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#154 18 - 24 July 2003 18 pages Rs 25

A Nepali scholar rediscovers the legacy of BrianHODGSON Hodgson, the 19th century British resident at the turmoil-ridden Kathmandu court. The new findings may help rewrite Nepali history. p8-9

SHIVA○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ GAUNLE the Maoists, and some analysts see the n a serious setback to the peace process, hand of hardline elements who want to the last remaining Maoist official in disrupt the prospect of talks. How long will this period of Kathmandu was detained briefly In the past three weeks, Maoist no war, no peace drag on? Weekly Internet Poll # 94 Thursday morning for questioning. leaders have been disappearing one by one. DarkThe incident came amidst reports that Baburam clouds Bhattarai was in Kalikot, and is again Q. Do you agree that enough is enough, and all political Ithe entire top leadership of the Maoists believed to have gone on to attend the forces should now unite for the good of the nation? who surfaced four months ago for talks had Revolutionary International Movement either slipped away to India, or gone (RIM) meeting at Chattisgarh in India. He underground. later came to the New Delhi suburb of The official, Bharat Dhungana, works at Noida where he met Nepali human rights the Maoist liaison office in Anamnagar and activists last week. This is the first time was picked up near Krishna Mandir in that the Maoists haven’t bothered to hide Patan at 6:30 on Thursday morning. He their collective presence in India. was blindfolded and driven in a red van for Krishna Bahadur Mahara also flew to

Total votes:1,601 an hour before questioning. “They asked me Nepalganj and then on to Delhi last week Weekly Internet Poll # 95. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com if our leaders are returning, whether talks carrying a letter from Surya Q. Do you think the Bhutan government is serious about will be held,” Dhungana recounted. He was Bahadur Thapa to Baburam taking its citizens back? also asked who collected ‘donation’ money Bhattarai. Ram Bahadur in the office. After this, the interrogators Thapa (Badal) told officials put a Nepali cap on Dhungana, drove him in Kathmandu over the around before leaving him at the police weekend that he was going ‘ office in Jawalakhel. to Kalikot, but after flying MIN BAJRACHARYA Asked how the incident could affect the to Nepalganj on Tuesday, peace process, Dhungana said: “It will reportedly took a definitely make the leaders think twice motorcycle to Bardia and about coming back for talks without then slipped into India to security guarantees.” The questioning join his comrades. Ominous clouds over the Bagmati on Thursday afternoon, and (inset) Maoist official appears to be a crude attempt to provoke Bharat Dhungana who was picked up for questioning. continued ð p16

Welcome to Patan Museum Café The present uncertainty must end, and Opening from1030 – 1930 hrs peace restored for this budget to work. Enjoy our new Cocktail & Snacks of the – Finance Minister Prakash C Lohani Week from 1700 – 1930 hrs The Budget Other highlights: For reservations please call 552 6271, 552 4694 l Parties get Rs 20 per vote garnered in previous InTotal: numbers:Rs 102.4 billion polls two months before general elections Regular budget: Rs 60.5 billion l Power Development Fund for rural producers Development budget: Rs 42 billion (three- l Half of Nepal Telecommunication Corp fourths earmarked for ‘high priority’ areas shares to be sold to public Nepal Oil Corp monopoly ended, private oil import- and one-third for mid-western and far- l ‘ ers allowed western districts) l Nepal Employment Bank to channel remittances Foreign loan and grant component: 70 percent from overseas Nepalis, and help migrant workers For security: Rs 13.5 billion (30 percent up from l Dairy Development Corp and nine other public 2002, of which Police gets Rs 6.3 billion sector firms to be privatised and Army gets Rs 7.2 billion.) l EPZs in Birganj, Panchkhal and Nuwakot Reconstruction of Infrastructure destroyed in the l No visas required for Chinese citizens, three day insurgency: Rs 800 million. visa-free entry for other tourists l 600 more schools to be handed over to local Education: Rs 15 billion communities Health: Rs 5.2 billion ALL DRESSED UP: After three hours of sleep, l Income tax slab increased to Rs 100,000 Finance Minister Prakash Chandra Lohani gets Hydropower: Rs 6 billion (plus Rs 1 billion for l Private entities can make up to Rs 5 million ready to leave home Thursday morning to rural electrification) tax-exempt contributions to political parties prepare his budget speech. MIN BAJRACHARYA

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Rajnikunj, Gokarna, Thali, P.O.Box 20498, Kathmandu, Ph: 4451212-6, Email: [email protected] 18 - 24 JULY 2003 2 EDITORIAL NEPALI TIMES #154 Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit STATE OF THE STATE by CK LAL Desk Editor: Trishna Gurung, Design: Kiran Maharjan Webmaster: Bhushan Shilpakar [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: 01-5543333/ 5523845 Fax: 01-5521013

Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hattiban: 01-5547018/17 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ELF EVIDENT TRUTHS TheMay○○○○○ we live timesin less interesting of times. Nepal S lipping through- the back issues of this paper from the past three years, we can’t hree years isn’t such a long time in a to grips with the tragedy. We lost faith in merely being what Lenin termed ‘useful but help notice that the exhortations, admonitions and unsolicited advice that we country’s history. But ever since this our own destiny. And 2001 ended with idiots’. Probably the middle-class was dished out are just as relevant today as when written. Koirala and Deuba are paper hit the stands exactly three the declaration of the state of emergency, displaying what Trotsky analysed as the barely speaking to each other, Oli and Nepal are still washing linen in public and this years ago this week, we as a nation have the army being deployed to fight the petty bourgeoisie’s inherent fascination headline from our very first issue in 2000, ‘The people don’t want war’, could just as Fwell have been the banner in this week’s paper. goneT through the most wrenching period Maoists and a deadly escalation in the with fascism. But why did the lawyers, The questions about transparency, accountability, politicisation of the bureaucracy in our history. Nepal has seen in three insurgency that left 4,000 people dead in the university teachers, the NGO- and governance are still the same. We are still trying to reconcile the budget with years what most countries see in three the next 12 months. entrepreneurs, the journalists, business rising security costs. A lot of things are worse, most things are the same, some things decades or more. On 4 October 2002, King tycoons, and self-declared intellectuals are better. For example, our democracy may be in deep freeze, parliament may hold After the death of our founder- Gyanendra took over the state under continue defending Maoists even after the only virtual sessions, the people may have no representation, but curiously, the press is freer than it has ever been. monarch Prithbi Narayan Shah in 1775 direct rule, and the beginning of 2003 fall of Dunai? Three years ago, the death toll was mounting alarmingly as Maoists slaughtered till the usurpation of power by Jung brought some hope with the ceasefire. Was it because, as Baburam claimed in police in the midwest, today we have a ceasefire that has lasted half-a-year. The Bahadur Kunwar in 1848, Nepal went But as the constitution went into limbo, an op-ed piece in Kantipur, after the royal people are so desperate, they are clutching at this straw. Even though the cessation of through immense political turbulence: the parliamentary parties launched an massacre, on 3 June 2001, that the hostilities has not meant a cessation of extortion, threats, abductions, or a halt to internecine warfare between courtier agitation that was unprecedented in Maoists really had some kind of an militarisation, they still feel things are marginally better because at least they are not families, the role of queens, regents and Nepali history for its direct criticism of a understanding with King Birendra and being butchered. It is a fragile, frantic hope that the truce will last. But the anxiety level is up again kings in endless power struggles that reigning monarch. every one of any consequence in th th because of reports that the Maoist leadership is back in its safe houses across the culminated in the Kot Massacre of 1846, Politics in 18 and 19 century Kathmandu was fully aware of that border. If it is indeed government policy to keep delaying the third round to magnify and the rise of the Rana aristocracy. Nepal were confined to court intrigues, nexus? cadre pressure on the Maoist leadership, then we must point out that this is an No less turbulent, and more but today even children in the streets of Contradictions of a society in extremely risky gamble. unsettling by far, have been the 36 remote villages aren’t spared. Innocent transformation are so complex that it’s As messengers, we have been carrying the wish of the Nepali people to the Maoists and the army: no one wants this war that is being fought in the peoples’ name. They months since July 2000. The string of Nepalis have to bear the brunt of the easy to lose one’s bearing. No one ever want you to take the talks seriously and stop playing games. And to the political crises began with the Hrithik Roshan riots bitter rivalries for control of the corridors figured out why the country rioted over parties, they have this to say: instead of being a part of the problem, for once try to be in January 2001 when India-based media of power in Kathmandu. something a Bollywood actor never said. a part of the solution. effectively destroyed Nepal’s tourism When BBC put up a patently Conspiracy theories are easier to embrace, Slightly smug and probably naive, we wrote in our first editorial three years ago: industry by exaggerated reports of Indians provocative topic for online discussion but there isn’t much you can do about “Newspapers do more than hold a mirror to society. They become the mirror itself...to being targeted. Then, on 1 June 2001, about whether Nepal was under the people plotting intrigues from elsewhere. point the direction as well as record the speed of change. Journalism is called history in a hurry. It is also culture, sociology, anthropology, philology and philosophy in a the entire family of King Birendra was Indian umbrella last year, Nepali It may be more useful to exhaust all other hurry. A newspaper needs a sense of values to sustain itself. In a society cursed with wiped out in the Narayanhiti Massacre. ‘nationalism’ went into another rational explanations first. extreme inequality, some of those values are fairly obvious: to speak for the last, the Nepal had three kings in four days, a paroxysm. Offshore patriotism forced the For me, writing this column has been lost and the least…” shocked nation didn’t know how to come Beeb to do something it hasn’t even done a process of clearing my own ‘cobwebs of However futile it may seem here sometimes, we rededicate ourselves today to to Tony Blair over the Iraq intelligence confusion’. Over the last three years, I those principles. scandal—it had to rephrase the question. have asked more questions than I had As if Bush House was the final authority answers to. Fortunately, most readers have on Nepali sovereignty. sympathised with my predicament. The months after the emergency in Exceptions apart, and there have been November 2002 also saw the ‘erosion of some interesting ones, your the Nepali world’. All we hear from expat understanding of my bewilderment has nationalists from distant shores is a been unfailingly encouraging. thundering silence for the re- Together we shall explore. And at the introduction of slightly diluted end of our explorations, like the poet, we authoritarianism. Or is it a muted will return to the place we started and see applause? it for the first time. Questions of life and The support that the Kathmandu death that have no clear answers. In the elite extended to the insurgents for so Mahabharata, the great riddle is called long continues to be a mystery. Baburam ‘Time’—a dimension that even the gods admits he was hand-in-glove with Prince have to endure. At this point, let’s raise a Dhirendra to subvert democracy in the toast to all Nepalis: may we live in less country. Perhaps the intelligentsia was interesting Times. t

LETTERS

neither did the small children who make a living by selling Tibetan WhatHARI aROKAYA commentary to this country balms to the tourists. Why does he and our times that Hari Bahadur want to punish these people? How Rokaya cannot take part in this about helping Nepali activists year’s Everest Marathon because working to stop human rights he can’t afford the application fee violations, the poor treatment of (‘Run, Hari, run’, #153). Someone Nepali prisoners in Thailand or may come up with the money for well-versed in the ‘short cut’ theory Priyanka Pradhan, This is precisely why Baburam’s the miscarriage of justice against Hari to run, but there are some ItBABURAM doesn’t surprise me that of making a living by murder and New Delhi followers in the Maoist movement a Nepali prisoner in Japan? Let structural issues to be dealt with Baburam would not only refuse an plunder. You have succeeded in should not be closing down Jeff Greenwald show his true here. Hari is a patriot, who works offer of prime ministership changing Nepal forever: into a land l While I was mortified to see the schools, bombing classrooms and colours. hard for what he believes in, he (‘Letters’, #153), but after seven of violence and slaughter. results of the internet poll give killing teachers but building new Sushil Bogati, Seattle, USA ploughs his salary to mentor years and 7,000 lives he is back to Although your fond memories of credence to Baburam Bhattarai by ones. Who knows how many younger athletes, he doesn’t want Square One. Powerful, no doubt, your school and your favourite Miss giving him and the Maoist party a Baburams Baburam has stopped to emigrate, or even live in but also pointless. Given the Eleanor Elkins are ironic, who could majority, I was equally horrified by from attaining their full potential. NepaliNEPALI Times TIMES has been a trust- Kathmandu. There are many choice in your internet poll, I’d have guessed that a school in Baburam’s admission of the impact Lisa Howard, Pokhara worthy and outstanding English people like Hari Rokaya in Nepal, I rather stick with corrupt politicians Gorkha and a fine Scottish Missy his teacher, Eleanor Elkins, made newspaper for people like me who just wish they would rise up soon than murderers. could have produced such a ghastly on him. Poor Miss Elkins, she must are temporarily living abroad. It and run this country. Hari should Baburam, how many more personality? Miss Elkins will not only be having nightmares about MarkTIBET Turin and Sara analyses and interprets news and not just run the marathon, but also lives would it take to make it clear be fondly remembered by having created such a monster. Shneiderman are right in their current affairs from Nepal run in the next election, if it is ever that all you seek is power? Is that thousands whom she helped make Tirtha Mali, email reply to Jeff Greenwald (‘Letters’, dispassionately and from all points held. what your comrades died in better citizens, but also by tens of #153). Greenwald needs to of view. Your editorial ‘Unlock the A Sweeney, thousands of Nepali mothers, Ratmate and Rumjatar for? So l The letter to your paper from recognise that his actions are country’ (#152) hit the nail on the email obsessed with destruction, did you daughters and sisters of those Baburam Bhattarai gave us a ignorant and hypocritical. Let’s head. Nepali politics and its ever create anything? Did you, in brutally killed by her undoubtedly glimpse of the man. Partially shorn face it, would he have cared if 18 leaders are to blame for this sorry the past few years, ever stop to most prodigal student. She’ll also of jargon and slogans, Baburam Nepalis were deported from Tibet state, and King Gyanendra had to mourn the dead? Have you fed be remembered by more than a comes across as a revolutionary than the other way around? As a step in to rescue the country from the starving, nursed the dying? million Nepali students who can’t go with genuine concern for the matter of fact, would anybody these short-sighted politicians What was all this mayhem for? to school today because her student development of his country. It also care? The old lady that has a ruining the country in the name of You have exploited the poor, has decreed that schools be closed. shows the power one teacher, or nanglo stall at the corner of a democracy. Enough is enough, desperate young people and Miss Elkins, if you are reading this, school, can have in the early street in Thamel had nothing to unlock the country. trained them to kill. They are now pray for Baburam and for Nepal. formation of individual convictions. do with this deportation and Buddhi Pant, UK Cheers ! ON YOUR THIRD ANNIVERSARY 18 - 24 JULY 2003 4 NATION NEPALI TIMES #154 “Leave our kids alone.” Schools in Dang (left) struggle to prevent their children from being made pawns in the political games being played out in faraway

