#416 5 - 11 September 2008 16 pages Rs 30

Weekly Internet Poll # 416

Q. The Prime Minister should have: Total votes: 5,361

Weekly Internet Poll # 416. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q. How long will this government last?

RALF DUJMOVITS PeakA busy autumnseason ahead for he monsoon hasn’t continue to affect expeditions Jaqanese in 1956, compared to OUT OF THIS WORLD: Climbers ended yet, but the using as a jumping- more than 2,600 on . on their way from Base Camp T autumn season for off point. Numerous groups Among the climbers on towards Camp I in 2007 to scale trekking and mountaineering is trying to climb Cho Oyu, the will be Spanish female Manaslu, which is getting an off to a busy start. world’s sixth highest mountain, climber and unprecedented 20 expeditions this season because of the restriction Traffic is already picking up via its Chinese northwest route Italian who have on expeditions to Tibet. on the trails around the were disappointed this season. both scaled 10 of the world’s , Manang has seen “Tibet’s loss is ’s gain,” 8,000m peaks. They will be early arrivals and hikers are said British expedition leader, racing to make Manaslu their mountaineer, Hans striking out to Dolpo, Rara and Phil Crampton, whose 11th peak. If they do so, they Kammerlander, who skied down even the Saipal slopes in far expedition is among many that will be on par with Austrian the southwest face from 7,600m western Nepal. was just have switched from Cho Oyu to climber, Gerlinde in 1998. starting to look busy, but flights Manaslu. Kaltenbrunner, who is currently th have been cancelled for the 10 Cho Oyu’s northern route is leading the pack to become the EDITORIAL straight day because of poor relatively easy, and the mountain first woman to summit all visibility. Trekkers and is regarded as a training peak for 8,000m peaks. Business as usual p2 mountaineers heading for the Chomolungma climbers. Says Autumn will also be the have been stranded at Ang Tshering Sherpa of Asian season for extreme skiers. Swede Another first could be a the airport for the past week. Trekking: “If the success rate is Frederik Ericsson and traverse of Shar by Italian Meanwhile, hundreds of high this year, expeditions will Norwegian Jörgen Aamot will be mountaineer Diego Fregona, who mountaineers have begun probably be back on Manaslu next trying to reach the summit of will attempt to solo climb arriving in Kathmandu for the season.” There have been only and ski down. Lhotse’ s southeast ridge and 2008 post-monsoon season. about 300 ascents of Manaslu They will be following the descent the west face. Chinese restrictions on Tibet since it was first climbed by the tracks of Italian extreme Billi Bierling 2 EDITORIAL 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416

Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Editor: Kunda Dixit CEO: Ashutosh Tiwari Design: Kiran Maharjan Director Sales and Marketing: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Marketing Manager: Sambhu Guragain Asst Managers: Deepak Sangraula, Subhash Kumar Subscriptions: 5542535/5542525 Hatiban, Godavari Road, Lalitpur [email protected] GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu 5250333/845, Fax: 5251013 Remarkable peace www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 5250017-19 Nepalis mustn’t be made to wait for a new constitution to see real improvement in their lives BUSINESS AS USUAL epal’s unique peace Himalayan foothills, today ‘democratisation’ of the state At the very moment Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was process has rarely gained around half the population live army, must now be implemented. addressing the Economic Summit organised by the Confederation Noutside attention since the in the fertile southern plains and But the biggest challenges go of Nepalese Industries (CNI) on Sunday, his cadres were guns fell silent two years ago. more than one third are from over to the roots of the insurgency: enforcing a ìviolent shutdownî of the Dabur Nepal factory in Bara. Yet, amid too many continuing 50 indigenous, largely non-Hindu poverty, injustice, and From the pulpit, the prime minister reiterated his conviction conflicts and failing peace communities. Others are also discrimination. One cost of the that double digit growth was possible, and his government would processes around the world, a historically marginalised from the conflict has been the retreat of do all it could to encourage foreign investors. But as with success story deserves to be social and political life of the local governance and arrested everything else about the Maoists, their actions speak louder than recognised and supported. nation, notably the Dalits. development in a desperately words. I came to Nepal in mid-2005, For these groups, the poor country. Expectations are Even as the Maoist prime minister was finally swearing in the UML members of his cabinet this week, militant youth factions of when human rights violations restoration of democracy was a high among diverse groups for the two parties were knifing each other in Dhankuta, which was committed by both sides in the step toward social transformation, greater control of their lives and under curfew for three days. The YCL and Youth Force are at enabling them to participate more resources. But what federalism equally in the life of the country. will mean in practice, taking daggers drawn over protection money from Kathmanduís casinos. GUEST COLUMN This mafia-like gang warfare proves, if proof is still needed, that Along with the success of socially account of the geographic and politics is criminalised at a time when their parent parties are Ian Martin diverse candidates fielded by the ethnic peculiarities of Nepal, members of the governing coalition.† Maoists, the Constituent remains elusive and potentially We would like to give the Maoists the benefit of the doubt when armed conflict, together with Assembly that was elected in divisive. Reaching a national they say they want to stop corruption. We want to believe that they Gyanendra’s crackdown on April represents an consensus will be a formidable are better placed than other coalition partners to launch Nepal on a democratic rights as he seized unprecedented array of task for the Constituent development and growth trajectory. We understand that militant absolute power, led the marginalised groups. Assembly, and meanwhile the Maoist unions and other party hotheads may not be under direct control of the party leadership, especially the clique led by international community to Women, too, had been almost Nepali people cannot be expected Finance Minister Baburam Bhattarai. support a monitoring presence invisible in political life—and, to wait patiently until a new But the pattern of nationwide disruption of businesses, forced from the United Nations High indeed, in the peace process. Now constitution is drafted to see real shutdowns, intimidation and extortion and threats against Commissioner for Human Rights. nearly one third of the improvement in their daily lives. companies employing non-Nepalis is too systematic. Ultimately, With no end in sight to a war Constituent Assembly’s members But there is reason to be this will undermine the Maoistsí own plans for the economy. with thousands of civilian are women—the highest hopeful. Nepal’s peace process Two weeks after the breach of the , we now victims, and democracy far off on proportion in South Asia and has been truly indigenous: it has know the embankment did not breach because of heavy rains, but the horizon, nobody could have fourteenth place in the world for not been mediated or managed by heavy politics. Two years of statelessness had bred militancy and foreseen how Nepal’s people nationally elected bodies. any external party. The UN has criminality in the Tarai, directly affecting maintenance of the would express their demand for The challenges facing Prime encouraged and facilitated the levees. The breach itself seems to have been a result of Indian peace and change. Minister Dahal, the coalition process—through good offices contractors mining sand and boulders on the Kosi bed after paying off local militants. This is what made the river change course. The turning point was the government and the Constituent during the last years of the When the breach on the east embankment was noticed in early April 2006 people’s movement, Assembly, are immense and trust conflict, human rights August, contractors dispatched to when hundreds of is fragile. The NC, for example, monitoring, assistance to the the scene for repairs were thousands took to the has chosen to remain in election, and monitoring arms prevented from working because streets for 19 successive opposition, dubious of the and armies during the transition. of threats and extortion by political days. The king was Maoists’ commitment to The Maoist and non-Maoist activists from the Maoists and the compelled to hand power democratic politics. parties have asked the UN to MJF who are involved in a turf back to the political parties, Nowhere in the world has the maintain a political presence battle in Sunsari. while a peace agreement transformation of an armed while the issue of the former Finance Minister Bhattarai laid emerged that ended the insurgent group into a peaceful combatants is resolved, and we out his blueprint for the economy conflict, bringing the political movement been so quick stand ready to support peace- on Tuesday at the CNI meeting. He wants to ìleap frogî Maoists into an interim or easy. building, recovery and long-term development and launch massive parliament and government, The Maoists enter the development. But the world, too, job creation through investment in and promising elections to a government still with their own must be generous and steady in infrastructure. Constituent Assembly. army—confined to cantonments, assisting Nepal to sustain the But no one is going to invest The people’s movement with their weapons stored under still fragile success of a here if his party canít clean up also took the lid off social UN monitoring—and a YCL that remarkable peace process. z labour militancy and the pressures often disregarded has persistently acted outside the Project Syndicate criminalisation of politics.†And by Nepal’s elites. Although law. Commitments to resolve the even the investors who are here established as a unitary future of the Maoist combatants, Ian Martin is the United Nations will leave.† Hindu kingdom, with along with what the peace Secretary-General’s Special politics directed from the agreements call the Representative in Nepal. KIRAN PANDAY Budgeting for women Gender equality will never happen without government intervention

