#229 7 - 13 JanuaryWe 2005 need 20 pages Rs 30 to talk ASIAN TSUNAMI Aruna Upreti and Daniel Lak in Tamil Nadu p4 Talk or vote: Deuba's ultimatum to the Maoists expires next week Another Krakatoa p5 post-tsunami future p15 NAVIN SINGH KHADKA here is one week to go for the ability to restore peace. We ain't seen nothing yet p17 T 13 January ultimatum the Political analysts say the government set for the UML doesn’t really have any Maoists to come for talks. other option but to stay on in Otherwise, it is ready to push government, and it would be Weekly Internet Poll # 169 through with elections by April. more than happy to be at least Q. Do blockades hurt or benefit the Maoist cause? But the government will not partly in command of the state have to wait till next Thursday for machinery in future polls. For the Maoist response. Maoist chief Deuba, even a low turnout is Prachanda has already ruled out good enough for legitimacy in negotiations, warning: “Talks the eyes of the international Total votes:700 about elections will only mean community and to prove to the Weekly Internet Poll # 170. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com more bloodshed.” king that he has fulfilled his Q. Do you think the Outer Ring Road in In this showdown, the royal- mandate. Kathmandu is a good idea? appointed government of Sher Deuba has reportedly got the Bahadur Deuba is under pressure assurance from the security not just from the Maoists. Once apparatus that a multi-phase bitten twice shy, Deuba doesn’t election is possible, and a want to give King Gyanendra nationwide average of up to 40 another justification to sack him. percent turnout can be assured. He needs polls, any polls. Five-time prime minister For now, Deuba’s ministers are Surya Bahadur Thapa conducted talking tough. “Elections are our the 1980 referendum in which he mandate and moral obligation,” delivered a victory for the Information Minister Mohmmad ‘Panchayat with reforms’ camp. Mohsin told a radio interview on He thinks elections can be held. Wednesday, “It can be held, just “Practically it may be difficult, look at Afghanistan. But if we but technically it is possible to can’t hold elections we will step hold elections,” Thapa told us, down.” “but it is risky for Deubaji.” In July, while reluctantly There are plenty of skeptics reappointing a prime minister he who doubt elections can ever be had fired, the king’s terms of held in the current security reference were: restore peace and situation. There are grave doubts go for elections by the end of 2061 that campaigning is possible and BS. He didn’t say hold talks. voting itself will be free and fair. “Going by the king’s conditions, The Girija Congress likens this government simply does not Deuba conducting elections to a have the mandate to hold talks fox guarding the chicken coop, with the rebels and the Maoists and it is playing up security understand that,” points out uncertainties as a cover to political scientist Krishna oppose elections. But if Deuba Khanal. Which may be why the announces poll dates next week, rebels have rebuffed Deuba saying Girija will be in a dilemma about they will talk directly with his a boycott. boss. The real question is: will So, why did the government voters take the risk? Minister give the 13 January deadline to Mohsin has no doubt they will: the rebels? It could have been a “Just look at Dailekh, the people face-saving gesture on behalf of are waiting to exercise their the main coalition partner, the democratic rights. Whoever UML, which has joined the obstructs the process will be seen government by staking all on its as anti-democratic.” l KIRAN PANDAY 2 EDITORIAL 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #229

Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Desk Editor: Abha Eli Phoboo, Aarti Basnyat Design: Kiran Maharjan Web: Bhushan Shilpakar Advertising: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Subscription: Anil Karki, [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 01-5543333-6, Fax: 01-5521013 [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 01-5547018 A PEOPLE’S TSUNAMI ith a week to go for the government’s bullet-or-ballot W ultimatum to the Maoists, there is a sense of suspended animation. No one wants to do anything because no one wants to make a mistake. Given how we have blundered in the past 14 years, that may be just as well. Our political forces have shown a chronic inability to act even in enlightened self-interest, let alone in the national interest. One puzzling failure is political myopia that prevents politicians from figuring out who the real enemy is. Going by the people they have butchered over the past eight years, the villagers they have hounded, the school children they have abducted, the ordinary farmers and small businesses they have punished by blocking highways, the underground comrades are behaving as if their real enemies are the people of Nepal. Isn’t this supposed to be a ‘people’s war’? Aren’t they supposed to be for the people and by the people? Then why are they punishing the people? For its part, the monarchy is behaving as if its real enemy are the political parties, and not the revolutionary republicans at the gates. One of the most puzzling aspects of the post-October Fourth order is this baffling royal allergy towards politicians. True, some them are reprehensible, many were members of successive parliaments where they repeatedly displayed an absence of accountability that was breathtaking in scope. But they represent the people and democracy has this fabulous self-correcting mechanism to weed out crooks over time. Even for the longevity of his own dynasty, the king needs a buffer between himself and those who want to dethrone him. Panchayat- style divide-and-rule, political musical chairs and machination may buy him time, but it will not lengthen the monarchy’s life span. Then there are the political parties still out on the streets whose leaders have a stubborn fixation with procedures. They will oppose every idea to resolve the crisis if they are not a part of it. They will not allow a solution unless they get credit. October Fourth may have been a mistake that needs to be fixed, but what of the mistakes they made over and over again after 1990? Who is going to fix those? The party leadership seems incapable of distinguishing who its real enemy is: the monarchy or the Maoists. Who has been killing, torturing, threatening and driving out their own party cadre from the grassroots? Unless this political stalemate is broken, it will be a checkmate. And we can already hear the approaching wave. Monocracy may be tempting but it is an absolute dead-end. Democracy may be messy, but it is a mess we know how to fix.

L ETTERS

OUTER RING ROAD possible impact this road will have understand how Thapa, who is a adding petrol. Kathmandu may provide full support to McAllister for I have come across only one and prepare all necessary controls very respected urban planner and need an Outer Ring Road in the the cases filed against them by concrete reason for constructing even before starting the project. one of the chief architects of the future but that future is at least a these shameless defaulters. the Outer Ring Road: since the In Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, plan, can now claim that the road is decade away. D Mahat, Baltimore, USA distribution pipeline for the we have been fighting a losing Kathmandu’s future. No doubt, Bhushan Tuladhar, Melamchi project is being placed battle trying to preserve integrating infrastructure Clean Energy Nepal Shame on you Piyush Amatya for along the periphery of the valley, agricultural land. My concern is development and landpooling, as trying to say that a visa ban on a 50-metre ROW Ring Road might whether the legislative basis will proposed by Thapa, are good ideas l It is interesting to see how defaulters is against the ‘law of the as well be built along the same be laid down to make possible the but it is not clear how he plans to excited local planners and foreign land’ (“Why only pick on me?”, alignment. This project however implementation of a 60:40 ratio do it. donors get over projects in the reminds me of the time when my of green to built-up areas (‘A road Currently there are two schools Kathmandu Valley (‘A road to the father, architect Robert Weise, was to the future’, #228). Instead of of thought on the Outer Ring Road future’, #228). If they showed the called by the Anchaladish to plan containment of urbanisation, we and the demand for transport in same enthusiasm for out the new city of Bharatpur in seem to be heading for more Kathmandu. People in urban development work in other December 1960. When he got chaotic sprawl. Kathmandu want a solution to parts of the country, there there, he was told that the Kai Weise, Kathmandu traffic congestion and people and would be some balanced bulldozers were arriving the very politicians in rural Kathmandu want development that next day and that he should direct l Kishore Thapa’s article on the access and development in their everyone is talking about. them on the alignment of the proposed Outer Ring Road (‘A villages. Both are valid demands, Bhaju Man, roads. During the past 44 years, road to the future’, #228) creates but the Outer Ring Road will serve Kathmandu the planning process doesn’t seem more confusion than provides neither, at least not right now. To to have evolved greatly. Instead of answers. The first half of the address congestion, we need to DEFAULTERS jumping from one mega-project to article talks about the merits of revamp our transport system with I have full support for J the next, wouldn’t it be more the Kathmandu Valley Long Term facilities such as Inner Ring Road, Craig McAllister and his credible for the authorities to first Development Plan, which was improved intersections, better administration for going after show that they are in a position to prepared and endorsed by the traffic management and the defaulters (‘Willing to go successfully implement smaller, government two years ago by segregation of traffic. And to after defaulters’, #227). When the more intricate projects? Why publishing it in the Gazette. Page provide better access to rural law and policies don’t work, public pump in expensive water into a 47 of this plan, however, clearly Kathmandu, we should be thinking defamation is the least these banks leaking system? Why build a road mentions that the Outer Ring about radial roads that will connect can offer. Defaulters like Piyush out in the green when the inner- Road should not be constructed these villages to market centres. Amatya have damaged the city linkages don’t function? A and gives four reasons for this. Trying to solve today’s transport economic sector while working for road is a catalyst for urbanisation. One of the reasons is that the road problems with an Outer Ring Road their selfish goals. I only hope that We first need to comprehend the will promote urban sprawl. I don’t will be like trying to put out a fire by the legislative bodies in Nepal SUBHAS RAI NATION 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #229 3 The wrangling over the Rastra Bank governor is a symptom of A division of the spoils depoliticised polity ead honchos of the reigning wishes of the palace sworn by neo-liberal economics Hcoalition have been bureaucracy. in the post-1990 status quo. Such squabbling over the The five different forces a policy of creating uniformity nomination of a new governor for present in the de jure drove the marginalised towards the Nepal Rastra Bank for well government at Singha Darbar the violent politics of Maoists. over a week. Such unnecessary differ on almost every political, After October Fourth politicking over a routine administrative or economic issue splintered the badly fractured appointment is trivial and of any significance. polity even further, each pointless. Consequently, they end up political player tried to outdo After all, the governor’s job kowtowing to the diktat of the de the other in pleasing donors. description entails facto rulers behind the curtain. Diplomats have further implementing the wishes of the To a certain extent, the present intensified their campaign of government is a textbook creating unity between STATE OF THE STATE example of ‘consociational ‘constitutional forces’. These CK Lal arrangements’ prescribed by ended up justifying the Maoist donor community for developing claim that the international World Bank and the IMF without countries. Theoretically, community is intent on asking questions. Any Bijay, consociational institutions are prolonging the status quo. Bimal or Binod can take over supposed to cement highly Donors have therefore ended up from Tilak Rawal and it won’t divided societies to help the giving back-handed legitimacy make any difference at all. growth of democratic polity. In to the armed insurgents. The unseemly tussle between actual practice, such Political parties, whether in the the premier and his deputy is arrangements tend to induce government or in the streets, do also inconsequential. Once the meddling of the Invisible Hand not even figure in the power- phone rings from Narayanhiti, of the lending community to the games being played by the they will have to appoint that detriment of democracy. militia and military. nominee. In fact, this is equally Politics, by its very Once excluded from the applicable to all other definition, is the management of agenda-setting role that the appointments likely to be made differences over issues of parties are meant to play, they by the Constitutional common concern. In any have no other option but to Appointments Council as well. functioning democracy, engage themselves in the game The executive authority granted institutions are designed to of pulling each other’s plates. In by the king to his council of handle these differences. Most the ensuing confusion, outsiders ministers doesn’t include the are amicably settled at the often end up appropriating the power to choose high officials. executive level, some end up in lion’s share in the name of The public bickering proves courts, while the most vital resolving the conflict. the old adage about political issues are decided by the The recent wrangling over contest being nastiest when the legislature. Very few political appointments to public posts is stakes are lowest. Other than questions necessitate the use of merely a symptom of the deeper some pork barrel benefits, neither coercive arm of a democratic disease of a depoliticised Deuba’s letter-head party nor state. government. If the affliction Bharat Mohan Adhikari’s Hence, any attempt to spreads, it is sure to result in reformed communists will gain eliminate those who don’t agree total anarchy or totalitarianism. anything by pushing their choice is either authoritarian or In the history of politics, as a successor to an exemplary totalitarian. Repression, or the wrangles over the spoils of office non-performer at the Rastra Bank. fear of repression, is a way to have seldom been settled In places where a new create uniformity of views. amicably. The right way to appointee can make some Unanimity on vital issues of handle such challenges is still difference—justices of the political economy has been the the way of democracy with rule Supreme Court including its most conspicuous aspect of of law and a system of checks chief or the chairperson of the Nepali politics. To please the and balances to moderate claims Public Service Commission—they donors, almost every political and neutralise the possibility of will have to go along with the party, barring the Maoists, have excesses. l ROBIN SAYAMI

#227). It is the same law of the land was pouring in from some of "the course in human relationship their benefit. The point I’m trying to CORRECTION most unconventional that you disregarded when you management. Educationists and drive home is that these traffic rules The last two paragraphs in didn’t pay back the money you quarters…Nepal….East intellectuals function on the have been invented for the dual Timor…some of the poorest Rajendra’s Pradhan’s Guest borrowed from the Nepali public. It premise that their own personal purpose of having lesser congestion Column contribution ‘First to is people like you who have nations on earth.” It wasn’t the research and study can somehow as well as to accommodate the reference to being one of the come, first to go’ (#228) were enriched yourselves with complete extrude itself into the psyche of a different kinds of people that exist inadvertently dropped during disregard for the welfare of the poorest nations in the world that layman. in our societies. Even if those that gave me the jolt of pride once page layout. The concluding country that will someday have to Being self-centred, invented the rules were not as far paragraphs were: pay for your misdeeds. You have again of being Nepali but the fact individualistic, competitive and sighted as we’re making them out to actually admitted you are guilty that he'd said "Nepal"…N-E-P-A-L ambitious are traits of be, the fundamental fact that they and about us as a nation, as a ‘Except when physically when you say in the interview “the contemporary humans and are made the traffic rules in confronted by agents of the state others did it too, so why single me people united giving to those in generally regarded as urban traits. coordination with social demands is their hour of dire need. If only we (traffic police), people usually out”. These innate human drives also a great achievement in itself. follow their own rules. The Gyan Subba, email are able to be this united, this drive the drivers entrenched in Regardless of which culture and assertive, this decisive, this people’s traffic rules are an traffic regardless of which society country we talk about, the uneasy combination of hierarchy l The World Bank’s Ken Ohashi munificent to our own plight. we look at. In countries that have replacement of these traffic rules S B Shrestha, Kopundole based not on caste, but type of is right when he says that foreign ample and excellent traffic rules, and road sizes with what we have in vehicle, colour of the number managers had to be brought in to an outlet has been provided for Nepal will bring about the same plate and rugged, selfish clean up the state-owned banks and TRAFFIC DARWINISM these psychological traits to be self-centred reaction from people To acknowledge that Darwinisrn is individualism. their problem of non-performing unleashed. For example, the use there. Traffic practices produce and assets because of social and family at work in the anarchy of of four of more lanes is an The problems of traffic chaos Kathmandu’s traffic and the reproduce as well as reflect social connections. However, it looks like innovative means to maintain and the added mean spirited, self- relations, social structure and even when foreign managers try to anthropological questions it raises traffic as well as provide an option centered nature of the drivers has as Rajendra Pradhan does (‘First to culture of the urban, post-modern crack the whip there are howls of for more aggressive drivers to vent more to do with our onerous traffic Nepal in public spaces, protests from the immoral people come, first to go’, #228) is an whatever psychological mayhem is infrastructure than with interesting perspective. However, whereas in private and in who haven’t paid back the loans. going on in their minds. Slower anthropology. Civic sense plays an domestic spaces we are still rural, Name withheld, email we must also be pragmatic enough drivers have access to the left lane important role in any functioning to contemplate that vehicular pre-modern at heart. Until these whereas those willing to overtake or society but so do rules and attitudes, perceptions and rules PROUD TO BE NEPALI chaos is a fusion of the lack of civic simply drive faster within the regulations. Selfishness is not a concerning use of road space Been a long time since I felt proud sense and the lack or designated limit can use the right purely Nepali trait, given the mismanagement of traffic rules. and the hierarchy and status of to be Nepali. Till two days ago when lane. Buses use a separate lane circumstances even the most vehicles change, there is little I heard Jan Egeland the man the Kathmandu’s traffic sense will not that allows them easy access to conscientious and righteous people attain overnight enlightenment by hope for improvement in the UN has put in charge of the passengers and of course fall into the same category. capital’s traffic situation.’ tsunami relief effort, state that aid providing drivers with a crash pedestrians have a sidewalk for Shivendra Thapa, Kathmandu 4 #229 BodiesASIAN QUAKE of babies on the beach7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 Amidst the mass death in southern India, some living miracles

