is the ‘Himalayan Blunder’, a turing giants like Hindustan Lever ventures, withdrawing government ownership from the Nepal Bank Limited, and introducing athriller published in The and Dabur to set shop in Nepal. stricter rules to govern investments—especially a ceiling on loans that can be provided to the Economic Times. The Indian media Trading communities on both sides same borrower. Also on the cards is an investigation into and re-organisation of the never misses a chance to bully Nepal. of the border quickly found ownership of private commercial banks, to weed out the possibility of insider lending that has A small show of concern about loopholes in the treaty and have plagued Nepal Bank. The Rastra Bank’s role would be to function as a strong regulator, for imports from Nepal by an Indian exploited them for ages. If the which there would be a stronger law, possibly in the compilation of all legislation relating to business group has been blown up out regulators in both countries are the financial sector as one Act. of proportion. They will never fail to weak, the informal economy should find the nexus between Chinese toys, not be blamed. Nepal, despite its

More life insurance players the ISI and Nepal. Like their normally ham-handled implementa- ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ counterparts in Nepal, smaller Indian tion of anything, has initiated The Vishal Group Limited—promoters of Nepal Industrial and Commercial Bank, among businesses, mostly traders, want regulation of trade with China by others—and India’s Life Insurance Corporation have joined hands to enter Nepal’s large but protection measures in place for Armed Raxaul cop buying Chinese making the use of banking channels virtually untapped life insurance market. The two companies signed a memorandum of domestic industries. They are scared blankets in Birgunj last week. mandatory. The proportion of understanding in Kathmandu last week and their new company—Life Insurance Corporation of the advent of the WTO, because goods re-exported from Nepal to (Nepal) Ltd (LICNL)—is to become operational by March next year. Indian products are known to fall why is there such a hue and cry? It India is statistically an insignificant “We hope to sell 10,000 policies in the first year of operation,” says GN Vajpai, Chairman short of global quality benchmarks. seems some people can’t digest the figure, as the bulk of exports are LIC India. “The market here is very good because it is not very developed.” LICNL will have a Small-scale Indian industries have fact that the international-quality agro-based, and the remainder are paid-up capital of Rs 250 million, of which the LIC will hold 55 percent and the Vishal Group grown because of the presence of toothpaste they brush their teeth from Indian-owned production 25 percent. The remaining 20 percent shares are to be sold to the general public. “Our main subsidies rather than by increasing with is Made in Nepal. units in Nepal. goal is to provide quality insurance services in Nepal,” says Ashok Agrawal, Chairman of the productivity or their scale of The Indian government is The underlying issue is that Vishal Group. “I’m confident this venture will bring a new era in the insurance sector.” production. They know it is difficult cognizant of the informal trade India is flooded with cheap goods LIC used to operate in Nepal before the Rastriya Beema Samiti was incorporated in the to be more competitive than China, between the two countries. Everyone from China, but not only from early 1970s. Its global assets are valued at Rs 2574.9 billion. LICNL, the first joint venture in where efficiency and mass-market knows that tons of the gold that Nepal. They come from Dubai, life insurance, will have to compete with two existing companies and four others that are in the production have been promoted enters Nepal finally finds its way into Singapore, Thailand and even pipeline. heavily in the last decade. India has India. In the early nineties, when the Burma. Chinese companies are never been able to confront or Nepali population was only around 18 setting up factories in India and

Arun III controversy criticize China head-on, whether million, Nepal officially imported 50 these are definitely things like ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ through the media or the government, million umbrellas each year and Rs 41 electronics at a cheaper rate. A new controversy has clouded the Arun-III hydroelectricity project, with the government and anti-China sentiments are vented million worth of flashlights. These India needs to rethink this blaming EurOrient for not paying Rs 40.2 million as guarantee of performance, and the on Nepal. China has understood the goods originated mostly from China sporadic Nepal-bashing . If Chinese American company asking for more time to get paperwork done. EurOrient officials are visiting potential of the market of a billion and found their way in here through goods available in Indian markets Nepal to resolve the “misunderstanding”, and a company source told us, “We’re still very people west of their border, while the porous border. are cheaper and better than the much interested in the project”. India never saw China as a potential The preferential trade treaty was spurious junk produced in the The controversy erupted after the Electricity Development Centre (EDC) wrote to the market of a billion people to the east. signed between India and Nepal for backyards of Chandni Chowk, it is American company on November 7 asking it to submit Rs 40.2 million as performance Nepali exports to India have mutual benefit. It was thought that not Nepal’s fault. Indian business assurance, “within 15 days”, warning that only such a submission would entitle it a survey definitely increased over the last five the populous border states of North and industry are to blame. t licence for the 402 MW project. The company’s position is that its insurance agents would years, however imports of US$200 India would be served more cheaply need 60-90 days to underwrite the performance assurance bond, something that has already million from Nepal is a miniscule through manufacturing units based in Readers can discuss issues at been commissioned. It has already paid Rs 60,000 to the EDC as survey licence fees, but fraction of India’s total imports. So Nepal rather than, say, in South India. [email protected] had at one point requested the EDC to allow it to pay the remaining money when it applied for a survey licence. The government requires companies to submit bank guarantees for the Grindlays Gazette money, a way to prevent licensees from squatting on licences. INTEREST RATE UPDATE CURRENCY UPDATE Khimti power

AG/USD CURRENT * WK/AGO %CHG

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ NEPALI RUPEE CURRENT% PREVIOUS% Himal Power Limited (HPL) officials have ruled out a renegotiation of the power purchase Call Money Avg. 5.25 5.25 OIL(Barrel ) 33.06 32.88 + 0.54 agreement with the Nepal Electricity Authority, arguing that the deal was done when there were GOLD(Ounce) 269.40 266.35 + 1.15 a different set of uncertainties and that it is wrong to raise the issue now. King Birendra 84 Days t/bill 5.05 5.08 inaugurated the 60-megawatt, $140 million project at Kirnetar in Dolakha district on Monday. 91 Days t/bill 5.31 5.33 GOLD ( NPR *) 7055 7040 + 0.21 Politicians and government officials have been talking about possible renegotiation of 365 Days t/bill 6.18 6.16 EUR 0.8528 0.8482 + 0.54 electricity sold by the HPL though the NEA has not made a formal request to that effect. The GBP 1.4187 1.4231 + 0.31 PPA was signed on 30 March 1994. Under the 20-year agreement NEA is required to Repo rate 5.81 5.83 purchase the electricity at 5.9 cents per unit (now roughly 6.9 cents after adjusting for JPY 110.43 110.12 - 0.28 The average rate of 91 days Treasury Bill decreased inflation). HPL began commercial sale of electricity on 11 July. marginally to 5.3086 percent compared to 5.3314 percent CHF 1.7759 1.7915 + 0.87 Norwegian power-developer Statkraft, the major shareholder in HPL, will have to transfer in the previous week due to higher demand from AUD 0.5249 0.5094 + 3.04 50 percent ownership to the government after 20 years under the licence agreement. The Commercial Banks. Expected range for the coming week remaining stock is to be transferred to the government upon completion of the 50-year Build- 5.25 percent to 5.40 percent . INR 46.88 46.80 - 0.17 Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) contract. FOREIGN CURRENCY : Interest rates *Currency bid prices at 2.00 p.m. on 28/11 - Source Reuters USD EUR GBP JPY CHF Oil: World prices stayed firm above $30 a barrel on Tuesday,

Pay for garbage worried by possible supply hiccups from Iraq and how the US ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ LENDING 9.50 5.75 6.00 1.50 5.13 winter would be. Analysts say a stand-off between Baghdad and The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has decided to charge about 130,000 residents living on the LIBOR (1M) 6.70 5.11 6.07 0.54 3.65 the UN could disrupt flows of crude from Iraq, roughly 5 percent main thoroughfares a fee for collecting household waste. The Household Waste Collection of world exports. Programme is an attempt to get people involved in keeping the city clean, city officials say. Currencies : The dollar slumped on Monday, tumbling from it’s Municipal trucks are to pick up waste from 6:30 to 9:00 am and residents will be required to BANK RATES (DEPO/LENDING) Mkt Hi/Lo Mkt Avg 9-month peak against the yen and falling 1.5 percent against the dump their waste directly onto the trucks. The fee for using the service ranges from Rs 75 a S/A NPR 6.0/3.5 5.23 euro, an outcome of protracted uncertainty about U.S. election month—for a household producing 10 litres of waste—to Rs 20,000 for large establishments results. Jitters about possible European Central Bank intervention like five-star hotels. Kathmandu produces about 350 tonnes of solid waste every day. F/D 1 YR 7.5/6.0 6.73 to boost the euro also helped the single currency, although there Municipal police will monitor the new order and non-compliance can result in fines of up to Rs was no purchase. The dollar closed at 0.8512 against the euro and OVERDRAFT 15.5/12.5 13.54 at 110.64 against the yen on Monday. 15,000. TERM LOAN 14.5/13.0 13.37 INDIAN RUPEE OUTLOOK : The Indian currency ended Tuesday IMPORT LN 13.0/10.5 11.52 at a new low against the dollar driven by corporate flows and sharp falls checked by support from state-run banks. It ended at 46.885/ EXPORT LN 13.0/10.0 10.63 89 per dollar, breaching its previous closing low of 46.865/885, on MISC LOAN 17.5/13.5 15.03 October 31. The outlook for the Rupee remains bearish on higher 0.74 0.37 0.40 0.22 0.37 0.04 54.00 oil prices, sluggish foreign fund inflows and the strengthing dollar. 0.65 0.31 0.56 0.33 0.18 0.02 44.46 0.64 0.36 0.56 0.28 0.13 0.05 46.88 INTERNATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES FOR NEPALI TIMES 0.25 0.28 0.40 0.30 0.42 0.21 11.82 6 months 1 year 0.41 0.43 0.52 0.22 0.12 0.03 57.87 SAARC countries US$25 US$48 0.74 0.37 0.61 0.24 0.19 0.03 81.31 0.65 0.38 0.63 0.36 0.30 0.09 74.05 Other countries US$40 US$75 All prices are in US dollars, collected from informal sources, and are only indicative. [email protected] ADVENTURE 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 9 Thrill of a lifetime Go to the Bhote Kosi from 1-3 December for the annual Nepali River Festival revenue and employs more business also provides a livelihood necessary accessories is an than 2,000 people. It all for other men from Kurintar, like additional Rs 100,000 per raft. started in the early 70s Gangaram Silwal. “I grew up beside Establishing a small company with a when maniac rafters from the river and now I earn my living fleet of four of the cheapest rafts ALL PHOTOS: ULTIMATE DESCENTS NEPAL DESCENTS ULTIMATE PHOTOS: ALL overseas started paddling here. If not for rafting, maybe I’d requires around Rs 1.2 million, not down Nepal’s white have become a driver or wage a really large sum for businessmen. waters. But commercial labourer, I don’t know maybe a “Those with money and without rafting only began in the simple farmer,” says Silwal. knowledge of the field are into it,” mid-70s, when some of It isn’t entirely a dreamy, living- says Gurung. “Many sahujis who these adventure-seekers set off-nature business, though. Most run rafting agencies don’t even