RAM HARI RIJAL Kathmandu.

in DANG ○○○○○○○○○○○○ RAM○○○○ HARI RIJAL visiting school after school making own two children through school. performance in the SLC . and they should be provided free of anything, it leaves the field open for emanta Bhandari is a nine- demands that are impossible for many Of the 50 private schools in But the reality of rural Dang and cost. But our country doesn’t have Maoist threats,” says Gautam. year-old boy who walks 10km educators to fulfil. Dang, only a handful remain open. other districts in Nepal is different. the money so private schools have Purna Oli is the principal of roundtrip to a private school “The period of the ceasefire is not Some of them are in Maoist-affected There are many schools where not a stepped in, but some schools are Valley Top School, and says his in Ghorahi everyday from his a return to normalcy,” said Pradeep regions. Said one principal who did single student passes the SLC, almost over-stepping the guidelines by school is proof that quality education village. He has a heavy school bag Oli, a Maoist student leader who not want his name disclosed: “We all are government schools. The anti- taking illegal fees.” doesn’t need to be expensive. “Our Hthat he slings across his head porter- defended his group’s action saying the have taken permission from Maoists private school campaign of the Gautam’s Guardians’ students are the children of labourers, style, and he is sweating and tired education system was rotten to the core to run our schools. All we had to do Maoists tries to capitalise on this Association has submitted a 15- masons and rickshaw pullers,” says by the time he reaches his class. “I and needed to be completely destroyed was to pay them off.” inequity as well as the fact that for point memorandum to the District Oli. “If you take out the profit- wish I lived in Ghorahi, so I before being rebuilt. “We won’t allow To cater to the demand of every good private school there are Education Office in Dang, and markup of greedy owners, schools wouldn’t have to walk this far every private schools to open unless they are families displaced from the interior, others which are over-commercialised issued an ultimatum that the can be cheaper.” Valley Top prides day,” Hemanta tells a visitor. free,” he added. Ghorahi has seen three new private and charge exorbitant fees. suggestions be implemented. But in itself in being an innovative school There are hundreds of thousands Many parents who heard Oli’s schools open up in the past year. It Some private schools without a a situation where the government has with extensive teaching aids in class. of children all over Nepal who have speech last month said some Maoist is the job of Om Bhakta Chaudhari library charge library fees. There is abdicated its regulatory role and left Parents in Dang, like elsewhere always walked long distances to school. demands were difficult to meet, and of the Maoist student union to keep one school in Ghorahi that charges schools, parents and students to fend in Nepal, are caught between the But these distances have suddenly therefore a sign that the Maoists are an eye on them, so he pays them for ‘extras’ under headings like for themselves, it is unlikely that the threat of violence by Maoist students, become longer for children because the getting defensive about targeting visits regularly threatening them to L.F.G.S., A.I.B.C.C., D.P.C.C., demands to reign in over- lockout by Nepali Congress and Maoists have forced the closure of schools. Parents’ outrage over the close down or else—and then E.C.E ‘Y’, with no explanations commercialised schools will be met. UML student unions, and the private schools in their home village. prolonged closure of schools has now pockets their ‘donation’. about what these acronyms mean. There is a wide disparity in fees inaction and apathy of the district Hemanta’s old school in Guruwagau boiled over, and the simultaneous re- With support from parents Many private schools cram students that parents feel is irrational. The education officials. “We are sick of the shut down for good after Maoist opening of some schools is the first most schools are now resisting. into airless, dark classrooms and have Deepshika Higher Secondary School strikes, closures and high fees. We are threats and extortion. sure sign that the tide may be turning Some, like Rapti Vidhya Mandir, are poor results. But because charged nearly Rs 3,000 per month losing our patience,” says Ramesh But now, parents and guardians of because of public opinion. islands of excellence in a sea of government schools are even worse, from its nursery class, while a Regmi, a local guardian. children in Dang are fighting back. “We told them, look, no one darkness. Of the 69 students who and many private schools are closed, similar category Valley Top School, Many like Regmi believe that They are tired of waiting for the wants to go to government schools appeared in this year’s SLC from demand for education outstrips charges only Rs 500. While some while the school system needs government to do anything, so they because of the poor quality, why not Rapti Vidhya, 68 passed in first supply, and it has become a seller’s school owners argue that in a free reforms, their children are being got together to open some of the try to improve them instead of closing division. “If you have dedicated market. market the fees will ultimately targetted by the Maoists and the schools that the Maoists closed down down the only alternative people have,” teachers who believe in quality, there Nirmal Gautam, president of the rationalise themselves because no one parties to further their political in towns across the Dang valley last said Shreedhar Mahara, founder of the is no reason why all schools can’t be Guardians’ Association of Dang is will go to a more expensive school of agendas. For the guardians, the main year. After the ceasefire, the parents Scholarland English School in like ours,” says principal monitoring how different private the same quality, others say the goal for now is to prevent their had successfully helped open schools Guruwagau. “But they don’t listen to Ghanashyam Dangi. Rapti Vidhya schools are charging fees. He told us: difference in fees is just too glaring children from being made pawns in but in the past months the Maoist reason.” Mahara now lives in a rented Mandir is likely to bag this year’s “Education and health are the and the government has to step in. the political games being played out student unions have again started room in Ghorahi, trying to get his Regional Education Award for best fundamental rights of every Nepali, “If the government doesn’t do in faraway Kathmandu. t

HERE AND THERE by DANIEL LAK

he latest edition of the American highbrow magazine, Atlantic United States are inspiring to many Americans and to the rest of the Monthly, features as its lead essay an eerie version of diplomatic world. Given a choice, who wouldn’t choose freedom, the pursuit of “kiss and tell” by the widely read Robert D Kaplan, one of the happiness and concern for community over feudalism, class hatred or most influential writers on foreign affairsStealthy in the world. Influential pure greed? The American superpower military and its foreign policy elite, Kaplan America is advised to expand and because his thoughts on once arcane topics like the Balkans were said writes, must inject more of this into the country’s behaviour on the toT inform the opinions of Bill Clinton and other White House types. international stage. It’s already there in the behaviour of many rule with sweetness and light. Influential then, and somewhat worrisome, because Kaplan’s latest individual soldiers, officials and diplomats, he says. People like army I don’t object to the fact that Robert Kaplan is writing this. By essay, and he’s been producing hosts of them lately about America’s ‘civil affairs officers’, and we have them in Nepal training our RNA on doing so, he is earning his living as an essayist and thinker. He is doing future interaction with the world, is called ‘Supremacy by Stealth’. decent behaviour in counter-insurgency, need to have their roles his duty. But I quake at the notion that he represents: American liberal I have much admiration for Robert Kaplan. And I have many strengthened. Human rights, social justice and egalitarianism need to be opinion of the moment. Is this the best we can do? George Bush and disagreements with much of what he writes. Not because I enshrined as benchmarks for reform of troubled societies. his neo-imperialists assume their roles with just a few simple goals in don’t admire his style or scope—I do, American policy should be to push this on an official level in mind, and apparently they include enriching cronies in the oil, security no one in centrist American thinking word and in deed. Okay, I’ll buy some of that. and defence industries. Oh yes, and national security too, and works harder on developing a thesis or a But where my two-man consensus with Kaplan protecting citizens against another outrage like 9-11. theme, or approaches them with more breaks down is the reasoning behind all of this sweetness But his recent African visit aside, Bush’s presidency since the wit or verve—but because I deeply and light. America should be nicer, he says, not because beginning has also been about expanding the role of private capital in deplore the premise of ‘Supremacy by it’s the nice thing to do, but because it’s the best way to the public sphere at home and abroad. Witness Vice President Dick Stealth’. achieve “supremacy by stealth”: a policy of we can rule Cheney’s alma mater, the oil service multinational Haliburton, and its In this essay, and I fear it’s founded the world longer and better if we’re nicer about it. To be expanding role as the US military’s largest single private sector provider very much on American official thinking fair, this is the crudest possible distillation of his thesis of just about every logistical service that a modern army requires. At of the moment, Kaplan is telling the and apologies to a far more distinguished political home, in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world, American businesses United States to accept its role as the thinker than I for my crudity. But as a working class guy have become as important as the American government—exactly the world’s sole imperial power and to go from an insignificant background, I like to distill way Bush Corp would like it. about things more subtly, nicely if possible. arguments down to their basics—what my dear Which is why writers like Kaplan need to switch their attention from Thus the title. We have supremacy, he’s departed mother used to call “boiling out the bullshit”. So tinkering with the extremes of imperial cynicism to considering the real arguing, it’s de facto. Now we need stealth when I turn up the heat on Kaplan, this is what remains in implications of current policy. Having a nice military regime or a nice to maintain and expand that. the pot. imperial power in charge of the world makes little or no difference when the American decency and generosity should America rules. It should continue to. To do so, slavering warlords of private defence firms and the security industry are be reflected more in foreign and security it must be nicer. Then we’re okay for another hiding behind the smiling faces of the ‘civil affairs officer’. policy. The founding principles of the thousand years. Wake up and smell the coffee, Robert. t 18 - 24 JULY 2003 NATION NEPALI TIMES #154 5 DOMESTIC BRIEFS to be in Delhi, had not responded till press time

○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Thursday. ThePun man infrom London the Chand cabinet who brought the

Maoists to the negotiating ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

SANJAYA○○○○○ DHAKAL table, Narayan Singh Pun, Pashupati○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ package Warccording to a recent study, scars during the last six Despite children truce, child victims of spoke in London this week at Royal Nepal Airlines and Nepal Tourism Board are years, 162 children were killed and around 300 a lecture organised by the targeting Hindus from south India to Nepal in a injured in the war between the Maoist rebels the insurgency bear the brunt. Britain-Nepal Academic big way by offering the ‘Pashupati Darshan and the security forces, while hundreds of displaced Council. Asked if democracy Package’ in the tourism lean-season in August and children face abuse and exploitation. had failed in Nepal, Pun September for a bargain IRs 8,888 which included AChild Workers in Nepal Concerned Center answered: “It is not roundtrip airfare (normal fare is Irs 12,000). Hotels (CWIN), which conducted the study, says most of democracy that has failed are extra, but are rockbottom at IRs 3,999 per night in five-star accommodation, IRs 2,000 in four the children who died were caught in the crossfire and but the leaders who have failed to rise above party star. in landmine explosions. “Some died while playing NTB says there has been a 41 percent increase with unexploded bombs left near their houses by the interests.” Pun pledged that as leader of the Samata Party, he would work to bring the necessary in Indian tourists this June compared to last year rebels or security forces,” the CWIN study says. changes to make democracy work, as prime and it has a target to reaching 150,000 Indian The security forces arrested hundreds of children minister if necessary. He blamed the government tourists this year. Aditya Baral, tourism marketing below 18 years of age during the state of emergency for a “lack of sincerity” in taking the talks forward. and promotion manager of the NTB and MP last year. The children are also pressured by the rebels Khanal of Royal Nepal Airlines were in Bangalore who have been accused of recruiting underage this week on a trip to boost tourism. They assured

soldiers. Many fled to the cities, but their nightmare Indian tour operators that security was not an issue