ARUNA UPRETI bodies of babies from the beach. out to Chennai that night. On that her son has just gone down clothes, no beds, no utensils, no in NAGGAPATTINAM I saw the bloated body of a child Wednesday morning we the road to buy some sweets. food, no livestock, no nets and who must have been three. A headed straight out along the Although there is now almost no no boats. Aside from the t was like any other beautiful little hand was sticking out of beach road that brought us to hope her son is alive, she has psychological trauma of day on the stretch of beach the side of the trailer from Naggapattinam. convinced herself he’ll return. bereavement and shock, many Inear Chennai. The breeze under a pile of corpses. This is one of the worst Along the coast is the village are wounded and the wounds from the Bay of Bengal was I have seen many horrors of affected regions of southern of MGR where I saw a soggy are getting infected. bracing, the sun glistened off natural and manmade disasters India and 45 women were unopened envelope, it was a But there are rays of hope, the azure ocean. The palm while working in Nepal, killed on just a few hundred letter from a certain heart-warming scenes of fronds swayed. Afghanistan and in the metres of shoreline here. “We Karunasaran in Riyadh to a Mr generosity and altruism. The only thing missing was aftermath of the earthquake in were working on the beach Kabitarma in the same village. I Thousands of volunteers from the presence of human beings. the Iranian city of Bam exactly a taking the fish out of the nets asked around but no one seemed all over India have come to The nearby village of Tarang year ago (see: ‘A future foretold’, when the waves arrived,” one to know of the man. I wrote a work in food distribution, Badi was almost completely #183). But nothing prepared me survivor told us. Their bodies letter to Karunasaran explaining doctors are running clinics in destroyed on the morning of 26 for this sight. I broke down on were recovered only the where I found his letter and of the camps and villages. Along December. A week after the the side of the road and wept. next day. the conditions I saw in MGR and the beaches, some fishermen disaster, the few survivors of My colleagues consoled and We heard many stories of posted it to the return address in are already trying to rebuild the village have moved to patted me, they let me get it out miraculous escapes but a lot Saudi Arabia. their houses salvaging what camps inland and they all have of my system. Just when you more stories of children being In camp after camp, the they can from the debris. Most tales of horror and miracles. think that as a professional you washed away. Almost survivors sit listlessly staring fishing catamarans have been Prabhakaran was hit by the are inured to the sight of human everywhere, it was the vacantly at the sea. Some find it destroyed but some fishermen wave when he was out in the suffering, it hits you when you children who either couldn’t comforting just to talk and tell are trying to find new boats to sea and saw his daughter, least expect it. outrun the waves or were of how their lives turned upside go out to sea again. “What else Mubbi, on the shore. He tried to The scale of the disaster is wrested away from the arms of down in the space of a few can we do, the sea brought get to her but the water much worse than we expected. their parents. minutes. Many are too death but it is also our life,” engulfed him and he lost When the news first broke of an A mother and three of her traumatised even to pray. The says one fisherman with a consciousness. “Some villagers earthquake in Indonesia on children were sitting down for real problem for the survivors is feeble smile. saved me and they told me Sunday morning, we didn’t take breakfast in Nagapatanam to surviving the aftermath. The Even after a disaster like later that my dog Ramu saved much notice. Then the tv when the wave hit. They clung water is contaminated and the this, life limps on. l my daughter,” says images started coming in, but to each other, but the force of wells and reservoirs need to be Prabhakaran. Ramu had waded even the next day the true the water separated her son, cleaned up. Hundreds of Aruna Upreti is Nepali out as the waves receded to extent of the tragedy had not who was never found. The thousands of people have lost doctor who works for Oxfam GB and will be drag the floating Mubbi by the sunk in. By Monday, I was told trauma and guilt of the ordeal not just their relatives but all based in Chennai for the hair and out of the water. to cancel my holidays and fly has left the mother muttering their possessions too. No next few months. “Many people say God saved them but in my daughter’s case One of the little girls (below) who it was my dog ” says survived the tsunami, while the Prabhakaran. Today, Ramu is rest of her village of treated like a family member. Naggapittanam is in ruins. What is surprising is how normal everything looks here. The beach-side resort is surprisingly intact, the temple is still standing, the deep blue ocean and the golden sand look idyllic. Then you see the fishing village, just a jumble of timber, thatch and debris. And the overpowering stench of rotting flesh as you approach the village. As we walked along the beach, we came across a group of people in masks throwing what looked like sacks on the back of a tractor. Closer, we realised they were piling the Picking up the pieces

NAGGAPATTINAM—The fishing boats lie in a grotesque pile at a corner of the The biggest job for relief officials is coordinating all the harbour, stacked like twisted toys. Their captains and crew, if they survived, generosity and putting it where it’s needed most clamber in the mess to pull out what possessions they can find. Nets are unspeakable meals beneath the debris. Now Naggapattinam is the centre of The sheer volume of aid that has particularly prized. Nylon mesh is Men wandering the shattered streets of a vast relief effort aimed at helping the come from informal sources in India is expensive and if it can be salvaged, so their villages, wondering about their hundreds of thousands of displaced and remarkable. Doctors from Bangalore much families, their fates. Government bereaved people of the area. About donating their services, Keralaite the ministers clambering over wreckage to 10,000 people died here, a third of them students who’ve collected toys, plastic HERE AND THERE better. get in front of television cameras, children. The young couldn’t flee the tents and shoes and brought them all Daniel Lak As for distributing cash as they go. raging seas and were easily swept away. the way across the country. Volunteers the fish This is the face of the tsumani in India has pointedly said it doesn’t from Lions and Rotary clubs cleaning market, it didn’t happen last Sunday. South India. I write from the heart of the want vast amounts of international help up schools and picking up the pieces, The market was what drew people to devastation here. The town of with this crisis. Specifically, the along with the affected people their deaths on 26 December. Women Naggapattinam in Tamil Nadu used to be country doesn’t want bilateral themselves. It’s a truly remarkable were buying and selling fish with their a chaotic, dusty but rather well off humanitarian assistance, saying others sight. children running around nearby when fishing port. Hundreds of wooden need it more and there’s no real need for The biggest job for Indian officials the waters brought death and trawlers crowded its harbour and the outside help. At first, this was put down has been coordinating all that devastation. Sunday fish market on the beach drew to perverse national pride but it’s proven generosity and putting it where it’s Wrecked fishing boats and houses people from surrounding districts to get to be true. India is managing this rather needed most. The government has reduced to rubble. Crows grown fat on the freshest dolphin and tuna. well on its own. risen to the task as best as it could. l ASIAN QUAKE 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #229 5 The day the world exploded If more attention was paid to history, we wouldn’t be shocked by the scale of the disaster on 26 December