SALIL SUBEDI

○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○ up shop here, river guides earn around Rs 3,500 a know where the rivers are located.” hitewater rafting has been independently and with month, besides the tips. A lucky few Most rafting companies described as the perfect Nepali partners. earn more. It isn’t big money themselves are located in, you wadventure sport and there Crossing low-tide compared with what they have to guessed right, Thamel in is no place better for both the go through—the constant anxiety of Kathmandu, and in Patan, with beginner and the pro than Nepal. safeguarding lives and risking their some branches in Pokhara. Any Up by the Bhote Kosi, some own, physical stress, and trouble company you see outside these three hours east of Kathmandu, with management —and many centres is likely only a storage Claire Davies is about to get into a guides say as much. The All Nepal station or a contact point. How raft for the first time. She’s “a little River Guides Association (ANGRA) much of rafting-generated revenue shivery, nervous and excited”. Her safety, paddling, emergency president, Dev Raj Gurung, says goes outside these urban centres is fellow-rafters also have mixed tips and the excitement to most guides have no insurance anybody’s guess. feelings, but it won’t be long before follow. The river guides cover or provident funds. “Only a But these issues aside, the the river guide yells “Forward literally show you how to sit few of the well-to-do agencies industry is now fighting other forces. team!” and suddenly there’s no time in a raft, and tell you not to provide life insurance for their Rafting company owners and guides to be nervous as they paddle panic so often you begin to guides. We’re now trying to alike are anxious about the increasing through huge rolls of rapids and wonder what you’re getting organise some basic insurance for all number of dams being constructed on falls. Adrenaline, sweat, splashes of into. River guides are real river guides in Nepal,” he says. Nepal’s free-flowing rivers. (A “free- crystal-clear mountain water fuel showmen (yup, they’re all There is money in the business. flow river” is trade slang for a river full the trip. men), mixing humour, a sense Small rafting companies net profits of rapids and without man-made Before they begin, along with of excitement, and vital of up to Rs 1.3 million in a year if obstructions like dams, tunnels and wet suits, helmets, life jackets and information. A good guide the two canals.) Dams on the Kali Gandaki paddles, rafters get a briefing on puts his team at ease before and the Marshyangdi are cited as classic cases that seriously cripple the All rivers operate in the Autumn (Sep-Dec) and Spring (Feb-May), except the industry. Chhedyup Bomzan of Drift Sun Kosi, which is operational only until June and the Trishuli, navigable Nepal says business has already taken throughout the year. The international system of river classification for giving instructions a downturn, as trips now last fewer rafting and kayaking is based on the gradient of the river flow and difficulty of and commands. “This is days and some areas are simply off- the rapids. Class I is easy moving water with few obstacles, while Class VI is almost impossible to negotiate and meant strictly for professional rafters. If very important,” says limits. “We don’t oppose dams but you’re in reasonable physical shape, Classes I- III shouldn’t be a problem. Ashish Lama, a river there have to be ways to guard the Beyond that require some rafting experience and confidence in water. guide. “Each rider has pristine wildlife and flavour of Nepal. to follow the If the rivers are blocked, there will be RIVER DURATION CLASS COST commands to keep the no rafting. Okay, we may not be the OF TRIP OF RAPIDS (AVERAGE) raft free-floating. biggest contributor to the tourism Otherwise industry, but it would affect other Karnali 12 days (includes trek) III to IV $400 everybody will start tourism-related businesses too— Kali Gandaki 3-7 days III to IV+ $99 swimming.” hotels, airlines, restaurants, resorts,” Marshyangdi 5-6 days IV to V $250 According to the says Chandra Ale of Ultimate Nepal Association of Descents Nepal. Sun Kosi 8-10 days III to V- $350 Rafting Agents Chandra’s brother, Megh Ale, Bhote Kosi 2 days III to V $80 (NARA), some one of Nepal’s foremost Tamur 11 days (includes trek) III to V $650 26,000 people, including a tiny rapids down the Trishuli near seasons are professional rafters, is trying to do Trishuli 1-2 days III to IV (IV in monsoon) $70 number of Nepali tourists, went on Kurintar village, Puran Gurung, a good, while companies with larger his bit to keep the green flavour in. Seti 4 day Kayak clinic II to III $220 professionally organised white water 30-something river guide from fleets, of say around 50 rafts, and a He heads the Nepal River Arun 8 days (includes trek) NA $600 rafting trips in Nepal in 1999. After there, remembers that eight years good foreign network, can earn as Conservation Trust (NRCT), which trekking, rafting is the largest sector ago the older folks did not like much as Rs 6 million annually. A conducts awareness and educational Lower Bheri 2-3 days NA $120 of the tourist industry, generating what he was getting into. “But now raft normally costs around Rs campaigns for river guides and Source: Ultimate Descents and NARA 25 percent of the tourism-related they’re happy about it.” His 300,000 and a complete set of villagers who interact with the rafting sector every year. The guides, through ANGRA, are devoted to different kinds of community service. They carry out humanitarian and social welfare projects like blood donation camps, clean-up campaigns and first-aid training. They’re also renowned for their disaster-relief work and rescue operations during landslides and floods in Nepal. NCRT also organises nepal dist an annual River Festival (this year from 1-3 December on the Bhote Kosi), to raise awareness about Nepal’s rivers, their resources, and conservation. This year there will also be activists protesting the casual construction of dams as well. Rafting is not just fun, but the perfect adventure sport that makes you manage adrenaline, challenges and skills, and also engage with questions of philosophy and inner peace. Nepal’s free-flowing Himalayan rivers, flora and fauna, the vistas, and some rough terrain offer world-class adventure. The challenge now is to make it true eco-tourism, i.e., compatible with equally vital development projects. t 10 HERITAGE The past with a future1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

SUJATA TULADHAR

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ hat’s a lovingly restored w 18th-century palace doing with a spectacular collection of rare artefacts from Tibet, India and the western Himalaya? Welcome to the Patan Museum. Your trip into history begins at the entrance. The palace museum is part of a larger living museum: Patan’s cobble-stone Durbar Square, with some of Nepal’s most impressive temples and monuments. Two ferocious lions guard the famous gilded door, and above, overlooking the Square, is a gilded window with an image of Shristi Kanta Lokeshwor. Inside, it’s a different world. You enter into a courtyard that immediately and gently morphs your world into one that is outside ALL PHOTOS MIN BAJRACHARYA modernity, noise and dust. Keshab Narayan Chowk, the quadrangle “The reason I chose this railing and rediscovered. traditions of metalwork deserves around the main courtyard, was is that I found it comfortable, and One of the highlights of the special mention. It displays, step- once the residence of the Malla also in good combination with the museum is a beautiful golden wise the technique of repoussé, the Kings of Patan. Seated inside the range of Tibetan sculptures throne of the kings of Patan, which hammering of metal sheets into courtyard is Keshav Narayan, the upstairs,” explains Götz Hagmüller, has an interesting relationship with relief designs, and the process of guardian deity of the palace. chief architect of the Patan its makers. An inscription just casting images using a technique Invariably, the visitor spends some Museum project (see box). The beneath the seat says “anyone can known as ‘lost wax’. Here, a wax roof of the palace, given a constant, supported by the Austrian time here, admiring the structure atypical stairs lead to a typical have this throne on payment of Rs model is encased in clay and then almost ecclesiastical continuity by Government has transformed the that encloses such tranquillity. Newari door. Raise your feet and 2 to the families of coppersmiths melted out and replaced by molten an electric fan below. This subtle palace into Nepal’s finest and The galleries begin on the lower your head to avoid tripping and the carpenters”. Oral history metal. Also not to be missed is but brilliant touch is just one of the only self-sustaining museum. After first floor of the completely over and bumping your head. After suggests the throne was presented Gallery H, which houses a rare many that make Patan Museum its extension, restoration and reconstructed eastern wing. The you negotiate that, you’re safely in to the then Hindu king Srinivasa collection of photographs and such a joy and provide a hint of partial reconstruction, the palace staircase leading up to it is itself Gallery A. Malla by a Buddhist resident of a paintings of Kathmandu Valley, how intricately the restoration and now resembles what we believe it an example of how architectural Gallery A is like a preface to the nearby monastery. Another some of which date back to1899. display were planned. might have looked like back in restoration adapts buildings to other eight divisions. As at any highlight is a recent arrival: a 12th- A thorough tour of the museum It is also hard to miss the 1734, when a Malla king first new uses. They do not follow the world-class museum, here the century idol of Uma Maheshwor, can take a few hours and be cleanliness, a rare treat when many walked into his new palace. traditional Malla design in that visitor learns more about the treats that toured Western Europe after forewarned: it can induce acute of Nepal’s holy shrines and Though its original foundations they are wider than most to come, through detailed archaeological treasures are lying in are much older, the palace staircases of the time, and have explanations and descriptions of grimy neglect. The floors are waxed received its final historic shape unusual banisters. The staircase some Hindu and Buddhist deities, every month and the wooden and embellishments in the early was broadened to make two-way their postures and moods. This is There’s an island of tranquillity windows oiled every six months, 18th century. passage possible and also to draw one of the best things about Patan and history in the heart of Patan, and even the daily cleaning routine The structure has been attention to the beautifully Museum: every exhibit has an is impressive. There are comfortable reinforced using appropriate carved wooden struts, salvaged explanatory text and viewers don’t Nepal’s best-preserved and only gaddis placed on the windows—it’s modern technology—the walls, for from temples destroyed in the have to rely on—or claim to have— quite common to find a weary example, have been damp-proofed earthquakes, hung on the walls on prior knowledge. You certainly self-sustaining museum. visitor comfortably ensconced at at the bottom and reinforced at the the side. The banister is neither don’t have to be intimidated about the resting places taking in the top with concrete ring beams for Malla nor Regulation Modern but visiting, even if you know nothing clean tranquility of the museum. earthquake safety. All roofs are new. instead, Tibetan. It begins at the about art history. being lifted from Dhulikhel in 1982 nostalgia for a past you never The restoration of the palace Though traditional tiles have been foot of the staircase and not at The 200 sculptures currently and returned to Nepal three months thought you’d know. The exhibit- was a timely rescue. Nepal’s heavy used for roofing, there’s a water waist height and therefore does exhibited are representative of all ago by the Museum fur Indische after-exhibit routine, which at most monsoon, two major earthquakes, resistant membrane hidden beneath not run parallel to the stairs. major religions practised in Kunst (Museum of Indian Art) in museums can get a little weighty and the use of the palace as a them. The balcony overlooking the medieval Nepal—Hinduism, Berlin, after it was found to be of and mind-boggling, is leavened by school prior to being converted courtyard from the upper floor was Buddhism and Tantricism. The dubious provenance. Patan the constant flow of soft “natural” into a museum, had all taken reconstructed based on the design diversity of the collection is both Museum was considered a safer music. Commonly mistaken for pre- their toll, and caused of other balconies intact elsewhere exciting and sad. The good side is home for the statue in comparison recorded music, this wonderfully considerable alterations in the in the building. The windows and that it preserves some of the best of with its original home, the pleasant sound comes from wind original design. A fourteen-year, doors, meticulously carved copies of Nepal’s medieval history in the Dhulikhel shrine. Another recent chimes kissing the burnt tiles on the $3 million restoration project the original, were added later, and sculptures. It’s sad, though, because addition is the original silver this museum’s gain is an inventory sheathing of Bagalamukhi shrine, of the losses of many temples, donated to the Museum, and again shrines and monasteries from where for reasons of security and HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION, GREAT VALUE the images were stolen. There’s no protection. The museum created a doubt that this is preferable to replica and presented it to having the artefacts on the Bagalamukhi, so the shrine loses Outstanding Nepali Our Computer Science, mantelpiece of a wealthy private little of its flavour. students are choosing to Business, Engineering and collector. At least here they still tell Like the explanatory placards, study in Canada. Across Arts programs are among the stories and context of a unique the presentation is also the border from the USA, the best in North America. culture, heritage and religion—lost professional and in keeping with University of Windsor offers These are challenging international museum standards. Top Class Undergraduate programs.You have to be Objects are either encased in (Bachelors) degree good at the beginning, illuminated cases or on pedestals programs in a World Class because you will be great with mirrors. The attention to environment. when you graduate! modes of display ensures that every detail can be appreciated. “We have tried to give some dignity to these objects as they should be getting in their original Get informed. Contact the University of temple or shrine”, says Windsor Liaison Office Hagmüller, who has lived in Canadian Cooperation Office Nepal long enough to see iron Tel: 415193 bars being installed at many E-mail: [email protected] temples to protect idols from Web: www.uwindsor.ca theft. Applicants for Bachelor’s degrees only! Gallery G, which focuses on HERITAGE 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 11 the eastern wing was completely “We added some money of our own COMMENT by GÖTZ HAGMÜLLER reconstructed. to it and had a big feast,” recalls The museum attracts around Jala Krishna Shrestha, director of 200 tourists daily, with around 50 the Museum. The VIP Visitor’s of these coming from SAARC Book has been signed by quite a few Not just a museum piece countries, and there are an almost of the rich and famous, and also a equal number of Nepali visitors. number of royals including the Patan Museum gets the highest Prince of Wales and the Princess of the benefits of such a pilot approach. component of number of visitors of any museum Thailand. The rest of us are also, of With an understanding of similar an inter- in the Valley. Much credit for this course, welcome to sign the visitors’ developments in other countries and national-standard museum. These success goes to its governing book maintained at the museum the advice of local and Austrian include: body—a semi-autonomous board every day from 10:30 am to 4:30 consultants, the Department of • The Patan Museum Cafe in the with the authority to make pm. Archaeology, the legal custodian of newly landscaped palace gardens, decisions on its finances, among There is something for everyone Nepal’s cultural heritage, agreed to an one of Kathmandu Valley’s most others. There’s little doubt that this in Patan Museum. Art and history institutional framework allowing the attractive outdoor restaurants. unprecedented governing system has displayed in the best possible way, Patan Museum to be administered as • The Patan Museum Gift Shop worked marvellously with the culture in the most respected state, a public corporation governed by a with a selection of Himalaya- museum’s self-sustaining policy, and and a scrumptious meal waiting to semi-autonomous board. An existing relevant art and other books, and steps are now being taken to get be ordered at the Museum Café run legal provision for development also posters, postcards and other other Valley museums to adopt by Hotel Summit within the iving a building that has unless the issue of independent organisations, the “Development publications exclusive to the similar systems. premises. g outlived its original purpose a sustainability is addressed. How can Committee Act 2013”, was adapted museum. The museum has not gone A word of caution though: new lease on life is a way of such a museum be operated without for the first time for a cultural • A Guest Studio on the top floor unnoticed. It has merited a stop watch your head and your step utilising a cultural heritage resource further burdening the national institution in Nepal. The constitution overlooking the palace gardens for from almost every foreign while in the Museum. Still, even for the benefit of future generations. budget? of the Patan Museum Board gives it use by visiting scholars and artists. dignitary who has visited Nepal the occasional bump on the head or Often an innovative, adaptive Nepal affords extremely limited the right and duty to operate the • One gallery and the courtyard’s after its construction. The last a slip isn’t the end of the world— design is required for an appropriate funding for culture-and heritage- museum as a revenue-generating open arcades for temporary high-profile visitor was Japanese it’s a small price for getting to new use that preserves the related institutions and activities. cultural institution, to guide its exhibitions, another gallery Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. admire the best of Nepali history in substance and value of historic Unsurprisingly, public museums development plans and programmes, overlooking Durbar Square for Mori was apparently so pleased its full glory. t buildings. The former palace of the generally have low standards of employ its own staff, and manage its lectures or seminars, and the main with the Museum that he left kings of Patan, and its current display, information and budget, pricing policy and revenue courtyard for cultural performances. For more information on Patan quite a generous tip. That Museum visit: incarnation as a museum for Nepal’s maintenance, inadequate security generation. Thus, the museum could The Patan Museum has had certainly called for a celebration. sacred art, the Patan Museum, is a provisions, and under-qualified staff. manage its operational and around 40,000 annually visitors good example. Sometimes, there isn’t enough money maintenance budgets and maintain since 1997, on average 100 per day. Museums are often conceived for the electricity bill or to replace a high standards independently. About half of these are foreign as non-profit cultural and light bulb—bad news for the visual When it opened in 1997, the tourists. These numbers seem small educational institutions. They enterprise of a museum. South Asian museum fixed the entrance fee at Rs in comparison to museums overseas, depend on annual government museums usually appeal neither to 10 for local visitors, and Rs 30 for but it should be remembered that allocations for operating costs and local people nor to foreign visitors tourists from SAARC countries. For the Museum’s 20,000 annual their staff are civil servants. used to higher standards. They don’t other visitors, the fee was fixed foreign visitors constitute 5 percent Entrance fees, kept deliberately low achieve their educational aims or experimentally at Rs 120 (the of all tourist arrivals here. No by government bodies, are not at realise their potential as tourist equivalent of $2 then), but an increase museum in the world can compete the museums’ disposal and there is attractions despite the often high is being considered in light of Patan with that. no incentive to raise other revenue quality of their collections. Museum’s international recognition. Sustained by the acclaim of because such income normally goes The challenges for a new The sale of tourist tickets will major guidebooks and by word-of- back to the central budget office. alternative museum in Patan were remain the mainstay of the museum’s mouth buzz, the numbers are Maintaining and operating a both devising an institutional economy, but there are other facilities sufficient to guarantee a sustainable museum of international standards structure that allowed self-reliance, to generate additional revenue and and self-reliant future for this in a country like Nepal is impossible and convincing the Government of also provide client services, a vital museum, one of Asia’s best. t

