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#76 11 - 17 January 2002 20 pages Rs 20 The Great Unifier Prithvi Narayan Shah 4-5 Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust 10-11 EXCLUSIVE 23 February The state of national emergency will come up for renewal in parliament by 23 February (counting by the Nepali calendar). The main opposition UML, Meanwhile, in the rest of Nepal... now close to reuniting with the ML, and Rural Nepalis are caught between a rock and a hard place. which has the critical votes needed for ratification, won’t say yet which way it’ll go. The probable scenario is that the emergency will be lifted on the 23rd, but parliament will allow the government to keep its anti-terrorism enforcement under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Ordinance. Most politicians agree that the army should continue fighting the Maoists, but without absolute emergency powers. The casualties since 23 November has now crossed 500, with 350 of them Maoists, according to the Defence Ministry’s tally. Several thou- sands have been arrested, and 9,000 Maoists have reportedly surrendered. MIN BAJRACHARYA Weekly Internet Poll # 16 Q. Should the Maoists now return to the negotiating table? ear stalks the land. The army’s cordon Pokhrel of the UML told us the Maoists have cannot identify who is who.” information. A and destroy missions are sudden and gone into hiding in the villages. “Security Food-for-work, non-formal education development worker Editorial p2 The morning after Fdeadly. To escape, the Maoists have forces do not go beyond distances from where classes, social mobilisation for community in Surkhet says: melted into the population. Government they cannot return at night,” he says. In development, community forestry meetings “There are gunshots presence is confined to district headquarters. Udaypur, the combination of Maoist and have all been affected. Villagers tend to stay at night, next morning there is no way to find “We eat by about 4:00PM, fearing that Khumbuwan violence has forced residents away from meetings because they are afraid of out what it was all about.” Radio Nepal and the Maoists will come seeking food and in some villages to flee to the relative safety being picked up. the media only give out the government shelter,” one teacher in Bajhang told us. “If we of the tarai towns. “It is not very good, or very bad. But it is version of events, and the people know there is let them, the police will get us, if we don’t, the Many parts of western Nepal, including very slow,” a frustrated donor representative plenty else that is happening. Journalists are Maoists will kill us.” In Kanchanpur, villagers Jomsom, are cut off because the Maoists have based in Kathmandu told us. “We would being picked up and interrogated. Sharad KC, cower behind their windows watching blown up repeater stations. Troops still definitely not like to work in a military the BBC stringer in Nepalgunj was taken away Total votes: 768 security forces patrolling on vehicles by day, guarding telecom towers in Salyan’s Kapurkot environment because our projects depend on blindfolded from his office last week and asked and the Maoists going door to door by and Dang’s Rajakot, but Maoists have blown our ability to win the trust of the villagers.” about his Maoist contacts. He was released night. “We can’t report their activities up 56 multi-access radio telephone systems Most development projects keep skeleton after two hours. Basanta Pokhrel, another The world’s most reliable because the Maoists have threatened to kill (MARTS), and six district headquarters don’t staff in the field, avoid taking unnecessary risks, journalist in Butwal wasn’t so lucky. He spent us,” one resident whispered. 16 days in detention, no one told him why he UPS for PCs Some weeks ago troops searched Binauna, was arrested. Recommended by Microsoft, “Even non-Maoists who were active in IBM, NEC and Novell a village 24 km from Nepalgunj. When they Suffering heavy casualties in the army’s left, the Maoists returned. The village elders action, the Maoists have changed tactics. They the village have fled...” —Development worker fled because, as one of them told us: “The hide in the villages and ambush convoys with Maoists think we had called in the troops.” booby-trap explosives along roads. The banks The bus service from Dang to Holeri remains have phones. The Ratamate tower in Rolpa, and doing the little bit they can, rather than looted at Ghorahi on 23 November are still suspended. It has resumed from Bhalubang to blown up by Maoists a month ago, used to shut down. “It has become difficult to monitor not fully functional. Both the district jail and Libang, and traffic has also returned on the provide connections to headquarters of on-going programs,” says