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BAGMATI RAFTING19

EXCLUSIVE hings have not been going terribly well between India More Talk T and Nepal in the run-up to the visit by the Indian foreign There has been progress in minister Jaswant Singh on Friday. preparing for government-Maoist negotiations. “Everything is There has been hostile coverage in Can he do it? going smoothly, we are finalisingNepali media of the Uttar Pradesh understood India was not happy the when, who and where,” one state government’s construction of an but were confident that another senior minister told us. The round of talks could have untangled Maoists named their negotiatorsembankment that has submerged parts Jaswant has a Pradeshlot andto Tamil iron Nadu. out. on Wednesday. of Nepal. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Another Indian allegation is that the problem. “Introducing MFN In a televised speech in The preferential Indo-Nepal trade cally renewed, Nepali goods— Nepal had become a conduit for re- for the only products we sell in parliament on Thursday Sher treaty of 1996 which allows unre- except alcohol, tobacco, and routing semi-finished goods imported some substantial amount defeats the Bahadur Deuba announced a stricted access for Nepali goods in the cosmetics—would have continued from third countries. Indian officials very purpose of preferential trade, so social game-plan aimed mainlyIndian market has come under to enjoy duty free access to the had suggested going for MFN how could we accept that?” a Nepali at taking the air out of the Maoist official asked. “They wanted stricter agenda. But Maoists are also blistering attack from Indian business. Indian market for another five years.treatment for the five “problem switching gears and focus: theIndian media has given prominent That would have given Nepal time products”—vanaspati, acrylic yarns, manufacturing controls and we women are pressing for an coverage over the past six months to to intensify industrialisation before copper wires, steel pipes and zinc introduced a one-digit change in the alcohol ban, industry unions cheap Chinese goods allegedly the World Trade Organisation oxide. four-digit harmonised code.” Nepal want raises and an end to flooding the Indian market via Nepal, (WTO) rules go into effect. Nepali officialdom could offer no has approved 250 products for export foreign employees, and hotel to India of which only 50 have actually workers have submitted a12- of a “surge” in Nepali exports which After the 1996 treaty, Nepal’s valid counter-arguments, only reiterate point demand, which includes ahave undermined Indian manufacturing. been exported, of the 50 only 10 exports to India rose seven-fold to Rs the “spirit” of the 1996 treaty. Nepali products have significant sales. 10 percent service charge. After the latest round of secretary- 22.6 billion, and the trade deficit and Indian businessmen had been Deuba is expected to scraplevel talks two weeks ago broke down, narrowed by about two billion rupees.meeting over the past months precisely No one has much hope that the Public Security RegulationsIndia on Tuesday asked for a revision India also gained: its already very high to avert this standoff. One FNCCI-CIIJaswant Singh’s goodwill visit is going to placate the Maoists, but will resolve the trade issue. Bonhomie proceed with the paramilitary, of that treaty which would have been annual exports to Nepal doubled in recommendation was to offer to which has got the nod from automatically renewed in December. five years. introduce stricter internal controls on between Indian and Nepali politicians parliament. India is effectively rolling back the In the talks earlier this month, theorigin certification and value addition does not always translate into The prime minister is soft-on-neighbours Gujral Doctrine in Nepal. “Maybe that could have goodwill at the ground level. But it Indian delegation gave the example of could at least clear the air for a keeping his cards close to his which made the 1996 treaty possible. 46 out of 146 vanaspati units in Uttarhelped build confidence and avoided chest and no one knows who’s The best Nepal can now hope for re-opening the treaty,” a business compromise at the next round of advising him. Perhaps Deuba Pradesh allegedly shutting down talks on keeping the treaty. knows something we don’t. That,is a more restrictive treaty like the one because Nepal’s refundable duty on source told us. “But the opportunity is MIN BAJRACHARYA at least, is the hope. India signed with Sri Lanka in 1998, treaty is also a free trade agreement, raw material and low export tax was now gone.” which requires up to 35 percent value which would require parties to mete no match against India’s 75 percent Nepali officials admit they addition and quantitative restrictions out reciprocal treatment. The worst duty on palm oil imports—a measure and exclusions. The India-Sri Lanka case would be MFN (Most Favoured taken to protect growers in Andhra Nation) status. If the treaty had been automati- t

BINOD BHATTARAI

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ t looks like divesting in Nepal is almost as difficult as investing. That is what Credit Agricole is finding as it tries to sell off its I shares in Nepal Indosuez Bank. How that happens, and Thewho takes scramble for Indosuez over the bank will be a test case for future investments in Nepal and how serious the government is about its liberalisation drive. Indosuez was one of the first foreign banks to invest in NepalHow 15 the government handles divestment of Indosuez shares will years ago, and it is one of only two that have international standing not clear where they are going to get the money to buy out Indosuez (the other is Standard Chartered). Indosuez’s exit is alreadysend a red a strong signal to future orinvestors guarantee that theyin canNepal. run the bank. signal to potential investors. But how the government handles the The uncertainty and delay is already putting off some prospective handover to new owners will send an even stronger message.○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ private buyers. “The issue is more than a one-time sale, why can’t Will Indosuez’s French promoters be allowed to sell andRawal leave is referring any business deal in Nepal be clean?” asked one business source without hassles, or will the sale be staggered? How transparentto allegations will that trying to buy Indosuez stock. “If this is how we do business, then God the transfer of ownership be? How much political interferencethe andcentral bank help us.” lobbying by Nepal’s rival business houses will be involved?and And government, for by Naturally Indosuez officials are fuming: “Once a decision has Nepalis, the main question will be: will the country benefit becausenot waiving an been taken it is not good for shareholders, the staffs, and clients to capable hands take over or will it just be a few individuals earlierwith ownership linger on for long,” Marc Dumetz, Chief Executive Director, told us. money and clout? requirement, is “Selling is not an extraordinarily complicated task and should be Nepal Indosuez’s owner, Credit Agricole, made up its mindhelping to one party done as soon as possible, in business you make a decision and that is trying to divest sometime in March after trying for three years to convince the implement it fast.” acquire Indosuez. government to increase its ownership. Finance minister Ram Sharan Indosuez is also turning out to be a final test of the government’s The 1995 rule bars Mahat made one last ditch attempt in his budget speech last month to individuals or liberalisation policy. Indecisiveness could make Indoesuez another convince Indosuez to stay by increasing the foreign share. But Credit institutions to own more than 10 percent stock—excluding botched sell-off like Butwal Power Company, which it has been Agricole had already decided that the pussy-footing on decisions was two Nepali promoters Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) and Rastriyaunable to privatise for three years. Senior government sources told not worth all the trouble, given it had already closed shop in larger Beema Sansthan (RBS), which own 15 percent each, from buyingus there is no way RBB and RBS will be allowed to buy the financial markets such as Malaysia as part of consolidating to more stocks. remaining shares from Indosuez—as some have suggested. “The service large corporate clients. Now, the bank is negotiating with government is just not interested to go back on its larger policy of The backdrop to this debate is the financial health of RBB and the potential private Nepali investors. divestment.”t “The best I as central bank can do as central bank is askstate-owned them to insurance company, RBS and the government’s avowed policy to promote free enterprise and divest from state-run firms. RBB reconsider the decision,” Tilak Rawal, Governor, Nepal Rastra Bank is nearly bankrupt (it has a negative net worth of up to Rs 10 billion) told us. “At this point of time, we have no business to poke our nose and RBS hasn’t audited its books for the past six years. Even if the into what we hear about the sale, or with who Indosuez is talking.” central bank waived the rule on ownership in the “national interest” it is

See p. 9ð

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Sales:Sudan Bista [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 01-543333-7, Fax: 01-521013 Printed at Jagadamba Press: 01-521393 The ugly Indian Nepal doesn’t feel hectored by Pakistan so it has offered easy access. It is probably too well WHILE THE IRON IS HOT epal is not a nation of Indian origin; infiltrated by the ISI, but that isn’t the Of the many things IndiaNepali. Heand owes noNepal loyalty to thehave Indian in common the most sig-Nepali perception, and that is the key. For it never ever was. This might be a flag and cannot possibly be charged with ne of the most dramatic political accomplishments of the Nterribly obvious thing to state but it nificant is perhaps our common frontier: we are two sovereignties.all the ills that strike them, the Nepalis still betraying it, however real or ridiculous the past five years slipped by relatively unnoticed last week. point the finger at India, as was only too needs stating because this is still not obvious○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ grounds for making such a charge. True, he OThis was the all-party conference on Friday during which Nepali people. Just because many of its painfully evident in the aftermath of the to most Indians, particularly to those whose Nepal is our own little Orient in the learnt and practised the essentials of his craft prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba obtained multi-partisan daily business it is to deal with Nepal. leaders, once found support and refuge in Narayanhiti tragedy. The failure is ours support for his efforts to sit down and talk with the Maoists. sense Edward Said has spoken of. We for long years in India, like thousands of rather than theirs. Our real affinities are an For all our common twines of history other Nepalis, but must that mean he has toIndia they cannot be expected to function as Here was the strongest indication yet that parties across the employ in relation to Nepal and Nepalis an embarrassment of riches when compared to and geography, and of religion and culture mortgage his nationality? Would we acceptthe overt arm of the RAW in Nepal, as political spectrum believe in the present constitution and in abstract imperialism of ideas and practice many expect. what exists between Nepal and Pakistan. and language and race, we are separate that, to quote Said on the Oriental- our own professionals trained in the West parliamentary democracy. And they have given the prime minis- The Nepali Congress is there to protect Pakistan has a 15-man diplomatic operation ter the mandate to talk to those who don’t. This changes the nations. Of the many things we have in Occidental relationship, “gives the reserving first loyalty to the Union Jack or in Kathmandu, our mission is a whole whole scenario: this is the national consensus everyone (includ- common, perhaps, the most significant oneWesterner positional superiority and puts the Stars and Stripes? the interests of Nepal, a job it does not do terribly well, but that is quite another matter.township of 300-plus. And yet we are ing us) have been harping on about throughout the past year. is, and should be, our common frontier: wehim in a whole series of relationships with reduced to squealing about the growing are two sovereignties. It is not there to protect the interests of