TUBORG 12 CONSERVATION 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES more importantly, that it was actually still asleep. Blood samples were taken and the rhino was fitted with a radio collar—to help track and monitor its progress once released. Despite all the commotion, it was actually quite

SIDDHARTH LAMA ○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○ a smooth operation, and in less here was a time when the than forty minutes the beast had Greater one-horned been loaded onto the sled and t hauled to the open space where Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) roamed safely, and in the trucks and cage stood. great numbers, the floodplains Here too there was much and riverine forests of the Indus, commotion as the rhino was Ganges and Brahmaputra. This Go loaded, still on the wooden sled, was until habitat loss to human into a 7 x 7 x 11ft cage and the settlements, trophy hunting and rear door firmly shut. The front poaching for the mythical door was partially lowered after medicinal properties attributed an antidote had been to the rhino horn, decimated administered to revive the rhino. their numbers. Figures dropped west, As he found his unsteady feet, drastically on the Indian side and the sled was hauled out of the by the mid-1960s the total cage from under his feet and the population of rhinos in Nepal door completely closed. This too was estimated to be a mere was done because the sled was 100, down from around 1000 needed for other rhino-hauling animals back in the 1950s. operations and to give the Fortunately the Royal young rhinos animal, now christened Claude Chitwan National Park was after WWF’s Director General, formed in 1973, and afforded more room to move about in the ALL PHOTO CREDITS:WWF NEPALALL PHOTO CREDITS:WWF

this species a safe haven of sorts existing rhino population. A location. The cornered animal (Operation rhino, from left to right: within Nepal. But poaching was possibility painfully highlighted The latest translocation operation was an adult male and Dr Claude being herded on elephant back; reduced only after 1976 when when 31 rhinos were lost in the Claude Martin, Director going down under the influence of the Royal Nepal Army was 1998 floods in Kaziranga. is aimed at creating a third viable General of WWF International tranquiliser; blindfolded to proct eyes the stationed within the park to curb In order to protect this population of the greater one- had been give the honour of rhino is tended by vets; and, loaded onto such activities. Since then, species, conservationists have darting the animal. The shot sled for the trip to Bardia.) numbers have recovered and been working towards creating horned rhinoceros in Nepal. laden with Etonphin cage. I suspect that finding his currently there are about 612 new populations of rhinos in hydrochloride (M99) mixed feet after being drugged and then rhinoceros in Nepal. The other suitable habitats. This means to ease this situation. Conservation (KMTNC) were with Acepromazine found its finding the floor hauled out from recovery from the brink of would spread the existing Rhino population figures conducting the entire operation mark on the right shoulder of under him must have led Claude extinction is no doubt a population of rhinos over several within the parks changed in the jointly, with financial support the beast and sent it trotting to suspect that he had eaten conservation success story, but locations and protect them from last fortnight in a major from the US Fisheries and through the grass and brush herbs his mama had warned him with only around 2100 animals adverse events affecting any one translocation effort. Fourteen Wildlife Services, WWF-US and towards the forest, hoping to about. in existence today, they remain area. Translocation has been elephants lumbered through the WWF-Netherlands. shake this Hannibal-like party The big blue earthmover and an endangered species. successfully used in Nepal to early morning mist and the high The earlier party of fourteen that had interrupted his the team of helpers then loaded An added concern is that create a new population of elephant grass of the Sukebar area elephants and their crew were foraging, and gone on to add the cage onto a waiting truck most of this population is rhinos in the Royal Bardia west of Sauraha, Chitwan. Their joined that morning by another injury by sticking a dart in his that had been backed into a located in just two geographic National Park where there are aim was to find a suitable ten elephants carrying various shoulder. shallow ditch to make the areas—544 rhinos in Chitwan 67 rhinos. That 54 of them are rhinoceros, herd it to a selected guests and officials who had been Whatever plans of operation easier. Claude was and roughly 1300 in Kaziranga translocated animals and 13 were area, tranquillise and render it invited to participate in the retribution this mega-herbivore now ready for his 300-km National Park, Assam, India. A born there points to a viable unconscious, and move it to search and capture of the first might have had in mind were journey to Bardia National Park, case of having all your rhinos in breeding population. Also, with Bardia or Shuklaphanta where it rhinoceros to be translocated. soon to fade as the drugs in the accompanied by a team of vets one basket so to speak, and the population of rhinos in would be released. The These guests included officials dart took effect and ten minutes and park officials to ensure a safe natural calamities, disease, or Chitwan reaching 544, park Department of National Parks from the Ministry of Forests and later, he was quite unconscious passage. adverse human action affecting resources are being stretched to and Wildlife Conservation Soil Conservation (MFSC), in a thin grove of trees, 300 In all, ten rhinos are being these areas could have meet the demands of this huge (DNPWC) and the King DNPWC, KMTNC, WWF and yards south of where the loading translocated in this operation catastrophic results on the population and translocation is a Mahendra Trust for Nature park staff. The terrain was along and transportation crew were and this would increase the the Reu river floodplains with located. rhino population of Bardia by 6 the Someshwar hills to the As word of the sleeping and that of Shuklaphanta south—an area of tall elephant rhino reached the crew, they Wildlife Reserve by 4 animals. grass, open Sal forests and marsh were off with their translocation This will be the first time that combined with patches of open paraphernalia. This included 15 animals are being translocated to grassland. men on a sled and a big blue Shuklaphanta and it is hoped Rhinos would make earthmover deployed to haul the that over time, this area will be themselves tantalisingly visible sled and cut a swathe through able to support a third viable and then just as the elephants the brush if necessary. population of rhinos within approached, slip through a gap Fortunately, a path existed to Nepal—it takes about 50 in their ranks, cross marshy the site where the beast slept animals to form a viable ground or disappear through tall and it was simply a matter of population. grass and make good their loading the rhino onto the sled If the animals in Shukla- escape. The tall grass made and hauling it to the truck. phanta survive and breed this visibility even between the Perhaps the term ‘simply’ does will be another success story in elephant-borne parties limited, not do justice to the operation the efforts to conserve the rendering coordination of 24 because there was a lot of Greater one-horned Rhinoceros elephants almost impossible with shouting and earthmoving and of Asia. Claude is now a resident most communication taking the grunting involved before the of Bardia and another male and form of shouts between elephant animal was finally loaded onto female have set up home in drivers, relayed by those within the wooden sled and hauled off. Shuklaphanta. Early successes of hearing or sight. While all this was going on, the translocation programme It was midday before we a team of technicians consisting have shown that this is possibly heard that a beast had been of vets and park officials were the best way to ensure the cornered and so we lurched and monitoring the animal to make survival of the rhino in this part swayed on our mounts to the sure it was in good health, and of the world. t WORLD 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 13

