VIEW POINT #17 17 - 23 November 20 pages Rs 20 WWF 10-11 MIN BAJRACHARYA

Timber to Tibet CALM BEFORE STORM

KUNDA DIXIT & BINOD BHATTARAI the Army and Police chiefs, the secretaries ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ fter being so tantalisingly close to from the ministries of defence, home, and There is an eerie lull in the insurgency A starting negotiations two weeks finance, who will work together to as both the government and Maoists ago, everything is in shambles. It is strategise and implement development evident that both the government and the programmes in the insurgency-hit areas. arm themselves, and prepare for the RK MANANDHAR Maoists went into talks just to hoodwink In addition, the government is also Timber laden yaks prepare to cross into Tibet. the Nepali public into thinking that they setting up a special “Basket Fund” for the showdown ahead. Neglected by their government, were serious about a negotiated solution. As five worst-affected mid-western districts: Nepalis in Humla’s food deficit it turned out, neither side really wanted to Rukum, Rolpa, Jajarkot, Kalikot, and villages have no option but to talk. They just wanted to buy time: the chop down priceless forests, load Maoists to regroup, redeploy and launch them on yaks and cart them off to the second phase of their struggle, and the Tibet. They bring back food for a government to get the necessary few weeks and Chinese liquor to ordinance to set up a paramilitary force. see them through the harsh What a contrast to the euphoria that winter…. p 17 greeted the talks two weeks ago. Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel shook hands with a Maoist and decided he wasn’t a Carlsberg to monster. The government met the Maoist guzzle rival precondition by releasing Dinesh Sharma, but not Carlsberg and the Khetan Group before he renounced Maoism and are finalising the takeover of a un-renounced it some hours later. competing joint-venture brewery This was the perfect excuse for the in the next few weeks. There is no Maoist leadership to cry foul and say the word on the value of the deal yet, door to talks was “nearly” closed. The but it could run into millions given mediator, Padma Ratna Tuladhar, that the rival beer has a sizeable blames the government for poisoning market base. Carlsberg plans to the mood for talks. “There are some use the extra capacity to elements in government that don’t SUBHAS RAI manufacture its other brand, want talks,” he told us. For his part, Tuborg. It will not cease Poudel thinks the Maoists were not serious, production of the rival brand and were only engaged in a PR either, and will continue to exercise. “The Maoists seem to want distribute it. Beer-brewing is one to use talks as a part of their strategy of Nepal’s few growth industries. to regroup,” he said. Distracted by its own Bhote Kosi infighting and the need to deal with the moderate left, the humming ruling Nepali Congress says it has a “wait- Salyan. The Rs 190 million fund will be Congress and the opposition UML have supposed to defend the police in case they and-watch” policy. But in actual fact it administered by Poudel with the help of a been maintaining that these are non- are attacked. The 36-megawatt Bhote Kosi seems to have put the talks on the back co-ordination committee. Foreseeing negotiable. So far, the Maoists and the Army have project will begin generating burner. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Maoist resistance, the government says it On the ground, the Maoists say they are been fairly cosy with each other. The power next week, and will start Koirala has actively pursued getting royal also has a security plan to implement the now done with the first phase of “strategic Maoists have not attacked facilities like feeding the national grid when approval for an ordinance to set up a well- programmes. That is, it will be guarded by defence” and have moved on to “power telecommunications towers after they came NEA is ready, possibly by mid- armed paramilitary force to be carved out a special police force, with the army consolidation” which in turn will lead on to under army protection. They’ve not December. Bhote Kosi will be of the police and trained by the army. standing by to provide backup support. the “full-scale offensive” phase. Jargon aside, attacked army road-builders in the mid- Nepal’s second major Legislation to set up the force through But responding to the public opinion in the Maoists have been busy carrying out west. Also, there haven’t been any independent power producer to parliament would take too long. The favour of talks and international pressure, arson attacks on police posts in the east, and skirmishes between the army and Maoists sell electricity to the NEA. The ruling party is also putting final touches neither the Maoists nor the government firebombing industries and companies that since soldiers were stationed in 16 district other, Khimti Hydroelectricity on a package programme for the have completely shut the door. One have refused to pay their “tax”. headquarters after the Dunai massacre in Project, came on-line in July and development of 25 Maoist-affected senior government official told us: “Even It is certain the Maoists will not take September, even though the soldiers patrol is planning a formal inauguration districts to be administered by a special if Baburam (Bhattarai) wants to talk to too kindly to the government’s “guns and alongside the police. in the last week of November. “security and development committee” the prime minister, we’re ready.” packages” strategy of moving into their base But all this could change overnight. Khimti is a Norwegian-Nepali patterned after the US Army’s Internal The Maoist leadership want changes in areas. They will try to inflict maximum One senior army officer told us: “This is a joint venture, while American Development and Defence (IDAD) the constitution’s provisions for multi-party casualties on the paramilitary, and more potential Vietnam. The rules of engagement companies have invested $98 strategy. The committee will be headed by democracy and constitutional monarchy importantly, capture their new semi- are too messy. The army should be the last million in Bhote Kosi. the vice-chairman of the National arguing that they are “contradictory, automatic rifles. Much more uncertain is line of defence, you can’t use it piecemeal like Planning Commission and will consist of unscientific and reactionary”. But both the how they will deal with the army, which is this and risk getting into a quagmire.” t 2EDITORIAL 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