It is intriguing to ask: why now? It wasn’t for want of trying NINAN/IPS AJIT the Orient without ever losing him the India. Of the many reasons Nepalis have Pakistani influence in Nepal? How the that Girija Prasad Koirala could never attain this sort of a con- If this plain little truth were to be upper hand”. developed an aversion towards India, the mighty have humbled themselves! sensus. And yet Deuba has managed it deftly and smoothly understood south of the international We take them for granted, quite Good diplomacy is one thing,jagirdari within weeks of taking office. The truce has held so far, Maoists border, it would make things so much easier chief one is our consistent treatment of unmindfully and quite completely. So Nepal as a docile Hindu adjunct, which it quite another, it is the latter mould our have been released in exchange for police captives, the Armed and better for those north of it, Indians much so that if a Nepali acts as a Nepali we Police Force bill has sailed through the House—the ordinance AN UNEQUAL AFFAIR has long ceased to be. The growing presenceKathmandu mission has traditionally STATE OF THE STATE included. If it isn’t a happy thing to be an that Girija had to fight tooth and nail to get approval for, and by CK LAL are wont to construe it as an act of treason of Islamic Pakistan in Hindu Nepal is partlypreferred. The Pakistanis are a lean-mean Indian in Nepal—and trust me it isn’t—it India is alma mater to a whole spectrum partly because of which parliament was stalled for two months. against India. This baffling mindset echoed a conscious reaction to the way India has outfit, we are obese and moribund, stripped What is happening behind the scenes that makes life so easy for is because we haven’t made it a happy thingthrough some of the Indian reaction to of Nepalis—doctors, engineers, technicians, of any manner of authority by the sheer for a Nepali to be a Nepali. When we blindly assumed Nepali vassalage on the Deuba? Kantipureditor teachers, even politicians. It would be no subcontinental stage. abuse of it. Nepal isn’t a pupil sitting at our Wish we knew for sure. But we can make some educatedTunak tunak tun...tarara cannot afford any more to look at them as Yubaraj Ghimire exaggeration to say that Nepali democracy feet, ready to be corrected and spanked for The ISI is only one of the manifestations reliable watchmen or unreliable servants or publishing that was midwifed in India; the ruling Nepali guesses. Besides the Maoist-government truce, there has been of the growing its “errors” against India. It is a separate another ceasefire: within the Nepali Congress. This has had For a Nepali, it’s tempting to dismiss pliant prostitutes or medieval khukri-clad now notorious Congress apprenticed in Uttar Pradesh and country which can, and must, decide its direct repercussion on the main opposition UML which India has has moved on from the Nehru-Gandhis and evenIndia the Today Singh-Vajpayees.’s fictional Nepal Gameplan, Nepal Gurkhas, when they emerge above those piece by Bihar (admittedly, not the best laboratories Pakistani own destiny. India must work on its responded with moves towards reuniting with the rump better ML. The learn to deal with a new brat pack of post-liberalisationFerzand Ahmed’s fancifulIndians. report from stereotypes, Nepalis still remain sub- underground of democracy) while popular government influence in relationship with Nepal rather than try to prospect of a greater left front has also exerted a gravitational Patna about ISI-dominatedmadrassas in the nationals to us and their country a hilly Maoist Nepal; the work on Nepal’s relationship with India. pull on satellite communists, and even to some extent on the extension of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, an was still an underground movement in ifty-four years ago, Jawaharlal Nehru liberalisation Indians, and it has no heart fortarai, Binny Sharma’s disparaging reports on Baburam essential Winston Churchill had once rebuffed Maoist political leadership. auxiliary vignette flung on the far Hima- Nepal. But it is erroneous, and heralded the independence of India Nehru’s ideology, no mind for Indira ZeeTV about Nepali hijackers abroad IC- Bhattarai in component of There have also been deliberate and dramatic changes in layan skyline. tragic, to expect Nepalis to pay demands for Indian independence on the Fwith a soul stirring “tryst with Gandhi’s global posturing, and no brains for814, or Star TV’s framed audience responses which he this growing grounds that if India were left to Indians, the stance of political forces since the ascension to the throne of the price for that by signing Rajiv Gandhi’s regional muscle-flexing. from Durbar Marg in the wake of BJP vice president Sahib Singh Verma blamed India, relationship is King Gyanendra. With Koirala out of the way, there appearsdestiny” address to to his newborn nation. letters of allegiance to they would make a perfect mess of it. Nehru’s courtiers were from a class that Ambassador G Parthsarthy warned me in Narayanhiti massacre as aberrations. But was in Kathmandu not so long ago on an among that it is an Gandhi had retorted saying that he would be a new unity of purpose be- New Delhi. The shared his dreams and believed in its grand June in New Delhi in his usual patronisingthey aren’t. The mainstream media in India amity junket and guess how he chose to others, for tween the Singha and equal affair. prefer his own mess to anyone else’s. Nepal illusions. People like Krishna Menon could manner: “Why don’t you Nepalis realise thatis openly hostile towards Nepal, and we articulate the affinity he personally felt conspiring to Nepali Congress is has to be left to Nepalis; it is their country, Narayanhiti Durbars. Andboldly face the United Nations on a now you have to deal with a generation of better accept that reality and learn to between the two peoples at a lecture? By plot the a party of the their lot and they must handle it. To expect we see an emerging falsehood about Kashmir, and even a lowly Indians that has no respect for the history ofmanage damage control. telling his Nepali audience that his day Narayanhiti Palace that they will naturally accede and kowtow carrot-and-stick strat-official Govinda Narayan felt emboldened Gurkhas, and no understanding of the It is not the reasoned analyses of P began with tea fetched by a Nepali boy andmassacre. Ghimire to India’s needs and demands and to ended with another Nepali boy shutting egy to address the enough to challenge the authority of a concept of a buffer state? Indians of this Sainath that forms public opinion in New was labelled anti- express brahminical shock when they don’t the gates to his house. That’s the measure of insurgency: give therevolutionary leader like BP Koirala in post- generation know where their interests are, Delhi. The swash-buckling patriotism of Indian and charged will take India’s Nepal policy nowhere.t the kinship he felt. The real horror of Sahibwith betrayal of a Maoist leadership aRana Nepal. Nepal’s inability to deal with and have no qualms about getting there at Swapan Das Gupta carries more weight in Singh’s presentation was not what he said; the arrogant Indians of that generation any cost.” South Block. Shankarshan Thakur may be cause he is never face-saving way to the real horror was he actually believed he (This opinion piece by Sankarshan resulted in the untimely death of democracy Jug Suraiya echoes similar thoughts in arefreshingly reflective about Indo-Nepal known to have join the political would please Nepalis with what he was Thakur first appeared in the Indian in this country in 1960. recent article inThe Times of India in his affairs (see p. 3), but it’s Ferzand Ahmed espoused, of a mainstream saying. The Nepalis, quite rightly, felt he Express) Born from Nehru’s ideological seed, who has committed followers in the country he has through an all-party mock-serious tone: “Cosmologically, was being insensitive and presumptuous corridors of power in Lucknow and Patna. never belonged consensus. And if Salman Rushdie’s midnight’s children grew Nehruvian agnosticism has yielded to a “like all Indians”. to. Ghimire is a they don’t bite the up with the authoritarian designs of Indira quick-fix nationalist religiosity which brooks Erudite Jaswant Singh may show the Gandhi. The generation of Jug Suraiya’s no dissent nor admits any echo of the games tend to be popular and are bait, prepare to diplomatic equivalent of noblesse oblige played by people in more than “destiny-nation” dreamt about changing profound resonance of doubt.” when he visits Nepal this weekend. But his this scheme due to social crush them militarily. 130 countries. We are talking India and challenging the world with its IIT constraints. From the start, I The Marutis have now given way to deputy at the external affairs ministry is about free trade and open market And despite the and IIM degrees. Driving around in stately clearly saw that $30 per partici- BILASH BILASH RAI Benzes. The Luckies in their Nike sneakers,Cub-e-Kashmir Omar Abdullah. All of 31, but do not understand money pant was going out of Nepal for painting of pro-republicAmbassadors, midnight’s children hoped for games. This business is already Benetton shorts, Cartier watches and Raybanand all alone in Room Number 142 of just a piece of paper. When slogans in broad day- operating in Nepal (although a new dawn, but all they got was trains glasses are walking advertisements of South Block, forgive Abdullah if he gets Samrakchhan came along I Samrakchhan has been singled light along the capital’s running on time during Indira Gandhi’s swayed by the garnished accounts of LETTERSthought it was better because no triumphant global capitalism. This genera- out for some reason) the money actually went out of the streets by Maoist studentsdreaded Emergency. With authoritarianism tion of “me, my, myself” has more interest inHrithik Roshan riots fed to him from his not include support for essential government should accept this inputs like teacher training country. But when no worthwhile in the past week and the showinstalled in both countries, relationship Naples than in Nepal. That much was listening post in Kathmandu. INDIA MEDIA PYRAMIDS and take appropriate laws to never been an entity named programs in the face of over 60% economic production is taking between India and Nepal during this period regulate them. ‘British Indian Army’. The pre- of strength in mass meetings, these brought home to me once again during the Even on the opposition benches of I am not writing this letter to untrained teachers at the primaryManisha Aryal in “Scheme/scam”place, how can there be any profit “Hanson” partition Indian Army was was formalised to such an extent that we anniversary reception of this paper. To Indian parliament, Nepal now has very few pick up the gauntlet thrown bylevel and over 40% at the (#54) has shown considerableat all? If someone is earning activities appear to be aimed more at allaying fears among the manned by both Indian and were reduced to being distant neighbours Pratyoush Onta “What to do secondary level. The SLC courage to reveal the truth. someone must be losing. If this is Lazimpat Maoist rank and file of a sellout by the leadership at future talks. remain politically correct, I must refrain fromfriends. Maharaja Karan Singh of Kashmir British officers (and a handful of Even the semantics of the formal Maoist demand on republican-with deep suspicion towards each other. naming the bright young diplomat from the when Big Brother knocks” (#system has also failed to Something can never come fromfor charity, then Samrakchan and Maharaja Madhav Rao Scindia of 55) about foreign direct nothing, and the write-up aboutshould be doing social service Warrant Officers in such units regulate massive recruitment of Minor fluctuations in the ism is couched in escape clauses: “Begin the institutionalThen pro- it was the turn ofIndia Today’s Indian Embassy who gave me a private Gwalior have multiple relationship with investment (FDI) in Nepali pyramid schemes is timely. with its own money and not as the Grass Farms Depart- untrained and underqualified international stock markets can cess towards a peoples’ republic.” Puppies (Professional, Upwardly mobile lesson on Indo-Nepal relations. Suffice it to media. If one is to assume that a Simple accounting calculationsembezzling the public. ment). After partition it was India Shahs and Ranas of Nepal. But Karan teachers who impose bad make or break the lives of It could be that the top Maoist leadership is concerned that it paper established with FDI in prove they are nothing more than who paid (and may still pay) the Punjabis). None symbolised this class as say that she has impeccable credentials: a Singh is now a political has-been, and the teaching on a large scale. Robin Tuladharthousands. Yet playing the stock Nepal will adulterate people’s a trick to cheat ordinary Nepalis pensions of the British officer is losing some of its grip on the party machinery. The rapiddistinctly as the editor-publisher of that graduate from New Delhi’s elite St Stephen’s Secondly, there is a good deal of Kathmandu market is not illegal because influence of Madhav Rao Scindia on bichar adversely, then quite a on a vast scale. More such component of the Indian Army. spread of their network has meant decentralisation, and this has mismanagement, administrative systems and procedures have magazine empire, Arun Poorie himself. College in 1987, she was Deputy Chief of Madam Sonia Gandhi—the uncrowned articles should be encouraged to The General makes a point lot ofbichar of many intellectu-and financial, in evaluating been put into place. Shouldn’t left the cells open to infiltration by ideologically impureFeasting criminal on the bumper harvest of India’s Protocol in India’s Ministry of External Empress of Congress (I)—is on the wane. prevent the dirty hands of our Manisha Aryal points out that PC als have been getting adulter-students in SLC examinations. this be equally unethical to ourabout non-payment of £10,000 to extortionists and ultra-extremists. Some big business houses fraudulent elite from reaching into Green Revolution, Puppies went about Affairs. She represents the class of New Scindia was granted an audience with King ated because many dailies andThe SLC system does not teach City came into existencemoral puritanists? Monetary those who were Japanese POW. paying Maoist “tax” over the past years are now being threat- the pockets of fellow Nepalis. town in blood red Marutis with bumper Indians that “brooks no dissent, nor admitsGyanendra this week. It’s unlikely that the weeklies from across the borderstudents to think for themselves, before Samrakchhan didschemes are new concepts inLike it or not, those men were ened by five different platoon commanders. Front organisations to express opinions or judge- Tilak Lama then in the Indian Army, not the are forcing an alcohol ban which may backfire. As Baburamstickers that proudly proclaimed that their doubts”. brother-in-law of Pashupati Shamsher had have been avidly subscribed, and others would have Nepal, what is needed are better bought and read by Nepali ments, and assessments are Lainchaur guidelines and regulations to British Army, and no Govern- Bhattarai himself says, the war should be against alcoholism.next car would be a Rolls Royce. It was this It was her considered much to say. Madhav Rao is not of the made on textbook knowledge followed suit. So why ment would want to pay a brash and boorish generation that foisted an intelligentsia. Conversely, if one monitor them. And if they are It is now becoming clear that the insurgency may not be opinion that it was India that Jockey Generation, but at least his designer is to infer that this has had norather than on critical thinking or blame Samrakchhan being run for a social cause (likesubstantial amount of money to Manish Aryal’s article does a undeclared economic blockade upon Nepal labels are original. significant impact in Nepal, thenoriginality. which at least doesn’tSamrakchhan) then they shouldthose who included some who, solved by merely meeting Maoist demands when Deuba secretly was doing Nepal a favour by commendable job to point out the in the late eighties. Our diplomatic trouble- FDI will also not succeed in As a teacher at the Univer- be allowed to register as a not-for what ever reasons, betrayed sees the rebel leadership in the next few days. If talks are going Plato agrees that when modes of music flaws, and she has given credible have evil and profit employing Gorkhas in the doing any harm to bichar our . for-profit company. their oath of salt on enlistment. to be held, they should not just be about giving the comradesshooters of that a period, Shailendra Kumar change, the fundamental laws of the state sity level, I have been very account of the defects of intentions? Indian army. Her Indian investment is already depressed by the inability of Piyush Chatterjee J P Cross safe-landing, but also begin to address the socio-economicUpadhyaya, Ramesh Nath Pandey and change with them. In India, it’s now the age pyramid schemes. It is Sarita Maskey having a field day in Nepal withstudents to communicate in amazing how people can be Tripureswor Pokhara roots of the insurgency which are all contained in ComradeBrinda Shah belonged to the stone age, and of a pop diva Alisha and pop-patriot AR Jhamsikhel Baburam’s 40-point agenda. it showed in their bearing. the gullible and greedy readyacademic to situations—basic lured by the concept of easy Rehman with theirMade in India and act as dummies for Indian failure to cultivate good readingmoney. Everybody wants The next all-party meeting should move beyond just giving a Today, the bad news for Nepal’s Mera Bharat Mahan. Poetry spouting investors. I would like to thinkhabits, understand lectures, to make money quick and It seems that this has not made a dent discussin and write correctly and mandate to Deuba to resolve the insurgency. Deuba mustdiplomatic strike establishment is that it is getting Vajpayee may have an ocean of goodwill in fast and when this Samrakchhan while the iron is hot and get all parties to agree on accelerating indigenousbichar . I hope effectively, and poor study scheme came up, much more complicated down there in New his heart towards the only Hindu kingdom habits. Any attempt by the has been development, implementing the self-governance act, passingDelhi. Bhekh the Bahadur Thapa is soon to somebody will take up Onta on people jumped into it Citizenship Bill, not competing in India-bashing, pushing indig- of the world, but the question formulators his challenge. university to filter out deficient,without thinking of its ahead of its JIVAN sub-standard students is complete his term at the stately of Kaun Banega Crorepati still believe Ratna Sansar Shrestha consequences. A time in Nepal. “Jivan’s Humla” (#55) was a enous rights and languages, stopping forest encroachment, and challenged by the people, the Barahkhamba Road mansion, and the one lot of people tried In times of breath of fresh air in these days all the other issues that paralyses governance and keeps the Nepal’s parliament is called Rastriya Kathmandu government and crippling stepping in his shoes is likely to find an India to sell the scheme of tedious bad news. It was nation from moving ahead. For once, we have started doing student protests. We high Panchayat. To understand this new India, to me and I tried really good to finally read some something right. Let us not give up half-way. completely different from those of Nehru- have to get out of this cycle. inflation, Sher Bahadur Deuba will do well to listen to to convince good news. I hope the young Gandhis, or even Singh-Vajpayees. New money government is kind enough to employ poorpop bhangra by Daler Mehndi:Tunak Tej R Kansakar, PhDothers of the Nepali readers residing outside Delhi is increasingly being dominated by the Tokyo Universitydangers. There Nepal, after reading the column Nepalis, when it can get enough Gurkhas tunak tun...tarara.t are people brat pack of youngsters thatIndia Today of Foreign Studies will get the message: return to named “The Luckies”. from the territory of its own country. Was who are Nepal and contribute at least she admitting that her government was EDUCATION forced into what you have taken from her. This is the Jockey Generation of post- sending mercenaries to fight Pakistan in Thanks to Artha Beed for his May others follow Jivan’s Siachen? thoughtful piece “Whither NEW BATTLEGROUND footsteps to come back to serve education” (#53) I agree that the the motherland. My friend Major General Ashok problems with school education Mehta in “The new battleground” Sudha Parajuli in Nepal go beyond the private/ (#55) perpetuates a historical Baneswor public debate. The government’s error when he writes about the investment in education does ‘British Indian Army’. There has 4 NATION 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES NATION 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES 5