COMMENT by MARK LAWSON Disowning Fujimori ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ TOKYO - Tokyo remains mum about The Bush at the heart ex-Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori’s request to stay in this country, but more and more Japanese are urging the government of the matter Bush-Bush 2004 slate was challenged to roll up the welcome mat. Many say by the Democrats’ Clinton-Clinton, that the longer the 62-year-old Fujimori ecause of the metaphorical George W Bush’s running mate may with Bill as Hillary’s running-mate. stays, the harder it will be for Tokyo to significance of the vice- Leaning on Dad, though, might convince other nations that it had not

b president’s ticket –“a be little more than a Trojan horse draw too much attention to the looked the other way while the former ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

heartbeat away” from the Oval office ○○○○○ dynastic ambitions of the clan and leader was being accused of corrup- in the ancient phrase—candidates office but did not want an election work out but, if he does, every winter Little George’s status as the first tion, among other things, in Peru. have traditionally been younger and campaign. This is a common enough cold or changed engagement diary will genetically modified president. So, Fujimori, whose parents are healthier than the first man on the problem which leads to many crash Wall Street. Under Bush and instead, the replacing of Cheney Japanese, arrived here on 17 slate. When George W Bush broke potentially able people being elected Cheney, America would be in the could be used to heal some of the November, supposedly to arrange for loans for Peru from the this convention by hitching his own only in their own heads. But it is my hands of a recovering alcoholic and a wounds caused in America by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. But then he suddenly ambitions to an older guy who had wild surmise that George W Bush saw crock. current electoral confusion. In this announced his resignation as Peruvian president, and what was endured three heart attacks and a way of parachuting in the general If a new vice-presidential scheme, Bush would invite Gore to supposed to be an overnight visit here is turning into a prolonged cardiac bypass surgery, the consensus without the irritation of primaries and candidate is needed, Bush could become his vice-president in a diplomatic nightmare for Japan. His resignation has been among commentators was that this campaign tittle-tattle. nominate Powell now but the general national unity ticket. Many rejected by the Peruvian legislature, which fired him last week on demonstrated Bush’s stupidity and Two years into a Bush presidency, would assume office amid the kind of commentators have suggested that grounds of “moral unfitness”. Fujimori is also suspected of the influence of his father, the last- Vice-President Cheney calls reporters media scrutiny he was desperate to the virtual tie reflects the problem having remitted as much as $18 million to Japanese bank but-one president, whom Cheney to the official residence. Flanked by avoid. But there are two intriguing of succeeding Clinton. Each accounts after his political future in Peru had become tenuous at served. wife and daughters, he explains that he alternatives to the anonymous throng candidate had half of Clinton’s best. Speaking last week, Fujimori termed the allegations part of But let me try out a conspiracy could simply not refuse the call in 2000 of government and senators who skills—Gore impressive behind a “a political plot” hatched by the Peruvian media. But Tokyo has yet theory, which raises the alternative to serve his nation but that the stresses Cheney overcame during the initial desk, Bush happy in front of a to say anything concrete about Fujimori, even failing to clear up possibility that the younger Bush, in of the job have proved greater than pick. crowd—but lacked the other half. how long he would be permitted to stay or if he has in fact applied choosing Cheney, was being expected—there has perhaps been a Little George would be the first The electoral dead-heat acknowl- for asylum. extremely clever, but that his brilliant recession or international crisis by dynastic president of modern times edged the impossibility of having Many Japanese were only too pleased to claim Fujimori, plan was threatened this week by the now—and his family have urged him and is a politician who has surrounded both. Well, now they can. elected President of Peru in 1990, as one of their own. But would-be Veep’s closing artery. This not to take foolish risks with his himself with his pop’s friends. This These last two proposals are concerns grew after he dissolved an opposition-controlled is how the theory goes: for most of health. A non-specific “scare” might be trait at least partly led him to choose more than half-joking. About the parliament, drafted a new charter that gave him more power and the 1990s the Republican party in cited. (A really extreme version of this his cardiac-patient running mate. first, though, I am entirely serious. failed to curb the military’s human rights abuses. Fujimori won America craved a particular conspiracy theory has Bush gambling Now, though, he could cut out the Dick Cheney’s health broke for real an unprecedented third term last March, but his victory was presidential candidate. They wanted that Veep Cheney would not even middle man and appoint the previous a year or two before it was marred by accusations of electoral fraud. Then came a bribery him to stand in 1996 and again in need to call a press conference on President Bush as his vice-president. supposed to give him a tactical sick- scandal involving his intelligence chief. 2000 but, when he refused to run, leaving office, but I’m not yet that This Bush-Bush ticket would be the note. He was the Trojan horse Activists here now question why Japan continued to pump made do with Dole and Bush. The cynical about politicians.) President logical conclusion of Little George’s running-mate. t (The Guardian) more overseas development assistance (ODA) into Peru even as absent contender was General Colin Bush nominates Colin Powell, who political career, criticism over Fujimori’s dictatorial ways increased. In 1998 Powell, the one right-wing figure able instantly inherits a presidential level of which has alone, Japanese ODA for Peru was a whopping $2.32 billion. to win over female and black voters security protection and is nodded largely been According to the activists, what happened in Peru only shows from Clinton’s core support. But the through by Congress and press in these motivated by why Japanese ODA needs to be more transparent. They also say general ducked the ballots. It’s emergency circumstances. A Bush- working out this is precisely why the dispensing of public money overseas generally reckoned that there were Powell ticket is little George’s best bet patriarchal and should keep to official guidelines that keep tabs on human rights two reasons for this. Powell feared of getting the second term his daddy Freudian confusions. in developing countries. (IPS) being shot in New Hampshire or didn’t. There has also been considerable

Iowa by some racist crazy and But then, on 7 November, it all worry among TV viewers and Victory on both fronts ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ resented press scrutiny of his wife’s went wrong. The presidential journalists about whether future ○○○○○○○ medical history and certain episodes transition became as tense as 100 American elections can live BONN - Technical co-operation between industrial and in his own military career. elections and Cheney’s heart put him up to the captivating developing countries should be widened to include In short, the problem was that in hospital. He insists that he will be fit lunacy of this one. It measures to strengthen the security sector, says a study by a General Powell wanted high political to take office if the Florida numbers certainly would if the Republicans’ German think-tank. This does not imply, however, that donor countries’ organisations should work closely with military, police and crime prevention agencies, explains the author of the report, Herbert Wulf, who heads the Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC). Milosevic down, not out Wulf did the study for the German Agency for Technical Co- operation (GTZ), which is in charge of implementing projects on behalf of the German Ministry for Economic Co-operation and VESNA PERIC ZIMONJIC Since 1990 its leader has been Milosevic claims he was ousted in an “illegal, Development. The report is purported to view development, not IN BELGRADE Milosevic, who until 1997, was also as a compartmentalised issue, but as part of overall efforts to ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ street coup”, and is regrouping his forces for the he Socialist Party of Serbia president of Serbia, which with Serbian parliamentary elections. enforce “global human security”, says GTZ director general t (SPS), headed by Slobodan Montenegro forms Yugoslavia. From Bernd Eisenblaetter. A Human Development Report, published Milosevic, held a special 1997 until the elections in September, problem of learning how to be the Yugoslav president Vojislav Kostunica by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in congress this week dedicated to the Milosevic and the SPS, ruled opposition. The SPS may have refuses to hand over Milosevic to the 1994, instituted the concept of global human security. The report future role of the SPS, which ruled Yugoslavia. This hastily convened revolved around one man, but it has a ICTY, saying he should be tried here, said: “The battle of peace has to be fought on two fronts. The first uninterrupted for 55 years. From congress was to devise strategy for strong infrastructure and huge “for all the crimes he committed is the security front where victory spells freedom from fear. The 1945 to 1990 it was the Communist December parliamentary elections. financial resources.” SPS controls all against his own nation.” second is the economic and social front where victory means Party and in 1990 changed its name There were no apparent surprises the property of the former Commu- For Borisav Jovic, a top official freedom from want.” to be a Socialist party. at the congress. Milosevic was re- nist Party, worth hundreds of millions who left the SPS, the party “is heading “Only victory on both fronts can assure the world of an elected party head by 85 percent of of dollars. And the parallel “under- for catastrophe with Milosevic as its enduring peace...No provisions that can be written into the the 2,300 delegates, who officially ground” structures that SPS spent head”. According to Jovic, many Charter will enable the Security Council to make the world secure represented its 500,000 members. over a decade organising within the members and top officials realised the from war if men and women have no security in their homes and Milosevic called the dozens of top secret police, commerce and historic and dramatic change that their jobs,” said the Human Development Report. Wulf pleads, in SPS officials who quit earlier this paramilitary groups should not be happened in September and during his study for the GTZ, for a reform of the security sector, which month to form two ‘democratic’ overlooked, Antonic says. mass protests in October, but calls for implementation at several levels. Reforms at the political parties, “cowards”. Analyst Zeljko Cvijanovic says Milosevic didn’t. Milosevic apparently level involve strengthening of the civil society, enabling it to The party concluded it could Milosevic’s victory is temporary: insists he never lost to Kostunica, but enforce a system of checks and balances. Reforms at the recover from the defeat and win next “With Milosevic as head, the SPS’ was forced out in an illegal and violent economic and developmental levels calls for measures aimed at month. Opinion polls in past weeks influence can only dwindle further “street coup”. He is convinced that disarmament, demobilisation of armed troupes, and their re- indicate the SPS commands between and it will be only a matter of time he stepped aside to spare the nation integration into the society. Also the resources used for military eight and 10 percent of the votes. before its membership starts drifting from bloodshed, loyal associates purposes should find a civilian use. At the societal level, says the Analysts here agree that neither away.” The parties formed by ex- confide. report, ways should be found to enable civil society control over Milosevic nor his SPS will regain their SPS officials Zoran Lilic and Goati says the final path to arms imports and the misuse of small weapons. stature in the country’s political life. Milorad Vucelic will attract democracy remains uncertain. “In Against this backdrop, Wulf regards the demand for good SPS official Ivica Dacic admits the disappointed SPS members and reality, Milosevic did not lose the war. governance an important aspect of reform. This is also reflected party had 700,000 members before sympathisers. “Their parties lack He only lost a battle. It is difficult to in the guidelines set out by the Development Assistance September, but has lost 200,000 wealth and infrastructure , but they imagine that he and his party could Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation since. “Eleven years after the fall of the aren’t saddled with an indicted war recover and consolidate quickly, but and Development (OECD) in May 1998. In a document, Berlin Wall, the classic communist criminal as president.” they could slow the process of transf- published earlier this year, the DAC said: “The emerging regime has finally died here,” says The Hague-based International ormation to a market economy and development approach to security-sector reform is manifestly analyst Vladimir Goati. Criminal Tribunal for former make it much more expensive in different from the ideologically-inclined and technocratic “It is not only the problem of Yugoslavia (ICTY) indicted Milosevic economic and social terms . And that approaches that create an accountable and effective security losing power,” says Belgrade and four aides for war crimes against is the long-term effect of 55 years in sector.” t (IPS) sociologist Slobodan Antonic. “It’s the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. New power.” t (IPS) 14 ASIA 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