WORLDWIDE WEB OF LIFE

As information technology makes the world smaller, we will need to change the definition of the word “wilderness”. There may be vast open spaces still left in the middle of Siberia or up on the Tibetan plateau, on Antarctica, or the islands in the eastern Pacific. But they are not truly wild anymore in the way the world was wild even 100 years ago. An Iridium satellite races across the sky at sunset, a yurt has a dish antenna poking out of its side, vapour trails of high-flying jets crisscross above Greenland. And from the top of Mt Everest dying climbers call home to say farewell to their dear ones. In Punta Arenas, the southernmost city in the world, shades, hats and long sleeves have become a part of the school uniform to protect children from harmful ultraviolet rays passing unfiltered through the ozone hole. The atolls in the Maldives have lost 70 percent of their coral reefs in the past three years because of a warm plume of ocean current, and the archipelago may have only 50 years before it is submerged forever by sea level rise. In the middle of the Amazon, the sky suddenly goes dark at noon because of blazing rainforests upwind. Trekking northeast of Kathmandu you come upon Tsho Rolpa, a lake that is nearly bursting because global warming has caused the Rolwaling Glacier to melt and recede. And who will forget STATE OF THE STATE that apocalyptic sight of Machhapuchhare this April—a by CK LAL black pyramid almost devoid of snow. Nature, and wilderness probably remains pristine and intact today only on National Geographic or Discovery channels. Economic globalisation has another, less promising by-product: the ecological globalisation of its impact. The dynasty strikes back Today, scientists, economists, futurologists and sociologists are trying to find out how the earth can live in ecological equilibrium. This shift to a new earth ethic is no he very idea of a dynasty goes To be counted in Nepali politics today you either have to swear at a Koirala, longer some hippie dream, it has sound economic basis. Tagainst the basic concept of or swear by one. Is this Nepal’s new political dynasty? The goal is to make human societies less wasteful, more democracy. And yet, we see frugal with resources, more equal. As Gandhi said, there the possible emergence of one in It is the charisma of the name, BP Koirala became the first prime BP is better known as the father is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s that bastion of democracy, the the brand-recognition of the minister to be democratically elected. of Manisha Koirala. Speaking of greed. United States. Indeed, most political family. And as we know, Taking the instances of firsts even whom, now that Sawal Das Crore This is the real world- democracies seem to be pre- branding is as important in further, the youngest of the Koirala Ka has bombed at the ratings, wide web, a web of life disposed to political dynasties. democracies as it is in the cut- brothers, Girija, became the first maybe Manisha will be inclined to intricately linked to natural The Nehru-Gandhis in India, the throat world of corporate prime minister to be elected under come home? processes and human Bandaranaikes-Kumaratunga in marketing. An election symbol is as the new 1990 constitution. Love There may yet be a dark horse. factors. In the thin film of life Sri Lanka, the Bhuttos in valuable as Nike’s swoosh. Widows them, hate them, but ignore them Someone not tarnished in the on the planet’s surface, Pakistan, the Sheikh Mujib and stepping into the political shoes of you can’t—Koiralas are the dirty vat of Kathmandu politics. nature is threatened as in no Zia-ur Rahman families in their dead husbands is so common the democratic dynasty of this country. And that precisely could be his time in history by human Bangladesh, the Sukarnos of world over that there is an academic Unfortunately for Girijababu, advantage. In an environment where activity that exploited Indonesia, the Aquinos in the study of the phenomenon entitled charges of nepotism and relatives politics and politicians have become resources as if there was no Philippines. In Nepal, we didn’t “Over My Dead Body”. When it is with feet of clay have stuck over the objects of disdain, Dr Shashank tomorrow. An exponential need democratic dynasties because so common, democratic dynasties years. The charge that Girija may be Koirala carries the credibility of a growth in the world’s we had the monarchy. But now may not be a bad thing after all. fronting for his cousin Sushil respected professional. An eminent population, the wasteful that we are ten years into Devils you know are better than ignores the reality that this Bhole Nepali eye surgeon who is as good a extravagance of some democracy, this is as good a time those you don’t. manager as he is a doctor. And countries, the worldwide as any to start our own. Post-democratic Nepal is blessed being an eye doctor, could he not bonfire of fossil fuels are In fact, the dynasty-making with its own political dynasties. We also have a vision for the country? bringing irreversible potential of democracies is most have our own Adhikaris, Bhandaris, Like his father, BP, Shashank changes that threaten evident not at the apex of the Mainalis, Singhs and Nidhis, but the considers politics to be a mission, livelihoods and the lives of national power structure, but at the First Family of Nepali Democratic respects the legacy of his family those to come. But there is now hope: economics is grassroots. Power families at the local Dynasty is undoubtedly that of the name, and likes to quote making a paradigm shift from the industrial-information level have always elected members of Koiralas. Political identity is defined philosophers. (Immanuel Kant’s age to a biological age that recognises the limits of what their clan to the political seat of that in terms of Koiralas—if you are famous proposition “Reality is ecosystems can sustain. It is moving away from an constituency. The prime example of neither a staunch loyalist nor a seldom what appears to be” seems anthropocentric worldview that treats nature as a honey- this is the Gwalior royal family in severe critic, then you ain’t nobody to be his favourite.) Apart from all pot for the apex species. As long as the human demand India, who have invariably managed in Nepali politics. Whether you are that, he has been the permanent for food, energy and other needs are within nature’s to elect scions to office after India Sher Bahadur Deuba or Comrade host to his uncle in Kathmandu capacity for regeneration the biosphere will survive intact. became independent. Prachanda you have to blackguard a whenever Girija is out of Baluwatar. The message from this week’s meeting of the World Al Gore himself is the son of a Koirala to establish your political Poor Deuba is apparently Wide Fund for Nature was clear: let’s learn to live and long-serving senator. The pedigree identity. You either have to swear at Baba from Banke is a behind-the- wasting his ammunition attacking thrive without threatening the planet’s biodiversity and the of George W Bush is even a Koirala or swear by one. scenes operator and lacks the élan his former mentor. The senior natural resource base. It is more than symbolic that WWF grander—he is the son of a Krishna Prasad Koirala (or needed to head the clan. Ms Clean Koiralas are not his rivals. Sushil is chose Nepal as its venue: one of the world’s ecologically president, the grandson of a Pitaji, as he is almost always Shailaja could have been a flag- probably a red herring. Shailaja is richest countries is also its economically poorest. But senator, brother of another referred to) laid the foundation of bearer, but she has already let too straightforward. Koirala Nepal’s achievements at preserving nature while governor, and is related to at least this political clan. A small-time several opportunities pass. Could loyalists have an ace up their ensuring better living conditions for its people is also a 15 presidents in one way or government contractor during the rule it be that Shailaja doesn’t believe sleeves—the grandson of Pitaji. The model for the rest of the world. another. Then there are the true- of Chandra Sumsher (1901-29), he in dynasties? forthcoming Pokhara Convention blue political dynasties of the New created history by sending a parcel Other Koirala names being will not be the end of tussle for the World—the Roosevelts, the containing the tattered clothes of a bandied about—Nona, Shekhar, leadership of Nepali Congress. The Kennedys, the Rockefellers, the bhariya (hill-porter) to ‘awake’ His Jyoti, or even Sujata—do not carry arithmetic being what it is, a clear Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd Tafts, the Longs—you name a Highness to the poverty stalking the the hint of a promise with their victory for Girija there is a foregone Mailing address: GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu Nepal president and there will be a daddy land. Little did he know that this names, largely because almost all of conclusion. But the real Editor: Kunda Dixit Desk editors: Deepak Thapa, Samuel Thomas or brother who served in high attention-grabbing mail would end up them take themselves far too competition for succession in the [email protected] office. The British have simplified delivering three of his sons to the seriously. Prakash had a fighting ruling party will begin in right Marketing, circulation and subscriptions: matters by a system of hereditary prime ministerial throne. chance, but he threw it away by earnest only after Pokhara. That (01) 543333-7 Fax: (01) 521013 peers who sniff snuff to stop Matrika, the eldest son, became associating himself with Marichman may be when the dynasty strikes [email protected] www.nepalitimes.com themselves from snoring in the the first commoner to become Singh during the days of the Jan back, and when it does, who knows, Printed at Jagadamba Press (01) 521393 Upper House. prime minister of post-Rana Nepal. Andolan. These days, this son of it may finally have a fresh face. t VIEW POINT 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 333