This Dutch paddle steamer was found 3 km inland in Sumatra in 1883

f someone had been reading killing 40,000 people. Three Banten Peasant’s Revolt of 1888. history seriously, the littoral cubic kilometres of dust was Winchester concludes that the I countries of the Indian Ocean pumped into the stratosphere eruption of Krakatoa did indeed The real seismic gap is would have had a tsunami early and it swirled around the world help ignite a political and warning system in place by now. for years giving rise to fiery religious movement that flared between the rich and the poor The subduction of the sunsets and bringing down violently in Java. The post- Australian plate under the global temperatures. The sound Krakatoa assassinations of ANDREW C REVKIN in NEW YORK Sumatra coastline has caused of the eruption was heard as far Dutch colonials by zealots clad frequent earthquakes and away as Perth, Colombo and in white robes can be seen as n seven hours last week, great ocean waves scoured shores from volcanic eruptions which have Manila, barometres in precursors to similar events like I Thailand to Somalia, exacting a terrible price in wealth and human triggered tidal waves. Although Washington DC and Hawaii the bombing of the nightclubs lives. But unimaginable as it may seem, future catastrophes may be it was not the greatest, the detected the pressure changes in Bali in October 2002. far grimmer. Many more such disasters from earthquakes and volcanic legendary eruption on 27 August caused by the explosion. Although Krakatoa 120 eruptions, to floods, mudslides and droughts, are likely to devastate 1883 of Krakatoa on the Sunda Winchester traces the effect years ago was a much more countries already hard hit by poverty and political turmoil. Strait between Java and Sumatra the Krakatoa explosion had on spectacular trigger event than The world has already seen a sharp increase in such ‘natural’ was the most recent big one. disasters: from about 100 per year in the early 1960s to as many as 500 the rise of Islamic the 9.0 magnitude earthquake per year by the early 2000s, says Daniel Sarewitz, professor of science After the Indian Ocean fundamentalism in Java which that hit the other end of and society at Arizona State University. But it is not that earthquakes, disaster in December, there will inevitably turned into an anti- Sumatra last month, the tsunamis and other such calamities have become stronger or more be renewed interest in Simon colonial movement that tsunamis this time were more frequent. What has changed is where people live and how they live there. Winchester’s 2003 book, The Day ultimately drove the Dutch out. devastating. One reason is that As new technology allows, or as poverty demands, rich and poor alike the World Exploded: Krakatoa. There could be echoes of this in there are more people living have pushed into soggy floodplains or drought-ridden deserts built on Winchester is a travel journalist the aftermath of the Indian along vulnerable shores today. impossibly steep slopes and created vast, fragile cities along fault lines and a master story-teller. He goes Ocean earthquake, not just in The tidal surges that Krakatoa that tremble with alarming frequency. beyond just chronicling the Indonesia. unleashed were detected even Catastrophes are as much the result of human choices as they are of disaster to analyse the historical Indonesia is even more in Europe, but in Sri Lanka the geology or hydrology. Kerry Sieh, a veteran seismologist at the conjunctions that Krakatoa volatile at the beginning of the waves were not as high and California Institute of Technology, has spent years studying some of the world’s wealthiest and poorest earthquake-prone territories. The represented. 21st century than it was in the there were only two known th difference between the rich and poor countries, Sieh says, is that the rich In the second half of the 19 late 1900s. The effect of the 26 deaths in Galle. A news item ones had improved their building techniques and their political systems century, the telegraph had just December earthquake on the from the Ceylon Observer of to deal with inevitable disasters. been invented and installed in Aceh separatist war and on a the sea’s behaviour at Galle in In the Pacific Northwest, where offshore faults could generate a the Dutch East Indies. It was this post 9/11 resurgence of 1883 quoted in the book is tsunami as large as last week’s ocean-spanning waves, officials have communication technology and fundamentalism in Indonesia eerily similar to accounts from created inundation maps to know more precisely what would happen in a the advent of news agencies that has yet to be seen. There is December 2004. flood and prepare accordingly. And in response to the threat of for the first time in human certainly geopolitical public What is most frightening earthquakes, buildings on the West Coast now are designed to sway over history allowed information to be relations at play in the about Krakatoa is not its shifting foundations and new highway overpasses are no longer stacked transmitted across the world unprecedented American and apocalyptic explosion but that like the jaws of a huge horizontal vise. through undersea cables. Before Australian military deployment Mt Toba and Mt Tambora also Istanbul, Tehran, New Delhi and other increasingly dense and that, information could only shabbily constructed cities on the other hand, are rubble in waiting. in the rescue effort. in Sumatra were several times When an earthquake leveled the ancient Iranian city of Bam in 2003, for travel as fast as the fastest The tsunamis affected bigger. Such cataclysmic instance, more than 26,000 people were essentially crushed by their own steamboat. So, Krakatoa was the another war-torn region: Sri displays of nature’s raw power homes. Elected officials and disaster agencies, both public and private, first global disaster in a Lanka. A cartoon in the Sri prove one thing: they will remain focused on responding to catastrophes instead of trying to make globalising world. Lankan papers last week shows happen again. The only thing societies more resilient in the first place, says Brian E Tucker, a The eruption also came as a soldier and guerrilla on a boat we can do is to be prepared to geophysicist and the head of GeoHazards International. Charles Darwin’s theory of looking for the submerged minimise the death and A recent study by Tearfund found that less than 10 percent of the evolution was being hotly territorial boundary that they destruction. And pray. l money spent on disaster relief by government agencies and institutions like the World Bank goes to preventive measures. Mozambique, debated, the Wallace Line that have been fighting over for 20 Reviewed by Kunda Dixit separated the Australian and years. In Aceh, Sri Lanka and anticipating major flooding in 2002, asked for $2.7 million to make Eurasian biodiversity domains southern Thailand last month’s basic emergency preparations. It received only half that amount. After and bisected the Indonesian the flood, those same organisations ended up committing $550 million disaster exposed the complete in emergency assistance. archipelago had been absurdity of civil strife. And if People seem to have a blind spot for certain inevitable disasters, discovered. There were there is one good that could either because they play out over long time frames, like global warming, unprecedented advances in come out of this, it would be or because they are rare, like tsunamis. Jeffrey Sachs, director of scientific understanding and that realisation among the Columbia University’s Earth Institute, was more optimistic, if only slightly exploration of the natural world. belligerents. so. He noted how Bangladesh had seen its mortality rates from flooding Krakatoa for the first time But don’t count on it. Look at drop sharply since the 1970s, mainly by adopting simple means of showed human beings that they what happened in Java after getting people to higher ground. But he also noted another class of were an interdependent species Krakatoa. Although the Dutch cataclysms that which receive no blanket news coverage: malaria, AIDS, with shared vulnerabilities. Here were generous with relief and crop failures and even global warming. was a disaster that for the first rehabilitation, the disaster “We’re at a period in earth’s history where we’re living on an edge where things can go terribly wrong if we’re not attentive,” says Sachs. “It’s time was truly global in scale. triggered an inexplicable rise in The Day the Earth Exploded: Krakatoa by Simon Winchester not even a question of money. It’s much cheaper to anticipate rather Giant tsunamis raced across the a religio-political anti-colonial HarperCollins, 2003 than to respond.” l oceans on 27 August 1883, jihad that culminated in the Hardback: $29.95 6 NATION 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #229 Not non-profit Nepal becomes Commercialisation is not a bad word Smugglers along the Indo-Nepal border trading in illegal CFCs hy has commercialisation suddenly become a bad word? We could jeopardise Nepal’s obligations to protect the ozone layer W hear politicians bemoan “commercialised education”. NGOs are insulted if they are called commercial, “we are a non- profit social organisation”, they say. And international development agencies refuse contracts to for-profit organisations. Even commercial sex workers now want to be called “female sex workers”. Across the developing world, including Nepal, the term ‘commercialisation’ now has a negative connotation and business people have been attached an anti-social stigma. This is unfortunate because the country’s economic backbone, the sector that could NEPALI PAN take Nepal forward, has been Rajeeb L Satyal vilified. The prime minister publicly scolds and demoralises the business community every chance he gets. It has become a cliché to bad mouth commerce, sending the wrong message to the public and future generations. On the other hand, there is an obsession for anything that has the prefix ‘social’ on it. ‘Socialisation’, ‘social service’, ‘social workers’. That is why at some point, even the most successful businessmen, industrialists or entrepreneurs underrate their own profession and choose to project themselves as social workers. Society has been over- projecting pseudo-social workers as heroes and the business community as villains. This is having an impact on commercial activity in the country and is reflected even in government policy. SR Joshi with seized contrabands. There is a role and value for socially-oriented organisations and some do exemplary work. But their role has been overrated, and are NARESH NEWAR Under it, developed to phase out these chemicals,” acknowledged far more than businessmen and entrepreneurs even countries agreed to phase out says UNEP’s Bangkok-based though legitimate questions can be raised about their ‘non-profit’ status epal is one of the 188 production and consumption of regional director for the Asia- or voluntary nature. countries in the world that CFCs and other substances, Pacific, Surendra Shrestha. And since international donor agencies are required to fund only N have signed and ratified while Third World countries It took almost three years for ‘non-profit’ organisations, there has been an epidemic of fly-by-night the Montreal Protocol to phase were given time to switch to Nepali delegations at groups that are ‘non-profit’ just for registration purposes. In fact the out chemicals that harm the ozone-friendly chemicals. international ozone number of ‘not-for-profit’ organisations outstrips registered commercial earth’s ozone layer. But All consumption and conferences to convince the organisations in Nepal. unscrupulous traders have been production will be banned after Montreal Protocol secretariat ‘Non-profit’ has become a profitable tag for donor-driven organisations to attract international grants. It is about time Nepal’s using Nepal as a trans-shipment 2040, but even in the past 15 that the impounded shipment funders realised that there are few genuine ‘non-profit’ or ‘voluntary’ point to smuggle these years scientists have noted that in Birganj were brought organisations even though these esteemed values may be chemicals to India and we are in the hole in stratospheric ozone illegally into Nepal to be incorporated in their charters. danger of being put on the non- layer over the South Pole has smuggled to India and the No organisation can run without money and every organisation compliance list. stopped growing. It is expected government hadn’t issued any must save some surplus between what it gets and spends in order to Not only has this besmirched that by the middle of this import licence. sustain their organisations. We should encourage existing non- Nepal’s international reputation century the ozone hole will have “Nepal has always government development outfits to adopt business techniques and but Nepali officials have found repaired itself. Ozone depletion complied with the Montreal management procedures to streamline administration and improve it difficult to convince the destroys the earth’s natural filter Protocol since the beginning productivity. Every organisation must be allowed to generate revenue United Nations that it intends to against harmful ultra-violet but the secretariat has been so it can sustain itself after project funding is terminated. adhere to its treaty commitment radition that leads to an hassling us because of that In fact, we should stop calling them NGOs and treat them like ‘professional service organisations’ geared for efficient and effective to phase out ozone-depleting increase in the incidence illegal consignment,” explains service delivery, allowed to charge a reasonable fee for overheads chemicals by 2010. of cancers. Sita Ram Joshi, national ozone instead of pretending to be a charitable non-profit. It all began in 2001 when Nepal’s consumption of officer at National Bureau of This will get us out of the dependency trap, foster sustainability Birganj customs seized an CFCs is very low and the Standards and Metrology and take prosperity to the grassroots. The country can achieve illegal shipment of 74 tons of smuggled chemicals were all (NBSM). The bureau hosts prosperity only if there is equal and equitable division of commercial India-bound CFCs, the bound for India through Nepali Nepal’s National Ozone opportunities, skills and resources among all Nepalis. chemicals used in old model re-exporters who used the open Committee to coordinate the Commercialisation and privatisation have actually made the refrigeration units that are border. But the United Nations kingdom’s phase-out targets. delivery of health and education more efficient, it has made banned under the Montreal Environment Program (UNEP) is In 2000 when the hydropower a viable proposition and encouraged competition in the Protocol because they harm the very strict about compliance and government was planning to telecom sector. Deregulation of the domestic airline industry has ozone layer. The government monitors smuggling regularly. introduce the Ozone Depleting improved services and brought down prices. In retrospect, whatever little development Nepal has achieved over the years have been mainly expected to be congratulated on India’s demand for CFCs and Substances Consumption due to commercialisation, privatisation and better marketing of having made the seizure, HCFCs is 40,000 tons a year and (Control) Rules, which would consumer goods and services. Commercialisation of agriculture has instead it was blacklisted as a it consumes up to 40 percent of make it manadatory for improved farmer’s incomes from fruit and vegetable produce. The conduit for smuggled ozone- the total global production of importers to obtain a license, reduction in poverty is reflected in better health of farming families. depleting chemicals. ozone depleting chemicals and there was immense pressure Community forestry user-groups that are run commercially are the most The Montreal Protocol is one imports it from licensed from traders. When the ministry viable and successful. of the few international treaties manufacturers in Europe. “The refused, the companies filed a Open and transparent commercial activity serves the people’s that has been successful in illegal trade in ozone-depleting case in the CIAA alleging the needs better than corrupt and pretentious ‘social service’ either by the stopping a global environmental substances if left unchecked government officials of state or through the non-profit sector. It’s time to wake up from this threat. could undermine global efforts corruption. spell, break the negative stereotype about commercial activities and the abhorrence we have developed for the profit motive and private initiative. l Rajeeb L Satyal is a management and social marketing consultant. The Nepal connection

Nepal’s problem is that it borders two of the largest the Indian border at night and are transported in tractors consumers and producers of CFCs. The main problem and trailers by more remote and dangerous routes via is India, and the open border is a haven for those who Biswaha or Sikta. trade in contraband ozone-depleting substances. Another smuggling route is in Biratnagar where Several years ago, some environmental journalists smugglers decant CFCs from cylinders to larger 105kg went undercover along the Nepal-India border to cylinders which are commonly used in the Indian market. A investigate the trade. They infiltrated the businessmen Nepali company was identified as a key smuggler working importing and storing CFCs, refilling them in innocent closely with Indian counterparts. It is involved in importing looking cylinders and transporting them across the large quantities of CFCs in disposable cylinders through the border in Jogbani and Raxaul in rickshaws. Customs Transit Declaration system via Calcutta. The It named a network led by Shanker Todi who is Nepali company used to move large quantities of the linked with Nepali companies importing CFCs. The cylinders and declared them empty after reaching the Indo- agency reported that he works closely with a certain Nepal cross border. But it altered the method after 79 Ashok Agarwal to smuggle CFCs into India via the cylinders were seized in 2000. Birganj border area. The CFCs are filled in 13.6kg Custom officials have cracked down on the smugglers cylinders which are packed in cardboard cartons and but they change their routes and methods frequently and then taken to storage facilities in Birganj. The cylinders hard to catch. with false labels are then moved to Inarwa village near Source: Unfinished Business Bulletin NATION 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #229 7

Nepal tops it in South Asia ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ The South Asia Intelligence review (www.satp.org) compiles a weekly table of ozone friendly casualties in insurgencies around South Asia. Nepal has consistently topped the list in 2004. The figures for the last week of 2004:

Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia Thinking that the secretariat, Nepal will be called for removal of any December 20-26, 2004 government would move at allowed to release the seized reference to non-compliance Civilian Security Force Terrorist Total snail pace to implement the amount without exceeding the by Nepal. Personnel policy, seven companies–Jyoti country’s permitted The secretariat has also put BANGLADESH 0 0 9 9 Overseas Traders, Heritage consumption: 27 tons of CFCs on record that other countries International, Parmita Trading, per year. could learn from Nepal’s INDIA 7 6 16 29 Jai Sai Baba Marigold Traders, At a Montreal Protocol transparency in declaring NEPAL 9 13 49 71 Binayak International, Krishna compliance conference in seized ozone-depleting PAKISTAN 1 4 1 6 Nepal Trading and Samiksha Prague in November, Nepal substances and commended SRI LANKA 0 0 1 1 Enterprises–went ahead and reiterated its commitment to an Nepal for its phase-out plan.

imported 74 tons of CFCs action plan to phase-out this “Decision on Nepal to be Maoist extortion to new heights ○○○○○○○ without the government’s annual consumption by 2010. regarded as setting a precedent ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ permission. Environmental “We put up a big fight, and for other countries in similar Maoist extortion throughout the country has reached new heights and analysts investigators went undercover situations,” says the Meeting of are divided on whether this means the rebels are desperate for cash or it is a asked on what grounds we were part of their final push. The Maoist Valley Command in a statement this week in Nepal and exposed the being put on the non-compliant Parties on 26 November. Even admitted that it was engaged in a ‘donation campaign’ to fund the revolution. smuggling with articles and list when we were being serious so, Indian environmentalists To put further pressure on businesses, the Maoist-affiliated trade union this photographs in international about the phase-out,” says Joshi have not stopped citing week warned it would resume its stoppage of all major industries like they did in journals, which was deeply who attended the meeting. smuggling of CFCs through September unless its demands are met. Their deadline is 13 January, the same embarrassing to the country Nepal as a big threat to India. day that the government’s own ultimatum for the Maoists to resume Still not convinced, the negotiations expires. (see box). protocol secretariat hired an Says Joshi: “If the CFCs are The FNCCI says it is going to urge business houses to implement its The seizure took place just international consultant and exported from Nepal, which recommendations to address the demands of the Maoists in September. FNCCI after the annual Montreal sent him to Nepal for inspection. actually is not true, the Indian President Binod Bahadur Shrestha said the recommendations include fixing Protocol ministerial level Following his recommendations, customs shares the blame for minimum wages of workers, their employment letter and issues of contract meeting in Colombo in 2000 allowing illegal trade across labour. “These were issues raised by Maoist trade unionists and we will urge the the secretariat finally agreed last business houses to address them through our recommendations,” Shrestha said. when P L Singh was month to amend its decision and the border.” l But it is unlikely the rebels will be satisfied with that since the threat to stop environment minister. After his businesses is tied to their overall strategy to put pressure on the government. return, he ordered the seizure of And the FNCCI’s plan to make its recommendations public comes in response any CFCs imported without to the Maoist trade unionists warning to launch “serious action” if the promises licence. HOW CAN YOU HELP? made in September are not met. Maoist trade unionist Shalikram Jammarkattel issued a press statement on The issue of what to do with Monday saying the government and the business community were not meeting the seized chemicals has also l Buy only ‘ozone-friendly’ or ‘CFC-free’ labelled products when his union’s demands. In September, 50 of the country’s top businesses were vexed Nepal’s position vis-à-vis buying spray cans, refrigerators, fire extinguishers etc forced to close after Maoist threats. Its demands included public information of the Montreal Protocol l Maintain appliances containing CFCs to prevent leaks the whereabouts of their comrades held by the security forces. Rebel trade secretariat. The cylinders with l Replace CFCs with ozone friendly substances wherever possible or unionists allowed industries to reopen after two of their leaders were released and the business community agreed to meet their demands. the chemicals are still in retrofit l While disposing old refrigerators, make sure the CFCs are removed FNCCI had deputed a team of consultants to prepare a report addressing warehouses in Birganj, and this the demands of the Maoist trade unionists. “The report has been submitted and carefully by technicians has been verified by UN l we have held internal discussions,” Shrestha said. A letter to a business house Eliminate methyl bromide as pesticide and switch to safer and more in Birganj this week asked for Rs 50,000 in ‘donation’ to the revolutionary inspectors. But following a effective alternatives decision by the protocol cause. Most businesses have no choice but to pay up. 8 NATION #229 Long dark winters ahead7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 NAVIN SINGH KHADKA Supply is not keeping pace with rise in the electricity demand