Trouble in the Triangle ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ War, drought and the Taliban ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ For the second time this year, the Thai government showed that it would not yield to those using what it considers “terror tactics” After suffering a decade old fratricidal on its soil in pursuit of political goals in other countries. Last war, Afghans are now fleeing the worst week, Thai commandoes killed nine Burmese nationals fleeing

drought in thirty years. to Burma after breaking out of a Thai jail, holding prison officials

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○ hostage. The escaped prisoners were in jail on charges of smuggling drugs across the border. Drug smuggling is that make the drought-stricken go agreed to hold a political dialogue regarded by Thai authorities as one of the biggest threats to hungry but a lack of purchasing under the auspices of the United national security, with young Thais increasingly falling prey to power. Food supplies from Iran are Nations. drug abuse. The hostage taking follows other incidents involving said to be plentiful and cheap. “Yes, we have given that in Burmese nationals that have threatened Thailand’s internal It is not just war and drought that writing to the United Nations,” the security in the past year. These incidents have also reduced are uprooting rural Afghans but also a Taliban ambassador in Pakistan, Thai sympathy for those battling the military regime in Rangoon. ban imposed by Taliban chief, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, told reporters in Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said the action showed Mohammad Omar, on growing Islamabad. Afghanistan’s neighbours that Thailand wouldn’t give in to such violence. Earlier this year, poppy. It is also driving Afghans out of Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, when Burmese Karen rebels seized a hospital in the Thai their lands under international Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and province Ratchaburi, 100 km from Bangkok, similar action was ANWAR MANSURI pledges of aid this month, we will pressure. Bernard Frahi, the United Kyrgyzstan, together with Russia and taken. The rebels demanded that Thai military stop “assisting”

IN ISLAMABAD have to cut down or stop our ○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○ Nations Drug Control Programme the United States, have also formed a Burma’s military rulers. Though Thai authorities came under fter ten years of Soviet operations in Afghanistan at a time officer for Afghanistan, disclosed that six-plus-two group to promote flak from human rights groups for the ‘cold-blooded’ killing of the aoccupation and another when the Afghans will be in the Afghanistan, the world’s largest political dialogue for a peaceful Karen rebels, there was little public sympathy for the rebels this decade of civil war, few midst of the pre-harvest hungry producer of opium, produced 28 settlement rather than providing time. Even the Thai media, normally supportive of the observers thought the situation in season,” said Gerard van Dijk, WFP percent less opium in 2000 than last support to a favourite Afghan faction. dissidents’ battles, sharply criticized them. Afghanistan could get any worse. director for Afghanistan, appealing year. But this December the UNDCP But deep mistrust continues to The October 1999 seizure and hostage taking of the Yet it is poised to do so. This for $54 million in donations. is winding up a programme to help divide them and their favourites. The Burmese embassy didn’t provoke much public outcry in month a harsh winter is bringing Erhard Bauer, Kabul-based Afghan farmers grow substitute crops. Northern Alliance, led by commander Thailand, though Thailand’s Deputy Foreign Minister another year of fighting between the coordinator of the German NGO The reason—a lack of funds. Some Ahmad Shah Masood who has found Sukhumbhand offered himself in exchange for the freedom of dominant Taliban faction and Agro Action warned: “The misery 30,000 Afghans have already fled an ally in his former enemy Russia, scores of embassy officials and tourists, and travelled with the opposing Northern Alliance to an will be extreme during winter the fighting and the growing demands a coalition government in rebels to the border. But, the incident severely strained Bangkok- end, but not the sufferings of the especially in the rural areas.” This poverty to neighbouring Pakistan. Kabul, while the Taliban demand the Rangoon ties, and Burma ordered Thai fishermen out of its war-ravaged poor Afghans. will also affect the towns and cities Around 500 cross the border daily, Alliance’s surrender. A meeting of the coastal waters. Thailand has moved quickly this time to prevent A United Nations study eventually as refugees pour in. according to the office of the defence ministers of the former Soviet a misunderstanding with Burma. Thai Foreign Minister Surin released last June said the “process “Programmes that deal with United Nations High Commission central Asian republics convened by Pitsuwan, in Singapore for a meeting of ASEAN leaders, met his of pauperisation” throughout women or families have come to a for Refugees in Islamabad. Russia in October declared Taliban- Burmese counterpart Win Aung to talk about the jailbreak. “It of Afghanistan was being exacerbated standstill because Kandahar Pro-Taliban Pakistan has been ruled Afghanistan a source of course would not affect relations between Thailand and Burma,” by the worst drought in 30 years. repeated the decree that forbids the playing host to 2.4 million Afghan terrorism and prepared security plans he said a day before Thai commandoes gunned down the Up to half of Afghanistan’s employment of women,” he said in refugees for 20 years, and a similar to meet the threat. hostage-takers. The Thai government is pushing Rangoon’s population is affected by the reference to a ruling issued by the number live in anti-Taliban Iran. Russia had earlier agreed to military regime to respond to international concern about its drought. Pippa Bradford, an official Taliban’s paramount leader Mullah Along with the new crop of refugees, fight international terrorism human rights record. It is also concerned about Burma’s role in of the World Food Programme, Muhammad Omar from his power the recent military successes of the with the United States which has increasing drug abuse among Thai youth. warned last week that between half base in southwestern Afghanistan. Taliban in areas bordering Tajikistan been threatening the Taliban for Political observers expect a change in Bangkok’s stance a million and a million Afghans Bauer warned that dramatic changes have raised new tensions in the region. providing asylum to the militant toward Rangoon after national elections in January 2001. The would die of hunger unless the might occur in the North and the The Islamic Taliban, which now Islamic leader, Osama bin party tipped in opinion polls to replace Chuan’s government has international community came to West of the country if the nomads controls 95 percent of Afghanistan Laden. Washington accuses bin accused it of using a “Western approach” in dealing with Burma. their help. lose their cattle. Ironically, it’s not territory, and the opposition Laden of sponsoring international Instead, it favours greater economic cooperation between “If we do not receive new a shortage of food, or high prices Northern Alliance have recently terrorism. t Thailand and Burma. t (IPS) Waving red at the Greens A Supreme Court directive to shut down hazardous industries triggers off unprecedented mass agitations in Delhi.

RANJIT DEVRAJ IN NEW DELHI judiciary said the Delhi government Indian Parliament. His ministry was ○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○hree days of rioting by could not take shelter behind the prepared to amend the Delhi zoning t thousands of workers, which plea that closing the offending units plan and acquire more land to crippled life in the Indian would lead to violence and unrest. relocate some of the industries from capital last week, has pitted the The dispute centres on about residential areas, he said. The minister political rulers of Delhi state against 50,000 factories making an added that his ministry would appeal the country’s apex court. The assortment of electrical parts, to the Supreme Court to allow more government of Delhi state, ruled by automobile accessories and household time to relocate the units. India’s main opposition Congress goods. Most of these units are located Also speaking in the house, party, says the Supreme Court has within residential areas of the capital opposition Marxist lawmaker gone too far with its concern for and are considered to be a serious Jeevan Roy said it was not enough environmental protection. environmental and public health to amend the zoning plan. He It is complaining that the court’s hazard. Pollution control laws are demanded that the central and order to remove thousands of rarely enforced in India and in recent Delhi state governments should polluting and hazardous industrial years the country’s apex court has consult workers and their unions units from the capital has snatched the been compelling the government to before taking a decision. “No one is livelihood of tens of thousands of low- ensure compliance. Dixit said the talking about compensation for income workers. As officials began relocation of the units outside the units which are to be relocated and sealing the factories last Monday to state would also cause her government the workers they employ who are comply with the court’s orders, to lose hundreds of millions of dollars likely to suffer from the dislo- enraged owners and workers took to in revenue earnings from these cation,” Roy said. the streets of normally business-like factories. Former prime minister Chandra Delhi, where mass agitation is a rarity. Apart from a stern Supreme Shekhar backed the Supreme Angry mobs of workers blocked Court which has threatened erring Court’s order. He told parliament traffic, torched buses and battled officials with contempt action, Dixit that drastic action was necessary to policemen with stones and bricks. At has to reckon with the central control the growing environmental least three persons were killed in government of the Bharatiya Janata pollution in the national capital, retaliatory firing by the police. Party (BJP). Last Wednesday, central which had become a public health The chief minister of Delhi, Urban Development Minister, menace. Those critical of the Sheila Dixit, a senior Congress Jagmohan, himself from Delhi, blamed Supreme Court’s order refer to the leader, has declared that her successive Delhi state governments for large-scale relocation of hundreds of government cannot allow over a ignoring the four-year-old orders of industrial units from the Indian million people to become jobless the Supreme Court to remove capital four years ago, also under overnight. The state government polluting and hazardous industries the court’s orders. According to a says it will amend zoning laws to from residential areas. “It was only survey by the Delhi People’s allow the factories to operate when the Supreme Court issued Empowerment Forum, that action within the capital, though with contempt notices to Delhi’s chief resulted in more than 50,000 modifications to their operations. secretary (the top state government workers losing their jobs. Most of However, the Supreme Court official), that officials began sealing the these workers were never compen- maintained that it would not bow polluting units, leading to a massive sated because they were employed to blackmail by “hooligans”. The public outcry,” Jagmohan told the as casual workers. t (IPS) FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 15

of using the movement as a means are resigning from their posts. The Journalists angry to threaten the government into staff at Gorkhapatra are demanding

Educational institutions to close ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Saptahik Bimarsa, 24 November fulfilling their own interests. Saying that the guilty be punished Saptahik Nepalipatra, 25 November that a struggle was really necessary according to the law before they now, he said, “We will move slip away. Government employees The All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (Revolutionary) have Suresh Acharya, president of towards agitation. We don’t have of other big corporations have also stopped their 15th national convention mid-way and are now Federation of Nepali Journalists, any trust in the negotiations. been shaken by the recent news of preparing for a nationwide agitation. A press release yesterday has released a statement that reads, They’ve announced the suppression the fake certificate investigations by ANNFSU president Devendra Parajuli stated that if the “FNJ is saddened by the of our uprising, so let’s see if they and many have begun demanding government did not fulfill their 15-point demand by 7 December, irregularities that are taking place in have the guts to do it. Now the that their organisations be all schools in the country would close down for a week 8-14 the import of newsprint. As soon as fight has begun.” investigated as well. December. The release also stated that the ANNFSU meeting, FNJ came to know that paper for The tussle between the hotel which was held on 23 November, had already taken an printing newspapers was not entrepreneurs and the workers will Why the hike in important decision in this regard. The demands relate to matters such as the one-shot lumpsum payment of available, it got in touch with the surely affect the nation’s tourism fees, singing of the national anthem, privatisation of the education sector, private and boarding schools, ministry of information and the industry. And if that happens, the electricity tariff ?