Democrats vs Republicans ○○○○○○○○○○○

GYAN○○○○○ JUNG THAPA during peace talks because both political and other influences. The current sides try to bolster their bargain- The 60 years of niju siefu saw 30 A battle royal is looming between “democrats” national debate ing power. Violence could prime ministers heading 42 about who escalate when peace talks are cabinets, with half of the prime represented by political parties following the 1990 controls the army, deadlocked, as has happened ministers coming from the and who it should now. And it is when the prospects military and three of them constitution, and “republicans” whose avowed aim be answerable to, of peace are tantalisingly near generals—Yamagata, Katsuri and is to abolish the constitutional monarchy. Civil- has brought into sharp focus the that the government must be even Taruchi—governing for half of condition of state-military more vigilant to prevent violent the period. In China, the vehicle military relations need to be mended first before relations in Nepal. The issue radicals of the right and left who of the revolution was the peasant emerged after the tragic events in may feel compelled to try to army that overthrew the forces of the fast-closing window of opportunity for a Dunai in September when the derail the peace process. oppression and the tenet that army stood by while 14 police- As we have seen time and power flows from the barrel of the political solution is lost forever.

men were massacred by Maoists, again in Sri Lanka, Palestine and gun is yet to be harmonised with ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ nearly triggering a constitutional in Central America, the role of a normative state-military ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ crisis. A breakdown mediator and external factors are relationship. The sacking of Under this arrangement, civilian chaos under the surface. the will and vision to nurture or unacceptable crucial. In El Salvador in 1990, Admiral Vishnu Bhagat in India control of the military becomes In every democratic society, and develop it. The civil service for instance, it was the trust both by Defence Minister George essential and non-negotiable. the military has to be brought should not expect a slave-master parties vested on the mediation Fernandes last year, and the Effective civilian control of into the mainstream of decision- relationship with the military role of UN Secretary General overthrow of the Nawaz the military must be governed making simply because if you and the military should not deterioration of state- Javier Perez de Cuellar who Sharif government in by the rule of law, and proper keep it out it will remain an expect the civil service to rubber military relations is dangerous for Pakistan can also be legislation anticipating future extra-government authority. It is stamp all their recommendations the country, to the parliamentary viewed as a collapse of scenarios and potential future also equally impractical to claim and actions. In an ideal situa- democratic process, to the state-military crises. When the civil bureau- that you have a democracy when tion, the relationship must be necessary system of checks and was proactive and able to get relationship in our cracy takes advantage of political the military has been excluded governed by legislation and not balances and to the autonomy of both parties to accept him as the immediate reluctance or from or pushed out of all by personal contacts and whims, the army. Unless immediate and sole arbitrator to settle the neighbourhood. inaction to committees. Integration of the likes and dislikes. Civil control of appropriate corrective measures bloody 14 year near-civil war. When it becomes evident that manipu- military in the decision-making the military must be confined to are taken to get this relationship What helped was that the Cold democracy under process will make the military matters of policy framework on the right track, events may War was over and Washington elected civilian part of the policy formulation of preferably arrived at in consulta- snowball out of control. gave its blessings to the talks and leaders is not the government, and this will tion with the military leadership Now that the armed forces promised economic aid. And it serving the enhance morale as well as give a on matters of strategy, peace have been partially deployed in worked. national interest, the military late or arrogate to feeling of belonging to the and war. For its part, the some districts, a rectified civilian Every conflict is different, and option does acquire some degree itself powers not rightfully military establishment. Non- military should be equally open, military relationship is going to every mediation effort too must of legitimacy. The military theirs (and they are not capable integration of the military will more transparent and adhere to be crucial not just to manage any differ. When there are two coming to the rescue of a or qualified to handle) state- most likely lead the law of the land.  future escalation in the warring factions with beleaguered state has sometimes military relationship quickly to a crisis. insurgency but also for any future diametrically opposing views worked well as in the Philippines deteriorates. The principle that More things (Gyan Jung Thapa recently dialogue between the government engaged in a low intensity conflict in 1986 when Gen Ramos gave is being violated here is that the than just retired as a Colonel from the and Maoists. Insurgents increase as there is in Nepal, it is not easy crucial support to the People’s Royal Nepal Army. He is a the level of violence either when to agree to talk peace. Each Power Revolution and so also in graduate of the US Army they feel that their political base insurgency requires specific and Turkey. But these were Command and Staff College, is narrowing both externally and surgically precise tools to defeat. exceptions to the rule, and the Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, internally, or when they desire to A display of physical and moral credit for the initial success in author- from which he has a Masters strengthen their negotiating strength, honesty, flexibility and both cases went to the profession- ity has been taken over by the working relations in military arts and science.) position vis-à-vis the government. mutual trust backed by alism of the armed