his week’s two-hour power the insurgency. NEA had T cuts caused by the forecast an eight percent malfunction in one of the increase in peak load this year, three Kali Gandaki turbines 7.8 percent next year and almost proves just how precarious the nine percent in 2007. But supply electricity supply situation in has been stagnant and no major Nepal has become. capacity has been added since In fact, an internal the 144 megawatt Kali Gandaki assessment of the Nepal went into operation two years Electricity Authority (NEA) ago. The construction of the 70 forecasts power cuts from later megawatt Middle Marsyangdi this year up to 2008. The reason: was supposed to be finished this surging demand and delays in month but is already two years new power plants like Middle behind schedule. Marsyangdi. Although small independent This week’s power cuts are power producers have built temporary and will be lifted three hydropower plants, once the turbine is fixed but all Chakukhola, Sunkosi Small and signs point to long and chronic Rairang, they can cumulatively load shedding in the coming generate only five megawatts. years. This week, NEA has Other power projects have been distributed power cuts so no one delayed because of the area suffers more than two hours insurgency and the military’s a week. “We cut power first ban on transporting dynamite for along the border towns because construction. Meanwhile, NEA we can switch them to the has a list of 24 major hydro Growing gaps between generation capacity and consumer Indian grid,” says NEA’s load projects that could together dispatch centre chief Shyam generate over 22,000 megawatts demand for electricity spells load shedding from 2005-2008. Sundar Shrestha. but most of them will take at lest But by this time next year 10 years to complete even if MW power cuts will be nationwide construction began right away. and routine because shortfalls in The 750 megawatt West Seti the supply will be an Australian joint venture for a unprecedented 53 megawatts mammoth storage dam is making (see chart). At the rate demand some headway but its power is is rising, peak load will touch designed for export to India. 560 megawatts this year, while India’s state-owned National the installed capacity is merely Hydropower Corporation had 610 megawatts. shown interest in going ahead The problem is that most of with the 300 megawatt Upper Nepal’s power is generated Karnali project during Sher through ‘run-of-the-river’ Bahadur Deuba’s visit to New Supply Demand schemes which depend on water Delhi in September. Even if levels in the rivers and actual these two projects were to sell SOURCE: NEA production is always below power to the domestic grid, they installed capacity. Nepal’s would not be ready to fill the If these ideas work, and it is managing director, Santa avoid load shedding by power production and supply gap between now and a big if, they may partly be able Bahadur Pun. It was the same suppressing peak time demand consumption is skewed because 2008. to meet the rise in demand in story with the 122 megawatt in the dry season making it more none of the power plants have NEA officials admit they are the next four years. But if they Upper Seti reservoir project expensive,” says senior large storage reservoirs except worried too, and have don’t, the resulting power which was planned for 2010. chartered accountant Ratna Kulekhani. This means power contingency plans to refurbish shortage could seriously Political foot-dragging has Sansar Shrestha, who has been production is highest during the the Debighat and Sunkosi power undermine the economy. caused both to gather dust even working in the energy sector. monsoon, when demand is plants and to increase capacity This is the reason why when the need for a storage Time-of-the-day pricing has lowest. And when demand to meet next year’s demand. hydropower experts are pushing project is now becoming urgent. been implemented for the peaks in winter and pre- Says NEA Managing Director for a storage type project to Some energy experts say industrial sector but the biggest monsoon summer, the rivers are Janak Lal Karmacharya: “For the generate power even during dry since plans to augment supply chunk of power consumers in at their lowest. next shortage in 2007-8, we are season. “The need for a storage are slow, immediate attention the country are domestic and Urban demand is shooting trying to upgrade the capacity of type project was felt long back needs to be paid to the demand non-commercial which would be up because of the influx of Chilime by adding 40 megawatts and Sapta Gandaki was side. One way to do this is the target group for peak hour people in urban centres due to to the same system.” studied,” says former NEA differential tariffs. “We could pricing. l

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Governor deadlock

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ The appointment of a new governor at the Nepal Rastra Bank is still in The new governor limbo as Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his deputy Bharat Mohan Adhikari continue to lock horns over their preferred candidates to lead the central bank. Can he rise above the political drama and donor bidding? After crossing swords with the prime minister for more than a week, Adhikari has made it his party’s prestige issue. The UML has officially fter 47 long years, the economic activities. And a said that the new governor should be one of the three names Nepal Rastra Bank Act stable value of currency rewards recommended by a committee headed by Adhikari who is also finance A was revised two years ago. those who earn, save, lend and minister. Party leaders have begun to warn that if someone not Effective from 31 January 2002, invest money. If the Rastra Bank recommended by the committee is appointed in the top post of the central bank, it will quit the government. the new Act laid down a non- gets these two goals wrong, then The three recommended names are reportedly Yuba Raj Khatiwada political procedure for the a collapse of the banking system of the National Planning Commission, Deputy Governor Bijay Nath appointment of the new coupled with rising prices will Bhattarai and economist Parthiveshwar Timilsina. The prime minister is hurt all of us. That is why, reportedly pushing Chief Secretary Bimal Koirala, but he would settle for STRICTLY BUSINESS ideally, the governor should be extending incumbent Governor Tilak Rawal’s term. a discreet, technically Ashutosh Tiwari The PMO has made no comment and, despite repeated efforts, competent macroeconomist who Governor Rawal could not be contacted. The UML’s advisers have governor. But that seemed not to has an international orientation, blamed donors for pushing their blue-eyed boys. (See: ‘Cor blimey, matter this week as politicians, some private-sector guv’nor’, #228) apparently in tandem with some (particularly banking) donors, went head-to-head with experience, an ability to make

Tools of trade one another over who should be sense of a disparate array of ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○ made the new governor. information and a high Universal Trading Centre has operated in Nepal A list containing the names tolerance for ambiguities. for nearly four decades. After their success with power tools for 15 years UTC strengthened their of three candidates was floated But in all likelihood, the partnership with Black & Decker by investing in the before last week’s cabinet appointee emerging out of our home appliance range in May 2000. Currently there meeting. But it was set aside at political horse-trading will have are more than 100 outlets in Nepal. Its two-year warranty the last minute to allow time for few of those characteristics. If scheme has proved popular. one name, supposedly favoured we are lucky, he will at least be by the Prime Minister’s Office, a donor’s darling, whose

Standard Charter to the rescue to be on it. Meanwhile, a pro- unspoken mandate will be to ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ UML economist, who mastered stick to the task of steering the Standard Chartered PLC committed at least $5 million to relief and his monetary policy concepts in boat of template-driven reconstruction activities in countries affected by Asia’s tsunami. The the USSR, was busy accusing financial sector reform amount will be channelled through local relief funds in Indonesia, Sri others of lobbying for certain activities to shore. If not, he will that, yes, probably wilful major Lanka, Thailand, India and Malaysia. candidates. And so it went: the be a toady to serve the short- loan defaulters get no quarters political soap opera of selecting term interests of politicians. from anyone and cleaning up

Privilege concern the next governor. Lost in the Either way, he will be fulfilling our collective financial mess is ○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ muddle were two basic others’ agenda with nary a voice the first signal we can give Photo Concern has launched its privilege card questions: Why would anyone of his own. But all this is others about being serious, which allows holders attractive discounts and additional benefits. It has 66 alliance partners want this technical job through understandable because the ensuring the soundness and the that also allow discounts to cardholders. political connections? And how mere act of granting more predictability of our financial would anyone change the job to autonomy to the central bank health. And second, in these be of any lasting significance? through legislation does not times of internal strife, there is

Handheld devices Whoever replaces Tilak mean that autonomy will great temptation for the

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ After launching in the Indian market, Xda II mini and other Rawal as the next Rastra Bank actually get exercised. government to use the central Xda models have made it into the Nepali market. Users have governor, will have an Still, there are two ways the bank as a piggy-bank to help pay access to email, Net, video, music, games, a comprehensive increasingly technical and new governor can put his for all sorts of defence-related range of Microsoft Pocket PC tools and more. The autonomous job. He is not to lasting imprint on the job. First, expenses. Instead of doing the authorised distributor for Nepal, Ocean Computers, have please political masters by he should use it as a bully government’s bidding, the new priced them at around Rs 55,00. printing money but to keep both pulpit to drive home the point governor should aim to rise the national financial system that it is imperative for Nepal to above the inevitable politics of

Old for new and the value of currency stable. make use of clear and the appointment process to ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ A stable financial system makes transparent rules and assert the Rastra Bank’s Sagtani Exim Pvt Ltd, dealers of IFB home appliances, now offers the it easier for banks, firms and regulations that are compatible operational independence by exchange of old washing machines for new IFB front load automatic individuals to make use of with the best practices from keeping it loyal to the goals of a washing machines. The offer runs for the month of January. capital to engage in more around the world. This means stronger economy. l “Nepal has a two-tier market economy”

Business must be difficult in times like these. Where does Nepal stand among steel manufacturers? It has certainly been a difficult time and not just for business. Nepal manufactures only front-end steel products. Our steel We want a peaceful solution to the conflict. From the business sector is focused on serving the local demand with limited point of view, there has been substantial direct negative impact exports of GI pipes to India. It’s not fair to rank Nepal against but perhaps even more important is the general sentiment, countries that have core steel manufacturing capacity. From which has become rather pessimistic. the local market point of view, Nepal’s steel manufacturing ability is quite good with several plants producing world-class Since your business has to do with imports, what was the steel structures. impact of the recent Maoist-imposed blockade? The impact was substantial in all the sectors we are involved in. Is the government acting as a facilitator or is it creating Manufacturing and trading suffered due to goods becoming hassles? stationary. Even service sectors, such as life insurance suffered The government is doing its best but is faced with severe because agents could not move and exchange of policies constraints especially when it comes to security issues. What we came to a standstill. can learn from international experience is that gradual lowering of duties is the way forward. The government also What about production of steel, how much has the needs to generate a base basket of revenues to meet national insurgency hampered it? demands. It is trying hard to balance the need for progress with KIRAN PANDAY There has been direct impact with plants having to shut down the sheer essence of generating revenue. periodically. Construction activity and infrastructure projects Anuj Agrawal is the director of (with the exception of Kathmandu) have slowed down across the Do you plan to expand UTL’s phone services? Vishal Group, a diversified business country, resulting in a much lower demand for steel. We continue to evaluate options. Clearly there are opportunities as this is a fast moving sector but at this point, house involved in the Nevertheless, has the purchasing capacity of consumers there are no concrete plans. manufacturing, trading and service risen, especially in urban areas? industry. It also oversees United We are starting to see a two-tier market economy in Nepal. Where do you see the Nepali economy headed? There are consumers whose purchasing capacity for high-end The potential for economic turnaround in Nepal is Telecom, which plans to launch goods is rising and luxury or indulgence goods are seeing tremendous. Just a few right steps can make Nepal a wonderful new phone systems in strong demand. Then there is the low tier consumer whose investment destination. There are several areas of core purchasing power seems to have shrunk, particularly outside competence in Nepal such as hydropower and tourism, where Kathmandu soon. Kathmandu. Nepal can achieve success. 10 MUSIC And the winner is… Hitting you where it matters, this year’s Hits FM Music Awards promises to recognise new talent and launch careers

(Above) Mukti and The Revival perform at the 1999 Hits FM Music Awards. (Below L - R) Nima Rumba and Kunti Moktan arrive at the 1996 Hits FM Music Awards in a helicopter. Deep Shrestha pulls a hatrick at the 2000 Hits FM Music Awards and Dimple wins the award for Best Song in a Foreign Language in the 2002 Hits FM Music Awards.

AARTI BASNYAT uninvited can stay home and watch me enough artistes with good songs in Nepalipan in music but they should do a artistes become stars live on television. regional languages, I will consider good job of it, not just include it for the 1.2 is not just a fresh, young and The Hits awards is truly democratic introducing a new category,” says sake of having a Nepali feel.” 9 vibrant voice in Kathmandu Valley’s in its selection process of nominations of Shrestha, “Right now, there aren’t enough Indeed, if last year’s winning lineup FM firmament with its eclectic mix musicians in the various categories. Half songs or artistes popular enough to is anything to go by, this year’s awards on of Nepali and international music. Hits the nominations come from the listening incorporate the category into our awards.” 14 January at the BICC will also be those has also been a pioneer in encouraging public and the other half is decided by The Best Composition category used to songs that echo the heartbeat of the musical talent through its annual awards, the Hits board based on the popularity of include what is known as adhunik Nepali Nepali soul. Nepal’s own Grammys. the songs going on air. music, works such as Narayan Gopal and The Hits FM awards have been a The station has encouraged artistes, This year, three new categories have Gopal Yonjan. But today’s emerging dramatic evolution within the Nepali allowing them to perform on air and been added to the awards. They are: Best genres of adhunik have taken twists and music industry. As Shrestha tells us, helping release albums. It was also the Rock Composition, Best Pop Composition turns. So, Hits FM has decided to stick “Artistes today think if they have a voice first to organise an event honouring and and Best Composition. We asked Jeevan with best composition and remove the they can become singers. The old days awarding musicians for their effort, and Shrestha, executive director of Hits FM, adhunik category. when we promoted 1974AD and had the mark by which listeners measured the the reason behind the inclusion of the In spite of influence from the west and concerts with them are gone. Now they quality of the sound. new categories. He explained: “Nepali across the border, music here seems more use studio musicians and when we ask Since its establishment in 1997, the music is growing and as more artistes popular when a dash of Nepalipan is them to perform they can’t do it.” This Hits FM Music Awards have come a long and genres of music emerge, so does the added to it, be it through the mellow has resulted in many songs but few true way. Started with no sponsorship and only need for more categories.” sounds of the sarangi or remixing old singers. seven categories, the Hits parade now has The Best song in a foreign language Nepali songs. This sort of originality and Focusing on originality, quality and 18 categories and is considered one of the category, which was introduced last year, quality is the reason that Nepali music substance like always, this year’s Hits FM most prestigious musical events of the received some complaints. Why English? has begun to stand out and Hits FM awards will be a definite entertainer with year in Nepal. The by-invitation-only Why not a category for songs in regional encourages originality above all. Says new artistes, sounds and entertainment format makes it an honour to be there. The Nepali languages as well? “If you show Shrestha, “It would be nice to have some surpassing all that has gone before. l Awards night highlights

l Tulsi Parajuli nominated for Folk Record of the Year category will open the show l The Moktan family performing for the first time: Kunti Moktan nominated for Best Female Vocal Performance, Sheetal and Shubani Moktan who won the Best New Artistes last year and Shila Moktan, musician and composer for the albums recorded by his wife and daughters. l The nominees for Best Male Pop Vocals will come together for the first time in one performance. l Udesh Shrestha, Mahasatwa Bajracharya and Amul from ‘The Destiny’ perform a tribute to Arun Thapa. l A performance by the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. l Garima Gurung, nominated for two of her songs in the Best Song in a Foreign Language Madhyanha wins Best Performance by Group or Duo with Vocals in 1998 category.will close the show. 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #22911 8th Hits FM Music Awards 2061 Nominees