etween 2002 and 2007, as the gender responsive budgeting (GRB). drinking water provision) were classified special focus because it is clear that government and Maoists fought out Typically, when the national budget is as ëdirectly supportiveí of gender equality, gender-neutral programs generally only B the latter stages of a bloody war in formulated, it tends to ignore the different, and 55 per cent as ëindirectly supportiveí. benefit men. the countryside and signed up for peace, socially determined roles, responsibilities In contrast, only 10 per cent of Nepali women do most of the agricultural exports plummeted, government and private and capabilities of women and men. Thereís spending on economic services work but have no rights over the land they sector investment fell and agriculture a blanket assumptionówhich doesnít (agriculture, communications, forestry, till. They cannot even get loans. Thousands stagnated. Nepalís growth dropped from translate into realityóthat all sections of land reform, transportation, industry, etc.) of Nepali women die in childbirth every year more than five per cent to 2.9 per cent in the society will benefit from the national budget. was classified as directly supportive of because there is no midwife in the village. period. GRB doesnít mean asking for more money, gender equality. In the worst performersó We now have a Constituent Assembly or for separate budgets for men and women. land reform, forestry and comprising one third women. If we could Rather, it is a way to encourage those communicationsóat least 90 per cent of have this gender ratio in local government, INTERESTING TIMES charged with planning programs and expenditure was seen as gender neutral. especially in decision-making positions, this Mallika Aryal budgets to address the needs and interests This evaluation of the 2007-08 budget would be hugely beneficial to women. of different social groups. Government shows very clearly the built-in imbalance But by just telling various ministries to ministries are required to report on the in the system. We will have to wait and see be gender sensitive without providing them Since the signing of the peace gender responsiveness of their programs if new gender-responsive programs can with the†necessary tools, progress will be agreement in November 2006, the and activities, which are accorded one of have a positive impact. limited. In adopting the concept of a gender government has tried to focus on social three ratings according to their gender One school of thought believes that if sensitive budget, the government has shown reconstruction to bring about more sensitivity: directly supportive, indirectly Nepal truly wants to reduce the gender gap, a will to be responsive to womenís needs. inclusive development. In the 2007-2010 supportive or gender neutral. policy makers must stop designing But unless this will translates into money interim plan the government included In the 2007-08 budget, about 24 per cent separate programs for men and women. actually being allocated to women and then gender empowerment targets, and went of social services spending (such as But in an extreme patriarchal society like spent properly, gender inequalities will further in the 2007-08 fiscal year with education, health, local development and Nepalís, women do need to be given a remain. z 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416 3

L ETTERS

INDIA-NEPAL-CHINA Alternative to the Kosi Dam: tap the Sun I am appalled by Prashant Jhaís rambling (ëTwo Kosi at multiple points and bring the water Dajusí, Plain Speaking, #415). How much should down through the Tarai to first so that the we lean towards to balance China? Playing water is uniformly distributed in the plains. The China against India doesnít work but playing India height of the Kosi High Dam can thus be against China does. Please clear my head. reduced in this seismic prone area. Water can Sandeep Dhungana, Preston, UK be better controlled, siltation wonít be a problem and it will be much cheaper. Let there Indians and Chinese are going to be the next be a national debate on this issue. super powers in Asia and the world. Nepal stands Name withheld, email to gain a lot by being smart. But we need to fix our mess. The most important thing of all is to VANISHED safeguard our dignity, sovereignty, territorial Kishor Kayasthaís photos (ëVanished without a integrity and nationality. There should be no trace,í # 415) made me sad. It is cruel for these compromise on this. The responsibility of this lies families to suffer this way. No amount of money with our own leaders. will bring back their near Indiaís reaction to and dear ones, but the PKDís China visit new government of (ëLove thy Nepal, which is built on neighbourí, #415) is the blood and sacrifices childish. We need to of these families, should be pragmatic, but a properly compensate great country like them for the tragedy India should they have suffered, and not be so insecure.† at least lighten their Sirish, email financial burden. This † sort of negligence and It is the political injustice is parties who have unacceptable. created this perception Daniel R., that the real reason Valencia, USA Nepal hasnít advanced is due to Indian A non-profit group I meddling. Such India- lead here, Community bashing is a lame Members Interested excuse for their own (COMMITTED), inadequacies. Indian conducted a fund companies have raiser to help the invested in Nepal and more would do so if the families of the Jogimara 17. Within Nepal, attitude in Nepal was not so anti-Indian. Chinaís some more money was raised. Money may desire has been to isolate India in its own help, but families need a more long-term backyard. By destabilising the region the Chinese redress and a belief that justice has been want to make sure manufacturing and jobs do not carried out.† move to these countries. If the Indian economy Jayjeev Hada, Virginia, USA expands as projected and there is a favourable environment in other South Asian countries, the Looking at the wheeling and dealing in the whole region will flourish. formation of the new government, it looks like Manoj Sharma, New Delhi the sacrifices of the disappeared and killed like Ram Kumar Bhandariís father (ëJustice KOSI delayedí, #415) have been in vain. Is it for this As you point out in your editorial, itís time we all that all that blood was spilt? Even now you see realise that we have to learn to live with nature a Maoist prime minister only pay lip service to and not against her (ëA flood of recrimination,í # the plight of the relatives of the disappeared. 415). The strongest of human endeavours fail to We have to put pressure on the army and the stand in front of natureís fury. Corruption and Maoists to† disclose information on the people careless attitude are two other reasons behind they disappeared. these devastating floods. The Indian government Yamlal Aryal, Odense, Denmark clearly failed to maintain the embankments properly. There has to be justice for the families of Kapil Mishra, India people like Ram Kumar Bhandari. Thank you Mr Bhandari for carrying on the struggle in Your editorial warned of the Kosi changing its such a humane and heart-warming way. A New course and bypassing the barrage and sweeping Nepal canít be created until the suffering of across Bihar as a worst-case scenario that will those who lost dear ones is recognised. make the flooding in Nepal ëa picnicí. Well, it Leeza Sharma, Virginia, USA looks like the worst case scenario has happened, this is what we have dreaded all along. You suggest that we should ënot block the Kosiís path CORRECTION to the sea.í How? By relocating tens of millions of Ram Kumar Bhandariís father was people who now live in the flood plain? There is ëdisappearedí (ëJustice delayed, #415) by no alternative to the Kosi Dam, the sooner we get the army in 2001 and not 2004 as used to the idea the better. inadvertently reported. Ritesh Thapa, email 4 BUSINESS 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416 Tea break RABIN GIRI in DHANKUTA and ROSHAN SAWA in ILAM