Hirakaji Ghale, of the land revenue office are yet to begin Back-UPS 500 Tulsipur-Salyan-Rukum road. Work on a 16 Rukum, Rolpa and Jajarkot. The tower south Namsaling in Ilam. “No one is in a state of business. Officials say it could take another six km stretch connecting Rukumkot being built of Baglung which was destroyed last week mind to even discuss new activities. We have months just to compile the missing land • Compact design with surge protected outlet for Laser printers by the army has come to a halt. In Nepalgunj, has cut phone connections to Jomsom and not been able to go into the villages.” records. Private helicopters have stopped • Three battery back-up outlets the stream of people heading out for work in 20 MARTS terminals. The NTC is Before the army deployment and the ferrying vital salt and foodgrain to Kalikot and • Lightning and surge suppression India is visibly greater, as is the exodus of rural planning to replace towers with satellite emergency, the government had launched the Mugu ever since Maoists destroyed one of the • EMI/RFI filters for noise filtration • Communication interface port (auto refugees into Kathmandu Valley. systems, but the purchase and installation Integrated Security and Development Pro- helicopters at Surkhet airport in November. shutdown for all major desktop OS) Things aren’t much better in the east. process could take over a year. gramme (ISDP) in seven insurgency-affected Bajhang airport is closed. Industries in Birgunj • Quickswap™ battery replacement Crowds have thinned at the weekly markets, The government’s development apparatus districts (with plans to expand to another 30). have cut down one shift—from three to two— • Quick Recharge after power outages • Save battery power with user there are fewer buses on the roads. The has ground to a halt, and donor-funded Today, there isn’t even the ISDP. “In some because travel at night has become impossible. adjustable option switches number of night buses plying from Biratnagar projects are either in deep freeze, or have been settlements we don’t have enough people to Overnight curfews are still in effect in many • Industry approval (safe & reliable) has gone down by half. Newspaper sales are curtailed. Most conscientised village leaders mobilise,” a development worker told us. parts of the country, in Jajarkot it is to end on ® down, says Surendra Shrestha in Lahan: active in development work are left-leaning, “After the emergency, even non-Maoists that 13 January. In Dang, Sallyan and Jumla the Legendary ReliabilitySM “People are buying less because they find the and have fled to the cities or to India to escape were active in community organisations have curfews will continue until further notice. Authorized Distributor same news in all the papers.” the wrath of both the Maoists and the fled fearing arrest.” Indra Dahal, a grassroots Tulasi Neupane, DDC chairman of security forces. Bishnu Buda of Ghartigaon activist in Butwal says: “Even the donors are (Reported by Madhav Ghimere in Ilam, Mohan Computerland Building, New Plaza, Ramshahpath, Kathmandu Sankhuwasabha says: “The Maoist are still in Sallyan crossed over into India last week. telling us let us to wait until the emergency is Bhandari in Biratnagar, Mohan Manandhar in Tel: 430858, 430859, 431199, 431746 Fax: 430641 Lahan, Chandra Kishor Jha in Birgunj, Madhav E-mail: [email protected] active in the villages, and most Congress He did not want to talk much, but told us: over to begin new projects.” The Total Solutions Company Nepal in Butwal, Sudarshan Risal in Dang, Sarad workers have already fled.” In Khotang, Hari “I had no choice. The bombs and bullets The sense of fear is fuelled by the lack of KC in Nepalgunj and Umid Bagchand in Mahendranagar.) Move with the Times in 2002 Save Rs 165 on the news stand price and enjoy reliable delivery at home or office every Friday morning. One-year subscription only Rs 875. Save Rs 165 Email: [email protected] or call 543337 www.nepalitimes.com 2 EDITORIAL 11 - 17 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES REGION 11 - 17 JANUARY 2002 NEPALI TIMES 3 Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Editor: Anagha Neelakantan COMMENT by PASHUPATI SHUMSHERE JB RANA Design: Kiran Maharjan [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Advertising: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Subscription: Anil Karki [email protected] Sales: Sudan Bista [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 01-543333-7, Fax: 01-521013 Printed at Jagadamba Press: 01-521393 Reform vs revolution If all the government thinks it should do is sit back and let THE MORNING AFTER the army fight the insurgents and the donors pay for It does feel a lot like we are hosts cleaning up the plates after a new year’s party.