Best New Artist Anita Subba Bharat Sitaula Laxman Gurung Mahasatwa Bajracharya Sudip Giri Best Song in a Foreign Language Here I Come - Abhaya and the Steam Injuns Life’s So Strange - Full Circle Rock Me - Garima Gurung She N’ I - DXP3 Slide - Garima Gurung Best Music Video Alok Nembang - Dubna Deu Bhusan Dahal - Kahiley Timro Colour Cubes - Ek Mauka Maya - Timi ma Bhanda Simosh Sunwaar - Saanjh Ma Pani Best Rock Composition Adhuro Prem - The Axix Baato - Lochan Rijal Chaha Chaina - Cobweb Jeevan Ma - Nabin K Bhattarai Pinjada ko suga - 1974 AD Best Pop Composition Bus Stand - Sanjeev Singh Dubna Deu - Anil Singh Eh Joon - Bidur Shrestha Pal Pal - Bishwo Shahi Yehin Ho Ta Maya - Pranil L Timalsena Best Composition Aau Maya - Sambhujit Baskota Bachan Tode - Raju Singh Kahiley Timro - Alok Shree Pardesh Bata - Karna Das Timilai Jitne - Kiran Pradhan Best Song Originally Recorded for a Motion Picture Soundtrack Aankha Bhari Ka - (Music Director) Ranjit Gazmer - (Film) Dui Kinarama Baadal Barsha - (Music Director) Sachin Singh - (Film) Kartabya Kasto Nasha - (Music Director) Rahul Pradhan - (Film) Lakshya Saanjh Naya - (Music Director) Sambhujit Baskota - (Film) Suvakamana Timi Phool Manjari - (Music Director) Laxman Shes - (Film) Upahaar Best Vocal Collaboration Pranil L Timilsena / Nabin K Bhattarai - Yehin Ho Ta Maya Ram Chandra Kafle / Sindhu Rana - Lathi Charge Udit Narayan Jha / Deepa Jha - Banmaara Ley Udesh Shrestha / Bhugol Dahal - Yo Junima Various Artists - Garima Garima Best Performance by Group or Duo with vocal 1974 AD - Pinjada Ko Suga Nepathya - Sa Karnali The Axix - Adhuro Prem The Boffins ’98 - Ma Mare Pani The Seasons - Suneko Kura Folk Album of the Year Bara Ropo Chhaya - Dilendra Rai & Friends Ghintang - Tulsi Parajuli Hamro Sanskriti - Subi Shah/ Narayan Rayamajhi & Friends Kafal Gedi - Mahesh Budhathoki / Sindhu Malla Subha Bibaha - Buddi Sagaar Basyal & Friends Folk Record Of the Year Banma Kanda Cha - Bhagwan Bhandari Bhannu Nabhako - Dinesh Kafle / Gita Devi Maya Ko Bheti - Prabin Rai Phool Ko Dalima - Hari Devi Koirala/ Purushottam Neupane Sunkoshi Kinaraima - Tulsi Parajuli Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Anita Subba - Timinai Timi Eli Sherpa - Hardin Mausami Gurung - Parelima Pratima Rajbhandari - Najau Najau Sukmit Gurung - Pal Pal Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Anil Singh - Dubna Deu Nabin K Bhattarai - Chaina Jun Nima Rumba - Sajha Ma Pani Sanoop Paudel - Sambandha Sugam Pokharel - Maya Ko Baato Best Female Vocal Performance Chanda Dewan - Na Garzi De Gyanu Rana - Aasha Ko Diyo Kunti Moktan - Manko Maya Reema Gurung - Timro Biyog ley Sukmit Gurung - Yo Maya Lai Best Male Vocal Performance Karna Das - Pardesh Bata Ram Krishna Dhakal - Bachan Tode Shishir Yogi - Jun Ley Sodhyo Thupthen Bhutia - Timro Biyog ley Udit Narayan Jha - Kahiley Timro Song of the Year Aru Ko Jastai - Naresh Dev Pant Ma Mareko Chhaina - Arun Tiwari Ma Sapana Ko Kura Garchu - Shree Purush Dhakal Pardesh Bata - BB Thapa Pet Michi Michi - Rajan Raj Shivakoti Album Of the Year Higway - Sugam Pokharel Megahertz - Anil Singh The Blue - Nabin K Bhattarai Upahaar - Udit Narayan Jha Voice - Sanoop Paudel Record of the Year Bachan Tode - Ram Krishna Dhakal Dubna Deu - Anil Singh Kahiley Timro - Udit Narayan Jha Ma Afnai Aagan Ma - Yash Kumar Sajha Ma Pani - Nima Rumba 12 FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #229 Digging bunkers is bad because the department tourism.

has neither the technical 4. Let’s hope just like my ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Rajdhani,2 January capability required nor the neighbourhood your manpower. Its functions include neighbourhood also has its own People rule promoting, implementing and morning bhajan on The Maoists have transformed all the schools in Kalikot district developing hydropower in the loudspeakers. That way you into war zones. They have got public and private sector. Since don’t need an alarm clock. KV Rajan, former Indian ambassador to Nepal in Nepal, 9 January students and teachers to dig the Kosi High dam will not only On return from India, there is The Maoist conflict is as much a matter of bunkers in the playgrounds and generate power between 3,000- talk of neo-authoritarianism. concern for India as it is for Nepal. India erect poles to prevent security 5,000 megawatt but will also Can’t wait to see what a 21st has also been affected with the same force helicopters from landing. deal with flood control, century neo-authoritarianism nature of conflict. In the name of The rebels use schools as navigation and irrigation, the feels like. rebellion, guns have been used for many training grounds to lecture department will have no role to years in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. We hear students, hold Maoist cultural play in areas other than New year

India can solve Nepal’s problems if it so programs and for military hydropower development. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ wished and poses an obstacle to Nepal’s training. Most of the bunkers For a multi-purpose project Buddhabar, 6 December peaceful resolution. This is not true. We lead to nearby jungles as an such as this, the Water and have not been able to solve our own escape during attacks. Anyone Energy Commission would have The Armed Police Force problems. We respect our relations with Nepal who defies bunker digging is been the right choice. Ironically, organised a cultural program and will not interfere in her internal affairs. punished. Rebel leaders say the its offices have been and dinner party for Crown I don’t believe it is even ethical for India to government school curriculum is transformed into a dumping site. Prince Paras on the occasion of lecture Nepal about democracy and her useless. “We have been fighting While we bungle with wrong his 34th birthday. Instead, he problems. India is not short on public and the bunkers aim at making choices for the study, India has spent the whole night at a disco. dissatisfaction in her own democratic practical education accessible to established at least four offices On new year’s day, the prince system and governance. Instead of the common people,” said a in Nepal. This will result in only returned to Nirmal Nibas at lecturing Nepal, what we can do is interact local rebel leader. Some of these India conducting the study in around six in the morning. After and support each other to find solutions. bunkers are so long that they Nepal. India will bring out a attending an event held by the Nepal’s problem is not merely the conflict actually link adjacent villages. report of the pros and cons of the APF, he went to Soaltee with his between the king, the Maoists and the Villagers fear an army 280m high dam. If the right whole family. At the hotel, a political parties. The key problem is how to help Nepali families who have suffered counterattack and are lying low. agency represented Nepal and new year concert had been because of the conflict. There has been Primary school students who are field studies were conducted in organised by Indian citizens. enough talk about the future of monarchy or the direction of the conflict. not deployed for bunker digging Bihar also, the Indian state The entrance fee was Rs 4,999. More concern should be raised about the system of people’s governance. play hide and seek in them. directly affected by the project, When the prince was barred After the multiparty system was established in Nepal in 1990, people had Teachers, students and even Nepal would know its from entering, a bloody fight high expectations in democracy. Despite shortcomings, the democratic parents are not allowed to leave shortcomings and about India’s ensued. Many Indians were hurt process was evolving. Then the Maoist rebellion began and pushed the the village because the rebels ambitious river-linking project. and crying. Following this, the country into crisis. On October Fourth, the monarchy stepped in to need the manpower for digging. Without studies in India, how prince headed for the Yak and become active in a bid to solve the country’s problems. King Gyanendra They have even imposed the can Nepal know the benefits Yeti where a bystander probably had no other vested interest when he made his move. Perhaps ‘one-house-one-bunker’ policy. India will reap from the high witnessed him yelling ‘Happy he wanted to prove that the palace was more capable than the political Under this, each house is dam? An office must be New Year’. He ran over the feet parties in finding a solution. But his assumption proved wrong. The conflict intensified after his interference in state affairs. Nepal’s supposed to have a bunker. established in Bihar, just as they of the daughter of the former political powers have to understand that no rule is successful without Digging apart, students are made have been in Biratnagar, Dharan, army chief, Prajwal Shamsher public support. The constitution has defined boundaries for monarchy to work like sentries and collect Siraha and Janakpur. Rana, and headed for Baber regarding its responsibilities and authority. It should not cross this line. firewood for the rebel’s ‘people’s Mahal and then to Galaxy at Nepal is now heading towards a failed state and monarchy is the most at meeting’ or cultural programs. Hopes, resolutions Everest. All news of the

stake. If it continues to cross constitutional jurisdiction to pursue political incidents reached the palace ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ambitions, it would do great damage. Bad choice Rituraj in Himal Khabarpatrika, only after the prince had

As for the Maoists, they base political power in the use of terror. 1-15 January returned to Nirmal Nibas at 6.30 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ During its initial phase, the Maoist movement impressed the public Bikash Thapa AM. In June, following an because it advocated genuine issues in favour of the underprivileged. in Kantipur, 3 January Here are my new year incident at the Everest, the But their recent activities have pushed the people away. The rebels know resolutions for 2005: prince was sent off to Pokhara that the situation will only grow worse. The political parties and the monarchy should unite to find solutions. Political parties should start On Nepal’s behalf, the 1. A night-cap before bed, and and Jomsom. This time, he was pushing for national consensus. Nepal has no choice but to hold general Department of Electricity has only Royal Tag whiskey since it sent to a tea garden in Damak on elections. It would be best if the Maoists joined mainstream politics and been selected for the Nepal- has the word ‘royal’ in it and 2 January. Princess Himani and went for elections too. India joint feasibility study of enhances our commitment to the children were flown there in the Kosi High Dam. The choice constitutional monarchy. another army helicopter later 2. Since breathing Kathmandu that afternoon. air is like smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, I will start Unite, or else

smoking a pack of cigarettes a ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ day. Why not get the real thing? Nepali Congress (Democratic) 3. Since I am feeling powerless, leader Bal Bahadur KC in unprotected and abandoned, I Deshantar, 2 January will petition the king for royal protection. In our party, it is the person 4. Despite all the news about (Prime Minister Sher Bahadur robberies, plunder, arson, rape, Deuba) who has become bombs and abductions, I will try powerful but the organisation my level best not to be admitted has remained weak. It was this into a mental asylum. same undemocratic style that 5. I will desist from doing led to the division of the Nepali anything that will lower the Congress. But even after morale of the security forces, I splitting and forming the will therefore never set out on splinter Nepali Congress any domestic travel. I will only (Democratic), the functioning travel abroad. style of our party has remained the same. The party has not been Here are my hopes for 2005. able to provide any outlet to the Who cares if they don’t come crisis of the country. It has not true, one can only hope: been able to perform well and 1. Whoever for whatever reason that is why there is no reason for can call a banda as long as the it to stay in the government. number of closed days total 52 In the recent central in a year. That way I can have a committee meeting, I raised the long weekend every week. issue of the state of our party. I Mohsin to Deuba: Hurry up and jump! Seems like 2. Let’s hope no pedestrian told them we had split from there is no other choice singer or songwriter has to lose Nepali Congress to steer a Kantipur, 3 January Cooking Pot: Elections his life after colliding with a democratic course but since the speeding 1200 Harley Davidson party had shown no sign of QUOTES OF THE WEEK Streethawk. being democratic, there was no Party workers have reached the conclusion that Deuba has shaken hands with the 3. Let’s hope Charles Shobraj point in staying separate. That is palace where he has handed over democracy. finishes his book and publishes why I urged the party to merge it while still in detention. This again with the Nepali Congress. Bijay Gacchedar, NC (Democratic) leader in Rajdhani, 2 January will boost Nepal’s crime- I also raised the issue of the SELECTED MATERIAL TRANSLATED EVERY WEEK FROM THE NEPALI PRESS FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #229 13 reinstatement of parliament. It leader. But no matter how is true that getting the ineffective and inefficient they parliament through elections is proved, they have not stopped the best way. But elections fighting for the top government cannot be held in the present seat. We can’t afford to put these Security crimes situation without cooperation same leaders back in the prime from the Maoists. Hence the minister’s seat again and again. need to restore parliament. The It is time they realised they can’t country has not envisioned the solve the country’s problems state without parliament. If the because they are a part of the Dristi, 4 January army legal section reported that 39 army personnel king, the Maoists and all problem. There is no hope for a ranging from junior soldiers to senior officers quarters agree, constituent solution despite the slogans and The following incidents substantiate how security force received penalty. According to brigadier general BA assembly can be a way out too. frequent protest rallies. They are personnel have been crossing their limits of power to Sharma, crimes by the army personnel are prove they are above the law: committed once they are outside the army barracks All members of my party’s only making the situation worse. l On 14 December, the robber who looted almost Rs 6 and not while on duty. “The security force is taking central committee agree with How can one be a real leader million from Nabil Bank used a pistol belonging to advantage of vulnerable civilians terrified and me in principle. Majority of our when they lead an anarchical police inspector Madan KC. traumatised by the Maoists,” says military specialist central committee members are visionless crowd of protestors? l On 26 April, police inspector Rajkumar Silwal Indrajit Rai. He blames the police organisation, in favour of the reinstatement of People should not repeat opened fire at a club in Thamel and assaulted a which has not been able to discipline police the House. They think so mistakes by supporting a leader foreign woman. The club employees requested him to personnel. Lack of stern action against such criminals because they believe all who only speaks for his party’s stop harassing the woman, instead the police officer of the law enforcing authorities is also the reason why constitutional forces should benefits. If this same trend pointed his gun at them. these crimes have been repeated time and again. stand as one, especially in the continues, there will be no value l On 26 May, RNA soldier Lila Karki, posted at present context. Parliament is of politics. This will only lead to Maharajganj threatened to falsely accuse Chatra the right forum allowing these anarchy and opportunistic Chhetri from Gangabu of being a Maoist activist unless he paid Rs 200,000. constitutional forces to unite. politics. UML, for one, supports l On 9 August, police constable Bhim Bahadur Malla No force can tackle the complex Girija’s ideals and quickly leans working with the unified command of security force in situation alone. As per the issue towards Prachanda and turns the Valley shot dead 25-year old Santosh Kumar of the Constituent Assembly, around to collaborate with Dhakal of Santagul. almost everyone agreed it was Deuba. It has no shame in the third alternative. But making demands for the Security force personnel who are supposed to majority believed that it would reinstatement of the same protect citizens are causing terror instead. People are not be possible without the parliament, which it did losing their trust after security forces began misusing forces recognising one another. everything to undermine. UML government owned weapons to kill, abduct, cheat, loot ministers have started lecturing and rape civilians. Even their superiors have not us about democracy! It wants to made an effort to convince the public that strict action Camp Sanskrit will be taken against law breaking personnel. Instead, prove it is against regression

