522 1 - 7 October 2010 16 Pages Rs 30
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#522 1 - 7 October 2010 16 pages Rs 30 KIRAN PANDAY 9 going on 10... fter the ninth abortive parliament. But the two threatening Indian investors anything. Bijay Prasad Mishra of attempts to elect a new communists can’t agree while at the same time getting the Nepal Bar Association says: A prime minister on having an alliance, either. his deputies to sweet-talk “The Speaker alone can break this on Thursday, it doesn’t look Poudel’s only achievement Delhi. deadlock. He should not be mere like the tenth vote on 6 October so far is that he has prevented Neither Dahal nor Jhal Nath spectator, and use his special will yield a result either. a Maoist-led coalition Khanal of the UML can become privilege.” Ram Chandra Poudel won’t government from winning. prime minister unless Poudel The NC has preconditions get the required votes to become Many in the NC fear the country withdraws. Both communist to withdrawing Poudel’s prime minister, and if that will drift towards dictatorship chiefs know this, and are candidature that includes happens the caretaker if the Maoists return to power. therefore pressuring Speaker demobilisation of Maoist government will remain till Maoist Chairman Pushpa Subhas Nembang to end the fighters, and a commitment to after Dasain. Even though this Kamal Dahal withdrew in the election process and amend a democratic constitution. The has become a one-horse race, last round, but he is desperate regulations by using his special Maoists have said in recent days Poudel can’t win since the to be back on the saddle. He powers. Nembang has so far they are willing to be flexible on p 6-7 Maoist and the UML command feels India is dead against him, refused, but pressure is growing the NC’s demands. A deal is still Go fly a kite a majority in the 601-member and is using carrots and sticks: on him to do something, possible. 2| 1 - 7 OCTOBER 2010 #522 PUBLISHER’S NOTE MERRY GO ROUND ere we go again. to demobilise Maoist Nepalis will be forgiven fighters and get the party to Hif they feel like a behave like a civilian hamster on a wheel. This is entity, it is important to history repeating itself as a have a new democratic mockery of democracy itself. constitution. If we throw our Ironies abound. The same hands up in the air and political actors who bayed for stop caring, we may very blood and demanded the well end up as an resignation of Madhav Kumar authoritarian people’s Nepal are calling for the NC’s republic. The eccentric Ram Chandra Poudel to power transfer happening withdraw from the one horse in Pyongyang this week race in parliament. They want shows where that can lead him to withdraw “so as to us. facilitate a consensus”. Does We need to find a way that ring bell? It should. out of this rut. Here, the Even after taking the Speaker’s role is crucial notorious short memories of and it is definitely more our politicos into account the KIRAN PANDAY than that of a ceremonial UML’s Jhala Nath Khanal and bell-ringer. The Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal should remember is why he is clamouring for it. But if Poudel withdraws after majoritarian formula to form a new government may be they repeated those exact words all of May and June. So, a package deal with the NC, Dahal’s prospects improve. perfectly within his terms of reference, but it is not working. gentlemen, where is the consensus? It has been said here before, and our reportages these A national consensus government till the constitution is The problem, of course, is not between the NC and the past issues reveal, that Nepalis are now past caring. written is the only logical way to resolve this now. Maoist, or the UML and the NC so much as between Despite the cynicism and negativity fostered by the Khanal and Dahal themselves. Khanal is spooked out of quarrelsome politicians, however, it is important to care. It his wits that Dahal may strike a separate deal with the NC. is important that we get a new government, it is vital that a Khanal’s chances are best if Poudel stands down, which budget be finally passed before the holidays, it is important ON THE WEB www.nepalitimes.com MONGREL NATION young people away from Maoist recruiters practised. We can provide scores of have proved that they cannot govern or Re: ‘Nepal emerging as a rainbow to the safety of the cities, where they were anecdotes and stories (even faced by achieve anything at all without the nation’ by Rubeena Mahato, #521. I free to mingle with other ethnicities without ourselves and