-11 I r ~-j ..2) .... J.....J ) • Maoist Assault • PM Without Authority • Nepalese Channels Go On Satellite Longer lasting freshness, longer lasting smile ------- CONTENTS Page Letters 3 News Notes 4 Briefs 6 Quote Unquote 7 Off The Record 8 COVER STORY: BUDGET 2001 FinanceMinister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat Stresses on building the PRIME MINISTERIAL SYSTEM: Heading For CollapselO economy and checking public expenditure in the budget 200 I. Page 16 CHILD DENTAL CARE: Healthy Smiles 12 GOVERNANCE: Parties To Power 13 SATELLITE TELEVISION: Beyond National Frontiers 14 TOURISM: Counting On Recovery IS ICC TROPHY: Batting Blues 21 INION: Kuber Sharma 24 RESTAURANTS: Table Troubles 25 MAOIST ATTACK: Terror Continues , BOOK REVIEW 26 Rebels take advantage of weak government al the ce nter Page 9 THE BOTTOMLINE 27 FORUM: Rajendra K. Kshatri 28 FACETOFACE:Sunil PASTIME 29 Bhandari Former MP of Nepali Congress, Bhandari talks LEISURE 30 about the developments wi thin Ih c ruling party. Page 22 ENCOUNTER: Brigid Oconnor 32 SPOTLlGHT/JUL Y13. 2001 I SPOTLIGHT EDITOR'S NOTE THE NATIONAL NEWSMAGAZINE rvol. 21. No.3, July 13.2001 (Asar 29. 2058) L- he ensuing summit orlhe Pakistani and lndian leaders might have generated Chief Editor And Publisher high hopes in some hearts in South Asia. But. whether the meeting will usher Madhav Kumar Rimal in the atmosphere that might contribute to a lasting peace in the region is a Editor million dollar question few would find a sat isfactory answer. Even some Sarita Rimal lessening of tensions between the two feuding nations hinges on the crucial issue of Kashmir on which neither side is in a position to relent on its stance. Managing Editor er Keshab Poudet As such. the failure of any breakthrough on the issue at this juncture. is apt to end up in greater frustration. That the hapless people of Kashmir have suffered unimaginable Associate Editor miseries, deaths and destruction need no emphasis. For no fault of theirs they are groaning Bhagirath Yogi under imposed alien rule for more than five decades. The unwillingness of the United Senior Reporter Nations Organization to implement its own resolution hanging in balance for almost a half Sanjaya Ohakal century has clearly reflected its unjust and prejudicial behavior. Whatever be the reason Reporter behind its failure to reactivate the dormant resolution, the denial of the basic fundament I Akshay Sham," right to choose their own destiny 10 the people of Kashmir will keep on smearing the i m I of the United Nations for all time tocome. Any resolution ohhe vexatious problem without Design and Layout Jyoti Singh the paniciparion of the Kashmiri people would be nothing more than an Utopian dream. No country, howsoever big and strong, has any right (Q impose its wi ll on rhe poor Kashmiris. Photographer rn this age when 'Human Rights' has become the key phrase for all countries, how can the Nishchal Chapagain so call ed champions of human ri ghts keep on tolerating it s gross violations in Kashmir? Art Even though India is leaving no stone ullturned to humor the Pakistani leader. no M.S. Khokna sensible man would ever believe that the Pakistani general wou ld be caught unaware. Legal Advisor Despite the fact that friendly relations between Pakistan and India is in the greatest interest Advocate Lok Bhakta Aana of the region as a whole and our own coumryin particular, some how wc find it verydilTicult to feel completely reassured about the end of the summit. Our own sorry experience of more Marketing/Advertisement than five decades forbids u s to harbor high hopes on the objective magnanimity of the Sarit Aimal (USA) biggest and most powerful country of the region -India. Moreover. we cannm forgclthe Marketing most common adage. " if wishes were horses beggars would ride·' and we are more than Madan Kajl Basnet convinced that vacant rhetorics do never produce concrete results. So, wc will only kecp Navin Kumar Maharjan Madan Aaj Poudel our fingers crossed. At the same time. we wi ll keep on sin cerely praying for wisdom to prevail. Editorial Office * • • GPO Box 7256. Baluwatar, Kathmandu. Tel : (977·1) 423127, Fax : (977-1) 417845 I The budget for2058-59 presented in the parliament by finance minister Ram 5haran Mahat Chief Ed~ofs : 435594 a few days back has not generated any surprises. Or. Mahat has resisted tile temptation r-~ E-mail: [email protected] going down in Nepal's hi story as the first finance minister to present a 100 billion fliP Internet Add: http://www.nepalnews.com/ spotlight budgeL Overall reacti on on the budget from various sections of Nepalese society has been quite balanced. Since Mahat has been careful not to make the budget loo populist. he has Cover Design left little scope for adverse criti cism. As the real success