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ they have concealed the crimes committed by their Gorkhapatra, 5 January though it has joined the staff, making it easier for them to break the law and regressive government. As for get away with it. Although some security personnel A Muslim student in Biratnagar Girija, all he does is sit in Ratna have been punished, both the army and police have aimed to read Hindu epics Park calling for peace and not been able to curb the illegal activities carried out Mahabharat and Ramayan and to democracy, making no visible by their men. that end, Istiyak Alam, has effort to visit villages where According to the police headquarters, action was begun learning Sanskrit. democracy is non-existent. taken against 3,483 personnel ranging from constable Considering Alam’s to officers involved in various crimes. Similarly, the determination, his parents allowed him to join a temporary Ministerial fight DRISTI

camp in Biratnagar where ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Sanskrit is taught. “I will not Dristi, 4 January just study Sanskrit but also speak it,” he said while Minister for Forestry Badri Prasad attending class. Mandal and General More than 80 students have Administration Minister Krishna come to learn Sanskrit in the Lal Thakali nearly had a fistfight camp. Among them are those of in the cabinet meeting on 3 the Mongoloid caste such as January. The bone of contention Tamang and Rai. However, Alam was the appointment of the is the only Muslim student. All director general for the these students feel that learning Department of Forestry. During Sanskrit will help them acquire the cabinet meeting, Mandal knowledge. The camp is run by nominated Sharad Rai but Mahendra Sanskrit University, Thakali said Rai was a junior which plans to run similar official and did not merit the camps in different parts of the position. No sooner had Thakali country. made the remark when Mandal spat out it was none of his Leaderless (Thakali’s) business anyway, and

he (Mandal) could do whatever ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Nabin Pandit in he liked in his ministry. Mandal Ghatna ra Bichar, 5 January even threatened to resign if he did not get to appoint the person Everyone saw how Girija failed of his choice. Thakali argued it when his party was in power. was not fair to use his Similar leadership failures were resignation as a bargaining chip. seen in Lokendra, Surya According to sources in the Bahadur and Deuba when their cabinet, the debate grew heated parties led the government. All and the two ministers nearly these leaders have called each came to blows. Prime Minister other unsuccessful but none has Deuba had a tough time admitted his own failure as a mediating.

KIRAN PANDAY 14 INTERNATIONAL 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #229

Mixed legacy ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○ Feeling Aceh’s pain in Bali WASHINGTON—World Bank President James Wolfensohn says he will not seek a third term at the helm of one of the world’s most important financial institutions, as Bank watchers say he is leaving Across the vast archipelago, the tragedy unites Indonesians a mixed legacy marred by a series of failures and disappointments for the world’s fight against poverty. During a television interview, the septuagenarian former Wall As she stood in neck deep water Street banker said he was unlikely to stay in his post and hinted JUDY PETTIGREW with her son hoisted on her that there was a lack of support from the US government, the shoulders she prepared for death in BALI dominant power within the World Bank. “I’ve had 10 years and I when a large can floated by. think that’s probably enough but if the need is there, I’ll do Although exhausted, Haiwati whatever the shareholders want,” said Wolfensohn, who is a finally summoned up enough naturalised US citizen. “My understanding and my belief is that probably during the course of this year, I’ll give over to someone energy to cling onto it and was else.” carried to safety. So far, no clear successor has emerged for the high-profile Aceh’s only newspaper, post. World Bank insiders said that the president, who took over in Serambi Indonesi, which has June 1995, would like to be remembered for reaching out to the survived threats from both the Bank’s critics within civil society and development organisations. government and the rebels for its They said his legacy included focusing on corruption, demanding hard-hitting coverage despite better governance, pushing for increased debt forgiveness and the destruction of their printing introducing initiatives that emphasise country ownership of poverty presses and the likely death of reduction strategies and more interaction between governments, 100 of their 250 staff, was back in private sector and non-governmental organisations. (IPS) circulation six days later. The plight of 35,000 children

Canada adopts disaster orphans either orphaned or separated ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○ from their parents, many too OTTAWA—The Canadian government is offering to allow relatives here to adopt tsunami orphans and bring them to Canada under a young to tell who they are, has program to fast-track immigration from the disaster areas. touched a deep note across Immigration Minister Judy Sgro has urged Canadian-based Indonesia. Not all those families of children whose parents were killed in the disaster to concerned with children are contact the government so discussions can begin. Sgro motivated by altruism, however. acknowledged the governments of the countries involved in the More than 20 Acehnese children disaster must agree to the plan. have reportedly been smuggled Thousands of Sri Lankan Canadians are members of the out of the area in the aftermath country’s Tamil minority who were allowed into Canada as political of the disaster and many others refugees. Canada’s Indonesian minority is quite small and is also are at risk of being trafficked. made up mainly of political refugees. While the country has a One organisation was offering sizeable Indian community, most discussions so far have been with the Sri Lankan government. “The challenge is that the Acehnese orphans to potential governments in Sri Lanka and India don’t want to lose their hortly before midnight on clothes and stoves. parents via SMS. children. Their children are also the future of their country. It’s a new year’s eve, we drove My brother’s friends, Made Had the mammoth waves hit S through the villages, and Sam, have volunteered. They here in Bali, the death toll would very complex issue,” Sgro said. Prominent humanitarian groups like the United Nations which lie on the outskirts of are builders who are going to use have been enormous. The Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have warned against well-intentioned but Ubud. On a typical new year’s their construction skills, which celebration of Saraswati on potentially traumatic adoptions of children still struggling with the eve, the streets of Bali are are usually deployed in building Christmas day was followed on horror of losing their families. “Wherever possible, children should crowded with people the expensive villas and hotels 26 December by Banyu Pinaruh be placed within their own communities because that’s where celebrating. Last Friday, the that dot the Balinese landscape, when Hindu Balinese purify people know them best, that’s where they have their friends, they streets were almost totally to help with the clean-up themselves in the waters around have extended family members who can look after them,” Shima empty. As 2004 slipped into campaign, to assist with the the island. If the tsunami had Islam, a UNICEF spokesperson, said. The tsunami disaster has left as many as one in five Sri Lankan Canadians with relatives killed 2005 there was silence across provision of temporary shelters occurred here, hundreds of or missing. The Sri Lankan government has reportedly expressed the paddy fields, the parties and and ultimately with thousands who made the openness to relocating children to communities abroad. (IPS) fireworks were cancelled or reconstruction. Journeys by sea, pilgrimage to the beaches that turned into fund-raising drives. however, are hazardous, as morning would have been

Was Burma spared? Indonesia is in mourning for piracy is common and despite killed. l

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○ its uncountable dead. The the best intentions, all relief BANGKOK—It remains one of the greatest mysteries so far on how appalling physical scale of assistance is moving very slowly. Judy Pettigrew is an anthropologist who Burma with over 2,000 km of its coastline along the Andaman Sea, devastation is almost impossible Aceh is in the throes of a has conducted research in Nepal since directly exposed to the devastating tsunami waves that killed over to take in and one of the things long-running separatist conflict 1990. She often visits Indonesia where 140,000 people in the region the day after Christmas, managed to that complicates the relief but two days after the tsunami her brother and family live. escape with minimal damage. A simulation produced by the operation is that those who the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) Japan-based National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and provide community leadership and the Indonesian Military Technology showed the tsunami waves, which on 26 December were in times of crisis are dead. Dead (TNI) stated that they had agreed spawned by a huge undersea quake in northern Sumatra, hitting the coast of Burma’s Arakan state, the Irrawaddy and Tenasserim also are the shopkeepers, separately to a temporary halt in divisions. Logically speaking, southern Burma should have been writers, musicians, farmers, hostilities. But the military now A hit as bad as neighbouring Thailand where the death toll is fishermen/women and states that it is carrying out both currently more than 5,200. But no, says Anthony Banbury, the homemakers. Lost are the ‘humanitarian and security World Food Program’s regional director for Asia. “I honestly have thoughts, stories, talents and operations’. Ongoing hostilities no explanation at all why that coast was spared compared to aspirations of several have raised concerns from other areas that have had tremendous damage from the tsunami,” generations. humanitarian aid workers who had known Jyotindra Nath (Mani) he said. The Balinese are particularly fear that the fighting will Dixit ever since he moved to Sri On Tuesday the WFP managed to get an assessment team I well placed to empathise with undermine their relief work and Lanka as India’s High into Tenasserim division’s Kawthaung, at the southernmost tip of their neighbours in Aceh. The jeopardise their safety and the Commissioner in 1985. My last Burma directly facing the Andaman Sea and reported that the suffering of the 2002 bombs in safety of those they are trying to meeting with him was in October damage was minimal. Burma’s military junta has put the number of Kuta, although on a vastly assist. 2004 at a media gatekeeper’s dead at 59, a figure that Banbury said was “fairly accurate”. “The workshop as part of a peace reports of deaths that we’re aware of and which we believe are different scale, is still very fresh The Indonesian media in the collective memory. Beside features countless stories of building exercise between India and accurate are a total of between 30 to 60 deaths caused by the Pakistan at Bentota in Sri Lanka. tsunami,’’ he said. But the WFP director said the estimate was by the highway leading out of tragedy and destruction but it no means conclusive and the UN agency would be doing more Denpasar, college students hold also chronicles some miracles of assessments on how to bring emergency food aid to the cardboard donations boxes at survival. Twenty-six-year-old TRANSITION affected areas. traffic lights. In Ubud, Bali’s Riza saved her badly injured A S Panneerselvan Suspicions were raised when on 27 December, the day main craft and artistic centre, neighbour’s twin daughters but following the disaster, the junta-controlled New Light of Myanmar posters urge people to donate to then struggled to swim and hold In this interregnum, both of us reported only “messages of sympathy” sent by the generals to relief operations. onto the girls when a snake the have switched careers. I quit active neighbouring countries, while giving no report on local impact. “It The emphasis of the drive is size of a telephone pole, which journalism and to the surprise of took two full days for the regime to officially report a minimal of 36 many, including Dixit, I moved out deaths, 45 injured, 14 missing, 788 homeless displaced and 17 the creation of ‘care buckets’ was being carried along by the which will double as water current, approached her. She and of Chennai into Kathmandu. coastal villages destroyed,’’ said the Burma lobby group ALTSEAN Dixit had become a columnist in a report on the tsunami impact on the country. “On 1 January, containers. Each bucket is filled the two nine-year-olds clung to with a variety of urgently the python and were eventually and joined the Congress, and when the regime updated these figures to 59 dead, 43 injured and the coalition it led returned to needed supplies including carried to higher ground. 3,205 made homeless,’’ added the report. What’s worrying is that power, he was appointed National the situation has been less clear on Burma’s islands. This is where purification tablets, oral A Banda Aceh-based reporter Security Adviser. We never agreed the regime together with the Chinese armed forces have their redydration salts, toothbrushes, tells the story of Haiwati who is on anything but shared a very military installations. So for obvious reasons these areas will sanitary napkins, first aid due to give birth any day and cordial and warm relationship. remain off-limits to relief agencies. (IPS) medicines, flashlamps, non- had taken refuge in a mosque, I opposed the Indo-Sri Lankan perishable foods, quick drying which was subsequently flooded. accord of 1987 and he was its INTERNATIONAL 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #22915 Asia’s post-tsunami future The Asian giants are not emerging but re-emerging