○○○○○○○ Children play near the Musikot hospital, which has ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ didn’t ended there. Round three anymore. not seen a single patient. The government and the Maoist rebels both say The focus of the south Indian campaign is “While a lot of them are in orphanages, a much they are ready for the peace talks but bicker at villages. “You cannot imagine how brutal their life pilgrimage tourism with Pashupati as the main bigger number is forced to work in dangerous each other for obstructing the process. The Maoist attraction. But NTB is also trying to tell Indian tour conditions at brick kilns, quarries and wool spinning is. There is no one to take care of their education leaders insist the agreements of the second round operators about the ease of accessibility of other mills. Others have become domestic servants,” says and so on,” says a social worker. of talks include the confinement of the army within pilgrimage spots like Muktinath, Mankamana, CWIN’s Gauri Pradhan. Of the 575 children at the CWIN has received frequent reports of forced- 5km of their barracks. “We stress this Lumbini and Janakpur. Nepal Children Organisation orphanage in recruitment of children by the Maoists. Says implementation because it is the only way to Kathmandu, 133 are the victims of the conflict. “We Pradhan: “While we have not found children working practice the code of conduct during the ceasefire,”

as combatants, we have found them being used as says Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a member of the have opened a separate shelter for orphans in ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ porters and cooks.” Maoists reject the allegation, Maoist negotiation team. The government, on the Dhangadi, and a few also stay at our shelter in other hand, argues that there should be no pre- ByHigh September fliers the skies above the Valley should Kathmandu,” says Rajeshwor Niraula of the saying they do not recruit anyone below 18. conditions to the third round of talks. “We are be fluttering with colourful paper kites. Taking this orphanage. Government officials say that despite a serious ready to discuss all the issues during the third favourite autumnal pastime a notch higher—quite Apart from children who have lost one or both crunch in funds, they are doing all they can. Joint round of talks but it should be non-conditional,” literally, at 7,200ft in Nagarkot—is the kite flying parents in the conflict, many more have been secretary in the Ministry of Women, Children and reiterates Information and Communication competition, Changa Chait 2060, organised by displaced along with their entire families. Hundreds Social Welfare, Gobinda Neupane, says, “The Minister Kamal Thapa. Its fate remains undecided Club Himalaya Resort on 6, 13 and 27 of migrated to urban areas or fled to India. Pradhan government has set up three shelter homes to over disputes following the second round nearly September. The objective of the event is to house 600 children displaced by the conflict. The two months ago. Limiting the army’s movement encourage healthy competition, sportsmanship, “to points out these children are more vulnerable: “They revive our age-old culture of kite flying and to can be sold for sexual exploitation in brothels. These children receive educational materials and tops the list of disagreements. Meanwhile, the government has sent a formal letter to the Maoist develop Nagarkot as a new destination for kite displaced children end up in worse situations than arrangements have been made for their lovers”. For details, calls Club Himalaya at they were in back at their villages.” education.” The government says it will initiate fold requesting the rebels to be present at the next session. The Maoist leadership, which is believed 4680083. Most are exploited by both the Maoists and fresh programs aimed at expanding the current one government security forces. Last week a Maoist in the next fiscal year. sympathiser, Sharada Koirala, came to Kathmandu But the problem is so vast and relief is needed to find her two-year-old daughter, Prerna, was so urgently that the problem is likely to grow. In the July Himal taken away by security forces after they failed to Krishna Pahadi of the Human Rights and Peace Civilising civil society: Donors and arrest Koirala at her home in Gorkha district. She Society says: “The government is using the peace democratic space in Nepal is a widow, her husband, also a Maoist, died process as a means to extend its tenure, and the Nepal’s mysterious afflictions fighting security forces over a year ago. Maoists are using it to promote violence. Both Review of Foreign Aid and When the media reported the incident, the sides are setting the stage for a horrendous Politics in Nepal conflict which will further deteriorate the human Ministry of Defense declared the child had been Surplus and starvation in Orissa handed over to the Nepal Children’s Organisation. rights situation, including that of the children.” This story has a happy ending—Sharada and Prerna Psychologist Niranjan Prasad Upadhyaya, India-China: bhai-bhai once again were re-united, but not everyone is as lucky. Many warns that burying the issue could have grave Same-sex South Asia cases like Prerna’s go undetected, say child rights ramifications. “These children are in their Karachi’s ‘illegals’ activists. When their parents join the Maoist fold, the formative years and the present situation is likely Bengal’s cultural borderlands children face neglect and victimisation. to have a longterm effect on their psyche.” t They live in their own private hells in their (© Oneworld South Asia) To subscribe: Call 554-3333 or write to [email protected] 18 - 24 JULY 2003 6 NATION NEPALI TIMES #154

COMMENT by SUDHINDRA SHARMA ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Neither○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ secular, nor Hindu Nepal is not a theocratic state. The king is Hindu, not the kingdom. Hindu religious discourses, including the use provocative and dysfunctional. Some 94 percent of the population in of Sanskrit, and a ban on proselytising. In the debate between secularism versus Thailand is Buddhist. But nowhere does There has been a weakening of these Hinduism in Nepal the experiences of the Thai constitution declare Buddhism to elements and the core Hindu institution that countries such as France, United States, Turkey be the state religion. It does, however, remains in contemporary Nepal, is kingship. and India have often served as points of declare Buddhism to be the king’s religion, Nepal is de facto secular, but by positing reference, while other countries with though he is also seen as the protector of all ‘Hindu’ as an attribute of the kingdom, the monarchical forms of government, and ones religions. Chapter II Section 9 of the present constitution damages the prospects for with which Nepal shares some commonality as constitution of Thailand states: ‘The king is the consolidation of secular principles. There far as state structures are concerned, do not. a Buddhist and an upholder of religions.’ are various sections of Nepali society such as For instance, the relationship between the These are the core ideas present in the Thai those who adhere to minority religions, the state and religion in the United Kingdom, constitution, learning which would be to janajatis, the dalits and reformist minded which recognises the Anglican Church as the Nepal’s benefit. Hindus who vehemently oppose the Hindu official church and where the monarch is The implication is that the kingdom identity of the Nepali state and continue to both the head of the state and of the church, cannot literally be declared secular when the advocate for the secular status of the kingdom. but where the state at large is secular, does reigning king is Buddhist. ‘Kingdom’ is Inserting the word ‘secular’ in place of not inform the current debate in Nepal. after all an extension of ‘kingship’, but that ‘Hindu’, however, is not the solution. A The experience of Thailand would be of it can be secular for all practical purposes. he solution to the contemporary debate ‘secular kingdom’ is a contradiction in terms even greater relevance than countries like the By perceiving the king to be a Buddhist Hindutva agenda in India. While the on secularism versus Hindu kingdom because a kingdom implies the existence of a United Kingdom. Thailand, like Nepal, is while simultaneously a protector of various Buddhist population in Burma and Sri lies in opting for a middle ground that king and by implicit logic the king’s religion. an Asian country that has a monarch as the religions is an idea that can be traced back Lanka is around 85 percent and 64 percent gives continuity to past traditions while In the Nepali context, kingship has had a head of the state. More importantly, it has to Emperor Ashoka, the archetype of the respectively, Thailand, with a much higher simultaneously disassociating the state from symbiotic relationship with Hinduism in the retained its independence. This in turn righteous monarch or dhammaraja. Space is Buddhist population has, however, had no aligningT with Hinduism. This could be done very emergence of the nascent Nepali state means there has not been a rupture between allowed for adherents of minority faiths to need to give special patronage to Buddhism by deleting the word ‘Hindu’ from the clause during the late 18th century. The continuity of polity and religion as has occurred in many identify with monarchy. Moreover it does precisely because of the relationship that exists that defines the kingdom, though not that nation-state and of the Shah dynasty up to other Asian countries that have passed not portray monarchy as a zealot between monarchy and Buddhism that necessarily replacing it with the word ‘secular’. modern times, preclude the possibility of through colonial rule. Moreover, there has institution, which may have been the case continues to this day. By identifying ‘Hindu’ as an attribute of disassociating kingship from Hindu religion. been continuity with tradition, though had it said that the king is a protector of Thailand is naturally a Buddhist the kingdom, the 1990 Constitution gives the Hence the suggestion to delete the word traditions, in turn, have been adapted and Buddhism. country without having the need to impression that Nepal is a theocratic state. ‘Hindu’ rather than insert the word ‘secular’. improvised to suit modern times. Other Theravada Buddhist countries consciously articulate its identity as such. In The reality is far from that. Though some There is a clause in the constitution that There is still another similarity: the like Burma and Sri Lanka where colonial Nepal, too, the present relationship between Hindu elements remain in the laws, the polity safeguards the position of the king and his dynasty that rules modern Thailand and one rule disrupted the complementary monarchy and Hinduism has not been at large is not governed by Hindu religious alignment with Hinduism when it outlines that that rules modern Nepal began from relationship that prevailed between disrupted. There is no need to articulate the scriptures and the state prohibits caste-based the latter should be ‘an adherent of Aryan roughly the same period onwards beginning kingship and Buddhism, have during the kingdom’s identity as Hindu. t behaviour, that premier Hindu governance culture and a follower of Hindu religion’. from the late 18th century. Both polities have post-colonial era witnessed attempts to framework. The state’s claim to being Hindu When this clause in the constitution has been able to exist up to the present times elevate Buddhism to the level of state Sudhindra Sharma is a visiting scholar at the in these circumstances are manifested in certain already identified Hinduism as the religion of through skilful negotiations first with religion (though there have been Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn signs and symbols enshrined in the the monarch, identifying the kingdom as colonial powers—the French and the British vacillations in this policy). This must be University, Bangkok. constitution or pursued through statecraft such Hindu, while modern laws are not derived in the case of Thailand, and the British in seen as a reaction against some of the as a ban on cow slaughter, the promotion of from Hindu religious sources, becomes a the case of Nepal—and subsequently with policies enunciated during colonial rule. Hindu religious festivals, the sponsorship of vacuous statement. It is also unnecessarily popular forces. The same could be said of the FEEDBACK Exaggerated dominance n ‘Kingdom of the bahuns’, (State of the State, #153) CK Lal Khana, that was directly under the Prime Minister. Jaisi Kotha makes some sweeping generalisations in trying to advocate specialised in Nepal-Tibet relations and there were many Newari turning Nepal into a secular state. He cites examples of Nagaland speaking Joshis and Rajbhandaris working in both the offices. and Kashmir where Hinduism is on the verge of extinction. It is certainly true that Nepal’s administrative and judicial services Hindus were never present in large numbers in Nagaland, so the at present are dominated by the Brahmins. But none of our noted argumentI does not arise, and most mountaineers are Brahmins, nor are Nagas were converted by Baptist there any among Gurkha recruits for missionaries in the 19th century. foreign armies. With time, there will be Kashmir is different. Hindus may more janjatis and dalits in judicial and be on the verge of extinction in administrative services, as there will Kashmir valley but not in Jammu. There be Bahun mountaineers. There are was an ethnic cleansing of Hindus already a large number of non- from Kashmir valley about a decade Brahmins in managerial posts in the ago that a ‘secular’ government of field of tourism. The directory of India could not prevent. The Hindus Trekking Agents Association of Nepal who were left were almost all Pandits (TAAN) for the year 2001 lists 300 or Kashmiri Brahmins. Lal may be right members, of which only 16 percent of to say that ‘if Brahmins don’t reform those listed as Managing Directors are Hinduism, they will be the only caste Bahuns. left with such an archaic faith’. But One of the advantages Brahmins how could secularism provide a enjoyed was the possibility of learning remedy? Also, why is he asking only Sanskrit and getting free room and Brahmins to reform Hinduism? Couldn’t board as in Teen Dhara Paksala. This non-Brahmin Hindus also be facility was not available to all reformers? Brahmins, only to a select few. Some In the 168 years of a unified Nepal were excluded because they belonged from Prithbi Narayan Shah till the end to a different category. This of the Rana regime in 1950, there was discriminatory practice was removed only one Bahun prime minister, Ranga recently, and its doors are now open to KEVIN BUBRISKI/HIMAL Nath Paudel. True, the number of all Brahmins and non-Brahmins. Bahun prime ministers was to increase Not all of Nepal’s neighbours are dramatically after the advent of ‘secular’, and several of them are democracy in 1950. multi-ethnic. The percentage of Hindus A very small proportion of soldiers in Nepal in the period 1991-2001 in the Royal Nepali Army are Bahuns, even though there may be a declined, and the percentage of Muslims and Christians increased. psy-war expert who is a Bahun. Lal writes about traditional However, there are few religious riots in Nepal and the various dominance of Bahuns over foreign relations in the Shah court by communities live in harmony. This is why it is difficult to agree with CK giving an example of Jaisi Kotha. Actually, the equivalent of the Lal’s argument that ‘secularism is the only way to govern a caste- present day Foreign Ministry during the Ranas was known as Munshi ridden multi-ethnic nation state’. t 18 - 24 JULY 2003 ECONOMY NEPALI TIMES #154 7 BIZ NEWS STRICTLY BUSINESS by ASHUTOSH TIWARI “The idea is to rebuild the confidence about

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Thailand as a zero-SARS transmission country,” said BeforeTrading joining he places WTO, Nepal has some ‘ifs’ and Tasnai Sudana of Thai International. Thailand gets ‘buts’ that need clearing up before the meeting in upwards of 6 million tourists a year, and that figure is Cancun, Mexico, in September. A meeting in expected to fall by 25 percent this year because of

Kathmandu this week emphasised special status to SARS and terrorism-related fears. The government ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ be provided to the least-developed countries, in has said Thailand is a ‘Zero Transmission’ country for ImitationThree○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ minimisescheers chances for copycats of failure. particular landlocked ones, in terms of their SARS. arly this spring, an unusual integration into the multilateral trading system. store made its debut at Participants included government officials, civil Gyaneswor in Kathmandu.