forces. bureaucracy, and has not been have to be rectified, but this The government, for its part, corresponding actions by both The modern state no longer legislated. Arrogation by civil is only possible if the military is should always attempt to talk parties involved in the conflict are functions as a division of various servants with all the authority, considered a part of the govern- formally or informally with the needed to create the right departments, it is a single, but with no responsibility, ment machinery. insurgents and their political environment for negotiations. invisible unity, a comprehensive ultimately leads to a condition To have a balanced state- allies whenever an opportunity Historical records reveal machinery. Consequently, no where the superficial veneer of military relationship, presents itself: even if the major crises when the military is affairs of the state could be “all is well” persists, but there is political leaders must have guerrillas themselves shun peace deified as the only saviour of a considered outside the province overtures. All legitimately elected nation. Under the cabinet of the military. It is also essential governments battling insurgencies government system from 1885 to that the autonomy of the military must be able to display an ability 1945, when Japan followed niju must not be interfered with, but to survive politically and siefu or dual government, the at the same time, the military militarily. We have seen with civilians had no say in matters must be made to understand that peace talks elsewhere that the military, but the military could it is not an extra-government level of violence actually increases trample on civilian turf with its authority, and cannot act as one. LETTERS OUTRAGED HINDUS that automatically qualifies you as wherever he may be living, would the end of the tunnel. Really, your As a Hindu, I was outraged by a Hindu, but if you are a Brahmin practice. We can argue until we are LOCOMOTION be wiser if only he had a bit more paper is great on-line fun to read from Bali you’re not? His reasoning respect for Jan Aastha because it is and it has such diverse and Hemlata Rai’s article “Who is a blue in the face about whether You gave timely projection to the Hindu?” (#16). It is indeed defies logic and shows just how Indonesians or Malaysian Hindus are the only Nepali-language paper in interesting views. irrational and arbitrary the entry mayor of Bhaktapur “Nepali Kathmandu that has the guts and Surya Prasai shameful that a country that prides qualified to worship Lord Society” (#14). Prem Suwal reminds itself on being the only Hindu procedures of the temple are. It’s Pashupatinath. But the much more the reliable sources to expose the UNAIDS, Botswana time the protector of the world’s us of the celebrated mayor of ever-increasing rot inside the army. kingdom in the world will not allow fundamental (fundamentalist?) Dalian in China, who has the world’s Hindus into Pashupati. Hindus acted to remove this question here is whether even non- The story about the court martial I am a new reader of Nepali discredited chief priest. accomplished many successes in has been lifted by your paper and Times online. I must say I am very And I haven’t ever heard a more Hindus should be barred in the first resolving that city’s urban absurd statement than the one S Arjel place. India has many Hindu others precisely because they are impressed with the quality of the Austin, Texas problems. Mayor Suwal doesn’t go true. The reason Jana Aastha articles you publish. They are not attributed to the chief priest that temples, and non-Hindus are not around in a fancy car, he doesn’t only people who are born in India barred from entering them. I’m not seems so biased about the army only informative and present an make reckless promises, he is not may be because its author was impartial analysis of the subject, and Nepal are Hindus. So, if you Hindu pilgrims from Indonesia were saying that Hinduism should do what driven by megalomania. Can’t our are a Zoroastrian born in India turned back from the gates of Lord other religions do, but what is wrong detained and mentally tortured for they also have a high standard of own “communist” mayor of a whole night by army intelligence composition, choice of words and Shiva, what else could be more with being inclusive and welcoming Kathmandu and our “socialist” humiliating than this for them, and all religions to your place of worship? for exposing their dirty linen, but clarity. Keep up the good work. prime minister emulate Prem he has continued to he has Ashok Srivastav for us as Nepalis? This incident has Isn’t that better than having an Suwal’s example and shun their not only revealed the monopoly of exclusionist, outdated and continued to dutifully inform the GE Transportation Systems Mercedes Benzes? The leader of public. Take it from me: most of Erie, Pennsylvania Mul Bhatta but also his despicable Brahmanical attitude about who is the opposition did pedal to Singha thoughts. It is really ridiculous as well “pure” and who is “impure”? As Ms Rai what Jana Astha writes about Durbar last week, but as CK Lal irregularities in the army (more as sad to hear about such profane points out, how do you in this day and reports in “Comrade Nepal pedals actions from a so-called holy person. age distinguish a Hindu from a non- than 80 percent) is true. to work” in the same issue, he was R Gurung CORRECTION Naran Malla Hindu? We suffered an Indian out in his chauffeured limousine Bhaktapur Bhaktapur The story “ICIMOD downsizes” blockade for not allowing Sonia the very next day. (#16) carried an erroneous list Gandhi into Pashupatinath, maybe it D Gajraj TIMES of staffers involved. ICIMOD has What Hemlata Rai’s excellent article is time to lift the blockade on our via Internet I really enjoyed the last three also informed us it was a board “Who is a Hindu?” (#16) lacked was an holy sites. issues of Nepal Times on the decision and not a manage- Indonesian devotees praying outside analysis about whether the practice of Ashok Sharma JANA AASTHA Internet. It is a great job you are ment decision. Nepali Times Pashupati after being refused entry barring non-Hindus is a Hindu Kathmandu into the temple on 29 October. Ram Gopal Sharma (“Letters” # 16), doing to keep the light shining at apologises for the mistake. –Ed. 4 NATION Halting progress17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