humiliated to this day) to Maoists, so ultimately they will have to am Marwari and my wife is Newari. I the rigid social structures of the rural areas. prove this. The article is wishful thinking accept Maoist leadership, whether they am a Jain and she is Buddhist. We Kenji towards a utopian society…and doesn’t are happy about it or not. The onus is not call ourselves Nepali, and life is present the full picture of what is on the Maoists to satisfy the failed peaceful and couldn’t be better. A 600-word piece interviewing a few happening in rural Nepal. parties and be given space by them. Thanks for a very interesting and families in some cities does not prove that Anuj They have already taken the space they timely article. We need to bring ‘the trend towards inter-ethnic marriages is need to be able to reach the poor positive aspects of our country helping knit together Nepal’s social fabric’. The VDC map of ethnic composition is majority. The onus is on the other parties in front. To call an entire country a rainbow nation a good picture projecting the present to find a place for themselves in a society Manu needs spending several weeks reporting situation of the country. Good work NT to that intends to move beyond the status extensively, including the far-flung places, put it with the article. There is not a single quo. We’ve seen the rapid change in and then coming up with such a conclusion. VDC that is mono-ethnic in the whole of Pressuring the Maoists to accept an attitudes toward caste and ethnicity in Anup Nepal. Our multi-culturalism is our biggest Indian and Nepal Army veto is futile. Why Nepal via personal experience. 30 asset. Its fair and festivals are celebrated not pressure their opponents to accept years ago when my Newari wife’s Thank you, Rubeena Mahato, for a by all communities. They have been democracy? oldest sister married a Magar compelling story about Nepal integrating marrying inter caste for a long time but now Arthur gentleman, they were socially itself even though the politicians and due to the forward looking trend and ostracised, and there were no extremists are trying to disintegrate it. You working together males and females this is ASININE elaborate wedding festivities. Ten have illustrated the growing trend towards accelerated. So many Nepalis are working I would like to nominate the Ass for the years later when my wife and I inter-ethnic marriages with some fine and residing in foreign lands, this has led Foot in Mouth Award herself/himself for married, this gora guy was welcomed examples like the Poudyal, Dali, Shrestha, to acceptance of inter-ethnic marriages. the asinine comment last week that This shows the true spirit of new Nepal. ‘stoppage of 14 hydroelectric projects DG that together would generate 5,000 MW’, for effectively implying that the load PRASHANT JHA shedding problem in Nepal will not be I am sorry but aren’t these questions that mitigated due to the stoppage. As most of Prashant Jha should have asked at the these projects are dedicated for export, time of signing the 12 point agreement back Nepal’s load shedding problem will be in Nov 2005 and before that? (‘Round and impervious to these being built or not. round in circles’, Plain Speaking #521). These are being planned to be built to Here you are dealing with a country whose mitigate the load shedding problem character you seek to change and you across the border; in contravention of enter into an alliance with a terrorist Nepal’s constitution. organisation without as much as asking the Ratna Sansar Shrestha very basic question? into the family, although we still and Subba families. There are hundreds of Slarti attracted stares as we walked others like them, and in all classes of together around Kathmandu. In the society. A very positive and hopeful read. I guess they all thought we will cross Weekly Internet Poll # 522 intervening years, her cousins have Kiran L that bridge when we come to it. Concluding Q. What do you think of the prospects for married Chettris, other-religion the peace process within four months may foreign investment in Nepal today? Newars, and there was a Slovak We have no problems with whom we be highly unlikely, but Jha’s analysis is Total votes: 1,697 wedding too, and nowadays no one live, but these so-called politiciasn make it incomplete. Whether the anti-Maoist gives my wife and me a second an issue out a personal family matter and parties agree to a constitution or not, they glance when we’re out and about in take advantage by spoiling our have already proved that they cannot rule the Valley.