society, farmers, private sector and academia who ○○○○○○○○ issued a 16-point declaration on issues ranging from ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ With a slogan, “Mulya Ek, Saman AnFrom emergency Nippon rehabilitation to of Nepalthe damaged Anek” (one price for sundry goods), patent on life forms, food and agriculture, Sindhuli Road from Dhulikhel to Nepalthok has been indigenous knowledge and practices, and quota free Ethe 99 Shop started selling everything made possible thanks to a Japanese grant assistance access to products from least developed countries. from cups to T-shirts to bundles of of around Rs 276 million. The Embassy of Japan in stationery at Rs 99 flat. No bargaining, Kathmandu said the fund would be used to purchase no haggling, but the same price for all products and services to rebuild the road. Monsoon-

goods that are on display. Despite a ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ triggered floods and landslides washed off a 50km

postage stamp of a parking space, MIN BAJRACHARYA WithMade a decline in in Nepalthe carpet trade, entrepreneurs, section of the road last year. government officials and international clients all claustrophobic interiors and congested agree that Nepali carpets should have a standard aisles, shoppers from far and wide

thronged the store, and goods flew off open. When a Nepali businessman

○○○○○○○○ national label. A recent study by a German ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ the shelves till closing time everyday. copies another’s successful business, labelling expert found that a majority of carpet SujalLollipops Food is introducing cola flavoured Smart importers, wholesalers, and retailers in Europe would Lollipop and minty Sorito to the Nepali consumer. Soon, it was obvious that the concept what he is doing, in effect, is support such a move. Nepal Carpet Exporters After successfully establishing Choco Fun wafers in behind the one-price shop was a minimising his own chances of failure. forming an all-Nepal association of Association and Central Carpet Industries the market, the company hopes we will take to these profitable one. And thankfully, he does that by their trade to fix prices, they can help Association believe this will help customers lollipops reasonably priced at Rs 2 and Rs 1 By mid-July, a dozen or more making use his own money and keep the markets competitive by differentiate Nepali carpets from the products of respectively. similar outfits have sprung up all over people—resources that would offering similar goods and services at other countries. The Kathmandu. Some of these stores offer otherwise have stayed idle rather than closely varying prices. In addition, by industry has suffered similar goods at Rs 98, some at Rs 96 giving a return. shortening the time length during

from other exporters and even less. The ubiquity of one- Copycats make for which innovators can enjoy single-

○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Second cheer: that wrongly brand Join the club price stores makes commonplace what wider consumer choices because they player returns on their originality, their products Nepal- Buddha Air has launched Royal Club, its frequent was until recently a relatively original all sell similar goods and services. copycats force them to keep on fliers program that will enable members to earn made. In 1993-94 retail idea. And that, for the following Now, with a little bit of looking evolving to stay ahead of the pack. In frequent flier miles that can be redeemed for free Nepal exported 3.3 million square metres of carpet three reasons, is a very good thing for around, one can buy a dozen tea cups this context, don’t be surprised if the while the figure this year stands at only 1.6 million. tickets. The airline operates four Beech 1900D turboprops and currently commands 40 percent of the consumers. at Rs 99 or less at any one of these one-price shop soon gives way to other domestic aviation traffic. It hopes to increase this to First cheer: In business, being one-price shops. When consumers can innovative retail practices. 65 percent within the next few months by enticing original costs money. Risk-takers are thus compare prices and buy at rates

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ customers with perks like the Royal Club. few and far between anywhere, they feel most comfortable with, they Finally, if you talk to most Nepali ThailandThai hastourism launched a majorrebound campaign to make especially in Nepal with no well- have little to complain about. True, businessman, they complain the most its tourism rebound in the post-SARS scenario. Thai established intellectual property laws. very often, the copycats’ competitors— about “unhealthy competition” and

Airways International and the Tourism Authority of Most businessmen do not like to neighbourhood retail outlets, in this having to deal with copycats. Sure, ○○○○○○○○ Thailand (TAT) are flying in some 1,500 tour Sharing○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ life throw money after the unknowns and case—are unhappy to have customers illegal competition is something that operators and media from around the world for a Kodak and Photo Concern launched Rs 200,000 in the uncertainties, hoping for some snatched away. But as long as should be challenged in a court of law. ‘Mega Fam Trip 2003’ and taking them around two months to help the Nepal Cancer Relief Society. return someday. They prefer to do customers are happy, disgruntled But so-called unhealthy (for whom? Thailand. A Nepali delegation composed of The money was collected from Rs 2 set aside from what has already been proven to make competitors will either have to innovate customers? sellers?) competition and orders placed for developing and printing film in hoteliers, travel agents and media also took part in money, as in the case of one-price or continue to suffer losses. the issue of copycats are, let’s get real, Kodak labs in Nepal under the slogan, “Share the five-day event. Nepalis go to Thailand for shops, and get into that business while As long as we can find a merely the cost of doing business shopping, beach holidays and medical treatment. moments, share life”. Third cheer: the window of opportunity is still way to legally disallow copycats from everywhere. t

INTERVIEW “Nepal needs help for self-help” That sounds like a tough job for anyone. Where do we start? growth and stability. Above all, action is required by the Nepali government with concerted support from the international community. One could call it “help for self- Have you noticed any positive signs in banking sector reforms, help”. First and foremost, progress in the peace process and a reduction in especially in case of Nepal Bank Limited and Rastriya Banijya Bank? political uncertainty will clearly improve the environment for growth. At the Yes I have. We are encouraged by the progress being made by the same time, the government needs to move urgently on a wide-ranging management teams at both NBL and RBB. Together with dedicated Nepali reform agenda that creates the conditions for private sector investment staff, they have made substantial progress in assessing the financial status and growth. This agenda is well documented in the government’s 10th of the banks, improving financial performance and securing loan Plan/ poverty reduction strategy, which I believe has received inputs from recoveries, strengthening internal controls and introducing modern

MIN BAJRACHARYA a wide cross section of Nepali society. Industrial countries also need follow banking practices. However, to build on this, it is now crucial that the through on their trade commitments and reduce subsidies. government make decisions on key issues that affect the costs and performance of these banks. I see two issues as particularly important at And what is the IMF’s role? this juncture: reduce overstaffing and improve the debt recovery framework. Sukhwinder Singh is the new International The IMF is responsible for helping low-income members like Nepal Monetary Fund (IMF) Resident through the provision of policy advice, technical assistance and financial Speaking of which, how bad is the problem of politically-connected support. In Nepal’s case, in addition to possible financial support under defaulters in the Nepali banking system? Representative for Nepal. In the runup to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF), the Fund has been Willful default should not be excused. After all, this is the depositors’ this week’s budget, Nepali Times asked him providing technical assistance in areas such as modernisation of the money, and the government’s scarce resources should not be used for about the country’s macroeconomic central bank, reform of the tax system, as well as development of the bailing out big loan defaulters. Such defaulters should be given an money and foreign exchange markets. My role as resident representative opportunity to first regularise their accounts within a reasonable time situation and the IMF’s role in policy advice is to make sure we coordinate closely with the Nepali government in giving period. If they fail to cooperate, banks should use standard tools that are and technical assistance. policy advice so it can create conditions for growth and poverty reduction. common worldwide to recover their money; for example, blacklisting Nepali Times: How do you rate Nepal’s pre-budget macroeconomic defaulters and related firms for any further borrowing, or foreclosure. Where situation? How come the IMF keeps getting hit for its conditionalities? there is strong evidence of malpractice, I would expect cases to be placed Sukhwinder Singh: Despite the security situation and difficult external Countries don’t come to the IMF when their economies are in good shape. before the CIAA and for them to proceed speedily to prosecution. It’s environment, the macroeconomy has been managed fairly well in recent A country usually seeks assistance when, through a combination of bad difficult to compare with other countries, but the problem is certainly not years. Fortunately, as we go into the budget we are not confronted with policies and bad luck, it has run into difficulties. Regardless of whether or unique to Nepal. Suffice to say that the origins of the problems are often major imbalances, and the foreign exchange reserves position is not the country comes to the IMF, the country will need to adjust its similar, the magnitude of the problem at the banks is broadly comparable, comfortable. But of course there are major challenges that must be policies. The IMF provides a country a bit of breathing room, in fact and the resolution process and solutions are also similar. addressed urgently. Growth has slowed and is clearly inadequate to deal lessens the extent of the belt-tightening needed, and aims to bring about with poverty, and unemployment is unacceptably high. Trade, a quicker rebound in incomes than would otherwise be the case. Nepal’s soft loans from decades ago are maturing, and we have to manufacturing and tourism are weak. Fiscal pressures have been rising in So blaming the IMF is a little like blaming the doctor for the patient’s repay them in a situation where the loans have not been used recent years and implementation problems have really held back illness! Nonetheless, the IMF is also very aware of the concern about productively. Is this a classic debt trap? development spending. intrusive conditionality, and we’ve been devoting considerable resources You are right that previous borrowing could have been used more to dealing with this issue. In low-income countries, the IMF is strongly effectively and generated higher returns in terms of growth and poverty So what needs to be done? committed to the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) process, and reduction. That said, Nepal’s debt service and debt stock ratios are I see the main challenges are to generate higher growth rates, especially Nepal has developed its own poverty reduction strategy, the 10th Plan, and reasonable compared with other developing countries. It helps that much in agriculture so the poor benefit, improve social service delivery through we’ve been participants in these discussions, along with other development of the external debt is on highly concessional terms. Looking forward, there better management of public resources, raise private investment, partners. The reforms we support will not be imposed. Rather, they will be is scope for prudent external borrowing but a strong effort has to be made modernise and streamline the civil service, improve the fiscal position reflected in the country’s own strategy and will reflect country to ensure the aid is used productively, including in support of the growth through higher revenues, more productive use of expenditures, and a circumstances. But let us also be realistic, there is a role for conditionality. enhancing reforms. The Medium Term Expenditure Framework that the reduction in domestic borrowing, strengthening governance and anti- The money that the IMF lends belongs to all of its 184 members, and government is implementing and the poverty reduction and growth-based corruption efforts, and finally diversifying the economy away from a loan conditions in essence provide a guarantee to the international prioritisation that it applies to development spending is a very handful of exports. community that its money will be repaid as an economy returns to encouraging step. 8 HISTORY

named Mehrussin, who he must have left when he departed Kathmandu, retiredLooking to England and A Tribhuban University scholar delvesfor into the then to Darjeeling (1845-1858), where he married an Englishwoman. papers of a British Resident and finds a treasure Assigned to a court marked by, in his own words, “pride and trove of Nepali history. poverty”, Hodgson’s carefully gathered collections in just about everything related to Nepali life in the 19th century, from military intelligence to study of Buddhist iconography. These, as well as his extensive notes, were deposited in various libraries in Calcutta, Paris, London and Oxford. When these archives are delved into and fully understood, Nepali history will receive the depth and breadth for a discipline that till now has been too closely linked to the chronicles of kingly successions and national “bahaduri”. While the personal papers and the Buddhism-related documents are kept elsewhere, Hodgson gifted all his papers on Nepal-specific