HEMLATA RAI ○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○hen Lenin died, the wSoviet Union observed a one-minute shutdown in silence. The country could not afford to miss more than that— only work would help the communist state materialise. The march towards a socialist utopia continues here in Nepal but our communists have adopted exactly the opposite means to that end. They believe in shutting down business and bringing life to a complete halt to make a political point. In the last decade since the re-introduction of multi-party democracy, one or the other of the assortment of socialist groups have been involved in more than 80 percent of the nearly 50 national and valley-wide bandhs. (See box) This time around, the consortium of nine minor leftist It is difficult to see how forcing shops to shut parties called for an unprec- edented two-day bandh to protest and cars off the roads helps the cause of the the 14 October fuel price hike.

The government initially political parties calling for shutdowns. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ pretended not to notice but made ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ some attempt at negotiations at Airlines plane hijack from event provided to make a show People’s Front, one of the nine

the last moment. Predictably, the Kathmandu last December and of Nepal’s successes in conserva- leftist groups. He also argued MIN BAJRACHARYA ALL PHOTOS effort failed and the nation was the concerns raised by various tion practices, the bandhs cast a that the bandh call was a last Deserted Singha Durbar avenue; police on pickup escort tourist transport; saddled with a bandh that diplomatic missions about law dark shadow over the proceed- resort against a government that and (right) rickshaws make hay while the sun shines. couldn’t have come at a worse and order in the country due to ings and only contributed to has turned impervious to reason. time. increased Maoist activity. The causing long-lasting damage to But past record shows that bandhs, the very premise of one organised by the Rastriya The business community bandh was something that the Nepal’s reputation. none of the demands voiced bandhs is worth questioning. The Prajatantra Party in 1998 to believe losses will be two times country could least afford at this There has been no compre- during the 50 or so bandhs of the shutters do come down, but protest the murder of one of their more this week since the two-day juncture. Even if the government hensive study on the negative last ten years have yielded results. everyone knows it is definitely MPs with well-known criminal bandh comes smack in the middle had succeeded in getting the impact of these shutdowns on the As recent as September, the same not in support of the bandh call. antecedents, Mirza Dilshad Beg, of the peak tourist season. bandh called off, the damage had Nepali economy, but a survey leftist coalition called a day-long Closures are forced on a people in a gang war. It is ironical how Following the two-day bandh is a already been done. Industry carried out by a Kathmandu- national shutdown to force the responding to fears of the even that was a success. weekend. “Business loss of four insiders reported mass cancella- based independent research government into agreeing to a potential for violence from bandh It could be that the days in a week is suicidal,” says a tions of both hotel bookings and institution three years ago, host of issues, including the organisers. It is far removed from Bangladesh experience gives peeved wholesaler at New Road. trekking groups in anticipation of estimated that a day’s closure of immediate implementation of a the 1990 People’s Movement hope to bandh organisers. The tourism sector—which the uncertain political climate. business can cause losses of about two-year-old understanding when calls for shutdowns had Having successfully been used contributes 20 percent of Nepal’s To add to the woes, a host of Rs 30 million in Kathmandu between the government and the mass public support and the to bring down two governments, total foreign exchange earnings foreign VIPs and more than 700 alone. A fact that political leaders communist grouping. Transport, momentum of the agitation led to the effectiveness of a series of and employs around 700,000 big names in the global environ- are not entirely ignorant of. They, educational institutions, factories one popular bandh after another. bandhs was clearly demonstrated people—is another major loser. mental movement were in however, resort to philosophical and markets ground to a halt but But this legitimate political tactic in the neighbouring country. The industry is only just getting Kathmandu to attend the annual rhetoric to justify their action. it all came to naught as far as has since degenerated to small But, as a Bangladeshi journalist back to its feet after a disastrous meeting of the World Wide Fund “We have to lose some to gain wringing concessions from the sections of society holding the points out, there is a great first half-year due to adverse for Nature. Rather than revel in some,” says parliamentarian Lila government was concerned. rest hostage to their whims. The difference between the two publicity following the Indian the wonderful opportunity the Mani Pokharel of the United Besides the effectiveness of most absurd of them all was the countries. While Dhaka is a HERE AND THERE A rude awakeningby DANIEL LAK

Rajesh’s usual customers, wisely, showed little interest in international convinced their citizens that polls will be honest and impartial. And The next Master of the Universe was television news channels, so no BBC or CNN in his hotel. I’m not picking on the Americans either. being decided by a group of octoge- A Christian missionary on some mysterious assignment came down The twenty-first century is beginning with a series of reminders to for breakfast and he too professed total ignorance about the fate of the rich, developed countries of the world that they too live in fragile narian bridge players in Palm Beach Messrs Gore and Bush. I spent that day, last Wednesday, in a state of constructs, at the mercy of fate and unforeseen, potentially catastrophic some agitation. I accosted border guards, bus drivers, arriving and failures of process and technology. Take the recent Singapore Airlines n the morning of Wednesday, the 8th of November, I leapt out departing tourists. All gave me blank looks that suggested they had far crash in Taipei. The record of the world’s safest airline now stands O of bed and raced down the stairs of the finest hotel in more important matters on their mind than the will of voters on the besmirched because the plane tried to take off on a construction site. Kakarvitta, Jhapa. The first person I met was the friendly other side of the globe. It was a good twelve hours before I found out The tragic funicular fire in Austria is another horrid example. Many of sweeper, errand boy and porter, who about the still-unfolding political fiasco in the United States. A friend us cheered the European fuel protesters who in September shut down never failed to smile and say wrote from Washington to observe that the next Master of the their countries with their demands for cuts in petrol prices, and shook namaste. “Hajur, I stuttered in my Universe was being decided by a group of octogenarian bridge players their governments to the core. For me, it all contributes to a sense of broken Nepali, “American elections, in Palm Beach and by expatriate voters—the sort of people, my unease that worse lies ahead. The latter years of the last century, the hijo, er.. ke bhoyo, um.” The young correspondent reminded me, who were summed up in song by the late, fin d’siecle, were awash in smugness on an unprecedented scale as my man looked at me with a smile, great Steve Goodman: “Some of them are running from lovers/leaving generation, the forty-somethings, made vast sums of money and came nodded his greetings and went back no forward address; Some of them running tons of ganja/some are to power in many democracies. We were Masters of the Universe. A to sweeping the restaurant floor. running from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service)”. A reference to a surging stock market, the incredible pace of often frivolous yet always He shook his head gently as he tiny minority among the expats, I’m sure, but a reminder of how the lucrative technologies, progress on the gaping wounds in global peace worked. I turned in desperation to fate of us all can hang in the weirdest of balances. such as West Asia and Northern Ireland—it was all our doing. Or so my host, the owner of the Hotel I can only think of the pious, well-meaning folk who make a living we thought. Has a run of immense of good luck been mistaken for Rajat, Rajesh Shrestha. He too travelling the world and monitoring the elections of poorer nations. competence and exemplary stewardship? The more I think about it, the beamed broadly at me. “Do you know who won the US elec- Where are the foreign observers in Florida? Why isn’t, say, Benazir more I wonder why Bush or Gore want to be president at all. tions?” I demanded breathlessly, probably a touch rudely as well. Bhutto calling a news conference to express her deep unease at the And oh yes, profound apologies to the people of Kakarvitta for my Rajesh regarded me with a sideways look as a timely phone call relieved ballot paper situation in Palm Beach, and the alleged irregularities in day of relative rudeness and agitation. It won’t happen again. t him of the burden of having to deal with me. A news junkie bereft of New Mexico? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against election observers, the information of the moment is an unsightly and off-putting thing. as such, especially in places where governments and elite have not NATION 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 5