national unrest and terrorising of people, the administration’s direct involvement in the education sector, rise National Trading Corporation and ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ present government will have to Shree Ruprekha, 29 November in the price of commodities and petroleum products. The statement warns that if these demands are not met asked them to make the paper take responsibility. That is because by 7 December all government-funded schools will close for a week. The release mentions the brave stand immediately available. Since the the government for a long time taken by students when the police intervened and tried to disrupt their convention being held in Himal Middle The government is showing a fine chairman of NTC promised to knew the workers’ demands and did School and Ratna Rajya College, Kathmandu. example of “good” governance by import paper at once, FNJ is nothing. Even at present the The union also says that if an agreement is not reached between the agitating Kathmandu Teachers hiking the electricity charges in a hopeful that paper will be available tourism minister Tarani Dutta Association (Revolutionary) and the government, then all educational institutions in the country will close nation that has widespread poverty quickly. If this scarcity prevails for Chataut promised to talk to the down for an indefinite period. The government has said that it is studying the demands. and unemployment. The Nepal another week then FNJ will be workers and requested them to give Electricity Authority is waiting for forced to take action. FNJ requests him some time. The workers the right time to raise the tariffs by ‘Revolutionary’ students declare bandh the concerned bodies to supply complied and postponed their up to 30 percent, which the water paper as soon as possible. If this strike by 22 days. But now it seems Jana Ahwan, 24 November resources ministry has already period of scarcity remains FNJ will the minister is avoiding talking to approved. The Council of Ministers be forced to take drastic action.” them. The government must now face the wrath of the student bodies because it tried to suppress the student has not decided on the tariff hike as convention. The president of the All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (Revolutionary) has warned that Conflict on yet. NEA sources say the decision the government has to take responsibility for all actions that will follow. Who are the has been deferred to prevent Students’ revolts have always led to the fall of governments. The students’ revolt of 1980 resulted in between Hoteliers protests that could result from the referendum being held. Students played a major role in the 1990 revolution and people should not forget ‘frauds’ at incitement by members of the this. The government seems to be scared of the agitation started by the ANNFSU which is gaining a lot of

and Workers Gorkhapatra? ruling Nepali Congress party, which

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○ popularity. The announcement of an agitation soon after the incident at Ratna Rajya Campus has raised the ○○○○○ political fever of the nation. The meeting of the ANNFSU yesterday has confirmed that an agitation will start Drishti, 28 November. Drishti, 28 November is now neck deep in electioneering. soon and that it will shake the very foundation of this nation. The ruling side does not want its opponents to use this as an issue. The uprising initiated by the hotel More than seventy employees at the Electricity generation is very The demands put forward by the ANNFSU (Revolutionary) workers demanding the Gorkhapatra Corporation were expensive in Nepal, perhaps the implementation of a ten percent found to have presented fake highest in all of South Asia. Even Education-related demands service charge is now taking the educational certificates to the in Bhutan, whose geography and 1 Stop schools from taking lumpsum fees in one shot immediately. shape of a fierce brawl between the management. The fact was made economics resemble that of 2 Abolish the teaching of Sanskrit. Mother tongues should be taught. entrepreneurs and the workers. The public after the Public Accounts Nepal, the generation cost per 3 Abolish the national anthem. situation was created by the Committee received a list megawatt is $1,300 while in Stop privatisation and commercialisation of schools aggressive stand taken by both sides containing the names of everyone in Nepal it is $2,000. Still no one 1 Government should take over private and boarding schools. against reaching any point of the corporation who had a false seems concerned. The opposition 2 Stop the phasing out of +2 from the university immediately. negotiation. certificate. parties are good at shouting 3 Stop taking loans from the IMF, WB and other nations that affect our education sector, There was much hope when the The investigation committee strongly worded slogans against immediately. United Central Committee of the informed that those with fraudulent price hikes and even force nation 4 Stop foreign interference in our education system. workers put off its strike from 19 papers include employees starting wide strikes. But they don’t really November to 11 December. The from the peon level to top People-oriented demands look into the root to identify the government formed a high level management officials. The Deputy 1 Stop police interference in educational institutions and take action against those real causes leading to the high committee under the chairmanship General Manager Hum Bahadur responsible. prices. of the vice-chairman of the Basyal himself is found to have fake 2 Make public the whereabouts of those who have disappeared, central president Lekhnath Poudel, The reason why they do so is Ganga Shrestha, Rishi Ghimire, Jhak Bahadur Malla, Nirmal Acharya and Nep Bahadur Choudhary. National Planning Commission, certificates. All his certificates after because they have also been in Prithvi Raj Ligal, to address the the School Leaving Certificate Issues related to people government (and have an idea of issue. But the workers refused to (SLC) exam were found to be fake. 1 Stop price rise, corruption and the commission system. the spoils). While they are in recognise the Ligal committee from In a report submitted by the 2 Withdraw the rise in prices of petroleum products. power, they also don’t pass up a the moment it was formed. corporation, Basyal’s first and 3 Issue 10 litres worth of coupons per month to all students on the basis of identity cards. single chance to make extra None of the workers’ second semester certificates in the 4 Reduce by 50 percent prices for transportation, health, education and all other public areas. change and thus have also representatives turned up at the intermediate exams, as a private indirectly contributed to the National issues Legal committee meeting of 27 candidate from the Uttar Pradesh price hikes. The main reason why 1 Withdraw from all unequal and unjust treaties. November. Ligal informed Drishti Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, were tariffs have to be increased is 2 Get back all land that has been encroached upon [by foreign countries]. that the representatives of the said to have been issued on the widespread corruption, 3 Make public papers on all unequal treaties and encroached land. Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) same date. The report also says kickbacks, and the recruitment too were adamant that they there are a lot of discrepancies like and retention of excess staff. wouldn’t negotiate towards the use of different surname on QUOTE OF THE WEEK The NEA has for long served fulfilling the workers’ demand. certificates at each examination as a place that water resources “After much request, the workers level. The surname changes from “Communists don’t kidnap, hurt and loot people. That’s why the Maoists won’t succeed.” ministers have used to earn extra finally showed up and presented BC in the SLC marksheet, to Chetri —KP Sharma Oli, deputy leader of the parliamentary party of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist- money. That’s why all ministers their case. At present, the issue is in in the SLC certificate, Basel Chetri Leninist) addressing party workers in Jhapa, quoted in Drishti, 28 November. who have taken charge of the no position to be solved through in the IA certificate and Basyal in ministry at any time in the past negotiations,” Ligal said. the Bachelor’s certificate. have to take the moral responsi- Hotel entrepreneurs are Likewise, deputy controller bility for what we’re being forced accusing the workers of trying to Yagya Raj Joshi has also been to bear today. disrupt the hotel and tourism accused of having fake certificates The electricity leakage in Nepal industry in the nation. Shyam starting from the SLC exam. It has is also among the highest in South Kakshayapati, ex-chairperson of been pointed out that necessary Asia. In fact those giving clearances Restaurant and Bar Association action ought to be taken against to expensive hydro-projects are also Nepal, says that customers pay a Joshi, as he has not responded to responsible for the tariff hikes. But total of 12.3 percent tax including any of the demands that the as the saying goes “a thief will have the Value Added Tax (VAT) and originals of the certificates be the loudest voice”; no wonder they other minor taxes and if they are presented. The certificates of shout the loudest while protesting made to pay another 10 percent another manager, Sudan Aryal, also the tariff hikes. service charge the total will reach appear suspicious as he has not Before complying with the up to 23.3 percent. “Customers are presented the admit card to his BA Asian Development Bank’s already affected by the present first year exams and he has not conditionality to raise electricity taxes. What will happen to them if passed the English exams as tariffs, it is very important that the a further 10 percent is added? required by all Tribhuvan Univer- government makes public the facts That’s why we are in no position to sity graduates. He too has not about electricity generation in the fulfil the workers’ demand. The complied with the request to country. Any hike in tariffs would workers also have to understand present the original certificates. be considered okay only if the this fact seriously,” he says. The investigation initiated by public understands and accepts On the other hand, member- the PAC has not only created panic arguments in its favour. If that were secretary of the United Taskforce situations within Gorkhapatra but not done, all blame would fall Committee, Bishnu Lamsal, says in many other corporations as well. squarely on the NEA and the workers will move to a nationwide Many are trying to blame honest “O.K. Comrades. continue with your majority. I’m heading elsewhere.” government. t —Spacetime, daily 26 November agitation and accuses the hoteliers staff members while the guilty ones

THIS PAGE CONTAINS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI LANGUAGE PRESS 16 SPORTS 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES Ganesh 1, Geeta 1 Association, it is the only sporting deny foreign exchange facilities to institution in the country that is Thapa. Nepal’s football fraternity waits not economically dependent on the In the five years that he ran as the match moves into extra NSC. Being in charge of ANFA ANFA, Thapa managed to elbow means controlling the out many of his rivals. An unlikely time. budget and also Geeta Rana proved to be his disbursing junkets that undoing. She came out openly come in aplenty. when Thapa tried to hold

MUKUL HUMAGAIN With Thapa and Rana

○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○ Recently, Nepal was organisational elections secretly in hen Ganesh Thapa both remaining inflexible, it also the recipient of June. Since her elevation to the brought Geeta Rana into is Nepali football that is the Goal Project from ANFA top post, she has vowed to w suffering. Players and coaches the All Nepal Football FIFA. With an annual run it democratically and transpar- Association (ANFA) as an ordinary are in two minds about $1 million coming in for ently. This is precisely what Thapa member three years ago, not in his whom to support. NSC this ambitious project, has been swearing by over the years, worst nightmares had he imagined sacked Shiva Bhakta the stakes are pretty so only time will tell if Rana intends that she would one day remove him Joshi, Mani Shah, Birat high. to keep her word. as president of the organisation. Shah and Rajesh Thapa has Both sides agree that an election Once close friends, Thapa and Rana Maskey—four coaches begun imple- is the only way out of the present have turned bitter foes. Now, Geeta working in NSC as menting the Goal impasse, but disagree on the Rana rules from the ANFA permanent Project. His modalities. Thapa insists the elections Complex, once Thapa’s preserve, employees—after ANFA is already be held in accordance with the with the backing of the govern- they participated in looking out for land suggestions made by FIFA, and that ment, while a humiliated but wiser the ANFA election. in five regions where NSC dissolve the ad hoc committee Thapa has opened his own new Probably the most at regional academies and first. (FIFA has asked both ANFA and office at Pulchowk. stake is the future of the mini-stadiums can be built. the NSC to change the statute, if After Geeta Rana’s successful ANFA Academy. After the BILAS RAI But Geeta Rana is not necessary, send it to them for coup prior to the ANFA election recent controversy, of the going to let Thapa work amendment and then hold elections.) with the support of the National 40 children at the so easily. The NSC has Rana says elections should be held as Sports Council, it was thought Academy, 34 are with already written letters to per NSC rules. With such rigid Thapa’s dominance over Nepali the Thapa faction while Nepal Rastra Bank to stances the game is far from over. t football was over. But that wasn’t the rest are living at the to be. Thapa not only held the poll ANFA hostel at Satdobato. The and became president of his own Geeta Rana-led ANFA accuses ANFA, but also got due recognition Thapa of forcefully keeping these both from FIFA and AFC (Asian children after they returned from Football Confederation). With two the Dasain-Tihar break. But Thapa associations claiming legitimacy to claims it was his duty to look after manage football in the country, the crisis is far from over. Thapa and Rana have time So far, Thapa, a former captain and again said that they of the Nepali national team, has would run ANFA been on the defensive, while Rana, professionally and that who has never played active their battle is not football, is calling the shots. This personal. Everyone knows was evident from Thapa’s decision that is strictly for the gtz ad not to lay claim over the birds. organisation of the Birthday Cup once Rana announced she would conduct the tournament. After her them since they came to him. These appointment as chairperson of the children are still studying at Galaxy ANFA ad hoc committee, Rana has School (which Geeta Rana runs) as held several meetings with the A per the agreement, but Thapa has division clubs, referees and even housed them at Lagankhel and they paid visits to districts outside the practise at the Jawalakhel grounds. capital to garner support. On his Thapa had proposed forming a part, the usually aggressive Thapa neutral group to take care of the has remained uncharacteristically children, but Rana wasn’t keen quiet apart from attending an AFC about the idea. meeting in Lebanon. But Thapa’s Thapa and Rana have time and trump card is the 30 October letter again said that they would run from FIFA recognising the Thapa- ANFA professionally and that their led ANFA as the official one. Rana battle is not personal. Everyone and NSC member-secretary Binod knows that is strictly for the birds. Palikhe have said they won’t bow Over the years, ANFA has become to pressure from FIFA and AFC, but country’s richest sporting body. have yet to inform the world body With funding coming from FIFA, of the ad hoc committee. AFC and the Japanese Football