pril to August is peak begun to make inroads in picking time for tea, but to those markets,” he told A this season most of Nepali Times. Nepal’s tea gardens in Dhankuta The workers stopped work and Ilam have been closed because in Ilam and Dhankuta two of strikes by workers. The tea months ago, with similar bushes are slowly growing demands: a wage increase to into trees. Rs95 per day of tea picked, Private tea gardens and permanent contracts, insurance processing centres, Ilam’s and other facilities. Protests in privatised Nepal Tea Development both districts are led by the Corporation, and Dhankuta’s Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Tea Guranse, Kuwapani and Jun tea Estates Labour Union which Chronic labour problems decimate Nepal’s promising tea industry PICS: ROSHAN SAWA estates have all been closed after wants the implementation of payment for pickers. demanding anything new, only together to save this company from workers either locked down or earlier agreements as well as The union claims that the wages and facilities that are liquidation, it is our national occupied the estates. Annually, fulfilment of new demands. “If Triveni Group, which took over within the law,” says Shanta property.” He says the company Nepal produces over 176,000kg of these demands are not met, we the management of the state- Kumar Rai, president of Nepal lost Rs70 million last year, mainly orthodox tea and over 13 million will intensify our protests,” said owned Nepal Tea Development Free Labourers Union, Maoists because the government hadn’t kg of CTC tea, of which 70 and 30 the union’s Dhankuta Corporation in Ilam in 2000, has affiliated union. kept its end of the bargain to help per cent are exported respectively. coordinator, Narayan Tamang. not made any moves to meet their As the stalemate continues, increase production. On paper, the Andrew Gardner, the The three tea estates in demand, which include workers thousands of people who depend estate, which is where the famous manager of Guranse, which is Dhankuta that together getting permanent contracts. on the earnings of tea estate Soktim and Tokla brands are owned by the Vaidya group, says employed 700 people have still Complicating matters is the fact workers in eastern Nepal have grown, could produce exports to Germany, Japan, France not been opened, although that there are at least five unions been affected, government revenue 1.3 million kg of tea a year. But it and the US have been hit. “It is Guranse has reportedly reached affiliated to the various political from the trade has taken a direct produces only 500,000kg. In frustrating because we had just an agreement on increasing the parties involved. They had hit and the market for Nepali tea Dhankuta, too, private estate reached a deal with management abroad is being damaged. owners say their wages were raised mediated by the labour ministry In Ilam, some workers are last year, and they are already last month, but Triveni says the plucking leaves from the 534 higher than most other tea gardens unions have since come up with hectare Triveni estate and selling in eastern Nepal. new demands. it to local businessmen to make a But the issue has now In Dhankuta, tea estate living. FNCCI has criticised this become politicised, with the NC, owners say they had reached an move, saying it is illegal, but no Maoists and UML supporting the agreement with a consortium of one has been able to stop it—least district administration in sending unions in 2006 that was of all the government which still a memo to Kathmandu saying the supposed to be valid for three owns 35 percent of the Triveni demands of workers were justified. years when the new demands estate. The only hope, district officials were put forward. Union leaders, Says Triveni’s Subash say, is for the political parties to however, say management of the Shanghai: “We are already work with their unions to mediate estates are acting in bad faith and running at a loss. We can’t raise with the management of the tea are refusing to listen. “We are not wages anymore, we must work estates.z

ILAMóFor the families of hundreds of tea pickers, it is going to be a sad Dasain. Without their daily wages, it is difficult to No Dasain survive, let alone save up for Dasain shopping. ìIt has been a month that we havenít been paid, we can hardly manage to buy food,î says Narmada Niraula, 35, who works on the Kanyam tea estate in Ilam. She has been working here for 20 years, supporting her husband, two sons and one daughter. The family has been living in a temporary shed on the estate. Like her, about 75 per cent of the estate workers do not have their own land. Despite working here for many years, she has never been able to save any money. ìThe price of commodities has already gone through the roof and the Rs 80 per day wage can hardly buy two meals a day, so how can we save?î Narmada asks. The tea estates have been closed since 28 July. ìIf this continues, there wonít be any Dasain for us,î she says. Last year, too, the Dasain spirit was dampened by a strike. The tea pickers living on the estates have no skills other than plucking tea leaves, nor do they have their own home or land. She says it is the labourers who suffer most from such frequent strikes and wage disputes. ìThe management may lose some money, but it is we pickers who suffer the most. The sooner the tea estate opens, the better.î BUSINESS 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416 5

Orbit wives ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Investment worries Orbit House Wife Club held an interaction programme on the occasion of Tij on 31 August on 'Women's Leadership he news that Tata Motors is consider to be acceptable guarantees and there are n't and the Importance of English Language' initiated by Orbit packing its bags and leaving development parameters. sufficient resources to pump into International Education. The speakers at the programme Singur district in Particularly in rural areas that are the public sector? talked about the importance of womenís leadership to T Communist-ruled West Bengal has dependent on agriculture, it is How does a country create a New Nepal and the role of English language to improve sent a chill down the spine of important to find labourers encourage the private sector womenís lives. Indiaís corporate world. The Nano alternative livelihoods when land when rights to own property and project succumbed in the fight for is no longer available. to run businesses are not fully NEW PRODUCTS The recent CNI economic guaranteed? summit did not introduce any Globally, it has been ELECTRIC WHEELS: Padma Shree Enterprises ECONOMIC SENSE groundbreaking thinking on the observed that private sector has recently introduced the Chinese-made Foton E- Artha Beed role of the private sector, but it development accelerates the bike. The Foton Jingge Electric bike comes in 250W was at least possible to hear the pace of economic growth more and 350W power output models, which are priced at new governmentís take on than anything else. For the Rs 37,600 and Rs 38,800 respectively. A single fully political egos. The corporate world economic growth. Finance private sector, the key is also to charged battery has a range of 50km and top speed that always takes the word of the Minister Baburam Bhattarai has embark on action along with the of 30km/h. political leadership with caution will be shaken by the events that NOODLES LITE: Himalayan Snax & Noodles has introduced a new are unfolding in Singur. If Singur Economic growth needs a product to its Mayos noodles rangeóMayos Lite, lost the opportunity to become a which is pre-cooked in Sunflower oil instead of Detroit, the West Bengal confident private sector Palm oil and so has 40 per cent less saturated government lost a lot of credibility fat and is cholesterol-free. It comes in chicken for being unable to defend its land rightly pointed out the four key government and other stake and vegetable flavours in the regular 75g pack acquisition process. areas, but we must wait and see if holders using the right models of size, and is priced at Rs 17. There are lessons Nepal can anything actually happens. partnership. Public Private learn from the Singur episode. How does a country with Partnerships should not be SHINING BLACK: Vatika has introduced Vatika Black Shine Shampoo, available in 500ml dispenser While private sector growth can be fragmented land holdings achieve modelled around party workers packs, 400ml fliptop packs, 200ml packs and facilitated by governments and economies of scale through land forced into work by private sachets. The ingredients include black olives and political parties, without the ërightí reform that causes further enterprises creating amla. The dispenser packs are priced at Rs 215 and involvement of the local fragmentation? unproductive institutions. come with a free hair brush. communities, processes may be How does a country with high The private sector also delayed. Government may be relied community expectations needs to engage beyond the SINGING PHONES: Samsung has launched its F250 upon as a facilitator, but only to the implement land acquisition for usual speeches and hobnobbing and i450 music series of mobile phones. The F250 has extent of the legal structure. It is up infrastructure projects? with the centres of power. The hotkeys for listening to music and built-in real stereo to companies or institutions to go How does a country suffering time has come to collectively speakers, as well as video and still cameras. You beyond and actually see what the from a decade of deteriorating support an economic policy can listen to music even when the phone is communities think. tourism service quality develop a centre that will both help the switched off. The i450 has a pop-up speaker, 3.5G Countries in the region such as sustainable tourism industry? private sector to think and also technology that allows for fast downloading, and Thailand are experiencing a big How does a country attain its help the government to take the ability to multitask with applications. rural-urban divide between what health and education targets when action. urban dwellers and rural folk private providers have no www.arthabeed.com 6 FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416