KANAK○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ MANI DIXIT came from an English household diplomacy and statecraft to the India n his cubicle number 39 in the visited by hard times, attended a Office Collection. These are the grand new edifice of the British school (Haileybury) established by the papers that Ramesh Dhungel is now Library, which houses all the Company for educating administrators studying, in a project made possible papers of the erstwhile India for the dominion. There, he came by the efforts of Nepal scholars Office Collection, Tribhuban under the wings of Thomas Malthus, Michael Hutt and David Gellner and University academic Ramesh K and even boarded in the house of that the head of the Asia-Pacific and From l-r: Brian Hodgson, 1800-1894, Ramesh Dhungel poses in front of a painting of Hodgson at the British IDhungel is engaged in a scholarly great pioneer of the study of political Africa collection of the British Museum, and Hodgson's own handwritten bamshabali notes in Nepali and English. exercise of a lifetime. economy (besides population). In later Library, Graham W Shaw. Dhungel For the next three years, he will be life, he was also a champion of himself is a cultural historian with received copies from many chautaria identity, place, sex and price paid. for power, he wrote to the Viceroy in sifting through the archives on Nepal ‘vernacular education’ in India and particular interest in Mustang,Tibet families, and even King Rajendra Wrote Hodgson, “My favourite June 1837, “Civil wars have rather a left behind by Brian Houghton was a challenger of Macaulay as well as and Bhutan, and the Hodgson Bikram. amusements of the sedentary kind tendency to feed than quench martial Hodgson, British resident to the the Orientalists who, respectively, Manuscripts Project is funded by the Two of the most detailed aspects are researches into the origin, spirit and power.” Court of Nepal. In the process of pushed for English or Sanskrit. London-based Liverhulme of Hodgson’s work were on Nepal's genius and attainment of the At Carrell No 39 at the British cataloguing and cross-referencing, he Foundation. judicial system commerce. He also various singular races of men Museum, Dhungel has only had has privileged first hand access to “Hodgson’s interest was endless studied the military strength of the inhabiting Nepal.” time to flip through 65 of the 108 largely unearthed and little understood and his research was endless,” says army, and is considered an architect of bound (but not catalogued) volumes material which will help us enrich, PrideSo, it wasand to the poverty long-term benefit Dhungel. “Unlay kati doko, kati the Gurkha induction into the British of Hodgson’s collection. But already and in some cases, rewrite the history of Nepal that this chronicler, archivist doko kagajaat jamma parey, kay Indian Army. Hodgson is also he has discovered material of of Nepal. and multidisciplinary scholar was bhannu. These papers are an credited, while already in retirement in WarThe party resident also kept a steady immense importance to Nepali Hodgson came as a diplomat to a assigned to Himalayan climes to encyclopedic record of 19th century Darjeeling, with having convinced a stream of friendly spies supplying historiography. For example, we turmoil-ridden Kathmandu court as recuperate from the ‘fevers’ that would Nepal. He collected anything and reluctant viceroy to allow an eager Jang him with the goings among the know only of the social reforms of representative of the East India surely have killed him in the plains. everything, from inscriptions to Bahadur to participate in the quelling powerful clans, and his reports to Ram Shah and Jayasthithi Malla, but Company, and played his part in the After serving some time in Kumaon family histories and religious texts. of the Sepoy Mutiny 1857-58. Lord Auckland, the viceroy in the Hodgson papers clearly point to intrigue and skulduggery between a trying to undo the ravages of the Sometimes he bought them outright, Ramesh Dhungel: “Hodson was Calcutta, reverted as instructions reforms during the times of Bishnu mad king, an ambitious queen regent, imperial Gorkhalis, Hodgson first at other times he had them copied at probably the first scholar to get excited to the Kathmandu government. Malla and Siddhi Narsingh Malla. the Pandes, the Thapas and the came to Nepal in 1820, was Assistant his own expense." about ethnic diversity of the country.” Through threats routed through We know that Makwanpur, Bahuns. But he also evolved as a Resident 1825-33, and Resident from Hodgson befriended pandits and He called in members of ethnic Calcutta, he kept in check the Chaudandi and Bijayapur were geographer, pioneering ethnographer, 1833-43. This was the cut-throat era gubhajus of Kathmandu Valley (in groups from far and wide to the ‘war party’ in Kathmandu that regarded as separate states by the linguist, student of Himalayan during and following reign of particular the great Patan scholar Residency at Lazimpat (from ‘Lodging wanted to encroach upon Gorkhalis, but through Hodgson’s Buddhism and naturalist with special strongman Bhimsen Thapa, just Amritananda, who became a valued Part’, according to some) and Company-held territories in the papers, we discover Chainpur too flair for ornithology. Said one author, before the massacre at the Kot. informant), who were impressed by conducted interviews and meticulously tarai. For this, he earned enimty had a status as a rajya. Says “Hodgson enriched museums, Of Hodgson’s personal life in his knowledge of Sanskrit and Farsi wrote down everything, from in Kathmandu and gratitude in Dhungel, "Being from Chainpur enlarged boundaries of more than one Kathmandu, little is known other than as well as his ascetic lifestyle devoted linguistic attributes to physiognomy. Calcutta. myself, I liked that." t science while upholding British that he lived a recluse with his books to learning. Dhungel believes Dhungel has discovered papers which Worried over the takeover of diplomacy in a hostile military state.” for company and some local scholars Hodgson revived the interest of indicate that Hodgson brought skulls the state by the military (by then Hodgson was a ‘rennaissance who came calling. But at some point Kathmandu’s powerful in their from Nepal and Tibet to England, totalling a hefty 19,000 men), and man’. Born in Cheshire in 1800, he he married a Nepali Muslim woman family histories, or bamshabalis, and with accompanying details of ethnic the prospects of inter-clan rivalry 18 - 24 JULY 2003 NEPALI TIMES #154 9 Mr Hodgson The Hodgson Papers Some of the interesting bits of information @History One continous manuscript 1,200 feet long uncovered by Ramesh Dhungel so far from the contains a history (brittanta) of Nepal Hogdson manuscripts at the British Museum. commissioned by Mathbar Singh Thapa, the flamboyant nephew of Bhimsen Thapa, and prime minister, who was cut down by Jang Bahadur. @Anglophile In 1841, King Rajendra Bikram writes an abject letter to the Viceroy in Calcutta apologising for the belligerent attitude toward the Company and its resident in Kathmandu, and says that “as per the suggestions of Hodgson saheb, we have dismissed those who have tried to bring a distance between our two great governments, whereas we have appointed those who are for friendship between our two great governments." A list is also provided of the courtiers fired and retained. @Spies Through his spies in the Gorkhali court, Hodgson accessed a letter which is a demand on the vaccilating King Rajendra Bikram from one faction that so many named courtiers of the other faction must be cut @Lumbini Hodgson seems to make one of the earliest references to Lumbini, by down (“katnai parcha”) by Dasain-time. Their fault, being in cahoots with referring to “Asocan Laths” (Ashokan pillars) of the tarai, in particular with the British Resident. The words used to villify Hodgson in that letter reflect reference to a site west-north-west of Bettiah, and 20 miles south of the the mores of the times and come across as shocking today. For, every time hills. On top of this ‘lath’ is a couchant lion, which has long disappeared Hodgson’s name comes up in the text, he is called with willful use of what from the Ashoka Pillar at Lumbini. Because no sources are provided, was considered pejorative, “Harchanya tharu musalman firingi”. (Harchanya Dhungel believes this may have been Hodgson’s own discovery. = derogatory Valley-speak for Hodgson.)

Jang Bahadur @Two In Hodgson’s Dhararas own English handwriting (he also @ In the years after retirement, apparently Hodgson became quite wrote in Farsi and in Devanagari), there is reference friendly with the post-Kot Massacre Jang Bahadur, and Dhungel has found to two dhararas in place of the one that still stands that Jang even helped Hodgson’s son during his visit to England. After and is called Bhimsen Stamba. The one named for Hodgson went into retirement in Darjeeling, and the Kot Massacre Bhimsen, writes Hodgson, had 142 steps, whereas devastated the top layer of Kathmandu nobility, an there was one taller than this, at 174 steps which was informant calling himself ‘Pahalman’ writes him a letter dedicated to Queen Lalit Tripurasundari. According in the Avadhi language, which gives a sense of the to the historian Baburam Acharya, Bhimsen Thapa atmosphere in Kathmandu right after Jang Bahadur had these two towers placed at the entrance of his took power. Roughly translated, the letter reads, palace. The earthquake of 1834 seems to have “There is not even 4 anna of security of the 16 taken a permanent toll of one of them. anna we used to have when you were here. No one can speak, no one can move about freely. The real king today is Jang Bahadur, and he does whatever he desires. @Shree At one point,Teen Raghunath Hodgson Pandit, who had earlier served as a stopgap All the paltans are with the brothers, who Bahun prime minister during those turbulent years, writes to Hodgson are placed in Patan, Bhatgaon, Thapathali, referring to him as ‘Sri Panch Janaab Hogdson Saheb’. Jang Bahadur Narayanhiti. There are preparations on to himself later went as far as to refer to Hodgson as ‘Sri Teen’, reports invade Tibet. There are no more comings Dhungel. and goings at the king’s palace.” 18 - 24 JULY 2003 10 WORLD NEPALI TIMES #154 ANALYSIS by GEORGE SOROS

any developing countries that are rich in natural resources are even Natural resources are enticing poorer than other countries prizes that often become

Mthat are less well endowed. This The resource curse is because natural resources ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ serve as an enticing prize to conflict points. fight over. Many countries with that arrangement must be disclose revenues and their use significant mineral deposits or extended. according to templates designed valuable cash crops are in the British Prime Minister by the UK team. The volunteers grip of repressive or corrupt Tony Blair announced an were East Timor, Ghana, regimes or torn apart by armed Extractive Industries Mozambique and Sierra Leone, conflict. This problem has Transparency Initiative (EITI) with other important resource- come to be known as “the at the World Summit on rich countries indicating that resource curse”. Sustainable Development in they may follow. Now a broad movement has Johannesburg last This is a promising step emerged to tackle the resource September. The need for forward, but there is always a curse. Global Witness, a small greater transparency in danger that a declaration of British NGO, acted as the the management of resource principles and a voluntary pioneer when it campaigned to Diamond miners in central Sierra Leone. revenues was endorsed by approach will turn into a sham. close the Thai/Cambodian the G8 declaration at Public opinion must be border to Khmer Rouge timber Evian this June. This was mobilised to keep governments exports, ending illegal trade in their payments to developing Caspian Revenue Watch, which I pipeline sets followed by a high-level and companies to their teak and other rare hardwoods. country governments. It was also support, seeks to accomplish. a valuable meeting hosted by the UK promises. It is civil society that The resulting loss of revenue endorsed by the British Caspian Revenue Watch aims to example. The World Bank government in London in June has moved the process this far, played a key role in the demise government, and many oil and build the capacity of civil society financed the project on the and attended by governments, and it must become even more of that genocidal organisation. mining companies responded in the new states surrounding the condition that Chad commits major oil and mining deeply engaged, particularly in Global Witness next turned positively. Caspian Sea, through research, itself to complete transparency companies, international the producing countries, to to the problem of diamonds in I am proud to be associated training, and partnerships, to and uses the revenues for poverty financial institutions, and maintain the forward Angola, and a campaign against with Global Witness and the monitor the collection and reduction. A stringent supervisory representatives of civil society. momentum and ensure that the “conflict diamonds” led to the “Publish What You Pay” expenditure of government mechanism was put in place with The overwhelming majority movement succeeds in lifting Kimberley Process of campaign. But that is only the revenues from the extractive civil society participation; almost of the 59 participants at that the resource curse once and Certification. Last year, Global first step in tackling the resource sector. Greater accountability immediately, the Chad meeting endorsed the for all. t Witness, together with more curse. Governments must disclose could result in a greater government was caught diverting principles of EITI. A few (© Project Syndicate) than 60 groups from around the what they receive and, even more contribution to meeting the UN’s a $25 million signature bonus for producing countries world, launched “Publish What importantly, they must be held Millennium Development Goals arms purchases. Unfortunately volunteered to be pilot cases in George Soros is Chairman of You Pay”, a campaign to force accountable for the way they use than most other initiatives. the mechanism expires when oil which the government and all Soros Fund Management and

resource companies to disclose their revenues. That is what Here the Chad-Cameroon oil actually starts flowing. Obviously the companies involved would the Open Society Institute.

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ PARISImmigrants – Immigrants of andAfrican originAIDS report an unusually high incidence of AIDS in France, and recent government measures are only making it worse. The reported incidence of AIDS is rising particularly among immigrant women, says a report by the French Health Watch Institute (INVS, after its French name) published in May. The relatively high prevalence of HIV and AIDS among (Gender) Bending it in LONDON

DUNCAN○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ MILLAR influence lies. He sticks his neck her with a battered face and quiet lifestyle. Nothing wrong immigrants has been detected only incidentally, as the infection nglishmen could be banned. out and is prepared to be different. dislocated fingers after a row in a with that.” often is “detected mostly in association with other medical studies A good idea which should among men, or during pre-natal and pregnancy tests among That will encourage others to be Scottish hotel), fans and Lucian, 18, is similarly women,” the report says. have wide application, some different.” commentators strove to justify his unmoved by Beckham’s off-the- More than 40,000 have died of AIDS in France since its might say. This particular threat, Beckham has done many things inclusion in the England squad. field activities. “For people of our outbreak 20 years ago, another 25,000 are living with the though, applies only to the Euro not usually expected from a Finally, in November 1999, age, he doesn’t really appeal as a E2004 football finals. traditional male role model, and Sheryl Gascoigne spoke out role model. When it comes to the condition, the INVS report says. A disproportionately large number of them are reported to be immigrants. Research also The threat comes from UEFA, certainly not a footballing hero. publicly about the domestic football, though, that’s when he’s found immigrants accounted for close to a third of the the European football authority, In February 2000, he was violence she had suffered, declaring most important. That matters.” approximately 1,700 new cases of AIDS detected last year. The who propose to bar England from temporarily dropped by his she had suffered eight years of If his extra-football activities condition of immigrants with HIV or AIDS is now becoming more Euro 2004 if the violent and Manchester United club for abuse from Gazza. She also joined leave young British men cold precarious as the government cuts down on medical services for racially abusive behaviour of some choosing to look after his sick son a high-profile awareness-raising (though not women by any stretch them. The Ministry of the Interior partially revoked an earlier law of its more notorious fans, rather than make training (the campaign for Refuge, a British of imagination), can they really be that allowed illegal immigrants who had contracted AIDS to get displayed in a match against Beckhams don’t have a nanny, charity working for women and very influential in changing their treatment. (IPS) Turkey in April, continues. preferring to share child-caring children who face domestic abuse. attitudes to masculinity? Professor English football hooligans are between themselves). His love of Beckham’s public image could Ellis Cashmore, co-author of the

an extreme and unrepresentative fashion, which has extended to not be more different. Two British study, suggests not. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ version of modern Britain, but painting his nails and wearing a magazines specifically aimed at “There will be woe for anyone WASHINGTONAgent Orange – More than still 30 years killing after the spraying of Agent their fondness for heavy drinking sarong—considered decidedly young fathers, Dad and EQ who tries the kinds of things Orange in Vietnam by US troops during the war, the health and casual violence, many argue, is feminine in England—has become Magazine, have both featured Beckham has tried and got away effects on US veterans and their families as well as affected part of a traditional English model legendary. And he has publicly Beckham heavily. “ with the help with... He’s afforded the kinds of Vietnamese remain devastating, experts say. Birth defects from of masculinity—which also acknowledged his large gay of people like Beckham, fathers are breaks and indulgences that contamination persist in today’s third generation. Though the champions promiscuity, sexism and following. feeling more confident about other[s] couldn’t bear dream military initially denied knowing about the terrible effects the homophobia—that is still All of this, and his reluctance to displaying their love and playing about. So, while he might herbicides have on human beings, military scientist Dr James influential. become involved in football with their children,” Dad editor challenge traditional macho Clary admitted the truth in 1988. “However, because the material This boorish version of English violence, contrast sharply with Jack O’Sullivan said in a recent types... he can’t pass on his was to be used on the enemy, none of us were overly masculinity is being challenged by some previous English heroes. Paul interview. status.” concerned,” he said. Britain’s best-known footballer— Gascoigne, who preceded Beckham But what do young Britons But the very fact that Agent Orange victims and their families have been fighting for captain David Beckham (pic left, as the embodiment of English think about Beckham as a role Beckham can contradict male compensation since the 1970s. The most common result has been out of court settlements after court proceedings and with son Brooklyn). sporting prowess, was violent on model? Finding a man of between stereotypes and yet retain his negotiations that dragged on for years. There are plans to “Beckham is one of the lads. If and off the field. 16 and 24 years who would admit heroic status, Cashmore suggests, introduce a new bill in the Congressional committee on veterans he wasn’t, he wouldn’t cut it in ‘Gazza’s’ tendency toward that Beckham is a role model is is evidence that a change is affairs that will focus on aiding the children of Vietnam veterans English football,” says Dr Andrew violent play was a very visible part surprisingly difficult. already taking place in Britain. with a broader bill to follow next year. So far, the US government Parker of Warwick University, co- of his game—he once managed to Paul, 18, would rather be like “Very recent cultural changes have has given no indication that it will aid Vietnamese victims and their author of a recent study entitled break his own arm in one Paul Scholes, Beckham’s ManU made it possible for Beckham to families. An estimated 650,000 victims are suffering from chronic One David Beckham: Celebrity, particularly brutal challenge. Even teammate and England midfielder. engage in activities that have been illnesses in Vietnam alone, and another 500,000 have already Masculinity and the Soccerati. after revelations in the late 1990s “Other than being a good player, read as wondrous, rather than as died, researchers say. (IPS) “But he also breaks traditional that he beat his wife Sheryl (a he doesn’t get himself in the paper, the actions of a demented masculine norms. This is where his tabloid paper frontpaged pictures of he keeps himself to himself, a nice popinjay.” 18 - 24 JULY 2003 NEPALI TIMES #154 11 COMMENT by PERVEZ HOODBHOY

ndia’s prime minister has taken an initiative Mending fences to open a way out of the tragic, bloody morass that passes for relations between Post-Iraq, there is a chance to end the long-