the standing of kuchikars in You’ve got mail society, leave alone helping raise ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Kathmandu residents may soon be actually receiving awareness of their rights in the mail in their homes, and faster than they ever dreamt. community itself. A few have City postal workers are being trained to understand On Kathmandu streets,been slowly working to raise sweeping changesthe Metric Addressing System, recently introduced by consciousness in the commu- Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). The system nity. They decided to begin at gives each house a number and every road a name, which means postal workers and emergency services SALIL SUBEDI the beginning—they have ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ The Valley’s sweeper community is empowering itself, but as long as opened their own schools, and ‘proper’ school in Sabal Bahal in like ambulances and fire engines will finally have real ome rain, fog or shine, at are conducting community 1989 on guthi land. But five city addresses. The KMC, under its Kathmandu Valley the dawn of every new society at large stigmatises them, their choices will be limited. Mapping Programme (KVMP), is implementing the programmes on basic health and years ago, the organisation Cday in Kathmandu Valley, system in Naxal, Hadigaon, Darbar Marg, Bagh hygiene. stepped out and the school was a small army of people armed Bazar, Dilli Bazar and Gyaneswor. Surveys are The three biggest kuchikar handed over to the Ministry of underway in Kalanki, Kalimati, Kuleswor and with brooms and cans comes Education. “Since then we’ve settlements, Dhalko, Sabal Swayambhu. out on to the streets. They are had to face a lot of problems,” Bahal and Tilganga, display And, if you have an appropriate name for your mostly women, they wear clean says Poonam Rana, principal of clearly how the community, or clothes, look smart and many the school, who has the usual street, you can suggest it to your ward office. at least sections of it, has carry babies strapped to their complaints of an inadequate improved its standard of living backs. They are Kathmandu’s budget and books arriving late. kuchikars who have organised to match the modern lifestyle of the city. On average a sweeper The Sabal Bahal has 150 and struggle for better working students from the primary level conditions and have lifted their manages to pull in about Rs 6,000 a month, working two or to fifth grade. Ironically, only 23.2 million Nepalis community out of their ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ even three jobs. Some even earn about half are from the Pode “untouchable” status out of It’s official. Preliminary results of the Census 2001 Rs 10,000 a month. community. Some lucky sheer hard work. Despite official students have shifted to better say Nepal’s population is 23.2 million and growing at But the money is only one a rate of 2.27 percent. Kathmandu Valley’s popula- apathy and society’s traditional schools, while others often skip part of the story. Most tion is growing at more than six percent a year due to stigma against the “lower” out to take their parents’ place kuchikars will mention in the urbanisation, and at this rate the population will castes, kuchikars have through at municipality jobs. Another same breath that despite this, double in 15 years. Women outnumber men in Nepal hard work and determination school in Dhalko was estab- they are still discriminated by 400,000. The census, which enumerators say is raised the quality of their lives. lished some time later where Nepal’s most scientific to date, also found that 15 against as “untouchables”. That “We are used to the heat, two members of the community percent of Nepal’s population lives in urban areas. is why they are reluctant to take the cold, rain. It’s our job and take classes after they have Officials of the Central Bureau of Statistics, which up other professions. The we do it,” says one sweeper at finished their cleaning duties. conducted the survey, say the census has been vigour with which many in the Jagadish Pode let the school run Rani Pokhari, who asks shyly MIN BAJRACHARYA Basu’s efforts are emblematic affected in Maoist-hit districts, particularly Salyan and community embrace modernity for four years free in his house. that her name not be used. “It’s Chakra Babu Pujari. being slammed shut. I was of the community’s refusal to sit Kalikot, and to a lesser degree Jhapa, Surkhet, and its trappings is merely one “Maybe that’s why god has Sindhupalchowk, Mugu, Jumla and Dolpa. As a an okay job, really. But you oppressed—almost claustropho- by and do nothing as govern- reflection of the psychological The story of how the been kind to me. My daughter result, they say, it will take at least four more months people might not feel like doing bic—at the thought that they ment and most non-govern- battles they are forced to fight primary school at Sabal Bahal is the most educated in our to announce the final, final results. it because you were not born in would become just like us, mental efforts pass them by. regularly with the so-called started will anger and move community.” Jagadish tells us our situation.” without access to proper The Cleaning Employees higher castes. The welfare fund even the apolitical. Back in mid- proudly that his daughter is Most people employed as education,” she remembers. Welfare Fund, an independent even provides attractive loans to 1980s, Basu Nepali, now in her wrapping up her BBS degree. sweepers in the Valley are from organisation, was set up in 1987 buy television sets, refrigerators, early 40s, was deeply disturbed One day in 1985, Basu Although the family had to lie an underprivileged caste by Ram Prasad Pode in memory computers, motorcycles and by the fact that children from gathered all the children in her about their daughter’s caste at traditionally deemed to be of his son, who was born with a Food for thought cars. “But so far nobody has her community were being neighbourhood and asked their school, they are past resent- untouchable. There are over chronic form of anaemia and ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ taken a loan to buy a car,” says openly discriminated against at parents to pay Rs 2 every monthment, and simply happy that 3,000 men and women who lived nine years in intensive Nepal’s food crisis is worsening. We went from being Ram Prasad Pode, the chairper- a high school in the neigh- for pencils, paper, sweets and she has managed to do well work for the municipality, care. “I was lucky, my commu- a food exporting country in the 1960s, to importing son of the fund. “We have bourhood. “The kids were some books. Some were scepti- despite all this. Rs 5.57 billion worth of food in 1997. Fifty-five of daily-wage cleaners, or as nity helped with blood transfu- earned enough money and complaining about how unfairlycal, but most people in the Eventually, in 1989, a Nepal’s 75 districts—16 mountain districts, 33 hill sweepers at big hotels, offices they were treated at school. It community helped out. sions for my son. After he died, adopted lots of modern Danish group helped set up a districts and 6 tarai districts—suffer from chronic food and even at the airport to clean amenities in our daily life. But really depressed me. I felt like Opening the school formally I wondered what people in my shortage, which agriculture sector analysts say is airliners. the sweepers themselves there’s a deep-rooted psycho- the doors to their future were was difficult. For some time, community do when they face caused by an unbalanced and inefficient production “Every person in our Welfare Fund at Teku, the provides members loans and logical trauma that we are still other, less easily solvable and distribution system, growth in population, de- they can take up a second job. struction and fragmentation of agricultural land, and community thinks it is their the Shoba Bhagwati kuchikars. municipality agreed to pay the disaster-relief grants—and treated as a ‘lower caste’,” says problems. Who would help birthright to become a sweeper The municipality pays a premiums for a Rs 200,000 them? After all, municipal simply difficult terrain. But grain harvests have also The community has now brooms. come down because farmers have diversified to cash and get a job at the municipal- sweeper Rs 3,100 a month, and insurance policy for each officers have been even known earned enough assets to move provides two sets of clothes and All the progress the commu- crops like cotton, tea, sugarcane and jute. The ity,” Krishna Pujari from the on to other enterprises. sweeper. So strongly ingrained nity has seen has been through to ask for bribes to grant us sick Agriculture Department’s Market Development

MIN BAJRACHARYA footwear, and a bonus annually. Dhalko says wryly. The Valley’s The sweepers employed by is the vocation in the commu- its own efforts. The govern- leave! And then I began to Directorate statistics indicate that Nepal’s annual four And after a long battle, says nity, that the fund, started and realise how far our combined kuchikars have undertaken to the municipality work in two ment has done little to improve million tonnes of foodgrain production falls short of empower themselves, says Pujari Ram Prasad Pode, chairman of sustained through donations by resources could go,” he recalls. the requirement by 200,000 tonnes. The result is shifts, 6am-9am and 1pm-4pm, the Cleaning Employees The fund, started with the food shortages in four of the country’s five develop- who is a founding member of which means, they say, that the Indrayani Park managed by small contribution of Rs 2 from ment regions. each member, aids in many financial matters, but Ram Prasad is proudest of the fact that over 800 people have received blood collected by RALLYING CALL the fund. Devout MP Say Yes for Children is a campaign to HERE AND THERE by DANIEL LAK TO MAKE THE WORLD The fund is also giving back ○○○○○ ○○○○○○○ garner support in building a world fit for to a community that has done While his parliamen- children from children, adolescents and FIT FOR CHILDREN little to help it—it is funding a tary peers were adults around the world. It will form a landscaping project outside the discussing the l Leave no child out referendum through votes by everyone, Kathmandu municipality office. controversial Armed Put children first Police Force and every individual interested in becoming a l “This is our way of shaming the l Care for every child Regional Administra- part of the Global Movement for municipal authorities who talk tion Bills in the Lower London’s melting pot Children. l Fight HIV/Aids big but can’t take care of their House this week, l Stop harming and own small set-up,” says Pode. Shanker Pandey, the exploiting children When the community needed a barefoot MP from Syangja, was spotted on the shores of Lake Tilicho in Manang, listening to Sant LONDON — The great lexicographer and wit, Samuel Johnson, once wrote l Listen to children day care centre four years ago Shri Bapu Murari from Gujarat recite and analyse the “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. Now, on the surface,There is a little of everything in London: Little Portugal, Little l Educate every child the municipality set one up, but The Global Movement for Children is a let conditions deteriorate to the seventh chapter of the Ramayana. Devout Hindus that’s a rather vain and self-absorbed line—the sort of thing you’d expectGreece, Little Lebanon. Even Little England. l Protect children from war believe Tilicho is the lake where the crow recited the from the effete classes of New York or Paris. But Dr Johnson wasn’t being self- force for change, calling for people point where parents preferred London also mocks at the l Protect the earth for children holy book to Garuda. The devout MP was probably serving or vain about his hometown. He was simply telling the truth. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ throughout the world to take action and to strap their babies to their taking a break from sometimes-fractious parliament. xenophobic scepticism about l Fight poverty : Invest in For this is a city of endless bounty and variety, and thus it has ever been. protect the rights of children. We all have backs while they cleaned the And praying for much-needed peace in Nepal. (See European integration that sitting under the baleful shadow of a high-rise block of flats. There’s a role to play - leaders and citizens, public children city. also page 10-11.) The British (by which I mean the English, Scots and others of these isles) plagues British politics. For an area of north London where the signs are written in Basque and founded a worldwide empire on the simple notion of making as much money and private organizations, children and Such efforts, like the school this is unmistakably a the old men in the pubs put coins into collection boxes for the young people. are commendable. They are as possible. “A nation of shopkeepers” sniffed a Frenchman once. Perhaps, but European city, much more soseparatist movement, ETA. Poles, Russians, Spaniards, Italians, the commercial imperative has kept this city alive and reinventing itself for independent, community- than any other on the Scandinavians and even the world’s most culturally proud race, the driven initiatives that raise self- countless generations, even as places like Paris became tourist theme parks and Continent. I was awakened French, live and work in London these days. platforms for political ambition. In the process, they lost much of their soul. confidence and produce results. this morning by the bells of a I asked a French man at coffee yesterday what brought him here. Log on now and vote for children: That hasn’t happened here. But if Kathmandu’s kuchikar No business, no beauties Greek Orthodox church Gazing at me through the pungent smoke of a Gitane cigarette, he Right now, London is busy reinventing itself as a city in the Middle East. community is to realise its full ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ behind my hotel. Every pointed out—in perfect English but with more than a hint of Gallic potential then other efforts are The streets throng with Arabs, Somalis, Bedouin and Levantines of every www.gmc.org.np There is bad news for Nepal’s hopeful beauties. Sunday, hundreds of disdain for stupid questions—that as an investment analyst for a giant required from society at large. Organisers of the annual Miss Nepal Beauty Pageant description. The mighty shops of Oxford Street seethe with black-clad worshippers mix—native American bank, he had little choice. “Besides,” he said, turning back to Only that will give younger are reluctant to hold the event this year. They say women, their heads wrapped in the chador and bead-clicking husbands in Greek Londoners mixing his Starbucks coffee, “These days, France is two hours away by train, kuchikars the luxury of the that as public security is uncertain and business is at tow. The wonderful mix of mellifluous tones and abrupt, tonsil-twisting For further information, contact: with Athenians and others through the Channel tunnel. I go home every weekend.” choice of staying with their an all-time low, companies that would normally jump glottal stops that is Arabic is the lingua franca of the retail trade in a London Secretariat at the chance of sponsoring the seven-year-old from the motherland—troop Yes, there will be those who remain aloof to London’s charms. traditional profession or moving summer. So too in the casinos of Belgravia, Mayfair and Bayswater, the event—major breweries, for the most part are shying into the pews, clouds of Global Movement for Children-Nepal out into the wide world.t croupiers call for bets in finest idiomatic Arabic as well as French and English. But I’m not one of them. Like Dr Johnson, I live in dread of the away. With the Maoists threatening a ban on alcohol incense billowing out the day when a visit to this sprawling, ugly yet charming metropolis G.P.O. Box No. 8975 EPC 788 It should be said that none of this is new. Lebanese, Egyptian and Gulf and “immodest” clothing, the organisers’ reluctance is door. Little Portugal is a doesn’t fill me with joy, even as it extracts money from my pocket. I Kathmandu, Nepal. understandable. Women activists who’ve been trying Arabs have been spending summers in London since the oil began to flow stone’s throw away, a line of suspect that living here, being perpetually in debt, watching public Phone No. 523200, 535159, 523893 to get the pageant banned since it began in 1994 from newly free countries (freed, of course, from British colonial yokes). In bakeries and smoky cafés services crumble, hearing the trivia that passes for news, would E-mail : [email protected] without success may be inspired to try the Maoists’ fact, the descendants of Muslim sailors of the Royal Navy known as Lascars make me somewhat less of a fan of Johnson’s aphorism. But for intimidation tactics in future. have lived in London’s East End for hundreds of years. Islam is Britain’s now, I’m tired of neither London nor life.t fastest growing religion: the first mosque here dates back to the 18th century. Ministry for Women, Children & Social Welfare 6 NATION 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES 7 NATION 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES

OPINION by PRAMOD MISHRA King Birendra’s legacy Disturbed care Mentally ill people hardly ever receive adequate or even hu- themane ailment, care one that in only Nepal. affects The costs to the country are enormous. Whatby the Maoists. better Both these way to honour the late king and his “the poor, uneducated, under- familyevents are interrelated. than If theto bequeath his assets to improving privileged○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ and downtrodden.” ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ majority middle class, alert and But researchers the world over to all social and economic classes was not allowed back into her publicresult-oriented, educationpatronise private in Nepal. have been saying for some time and caste groups. husband’s home even though the schools in South Asia’s urban and now that the prevalence rate for But, mental health profession-psychiatrist at Asha Deep assured semi-urban○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ centers, government ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ mental illness is similar every- als stress, it is logical that some them that she was perfectly schools are bound to fail because where—in developed and under- hour. Associated with the it is worse off ill-read. King people are more at risk for certain alright. “I was forced to go back to these have neither the resources developed countries, in cities and administrative structures of the Birendra’s property could be mental illnesses. “Due to their my parents’ house and I have nor the driven manpower to in villages. The difference lies VDCs and schools, and funded utilised, like the Carnegie disadvantaged position, rural been cruelly separated from my produce results. Yet public schools on the types of disorders, which both locally and centrally, these Corporation in the US, to upgrade women in Nepal are more young sons,” said a tearful Hema. constitute the backbone of often depends on the environ- libraries would prove an indepen-schools and form a network of vulnerable to depression,” said Where only one person was democracies everywhere. dent source of learning for young public libraries all over Nepal. ment the patients work and live in. Raija Kiljunnen, a clinical suffering, now an entire family To offset these institutional and old alike. The young will go Nepalis then will be touched by psychologist with the Mental has been traumatised. Patan vagaries of Nepal’s educational there to whet their appetite for King Birendra’s legacy at every door But there are some factors thatHealth Programme of the United Mental Hospital’s Dr Dhruba infrastructure whose malaise is toolearning, as I would have done if Iand his presence in every library pose a greater threat to the mentalMission to Nepal. Shrestha says the loss from such deep to be cured through school had access, escaping from the building and every book in ways well-being of people. In countries Unfortunately, women are behaviour—and the dangerous reform alone, the formation of a like Nepal, for example, city limitations of their classrooms andthat would truly help us honour again on the losing end when it domino effect it can have, public library system in the over dwellers are considered more teachers. The old will go there tohim and his family. This will also comes to treatment—very few cantriggering more illnesses or 4000 Village Development likely to suffer from the kind of fruitfully spend their leisure awaybring together in one guaranteed actually get medical attention. disorders—is incalculable. The Committees is the call of the stress that precipitates mental from the card table and the bottle.institutional form his legacy of Patan Mental Hospital shows that1993 World Development Report The equitable distribution of peace, democracy and disorders. Changing lifestyles, like estimated that the world loses the spread of the nuclear family, while the number of people using material wealth cannot be education.t mental health services has doubledmore productivity due to mental achieved without an equitable and pressure to keep up with the disorders than diseases like neighbours, test the strength of in the last ten years, male patients distribution of intellectualwealth, outnumber female patients by tuberculosis, cancer or heart come communism or capitalism. protective cultural mechanisms disease. Similarly, the World Pramod Mishra teaches English available to earlier generations— almost 16 percent. Often, If a nation has to remain ill-fed, women’s families are simply Health Organisation in 1998 Literature at Duke University in the think yoga, meditation, puja— estimated that more working days United States. and children and young adults inunwilling to seek medical help, MIN BAJRACHARYA and health workers do not realise are lost from mental illness than particular are finding it difficult physical illness. Leave aside the s Nepal is poised to begin a second-hand textbooks as were that the needs of men and women to cope with the resultant stress burden on patients’ families due serious discussion over barely available to us. While the patients are different. and depression. to the cost of treatment and care, Apeace, war, the constitu- poor worked their hearts out in “Medical care and emotional The Department for Mental the social losses due to uncared- the fields from dawn to dusk, support both play an equally tion, and monarchy, the signifi- Health at the Tribhuvan Univer- for mentally disturbed people like the landed gentry spent its important role in the treatment of cance of the debate over King sity Teaching Hospital says that interrupted education, inability to leisure in drunken stupor or at mentally disturbed people,” said Birendra’s property and legacy is close to 25 of every one hundred work to their fullest potential, card tables in the village bazaar. Kedar Subedi, a social worker with relevant. He presided over almost patients who seek medical help at violence, family and marital In our spare time, we just Asha Deep, a non-governmental two decades of the autocratic the hospital are there with a disharmony are extremely played in the village dirt and MIN BAJRACHARYA rehabilitation centre for mentally Panchayat system, saw the rise of treatable mental illness. Even mental disorder. They usually worrying. Maoist people’s war over the mud, if not pressed to work as the presence of four million come seeking treatment for disturbed. But such is the stigma HEMLATA RAI if the person’s condition im- attached to people who suffer A health worker put it like issues of poverty and illiteracy, field hands and cowherds. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ suffering people has failed to physical ailments, which turn out and lost his entire family in Later, the small library we put ama (not her real name) wasproves. from mental disorders, that they this: “Until we are unafraid of instil a sense of urgency among to be the physical manifestation of looking mentally ill people in the probably the most bizarre episode together with funds raised by forced to spend seven A person’s mental health is policymakers and public health mental illnesses. And, they belongreceive exactly the opposite. in all Nepali history. But Birendrathe singing and dancing we R“hellish” years in the mainly determined by genetics, Sometimes even people who haveeye, and until we can guarantee officials. Though a National will most likely be known as the staged in the fervent days of the Central Jail for a mental disorder environment (like family and completely recovered are not them care, we can forget about Mental Health Policy was checking the social costs of mental king who gave Nepal peace, 1979 referendum closed down. Special Offer for that could have been alleviated if work atmosphere), and individualannounced in 1997, the issue is welcomed back into their homes. democracy, and education as his How can democracy she had received medical help in factors like susceptibility to Hema, a high school graduate, illness.”t 3 flights& 21,2 Oct 28 Sept. still treated as separate from bequest. function in a society where time. The trauma of trying to tension or depression. Everyone other human development Therefore, the question aboutpeople do no have access to conceive for 23 years, and puttinghas their own breaking point, andendeavours. Only 0.14 percent King Birendra’s property is not knowledge? If peaceful prosper- up with mockery from society for when this point is reached, a of the national health budget whether the new king would get ity is the ideal and democracy a FLY EVERY FRIDAY AND TUESDAY TO LONDON* this “failure” eventually took theirperson develops a mental was allocated to mental health it by the conventional law of means to achieve it, then the toll, and Rama collapsed, disturbance. programmes in fiscal 2000. emotionally and mentally. inheritance. A more pertinent ability of common people to Transavia Airlines flies twice a week from Kathmandu to Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam via There is no official study on The general perception question is: how is this inheritanceaccess knowledge is its funda- But more than any of that prevalence, but researchers about mental sickness is going to relate to King Birendra’s mental prerequisite. Without Sharjah (U.A.E.) with immediate connections to Europe, U.S.A. and Canada. suffering, it is the recollection of estimate that about 12 percent of perhaps reflected in the legacy of peace, democracy, and systematic dissemination of life in the Central Jail that sends Nepalis suffer from some form or policies. Here too, the issue education? Especially at a time evaluated knowledge and Date Range Sector Dept. Arrival shivers down her spine now. degree of mental illness at any remains a taboo subject, and when these three words are on information, peace, democracy 20th Sept.-27th Sep 2001 AMS-KTM 20:00 11:30* “Even now, I am terrified when ifgiven time, and at least two everyone’s lips. and healthy nationalism become ...4... I think of what I suffered there,” percent suffer from severe but Long-term peace for prosper- mere rhetorical terms. 01..st Oct.-25... th Oct.2001 AMS-KTM 20:00 11:30* says the gentle, soft-spoken ity is not something that is going Political instability, violence, 1 4 woman. to come from the hocus-pocus and illiteracy form a vicious 29th Oct.2001-28th March 2002 AMS-KTM 21:00* 12:30* It is common practice in this 1..4... wizardry of the Maoists and the circle that breeds an endless country to imprison mentally ill government alone. In a land rivencycle of poverty. Only when Date Range Sector Dept. Arrival people. The general public is told by illiteracy, ignorance, misinfor- people are able to make in- little about neuroses, and the few 21th Sep.-28th Sep. 2001 KTM-AMS 20:30 05:50* mation, where civil society is weakformed personal judgment to ...... psychiatric institutions there are choose and evaluate public 5 for want of empowering educa- nd th little-known. That is why, instead officials, can democracy be 02 Oct.-26 Oct. 2001 KTM-AMS 20:30 05:50* tion, even the best attempt to .2..5.. of seeking psychiatric assistance, prevented from turning into a herald peace through negotiation 30th Oct.2001-29th March 2002 KTM-AMS 21:30* 06:50* Rama’s family took her to the circular game of corrupt can only be a precursor. Peace .2..5.. Central Jail where she was locked and democracy cannot succeed politicians and idle bureaucrats up for more than seven years. And when imposed from the top working overtime behind doors *Amsterdam-London is on conveniently scheduled KLM service. she was lucky—the recent fire in a alone, they have to emerge from to grab and misuse power—and southern Indian asylum, which the grassroots. And unless peoplepeople can be dissuaded from killed over 20 inmates who were in Nepal’s villages and towns do voting in the name of caste, chained to their beds, is a not feel empowered through clan, uncritical party affiliation shocking reminder that the resources available to them for and personal loyalty rather than trauma of institutionalised people education, independent from theon policies and performance. is often not “in the head.” failed, colonial school and college But how is Nepal going to Instead of ensuring the educational system, threats to educate its wards? While higher human rights of the ill and their peace and democracy will always education reels under the right to treatment, existing laws be there. In today’s globalized mimicry of the Indian colonial legitimate such inhuman world, therefore, public educationmodel, producing and repro- treatment. Local administration through a joint venture between ducing colonial subjects rather laws grant chief district officers public schools and public librariesthan critical thinkers and (CDO) the right to put mentally is one of the major ways to knowledge makers, the disaster ill people into jail for their own empower people. The question ofof the secondary and primary safety or for the safety of the eastern or western, communist or level education has been community upon the recommen- capitalist values doesn’t arise here.irrefutably highlighted by two dation of a doctor. But CDOs are Growing up in a Rajbanshi recent events: the failure of a not given a concomitant responsi- village in Morang, we never knewlarge number of students to get bility to protect the rights of what books meant outside of through the SLC exams and the disturbed people. And there is no Mahendra Mala, and such forced closure of private schools legal provision to reverse this “mentally sick” certification, even Heritage Plaza II Kamaladi, Kathmandu, Tel: 247215 (Hunting line) Fax: 977-1-244484, E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.marcopolo.com.np also jolted investors. Though it is difficult to establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, political instability and the resultant low investment have also taken a toll on the bank’s profitability. Indosuez began opera- 8 NEPALI ECONOMY 17 - 23 AUGUSTtions in 2001 NEPALINepal in TIMES1986. Its 9 NEPALI ECONOMY 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES general meeting in March BIZ NEWS ECONOMIC SENSE by ARTHA BEED approved raising its from p. 1ð authorised capital to Rs 270 million (issued capital, Rs 220 More to insure As the initial promoters of million. It now has two larger ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Nepal Indoesuez, the Rastriya offices one in Kathmandu The Insurance Board licensed the Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) Ltd.—a Nepal-India venture—to Banijya Bank (RBB) and and the other in Birgunj. Its begin operations last week, taking the number of companies allowed to insure life to five. TourismSome weeks update Rastriya Beema Sansthan three other branches are in ago the government allowed the American Life Insurance Company to open a branch office in Nepal, after (RBS), have the right to be it won a legal battle opposing its entry. So far the Insurance Board has issued licenses to 17 companies, 2,000-odd employees. Banepa, Pulchowk and asked first if they want to buy of which three are licensed only to sell life insurance, two for life and other policies, and the rest for If you analyse the airline Thimi. It also has a secondary everything but life. RNAC is being dim-witted, which means it is time for a tourism review. Again. Indosuez out, and both have branch office, in Jeetpur, near business, it is abundantly clear that said they want to. “We have The Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) is a joint venture between India’s Life Insurance Corporation smaller airlines will find it difficult Birgunj. Its deposits in mid- (LIC) and Nepal’s Vishal Group. LIC controls 55 percent of the Nepali company (paid up capitaloyal Rs Nepal 250 Airlines Corpora- sent our opinion to govern- August were to the tune of to survive, especially if government- ment saying we would prefer a million) and the Vishal Group 25 percent. The remaining shares are to be sold to the general public.tion (RNAC) has been able owned. In all of South Asia there is about Rs 3.6 billion, which Rto do one thing at least— foreign partner first, and if that after investments in treasury no profitable flag carrier. Airlines did not happen, we also could keep tourism uppermost in the bills and funds kept aside as globally are forging alliances to stay invest,” says Punya Prasad minds of Nepalis. Every week there reserves, leaves a finance afloat. With only three aircraft— or Dahal, executive chairman of “Revolutionary” demands is some depressing news item about even ten—the chances of some- facility of about Rs 2.5 billion. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ the RBB. “But in our case it is RNAC, everyone starts talking The decision to pull out The Nepal Trade Union (Revolutionary), an affiliate of the Maoist party, met industry leaders last week to thing like RNAC getting a deal on government that decides.’ about tourism. And now, finally, par with the other airlines in the discuss demands they had previously circulated to employers. The Maoist trade union has a 13-point list In other words, the RBB of Nepal was taken in Paris for industries located in Hetauda and a 14-pointer for those in Kathmandu Valley. The demandswhen there include are only two aircraft alliance is remote. In an era where dialogue between hotel workers and there is no possibility of raising salaries by 50 percent, 30 days paid leave and an extra month’s salary every year.flying, no less than government online sales is one of the biggest and hotel owners. With regard to is non-committal because it that changing. And delays officials are predicting doom. Eithergrowth areas in the industry, even the security issue, as long as cannot decide on its own. now only tarnish Nepal’s there is a cunning plan in the to code-share the investment in embassies and missions are not Also even though it has already messy image as a Bitter pill works, or someone wants to keep technology will be high for us. excessively pro-active in issuing liquidity—deposits, mainly— affected by the ownership country to invest in. tourists away or, and I fear this travel advisories, Nepal will it does not have its own change. I bought Indosuez ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ And with RNAC out of the “We should let it have a continue to get tourists. And the money to pay for the stock— Nepal’s roughly 40 manufacturers produce about 59 percent of the 273 essential drugs—fromalternative the most, there are picture, the tourism industry would plying the price earning per because of its credibility and graceful exit because to paracetamol to antibiotics—but the industry says it faces tough times due to competition peoplefrom cheap making decisions who could stance of the missions in turn its un-audited losses for 2000/ share (PR ratio) by 8-12 (the don’t know the worth of the find it easier to make reliable depends on how the government- 01, said to be around Rs 2 make it difficult will be imports worth some Rs 3 billion. Last week pharmaceutical producers took up their causeperhaps with thedo with a steady diet of assumptions in order to plan. The profit that the buyer hopes to possible buyers, so why should I minister of health and asked him for a review of the tax regime to level the playing field. The Association Maoist dialogue illw proceed. billion, tells just how bad the opportunity to buy an giving a wrong signal to cod-liver oil and fish. How can you government would not be able then make), which by its performance not be given opportunity to sell future investors,” says of Pharmaceutical Producers of Nepal (APPON) says there are over 21,000 imported and 1,000 local Talks between hotel workers and things are. In the case of the existing institution was god- otherwise explain the cancellation ofto stop airlines from bringing in in the past year would be about Rsat market price?” Prabhu Ram Bhandary, a brands of medicine on the market. Local production meets only about 27 percent of the demand, which hoteliers will probably, as usual, start RBS, it has never run a bank, send. APPON says can be taken up to 50 percent with the right government policy. RNAC flights to Mumbai as the additional flights as long as these are 700 million. Because Indosuez Among the reasons senior chartered accountant.

a week before the mid-Spetember not to talk about its financial MIN BAJRACHARYA The Khetan and the Nepal Tourism Board is trying to allowed by bilateral agreements. owns only 50 percent, the rough Indosuez wants out is its shift “There is no point trying to deadline, and die out as that health about which little is Tibrewala groups are the other lure Indian tourists here through Private Indian airlines could be estimate of a price for its bulk of focus from retail banking to keep an investor who has deadline is extended. There only known. even stock exchange laws allow major contenders, Indosuez has the Festival of Life campaign. sensitised about the possibilities here stock comes to about Rs 350-400 large corporate clients, its made up his mind to leave.” certainty we have in these matters is RBB staffers argue that bulk deals to take place outside Falling exports list I say, as is my wont, let’s get rid and be allowed to fly in as long as written back to both parties million. policy after the acquisition by What can seriously compli- that there will be uncertainty. buying Indosuez could be thethe floor, he adds. “Such sales ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ of things we don’t need. Like their total flights do not exceed the only need to be routed through saying their letters were a That may make business Credit Agricole. That also cate Indosuez’ exit plans But holidaymakers and the salvation for their ailing If you thought only carpets and garments exports were on a downslide, here’s one more. RNAC.Nepal exportedThe haemorrhaging assigned capacities. The reality of the exchange but that does not little late but could be sense, but does not convince theexplains why local banks, in will be what the RBB and fewer handicrafts last year than it had the year before. In numbers that’s Rs 6.82 billion worthenterprise of handi- costs two percent of the the tourism sector is this: the bulk oftourism industry are an optimistic institution. But the catch is: considered. The minority shareholders. The terms of market penetration, RBS decide to do, which in crafts exports in fiscal 2000, down from Rs 7.16 billion the year before. the RBB has neither the mean they have to take place on country’s GDP annually. The the total spending of a tourist goes bunch. They hope for better days. the floor,” says Uprety. Tibrewala Group even small buyers generally under- left it behind, as they aggres- turn means the government Statistics compiled by the Garment Association of Nepal show that The farthest they will go right now money nor proven expertise taxpayer is paying for the blatant to the airline. Let them fly in more The only legal hurdle wrote stand the value of their bank to sively pushed retail banking needs to act decisively, readymade garment exports this year could come down by as much as graft that feeds the politician- is to say that they will wait and run it properly. And finally, while Indosuez was trying to tourists, make more money, Nepal would be existing directly to be 2.2 million (number of correctly, and fast.t 10 percent compared with last year. Last year Nepal exported 3.9 million bureaucracy-businessmen nexus watch.t will government reverse its convince its shareholders it pieces of apparel. Exports until July this year was 235,000 because still benefits. contracts with govern- Indosuez’s shares) times the market price of involved in the RNAC. The state it overall policy of divesting could not do that because its there is a slack in orders. Apart from the Royal Nepal ment or other chairman in Paris hoping that about Rs 1,000, which would is in is such that no private operator from state-run enterprises and parent was “conservative”. mess, there are two other interesting promoters. may help it clinch the deal. add up to Rs 2.2 billion. Says would consider ownership or approve the purchase, things to keep an eye on: the And the TR Upadhya of KPMG Nepal’s industrial slow- management of it anything but a courting the ire of the World Rajendra Khetan of the perception of security risks in Nepal way things Barnett, who is also a private down since the mid-1990s has Sharp products liability. Perhaps the government Bank? Khetan Group says much of theIndoesuez shareholder: “No one and the currently dormant issue of stand, the only contractual clause confusion today has resulted ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ could sell off the brand and the seat Still another idea being that could stop Indosuez from is talking about how we will be Touchstone Sales & Services (P) Ltd. opened its sixth outlet in New capacity. The proceeds from this floated is that the govern- from contradictory rules. “Why selling is one that requires the sale Road to add to its existing outlets in Pulchowk, Pokhara, Bhaktapur, and the sale of the building on New ment should buy and then re- can’t government own more Mahendranagar and Birgunj. The company markets the entire range of sell to private investors. After to be approved by the central than 15 percent of Indosuez Sharp products from kitchenware to office equipment and television, Road can be used to lay off its the experience with Butwal bank, which cannot disapprove when it can own 100 percent of solar cells and gas stoves. The company says more outlets will help it without a very good reason. RBB and over 40 percent of provide better customer services. Power’s privatisation, maybe Readers can post their views at this is not a good idea. This is not the first time Nepal Bank Limited?” The [email protected] Top government sources Nepal Indosuez Bank has been Khetans, who held one percent privately say any deal will in the news. Soon after its of Indosuez stock until last year, have to be made by the seller acquisition by Credit Agricole indid not think Indosuez was and the buyer, and there is mid-1996, it wanted to consoli- serious when it first asked them Connecting You To little government can do to date ownership and began for an offer. Connecting You To influence it. Privately, they lobbying government for Little is known about how pussyfoot. The Nepal Rastra permission. The delay and far the boardroom negotiations European Rail Network Straight Bank advocates a similar line. indecisiveness led it to decide onhave reached, but allegations of Says Rawal: “At the end of getting out as another option. Itmalpractice and corruption are to the Heart of the city the day, any ownership did everything within its meansalready doing the rounds. We change would have to be to get what it wanted—even gotasked Dumetz ‘how are you?’ Trip to Europe is fun with us. Here at President Travel & Tours we offer you a approved by us and we will the French prime minister to before Wednesday’s meeting. whisper that into former prime “Accused,” the banker sighed, wide range of service from which you may have your pick. delve into the deal only if there are major flaws.” minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s ear“for no reason.” when the latter was in Paris early Legally too, the govern- Where the prospective this year. buyers themselves are not out Kathmandu-Europe-Kathmandu with ment can do little. A Supreme The decision to allow foreign 4 days Eurail ticket at US$ 1199 only. Court ruling on an earlier sale trying to malign the competi- of Nepal Arab Bank stock is banks to own up to two thirds of tion, there are opposition MPs clear on how such things are the shares took until this year’s who smell corruption in the to be handled. budget to become policy. But the deal—which is easy to if you u Eurostar rail tickets French had already made up theircompare the market price of the The court ruled that stockmind in March and begun u Eurail pass, Europass was the property of the stock and the offers that the looking for prospective buyers. parties have reportedly made. u National passes of Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria, Spain & Greece. owner, who could buy and From over 18 wannabes that sell as he or she pleased, The prospective buyers have u Regional passes for Benelux, Scandinavia & Eastern Europe. summarises Bharat Raj made written offers, Indosuez is offered anywhere between Rs u Britrail Passes London Uprety, a lawyer specialising considering three seriously. The 350-400 million for Indosuez’s in commercial litigation. front runner is a consortium of 50 percent stock. Generally, this Nothing can stop the owner investors led by Prithivi Bahadur number is arrived at by multi- from selling property, and Pande, a banker who left Hima- 25 Years Of layan Bank in July. For Pande and Quality Service his group that was working to set up a new investment bank,