Royal ways or the sessions of the interim ○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○ Parliament and the Constituent Samaya, 29 August – Assembly, none start on time. It 4 September must be noted that because there People’s republic was no mechanism for The Maoists had asserted that translation in the interim their relations with diplomats Parliament and still isn’t in the Deshantar Saptahik, 31 August requires, the government will not last for even a would be less formal but more CA, it has been impossible for short while. fulfilling, but in practice the the foreign diplomats to Senior Maoist minister Mohan Baidya, guru to new government does not seem understand the proceedings. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has always Is it true that the government is facing a threat too different from the old. stuck to, and fought for, his vision of establishing from the Maoists themselves? Public and private vehicles are Nepal as a peopleís republic. Excerpts from an There is no threat from the Maoists. We will US of Nepal

still forced to take a detour when ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ interview with Rishi Dhamala: always work towards making our government our PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Sangjuhang Palugwa, chairman successful. Are you more fond of Bamdeb or decides to take a drive. of the Federal Limbuwan State Baburam? When will you become the For Dahal’s ‘informal’ visit Council in Himal Khabarpatrika, This is difficult to answer, but partyís acting chairman? to China, all the ambassadors 1-16 September because it raises questions of Our central committee has to were invited to the Tribhuban whether Iíll stay in the agree. Whether I am granted International Airport to see him z According to the five-point government or not, I am the responsibility of being the off. The absence of Indian agreement with the government, compelled to make a decision. acting chairman is something ambassador Rakesh Sood was ethnic autonomy needs to be Since weíve decided to give the decided by the party, not viewed by most as an expression ensured now. responsibility of setting things something for an individual of India’s dissatisfaction over z If our demands are not met by right to the Chairman Comrade, I person to decide. If and when China being chosen for the first 30 August, we will officially accept his decisions. the party decides to give me official visit of the PM. But declare the Limbuwan State, that responsibility, I am ready. Inside the party, they say that But till then, I wonít demand Sood was not alone in leaving only the foreign, currency youíre next after Prachanda. anything. boycotting the event. The British and military centres to the Itís only in Parliament that and American ambassadors also government. This action will be thereís such specificity as to Why did you resign from the chose not to see Dahal off. the last stage of our peaceful who leads and who will follow. It assembly? “Normally only the protest. is not that way inside parties. Things happen internally. I ambassador of the concerned When we brought about the donít want to comment on country is present at such KIRAN PANDAY revolution, we had no protocols. them. There is always occasions. It would have been Since entering parliamentary politics, weíve discussion and debate inside the party. appropriate if others were not learned a lot about things we didnít know existed. invited,” a South Asian Hasnít Baburam said that itís not necessary to ambassador told Samaya. Didnít Baburam say that he wouldnít work under give anyone the post of acting chairperson? anyone? Thereís no problem if they donít make me the Another ambassador asked: All of us are under the party, no one is above it. acting chairperson. In fact, itís better if they “Why is Prachanda behaving like Even the Chairman isnít bigger than the party. donít. the king?” The ambassadors and How long do you think this government will last? When will Nepal become a Peopleís Republic? diplomats are also annoyed that If the government gains support, it will last for its Making Nepal a peopleís republic is our goal. much of their time is wasted in term of office. But if it doesnít gain the support it That day will definitely come. waiting. Whether it is formal and informal visits of officials, ROSHAN SAWA FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416 7 z Prithbi Narayan Shah united undergoing training to use guns. sovereign states, not sentiments. z In the distribution of power The end of the monarchy has between the parties, talk of marked freedom for those dismissing local government can constituencies. Nepal now needs be heard. This is against to be referred to as the United federalism. It can only invite States of Nepal in the civil war. constitution. Only then can these z We have been preparing the states be held together. army in case the state tries to z We are preparing for a possible oppress us. In our fight for self- armed struggle in the future. Our governance, we can die or win our LVs (Limbuwan Volunteers) are motherland.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

We will get 90 per cent in the next elections, and we can easily rule for another 20 years. After that, the Nepali people wonít feel the need for any other party except the Maoists.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal in interview with BBC Nepali Service 2 September 8 HAPPY HOUR Barhopping in 'Mandu

fifth floor and the view there is terrific. Filled with the The Blue Margarita and Mocktail Sunrise go down well with BBQ promise of showing Chicken or, for vegetarians, the Mushroom Pineapple Shashlik. Go after you a good time, a the barbecue hots up at 6.30PM. cocktail should be as appealing to your eyes as it is to your taste buds—an art kitchen as a piece of art. The Green Chilly Prawns and Cold Steamed Tofu is a top- form of sorts. At class accompaniment to a cocktail or two. Mannyís Bar, Dhokaima CafÈ, Patan Dhoka The orange and yellow walls cast a warm Casablanca, Baber Mahal Revisited great risk to their mellow glow in this small cosy bar. The Just five months old, Casablanca is very man beside the bottles, Manoj Basnet, white and very chic. With dÈcor inspired by sanity, Nepali Times refined his skills with a 10-year stint in the eponymous film, this bar serves a total Manhattan. Says Manny: ìI want to develop of eight cocktails and four shooters. But if Fusion Bar, Dwarikaís Hotel, Battisputali reporters sought out the culture of an after-work watering hole.î A peaceful place reflectingtrue Nepali Try: Mojito or Mannyís very own invention, culture right beside the hustle and bustle the capital's best the ìLiquid Viagraî, to get the evening of Battisputali, Fusion Bar offers a blend underway. of cultures, drinks and food with live watering holes. Let's bands on Wednesdays and Fridays. Manager Arjun Raj Giri assures us the face it, somebody Mojito and Bloody Mary are different here. Enjoy a drink by the poolside or had to. just relax at the bar.