Adacemic Surendra KC is even more blunt. “Bandhs are irrelevant Pre-election Congress bouts Rs 900 million lost in 5 years in the present context; they ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ symbolise lack of vision and an The ruling party has expelled 16 members for disrupting a absence of intellectual and social meeting to elect delegates to the 10th Convention in Saptari National and Kathmandu Valley bandhs in the last five years* sensitivity among the political district. Party president Girija Prasad Koirala ordered their leadership,” says KC, a Tribhuvan expulsion for allegedly being involved in a brawl that led to the Date Organiser University historian who has injury of an election observer. The chairman of the Saptari studied Nepal’s communist district development committee, Dinesh Yadav, is among 21 September 2000 Nine leftist groups movement. “Bandhs can be those expelled for three years. 2 August 2000 CPN(ML) fraternal organisations counterproductive especially for Meanwhile, Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is challenging 2 April 2000 CPN(Maoist) communists in Nepal. People have Koirala’s bid to be party president for a second time, says the 27 March 2000 CPN(UML) pinned hope on the communist president’s decision goes against the practice of a hearing 16 November 1999 National People Movement Coordination Committee parties to relieve them from the before a disciplinary committee prior to taking any action. But 7 October 1999 CPN(Maoist) burden of social and economic Congress spokesman Narahari Acharya described Koirala’s 5 September 1999 Language Right United Agitation Committee disparities but when they cause action as a “special decision” that the president can take in 5 March 1999 Newa Khala difficulties by calling for irrelevant serious circumstances, and that it was not routine disciplinary 17 December 1998 National People’s Movement Coordination Committee political displays like bandhs people action. 20 July 1998 Eight leftist groups could turn unsympathetic to them,” 14 July 1998 Rastriya Prajatantra Party he adds. Stop torture: AI 5 April 1998 United People’s Front MP Pokharel doesn’t buy that ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Anmesty International launched a worldwide campaign 29 March 1998 Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry argument but avoids a direct against torture from Nepal last week. The campaign aims to 22 September 1997 Nepal Students’ Union—student wing of the Nepali Congress response when asked if the national build public opinion to make torture a punishable offence. 8 September 1997 Chamber of Commerce shutdown will force the government Speaking to reporters on the occasion, AI Secretary General 29 August 1997 Four leftist groups to reduce fuel prices. What he has Pierre Sane said that torture of children, women and 17 August 1997 Four leftist groups to say, however, can only be cause prisoners of conscience is a problem in Nepal. He also said 8 July 1997 Nepal Students’ Union for greater concern: “Our protests that the Maoists, who claim to be fighting against similar 30 April 1997 19 small parties might not always be peaceful like atrocities by the government, themselves have a bad record 18 April 1997 VAT Agitation Committee this.” where torture was concerned. 12 December 1996 National People’s Front That threat does not seem to Sane noted with surprise that Nepali politicians, many of 18 September 1996 CPN(United Centre) have deterred other political whom have has first-hand experience of torture in Nepali jails, 12 September 1996 National People’s Front and Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party parties—from the right-wing are hesitant to enact laws that would make it a criminal 21 August 1996 National Republican Front Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Nepal offence. Nepal has a law to compensate torture victims but its 21 August 1995 CPN(UML) fraternal organisations Sadbhavana Party to the main implementation is cumbersome because it requires torture to 1 August 1995 Nepal Students’ Union opposition Communist Party of be proved. Compensation is also delayed because of the 4 June 1995 Pashupat Sena Nepal (UML)—from extending time cases take to get a court hearing. 19 June 1995 Nepal Students’ Union support to the shutdown. Even the 4 May 1995 United People’s Front (Pampha) Maoists declared they were all for it. Lost in there somewhere is the $5 million from UNCDF

*In the decade since the restoration of democracy there have been 44 calls for Nepal and valley-wide closures. realisation that the ruling party will ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ sprawling metropolis, Kathmandu is use the same tactics to force the The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is to little more than a large town where country to a standstill if and when provide $5 million to a Local Development Fund to fund almost every place is within walking they sit in the opposition. And decentralised planning and financing activities. The distance. Hence, the impact of having suffered bandhs during their programmes will be implemented in Achham, Kaski, bandhs is considerably less. Also, tenure they will not need to be Rupandehi, Dolakha, Kabhre, Dhanusha, Udayapur and because the number of urban poor apologetic about it at all. Tehrathum districts under existing UNDP projects. Of this is relatively less in Kathmandu, the One can only hope that two- amount $3 million will be provided to district development sum of human misery caused by dayers are the most our politicians committees in instalments while the remainder will be spent bandhs is not great enough to affect will impose on us. And that they on human resources development and technical assistance. governments. But most important don’t take comfort from and District and village development committees will allocate the of all, he says, is that since Prime emulate the fact that fellow money to specific projects. Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is politician Subhas Ghising did get pre-occupied with inner-party away with a 40-day bandh at the Exhibition in exile wrangling and the larger issue of height of the Gorkhaland ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ A group of Bhutanese refugee students called “The Rose the Maoist insurgency, the movement in Darjeeling in the Class” will present an exhibition of photography, art and present bandh can only be an 1980s. t writing. The exhibition, called “Voices with Vision”, will run irritant. from 15-22 November at Baggikhana, Patan Dhoka. The Rose Class is a participatory project co-ordinated by the UK- based NGO PhotoVoice. There are currently over 98,000 Bhutanese refugees living in seven camps in the Jhapa and Morang Time out for hotels districts of southeastern Nepal. These refugees The strike threat that loomed over the hotel industry has The hotel strike has been put off for a make up one-sixth of passed for now. Employee unions have decided to put Bhutan’s population and away for later the indefinite strike that was to have begun while, but talks between workers and the majority have been in on 19 November—but only until 11 December. hotel owners remain deadlocked. exile since 1992. But there’s a complication though. Both the hotel owners and the unions say that the commission formed by have been demanding for over as many years, and many South Asian writers

the government to find a lasting solution to the fight over hotels privately admit that they would have no problem with ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ service charges was done without consulting the parties it if the government says OK. “The unions should agree to A group of South Asian writers, including big names like VP in conflict. The said commission is to submit a report in postpone the next bi-ennial collective bargaining if they are Singh, former prime minister of India, and Khushwant Singh, three months and recommend a concrete solution to the to get it,” one hotelier told us. “Both sides should be ready controversial columnist and writer, are meeting in Kathmandu problem that has seriously threatened the hotel industry. to give and take something.” But the smaller family-run from 22 November. The team will also hold seminars at Earlier this week, union representatives said the strike hotels that comprise the majority oppose the charge Tribhuvan University and the Royal Nepal Academy. was postponed because they had received a “sympathetic because it would force them to open their books to their response” from the government on the 10 percent service employees, and ultimately to the taxman. Goodbye Hans