PRESIDENT TRAVEL & TOURS PVT.LTD P.O.Box: 1307, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel.: 252995/228288/221774/224956/246685, Fax: 977-1-221180, E-mail: [email protected], www.president-nepal.com 10 TRAVEL 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES TRAVEL 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES 11

pilgrims did not walk, they were ferried in on fixed wing flights Pilgrims’ progress Tilichoonfrom Pokhara to Jomsom (2754m) and by a Mi-17 helicop- ter from Jomsom to Tilicho. “You’ve got to give them credit for taking the initiative to RAMYATA LIMBU from the lake, conservation ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ come here at such a time,” says ake Tilicho, Manang - officials, local villagers and Samanta Tuladhar, general There is a strange sight on trekking leaders are looking down manager of the Jomsom Moun- Lthe shores of the world’s at the tents and strategising how GURUNG P. TRIPPLE tain Resort. The resort, normally Hindu pilgrims from around the world flock to a lake highestin Manang,lake these days. Up here to dispose of the waste generated quiet at this time of year, has had at nearly 5,000 metres above sea by the group over a course of two a good month. Unfazed pilgrims convinced it is a holy spot mentioned in the Ramayana.level, pilgrims from sea level are weeks. They finally agree that sang bhajans and chanted prayers camped out on a religious retreat. human waste deposited in tented as they waited out the weather in Local volunteers help load garbage onto a helicopter. Wild flowers, tents and a horse on the shores of Tilicho. Dozens of identical blue tents dot toilets will be transported by Jomsom. It is just a 10- minute LIMBU RAMYATA cannot deal with the altitude to The group still has to solve the shores of this idyllic lake, and Sherpas to a pit dug a distance shuttle to the lake from Jomsom, return home. “Without health, one the problem with Bapu Murari’s Highland Excursion say that more Annapurna Conservation Area right by the icy waters is a yellow away from the lake-a tiring task inbut with the monsoon clouds, can’t do bhakti,” he says. prefabricated kuti (holy hut)— than 30,000 kgs of food, tents, the Project (ACAP) which has very pandal. That is where a famous the oxygen-deprived atmosphere. craggy terrain and altitude, it is a “This is the first and probably equipped with a compact pandal, generators, gas cylinders, strict rules about littering, Indian guru is reading the Plastic and tin will be flown out challenging flight for the pilots. kitchenette, a bedroom and a water pumps, and a portable the last time we’ll deal with such a firewood burning and carrying seventh chapter of the Ramayana to Pokhara, and paper and wood The heavy chopper waits for a bathroom. Flown in from India prefabricated kuti for Bapu large group,” says a harassed-lookingcapacity. The motivation in this and 250 pilgrims have flown in by will be buried or burnt. break in the clouds and flies off, especially for this occasion, Murari had to be flown in by Uma Khakurel, marketing director case was different than the helicopter to listen. “At present, everyone is more rotors whirring and gulping for pilgrims would like the kuti helicopter. About 100 oxygen for Highland Excursions. “In usual desire to walk new routes. Nepal is full of religious sites focussed on making the air to generate lift. This is the (advertised as environment- bottles, 13 Gamow bags for those terms of management, safety, and Even though everything was holy for Hindus all over the Ramayana reading a success, and future for off-season tourism in friendly and weather-proof) to suffering from altitude sickness, sheer logistics, it has been planned with military precision, world. There is Pashupatinath, satisfying the clients. But before Nepal: Hindu pilgrims who remain at Tilicho for future and two doctors are on standby if enormously challenging but a big in between doses of Diamox, Gosainkunda, Muktinath, they leave, they have to ensure want to come to holy lakes in trekkers and pilgrims to use. anyone develops health problems.headache, too.” Khakurel’s patience is running Janakpur and just across our the area is left clean,” says KrishnaNepal during the auspicious Villagers would like the same. But Tilicho is not a prohibited thin. She not only has to deal northern border are Mt Kailash Gurung, one of four Annapurna month of Srawan. Says Underneath the portable ACAP rules are unbending: the area but by virtue of its remote- with the demands of moneyed and Mansarovar. But Lake Conservation Area Project Tuladhar: “Most people just pandal at Tilicho, devotees listen structure should be carted out ness and altitude, few tourists clients, but also local village Tilicho is a new phenomenon (ACAP) liaison officers accompa- talk about off-season tourism, intently as the bespectacled Bapu and the shores of Lake Tilicho take off the popular Annapurnapolitics, eagle-eyed inspectors and devotees think they are sure nying the group. Since early these people are doing the Murari says he’s neither an aastik should be left in as pristine a state circuit to hike up to the lake. from ACAP and the weather so there is a reference to it in the August, Hindu pilgrims from homework for us.” (believer), nor a naastik (non- as before the pilgrims got here.t But it does lie within the the helicopter ferries go Ramayana. And that is why they around the world have set up The pilgrims believe that this is believer), but a waastawik (realist). Bapu has been urging pilgrims who smoothly. are here. camp here and they have the lake that is referred to in the But up in Nepal’s scenic gathered to listen to Sant Shri Ramayana where the crow recited Manang Valley, the temporal Murari Bapu (regularly featured the Ramayana to Garuda and meets the mundane. Caring and on cable television) to recite and where Shiva found solace after the catering to 250 pilgrims and their reflect on the seventh chapterof death of Sati. Organisers of the support staff inside a nature the Ramayana. Tilicho Lake Pilgrimage Tour 2001 sanctuary and an altitude at Their presence has triggered a say they cannot prove it scientifi- which bio-degradability is almost flurry of activity among villagers. cally, but they are convinced this is zero is a constant worry. Local Manangi elder Kyung Tsering is indeed the Kak Bhusundi Sarovar Manangi herders rarely venture up at the lake for the first time. mentioned in the Ramayana. The up to the lake, except sometimes He’s hiked up with a cow that Ramayana gives some clues, and to look for straying yak. Some way supplies Bapu Murari with a dailysays the lake is “at the base of the supply of fresh milk. Volunteers Annapurnas and north of the help collect garbage and ask Nilgiris.” Indeed, south of Tilicho Hindu pilgrims camp on the shores of Lake Tilicho, Manang. pilgrims to refrain from bathing loom the icy ramparts of the

TRIPPLE TRIPPLE P. GURUNG in the lake. They hope the this Annapurna, carved by glaciers visit will attract more tourists and which plunge down to the lake that the relatively good track fromitself. In fact Tilicho Lake is the Manang to Tilicho, and the track collected glacial melt of the entire being planned from Tilicho to northern slopes of Annapurna and Jomsom, will encourage more Thorung Peak. Scouts came to the tourist traffic between the area last spring on a reconnaissance neighbouring mountain districts mission to check whether this of Manang and Mustang. indeed was the holy lake, and were The faith of the pilgrims convinced it was. Water samples from India, Canada, US, proved the lake was cleaner than England, and South Africa— Mansarovar where a similar group many in their sixties—seems to beof pilgrims had gone for a prayer standing them in good stead in vigil for world peace in 1997. That the cold thin air at this altitude. trip paved the way for this one. The temperature is below zero in It’s a nice story, but when the mornings, and the sun plays pilgrims who are not trekkers decide hide-and-seek with monsoon to organise a trip here, it is a clouds that storm over the logistical nightmare. Organisers Manang Valley by mid-morning. Oxygen cylinders are set up in the four-person tents which have cots and four-inch mattresses. This is the middle of the monsoon, and few choose this time of year to venture this high. Even the

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DHL NEPAL PVT. LTD. DHL HOUSE, NAYA BANESHWOR KATHMANDU, NEPAL TEL: +977-1-496427/496248/495861(NAYA BANESHWOR), 223222(KAMALADI) 264259(THAMEL), 545870(PATAN), 061-28730(POKHARA), 021-21730(BIRATNAGAR) FAX :+977-1- 477859 Email: [email protected] Sant Shri Murari Bapu arrives at the lake with the Ramayana. RAMYATA LIMBU RAMYATA 12 TECHNOLOGY 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES 13 WORLD 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES FEEDBACK by DR JOVAN ILIC AND DR DAVID OSRIN Racism in the rainbow nation ITThis is, is the and crunch. shouldAnyone not be a prior- ity.who has Laterused IT, especially yes, the at this point, no. Post-apartheid The Digital Provide?Internet, will know that is full of South Africa pre- 1. Both hardware and software information. Loads of informa- pares for the World costs are well in excess of the tion, just like a library, but most of it is completely irrelevant and Conference against common man’s monthly salary if technical jobs rose from 41.8 per not annual salary. of no use to you. To find what Racism. 3. To which “well-function- you want needs skill and cent in 1995 to 51 per cent in 1999. The South African National ing economies” are we referring 2. IT is not maintenance free, knowledge. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ to here? It is well known that who’s going to do the installation, In the context of health Non-Government Coalition the farming industry in so- (Sangoco) has identified poverty demand states that for goods such train the users, fix or make provision and IT, (1) you will called developed countries is and poor access to resources as the as eggs, demand rises as price adjustments when they malfunc- need existing health services to heavily subsidised by their leading causes of racism in the lowers, and vice versa as eggs tion? And what to do when the cooperate in the information that respective governments. In country. It said recently that racism become more expensive people network doesn’t cover your is to be provided on these “sites” obert Jensen and Richard order to gain economies of scale, some way to overcoming the first, could be eradicated by redistributing Zeckhauser (“The digital will buy less and less of them. phone, or when there’s no (manuals and books already by introducing an IT literate and price cartels control market electricity? perform this function); (2) You wealth. Rprovide” #54) argue for a Common experience for all of us prices and market supply so trained health worker at our sites Sangoco’s view is strongly confirms this. It also states that will need to train local staff to (Who’s paying?), but we still positive reappraisal of information that they can ensure themselves supported by the influential supply directly affects price in 3. Most of your target popula- understand this information and haven’t addressed the other main technology (IT) as and when against the vagaries of the so- Congress of South African Trade that if the market becomes tion are illiterate and IT illiterate. be able to apply it or communi- cause, namely how are these applied to the contexts of called “free market,” and Unions (Cosatu). “There will be no saturated each supplier will lower Symbol based software has been cate it, (schools and women’s people going to pay for their developing countries. thereby maximise profits. CAP successful South African reconstruc- their price in an effort to sell their developed, converting text to groups perform this function); (3)medication? Put briefly, in well-function- (Common Agricultural Policy) speech that is then read out to theYou will then have to provide the tion and development if it is produce. So, if all the farmers in a in Europe, for example, has In summary, IT in itself is a ing economies, when there aren’t particular area use their phones to user, but even with the wide- sites with supplies and equipment surrounded by a sea of poverty,” enough eggs to meet demand, resulted in widespread spread dissemination of such to deal with health issues as and great tool and will continue to said Siphiwe Mgcina, Cosatu get “reliable” information on the unemployment and bank- shape the way of the world as manifesting itself in many ways. their price increases. Farmers, best price, and then all head off to software users still need to be when they arise. spokesman. seeing profitable opportunities, ruptcy among small farmers as trained in IT. Should this be a dramatically as it has done over CHRIS SATTLBERER/ PANOS The findings of the first major But Cosatu also points to other that market to sell, their arrival they have been priced out of Now, it is our experience in the past half a century, but for THEMBA MATHE world’s seven-year-old rainbow survey of social change in South breed more hens to produce more priority over literacy? issues that need to be urgently will swamp the market and the the market. Those who have Nepal, that people do not access anyone who has any experience of IN JOHANNESBURG nation, is still grappling with the Africa since the end of apartheid, eggs. People want more eggs and ○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○ price will lower as they try to Finally, Jensen and existing health services more addressed, particularly xenophobia. like magic, more eggs appear. Just worked on Food For Work working in development in so- hen Lucas Ndlovu, a issue of racism. released in early August, shows that undercut one another. Zeckhauser argue that “many frequently, because they cannot “Like racism and tribalism, xeno- as important, farmers earn more Programs have received the called developing countries, the wealthy black entrepre- During his most recent New despite many improvements, black public health problems can be afford to travel the distance to get phobia must be defeated lest we income and consumers pay less poor quality rice that is held in application of IT as described by Wneur, moved his family Year’s message, President Thabo Africans, who were the most slowly turn into a fascist society that 2. Eggs are extremely fragile enormous warehouses by these prevented or treated through there and because they cannot Jensen and Zeckhauser is patently disadvantaged racial group under for eggs. But, in developing last summer into a luxury home in Mbeki said a national conference on will grow into a new polecat of the which makes their transportation cartels in order to keep market information dissemination, often afford the medication that is absurd. When governments apartheid, are yet to catch up with countries farmers typically know an up-market suburb in Brakpan – racism, held in Johannesburg last world,” Mgcina said in February difficult, slow and expensive. prices high. In Asia, rice, in at a lower cost that treating the prescribed. Now, we’ve gone cannot provide adequate health whites in a number of areas. only the local price and so cannot Outside of the tarai, most of south of Johannesburg – he year, had laid the foundation for 2000 following reports that migrants send their eggs to a market that Africa, wheat. problem afterwards. IT is the best and education services and its ending racism in the country once The government report, titled Nepal is extremely difficult way to deliver such information immediately felt out of place. of African origin were facing racism. commands a higher price for people cannot adequately feed All his neighbours were white, and for all. South Africa in Transition: Changes terrain for transportation. When The economic arguments aside, rapidly and at low cost.” themselves, the introduction of Mbeki last year admitted that, them. Unless for example, they and nobody made him feel “Now this year we will be between 1995 and 1999, says the it takes a day to cover a small introducing IT to developing IT is and should not be a priority. “the social and economic structure have cellular phones and can thendistance without damaging your welcome. hosting the United Nations World highest proportion of illiterate send their eggs to where they are countries is extremely problem- Later yes, at this point, no. of our society is such that the eggs, are you going to be encour- A few weeks later, he began Conference Against Racism with South Africans are to be found valued most. Hence IT can help atic for the following reasons: When Peace Corps proposes distribution of wealth, income, aged to still head further to a receiving hate mail with racist the expectation by the people of theamong the 4.5 million rural black poverty, disease, land, skills, bridge the divide between a to offload thousands of Ameri- particular market? Will it be remarks scribbled in red ink. These world that we will make an African women aged 20 years or occupations, intellectual resources developing economy and a well- can computers that cannot be financially viable without he ignored. important contribution to the more. and opportunities for personal functioning economy. sold in its existing markets, we improved infrastructure? international struggle against Blacks continue to work as advancement, as well as the patterns should take Bill Gates’s Months later, he received a racism,” he said. migrant labourers and suffer from of human settlement, are deter- The difficulties with their comments regarding their threatening telephone call, followed An estimated 12,000 delegates lack of access to clean water in rural mined by the criteria of race and standpoint are numerous: development potential much by another and another, until he are expected to turn up for the areas (10 per cent of the population colour.”t 1. The basic law of supply and more seriously.t had had enough. Fearing for his family’s safety and afraid to report mammoth 31 Aug.-7 Sept. meet in uses river water as their main source this matter to the police, Ndlovu Durban, where they will condemn of water). In contrast, the propor- moved. The street was all-white racism and other forms of discrimi- tion of employed whites working in again. nation. managerial, professional and Despite many positive moves in Even in post-apartheid South recent years, South Africa, the Africa, experts say, racism is still (GEMINI NEWS) Whither the Dollar?