here can be no underestimating 1.42 billion. Little wonder then that the scale of human devastation these countries accept the imperative T wrought by Asia’s horrific of a dynamic, open, growth-oriented tsunamis. Family members have been and job-creating global environment. lost, homes destroyed and livelihoods Yet despite these gales of change, ruined. As is often the case in natural institutional atavism prevails. Global disasters, the poor are suffering the economic policy-making remains very most. much a western game. It beggars belief And yet, even with damage to that China and India are not members infrastructure such as road and rail of the G-7. The Bretton Woods links, the tsunamis’ overall economic organisations—IMF, World Bank and impact is expected to be minor. In the WTO—remain heavily western in worst hit parts of India, Indonesia, Sri structure, leadership and mentality. Lanka and Thailand, the immediate This is especially true of the WTO, interior was unaffected, while the where Washington and Brussels seem tourism and fishing industries—the more concerned at settling old scores lifeblood of wrecked coastal areas— than in engaging with new players. account for only a tiny share of these China will soon be the world’s biggest countries’ GDP, as liberalising reforms trading power. Yet euroatlantic have fuelled economic diversification introversion still permeates the WTO. and rapid growth. This mindset is also pervasive in It was not always this way. western governments, industry, Historically, it has been difficult to engulfing China and in the course of WTO but it soon showed its mettle. business schools and the media. None convince Asians that international the 1990s, blowing on to South Asia, So the Asians are coming: as of these institutions in the west is trade is not a zero-sum-game, with Asia most importantly India. What we are markets, as states, as consumers, as ready for Asia’s re-emergence. invariably the losers. This is one reason witnessing is thus not ‘emerging’ Asia, financiers, as scientists, engineers and History is not particularly why, after Mao Zedong’s communists but the ‘re-emergence’ of a continent as corporations. Is the west ready? In an encouraging when it comes to triumphed in China in 1949 and other that comprises 60 percent of humanity. article in the Financial Times in July adjusting to profound changes—new Asian nations gained independence, Its two giants—India and China—are 2004, Standard Chartered CEO Mervyn actors and shifting balances of most Asian countries adopted especially determined, as Indian Davies wrote, “westerners are realising power—as the 20th century tragically protectionist inward-looking economic author Ashutosh Sheshabalaya recently how big Asia’s corporate ambitions and repeatedly demonstrated. The policies aimed at building domestic put it, “to return to their 19th century are”. There is, however, a large tsunami that so devastated much of strength, keeping the ‘imperialists’ out status, when they accounted for well difference between recognising that Asia has provided an opportunity for and achieving self-reliance. over half of world economic output”. change may be coming and making all key players—in government, Historical experience incites this One result of this is that China and necessary adjustments. industry, academia, media and civil suspicion. In 1820, Asia’s share of India are seeking to make a bigger In contrast to the emergence of the society—to look at Asia anew, at both global GDP was 60 percent, with China impact on global economic policy. Both west in the 19th century, which proved the challenges and the opportunities accounting for slightly more than half. countries were signatories of the such an economic disaster for most of that have arisen from its resurgence. That was two decades before the first General Agreement on Tariffs and Asia, the continent’s re-emergence can These opportunities need to be seized Opium War. With the emergence of Trade (GATT, the precursor to today’s have an immensely positive effect on with as much alacrity as the world has truly global world trade over the World Trade Organisation) in 1948 but the 21st century’s global economy, responded to Asia’s sorrow. l ensuing century and a half, Asia’s China under Mao subsequently left. including, needless to say, the west. Project Syndicate economic dominance withered. By Although India remained a member, it But this requires careful preparation, 1950, China’s share of world GDP had was often a recalcitrant one. adjustment and management. This is of Fan Gang, Director of the National Economic fallen to under five percent, while all of Asia’s current share of global GDP vital importance, especially in light of Research Institute at the China Reform Asia accounted for just 18 percent, the (about 38 percent) is still far from what the fact that Asia’s populations are still Foundation in Beijing, is a member of The Evian it was in 1820 but both countries feel booming: India, Pakistan and Group Brains Trust; Michael Garrett is Chairman biggest chunk of which was attributable of The Evian Group and Executive Vice to Japan despite its defeat in WWII. that they can, and must, participate in Bangladesh will see an increase in the President of Nestlé SA for Asia, Africa, and The winds of global change began calling the global shots. It took China’s next 15 years from 1.4 billion to 1.73 Oceania; Jean-Pierre Lehmann is Founding sweeping through Asia roughly two government a protracted 16 years to billion inhabitants, while China’s Director of The Evian Group and Professor at decades ago, first in East Asia, then negotiate its re-entry into the GATT/ population will grow from 1.3 billion to IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland. metaphor for the Indian state

countries except the Maldives but National security adviser, J N Dixit, dies at 68 including Afghanistan. One area in which he was consistent with all architect. I did not subscribe to his Posthumously, I realised the was straight, overbearing and countries in the region was the antagonistic postures during his importance of J N Dixit. He is the pragmatic from the Indian point of question of refugees. He aligned with tenure in Islamabad and he called most obvious metaphor of the Indian view. Soumyamurthy Thondaman to fight me a “naïve peacenik”. I was nation state. He symbolised all that This pragmatism helped both statelessness among the Indian appalled by his decision, as India’s is good, bad, ugly and indifferent Dixit and the Indian state get out of Tamils in the Sri Lankan plantation foreign secretary, to court Israel and about India. And as an Indian many messy situations, though it was areas, he was instrumental in he said that I was “ideologically diplomat and the arm of the Indian India’s unilateralism that created the providing basic amenities to blinkered” to the post-cold war reality. state, he put the country’s interest mess in the first place. Nothing Bangaleshi refugees after the 1971 He firmly believed that India’s above everything else, including the exemplifies this more than the war, he tried his best to impress the nuclearisation was a stepping stone people’s wish and regional Indian involvement in Sri Lanka. royalties of Bhutan and Nepal to to a permanent seat in the UN aspirations. From the bloody deployment of the treat Bhutani refugees in Nepal with Security Council and I have spent all His notion of national security, Indian army in the late 80s, which dignity and even suggested during my adult life campaigning against the country’s interest, progress and resulted in one of the country’s the post-People’s Movement in the nuclear establishment. When I regional leadership as a stepping biggest diplomatic disasters and led Nepal to create a system where these heard about his death on Monday, stone towards a centre stage at the to the assassination of Prime Minister refugees could be assimilated into there was lump in my throat. global arena all flowed from the cold Rajiv Gandhi, India became a Nepali society. Why am I missing a person who war logic and he was successful in completely passive observer in the Talking to him always helped me never saw eye-to-eye with me on any assimilating the hegemonic strands 90s. Dixit was instrumental in the understand the direction in which the issue? What is my loss? For three of both the Warsaw Pact Countries former as Indian High Commissioner Indian state was moving at any given years, between 1995 and 1998, Dixit and NATO. Devoid of any to Sri Lanka and he authored the point of time. Now, I am not sure who and I worked for the same weekly ideological stand (in fact he was latter as India’s foreign secretary. I can touch base with. l magazine, Outlook. And when I was fond of saying ideology of any Dixit is undoubtedly the most hosting my weekly show In Focus: variety is a trapping that limits elbow South Asian among the entire corps A S Panneerselvan is the Executive South Asia for Sun TV, Dixit was one room for both diplomatic and of career diplomats in the region. He Director of Panos South Asia based in of it’s frequent panellists. political navigation) his approach has served in all South Asian Kathmandu. 16 HOBBIES #229 Radioactive hobby 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 Ham enthusiasts establish Nepal’s presence on the airwaves

AARTI BASNYAT

ike all hobbyists, radio L amateurs are completely consumed by their pursuit. So much so that their friends and relatives wonder whether they are sane. They are cooped up in their attics, calling people halfway around the world just so they can log the call and add a notch to their list. They are called ham radio amateurs and use frequencies in the short wave range of the radio spectrum which allows microphone button. during major earthquakes, in transmissions to bounce off the Ham rules don’t allow New York during 9/11 and ionosphere to reach the other operators to use their equipment during last week’s tsunami side of the planet. for commercial purposes but hobbyists were the link to the The history of ham radio in hobbyists have been a big help disaster-affected areas at a Nepal is long and illustrious, during times of crisis or time when all other and that is mainly due to the momentous events. Fr Moran communications failed. (See contribution of one man: Fr became the point man for early box). Marshal Moran the American mountaineering expeditions, After Fr Moran died in Jesuit priest who started St including the first ascent of Mt 1992, the torch was passed to a Xaviers School in Godavari in Everest in 1953. new generation of Nepali ham 1951. At a time before Internet, Famous ham operators have enthusiasts. Satish Kharel is before international phone included King Hussain of Jordan one of five licensed Nepali calls, even before teletype, Fr and King Juan Carlos of Spain. Ham radio operators. Kharel is Moran could reach any part of Ham operators in Japan have a lawyer but was always the world at the push of a provided invaluable services interested in electronics and even before he knew about ham radio he was tinkering with his shortwave set trying to tune into distant broadcasts. Kharel had to sit for an Himalayan hams exam held by the Ministry of Communicaitons to get his radio amateur license in 1993 and since then he has been When Rudolf Schwenger started off as a ham hobbyist in Germany, he flying the Nepali flag, as it had always wanted one day to locate a radio transmitter in Nepal. He were, on the radio waves. He had visited Kathmandu in the early 1970s and fell in love with the built his first short wave radio place. Together with a fellow ham enthusiast who had an electronic joint through which he transmitted venture project in Nepal, he worked towards that goal. When his friend using Morse code, and it cost died a few years ago, Schwenger decided to make the dream of making him around Rs 800. Today, radio contact from Nepal true in his memory. It took a year of planning, Kharel has equipment worth and with help from local contacts and Nepali ham operators Schwenger approximately Rs 20 lakh finally set up his mast on top of the tallest building in Patan, the Nepal though he is unable to install Bayern plant. and use them all. In one month, Schwenger and an Italian colleague were transmitting “Ham radio as a hobby is and receiving radio communications from all over the world—sometimes not very expensive,” explains logging up to 100 calls per hour. Although the best reception is in 15 Kharel, “and you can make it mHz, they tried to get a maximum number of calls in lower frequencies as sophisticated as you want. like the 1.8 mHz range also. “It’s a fascination to talk to people all over the world from Nepal,” But the most expensive says Schwenger, who used to work as an electronic engineer for Siemens. transceiver doesn’t compare to The duo were inundated with calls from fellow hobbyists all over the the pleasure of making your world from who wanted to get confirmations of their calls to Nepal. own radio.” Schwegner is delighted to be in here where he says the people are His legal work allows generous and friendly despite all their problems. “In the west, we have Kharel to use his radio only on all the comforts of modern living, yet we complain all the time. In Nepal weekends and during holidays there is lots to complain about but the people are still happy, it’s when he is able to contact a lot refreshing,” he says. of people. During Dasain Schwenger does have a few complaints, the “noise” from vehicular alone, he logged 7,000 contacts traffic and unprotected electric implements which makes it difficult to all over the world in 10 days. pick up feeble signals from around the world. Also, Nepal has high fees for ham operators, a temporary license that costs only $20 in Singapore He says, “You have to be able is $1,000 here. Still, the three weeks Schwegner spent in Nepal have to devote three to four hours been well worth the trouble. once you get connected. There are so few Nepali users that everyone wants to talk to you.” Kharel has totalled 50,000 radio contacts since 1993. “Andamans calling” Kharel’s radio has also been of use to various people needing help during the Kobe Ham radio operator Bharti Prasad has become the focus of and Gujarat earthquakes. His communications with the Indian Ocean island after the earthquake dream is to start a club station and tsunami of 26 December where some 8,000 people were killed. The New-Delhi based housewife is using her radio to coordinate relief where licensed users can come and provide information on survivors to relatives around the world. and use the equipment. He Prasad, 46, arrived in the Andamans on 15 December, little knowing feels that people have been that she would be at the centre of things within 10 days. Prasad has unable to use ham radio due already handled 30,000 inquires. “When the tidal waves struck, we to lack of equipment and the turned the transmitter towards the mainland and since then we have fact that the Ministry hasn’t been flooded with messages which we relay on local telephone lines,” held the license exam since says Prasad who goes by the call sign VU2RBI. 1998. l 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #229 17 Women play too We ain’t seen Kesang Lama paves the way for other women golfers nothing yet t was not all that long ago on the golf course women used be considered just a pleasant addition. Not any more. Today there are The Indian Ocean disaster will look I more and more women golfers bringing an exciting new dimension to like a picnic compared to the cosmic golf here in Nepal as well. In a tournament last month I was fortunate to be paired with Kesang impact tsunamis Lama and was stunned by her striking ability. Never before had I witnessed first hand a lady golfer hitting as well TEE BREAK as she did that day. Her drives were well over 200 yards. Deepak Acharya She is the first Nepali woman I have come across who is so determined to excel in this game with the aim of achieving something special. She only started playing last year and in this short time has reached a remarkable stage where she has won the last three tournaments she participated in. Her present goals for improvement are to get her swing into proper shape and to work hard at perfecting her short game. She is very diligent and seems to never tire of practicing. I caught up with Kesang recently and stole some precious time from her practice routine.

Me: Kesang, how did you end up playing golf? Kesang: Well, I was interested in the game long before I picked up a golf club. With the arrival of Tiger Woods, golf’s definition got redefined, and that was when a lot of youngsters started this game. While I was working in New York and Hong Kong, a lot of my colleagues played golf. A few times they took me along to golf courses pace-related earth science terrible flash and a roar heard about watching the skies more and I just loved the is intrigued about the real round the world. As it struck carefully. There’s a whole environment. About a year-and- S Big Bang—the cosmic the ground, most of its mass population of asteroids whose a-half ago I was in the final year impact of a large meteor or and an equal amount of the orbits cross earth’s, a couple of my MBA in London. I went to comet that civilisation will earth turned into melt and thousand probably. For this part a driving range for some classes witness, sooner or later. vapour. This mass swiftly of the subject—possible impacts and since then I think I’ve been The biggest tsunamis are not shouldered its way out of the and their impact on humanity. hooked. just caused by any earthly atmosphere and condensed NASA’s Spaceguard Survey is What should be done to get more young ladies to play this process but by cosmic events. into grains of dust, flying in an excellent detailed study of game? Earthquakes on earth can’t be ballistic trajectories and low the size of the problem and I think golf’s image amongst the bigger than magnitude 9.5, but orbits that carried the grains to especially the types of hazards youth in Nepal is totally different from reality. They think it’s an expensive comet and asteroid impacts the whole planet. that impacts of all sizes impose. game for retired people. They should be given an opportunity to start the have no such limit. The When they came back Read it and lose sleep. Maybe it game, for which the golf clubs in Nepal should organise free lessons and tsunamis they unleash are down, every one of those will lift your spirits if you put provide free balls. I feel social clubs are in a much better position to planetary events and happen zillion particles became a on some military music and support this cause. once every 10,000 years. shooting star, and the sky lit up visit the US Air Force’s can-do What do you find are the beautiful aspects of this game? Other planets are carpeted at an effective temperature of document, Planetary Defense. It’s a life long sport. Unlike other sports, you don’t need a partner or with thousands of craters but not over 1000°C from horizon to There are lots of other opponent to play with. Golf can be enjoyed alone, as you are only earth. Our planet heals its horizon. The brightness stabbed boundaries like the K-T in the playing against the course and its natural conditions. I find it a family sport as well. My family and a lot of friends play, so its really fun. You get wounds so quickly thanks to the downward for a quarter-hour geologic time scale and some to walk like eight km in a round, which makes up for daily exercise. Apart vigour with which it recycles its and when it ended, whatever seem to be impact-related. On from all that, there is really no danger of being injured. surface. Only a few hundred could burn was in flames. The the whole, though, the really What are your goals? craters are documented and a resulting smoke and the fine big changes that mark geologic Well, for now, I don’t want to sound too ambitious. My first aim is to be a large number of those are buried. dust from the impactor together time boundaries—mass single handicapper by the end of this year and play as many tournaments So before the space program, plunged the world into extinctions, mostly—seem to be as I can to gain experience, both in and outside Nepal. geologists didn’t think about complete darkness for months. due to earthly causes like How supportive is your family? impacts as an agent of geologic The numerical models suggest volcanism or climate changes. I am very lucky that my husband, Wanchen Dhondup, loves golf himself. change. They do now. by the end of that time, most of In today’s textbooks, Being a four handicapper, he is very passionate about golf and wants me In 1979 Luis and Walter the world’s land surface was tsunamis appear in the to succeed as well. On the other side, my dad encourages me all the time Alvarez started telling the world near freezing. earthquake chapter but in fact and wants me to be the best in anything I do. that such a collision was the The dinosaurs, the two-thirds of all impacts should Initially, Kesang regretted not starting the game earlier but has now mysterious event which ended ammonoids and many other create tsunamis as they strike convinced herself that even taking up the challenge at the age of 27 is the Cretaceous Period and groups went extinct and the sea. They would create not too late. She wishes there were more women her age or younger who ushered in the Tertiary Period certainly, we would have too. waves many times greater than would play the game with similar goals as her own. some 66.4 million years ago. Such an impact seems to occur those triggered by the largest Geologists call this the ‘K-T every 100 million years on earthquakes. Cosmic impact So, ladies, call a golf club, schedule your first lesson and find out first event’. When the buried ruins of average, so maybe we shouldn’t mega-tsunamis must have hand if this sport could be for you too. the K-T crater were mapped in lay odds on something that bad wiped every kilometre of the the Yucatán Peninsula their happening to us. But a much whole world’s coastline clean, Deepak Acharya is a golf instructor and Head Golf Professional at argument triumphed and now smaller impact, involving a probably more than once, in any Gokarna Forest Golf Resort & Spa, Kathmandu. [email protected] scientists have rejoined 500m object would release a given million years. And a creationists in the philosophical few hundred megatons of million years is practically a camp of catastrophism. energy. It would burn up an geologic blink of the eye. The Consider what the Alvarezes area some 300 km across if it signs ought to be there, so we found. In rock strata all over the struck on land. If it hit the must go back to the outcrops world, precisely on the K-T Pacific Ocean instead, it would and interrogate the rocks again. boundary, is a thin layer of clay raise a tsunami of up to 100m A famous impact happened and soot. Evidently the majority height at the shore. It wouldn’t in the 20th century, in Siberia of the world’s vegetation caught kill us all but it would be as over the forests of the Tunguska fire at the same time and a long bad as any of the worst natural River region. It looked and rain of fine dust fell on all events ever to affect us in acted just like a huge nuclear places at once. Simulations history. One of those is likely bomb, only without the have clarified what must have every 10,000 years or so on an radiation, but the heavenly happened. A rocky asteroid average. body that caused it was no some 15 km across burned When this knowledge sank bigger than an apartment through the atmosphere, with a in, some people began to talk building. l 18 CITY 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #229