SHITU RAJBHANDARI, PRAVAT J GURUNG, MALIN GURUNG you are hungry youíll have to satisfy yourself with Korean cup noodles. Itís a typical bar minus the noiseóa relaxed place to hang out with friends young and Roadhouse CafÈ, Thamel old. Try: Lychee Martini and Sangria. Although most famous for its excellent wood-fired pizzas, Roadhouse CafÈ also offers one of the best range of cocktails in town. Feeding the epicureans of Kathmandu since 1992, the Kayastha Absolute Bar, Pulchok brothers seem to have got it right, as Opened with an eye to creating the getting a table at any of their outlets in the perfect lounge bar in Kathmandu, evening can be hard. A Caipirinha coupled Absolute Bar has a relaxing seating with cheese-covered potato skins provides area with live fusion and classical Moksh Bar, Pulchok a refreshing break on a hot day. Also try the music with Anil Shahi on Wednesdays, Moksh Barís friendly staff and homely Margarita. Rock music with Rashmi on Fridays and dÈcor give it the feel of a local pub. Owned Sufi music with Hemant Rana on by famous musician Nirakar Yakthumba, CafÈ Mitra, Thamel Saturdays. Try the Mojito with cold meat Moksh opened in 2002 and is best known After climbing the stairs to the lounge area platter. for its music and pizzas. But the drinks at of CafÈ Mitra, we found welcoming glasses Moksh canít be over looked, for the menu of Strawberry Sunset and Cosmic Chas Splash Bar, Radisson Hotel, Lazimpat Bhumi Restro Lounge, Lazimpat lists an array of international cocktails awaiting us. With its contemporary and A bar thatís good for any occasion, and Bhumi Restro Lounge only sprang into made with good quality spirits. Try: Sex on minimalist dÈcor, it is clear that CafÈ Mitra open from 11AM till late. You can enjoy action two months ago, but itís already the Beach and the Moksh Special. treats everything that comes out of the more than a dozen cocktails on the breezy considered to be a hip and happening 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416 9

place. A decent location, attractive dÈcor and comfortable seating all complement the equally good food. Bhumiís cocktail special is its Electric Margarita, which swaps the normal tequila for aila. Teetotallers should try the Virgin Flamingo. Groove to funk blues with the band Looza every Friday. Open from 11AM to 11PM.

Tamas Spa Lounge, Thamel Located in the heart of Thamel, Tamas Spa Lounge is an oasis amid the hustle and bustle. Proprietor Alok Yonjon has been a bartender for 10 years, which is reflected in the barís professional approach. Tamas boasts a wide range of original cocktails, live music every night and a DJ on Fridays.

Bourbon Room, Lal Durbar Marg Nabin Tuladhar and his partner Suresh Manadhar opened Bourbon Room just a few months ago after successfully running the Liquid Lounge. Bourbon Room is quiet with a relaxed ambience. Great food and drinks are accompanied by soothing live music every evening. An ongoing promotion titled ëMojito Maniaí offers 20 varieties of Mojito.

New Orleans CafÈ, Pulchok New Orleans boasts a great selection of music, often performed live by various bands. It has a quiet candlelit ambience accompanied by great food and drinks. Proprietor Sudesh Shrestha is a frequent traveller, and that is reflected in the menu as well, which has dishes from around the world, including a good range of vegetarian food. Apart from the regular cocktails, New Orleans also has a wide selection of non-alcoholic drinks.

Rox Bar, Hyatt Regency, Boudha Head for Rox if you want peace, privacy, good service, chic dÈcor and top quality food and drinks. This month Rox is promoting Mojito and Herbal cocktails, which taste amazing. Try spicy potato wedges and fish croquette snacks. Thereís also live jazz on Sunday at lunch.

Drinking responsibly Alternate alcoholic drinks with soft drinks or low-alcohol drinks. Know your limit. If you donít know when enough is enough at least have a friend or family member present who can tell you. If you start drinking donít even think about driving. Donít drink on an empty stomach because the effects of alcohol will hit you harder and faster. Stop drinking if you start vomiting. This definitely means your body has had enough. Always limit yourself to one type of alcohol. . Do not take sleeping pills or any prescription or non-prescription drugs when you are drinking alcohol. If by any chance you see someone who has passed out and has not vomited after extreme amounts of alcohol, take the person to the hospital. Complete unconsciousness may mean the person is subjected to alcohol poisoning.

PICS BY: PRAVAT J GURUNG AND KIRAN PANDAY EYEWITNESS 10 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416 Children of

PRIYA JOSHI in SAPTARI left and guard their houses. Most have put up anything they can find: tarp, plastic sheets, bamboo, riving across the Kosi reeds for shelter. The stench of Barrage it finally hits human waste is pervasive, disease D you: the mighty river is rife and children are especially has been reduced to a trickle. Most vulnerable. Drinking water is of the Kosi now flows through scarce. For most, there is just the PRIYA JOSHI densely populated villages in muddy water of what is left of Nepal and India along a course the Kosi. Everywhere, there is the Fatalism that the river abandoned in 1867. destitution, confusion and and hope Everybody loves a good flood to cook, children tending LAUKHI, SUNSARIóThe story from the Kosi is of incredible human livestock. There are newborns resilience and a strong social fabric. Despite the tragedy, traditional sleeping in the laps of their of networks of kinship and solidarity, fatalism and hope are helping emaciated mothers. Little Neha, people cope. barely a week old, is all oiled up †Rajendra Yadav is a small contractor in Kathmandu whose ALL PICS: PRIYA JOSHI family is from Sripur. Yadav is not worried about the destroyed crops or his recently constructed concrete house being swept away. The Kosi’s western misery of people who have lost He is worried about his mother who is nowhere to be found. As his embankment here in Saptari has everything. old neighbours fix a boat to go back to the village to look for her, a become one long refugee camp From one camp to the next, stoic Yadav says: ìShe may stretching up to 14km. Those have gone over to Saptari or fleeing the floods in neighbouring maybe she is in a camp. We PLAIN SPEAKING Bihar have also settled along old Prashant Jha will find her.î At a health camp in banks of the Kosi. Inaruwa, run by the Maoist They have come with their Kochila State Committee, women and children crowd around waiting livestock and belongings and have for their chance. Sarita Devi, from in Bihar, waded through set up tents along the highways water with her child for a day to reach her relatives on the Nepal where relief supplies are most side. Her husband stayed back to take care of others. She found her plentiful. One Indian family say sister but discovered there was no trace of her brother-in-law, who they walked six days to get here had gone to his native Haripur VDC for the rakhi festival right before because everything was flooded, the breach destroyed the village. ìWe donít know where our men relief camps were crowded and are. Our children are unwell. But we at least have each other,î they wanted their three daughters she says. to be safe. The border has become meaningless because of family ties, logistical convenience and better relief operations in Nepal. At what is most apparent is the vast Jogbani station across the Biratnagar border, we met a man who number of children everywhere. works in Gujarat. After hearing about the floods, he rushed to Children ferrying water, children Sunsari and took a boat from Laukhi to Biharís because foraging for dry straw and twigs and groomed by her mother, for that was the only way to get there. He rescued his wife and two whom the neighbours brought children, brought them back via Nepal and was waiting for a train to return to Surat. food. Even the goats have given As P Sainath said of droughts in India, everyone here seems to birth and the kids scamper love a good flood. District administrators are thrilled with the relief around their mother with human money and hatch plans to skim it off. Boatmen are charging as much children. as Rs 12,000 at key points to take people back to their villages to find relatives or recover goods. Party activists have turned relief operations into patronage dispensation exercises. A new politician- contractor nexus is already taking shape for the repair work. Engineers at the road and irrigation departments are salivating over the money that will come in for reconstruction. The Bihari transport Every day, more people come cartel knows if their highway does not give way, they can make a from Sunsari and Bihar: in neat profit off Nepali passengers and goods. tractors, rickshaws and bullock The present disaster happened because of what water expert carts piled high with women and Dipak Gyawali calls the confluence of wrong technological choice, children. Once the family is safe, wrong institutional arrangements and Bihari-style politics. Indian the menfolk wade back to their policy makers preferred to live on in Nehruvian fantasies rather than villages to try to salvage what is heed warnings from their own activists. Bihari politicians and contractors looted state coffers annually. There was no co- ordination between the Kosi engineer in Birpur, the government in , the MEA in Delhi and the embassy in Kathmandu when the crisis was brewing. And what can you expect from the illiterate AUGUST 8, 2008 Indian media which was busy accusing Nepal of ìreleasing waterî? BEFORE AND AFTER: On our side, a weak district administration did little to rein in Time lapse NASA local contractors blocking work. Some were MJF and Maoist images from 8 August supporters and their parties protected them. The authorities were before the embankment criminally negligent by not acting on repeated warnings about an breach (left) and on 24 imminent breach. August, one week after The truth is little can be done immediately. N Sanyal, an the levee collapsed in octogenarian who headed the Ganga Flood Control Commission in Nepal (right). the past, has been called back by the Bihar government to suggest The Kosi's heavy measures. He told us: ìOur action plan for now includes surveys, sediment load makes feasibility studies and procurement of material. We need to see how the river very mobile the river behaves. The actual closure will be an adventure.î Other along its 200km alluvial sources tell us work can begin only after March. fan after it breaks through the mountains in When asked about the weakness of the Kosi project, Chhatara. Sanyal remarked: ìOur biggest weakness was overconfidence But new in the strength of the project. We were too complacent nothing embankments built in would happen.î† NASA EYEWITNESS 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #41611 The other side the flood PARVINDER SINGH in BIHAR