RUDI DORNBUSCH ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ There’s little out there that can beat merica’s current account deficit is ballooning, making the US the world’s largest external debtor (in absolute terms—the US is hardlythe dollar. For some time, at least. Athe worst performer if trade deficit is measured as a share of GDP).○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Yet despite huge, growing deficits, the dollar soars. We don’t worry muchUS economy relative to other countries. But a major collapse is no longer anymore about falling stock markets, but should we worry about the tradepossible and an upswing is coming in the fourth quarter, underpinned by deficit and the almighty dollar? Is the dollar poised to sink due to its owntax cuts and lower interest rates. The coming year is likely to deliver three bloated weight? percent growth, the most to be expected in a fully employed economy. Two things bring the dollar down: loose talk from America’s Secretary ofCan Europe and Japan do as well? Surely not Japan now, perhaps never. the Treasury, or a sharp deterioration in America’s economic performanceEurope will not grow quickly any time soon either. Our prognosis: a strong compared to the rest of the world. Both have been tested this year and thedollar for the coming year. Argentina’s debt problems may weaken the dollar dollar has vacillated. Both risks are now coming under control and so a little and Turkey’s difficulties may hurt the Euro, but they will only affect continuing strength for the dollar must be anticipated. those currencies at the margins. Not long ago the newly created Euro There are two kinds of US Treasury Secretaries. The first, like Robertseemed to pose a serious threat to the dollar. The Euro’s price has since Rubin, understands that a strong dollar helps secure low interest rates, whichcrashed; exaggerated expectations for it have unravelled. makes for a long and broad boom. The other, like current US Treasury Yet the Euro idea remains sound and the Secretary, Paul O’Neill, thinks too much economic benefits will arrive one day. A about competitiveness and knows too little sound valuation of a currency demands a about capital markets. This kind likes close look at the policies that support it. intervention, industrial cartels, target zones for currencies and other such gimmicks that got a European policymakers are ambivalent bad name in Jimmy Carter’s woeful economic about the use of markets and so their era. O’Neill comes from the world of manufac- economies cannot stand up to comparison turing and manufacturers look at the economy with America’s dynamism, not any time from the rabbit hole up. They think a weak soon. That limits the upside of the Euro. True, the US dollar is good for exports and a hard dollar hurts sales and market share. cannot borrow abroad forever and one day the dollar and the current O’Neill has been ambivalent about the dollar from day one. Instead of account will turn. But not soon. A substantial workout has been underway looking journalists in the eye and pronouncing Robert Rubin’s reassuringin the US to correct the excesses of the Internet boom. Major investments in mantra—a strong dollar serves the US well—he wavered! In no time, the employment, tightened budgets and improved human capital have dollar started wobbling and even went down momentarily. strengthened the economy, raising both its medium-term potential for That situation was repaired when President Bush, presumably encour-growth and its stability. aged by Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Alan Greenspan, reiterated that theAmerica’s “New Economy” was no house of cards. Beyond the hype we US seeks a market-determined value for the dollar, so forget about interven-see high employment and a stable economy. Capital will keep going to the tion to force down the dollar’s value. And so the road remains open for moreUS because it offers the best profit prospects, which keep it the world interest rate cuts from Greenspan to help restore economic expansion. Sucheconomic’s leader. There is no rival yet to or the US or the dollar.t a stance serves the US—including manufacturing—better than talking down the dollar’s value to boost demand for American goods. A second possible cause for dollar weakness is poor performance by the(Project Syndicate)

Rudi Dornbusch is Ford Professor of economics at MIT and a former chief economic advisor to both the World Bank and IMF. 14 ASIA 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES FROM THE NEPALI PRESS THIS PAGE CONTAINS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES 15