ABOUT TOWN For young Nikhil, Samarpur was everything he could ask for FESTIVAL AND EXHIBITIONS and at school he had football, the game he loved. When his v Dhaka Weaves Almost Spring An exhibition of exclusively designed beloved Neha becomes ambitious and takes off from and hand crafted products on 9 January at Rita’s garden, Patan Samarpur to pursue her dreams, Nikhil can’t help following Dhoka, 11AM-4PM. 5525095, 5520806 her to Mumbai. But fate has something else in store for him— an unrelenting Neha, a perky workmate Sara and an irksome v Ajanta: The Unseen Jewel First major photo yet petite neighbour, Shagun. His romantic roof caves in exhibition of Ajanta paintings photographed burying him in a rubble of hilarious situations. Who then by Benoy K Behl at Nepal Art Council, Baber amongst Neha, Sara and Shagun is finally destined for Nikhil? Mahal. Until 19 January. 4413174 Dil Maange More is Anand Mahadevan’s second film, starring v Life through the Lens Photographs by Kishor Shahid Kapoor, Ayesh Takia, Tulip Joshi and Soha Ali Khan. Kayastha at Indigo Gallery, till 15 January. 4413580, [email protected] Call 4442220 for show timings EVENTS www.jainepal.com Now Showing v Sanibaar Mela Saturdays at the Dharahara Bakery Café, 12AM-5PM. JAI NEPAL CINEMA v War Photographer A film by Christian Frei at the Baggikhana, Patan KATHMANDU AIR QUALITY Dhoka on 9 January, 4PM, tickets Rs 50. 5542544 v 3rd Annual Wave Web Winner 2004 Website designing contest. On new year’s day, Kathmandu’s pollution level set a new record when the Entry deadline 15 February. www.wavemag.com.np. concentration of particulate matter small enough to stay in the lungs in Putali v The God Dance of Kathmandu Valley every Tuesday at Hotel Vajra. Sadak shot up to 511 micrograms per cubic metre. Similarly, in Patan Hospital and 4271545 the residential area Thamel, the PM10 concentration was 495 and 424 micrograms per cubic metre respectively. These are new records. Air pollution levels in MUSIC Kathmandu last week were extremely hazardous for health. The national standard for PM10 is 120 micrograms per cubic metre. Anywhere else in the world, people v Soul-T Live at New Orleans, on 14 January, tickets Rs 100. 4700736 would be advised to stay indoors. v Classical vocals and instrumental music, 7PM onwards, every Friday at Hotel Vajra. 4271545 26 December 2004 - 1 January 2005 in micrograms per v All that jazz with Abhaya & The Steam Injuns at Fusion-The bar, cubic meter. Good < 60 Source: www. mope.gov.np Dwarika’s every Friday, 7PM. Rs 675 per person, includes BBQ dinner. 4479488 Ok 61 to 120 v Jatra Saturday nights with Looza, 6.30 PM onwards. 4256622 Unhealthy 121 to 350 v Jukebox experience with Pooja Gurung and The Cloud Walkers every Harmful 351 to 425 Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at Rox Bar. 4491234 v Happening live jazz in town at Upstairs Jazz Bar, Lajimpat. Every Hazardous >425 Wednesday and Saturday, 7.45 PM onwards. Putalisadak Patan H Thamel Kirtipur Bhaktapur Matsyagaun

FOOD NEPALI WEATHER by MAUSAM BEED v Seasons Special Luncheon at the Shambala Garden Café, Rs 450 per person including a bottle of soft drink or mineral water. 4412999 December was completely dry. The v New delicacies Introducing pastas and snacks at Roadhouse Café, first westerly advance early this Jawalakhel. 5521755 week produced no rains, except in v the trans-Himalayan region. This La Soon Restaurant and Vinotheque, next to the Egyptian Embassy, satellite image taken on Thursday Pulchok. 5537166 morning shows that the days ahead v Sizzling Weekend Treat with live music, dance, barbeque and karaoke will continue to be dry while at Garden Terrace, Soaltee Crowne Plaza. 4273999 morning fog and afternoon haze v Genuine Thai cuisine at Royal Lotus, Bakhundole. 5521231 will affect visibility. (Notice the v Delicious barbecue dinner Fridays at Summit Hotel. 5521810 position of the moon and the earth v tilted to expose the South Pole, Farm House Café Unlimited nature with delicious meals at Park where the sun doesn’t set during Village Hotel. 4375280 the northern winter.) For this v Café Bahal Newari and continental cuisine under the giant Cinnamon weekend through early next week, tree at Kathmandu Guest House, Thamel. 4700632 Kathmandu will see minima at 2-3 v Barbecue-Ban Bhoj at Godavari Village Resort. 5560675 Celsius, which is the normal v Vegetarian Creations at Stupa View Restaurant. 4480262 range. Early next week will see v some cloud cover but still no rain Splash Spring BBQ Wednesday and Friday evenings, 6PM onwards. or snow. Radisson Hotel, Kathmandu. v Executive Lunch at Toran Restaurant, Dwarika’s. 4479488 KATHMANDU VALLEY v The Beer Garden at Vaijayantha, Godavari Village Resort. 5560675 v Dwarika’s Thali Lunch at the Heritage courtyard. 4479488 Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue v The Tharu Kitchen at Jungle Base Camp. [email protected]

GETAWAYS 22-02 22-02 20-02 19-03 19-03 v Shivapuri Heights Cottage Great views, birdwatching and tranquil atmosphere at the edge of Shivapuri National Park. [email protected] v Dream Holiday Package tour to Malaysia. Marco Polo Travels and Qatar Airways, 2012345, [email protected] v Getaway package Night’s stay at Godavari Village Resort, includes dinner and breakfast. 5560675 v AAA Organic Farm and Guesthouse Rs 950 with three meals. 6631734 v Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge Escape the Kathmandu chill. 4361600 v Temple Tiger One night package $250. 4263480 v Machan Wildlife Jungle Resort Special packages available. 4225001 v Weekend Special at Park Village Resort, Budhanilkantha. 4375280 v Jomsom Mountain Resort Two nights-three days at Rs 5,999 for Nepalis, $199 for expats including airfare and food. 4496110, [email protected] walkathon S Want to walk with Bhairab Risal? What for?

To raise funds for Radio Sagarmatha building on Feb 27, 2005

Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists ( NEFEJ),4261991, [email protected] 7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 #229 19 Leaving his stamp

t took a lot of toying with initials collected all his first day covers Ibefore he decided on KK diligently. “It’s hard enough trying Karmacharya. “Just enough K’s,” to collect my own,” he smiles, “I laughs Kancha Kumar never was interested in collecting Karmacharya, the 57-year- stamps anyway, just designing old artist and Nepal’s most them.” His most expensive stamp prolific postage stamp costs Rs 25, and sells for Rs 80. designer. As he nears Painting on canvas and KIRAN PANDAY retirement this year, KK has designing stamps are very UNDER REPAIRS: Patan Taleju Bhabani, a temple in the Patan Darbar been counting all the different, says Karmacharya. Square being renovated, the first time since being rebuilt after the postage stamps he has “When I first began, I was a little 1934 earthquake. designed and there is a baffled because you design on grand total of 389 stamps A4 size and then it gets since 1967. minimised, all the space just His first stamp was the disappears. “You have to think International Tourism Year little while working big,” he says. stamp on 14 October As an artist, it took quite a while 1967. “Its hard to choose to get used to the miniaturisation, my favourite,” he says but he did. when asked to point out As emails replace snail mail, the stamp he is most technology has also overtaken proud of. “I wasn’t happy postage stamp designing. “All with all of them,” he attention has moved to the says. The ones he technical and this has not enjoyed doing the most necessarily been helpful to were those reflecting creativity,” he says. Despite all his Nepal’s biodiversity: years at the post office, KK never blocks of four flowers, took to letter writing. His passion butterflies and remains with brushes and colours. birds. “They He is well known for his larger MIN BAJRACHARYA were quite water and oil works on canvas. PRESENT ARMS: The army’s valley chief, Major Rajan Basnet, popular,” he Contemporary abstract showing the media weapons captured from the Maoists on Monday. recalled. Then compositions are his forte but he there was the strip likes experimenting with modern with Mt Everest, Lhotse figurative works too. KK and Nuptse that were Karmacharya is designing his last unique when they came few stamps before retiring in April out in 1979. and he is already looking forward Karmacharya is no to painting fulltime. l philatelist but he has Abha Eli Phoboo

KIRAN PANDAY

MIN BAJRACHARYA PEACE DRUMS: A Japanese youth group beating peace drums at the Kathmandu municipality on Monday.

RAM HUMAGAIN/NEPALNEWS.COM DV DREAMS SHATTERED: People who had won the DV lottery but were denied US visas protesting in Ratna Park last week. The US embassy clarified that winning the lottery does not guarantee a visa.

KIRAN PANDAY ALL FOR A CAUSE: Kanak Mani Dixit, founder of the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre, on Tuesday, before embarking on a 1,200km fundraising journey to Dhaka in his Volkswagen Beatle. 20 #229 Demos we’d like to see in our cracy7 - 13 JANUARY 2005 old it right there. Where do you living in a democracy: the fact that a man Rally of DV Victims: Hundreds of US procession to protest the acts of H suppose you are going? You think on the street can march on the street to diversity visa lottery rejects blocked commission and omission of their own you can just walk in here and start uphold the right to kowtow to authority, traffic and shouted slogans like: “Green ministers in government. They carried reading this column? Stand back, we toe the party line, practice elocution and Card is a Basic Human Right”, “Long Live placards that read: ‘Down With Our Very need to frisk you first. What is your user get some exercise. After all, there can be Imperialist Running Dogs”, “Long Live Own Government’, ‘Our Turn Now To

name? What is your password? Do you no democracy without demos and there the Royal American Army”, and Make Omissions’ and ‘Give Us Our Cut’. www.nepalitimes.com have security clearance? can be no demos without taking out a “Yankees, Go Home but Take Us with Easy for you, isn’t it? Do you have post-prandial procession. You”. Corruption Motorcycle Rally: A cross- any idea how difficult it is to produce This is the land of jatras and no matter section of society, including dacoits, this if you are protesting regression, Torch Procession of Gubernatorial crooks, highway robbers and revenue junk demanding peace, desiring an immediate Candidates: Several hundred aspirants for officials organised a motorcycle rally UNDER MY HAT week end to corruption, taking out a procession the governorship of the Nepal Rastra Bank demanding an immediate 20 percent Kunda Dixit in to wish a higher up authority happy took out a torchlit rally this evening to increase in kickback, loot and bribes and birthday, commemorating the stake their claim for the job. If the prime saying it was getting difficult to make week out? This is serious garbage we are International Gastroenteritis Week or an minister won’t make them governor, they ends meet. “Bribes should keep up with churning out here, it’s no joke. agitated taxi driver, get your placard, light said they’d settle for peon. inflation, we haven’t had an increase in Anyway, here is my 15-point some torches, organise banners, clear your decades,” said one red-handed section demand and if they are not met throat and go take a walk in the middle of Pashupatinath Shutdown: The high officer. immediately I will begin a decisive the street. priests of Pashupatinath gheraoed relay pen-down strike at Ratna Park and The first rule is: for a demo to be Nepal’s holiest shrine and took to the Journalists March: Media persons from all stop all traffic indefinitely and will successful it must inconvenience the streets of the capital demanding their walks of life, including columnists and only call it off after human rights maximum number of people and the best god-given right to remain middlemen in fellow-communists, took to the streets of organisations and civil society make a way to do that is to squat on the middle of all cash transactions between ordinary the capital for no particular reason. Said unanimous request in writing duly the road in the middle of rush hour. This mortals and the Almighty. one scribe to this scribe: “It’s a slow news notarised by a gazetted officer of His week alone, we had a plethora of demos week and we were bored stiff, so we took Majesty’s Non-government. which were a grand success because UML Anti-government Julus: The main out a procession to perk things up.” The This is one of the great things about nothing moved the whole day. They were: partner in the ruling coalition took out a march was chaired by Rishi Dhamala.

CDO Regd No. 194/056/57 Lalitpur, Central Region Postal Regd. No. 04/058/59