charge they are demanding. The decision was reached in The dispute would not have been as threatening had the ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ the presence of representatives from the government and hoteliers decided to engage the workers in talks and not Hans Rothenbuhler, World Bank Country the Employer’s Council of the Federation of the Chambers warned lockouts, a union source told us. He also said that Director in Nepal since July 1997, left of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI). The final all the hotels wanted was that they be declared “essential Kathmandu in the middle of a bandh WORLD BANK compromise was hammered out in the presence of the services” when they went around meeting top politicians— Thursday heading into retirement. Hans tourism minister. Hotel owners stayed away from this who ironically had trade union backgrounds and were not led the Nepal office in the crucial years meeting and instead called upon the Prime Minister to ready to listen their “anti-democratic” demands. since the cancellation of a major loan for form a high-level commission to look into the issue and Hoteliers point out that India’s Taj Group of hotels is the the Arun-3 project and the metamorphosis of the traditionally settle the matter once and for all. only major chain that currently add the service charge. The tight-lipped club of banker types into one that talks more The unions argue that owners have nothing to lose Taj, however, is also said to be the worst paymaster in the easily about issues such as poverty alleviation and social because they can pass on the service charge to tourists. Indian industry. The unions want hoteliers to come to an support. Hans also led the team that prepared the Nepal They say the charge would also force hotels to maintain agreement within the month-long deadline, while HAN Country Assistance Strategy 1999-2000, where the Bank said transparent accounts—something that could also be in the maintains it would need at least a year to work out a deal. it was poor governance and weak institutions that were the interest of the government for taxation purposes. The unions also have their own list of hotels all over the main obstacles to Nepal’s development and not so much the Presently, only the larger corporate hotels are said to world that levy the charge and say that they are even finances. He was also instrumental in convening the Nepal maintain open accounts. prepared for removal of the charge in a year if that actually Development Forum in Paris in April after a gap of four years. The 10 percent service charge is something workers hurts the tourism industry, as claimed made by the hotels. t Asked about who was going to succeed him, Hans told us: “They’re still working on it.” 6NATION 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

NEPALITERATURE by MANJUSHREE THAPA An American in SHRAWAN MUKARUNG

RAJENDRA S. KHADKA ○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○ nest” and practising a “politics of acAlister Brown fondly personal greed and LOCAL m remembers the days when aggrandisement,” leading Nepal he bicycled from Kalimati to into a “negative development Kathmandu Patan and along the banks of the phase”. Reflecting further Professor DEPICTIONS Bagmati. Which is why he told his Brown said that he did not foresee group of fellow travellers from the emergence of a “strong man” (a Massachusetts that the Kathmandu la General Musharraf in Pakistan, Desh Khojdai Jaandaa (While Searching for the Country) air in October is crisp, the skies or to refer to our own not-so-recent is songwriter Shrawan Mukarung’s first poetry collection. clear and the vistas of the Himalaya past, the Kot Parba and the It shows the strong influence of progressive literature on are good viewing. But that was emergence of Jung Bahadur Rana) the poet’s imagination—many of the works focus, with Kathmandu in 1982, when he made who might put an end to the didactic intent, on raising issues of economic and social a last brief visit. “endless series of corrupt bargains” justice. Some of the more whimsical poems speak more “The magical experience in the bazaar of Nepali politics. He effectively, however, of rural life. Nepal’s literature being outside of the Western middle- was optimistic in the sense that class experience is shrinking [in while he realised that Nepal’s Kathmandu-centred, it is refreshing to find work which Kathmandu]—the city is horribly nascent multi-party system might doesn’t romanticise country life, depict an over-simplified scarred by trash and pollution, but be in danger, “democracy itself was rusticity, or drown out local stories with grander national one can still find delight in the not in danger of slipping out of narratives. Mukarung’s best poems are based on subtle artistry of the medieval structures,” control”. aspects of life in the eastern hills, where he originally is what Prof Brown has to say now. Besides his interest in Nepal, comes from. MacAlister Brown, Professor Professor Brown has also studied The work selected below is one such poem. There is Emeritus of Political Science at the communist groups of Vietnam, nothing complicated about the piece; but the quirky tone, Williams College in Massachusetts, Laos and Cambodia and written or the quick details, and the deft twists lead the reader to USA, and his wife, Adriana, were edited three books on them. Asked the surprising ending, which throws a darker light on the leading a 32-member Williams to compare the communists of implication of the original rumour about drowned stars. alumni group on a tour of Nepal, Indo-China with our own Maoist India and Tibet. He first came to movement, Prof Brown said the Nepal in 1968 on a Fulbright grant situation was different. First of all, An American professor, who once taught to teach Public Administration at both the Laotian and Cambodia at TU, talks about the Kathmandu he Tribhuvan University. The couple communist parties were under the Rumours in the Majhi Fishermen’s Village stayed here for ten months and tutelage of the Vietnamese commu- knew, the state of our politics, and their son was born at the Shanta nists, and the communists of compares the Maoist insurgency with When rumours spread in the village Bhawan hospital. He made brief Cambodia and Laos were affected other movements in Indo-China. that the stars had drowned in the river

visits again in 1974 and 1982. by and benefitted from the war in he headed off with his hook ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ The professor moved on from Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s. ○○○○○○○○ in the early hours of dawn his view of the state of the Consider this for a fact he says— peasant and the working classes and be too late. environment to more contentious two weeks after the fall of Saigon, ask themselves if perhaps a rebel It was late evening when our chat Above all he felt territory. The Panchayat era, communists were victorious in leader might emerge from amongst ended at the Everest Hotel in a profound love for the north star according to him was “a mild form Cambodia too. But he didn’t see them. And, whether this leader will Baneswor. As we stepped out, we saw because peering through his wicker portal of autocracy and people were how Nepal’s immediate neighbours mobilise the restlessness and several guests scrambling up the certainly cowed, but it wasn’t a would benefit if it were destabilised dissatisfaction of the peasant and staircase to the roof. We followed the north star always spilled over his bed ruthless, murderous regime”. He by the Maoist insurgency. working/lower classes and channel them to be greeted by a picture- No matter if it was a night of sleeping in hunger remembered that in those days too, However, he noted that the it into an effective political postcard view: the sky indigo-blue, the no matter if it was a night of sleeping glutted on students were restless and eager for Indo-Chinese communist groups movement that may eventually air sharp and clear, and the rays of the booze democracy. And one day, the were both rural-based, and had challenge the political status quo? It setting sun tinting the snow-capped the north star would stay on his forehead students asked him if he would mass support because they targeted is also necessary to find out if the mountains with a delicate orange. and he would light up, aglow speak on the subject of democracy the landlords, merchants, money Nepali Maoists received support Professor Brown’s face lit up with a instead of public administration, lenders and other privileged classes. from any external forces, as was the beatific smile. Only an hour ago his Resolute which he did. And did the But instead of taking the Khmer case of the Indo-Chinese Commu- brow had furrowed with disappoint- at the heart of the river university or the government take Rogue seriously, Prince Sihanouk of nists fighting the Americans and US ment at not being able to view the he was casting his hook any kind of action against him? Cambodia dismissed them as an supported regimes. He warned that mountains. He was now a man when from far away “No,” he said, laughing. inconsequential force. Prof Brown unchecked violence will eventually transformed, a disappointed a crowd of children came in fun and mirth The politicians of today, he felt that Nepali political leaders “desensitise the people to normal supplicant whose expectations were said, are busy “feathering their own ought to closely examine the human emotions”. And then it may unexpectedly rewarded. t “Majhi-dai, Majhi-dai we found the shit of the stars.” As a finale FILM REVIEW by SHANUJ VC they shouted in chorus, “Star shit looks a lot like rocks.”