of the hudget does not lie in its Wordscape presentation but in its efficient and fruitful implementation. being fully aware of the Kamal Pokhari, Ph : 410772. Fax: 432872 integrity of the politicians manning the government. the parliamentarians and the bureau­ Distribution cracy, even though harboring enough skepti cisl11 we will restrain ourself and not jump to Bazaar'1ntemationai hasty conclusion. But we wi ll nol hesitate to stale that if the govemment cannot resolve the 228 Sanchaya Kosh Bldg. Kathmandu G.P.O Box 2480, Ph: 222983 Fax: 229437 Maoist issue and the atmosphere of insecurity keeps on plaguing the couI1lry, nOI to say a-mait : [email protected] anything about this budget, no budget will be able to pull the country out oflhe recession. And as long Prime MinisterGirija Prasad Koirala keeps on sticking to the chair of authority Printers: Kishor offset Press (P.) Ltd. I P.O. Box 4665. Galkopakha, Thamel. chances of resolution orthe Maoists problem look very dim. So, if Mahat is keen to see his I Kathmandu,Tel:351044. (Off).351172(Res·)'1 budget produce some concrete result, he has to take a leaf oul of Koirala's book and step Fax: 977-1-351172, in his shoes, stan dialogues with the Maoists and give the country a new dynamic direction. E-mail: [email protected] His responsibility does not end with the presentation of the hudget. It has just begun . • C.D.O. Regd. NO<' 151/039-40 Pm.tal Rcgd. No Il pl~.. ~ 42/057/58 U.s. LIbraI)' of Congrl!Ss Madhav Kumar Rimal Catalogue No. 91 +905060 Chief EdilOr& Publisher 2 SPOTLlGHTIJULY 13,2001 , LETIERS _________________________________________________________ has been scarred ("Down But Not Out", SPOTLIGHT, July Troubled Tourism 6). To rescue the industry, all The continuing dete­ responsible sectors wlll have to rioration in the law-and­ play their part in a massive dam­ age-control exercise, which is order situation has hit the need of the hour. The Nepal Nepal's vital tourism in­ Tourism Board should not be dustry ("Down But Not made to shoulder this burden Out", SPOTliGHT, July alone. All concerned 6). Incidents oftragic pro­ organisations and individuals, including travel trade operators, portions have been visit­ the media and the people, have ing the COlll/try ill eerily to do their best to improve the regular intervals. Defi­ country's image abroad. Only nitely, tourists will think then can the tourism sector hope to stand straight as before. I1vice before landing in Nislla KIzallal Kathmandu, Above ev­ Dhobidhara erything else, they will consider the security sint­ Rising Radicalism ation. As things stand, the Since the restoration of future oftou rism appears democracy in 1990, Nepal's tra­ very shaky unless some ditional political forces have sense of nOl7l1alcy is re­ been replaced by more radical groups one after another. Be it stored urgelllly. the Maoists or other communist • Di~(:I[;)Il(lf Plans and Pllb~ llariRai forces, the rise of radical ideol­ • Mpt1atthy:Am:flw 9fSIIlbility • fdUtiUi<J:n Paf\l~f Repll!t Thapathali ogy will have a lasting impact on Nepal's security situation. It is unfonunate that the fall of race to feed pessimistic and de­ one of the toughest times in its NepaJ 's traditional forces is cre­ Spillover Effect pressing news, your cover story history ("Down But Not Out", ating havoc on the security of If the tourism sector col­ on (Qurism prospects ("Down SPOTLIGHT, July 6). After the our southern neighbour. First lapses. it will have a spillover But Not Out". SPOTLIGHT, sector was opened in 1960s, it the pane has were wiped out in effect on most sectors of July 6) came as a breath of fresh has registered gradual growth 1990, then the Nepali Congress aJese society ("Down But air. Strikes do happen in other contributing more and rnore to has been gradually weakened. ot Out'". SPOTLIGHT, July pans of the world, people are the national econorny. With so Following the unfortunate mas­ 6). From hotels to travel traders. also killed there, insurgency is much natural beauty 10 boast of sacre of royal family members, from restaurateurs to curia shop­ growing in rnany places. but and cultural identity to cherish, Nepal has lostanothertraditional owners and from street sellers that does not rnean that those Nepal will never lack interna­ pillar based on Hindu faith. If to fanners, everybody will be countries have closed shop as tional visitors-only if we can Nepal's traditional forces are affected. Thousands of jobs far as tourisrn is concerned. keep our house in order. Hope­ weakened in such a systematic could be lost. which. in turn. Touristsare regularly kidnapped fully, the current spate of vio­ manner, the very basic founda­ (;Quid trigger an economic melt­ in Philippines, violence is rag­ lence and tragedy will subside tion on which India can rely will down.