India and Pakistan. It implicitly recognises the ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

running○○○○ feud between India and Pakistan. fact that there is no military solution to the IKashmir issue. Such signals made the threat of nuclear religious parties and extreme elements within Pakistan lacks the muscle to wrest Kashmir apocalypse real enough to keep a steady stream the military, and a large standing army that from Indian rule, and India cannot win of foreign leaders coming to Islamabad and needs an enemy. Inertia and default dominate decisively over Pakistan in difficult, Delhi at the peak of the tensions last year. planning and design. mountainous terrain. This remains as true Pakistan felt the world would rush to solve Where should new directions point? The today as in 1989 when India’s unconscionable the dispute. This turned out to be a two countries must abandon positions fixed manipulation of Kashmiri politics led to a miscalculation. In fact, the principal 50 years ago and the your-loss-is-my-gain- popular uprising. Pakistan was quick to international alarm has been over the mentality must be exchanged for one that translate India’s losses into its gains and the Kashmiri mujahedin and Pakistani nuclear values prosperity and social stability. This military establishment hit upon the ‘bleed weapons. requires Pakistan to live up to its officially India through jihad’ policy, to be accompanied This attitude preceded 9/11, but now stated position, that it will provide only by denials of involvement. dominates thinking. The US state depart- diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris Post-Iraq, and 70,000 Kashmiri, Pakistani ment’s recent declaration of over 20 jihadist struggling against India. and Indian lives later, it is opportune for organisations as terrorist includes the Hizb One longterm solution that makes Pakistanis to ask whether this unacknowledged ul-Mujahedin, the largest mujahedin group particular sense envisages two Kashmiri strategy is working. For the last decade this fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, with no entities straddling the line of control with question has been off limits. So it was to my history of attacking US interests. And in the their own governments and constitutions. surprise that Pakistan’s president, General international press Pakistan is often accused of These two entities, one associated with Musharraf, recently met with a diverse group playing the nuclear card to provoke fear, while Pakistan, the other India, would have soft of Pakistanis for what turned out to be an India is blamed less often than in the past. borders allowing for easy transit of people intense debate focusing on Kashimiri policy. The consequence of waging covert war has and goods. The details can be worked out by That the president is willing to listen to expectation of Pakistani strategists, India’s incurably ill. In a technologically driven been a steady loss of international support for all three parties: Kashmiris, Pakistanis and dissenting voices such as mine is of some economy did not collapse but boomed. Indian world, this is a devastating weakness. the Kashmiri struggle. This fact is known to Indians. The US could act as facilitator. encouragement. foreign exchange reserves stand at over $70 The second Pakistani rationale was to keep all Pakistani diplomats who represent the The Pakistan/India conflict is like a Pakistan’s rationale for covert war in billion and 11 companies alone earn India Kashmir in the news. The implicit hope was country in the world’s capitals, including cancerous growth, an organism with its own Kashmir has been twofold. The first objective $10 billion a year, equivalent to Pakistan’s total that a high level of tension between two nuclear those of Muslim countries. The moral high logic of development, in which deadly of the low-intensity war was to ‘bleed’ India so foreign exchange holdings. This figure is states would sufficiently alarm the international ground—the most powerful weapon of the hatreds thrive and nourish each other. With that it would cut its losses and quit. But there expected to double in the next few years. community, especially the US, that India weak—erodes after every massacre of Hindu Prime Minister Vajpayee’s forthcoming visit, has been no evidence of a weakening of resolve. Indian scientific institutions are now among would be forced to see reason. To raise fear civilians in Kashmir. India, the occupying which he describes as the ‘third and last’ In fact, an unprecedented show of national the world’s best. Pakistan’s reborn economy, levels, Pakistani leaders worked to cultivate an power in Kashmir, has successfully portrayed peace effort of his lifetime, it is essential that unity emerged in India in response to on the other hand, owes more to Musharraf’s image of Pakistan as a defiant, nuclear-armed itself as a victim of terror. another failure is averted. t (© Prospect) Pakistan’s infiltration of troops and jihadis adroit handling of 9/11 than to any inner state ready to commit suicide. But at other There is little to suggest that Pakistan has across the line of control. strength. Its industry is barely crawling, while moments, they sought to project an image of any new game plan. Resistance to change has Pervez Hoodbhoy is a professor at the More significantly, confounding the education and scientific research seem being calm, assured and responsible. many sources, a possible backlash from the Quaid e Islam University in Pakistan. like Beckham Boorish English masculinity is being challenged by Britain’s

best-known○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ footballer. Alan, 21, who does see alternative views of manhood. Beckham as a role model, sees no “There is a co-existence of different problem with Beckham’s fashion types or styles of masculinity and, modelling or in his being while Beckham represents a new and comfortable with his gay perhaps protean form following: “What he does in his representative[s] of old style own time is his business.” This forms remain,” says Cashmore. spirit of tolerance, even if it isn’t On the London streets, it is wholehearted enthusiasm, may be difficult to confirm or deny the sort of cultural change Beckham’s alleged influence on Cashmore is talking about. English masculinity. But if his But Cashmore’s argument broadcast to England fans before 3 about Beckham’s influence on June’s clash with Serbia and masculinity doesn’t seem to rely Montenegro asking on him encouraging young male them to “get behind football fans to consider their the team and do it in future childcare responsibilities. a nice way,” is any “Because he is so empty, his test, then his fans join up the dots themselves, influence is creating whatever meaning they undeniable. His appeal desire from him.” To a young managed to curb the male football fan he may simply worst that traditional be a heroic footballer; to a young English manhood has girl, the dashing and stylish to offer: there was no husband of a pop star; to a violence. t thirtysomething dad he may show (© PANOS-UK) it’s still possible to be ‘cool’ and a good father. [David Beckham now plays for Real His ‘influence’ on masculinity Madrid.] is not so much to actively Duncan Millar is a British freelance eradicate traditional ideas, as to journalist with a keen interest in give currency and validation to football. 18 - 24 JULY 2003 12 FROM THE NEPALI PRESS THIS PAGE CONTAINS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI PRESS NEPALI TIMES #154

Interview with Ram Bahadur Thapa (Badal) in carry out searches in all kinds of places. About laying down our arms, not after giving them up. Himal Khabarpatrika 17-31 July raising money: the Code of Conduct prohibits forced extortion, if people give us money How about abductions? Himal: ThereWhere have been reports of major voluntarilycan it doesn’t say we can’t wetake it. putWho has been abducted? Youour have to guns? violations of the ceasefire Code of Conduct by understand that first. We have taken action your group. Isn’t it impossible not to give money to a party against fake Maoists who have extorted people. Badal: Soldiers who are supposed be in the barracks that is armed? The UML cadre are pretending to be Maoists in are patrolling the streets, is that following the It used to be difficult to get in touch with our party. order to tarnish our image. How do you expect us guidelines? Did we import 3 billions worth of Now we have an office where anyone can contact us. to react only politically against such people? weapons? Did we have a military agreement with the And if there is proof, anyone can come and tell us Americans that invites them on our soil? Violations we have done something wrong. Is it possible to negotiate with a government of the Code of Conduct are being carried out by the with whom you say you have reached a old regime, not us. Our activities are only political, So, you have followed the Code of Conduct to the strategic culminating point? and they are within the guidelines. letter? It would be a big mistake to think that we have We don’t say we have followed it 100 percent. come to negotiate after reaching the So, carrying weapons and raising money is Mistakes may have been made, but these are culminating point. We agreed to talks because allowed? negligible. The main thing is that a party engaged we felt that using the weapons we took up to

So, where do we keep our guns? Peasants carry guns in an armed struggle has come to the negotiating empower the people would invite disaster. If the MIN BAJRACHARYA and also till their farms. They don’t let our militia table and to do that it has put forth a few government or the Royal Nepali Army thinks we stay in one place, and if they do they are accused conditions. Even our leader, Comrade Prachanda should give up our weapons, they are mistaken. of setting up a military camp. They don’t let us carry has admitted to some mistakes, criticised those We will give our weapons to the people, to the them, what kind of Code of Conduct is this? And the instances and apologised. What you have to government constituted through a constituent army is allowed to go into the alleys with guns and understand is that we have come to the talks after assembly.

of secularism again, but later communist Man Mohan Adhikari encourage racism under the influence shown that peaceful protest is much at stake. And a democratically elected

○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○ decided the status quo should be into office when he underwent all of Hindu extremist organisations, more effective than cowardly murders. government is expendable if US YubarajAlready Ghimire secular Kantipur, 14 July maintained. A decade later, the the Hindu observances on his Nepali society is, by and large, secular That Shrestha has discarded Maoist interests are not served. rebelling Maoists and the agitating mother’s passing. Similarly, in nature. Therefore demanding state methods to take up peaceful protest In the congratulatory message to Twenty-five years ago, Indian five parties have once again brought despite being a communist, secularism is irrelevant. If this is done is a triumph for democracy in King Gyanendra on his birthday, socialist thinker Kishan Patnayak up the subject, except now they are Madhab Kumar Nepal offered to leverage political ambitions, be Nepal. President Bush praised the monarch’s asked BP Koirala of the Nepali brandishing it as a weapon against prayers at a south Indian temple warned: Hindu extremism could taint commitment to democracy and peace,

Congress if he thought it was the king. They reason that if Nepal nine years ago, because as deputy our country. and lauded his intention to hold ○○○○○○

necessary to declare Nepal a secular were to cast aside its Hindu status, prime minister on a state visit he ○○○○○○○○○○ elections in the foreseeable future. We country. The latter replied that it would make redundant the king’s represented a Hindu kingdom. It Drishti,We the 15 July people learnt this bit of news only through

although Nepal was constitutionally position as a Hindu ruler. is in this light that we can view ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Bush’s felicitations. This did not come a Hindu kingdom, secularity was Secularism is commendable Maoist leader Baburam AnamikaUn-violent in Punarjagaran Maoist, 15 July In her recent unofficial visit to Nepal, as an unexpected surprise to most practiced, intercaste marriages were because it allows plurality of Bhattarai’s recent pilgrimage to former Pakistani president Benazir Nepalis who suspect Thapa was accepted and religious extremism religions and teaches each to respect Mankamana temple with his The Maoists took up weapons to Bhutto told Girija Prasad Koirala that nominated prime minister with US was rare. Koirala also said secularism the other’s faith. Nepali society parents. spearhead social changes, but one of its “democracy and Nepal and Pakistan blessings. was not something that had to be showed a measure of its secular What we need now is for the leaders Rabindra Shrestha defeated the are in danger, but the international In another press release, the US guided by law as much as it needed character when it elected GP Koirala, political parties to explain and government by observing a peaceful vanguards of democracy are embassy blamed the agitating political to be adopted by social institutions. even after he refused to observe justify how their contradictory hunger strike. The government gave in unconcerned”. There is little doubt parties for ruining Nepal’s tourism, During the 1990 People’s mourning rituals after his mother’s characters fit into the framework and agreed to fulfil some of his who she was alluding to. Pakistan has even though it is fully aware that the Movement the UML raised the issue death, and conversely by voting of secularism. Despite a few who demands for jail reform. It might seem been getting pats on the back from the protest is peaceful and demands the like defeat at first glance, but the Thapa United States for its stand against restoration of democracy. The US government has won the moral high terrorism despite President Musharraf seems more concerned about Nepal’s ground by accepting Shrestha’s juggling with democracy at home. tourism than its democracy. demands. The party that Rabindra And US interest in Nepal has become Democracy imported from Shrestha represents has already killed increasingly evident. Washington, New Delhi and thousands and is detested by millions There have been reports of US Downing Street can only be a ‘market of Nepalis. The Maoists are now pressure against the political parties democracy’. Nobody doubts US eagerly seeking a partnership with other agitating against the October Fourth commitment to democracy and peace, political parties. Rabindra Shrestha’s move. There are double standards at but its double standards have made hunger strike might have imparted work here. Even tyrants will be pro-democracy forces in Nepal some lessons to the Maoists: he has crowned democrats if their interests are suspicious of its true intentions.