his is heartbreaking. The world has not been told the Families fleeing floods have settled magnitude of what has happened here or the unique nature of T this tragedy. We are now close to the place where the crisis began, the where the Kosi used to flow epicentre, where the Kosi crosses from Nepal into India. The disaster has struck in a place which hasnít seen flooding for 150 years. We are facing a total social collapse. Masuli, was separated from his supplies. There is communal Huge areas are under water. In most places the flooding is six metres deep and ordinary homes and huts have been completely family when the Kosi changed tension brewing. submerged. Only the roofs of schools and other official buildings course. He was found alone in the Two weeks after the flood, are still visible. People have tried to escape the waters by climbing there are still hundreds streaming on to the raised parts of roads which have been built on stilts. In in. Unlike neighbouring Sunsari, , I saw around 1,000 people sitting on a single relief is not as organised here, but section of highway. the need is even greater. These are The waters have been rising for nearly two weeks and we are the flood refugees who have still in the rescue phase. There had been no sign of help from the found themselves in the back government until yesterday. In the absence of the state, what you waters of the relief operations. have here is anarchy. Thankfully, relief work in Private boat operators are charging survivors to rescue them. Saptari is gathering pace day by One woman told me that she had been forced to pay Rs 3,000 to get on a boat. That was all her family could afford and the others were day, with better shelters and left behind. Many women say that they have been molested, others toilets. Handpumps have been have had their valuables taken from them while they were helpless installed, and the registration of and trying to escape the flood. the homeless is in full swing. But there is a long way to go. Things are much, much Grandparents look after the children while able-bodied worse in Bihar family members go to fetch relief buffalo shed, crying. A family has People are angry that they have been abandoned for so long. supplies, fuel, shelter and food. taken him in even though he is an extra mouth to feed. Boats are being operated by local opportunists and caste is playing Families sleep on the floor, lucky a part in who survives. You have to go back three generations to One family was looking after if they have a plastic sheet to lie find anyone who has experience of how to deal with floods. down on at night. children whose mother had been Elsewhere, there is some ability to cope. Here it has broken the pushed off the boat after she was people. not able to pay to be rescued. I visited a school in Sahrfa, 65km from here, where as many as Some marooned women in Bihar 1,000 people were crammed into a building meant to house a few said they paid boatmen with their hundred pupils. There is no toilet, no cooking facilities, no beds, no nose rings to be taken to dry land. sheets. Young, old, disabled and vulnerable people are camped Many from India stay with there with nothing. their Nepali relatives at night and A young man, 18 years old, had lost all 15 of his relatives. The some flock to the relief camps in area he was rescued from has been under water for the day time to get aid. And as days. Two women in the school are pregnant. Another gave birth during the weekend. She is alone waiting for her husband, who is with everything else, aid is also trying to find the rest of the family. getting politicised. Young political activists threaten violence if relief materials are not distributed through their organisation, locals try to loot

What the Kosi refugees need: Food and clean water The children are resilient, Tents, shelter, latrines, they find things to do: playing in bathing areas carts, painting their nails with Dry blankets, clothes, ballpoint pens, or making mud mattresses, treated mosquito nets cakes. But there are also sick Medical attention children, many suffering from Supplementary food for nursing diarrhoeal dehydration. mothers and babies Recreational and educational Older children, especially the material for children girls, babysit younger siblings, Kitchen utensils and fuel wood fetch water and do the household chores, and where men are not Who to send contributions to: present, help their mothers set up District Disaster Relief Committee shelters. (Saptari) This boy from India, Jainul Phone: 031-520-073/520-366

Everywhere there are women left alone. This is one of the poorest parts of the country with high unemployment, low life AUGUST 24, 2008 expectancy and poor health care. The men in this region are Bihar in the past 60 years sucked into the cities as migrant labourers. There are already has raised the river bed serious problems with women being trafficked across the border above the surrounding into Nepal. Now the numbers of vulnerable people will balloon. The land. In Nepal, the Kosi waters are still rising and this will continue in its full fury until barrage dams up not just November. A lot of effort will be needed to set up a long-term water, but also silt. the relief operation. breach of the east The true magnitude of whatís happening still hasnít been embankment on 18 August accepted, even by the government. Weíve just seen the first naval was exacerbated by sand boats being pushed into the water. No one here knows what has and boulder mining of the become of their relatives or homes and there is a lot of anger when nearby Kosi bed that made the government is seen to come in and take credit. it easier for the river to We have calculated the death toll at 2,000 and that is a change course and scour very modest estimate. We believe the true figure may be much the levee. Once it was higher. breached, the Kosi started flowing down a channel it Parvidner Singh is an Indian humanitarian relief worker with the had abandoned in 1867. NASA charity, Action Aid. 12 INTERVIEW 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA “A lesson for the rest of the world” Head of the EU delegation in Nepal, Eduardo Lechuga-Jimenez spoke to Nepali Times this week at the end of his eventful four-year tenure here. Excerpts:†

Nepali Times: In the four years that you have been here, Nepal has gone through a dizzying political transformation. What are your impressions? Eduardo Lechuga Jimenez: When I came here, I never realised we were going to witness such a historical evolution. In 2004, Mr Deuba was prime minister but I could see the government had no future because his capacity to maneuver was impossible. Then on 1 February 2005, when the king took over, we came to an autocratic situation. A year later we witnessed a social revolution and now we not only have a democratic government but a prime minister who is a former fighter. I have never been through such a fantastic and intense situation in my professional life.

Would you say that the visit of the EU Troika at that time and your embargo on aid to the royal government had an impact on the eventual sidelining of the king? I think so. The Troika is a political instrument that analyses the situation in a country. We were already very worried when the first Troika came in December 2004, and we made that public. But I donít think the kingís government was listening to our advice. We had to stop our cooperation because the regime was not a democratic one. I think it had a big impact because it was the biggest political message we gave to the government. Nevertheless, we continued our aid to the poor, to civil society and NGOs. What was remarkable was the fantastic response of the Nepali people and the political parties in dealing with the new situation.

Now that the political issues have been addressed, how is the EU placed to help Nepal with the economy and development? Before development, there is still the challenge of political stability. One thing is to have a government, now they have to prove that it works. I think it is still too early to say, but what the government has to do is to deliver, and to prove to the people that it can govern and to the rest of the world that it is capable of facing the new task ahead. Apart from that, Nepal needs development, not just aid of which we are the biggest contributor, but also the preferential treatment for Nepali goods in the European market. Basically, we have to modernise the countryís capacity to create wealth.