JS tyres 17 CULTURE 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES SAVING FAITH by DESMOND DOIG POETRY REVIEW by WAYNE AMTZIS THE URGE FOR EQUALITY A temple to a Purna Bahadur Vaidya

urna Bahadur Vaidya has written over a twenty-year period p 84 poems in Nepal Bhasa: La La Kha (Water is Water: a collection of 84 poems refracted through water). Although secretive goddess some of these poems have appeared in translation in Nepali and in English, one can see from the concise alliterative La La p atan’s temple to Balkumari is Kha how readily the intensity of the original is lost in translation. beautifully located on the The long-term commitment made to the craft of poetry and to outskirts of the town. The insight gained through repeated encounters with a single theme city hasn’t reached it yet, and the should stand as a guideline for writers. Vaidya’s threefold track that leads to it, a country commitment—to the language he writes in, the society he lives lane, is uneven, dusty, and flanked in and to the person he would become hones itself against by wild hedgerows. Great old trees necessity. Water when seen as an elemental force, when tower above the building on one investigated in its own right, clarifies human endeavour. It is not side, shading it in summer, and in nature Vaidya is concerned with, but human nature. The winter providing a screen of filigree mirroring force of his poetry demands that one attend to the through which rolling countryside, details of living and not turn from the inevitability and power of village, the valley wall and high necessary action, be it personal, political or social. snow summits can be seen. In days In “Mutual Quest”, through the simple act of immersing gone by it must have been a lonely, oneself in water, the experience of giving one’s self to isolated spot, probably forested, a another is examined as a moment of mutual and self place where travellers halted briefly definition. Sensuality establishes the basis for the and made offerings for a journey exploration, yet what emerges is an understanding of the begun or ended. A temple grew. limits underpinning the encounter. The pujari of the temple told me that the original image was of Mutual Quest stone. Then, presumably Only when naked miraculously it supported images of fully immersed Balkumari on one side and Bhairab can I be touched throughout on the other: it’s still there, in a Submerged, small pit below the more recent I realise the warmth, metal image. I asked him if it was the pressure true that Balkumari was a consort Through touch I know of Bhairab, or a female mani- my own warmth festation of the god of terror. He given over answered that she was married but What holds me fears her husband’s identity was a closely being fire, and kept secret. He knew of course, but I fear those icy claws he must never divulge the To meet somewhere between information. The goddess’ husband is that’s our mutual quest, just one of the mysteries surrounding our meeting point the goddess. Apparently, she is deeply shrouded in them, mysteries that the In “The Restless Urge For Equality” a description of a river temple priests alone see in rare visions. The moral behind the story of this lovely temple in sylvan surroundings is flowing through land characterised as an ongoing encounter At least one of my books, which to a surely that treasures should not be kept in temptingly isolated places. Not between the freeing force of nature and bounding enclosure page are strangely silent or hesitant in today’s crass world of image lifters. of civilisation resolves itself with a statement of self

about the Patan Balkumari, do say she recognition that carries with it social acquiescence and ○○○○○○○○○○ is one of Bhairab’s many consorts but ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ political commitment. The relentless force of water is the pujari greeted this information ‘Younger sisters. Mahalaxmi and To sketch the early seventeenth image. tempered by all that resists it, but it flows on, itself a with a look of exasperation and fairly Sikhabhai.’ An intelligent young century temple, set in a small The image has been stolen tempering force, and it is that levelling urge that draws it on. rude noise. man standing nearby suggested that sunken courtyard, its four several times. The first time it was Why, I asked him, did the Balkumari was one of the approaches guarded by large stone stolen it was recovered from the The Restless Urge For Equality exquisite gilded image of her in the astamatrikas, but the pujari snorted lions, I climbed atop a nearby customs before it could leave the Before moving water rounds itself temple represent her riding a peacock? again. Her companions in the building where interference from country. A devotee from Patan who and rises ever so slightly Why was there a peacock on a high temple are Ganesh, Bhairab, passers-by was minimal. One of the happened to be there at the time with an eye to sorting out where the land slopes stone pedestal facing the temple? That Dakshin Kali, Mahalaxmi and inevitable old men who crouch instantly recognised the goddess. where depth lies apparently was a fairly modern Bhairabi. Asked their significance, about temples either as their official Strangely, the image is light enough Encountered, the world gives it flow, direction, speed interpretation. She was originally a the pujari gathered himself up and or unofficial guardians asked my for a single priest to carry easily. As always water’s intention is to fill and raise stone goddess; presumably, though he walked away. ‘She is a goddess of driver what the American was Yet, in its box in the customs shed Where boundaries create you & me refused to say it, one of the early sickness,’ said the intelligent young doing. Had he perhaps come to it had assumed magical weight. where between yours & mine walls rise —it revolts mother goddesses. Then why Bal? If man. ‘Her powers are particularly steal the image? Apparently his The second time this lovely image Gathering strength it flows, she was a mother goddess, with a efficacious in the treatment of suspicions are well founded, though was stolen it disappeared for a year. and wherever it flows secret, powerful consort, why was she dysentry and diarrhoea. People who why he got them confused with When the three persons responsible as day follows day walls collapse, represented as a girl? My Nepali worship her and live under her Americans I can’t think. There are for stealing it fell out over its disposal, boundaries are dismissed friends and I were obviously influence seldom suffer these three Bal Kumari images in Patan. the police got to know and it was In the absence of boundaries and walls trespassing upon the mysteries. The diseases. She is also propitiated by The main one is in the temple of found in a private house buried in the we see wider land—where water calmly, naturally, moves pujari wore a beatific smile which the newly married and young men my sketch, another is in a prayer floor. Legend or coincidence; as the on could have been one of long suffering. straight from their thread house that once belonged to a image was uncovered, Patan was This struggle tells me ‘She has sisters,’ he volunteered. ceremonies.’ Malla king, and the third is in a rocked by an earthquake. Perhaps that the character of the land is uneven potters’ colony. The latter has divine intervention also prevented the Tempered by the speed of the flow remained untouched. The one from beautiful gilded finial being stolen my own innate desire the Malla prayer house has been quite recently. A sudden high wind is the equality I seek stolen and recovered twice. The unseated the thief as he dislodged his temple deity has also been stolen golden prize from the temple roof so In La La Kha, Purna Bahadur Vaidya, avoiding the rhetoric twice but never recovered: the that he fell with an alarming clatter of his contemporaries, has become the most unlikely of present image, of a lovely woman and broke his leg in the bargain. Easily political poets, while his exacting descriptions purifies poetic riding a peacock, her head slightly caught, he was bound to a post language in Nepal today. For he has identified in nature a inclined, her slender hands in a supporting the temple bell and given a force that cannot be denied; staying close to that force and prayerful mudra is the second sound beating. Ah yes, the finial he recognising its qualities, he has clarified his own vocation as replica. The handsome Ganesh attempted to steal was not the a poet. Through understanding nature—not praising its image that stands besides it is also original. That had been stolen ages majesty nor playing with its illusive forms—he has explored comparatively new, the original before. what it is to be human. Clear yet sensual; understated, yet having been stolen. The moral behind the story of political—underpinning commitment with a sure sense of As I sketched the temple, a this lovely temple in sylvan what is and an intent to continue until limits are unbounded small procession arrived carrying a surroundings is surely that treasures and privilege is undone—these water poems distil from gilded image of Balkumari that should not be kept in temptingly Nepal Bhasa a fine and bracing liquor ready to be decanted. looked exactly like the one in the isolated places. Not in today’s crass t shrine. It was dumped without world of image lifters. (Poems from La La Kha were translated by Wayne Amtzis much ceremony against a pillar, and Purna Bahadur Vaidya.) MIN BAJRACHARYA where passers-by, mostly women, (Excerpted with permission from In The tree is gone, but the ambience around this elegant three-tiered temple paid obeisance, or children tinkled the Kingdom of the Gods, HarperCollins, 1999.) of Balkumari is still the same today as 25 years ago. the small bells that are part of the 18 CITY 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

ABOUT TOWN QUICKWORD 9 by CROSS EYES

FILMS Across 35. Draw after being neck 24. Video was indicted for v Nepali 1. Tricky sensory perception and neck (3) the killing (5) Aago - Ranjana (221191), Ganga Chalchitra (3) 36. Nasal jet propulsion 25. Archaic for the Basanti - Plaza 1 4. Peripheral, like the Derby attempt (6) yesteryears (5) Darpan Chhaya - Bishwa Jyoti (221837), Krishna (470090), Prithivi Lunatics (6) 37. Offspring of the circus (3) 26. Drink out of the Zodiac (Online Booking), Nava Durga (Online Booking) 10. Rao moved the overlap (4) Dhukdhuki - Goon (Ga) (520668) catamaran (3) Down 27. Unknown, archaic for v Hindi 11. Organisation in fixed 1. Chef’s crowning glory (5) soon (4) Gopi - Gopi (470090) orbit (6) 2. Birches after the steam 28. Say cheese (4) Jung - Ashok 12. Status no change (3) (5) 30. Otherwise, cut steel (4) Kahin Pyar Na Ho Jaaye - Goon (Kha), Manakamana, Metro, Tara 13. Kangaroo, Kookaburra or 3. Holds up the stage (5) 32. The hero’s number (3) (476092) Foster’s (6) 4. German lady (4) Kurukshetra - Goon (Ka), Shivdarshan 14. Clear the auditory socket 5. Take with the smooth (5) Mission Kashmir - Plaza 2, Radha (6) 6. Squat on the determiner QUICKWORD ANSWER 8 Mohabbatein - Padma 16. Spots the commercial (3) (3) Shikari - Kumari (414932) 17. Take the pressure off (4) 7. Houston star gazers (4) Online bookings at 18. Equine force (2) 8. National transmission 20. Bark with bone in mouth tangle (4) Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival 100 (2) 9. Sights a shifty pair (4) 1-4 December (Friday-Monday) at the Russian Cultural Centre, Kamal WIN A 22. Dizzy, or frizzy perhaps 15. Spanish holler at the big (4) Pokhari, presenting select documentaries, docu-dramas and films on HOUR INFOCOM cat (3) mountains from 20 countries but covering a wider geographical MILLENNIUM 26. Hail yellow (3) 19. Equal on the green (3) CD WORTH 29. Take the route past the 21. Spin in the ballroom, terrain. First day, public screenings being at 3 pm after the RS 3600/- inauguration ceremony. Other days, shows begin at 10.00 am onwards antenna (6) triple time (5) in two halls. Repeat screenings will be held on the fourth day of the 31. Prepare the sack (6) 23. Sanctions against the festival on popular demand. All films are in English or have subtitles. The most convenient and economic way to surf the internet 33. Put two and two together Italian auto (5) Out of 9 correct entries the Organised by Himal Association. Tickets Rs 20 per screening. Tickets Terms and conditions (3) lucky winner is Subash available at the venue. 542544. 1 The contest is open to everyone, except employees of Himalmedia 34. Motions to the edges (6) Shakya Pvt Ltd and Infocom Pvt Ltd. 2 In case of more than one correct entry, the winner will be decided by THEATRE lucky draw. To send in your entries, please fill in the details below and fax to 977-1-521013, or email to [email protected]. West Side Story. A fund raising 3 Entries have to reach Himalmedia, by 5 pm, Entries can be dropped off at Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur. presentation of the musical by Rato Tuesday. 4 The winner will be announced in the coming issue. Name...... Bangala School Theatre Troupe. 5 The prize has to be collected from Himalmedia within a week of the Ph...... email...... Wednesday, 6 December. 5.30pm. Royal announcement. Please come with an ID. Nepal Academy Hall. Tickets: 1500, 1000, 500, 250,100. 522614. MUSIC Charity Piano Concert. Performance of European Classics (Bach, Beethoven, Chopin), American Classic (Gershwin, Joplin) and Popular Tunes (including from the Sound of Music) by American Pianist Douglas Weeks to generate funds which will be donated to Agro- Forestry Basic Health and Co-operatives/Nepal (ABC/Nepal) and the Women Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC) to help their efforts to combat women and child trafficking. Sunday, 3 December. 7-9 pm. Hyatt Regency Hotel, Baudha. Rs 350. Available at: American Centre (415845), ABC/Nepal (630346), Hyatt Regency Hotel (491234), AWON, WOREC (494815) and Phora Durbar Recreation Centre (228548).