Talks. Talks. Rajdhani, 17 July

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The Nepal government has taken a face saving way out in the name of resolving the Bhutani refugee issue...it is absurd that the same verification team that made this controversial and untrustworthy decision should be carrying out the appeals procedure. There should be an independent third party involved.”

- German ambassador to Nepal, Rudriger Lemp, quoted in Kantipur, 17 July. 18 - 24 JULY 2003 HISTORY AND CULTURE NEPALI TIMES #154 13 NEPALITERATURE by MANJUSHREE THAPA

keeping her hands turned up Hajoor! he says, Mother! I’m dying and cries before me My son went to the battlefield and died And then my tears wash him away— He disappeared, he never came back That’s why It’s all blood! He says save me, mother I’ve come begging, a supplicant of pity and my son flows downstream, away from me The wound in my heart is infected The aged mother sits crying at the embassy My perspiration congeals like pus begging for her son I, a mother who has withstood birth pangs can’t withstand the pangs of a grieving parent Another poem for the times is the one below by Urmila Kumari My son who till yesterday filled my lap, playing— Chaudhari ‘Udasi’, who writes originally in the Tharu language. The a share of my blood, a morsel of my flesh, melancholy she expresses is one that women throughout Nepal would my love, my joy, my womb, my affection, my child easily identify with, living as they do with the constraints posed upon —my son who cuddled against me is lost today: them by society, their own families, and their own colonized minds. where has he gone? Selling his blood to beg for the alms of a life while wandering foreign lands all in return for a chance to fill his empty pot all in his eagerness to receive a handful of alms MyUrmila mind Kumari is Chaudhari not ‘Udasi’at peace Hajoor, my son has now mingled with the field of duty He’s received death alms The cannon has swallowed him How can I walk forward to dispense faith Some of the truest literary expressions of Nepali life today are And I no longer feel hunger when I am mired in a society of disbelief? coming not from works in the Nepali language, but from poems and I feel no desire to patch the rags on my back How can I start to grow scented flowers stories written in the national languages. All I need now are blood alms when the behavior of our society is fetid? As former Gurkha soldiers engage in legal battle to win See how my back trembles I don’t want to die— How, with my inner soul, can I take pity compensation that equals that earned by their British counterparts, I’d rather bear these pangs of a grieving parent on those who play with the lives of women? Bairagi Nata Magar’s poem, below, reminds us of the losses that That’s why I’ve come to this embassy How can I struggle to truly define life Nepalis have suffered fighting foreign wars. The poem was originally begging for the alms of my blood son before a society which idealizes falsehood? written in the Magar language, and then translated into Nepali before it Pointing to a nearby statue she says— My mind is not at peace for a moment found its way into English, below. That statue bearing a khukuri that is my son An uproar is taking place within me See: there’s no blood on his body He has turned into stone I had wanted to laugh with a brightly lit heart daubed with the colors of modernity but a row of tears always dims my eyes His eyes stuffed with sapphires my son is now blind I had wanted to traverse a world filled with flowers AnBairagi aged Nata Magarmother begs for blood alms Give me my blood son I want to clasp him to my heart But thorns and needles always bar my way and extract the scorching bullet that killed him An aged mother begs for blood alms at the embassy Because my son, that piece of my blood, Both these poems, and other works from the national languages, Hajoor, give me something She cups her palms appears in my dreams these days Lying on the battlefield, are found in Rastriya Bhasaka Kabita published by the Royal Nepal With tears streaming down her face she sobs splashing in a pool of blood he tries to extract the bullet Academy.

BOOK REVIEW by CK LAL

AnotherRed-faced compendium that tries to pare Maobadis open the layers of the insurgency. espite what Comrades Badal and Apparently, we aren’t going to be an Nepal will only grow as the world they get into the press often and usually Mahara have been saying at Afghanistan, if that is any consolation. grapples with the ever-present threat of in their own terms. But that doesn’t public fora in Kathmandu after But then ‘US intervention’ is no more guerrilla warfare everywhere. The best justify the absence of official views in Dcoming above ground, the Maobadis just a threat, it’s a hard reality of way, perhaps the only way, to fight this book. Two overt propaganda pieces seem desperate to rescue the talks. This hyperpower geo-politics. The safe these guerrilla organisations is not to let by Li Onesto take up nearly 60 pages, for no other reason than the impatience houses of Siliguri will never be the same them form in the first place. but the Royal Nepali Army doesn’t of their field cadre. Once the rains are again. Condy Rice just needs to turn on Kaplan may not readily admit it, even get a hearing on Dunai or Holeri. over, the leaders better have something the burner in Washington, and it will but there is more to the ‘root cause’ In fact this anomaly is an indication of concrete to show for their efforts. get uncomfortably hot for Maobadi theory than mere post-facto justification the trend where ‘objectivity’ of Surya Bahadur Thapa knows this commissars in New Delhi. of violence. Desperados are born when journalism often translates into well, so he is prolonging the It’s not for nothing that Mahara grievances—real or imagined—are ambivalence towards atrocities of the preparations for talks to suit his own & Co are exhausting curses on the allowed to fester. Once that happens, insurgents on the one hand and political convenience. The mediators and Americans while remaining unusually there is never any dearth of ambitious compulsions of the government to be human rights activists who met the quiet about Indian ‘expansionists’. leaders ready to pounce upon the ruthless on the other. Prachanda-Baburam duo recently in the CCOMPOSA may urge the world to opportunity of an alluring shortcut to It is not just the state, even civil New Delhi suburb of Noida recently look at the Himalaya, as they just did political success. society chose to ignore the dire know that Thapa knows, so even they after the RIM meet in Chattisgarh last In editing the compendium predictions of a brewing insurgency by will not be insisting too much on any week, but Maobadis know that Understanding the Maoist Movement R Andrew Nickson and Stephen L preconditions for resumption of after 9/11, South Asia will never be of Nepal, Deepak Thapa has opted for Miksell. But then, did Maoist negotiations. the same again. variety over authority. A comprehensive insurgency begin as a conspiracy to Once the third round of talks begin, For the government, the introduction and five chapters cover the undermine the legitimacy of government negotiators are likely to discomfiture of Maobadi leaders is a entire gamut of Maoist phenomenon in democratic regimes? This volume has discover that their Maoist counterparts unique opportunity to lure the Nepal. But such a comprehensive nothing to offer on Koirala’s ‘Grand have suddenly developed extraordinary insurgents back into the mainstream. treatment does have its pitfalls. There is Design’ theory. sensitivity for the sovereignty and Instead of the usual brinkmanship of an out and out trashy piece about Even though this book is a territorial integrity of the country. Alas, royal nominees, Thapa now needs to Comrade Prachanda’s drinking habits collection of previously published it’s already too late to do much about it. show vision and statesmanship. If (two big glasses of fresh frothy buffalo material, it succeeds in broadening a If Robert Kaplan’s piece in the current handled properly, we might even see milk straight from the udder at the reader’s understanding of the Maoist issue of Atlantic Monthly (see also Maoist militia recruits heading for crack of dawn) by journalist SNM phenomenon in Nepal. (A brutal Daniel Lak, p5) is true, the Americans ‘stabilisation’ duty in Iraq! The Abdi alongside a scholarly paper on the insurgency can hardly be called a are already here. necessity of ‘moral ambiguity’ is an anthropology of the Kham Magar ‘movement’, as the title of the book It appears that the Maoist fears of essential component of Kaplan’s maxim country by Anna de suggests.) Kaplan must get a copy, if Pax Americana were not as far fetched as of ‘Supremacy by Stealth’. Sales. he doesn’t have one already. t Comrade Prachanda had made them If we are confused today about Though they sound in his bombastic press releases. Maoist motives, that is much truer of are grouped under In an interview (http:// the past seven years. It is still a mystery different chapters, as Understanding the Maoist www.theatlantic.com/unbound/ how a ragtag bunch of frustrated a reader it’s very Movement of Nepal interviews/int2003-06-18.htm) Kaplan politicians and social misfits succeeded difficult to see the Deepak Thapa (ed) brackets Nepal with Colombia and the in igniting a wildfire insurgency in connection. Maoists Martin Chautari, Kathmandu Philippines as examples for ‘the future such a short time. The importance of have been adroit pp (xx)+395 of US intervention in world affairs’. understanding the Maoist movement in media managers, and Rs 475 18 - 24 JULY 2003 14 CITY NEPALI TIMES #154 ABOUT TOWN BOOKWORM

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NEPALI WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL VIS -17-07-2003 02:00 GMT Following three consecutive weeks of rain, the monsoon on FM 102.4 is now taking a breather. The next low pressure circulation is hovering over the Bay of Bengal, as this Daily 2045-2115 BBC g]kfnL ;]jf satellite picture taken on Thursday morning shows. That Daily 2245-2300 BBC mass is headed our way and should arrive by early next g]kfnL ;]jf week to dump more rain in eastern and central Nepal. Sun-Fri 0740- 0800 Ps}l5g\ -/]l8of] klqsf_ The current pressure pattern that governs distribution of Sun-Fri 0800- 0830 8anL -ljifout cGt/lqmof_ Kathmandu rainfall indicates the monsoon is maturing, bringing hefty local passing showers without thunder and strong Sun-Fri 2000- 2030 cfhsf s'/f -;d;fdlos ljifodf ax;_ winds. Mostly, the rains will fall conveniently at night, Sat 0800- 0830 leaving bright sunny mornings. zflGt cleofg Sat 1930- 2000 cfrf/ ljrf/ -e|i6frf/lj?4 ;xsfo{_ KATHMANDU VALLEY Sat 2000- 2030 s"6gLlts d~r Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Radio Sagarmatha P.O. Box 6958, Bakhundole, Lalitpur, Nepal S S S S S Tel: ++977-1-545680, 545681, Fax: ++ 977-1- 530227 30-19 31-19 31-20 29-18 28-19 E-mail: [email protected], www.radiosagarmatha.org /]l8of] ;u/dfyf 18 - 24 JULY 2003 NEPALI TIMES #154 15 NEPALI SOCIETY

wo rival private into television.” In the slick exciting and technically Bhusan’sterrestrial television new studio at Kantipur, firesidesuperior channel for channels Kantipur Bhusan doesn’t mind Kathmandu Valley. His TTelevision and Image Metro admitting that he has learnt colleagues say he is a hands-on were launched this week. through mistakes, using every boss, looking at concept, design They have one thing in opportunity that came his and execution of not just his common: Bhusan Dahal. The way. own program, Fireside, but suave and self-assured 37- The Sri Lanka-based other broadcasts as well. year-old chief producer at international channel, Young “TV is a huge challenge,” Kantipur Television helped Asia Television enabled he says, “one needs to be able establish both stations. Bhusan to broaden his to translate ideas into pictures Today, Bhusan is thrilled by horizons, but there was continuously and effectively.” the strides that television in something missing. “I realised Leading a handpicked team of Nepal has taken, both the importance of working and 150 people from journalists to technically and content-wise. creating something in your beauty queens, Bhusan is Bhusan’s career graph is own country,” he says. So he keenly aware of his impressive: from a rookie returned, joined Image responsibility to owners of the reporter at Nepal Television Channel which at that time station who have already 15 years ago, a stint at Young produced software for NTV invested Rs 500 million in the Asia Television in Colombo, and helped launch venture. But Bhusan has his three years at Image Channel, Divyadrishtee which didn’t eyes set on the future, when to the production house work out. Bhusan is the network will broadcast Divyadrishtee, and then to philosophical about that not just in the capital but to Kantipur Television. Most particular loss. “It was ahead of the rest of Nepal. viewers still remember Bhusan its time and there weren’t But what of the from his Sunday Pop program enough buyers for our competition? Bhusan is clear on Nepali TV, which at the production,” he says. about the task ahead. “it’s time was the only program on But at Kantipur going to be survival of the English music. “I was really Television, Bhusan is in his fittest.” It looks like Bhusan is raw then,” Bhusan recalls, element: using his wide doing better than just “but NTV gave me invaluable experience to create a vibrant, surviving. He’s thriving. t experience and got me hooked (Hemlata Rai) MIN BAJRACHARYA 18 - 24 JULY 2003 16 NATION NEPALI TIMES #154 NEPAL IN THE FOREIGN PRESS

ð from p1 Till press time, there was no necessarily want to derail the reaction to the Bhutani refugee answer from Bhattarai to the peace process, but they want to verification results which seems to Backprime minister’s letter. The future todelay it because conditionsthe are havegun? irked New Delhi no end. In of the talks now seems to rest on not right to resume talks at the midst of heightened Indo-US that answer, and whether it present. tensions over Nepal, the Maoists addresses the points that More than the Maoists, it have gone all out to attack Baburam Bhattarai laid out when appears that the government “American imperialism” but have Surya Bahadur Thapa became wants to deliberately let things remained mysteriously silent prime minister six weeks ago. drift a bit. The thinking could be about India. Kathmandu’s These include whether or not to widen what is seen as a relations with New Delhi, agreements made with the earlier growing rift between the meanwhile, is still stuck with little negotiating team about the army grassroots cadre and the Maoist or no progress in any of the being restricted to five km of leadership. And the Maoist bilateral border, trade, security barracks is still valid, and the response to this could be a and political issues. government’s position on army premeditated disappearing act On the ground, the ceasefire mobilisation. that will send alarm bells ringing. has been a period in which a Paradoxically, there hasn’t Those alarm bells have rung, and dangerous new arms race has really been a major violation of the Nepali public is increasingly started between the two forces. the six-month old ceasefire. It’s apprehensive that fighting may While the Maoists have been just that the peace talks started in resume any day, taking the war training and smuggling in May got stuck after the Thapa into a more vicious and brutal weapons, explosives and government replaced Lokendra phase. ammunition, the Royal Nepali