Have you had to change your Country Strategy Program 2007-2013 because of the political changes here? No doubt. And that is why we came out a bit late, but it gave us time to adapt the program so well that we will have a better quality of aid. What we are looking out for till 2013 is social development: education, health, and inclusiveness in our programs. We are also going to be looking at the peace process and stability. And the economic part of the country strategy is that we will develop Nepalís trade with the rest of the world. We will also look at climate change, which is a priority for the EU.

How is third country repatriation of Bhutan refugees going, and is your aid now going to be phased out? The American scheme is a very positive one, we are working with them and we will be embedded in it. We have put a limit to our presence in the camps and we will be phasing out by 2010. We have been supporting the cause and a solution to the problem for more than 20 years.†Also, we have extended a one million euro aid for flood victims last week, on top of the 40 million euros of humanitarian aid to Nepal last year.†

What would you say are your more striking memories of Nepal? For me it is the capacity of the Nepali people to be so democratic to always give a very peaceful response to the difficult challenges that Nepal has had in these four years. I am really amazed by the peaceful evolution. Nothing is perfect, and I would be very naÔve if I didn't say that many things were not right. I have to congratulate the people of Nepal for the lesson they have given to the rest of the world about how you can evolve from a difficult political situation towards a stabilised one. On a more personal basis, I was impressed 20 years ago when I came here, and now I am even more impressed. I am almost about to cry as I leave here in a few days. The beauty of the country comes from the mountains and fields of Nepal, but also from the people. My wish is that I will be accepted as a friend of Nepal forever. NATION 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416 13 Weaving magic Football fever n an attempt to give sport in Nepal a kick up the I backside, Nepa-laya and Kathmandu Khel Mandal Tapestry artist ties up threads to make ends meet have joined forces to organise a nationwide promotional football tour for ëAí Division side New Road Team, which will play against local teams in eight cities. aju Tuladhar sits at his loom and starts to weave himself an instructor. ìThe main objective behind organising this tour is to the wool through the fine warp threads that have “You never know how long it will take to make a push-start sporting activities, which have been affected R been carefully fixed on the frame. His hands move tapestry or how the design will emerge,” he says. “As I by both internal and external politics,î said Kiran with a swiftness that can only come after years of practice. play with the ideas and blend the colours, my tapestries Krishna Shrestha of Nepa-laya. As he works, the shape of hills slowly emerges from the often turn out different from how I first imagined them.” During the tour, the team will run football clinics for intertwined green threads of wool. He has tried his hands at -style folk art, local children conducted by NRT coaches Yogamber “I have a special attachment to threads,” Raju says with Australian aboriginal painting and western-style modern Suwal and Maheswor Mulmi, while FIFA-recognised a smile. “They have been a part of my life for 18 years art. But he always comes back to his preferred landscapes, referee Sriram Ranjitkar will hold workshops for now.” which give him the freedom to merge shades and textures local referees when he of wool, cotton and silk threads. A Picasso is not refereeing the lover, he has tried to emulate the artist’s matches. brush strokes in his weaving. From a As sports is largely distance, his work can appear almost neglected in Nepal, impressionistic. Nepa-laya and KKM are “Producing the right texture is a hoping the publicity challenge because it requires precision in generated by the tour the adding and merging of colours,” says might encourage more Nepalis to participate in sport. Raju. “But the satisfaction you get after As the recent Beijing Olympics showed, Nepali completing your work is worth every athletes attend international sport events woefully under-prepared, with minimal government or private effort.” sector support, and little hope of winning. Aspiring More than 50 of Raju’s tapestries sportsmen and women often find themselves having to decorate homes and galleries around the deal more with political wheeler-dealing over world. Although his work has a strong sponsorship and financial issues than being able to following abroad, Tuladhar says few focus on their training and improvement. Nepalis respect tapestry as an art form, but The NRT tour, managed by Nepa-laya and with he plans to hold a solo exhibition of his KKM lending its sporting expertise, will kick off in tapestries in Nepal. Janakpur on 6 September. The tour will then continue to Kakarvitta, Itahari, Kawasoti, Mahendranagar, PAAVAN MATHEMA He is selling his latest work, a tapestry depicting a Nepali landscape of hills and Nepalganj and Baglung before finishing on 27 While Nepali carpets are well known to the outside mountains, measuring 60 by 39 inches to Canadian September in Gorkha. Narendra Shrestha, chairman of KKM\NRT said: world, few people know about Tuladhar’s tapestries. He collectors Sherry and Dennis Holyk for $2,000. “It is ìWe are glad to be working with Nepa-laya in making was 12 years old when he began to learn the weaving difficult to sell something you’ve worked so hard on,” this tour happen. This kind of sporting initiative is a techniques at the Nepal Srijanatmak Kala Guthi, a Tuladhar concedes. “It almost becomes like your child.” positive step and we do hope it will have a positive privately run arts and crafts institute in Dhobighat. Say the Holyks: “This is a treasure for us, and will impact in the sporting sector of the nation, especially Urmila Upadhyaya Garg, who established the institute, be passed down through our family for generations to football.î has been his mentor from the beginning and today is come.” Paavan Mathema 14 CITY 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416

ABOUT TOWN Rock On is the story of four friends who put together a great bandñMagik but split up in spite of winning a ticket EXHIBITIONS to possible success. The story takes place with the ™ Missing Persons in Nepal: The right to know, photo exhibition guysñAditya (Farhan Akhtar), Joe (Arjun Rampal), Rob organised by ICRC and NRCS. Indigo Gallery: till 6 (Luke Kenny) and K.D. (Purab Kohli) in their thirties. The September, Darbar Square: Bhaktapur 7 September, movie then traces their relationship and life over the Kathmandu previous decade and we learn of the bitter parting that 8 September, Lalitpur 9 September, 8AM-6.30 PM. Free entry leads them to head off in different directions. When they ™ Buddha and Nature, a painting exhibition by Nar Bahadur all meet 10 years later they set on a journey back to Biswa Karma till 10 September Entertainment where they left off... a soul-searching pilgrimage into Sunday-Monday 1-6 PM, Tuesday-Friday10.30-6PM at Park their past. Gallery, Lazimpat. 4419353 Call 4442220 for show timings at Jai Nepal

™ Bridges of Love, an exhibition of Quest www.jainepal.com paintings by Toney Monsanto, 12-26 September, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Sunday- Friday 11AM- 6PM, Saturday 12-4PM. 421808 sfd ;fgf ] 7nf" ] eGg ] x'Fb}g . kl;gfsf ] s'g} /ª / hft klg x'Fb}g . sfd † u/]/ vfg nhfpg' klg x'Fb}g . rf]/]/, 9fF6]/, 5n]/, n'6]/ vfg kf] g]kfn ;/sf/ EVENTS nhfpgk5' { . hf ] hxf F /x/] hg' sfd u5 { pm To;df} /dfpgk5' { uf/a} ;"rgf tyf ;~rf/ dGqfno ™ Launching of the book New Nepal, New voices, 5 September, ;"rgf ljefu Alliance Francaise, 6.30 PM ugk5'{ { / ;dlkt{ eP/ ug5k'{ { . sfd g } zlQm xf,] elQm xf ] / dlQm' ™ The Stevie Wonder Project, a tribute concert by 1974 AD, xf ] . sfdsf ] OHht u/f,}+ kl;gfsf ] ;Ddfg u/ }+ . 9 PM, 6 September at Moksh.†Free entry ™ Photo.Circle with Kishor Kayastha, Rishi Amatya and Sushan Prajapati, 6 September, 9.45 AM-12PM, The Bakery, Sundhara ™ Monsoon madness package at Shangri-la Village Resort, Pokhara, Rs 5999. 4435741