middle-class has emerged—this is often called the successful part of Malaysia’s race-based policies. Other Room to swing Malaysians re-thinkbumiputra ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ minorities like Indians complain WASHINGTON – Asia’s only great ape—the they are now being marginalised. threatened orangutan—will gain from an interna- TheWill NEP Malaysiaexpired in 1990 with try MAOIST PRIMER tional ban on the export of an Indonesian wood. bumiputras still short of its targets. The Indonesian government imposed its own ban Theout policy meritocracy? initially left many non- in April amid concern about illegal logging of the bumiputras○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ disgruntled. But with valuable hardwood called ramin. After heavy liberalisation in higher education in lobbying, the international ban was put in place the 1990s and the setting up of local by the Secretariat of the Convention on Interna- private colleges offering ‘twinning tional Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Ramin, used for furniture, flooring, wood panels, programmes’ with foreign universi- toys and other products, is found in Malaysia, ties, much of their resentment where it is called Malaysian beech, and within assistance largely benefits a small evaporated. Since 1990, there has several of Indonesia’s national parks—where coterie of favoured bumiputra (and been discussion on policies to orangutans live. The species, found mostly on non-Malay) businessman—part of succeed the NEP. Increasingly Sumatra and Borneo, are highly dependent on though both have since been the official policy of creating analysts are calling for needs-based ramin trees for food and nesting and to move released. successful Malay billionaire tycoons rather than ethnic-based affirmative through the forest using their vine and branch. The US, one of the After years of receiving benefits under the privatisation policy. action. ANIL NETTOIN PENANG world’s largest ○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○ from affirmation action, some When the government recently But the political costs of importers of ramin s political ferment brews in Malays feel quotas are their lifeline. bought back a stake in ailing implementing a meritocracy may be timber and products, Malaysia, people are again “It is our right,” says Johar Zam (notMalaysia Airlines at double the high. With the World Conference brought in $12 Agrappling with a decades-old his real name), a low-income Malay market price from a debt-ridden Against Racism in South Africa later million worth of the GOPI BUDHA DHRUBA ALE debate: Should a nation where factory worker. His opinion appears firm owned by a bumiputra tycoon,this month, activists have the wood last year. MIN BAJRACHARYA affirmative action has been official less to do with any sense of a proud Malays were the deal’s chief critics. delicate task of coming up with a Orangutan num- Lila Mani Pokhrel of the Samyukta Jana Morcha in 1991, the massacre of police at Naumule, militia on warpath in Achham. policy for three decades give birthright, than a painful admission Ethnic-based affirmative action position paper on racism in bers in the wild have declined by 50 meritocracy a try? that for all its advances, the quotas were made state policy after Malaysia. In March, ethnic attacks Chhalphal, 12 August percent in the last 20 in the strategic defence stage Later they started developing it alonghigher the military units in the western region Normally, questioning bumiputra community is still bloody race riots in 1969 left scores targeting ethnic Indians in a lines of the police force. Now they arebut only platoons have been used in the neglected squatter area near Kuala years and the WWF Malaysia’s quota system, which lagging behind. Bumiputras dead. Quotas were the cornerstone estimates their developing the armed units as a central and eastern regions. It is esti- favours the majoritybumiputras comprise some 60 percent of the of the 1971 New Economic Policy Lumpur left six dead and many population has fallen Genesis Present party status proper army. mated that the Maoists have an armed (ethnic Malays and other indigenouspopulation, Chinese Malaysians 25 to wipe out poverty and raise the injured. Activists will likely opt for a by over 90 percent in There was a division of the CommunistSince the Maoists were underground fromThe Central Military Commission over-force of 2,000 people, and an armed militia of 3,000. This means they have a percent, and Indian Malaysians andstake of the bumiputras. The NEP’snon-racial line in the final paper. the past century. Party of Nepal (Fourth Convention) the beginning not much is known aboutsees the armed wings and Prachanda groups), is a no-no—a ‘sensitive 5000-strong fighting force. issue’ in a multi-ethnic country of 22other groups the rest. benefits include ethnic-based quotas“People agree that policies should be Today, fewer than sometime in 1983-one rallied aroundtheir organisation and structure. Althoughheads it this commission. The different million people. But on 27 July Prime Johar says Malays need assistancefor university admissions (55:45 in based on need rather than along 25,000 orangutans Nirmal Lama and another Mohan Bikramis underground, its organisation is similarregional to military commissions are under the remain in the wild, 80 percent in Indonesia, Minister Mahathir Mohamad because many come from poor favour of bumiputras), preferential racial lines,” says Yap Swee Seng, a Singh. The Singh group then advocatedthat ofa any political party. At the presentcentral command. Efforts are being made treatment for government contractssecretariat member of the Joint primate researchers estimate. Logging and forest policy of preparing for a “people’s war”moment, Prachanda is the supreme leader,to develop armed units that will be himself proposed that meritocracy befamilies of plantation workers and fires are destroying as much as 80 percent of and licences, and cheaper loans. Action Committee against Racism. and tried to put together an armed unit.there is a politburo consisting of sevenmobilised by the regional commands.People's They governments the basis of university admissions, atfarmers. Poverty is found in urban Indonesia’s orangutan habitat. In 1999 after five Around 1985 it launched a campaignmembers to and a central committee consist- “There should be affirmative action form people's militias and volunteer groupsThe Maoists have formed local governments in many least for a spell. He said this would squatter settlements, plantations, But after 30 years, the civil months of undercover investigations, the US/UK- smear black paint on the statue of theing king of roughly 40 to 50 members. It also against poverty and the poor should in the villages. There seems to be a tussle shock ethnic Malay students out of farming and fishing communities, service, the army, and the police based Environmental Investigation Agency and and attack police booths in Kathmandu-has an advisory committee of 9-11mem-for the leadership of the armed units.areas where they are in control. They be assisted regardless of racial Telapak, an Indonesian environmental group, have formed district level governments in what he calls their complacency andthe Orang Asli community and remain predominantly Malay, while which was known as the Sector bers. The Maoists have divided the countryRam Bahadur Thapa was very instru- background.”t released a report saying corrupt officials allowed Programme. The programme becameinto three geographical regions, each some areas also. They claim to have tendency to immerse themselves in indigenous communities in north the ethnic Chinese maintain an mental in helping the Maoists becomedistrict very people's governments in Rukum, politics, neglecting studies. The Borneo. Students from poorer influential presence in the economy illegal logging to escalate in two of Indonesia’s controversial after it became evidentoverseen that by assigned politburo members. most important national parks, Tanjung Puting powerful in the western region. But afterSalyan, Jajarkot, Rolpa, Bajura, Accham families do not even make it to despite Malay inroads. But the party's secrets had leaked, whichKathmandu led Valley activities are sometimes remarks come in the wake of and Gunung Leuser. About 500 orangutans live in to the change of its leadership. Sometimeplaced under the Central Regional activi-disciplinary action was taken against and him Dailakh. In the central region, such a growing student activism against secondary school. And many who bumiputras have made significant Tanjung Park in Kalimantan on Borneo island, and in 1987, Puspa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda)ties and sometimes as a special region.Posta Bahadur Bogati replaced Thapa.district It level unit exists in Dolakha. They abuse of power and corruption. do, drop out, so university quotas professional advances and a new both parks are havens for other endangered was elected general secretary. In 1987Its activities in India come under a still is not very clear as to who controlsare the said to be in the process of forming Once-docile students, mainly and scholarships are of little help to species as well, including the Sumatran rhino, the NCP (4th Convention), NCP (Masal)special region. armed units, which is reason for constantsuch a government in Lamjung and many tussle within. The Maoists have formedother districts. But all the institutions have Malays, have demonstrated against them. On the economic front, Asian elephant, clouded leopard, and Sumatran and other smaller factions merged to formMechi, Kosi, Sagarmatha and Janakpur tiger. the Ekata Kendra (Unity Centre). After the three companies and are said to havenot been very effective because they are the Internal Security Act (ISA), Malays complain that government zones and some parts of Bagmati and faction led by Mohan Bikram Singh boy- reached the stage of forming temporaryjust old wine in new bottles. The Maoists which allows indefinite detention Narayani come under its eastern region. cotted the general election, a splinter of battalions. In the Dunai attack it had have used stopped all development activities in without trial. Two student activists The remaining parts of Narayani and the party led by Baburam Bhattarai joined its temporary battalion which is now tovillages, be which are done by other Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini and Dhaulagiri were detained under the ISA in July, the Ekata Kendra. made permanent. The Maoists had usedorganisations and not affiliated with them, zones come under the central region.companies Its to attack Rukumkot and especially in areas where they are very The Unity Centre participated in the western sector comprises of Rapti, Bheri,Naumule also. The Maoists have usedpowerful (IPS) elections and won nine parliamentaryKarnali, Seti and Mahakali zones. Each seats to emerge as the 3rd largest region party. is further divided into three-sub The party held its National Conventiondivisions. the same year where Prachanda's policy of having a people's war is adopted and Nirmal Lama's policy to have a mass See p. 16 (IPS) ð “HOLLOWED OUT” uprising was rejected. The party partici- pated in the local elections in 1992 and QUOTE OF THE WEEK KEITH COWLINGAND PHILIP R TOMLINSON failing to win the expected number of ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○ ‘Thais’ and hilltribes positions, a rift between Dahal and Lama If dialogue is carried out just for the heck of it, that will simply give rise to useless, episode after episode of he 1990’s were Japan’s “lost decade,” a time of stagnation and ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ began and eventually caused the party to financial crisis. There was endless debate among economists and CHIANG MAI, Thailand - For Thailand’s ethnic talks. This has to be done with political foresight and without any preconditions. split. Then in 1994, under directions Fraternal of the organisations Tpolicymakers and praise of the “Japanese Model” vanished abruptly. minorities, an April reportNakorn in Chiang Rai Jhalanath Khanal, CPN-UML politburo member, on the government's efforts Revolutionary International Movement, With its emphasis on institutional arrangements—the financial/industrial newspaper about their secessionist ambitions Prachanda named his party the NepalThe Maoists have many fraternal or frontal to initiate dialogue with the Maoists.Himalaya Times, 15 August, 2001 keiretsu networks, protected labour markets, the omnipresent Ministry of was a continuation of increasingly racist and Communist Party (Maoist). organisations. The Samyukta Jana Morcha used to be its political arm. After the party International Trade and Industry (MITI)—Japan appears over-regulated unfounded attacks by the mainstream media. The article claimed the Hmong community, Thailand’s went into war, it can be assumed that the and bureaucratic, an economy unwilling and unable to let market forces second largest hilltribe group after the Karen, political activities are overseen by the Jana work. To revive itself, observers conclude, Japan must embrace American- planned to declare autonomy in northern Thai- Andolan Sanyojak Samiti, but this style capitalism. land within 20 years. Incensed, the Hmong organisation has not been very effective. But such ideological approaches ignore the starring role Japan’s big decided to file charges against the paper at a The Maoists are also backing organisations transnational corporations play in the country’s economy. This oversight is local police station, and asked that the province’s such as the Prajatantra Bachau (Save Japanese transnationals’ overseas networks Democracy) movement. The Maoists have fundamental, because the global activities of these businesses are at the heart governor look into the matter. But few expect have made the country’s industrial base anything to come out of the case—controversial emphasised formation of regional and of the country’s malaise. While Japan’s domestic economy stagnated, theserelative importance of Japan’s core domestic industrial base. Japan’s large and difficult to digest, it will fade away. ethnic organisations. They have formed 10 firms continued to play an influential role in the world economy. shrinktransnationals worryingly. use their offshore affiliates as a direct substitute for production Thailand’s 900,000 ethnic hilltribes have for such organisations, which are being used In Japan, production is organised throughkeiretsu networks—small and○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ increasingly for research and development. Japan’s international Armed struggle as first shelters to leftists headed to join competitiveness and domestic productivity growth fell precipitously. This years been looked down upon and attacked by the Maoist party. firms act as subcontractors to large corporations, who belong to a “Corporate mainstream society and media as opium cultivators, Group”—a conglomerate of industrial and financial interests. Small firmsde-industrialisation means once-prosperous manufacturing regions in Japan The Maoists started their armed struggleFraternal organisations have played an drug peddlers and forest destroyers, illiterate and during the winter of 1995. In the first week are now experiencing long-term social and economic decline. important role in the growth and strength- traditionally employed over 78 percent of the labour force and were ‘uncivilised’. Such representations run parallel to of February 1996 they presented a list of ening of the Maoist movement. Some responsible for around 70 percent of domestic output. Over 60 percent of The “hollowing out” of Japanese industry has implications for macro- official discriminatory policies, say critics. Less than 40 demands to the then government led Prachanda: “Deubaji where are you?” a third of hilltribe people in this country of 70 million organisations affiliated to the Maoists are Japan’s small firms undertake subcontract work and rely heavily on largeeconomic policy. An expansionary policy is unlikely to work in the long- by Sher Bahadur Deuba. Deuba: “Prachandji where are you?” corporations for orders.Keiretsu firms are effectively “locked in” in a long- term because increases in aggregate demand are likely to be met by Japanese have not received Thai citizenship, despite having the All Nepal Farmers Association (Revolu- They gave him an ultimatum of twotionary), All Nepal Women's Association corporations producing more overseas, rather than at domestic plants. lived in the country for centuries. Without that, they term business relationship with their main contractor. have no right to land, to vote, or to basic social weeks for the demands to be fulfilled.(Revolutionary), The All Nepal Students Asso- Since the early 1980’s, corporate Japan invested $500 billion in ForeignFurther, small firm confidence is weak and the lack of profitable opportuni-services. Dr Chayan Vaddanaputti, a political start of the people's war was to coincideciation (Revolutionary), All Nepal Teachers' Rajdhani,10 August Direct Investment (FDI), raising Japan’s share of global FDI from 3 percent,ties within Japan is unlikely to raise business investment. scientist specialising in ethnic studies, says this with the date of the beginning of the Association pro- (Revolutionary) and All Nepal in 1980, to 12 percent in 1997—second only to the US. Large Japanese To return to long-term growth, Japan must address the structural wasn’t always the case. “Earlier, hilltribes were seen democracy movement of 1990, but dueTrade to Union (revolutionary). There are corporations, like Toyota, Sony and Hitachi, became global players, impact of globalisation. This will require an appropriate policy response thatby lowlanders as ‘friends’, trading partners.” But some changes in plan, it was launchedabout on 15 such organisations. Nepalis inTHE INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE & ACADEMY moves the Japanese economy away from dominance by large transnational growing environmental problems after Thailand’s Falgun 1, even before the time givenIndia to are another major Maoist organising increasing market share and enhancing corporate identities. They also got government to fulfil their demands hadground, handled by the All India NepaliIELCA is a truly International English Language Training Centre corporations. It should favour industrial policies to strengthen Japan’s small national social and economic development plans involved in transnational production networks, encouraging their larger sub- took off in the late 60s and early 70s, and an influx expired. Both the government of the Unity day Society. Others are the All India with many years experience in achieving higher standards of tuition for contractors to “follow them” overseas. In 1997, offshore outsourcing firm base, with a specific focus on nurturing networks of interdepen- of Vietnamese refugees from the war, changed this and the Jan Morcha that had submittedNepalese its Students Association, All Indiaeverybody else to follow. We offer 4 and 6-week morning, afternoon accounted for over 30 percent of the total corporate output of Japan’s dent small firm entities rather than subsidising a small firm base forever, he adds. demands did not seem very serious Nepalese about Transporters' Association andand evening courses to suit all ages and abilities. transnationals, a four-fold increase over the 1985 level. This huge outflowsubservient of to the interests of the large-scale transnationals. An example Activists who met in Bangkok recently ahead the issues. It is only now that the 40 the All India Nepalese Youth Association. Japanese capital has not been replenished by inflows by foreign investors—of such networks may be the Italian industrial districts of Emilia- demands have become important. The Maoists also have direct contact with of the World Conference Against Racism this other leftist organisations in India. F Daytime and evening courses in TOEFL,IELTS, General and Conversation English, Business Japan’s outward to inward stock of FDI, is an astonishing 12 to 1 ratio. Romagna. Here, co-operative clusters of small firms engage in flexible month listed Thailand’s treatment of ethnic The Maoists issued a statement of English and Professional Writing, Public Speaking, SLC, & 10+2 Courses, Special Groups These trends precipitated a damaging structural change in Japan’s specialisation, where they are able to innovate, diversify and compete minorities and hilltribes as an example of how February 13th 1996, the day they F Overseas Student Placement to USA, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ and Dubai industrial economy—a “hollowing out”kûdoka) ( of Japanese manufactur- with larger corporate giants. For Japan’s declining manufacturing “racism, racial discrimination and intolerance launched the people's war calling for the F Qualified foreign teachers from UK, USA and Australia industry, the creation of similar industrial districts may provide the continue to be practised in various countries in end of constitutional monarchy and the ing. Growing offshore outsourcing has led to a demand crisis for Japan’s F Clean and comfortable classrooms and canteen facilities ay out at the basis for sustainable economic development.t South-east Asia.” setting up on a communist republic. The F End of Course Certificate otel smaller firms and their profit margins have fallen by almost 60 percent since people's war is divided into three stages: Free D the mid-1980’s, leaving many struggling to earn sufficient revenues to repay F Course materials provided luxurious H strategic defence, strategic stalemate and F Foreigners and Nepalese: SAME FEES long-term loans. This has undoubtedly contributed to the unprecedented strategic offence, they are still said to be Shahanshah when you F Next language Courses Commence on 27 August 2001 IELCA rise in Japanese unemployment, growing bankruptcy, and the high (early registration recommended) register for a course with proportion of non-performing loans (now 20 percent of Japan’s GDP). The higher profitability of overseas production dramatically reduced the (Project Syndicate) Military might THE INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE & ACADEMY At the start of the peoples’ war, the Maoists Ghattekulo, Dillibazar, Kathmadu (next to SM College) Keith Cowling is professor of economics at the University of Warwick, UK; Philip (IPS) seemed to have no organised armed unit. R. Tomlinson is lecturer in business economics, University of Bath, UK. Tel:435417, E-MAIL : [email protected] Website : www.ielca.org tional monarchy. Loopholes in the Maoists’ analysis If, as Maoist leader Matrika Yadav it is a general lapse relating to says, the Maoists are interested in gender-insensitivity in historical research is an open question. Aziz 16 FROM THE NEPALI PRESS holding a referendumTHIS PAGE onCONTAINS the issue MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES CULTURE 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES 17 of a republic, and if the monarchy is is clearly convinced of the former, itself interested, a very interesting and she finds evidence in the from p. 15 is still getting the armed police force BOOK REVIEW reluctanceby KANAK she encounters MANI among DIXIT NEPALITERATURE by MANJUSHREE THAPA ð ordinanceThe passed by implications parliament. situation will ofcrop up. dialogue The Maoists’ demands may be fulfilled, but their menfolk who refuse to talk about Deuba seems bent- Excerpts upon making from the an interview with Govind Neupane Yogmaya till this day. She also talks successful, but at the same timeanalysis of the 1 June massacre will be off the mark. Right after the reports on the mysterious he has a plan of action if dialogue disappearance of papers relating Ishwar Ballabh’s fails. And though government is incident they said the monarchy ascetic’s words and actions. was finished. You say a republic has This was probably there, but to Yogmaya as she seeks them. releasing detained Maoists, it is only The ascetic of theThere are disconcerting Arun releasing only those it does not already been born, but then you the discussions that Aziz has HUMAN COMPLEXITY consider very dangerous. participate in referendum on the with the surviving followers of references to the feminist Maoist gains subject. A referendum will give the Yogmaya and her romanticised processesin the West, particu- Poet Ishwar Ballabh is also a prodigious columnist who has, in the The Maoists’ gains from dialogue government a breather, and cause interpretations of Yogmaya’s larly in Aziz’s native United past few years, pricked the thin skins of many literary figures in will be threefold. First, being called other problems for the Maoists. verses in English do not help States, and attempts to juxta- hisKantipur column. Memorably, he engaged in some gamely for dialogue is a sign that they have Communists and democracy us complete the picture. The pose Yogmaya’s thoughts and sparring over Mohan Koirala’s nomination as Vice Chancellor of I do not think that the Maoists will author refers to her own actions with larger movements the Royal Nepal Academy. He himself had wanted the post, he been accorded political legitimacy by wrote, and had done much to court it. Now, if after all his effort, he a government that until now called join the present political system. agenda, when she writes how elsewhere. The story then her informants “may have becomes part and parcel of the didn’t get the post, imagine how hard Koirala had campaigned, he them terrorists. This is their most Although in his statement said. (Koirala did not dignify this article with a response). Another important gain. If the dialogue werePrachanda says he does not advocate worried that my primary author’s own awakeing as an memorable article appeared approximately six months back, when interest was shifting from their Jana Aastha, August 8 to fail and the two sides went to one-party authoritarianism, if you Arab woman of North America, Ballabh accused an “English mafia” of being partial in the transla- war, the government will have to look at communist history, you’ll master to a larger political who tries to read her under- tion of Nepali literature. This article did draw a response from an movement.” (It is interesting standing of the complexities of irate Dr Abhi Subedi, who squarely denounced the notion of any Dialogue follow the Geneva Convention. realise that their greatest weakness is not being able to remain within the that Aziz and other gender oppression and reaction such mafia. Ballabh continues undaunted with his articles. The subject of government–Maoist Earlier it was easy to label the In his long career as a poet, Ballabh is perhaps best known as Maoists ‘terrorists’ and crush them, control of the people. “We know hagiographers do not seem to into the late Rana-period format dialogue has become of interest to one of the members of the 1960’s third dimension“tesro or now this will not be so easy. Even the wishes of the people, what we consider the question of and setting of Nepal. The everyone. There are three kinds of morality – did Yogmaya have slightly romanticised portrayal aayaam” literary movement. Along with fiction writer Indra Bahadur people trying to get talks started. international organisations will haveknow the party’s central committee knows, the wishes of the central the right to lead so many men, of the 1990 Peoples’ Movement, Rai and poet Bairagi Kainla, he launched on a search for more First, those who want peace to to accept the Maoists as a political complex and multi-faceted forms of expression than was found in force. The UML and ML are losingcommittee are known to the women and children to their and the less-than-careful return to Nepal and feel dialogue death?) exaggerations such as claiming the literature of the time. MichaelHimalayan Hutt’s Voices quotes will help. Then there are those their cadres to the Maoists. But it politburo and the politburo’s wishes is known to the supreme leader. So, In her own words, the that 3000 people were killed by from a statement made by Kainla: “The bland sentimentalism (of affected by the insurgency who will be difficult for the Maoists to earlier writers) is not simply drivel; it is also an escape from a search for Yogmaya’s past is the military (with many want it to end. And finally there arechange the beliefs of defectors from the supreme leader knows the wish sense of responsibility and therefore an escape from the realities part of Aziz’s own fight against dumped into mass graves) people in the business of conduct- other parties, because they have of the masses.” This is classic of life. In dimensional terms, this kind of writing is “flat” because it the patriarchical abuse of shows a lack of care that does lacks a third dimension (depth, and thought or vision) and has no ing dialogue, whos e profession is totheir own convictions. The communist thought. They [the power worldwide. The book injustice to the reader. faith in life. Such literature cannot satisfy the needs of the modern talk about talks. The first kind interregnum resulting from the Nepali Maoists] did not try to also marks the author’s Whether Yogmaya was intellect.” genuinely wants peace and also possibility of dialogue has given analyse such thinking, or gauge it them time to indoctrinate new against public opinion. It was wrong departure from the study of deliberately expunged from the This call to put an end to stale, clichéd and mawkish writing some changes in society in general may just as well be made today. Ballabh’s poem translated below (NEPAL ADHAYAYAN KENDRA, 2057) ADHAYAYAN (NEPAL Himalayan anthropology to and the country as a whole, changescadres. The Maoist forces will be of the communists to want to exist historical record as a deliberate outside the controls or limits set by become more of a social critic act of government, as the eschews bland generalisations or hackneyed usage, and opts they hope will have a positive demoralised if dialogue goes on instead for a tone that is at once both sombre and optimistic. His the people. This has weakened and journalist, following her author claims, or whether her impact on their lives. Despite this, forever. In the long run, the YOGMAYA work embraces the complexity of the human psyche. discovery of Yogmaya’s nothing seems to be happening, government will gain the most. If communist movements. China tried eclipse from public memory is followers at the Manakamana mainly due to a lack of trust. But the Maoist forces are demoralised, to correct this and even today there more a matter of societal ashram by the Arun river in the ceasefire and the release of government will have an upper are eight communist parties there proclivities to disregard 1981. The presentation on detained Maoists is a positive step hand. The Maoists will lose the that could be one reason for the women’s activism is something Yogmaya essentially concerns and allows for the hope that a most from a drawn-out dialogue. change in the Maoists. But the that can be discussed. This Barbara Aziz’s interpretation of dialogue will take place some time inThe Republic of Nepal competitive politics the Maoists talk reviewer believes Aziz is the Yogvani, the sayings of the future. If this happens, the nextThere are two schools of thought about is different from that of the overstating the case when she I LOOK SOMETIMES TO THE PLANT, SOME- Yogmaya that were left behind step will be an all-party meeting about how to deal with this. One is other communist parties, for claims that the tragedy of in printed form, or orally TIMES TO THE TREE which, again, I believe will happen. through the election of a constitu- example the UML, because the Yogmaya’s death will “remain a transmitted by the followers Everyone wins ent assembly to decide on whether UML’s competition is under the stain on the government”, for we should have a republic or a parliamentary umbrella. I don’t still remaining in the ashram. here she is conflating the Rana