Bahadur Chand. So who is trying There have also been changes Army has been augmenting JAMES BROOKE in KATHMANDU ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ to wreck the ceasefire? Some in the regional geopolitics in the hardware and adding men-under- ending her way through political analysts say both the past month: the India-China arms. There have been media the Hindu temples and palace and the Maoists may not rapprochement after Vajpayee’s reports of major hauls of Nepal- internet cafes of Beijing visit, the strong American bound arms and ammunition for downtown Kathmandu, an to the Maoists in Bangladesh and in W American rara avis was spotted Uttar Pradesh this month. Nepal during Everest anniversary Sagarmatha National Park, which letter to give to the porters at In fact, except for the absence celebrations in late May: an includes Mount Everest, there were the next village,” said Darsney, MIN BAJRACHARYA of major battles, the ceasefire elegant woman wearing a T- 3,000 trekkers, almost double the an Alaska-based photographer period has been characterised by shirt that read, Hilton Head 1,700 registered in April 2001. who has made at least a dozen competition between the two Polo Team. In Nepal, where In recent years, the tourism visits here in recent years. sides over who can violate more affluent American tourists are fall was as fast and as traumatic as Addressing porters who charge provisions of their agreed upon few, this confirmed sighting a slip on a Himalayan ice field. the equivalent of $19 to carry a Code of Conduct. t could signify a rebirth of “The last five years were the 100-pound load for six hours, he American tourism and trekking worst in our 25 years,” said said: “They wrote: ‘You are in a nation more associated in Shyam Bahadur Panday, owner of charging the foreigners too recent years with Maoists than the Nepali Shangri-La Hotel much.’” with mountaineers. Group and a member of the “You see a lot of them Over four years of guerrilla Nepal Tourism Board. wandering around with the rebellion, the number of The guerrillas are not known camouflage, with their red flags international arrivals dropped to have killed any Western and slogans,” Darsney said of 57 percent, down to 215,900 tourists. In interviews, their guerrillas in an area in central last year. But in January, a leaders repeatedly stress that they Nepal, far from Everest, where ceasefire was signed between the favour international tourism here. he hiked and climbed in mid-May. Maoist guerrillas and the Krishna Bahadur Mahara, third Last fall the government issued government. In the four months ranking in the Maoist hierarchy, permits to 55 climbing groups, since then 18 people in this said in an interview in largely Americans and Europeans, nation of 24 million have been Kathmandu in May: “As far as the a 29 percent jump over the same killed in political violence, tourism industry is concerned, we period in 2001, according to down from about 1,800 in the very much encourage it. This figures compiled Lisa Choegyal, an same period last year. country needs tourism.” American who promotes The first to notice the In a country where high adventure tourism in Nepal. decline were Nepal’s unemployment forces many to But for many Americans who neighbours, China and India. emigrate, the tourism industry have never visited, last year’s During the first four months of employs 250,000 people. “Not a toll of violence, 4,655 dead, has this year, Chinese tourist single tourist has been killed by made them think twice about arrivals jumped by 25 percent the guerrillas in Nepal in the last coming this year. “I would have and Indian arrivals by 31 seven years,” Narayan Singh Pun, had 12 people here; I had six,” percent. Now, with all the the government’s negotiator in Chuck Demarest, a Colorado favourable publicity emanating peace talks with the Maoists, said businessman, said minutes from celebrations surrounding in an interview.” But in two before receiving a Nepali the 50th anniversary of the first separate attacks last fall, the government climbing medal in a ascent of Mount Everest, Nepal Maoists killed two Nepali guards 50th anniversary celebration. tourism promoters are at the American Embassy. The Demarest, who reached the convinced that Americans, current United States summit of Everest in 1998, said Europeans and Japanese will Government consular information that some friends and family return for the trekking season, sheet on Nepal warns that the declined his invitation to come which starts in mid-August. unpredictable nature of Maoist to Kathmandu. “People were “It’s upbeat,” said Deepak attacks “increases the likelihood scared about the Maoists, that Upraity, general manager of the that Americans in Nepal could be the ceasefire would break Shangri-La Hotel, Kathmandu. caught in the wrong place at the down,” he said. But after Referring to a tourism fair in wrong time.” It warns against widespread American and Tokyo, he said: “We have people travelling at night, on public European coverage of the who were recently in Japan. They buses and during general strikes. anniversary events, including were saying it is going to be an It also warns that guerrillas often interviews with Sir Edmund excellent season.” Even before the demand “donations” from tourists Hillary, hoteliers now are Everest anniversary on 29 May, passing through their rural areas. betting on the Everest effect. there were indications that Trekking to the base of Navnet Nagpal, manager of the tourism might be turning a corner. Manaslu peak in May, five Yak & Yeti Hotel, said of flights In April, arrivals reached 20,799, months after the information that link this Himalayan capital up 15 percent over April of last sheet was written, Scott Darsney with India’s three largest cities: year. At Namche, the traditional said he saw a different side to the “The flights are coming in gateway for treks in the guerrillas. “The Maoists gave us a chockablock.” t 18 - 24 JULY 2003 DANCE NEPALI TIMES #154 17

The dance of devotionlinked to the legend of the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva as Nataraja. Traditionally performed to Karnatic music, the dancer follows a very stylised linear sequence. The dancer begins with an invocation, a prayer to a deity, with bells strapped to the ankles, generating energy with the feet to complex rhythms. Then, stretching the limbs and preparing the body, basic movement and interpretation of emotions are gradually introduced. The main segment, varnam (colour), is a detailed and elaborate combination of pure dance and abhinaya. The finale, thillana, is pure dance again. It requires a mastery over the technique of movements to achieve grace, balance, suppleness, physical endurance and a faultless sense of rhythm. Bharatnatyam is characterised by clean angular lines of movement. The key postures require the upper part of the body to be erect, the legs bent halfway fleeting glimpse on audiences will have a chance to watch more than 2,000 years ago depict down with the knees spread out, Doordarshan as we channel one of India’s best-known young girls dancing for the deity. and the feet positioned like a half- surf is the most Bharatnatyam Bharatnatyam artists, Priyadarsini It was a rocky road from open fan. Practically every member many of us see. Limited exposure Govind (see interview, pic top) esteemed temple dancers to of the body has a distinct leads to generalisations about this perform. The origins of successive waves of Mughal movement. None of this comes A3,000-year-old devotional dance Bharatnatyam can be traced to the occupation till the British Raj, by without extensive training and form. A shame, really, because temple and court culture of south which time the dance was close to single-minded devotion to the Bharatnatyam is more than just doe- India. The earliest form was becoming extinct. In the 1920s a craft—a minimum of six years is eyed damsels in rich silks going dasiattam, performed by girls who revival of Bharatnatyam was usually required before a dancer is through complex motions. It is art were given to the temple by their attempted by E Krishna Iyer, a considered ready to present a full mixed with devotion. parents to live as devdasis, servants lawyer from Madras. Frustrated by recital on stage. This weekend, Kathmandu of God. Murals and sculptures from lack of support, he studied the Today the dance has dance and began performing for the incorporated elements outside the affluent elite to raise funds. It took Natya Shastra. Both sexes can another decade for Rukmini Devi, a practice and teach, where dancer and activist, to establish the traditionally teachers were men and Kalakshastra institution. dancers women. Traditionalists do An extremely precise dance not waver from the old ways, but

style, Bharatnatyam is danced with the new generation of Bharatnatyam

○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○‘A complete art’ SRADDHA BASNYAT Learning to dance at the age of six was only to be expected by young knees bent in a basic stance called dancers is keen to experiment. Priyadarsini. All other children her age were put in dance class by their parents, araimandi where the body is Bharatnatyam is performed and it was part of growing up at Chennai in Tamil Nadu, the seat of divided into three triangles. Nritta, internationally and has many new Bharatnatyam. or pure steps, refers to the cultural ambassadors. Some like Three years later, Priyadarsini gave her first performance, known as technique of movement and nritya, Anjana Banerji are setting arangetram (arang- “to go up” and -etram- “stage”). “It was like a wedding,” she is an expression of a mood or story Rabindranth Tagore’s poetry to recalls. Parents pay hefty sums, and the debut dance separates the wheat from through pantomime and a rich dance, while US-based Rajika Puri the chaff. After the arangetram, students know whether they’ll stick with it. Afterall, Bharatnatyam demands a lifetime of dedication. language of gesture. The body must and flamenco artist La Conja Like any good student, Priyadarsini tells us she had very good teachers. move in grace and balance successfully performed ‘fusion’ Guru Swamimalai K Rajarathnam and Smt Kalanidhi Narayanan could see remaining supple while dances in the United States and Priyadarsini’s talent. “In our culture the teacher student relationship is very demonstrating physical endurance even in India. special, alive, interactive. We need inspiring teachers who see us as vessels to and a perfect sense of rhythm. For It may not yet have mass pass on what they’ve learnt. Both my teachers were inspiring,” Priyadarsini told abhinaya, or expressions, the appeal, but Bharatnatyam has us in an interview in Kathmandu, where she has arrived for a series of endured thirty centuries of performances sponsored by the Indian Embassy. dancer relies on a repertoire of Bharatnatyam to Priyadarsini is many things. “It’s catharsis, it’s a release, a hand gestures and facial recorded human history. And it way of life, something to enjoy, movement, art…it’s a complete art. And it lends expressions to communicate the still mesmerises. t itself most beautifully to the mind of the dancer.” Priyadarsini puts this aspect meaning of the poem or song. of the dance to work most exquisitely during abhinaya, the communication of The theme is devotional love— poetry through visual language. a love for god that is at once This is because the dance is a mental exercise calling for an individual physical, emotional and spiritual approach. “Give me four lines of poetry, the music and it’s meaning. I analyse the lines, the characters involved and create visual poetry. It’s very challenging characterised by human emotions to bring alive the poetry. Abhinaya touches people, and not only people, but also like jealousy, anger, happiness, the artist.” Along with traditional music, Priyadarsini has also used Sufi poetry playfulness, betrayal. The dancer is and gazals to connect audiences all over the world with her divine art. a devotee yearning to be united with an eternal hero, a deity, Priyadarsini Govind will perform at the BICC at 5PM on 19 July. Entry is by passes only, available at perhaps Krishna, Ram, Vishnu or the Indian Embassy (4410900) and Nepal Bharat Sanskritik Plaza RNAC Building (4243497). She Shiva. Like other Indian classical will also conduct a workshop at Padmakanya Campus 18 July from 10AM onward. Entry open to all. dances, Bharatnatyam is strongly 18 - 24 JULY 2003 18 NEPALI TIMES #154

Under byMy Kunda Hat Dixit

fforts by the travel and tourism trade to promote Meetings, international language’. However, a delegation of Boston Brahmins which subcontinent came together to push for a restoration of democracy in each Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) in Nepal finally wanted to discuss ‘Greater tolerance of theUnconventional views of upper caste Americans’ others countries so that they can get backtourism to doing whatever hankypanky appear to be paying off. People from all known human sub-species, was hooted off the podium. they were engaged in before being unceremoniously unseated. political affiliations, and caste backgrounds are suddenly descending on our Aside from the fact that we Brahmins are directly descended from God The closed-door conference unanimously elected ex-prime minister fair city to hold seminars, workshops and hunger strikes. (which means we have a fast-track to heaven when the time comes to go) Benazir Bhutto as Chairperson, ex-general Hussain Mohammad Ershad of EThey have found that Kathmandu is an ideal venue for such events being a Brahmin has a lot of other fringe benefits. As general sales agents Bangladesh as General Secretary and ex-prime minister Girija Prasad because of its scenery, salubrious climate and complete freedom to stage here on Earth for the Almighty, Brahmins get a cut from all transactions Koirala of Nepal as Treasurer. Deceased heads of non-South Asian street protests that bring traffic to a standstill outside the International between the spiritual and temporal planes. Being divine middlemen, we also countries like ex-President Dr Hastings Banda of Malawi and ex-President Unconventional Centre. All this augurs well for the future development of our have broadband access for all communications between heaven and earth. Papa Doc Duvalier of Haiti have been granted special observer status in tourism industry, and if present trends are any indication, we could even Lately, there has been some heavy two-way traffic and to accommodate the future EPMOSA meetings. contemplate bidding to host the 2009 Allahabad Kumbha Mela in Nepal. added workload, the International Convention of Brahmins has decided in MICE tourism promoters in Nepal have also got inquiries from the This week saw Kathmandu chosen as the venue for the XVII its nine-point Kathmandu Declaration to open a permanent secretariat in Revolutionary International Movement (RIM) which wants to hold its next International Convention of Brahmins in which upper caste delegates from Nepal in recognition of this country’s ability to make no progress at all in International Convention of Underground Revolutionaries in Kathmandu. all over the world took part. After the plenary, participants broke up into socio-cultural reform. RIM says Nepal was chosen as a tribute to the rapid strides this country has sub-groups to discuss burning issues like: ‘Why don’t low caste people like This week also saw the annual get-together of the newly-formed Ex- taken in realising the goals of the international proletarian revolution and us?’, ‘Untouchability can prevent future SARS outbreaks’, ‘Imaginative new Prime Minister’s Organisation of South Asia (EPMOSA) in which deposed, global solidarity against parasitic running dog imperialist lackeys, traitorous uses for the holy thread’, and ‘Replacing English with Sanskrit as an ousted, retired and vanquished heads of state and government from the revisionist cliques and expansionist regional hegemons. t

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