Live Jazz at The Jazz Bar, Hotel Shangrila. Featuring this month – A host of jazz bands including Elainef Mc Innes & Chris Masand with the Jazz Commission, the Swingtones, the Latin Lovers and others playing Cole Porter, Gershwin, Brubeck and Coltrane. 412999. RALLY Beetle Mania for Charity. Volkswagen Beetle rally from Kathmandu to Dhulikhel organised by Ganesh Foundation to raise money for cleft lip operations for Nepali children. Owners, drivers and a mechanic (if you need one) start from Hotel Yak and Yeti after breakfast and end at Himalayan Shangrila Hotel with lunch. 9 December, Saturday. Entry fee Rs 200. You can also sponsor a harelip operation for a Nepali child for Rs 6,000 and take part in the rally. [email protected]

For inclusion in the listing send information to [email protected]

NEPALI WEATHER DSES- 29-11-2000 0900 GMT

If you are wondering why the air has suddenly cleared, it is the sucking action of this elegant cyclone just swirling into the Tamil Nadu coast. A weather band that was a part of this system came up to eastern Nepal, but was quickly blown away by westerly winds. A weather system from the west passed over Nepal with only a sprinkling of snow in Jumla this week. The present cold air mass blowing in from Tibet will bring down temperatures further and blow away the North Indian haze for a week more. The next westerly weather pattern is fairly long way off, and may not affect Nepal till the middle of next week. Likelihood of winter rains is still low, and November has passed with zero precipitation in most of Nepal: a fairly rare occurrence. Kathmandu will have cold mornings with bright and warm days. KATHMANDU Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Tickets Rs 20 per show. Available at festival venue.

24-05 24-05 24-05 23-06 23-04 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 19 HAPPENINGS ART REVIEWHAIR by AJIT BARAL

shmina Ranjit paints for women’s

DEEPAK BAJRACHARYA DEEPAK a causes. Last year FIT FOR A PRINCESS: Britain’s Princess Anne visits the British School in she portrayed feminine Sanepa on 28 November at the end of her five-day visit to Nepal. characters in her installations. This year it is sexuality—female sexuality— that she interrogates through an exhibition entitled Hair Warp. Her work on show last year was vibrant and well conceptualised, and so is her current exhibition. The show, a mix of installations and paintings, is on at the MIN BAJRACHARYA PUBLIC SPHERE: UNESCO, INPUT and Himal Association representatives Nepal Association of Fine at opening of seminar on public television on 25 Novmber at Himalaya Hotel. Arts (NAFA) in Balmandir, Naxal, until 15 December. The visitor to the exhibition is first confronted with scenes of

bare legs, a woman Ashmina Ranjit’s show on sexual politics is a little kinky, but not too exciting. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

wearing a red sari, hair ○○○○○○○ being shaved, and a diyo being hair, braided and loose, you can from a few works that break the works is, however, nothing to write snuffed out in a video installation. discern female figures—some lissom pattern. These have a splash of home about. I don’t mean the usual And they compel you to view them and voluptuous and others merely bright red, usually to paint the illiterate gag “I can draw like that”, in our cultural context. For, allusions to the female form. And ribbon binding the hair, which adds though few visits to exhibitions, this culturally, a red sari is the you could well have missed noticing a surprising and thought-provoking one included, are free of the these figures, and maybe even what note to the otherwise subdued annoyance of hearing someone say

MIN BAJRACHARYA symbolic representation of ALL DECKED UP: Opel’s Astra cars on the catwalk at their gala debut at a well- marriage, and (one could say) bare the exhibition is about, if the video charcoal black-and-white hues of just that. But does it matter that attended pageant at the Yak and Yeti Hotel on 26 November. legs of post-marriage lust and installation hadn’t set the stage for the exhibition. the execution is mediocre? When sensuality. The shaving of a female them. These preliminary hints guide Like I said, if you set your mind modern art has been pushed (I head is an obvious reference to the viewer to stop, instead of and eye to it, you could find female would personally say, relegated) to widowhood, while the snuffing out moving hastily towards the next figures in all the paintings, but you the conceptual level, maybe the of the diyo stands in for death. In painting, move back and forth, and don’t have to stare too hard in question of skill become unimpor- charting the stages from the stare hard at the paintings in search others. In one painting in tant. Concepts rule in this realm. consummation of marriage to the of women lurking somewhere particular, you can see, within the Moreover, the means Ranjit uses to separation by death, she talks within the plaits of hair, even if curve and twist of hair, a woman make her statements doesn’t place a about the suppression—self- there isn’t one. with exaggerated breasts contorted premium on execution. inflicted or otherwise—of a The paintings—every last one into an awkward and constrained If you believe the medium woman’s sexuality. of them, from beginning to end— position. It is almost as if someone should be subservient to the theme, Though this video installation relate to the title “Hair Warp” and has fettered her and her sexual this exhibition is for you. lacks artistic finesse and the sound its symbolic implications, and so do craving. In another painting, two Otherwise, you may be frustrated of hair being shaved off is rather the installations. The works are braids of hair form the labia—red by how Ranjit paints hair. She putting off, it helps one enter mostly monochromatic—charcoal and enticing. And you are shocked works hair that is braided, silky, AMAR SHRESTHA WARM ENOUGH: Kasthamandap Models, Inc organised this fashion show with Ranjit’s work. For hidden within in some, pencil in others. The by the boldness of the artist. flowing and texture-less on its winter collection at the Verge Inn Club on 25 November. paintings that are seemingly of vibrancy in the exhibition comes The execution of all Ranjit’s textured Nepali lokta paper. Not all are painted on lokta, though, and looking at these works I feel that she should have stuck to plain paper all through, as this would work better in expressing the qualities of hair she explores. Charcoal on lokta just doesn’t work for the kind of textures she’s trying to convey. Ranjit has worked some relatively large paintings in this exhibition. These works, displayed on the terrace of the NAFA building look imposing and add to the ambience of the bohemian, and, dare I say, slightly kinky, artiness a place like that should have. And they certainly make you think about Ranjit’s critique of patriarchal society and its exploitation of female sexuality. t 20LAST WORD 1 - 7 DECEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

NEPALI SOCIETY is they wish to get to the other side. Under My Hat • Ducks: Speeding ducks are a threat to life and limb, and ducks found to be recklessly by Kunda Dixit going around speed bumps on the Godavari Homegrown Road will with immediate effect be sent to he arrest last week of Gajendra, the Zoo the Quack-Quack noodle factory. The hey say you have to give in t elephant, for a serious traffic violation at the ground-speed limit for ducks and geese is order to receive. Regardless Singha Durbar intersection is a signal that it is now set at 55 mph. t of size, the first earning of never too late to get the animals that use the • Goats: Parking on the grass is now strictly the day of Easy Link Cyber Café capital’s streets to abide by the rules. Gajendra prohibited, and guilty ungulates will be in Thamel goes to a fund that passed the breath analyser test (just bad breath, no violently removed from the scene of the provides scholarships to needy alcohol) but was booked for doing do-do below the crime and sacrificed by the Municipality. students from Rampur, Palpa. And that means ewe. This may be why Nepal’s first • Cows: The cybercafe survives even in the new regulations be face of heavy competition. The Animal Kingdom queath Kathmandu’s fund currently supports ten streets to its rightful students. original owners and The man statue of King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great, an give them the right of way. Always pass a behind it is MIN BAJRACHARYA intersection frequented by the Prime Minister sitting bull on the left, unless it is moving, in Mahendra and other members of his Cabinet. Elephant which case all approaching traffic has to stop Poudyal, who is poo is a serious traffic hazard, and it was an until El Toro decides what to do next. also from Rampur. alert member of Kathmandu’s finest that Which could be until the cows come He started Easy spotted the Great Balls of Fibre and home. Link Cyber Cafe class Poudyal, who likes to do his bit traced them to their pachyderm • Dogs: Chasing cars while barking with two 486s in eight is for the country. Today he also perpetrator who was promptly wildly is a dangerous activity and 1996, when the already has a web design firm called apprehended. has been banned with immediate internet was still a starting Visit Nepal Network. This miscreant was nabbed, effect. Dogs will be allowed to mythical figure in to build Poudyal who is innovative but what the elephant episode baptise tyres only in the Nepal. Poudyal, web by nature is sceptical about the showed was an urgent need privacy of their own homes. who received his pages. current mushrooming of to regulate the bodily During their annual degree in computer science in But Easy Link is not Poudyal’s cybercafes in town, especially in functions of Kathmandu’s mating season, dogs India in 1988, had until then only project. One of the first Thamel. “The unlimited street fauna. As traffic must give traffic at all been a teacher at computer websites on Nepal, internet access provided by ISPs flow increases, we can major thoroughfares institutes in Kathmandu. He www.visitnepal.com was his has made things even more no longer have one set of the right of way from wanted to do something different creation. The website was in difficult for the already rules for four wheels, and no rules for four legs. nine to five on weekdays and ten to two on and innovative, and decided to operation even before Visit Nepal saturated cybercafe market.” But hope is at hand: the Traffic Police is now weekends. At other times, dogs can continue experiment with running a Year 1998, and became a vital Poudyal, of course, already working on strict rules to regulate the Animal to do whatever it is they do to enlarge their cybercafe, something he had seen component of its marketing on the has another trick up his sleeve. Kingdom: genetic pool. on his travels abroad. He was net. The site disseminates diverse He will soon be starting Nepal’s • Fowls: Chicken crossing the road will • Elephants: Only elephants with green such a success that scores of information about Nepal, though first tele-marketing operations henceforth be required to first sign an stickers showing that they have passed internet cafes popped up in the main focus is on the travel trade which will provide real-time affidavit in triplicate (with Rs 5 stamps emission tests and with valid Continence Thamel in his wake. Easy Link sector. Although the site got little service and an easily accessible affixed) explaining why they wish to do so. Certificates will be allowed to cross the now has 27 PCs, which it support from the government’s side, call centre. “It’s not necessary From the next fiscal year, the officer on Singha Durbar intersection. upgrades regularly. Mahendra still went on with it. to go abroad to make money. duty will be allowed to arrest jay-walking • Zebras: To get across, zebras must only use Mahendra is serious about his “People thought it was the official You can earn a decent living in roosters on the spot, and eat them, unless pajama crosswalks after looking in both job. He spends about 16-18 site because we had so much Nepal too, you just have to they are able to satisfactorily explain why it directions to check for speeding ducks. t hours on the net everyday and information there and we tried our think,” says Poudyal. He knows even his elder son who is just in best to answer their queries,” says that all right. t

AMBASSADOR MAYOS WHISKEY