Many people will benefit from a ARTIST’S CONCEPTION OF FROM YOGMAYA, Then there is a recap of regime, the Panchayat regime as A kind of darkness sometimes falls over the heart and dialogue. Deuba has definitely constitutional monarchy. Or, since think the guerrilla activities of the the descendants of dark begin clawing at me Yogmaya’s life based on the profited from the possibility of talks.this is a sensitive matter, through a Maoists will stop until the new A new study looks at a Rana-era well as the present-day political Despite this I say—no need to be terrorised recollections of the ashramaites The Maoists too have benefited— referendum. This can be held with constitution is made. system into one. my skies woman activist through the lens of who a still remain. Aziz does not Brightness may yet emerge somewhere the government has released their elections for the constituent The country needs women really seek out other infor- one might discover the way to a path cadres. The UML and ML stand toassembly. One election can take care global political agenda. reformers, but the sad fact is mants, and has not taken Manifold concerns take shape stringing gain, as the present situation makes of all these questions. Voters can be that the feminist movement in garlands of distance layer on layer ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ advantage of the information the possibility of their reunification asked first, who they choose as their Nepal has been hijacked. Like so It’s not that they haven’t terrorised me available in the Nepali work very real. All parties must be honest representative, and second, whether many other subjects deserving It’s not that they haven’t terrorised you published a year ago, with when the dialogue is underway. they want a republic or a constitu- n the upper reaches of the signify their deeply held beliefs of politicised activism, this has It’s not that these offspring of darkness haven’t contributions by many Nepali stung their sharp fangs in the ground Everyone will have to prepare for Arun Valley, back in the daysagainst the social system happened through the hand of Iof Rana Prime Minister prevalent, Yogmaya and 68 writers and scholars. well-meaning ‘funders’ who Despite this I say—this poison will be expunged tomorrow and the possibility of followers drowned themselves when somewhere so much as a tiny insect dialogue allows them to do just that. Chandra Shumshere and up to Thus, there is not enough end up converting would-be peers out The government is also getting the reign of Juddha Shumshere,in the river, an act of jal material presented, nor analysis activists into NGO-executives. when by way of some path a parade of light ready. It has painted a rosy picture there lived a woman ascetic of samadhi possibly unprec- done, to build up the story of We must encourage a return to arrives of the possibility of dialogue, but it extraordinary vision and social edented in Nepali history. Yogmaya as the political person basic activism, where women from the horizon drive. A child widow who In essence, this is the story she probably was. Having relied organise against men, across the It’s enough that it come slowly No need for fanfare, disappeared into India for threeof Yogmaya. A book on her was almost exclusively on the ascetics thresholds of caste, ethnicity, no need for it to come in commotion decades and returned with a produced in Nepali a year ago at the ashram and deliberately region and political leanings. amid dust clouds kicked up by horsemen daughter in tow, this woman (Yogmaya, Nepal Adhyayan eschewed anthropological study And for such a group, it may be no need to attack as a war or went on to challenge Kendra, 2000), and now we (Aziz decides to jettison all the that Yogmaya will provide the to raise its voice to a lion’s roar Kathmandu’s feudocrats, and have American-Arab anthro- academic ‘scepticism’ she was rallying point, a progressive no need to come playingnagaraa the anddhol instruments run an ashram by the banks of pologist-turned-journalist taught in college), the author is woman from the Rana years, When it comes it won’t scare anyone the Arun. Feeling threatened byBarbara Aziz recounting the unable to do full justice to the who may yet stand up as a as would a terror the revolutionary message of It’s simply light—it can come at its own slow pace story in English for us in a workhistorical persona of Yogmaya beacon for the women of today Without a single word myriad Yogmaya, who called for an endpublished by the Tribhuvan (and Durga Devi). The picture is who continue the fight against palaces of darkness will topple to corruption by the powerful, University’s Centre for Nepal thus incomplete, and Yogmaya male oppression and misogyny. Caves and towers incubated for aeons and aeons Fat Burners protested child marriage, and and Asian Studies. fails to come at us in flesh and Barbara Aziz’s work, as well as will chuckle called for ‘Dharma Rajya’ the While the essential focus of blood. Some amount of polemi- Rivers will start to flow A person burns only a minimal amount of calories with daily activities the earlier Nepali publication, glittering brilliance in their small and large surges and Rana regime kept an eye on Heir to a Silent Song is cal prose by the author tends to may be the stepping-stones for a such as sitting. Any phyysical activities in addition to what you normally Yogmaya and her followers. touching the banks slowly, with an uninterrupted tune do will burn extra calories. Yogmaya, there is also a section cloud the image the reader tries fuller understanding of Yogmaya the water will feel out the traits of the plants and Below are the avergae calories spent per hour by a 150 lb person. (A When they threatened self- in this book on a legal activist, to create of this firebrand Bahun the ascetic of the Arun. But now, begin a course lighter person burns fewer calories; a heavier person burns more.) Since immolation, the badahakim Durga Devi, who fought for thewoman of the eastern hills, a we need some more works to help These terrifying structures erected without meaning will precise calorie figures are not available for most activities, the figures (governor) of Dhankuta sent rights of widows, orphans and radical who advocated women’s us understand Yogmaya better.t vanish The birds in the bushes will start to below are the average, and show the relative intensity of different activities. troops over to arrest the rights and identity, despised oppressed women in the courts shake out their wings ashramites, and imprisoned of Chainpur. There are also caste restrictions, railed against Activity Calories burned as though they are shrugging off darkness them in the jails of Chainpur large segments devoted to the corruption, and fought for equal and they will begin a morning song Bicycling 6 mph 240 and Dhankuta. Upon release, author’s analysis of Nepali reatment of all by the feudocrats It’s enough for it just to come Bicycling 12 mph 410 Yogmaya returned to society and politics, as well who ruled the country. It’s enough for it just to touch us Cross-country skiing per hour 700 Majhuwabesi, which lies on the three chapters which narrate the The author believes that No need to spill blood or harm anyone Jogging 5.5 mph 740 —no need to put anyone to death banks of the great river near travails of a hill porter, a carpet-there has been a deliberate Jogging 7 mph 920 Tumlingtar. This time, to —no need to dig any graves Jumping rope per hour 750 weaving child and a blind mission to keep women out of no need for it to announce after coming that it has arrived Running in place per hour 650 village girl. Next, there is a largeNepali history, which is obvious no need to speak any language Running 10 mph 1,280 appendix containing the songs enough. But whether in the case It will come and I await its arrival That’s why I look sometimes to the plant and Swimming 25 yds/min per hour 275 of Yogmaya in the original of Yogmaya there has been an sometimes to the tree Swimming 50 yds/min per hour 500 Nepali. Other than the last, active conspiracy of silence Tennis—singles per hour 400 these segments do not really fit promoted by successive govern- Walking 2 mph 240 together to make the 230-page ments (and regimes) or whether This and other poems by Ishwar Ballabh may be read in Walking 3 mph 320 book a symbiotic whole, and Samaantar (Sajha Prakashan, Kathmandu: 2038). Walking 4.5 mph 440 they certainly distract from the The calories spent in a particular activity vary in proportion to one’s story of Yogmaya that is clearly body weight. For example, for a 100 lb person, reduce the calories by the author’s primary focus. one-third, for a 200 lb person, increase the number by one-and-one- Using the terms ‘political third. dissident’ and even ‘insurgent’ Exercising harder or faster for a given activity will only slightly increase to describe Yogmaya, the author the calories spent. A better way to burn calories is exercising longer and/ seeks to impute deeply-held or covering more distance political motivations to the

Sanjiv S Soreng (Heir to a Silent Song: Two Rebel Women Manager, Clark Hatch Fitness Centre of Nepal, Barbara Nimri Aziz, Centre for Radisson Hotel, Kathmandu Nepal and Asian Studies, TU, 411818, ext 7, [email protected] Kathmandu, 2001, Rs 500) can imagine a time when this 18 CITY 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES CONSERVATION river will be clear, and we can 17 - 23 AUGUST NEPALI2001 TIMES 19 catch fish in it.” That day will require some ABOUT TOWN YAK YETI YAK by KANAK MANI DIXIT hard sensitisation, as became clear MIKU ○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○ MOVIES he muddy brown-green as the rafts drifted downstream v West Beirut A cheerful, touching story of three Beirut youths and their Super-8 film waters of the monsoon- with their kayak consorts. The laden Bagmati were host to Bagmati has lost its sand bed in Brown water rafting camera. Russian Cultural Centre, 5pm, 19 August. Inter Cultural Film Society T a unique flotilla last Saturday. A its entirety to the construction EATING OUT convoy of half a dozen big-sized industry, and so rather than rafts, with a flotilla of kayaks for meander as it used to, the river v Breakfast with birdsLunch with butterflies and dinner with fireflies. Nepali, Indian, today flows along muddy clay and Chinese cuisine. Farm House Café, Park Village Hotel, Buddhanilkantha. 373935 company, as they traversed the section of the river from Tilgangacanyons. All along, untreated v Saturday Splash 5+2=7 Swimming deal and buffet lunch. Until 1 September, one adult (just below Pashupati) to sewage joins the river in cascades free with a group of five adults Hotel Everest. 488100 Sankhamul (the ghats of Patan). of dirty fluid. v Juicy Steaks, Chilled Mexican Beer cuisine Sundays and Wednesdays 6.30pm— This was not white water—it Then there are the poorest of 10pm. Other days, steaks and beer. K2 Beer and Steak House, was the silt-and-sewage laden migrant communities who have Thamel. 433043 Bagmati. And the adventure, thealso colonised nearly the entire v Patan Museum Café Mixed menu, garden seating. Lunch only, BOOKWORM brainchild of Nepal’s white waterstretch. Hundreds of latrines dot 11am—2pm. 25 percent off with Summit Card. 526271 guru, Megh Ale. the riverside from Tilganga to Sankhamul. The river-side is also v NaachgharNew menu with kababs and biryani daily. 7pm— Bhutan Political Problem: Opinions, Viewpoints and Critical AnalysesRB Basnet and “In the monsoon season most used for dumping everything 10.30pm. Hotel Yak & Yeti. 248999 DNS Dhakal, eds of our rafting guides are off duty, and so we thought it was a good from offal to industrial v Nepali dance and food Over 40 traditional delicacies, and Indian Bhutan National Democratic Party, 2001 byproducts, carpet industry favourites. Newari cuisine in August. Himalchuli, Soaltee Crowne Rs 100 idea to involve them in trying to raise awareness about how bad sludge, and the generic garbage of Plaza. 273999 A collection of essays on refugee verification and the history of Bhtanese refugees as the city.

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by Kunda Dixit

marketed in India this year by the Nepal Tourism The Valley ofBoard under the the slogan: “Festival Dogs of Life”) when dogs and their female counterparts from various walks of life court arrest to tie the nuptial knots of t’s that time of year again when every he- holy matrimony in broad daylight along the columnist gets an involuntary urge to lift his hindcapital’s main thoroughfares smack in front of Ilegs when he sees a lamp-post. Yes, it is time for large slogans proclaiming that a Peoples’ Republic the mandatory annual dog column. And this year has been born. The by-products of these interac- we shall turn our full and undivided attention to thetions will be evident several months hence, when threats to our demographic way of life from the the streets will be littered with sons of bitches. overpopulation of dogs in the Valley which as we allSo cute. know has already exceeded the carrying capacity of What we must remember about these fur balls our garbage dumps. This is not an issue to be is that today’s coochie-coochie-coos are tomorrow’s brushed aside, we all have to be dogmatic. snarling dingos. And the thing that worries civil In fact it would not be an exaggeration to say society is this: what will happen when this baby that given the wild and carefree manner in which boomer generation reaches adulthood, how are we dog copulation is going on, Nepal is sitting on top ofgoing to create enough garbage dumps to feed and a ticking volcano. The question is: what are the shelter the exponential growth of snarling dingos? concerned higher-up authorities doing about it? IThis must be a question that perturbs every put this question to the municipality’s Chief human Nepali at this juncture in our nation’s Dogman, and he said the official policy on the history. canine question has not changed from last year, it There are three options open before us, and is still: “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie”. And sure enough,these must be undertaken on a war footing: a random sample survey of dogs in our immediate neighbourhood revealed this week that very few 1. Walk-in laparoscopy and vasectomy camps to of them were actually awake, and of those that be opened at all major dance restaurants (with were, none were telling the truth. cabins) frequented by the canine set. That is why we have grounds to question the 2. Step up exports to dog-loving nations veracity of the recently conducted Nepal Dog in East Asia and earn valuable hard Census 2001 which showed that there will soon be currency to bolster Nepal’s sagging more man’s best friends in Nepal than forex reserves. man himself. Alarmingly, there 3. Scatter permanent may be far more dogs in Nepal libido suppressants today than the census gives like arsenic-laced them credit for. The scenario buff momos at takes on added crisis strategic proportions garbage dumps because we are at the cusp of the in and around Annual the Valley. t Dogmandu Mating Season (which is being

NEPALI SOCIETY Make mine a double

training course from the Nepal Association of Tourism and Hotel Management was a natural one, she says, as “it has the highest quality bar equipment of any hotel in “I was always interested in Nepal.” being a bartender. Even during Both these young women my training period in the Crowne Plaza in Delhi, I especially are doing what they love, and MIN BAJRACHARYA requested the Food and Bever-marking new trails for women here to choose from. But it isn’t hitra and Anu, two youngage Department to relax their easy. They get a fair amount of bartenders at the usual prohibitions on women the standard criticism for being CTaragaon Hyattgency, Re bartenders, and allow me to work the bar,” says Anu, as she‘women bartenders’ (they’d like are the other face of contempo- effortlessly mixes a perfect nothing better than to be just rary Nepali women. They aren’t Caprioschka, the Rox’s most‘bartenders’) working late. It trying to shut down the liquor popular cocktail, and beams doesn’tat get them down, though. industry, but are quite happy to the punters sitting at the bar.“It doesn’t really matter what serve alcohol “in a regulated Anu went to New Delhi to earnother people say, this is our job manner”. After all, this is her Diploma in Hotel Manage-and we love it. There is nothing their job. ment from South Delhi wrong with working in a bar, Chitra and Anu tend bar atPolytechnic. and we are at one of the top international hotel chains. the increasingly popular Rox Chitra’s love affair with the Bar at the Hyatt. The duo, We’re proud to be Nepalis other side of the bar began possibly the only Nepali doing unusual things.” Keep similarly. “I always knew I women tending bar at a five- stirring it up, Chitra andt Anu. wanted to become a bartender. star property in this part of the There is a sort of happiness in world, are happiest working being able to serve a good drink the busiest nights, Fridays and to a tired customer,” she tells Saturdays, when they say they us. The move to the Hyatt after barely have time to breathe, let completing a food and beverage alone chit-chat. Not that they are unsociable—how could bartenders possibly be—but they get a nice adrenaline rush from the challenging multi- tasking the shifts demand.

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