MUSIC ™ Some like it hot every Friday BBQ and live music by Dinesh Rai and the Sound Minds, 7PM onwards, Rs 899 at Fusion, Dwarikaís Hotel. 4479488 ™ Ladies night at Jatra Cafe & Bar on Wednesday with live unplugged music by D Shewan ™ HyJazz Club every Friday from 8.30 PM, Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu. 4489800 ™ Dance and Cocktails at Cube Bar, Kamaladi. 4438017 ™ Fusion and Looza Band every Friday night, Bhumi Resto Lounge, Lazimpat. 4412193 ™ Rudra night fusion and classical Nepali music by Shyam Nepali and friends, every Friday, 7PM at Le Meridien,Gokarna. 4451212 ™ Sufi music by Hemanta Rana, every Friday at 7.30 PM at Dhaba Restaurant and Bar, Thapathali. ™ Fusion and Classical Music by Anil Shahi every Wednesday, rock with Rashmi Singh every Friday, Sufi & Raga with Hemant Rana every Saturday, 8 PM onwards, Absolute Bar. 5521408

DINING ™ Sunday Jazz Brunch at Hyatt Regency with performances by Mariano and his band from 12-3.30 PM. 4491234 ™ Thai food festival at Shambala Garden Cafe till 12 September, Hotel Shangri-la, Rs 600. 4412999 ™ Pizza & Pasta every Monday and Tuesday at Rox Restaurant. Hyatt Regency. 448936 WEEKEND WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL ™ BBQ at Splash Bar & Grill, 1 September, 6.30 PM onwards, Radisson Hotel. 4411818 At the time when the official date of monsoon departure is less than three weeks ™ Mediterranean Culinary Delights every Friday at Hyatt away (23 September), records of majority of hill stations indicate below normal Regency. 4491234 rainfall in this summer. The Valley weather station recorded only 70 per cent of ™ Fusion of Marcela Reganís new menu and Mannieís new bar normal rainfall in August making it the sixth consecutive month with deficit at Dhokaima Cafe. 5522113 precipitation. An immediate impact of this deficit has been on Kulekhani where ™ Masala, an Indian restaurant on Jawalakhel, St.Maryís school the water level is at record low of this month. The satellite picture from Thursday road. 4421634 morning shows the reason for this temporary dry spell: a premature westerly has almost completely wiped out monsoon moisture from the Indo-Gangetic ™ Pasta pesto passion†at La Dolce Vita, Thamel. 4700612 plains. However, once the low-pressure system over Orissa gathers strength ™ Steak special with free Irish coffee at K-too! Beer & the monsoon can reassert itself early next week. Expect the first mainly sunny Steakhouse, Thamel. 4700043 weekend in quite a while. There may be some light night-time showers. ™ Continental and cafe item with Live band every Friday at Vintage Cafe and Pub, Woodland Complex, Durbarmarg. ™ Home made pasta at Alfresco, Soaltee Crowne Plaza. 4273999 ™ Reality Bites, The Kaiser CafÈ, Garden of Dreams, operated by Dwarikaís Group of Hotels, 9AM-10PM. 4425341 KATHMANDU ™ Steak escape with Kathmanduís premier steaks at the Olive Bar and Bistro, Hotel Radisson. 4411818 ™ Cocktails, mocktails and liqueurs at the Asahi Lounge, opening hours 1-10PM, above Himalayan Java, Thamel. KATHMANDU VALLEY ™ lly Expresson Coffee at Hotel Shangri-la, Lazimpat and Fri Sat Sun Mandap Hotel, Thamel ™ Retro Brunch Barbeque with live acoustic music by Sound Chemistry, every Saturday, 12-3PM at LeMeridien- Kathmandu, Gokarna. 4451212 30-18 28-196 27-186 ™ Starry night barbecue at Hotel Shangri-la with live†performance by Ciney Gurung, Rs. 666, at the Shambala Garden, every Friday 7PM onwards. 4412999 ™ Kebabs and curries at the Dhaba, Thapathali. 9841290619 ™ Socially Responsible coffee at Himalayan Java, Thamel

For inclusion in the listing send information to editors(at)nepalitimes.com HAPPENINGS 5 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 #416 15

KIRAN PANDAY ENOUGH SAID: Deputy Prime Minister Bamdeb Gautam appears deep in thought during a speech by Prime Minister Dahal at the inauguration of the new tv channel ABC in the capital on Thursday.

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA JUSTICE REQUIRED: Victims of Maoist atrocities, like this woman at a rally in Kathmandu on Wednesday above, have stepped up their campaign for justice and compensation after the Maoist-led government was installed. I 16 Cockfight stuff shouldbesentto:ass(at)nepalitimes.com Entries totheNewNameContestandanyotherasinine Dahal Bhatt. Naya BajarwhohasanewnameforNepalísnationaldish: he managedtobringhisownhenchmaninaseditorof dropped fromthelineupsohestagedacoupdíetatatGorkhapatrawhere But BRBwasstillhoppingmadthathisleft-hand-man Top Budderwas team inthecabinet. another: forthefirsttimeinNepalíshistorythereisahusband-and-wife have transpiredinthepasttwoyearsofpoliticaltransition,wegettoadd Parbati, wasinductedasMinistressof Tourism. To themanyfirsts that motorcade enroutetothePresidentialMansion. premier oath-takingeventhoughPKDcalledhimrepeatedlyfromhis in thegovernmentís peckingorder. BRBrefusedtogothedeputy his life.Whichiswhytheotherdayhesaidheídratherresignthanbe#3 anything.î Indeed,hecameeitherfirstorsecondinallexamssatfor Science, theyoungBRBusedtotellpeopleîìIwillneverbethirdin weekend.† reached breakingpointaheadofthepartyíscentralcommitteemeetingthis and politburo canítgetalong.ThereissomuchbadbloodbetweenLalDhoj The mostseriousriftiswithintheMaobaddies,wherepunditsin vs EveryoneElse.† vs GovindaRajJoshi,andShekharKoiralaKrishnaPrasadSitaula even therethepunditsareateachotherísthroats:RamChandraPoudel Mani PokhrelvsIswariPokhrel.TheNCmaybeintheopposition,but Nepal vsJhalnath,PrachandaKiran,andintheJanamorchaGiriraj Comrade Kiranisatruebluebrahmin),BamdebvsMakunay, Pradeep Jhalnath vsOli,BaburamMohanBaidya(yes,despitehissurname home ministeris Contest betweenDilipRajbhandari,whosenameforthenew This week,thereisatieforfirstplaceintheNewName anything inEnglishhislife. the onlyproblembeingthatgentlemaninquestionhasnítwritten Comrade LalDhojwasreportedlyplacatedafterhisconsort, Ever sincehewasinhighschoolGorkhaandatISc Amrit at whocanítstandwhomwithintheparties.Theyareallhighpriests: infighting becauseoftheirsupposedlysuperiorbrainpower?Justlook s itjustacoincidence,orare The Doc BACKSIDE overthe#2positioningovernmentthatitseemstohave Bomb DeuGautam FG FG FG pundits , andCarolineMartinof geneticallysusceptibleto The RinsingNepal , CDO Regd No194/056/57Lalitpur, CentralRegion PostalRegd.No 04/058/59 5 -11 SEPTEMBER2008 #416

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