Without rest Ready, aim, Fire he kept casting his hook but never did a star get trapped in it the way we are to go, the only thing I can say is let’s hope reality does not Father, many fishes got trapped Aago and soon there was stew enough Directed by Narayan Puri imitate art. Having gone through such a tormenting time watching it, it is my solemn duty to warn readers that you may be better off staying home to to feed everyone in the village watch Crorepati. Don’t worry; I will not inflict the plot line on you. f you are masochistic, this is just Aside from being violently boring, it is boorish, crudely made, and what By now Ithe movie for you. And to hear that it lacks in subtlety it makes up for by being a bad copy of something determined to fish out the north star both the government and the Bollywood would make on Veerappan, for instance. he wouldn’t stop sporting his hook Maoists are hopping mad about it Why the government even bothered to censor this film and give it a even as he ferried people across the river on his comes as a surprise. Lighten up, you notoriety it did not deserve is beyond me. Why ‘Maoists’ infiltrate the dinghy guys, why take such atrociously cinemas and shout slogans makes it all even more mystifying. In fact, the The children started raising a fuss on the shores— deficient cinema seriously? The script reaction of the government, the Maoists and the public to Aago deserves a “Majhi-dai, Majhi-dai, boils the plot of the five-year-old politico-sociological treatise that will summarise the mediocrity of present- MIN BAJRACHARYA fish out the stars for us fast.” insurgency down to its simplistic and day Nepal. most populist essence, discarding All of this is very sad, especially because the average audience that anything that would restore the watches a Nepali movie is intense and committed about it. They do deserve It was but the season of rains slightest nuance to the story. better bilch. And here one is not even subconsciously comparing Nepali One night Of course, Aago can do a great moviedom with Bollywood. The less Kollywood learns from Bollywood, the there was a great flood deal of damage, simply because there will be many who will believe in it, better. and this unkind flood swept off and come out of the theatre thinking that they now have the Maoist issue But yet, I shall not spare you the Maoist angle in Aago. The Maoists live the one who was so practised at fishing for stars figured out. For the first time in contemporary Kollywood, a director has in filmi-villain caves, their leader is a woman (played by Saranga Shrestha— and it reached him far away challenged head-on a hot, burning national issue. The subject matter would who seems to have modelled herself after Bandit Queen), the hero (Sushil The next morning have lent itself to a great plot, fabulous cinematography, and world-class Chhetri), as happens in such cases, is pushed into the insurgency by family in the early hours of dawn acting. But Kollywood being Kollywood it is not surprising that director tragedy at the hand of the State. And yes, he is the literary kind, a brilliant another rumour spread in the village— Puri has not been able to rise above a formula production. After all, the student etc, who is in love with an MP’s daughter. The establishment is “An alluring moon Maoist insurgency has all the real-life ingredients necessary to make a B- represented by cruel and corrupt cops, and a nasty MP. So what does all has also drowned in the river.” grade copy of a Bombay musical: violence, blood, corruption, and great this build up to—with all the due blessings of the State and the Censor, the fight scenes. The only thing possibly lacking would be sex, but there is good hero gets his comrades to surrender at a ceremony held under the nothing a rape scene will not solve. name of veteran democracy fighter, Ganesh Man Singh. Death does have its Aago heralds the peddling of the Maoist insurgency as art. And if that is good points—like not being around to suffer such celluloid. t NATION 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 7

provide parking space to every new idea that the government comes up with? There’s no parking space at all,” Going microbus crazy says Superintendent of Police Sharada Bhakta Ranjit of the Valley Traffic

ALOK TUMBAHANGPHEY micros because they are safer and ○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○ Police. “Private entrepreneurs should hile the debate over more comfortable,” he adds. come up with private parking lots like efficient and clean mass Microbuses are allowed to carry a in other metropolitan cities,” he w transportation continues, maximum of 14 passengers, four suggests. daily commuters in the Valley are more than the electric and gas-run There’s another black mark enthusiastically exploring their tempos. Some people do prefer the against microbuses. They are gradually different options. The new three-wheelers for the relative ease pushing clean electric vehicles to the microbuses are posing stiff with which they can clamber in and periphery. Microbus emissions are not competition to a motley collection out, but most have no problems as immediately noxious as those of of Safa electric vehicles, creaking with the micros. their predecessors, but they do add to buses remaindered from highway Moreover, microbuses don’t pollution levels in the valley. “They duty, and minibuses left over from have designated stops and the will kill the local electric vehicle 70s overland journeys to Nepal. drivers stop anywhere they’re asked industry,” says an environmental Diesel tempos, the old Vikrams, along the route approved by the economist. “And over time we will be made their government-approved Bagmati Zone Transport Office. back to breathing more polluted air.” appearance on the roads in the early Reacting to the suggestion that this The government is planning a 90s when Kathmandu was trying to causes traffic snarls, Raman blanket ban on new commuter cope with a sharp increase in daily Shrestha, a transport department vehicles within the Ring Road. commuters. The blue smoke they left official said, “In an open economy Ironically, this plan will specifically billowing in their wake was a clear we cannot dictate to owners the target electric three-wheelers. sign that this was a mistake, and the MIN BAJRACHARYA route they should operate on. They However, there are more effective government banned Vikrams in 1999 are free to decide.” However, measures to address both pollution when their emissions became operators do need route approvals and overcrowding. The old, large intolerable. Smooth-talking and have to be on the move most of diesel-run buses could ply the major environmentalists aided in the clean- the time unlike other vehicles that arterial roads, while microbuses could up by discussing science like Daily commuters are riding high on the sleek have regulation stops, Shrestha be restricted to less-served routes on politicians extolling the virtues of adds. smaller roads. New subsidies could be democracy, but the owners of new microbuses. But an efficient mass rapid Vehicle operators tell a provided to convert smaller Vikrams were not turning green different, more difficult story. microbuses to run on gas, and import

without some sort of payback. So the transport system is still a long way off. “They’ve not planned anything subsidies could be altered to

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ government allowed them modern ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ properly,” says Rajendra KC, a encourage operators to bring in the replacements, the microbuses. Not all would agree. million after the reduced duties, after fuel costs and wages. That’s microbus owner. “We don’t have more expensive battery-operated There’s no doubt that Getting rid of the 3000-odd and most have been funded by bank close to Rs 60,000 a month. But for parking space and we’re not microbuses. microbuses present a different face diesel Vikram tempos was tough loans. The repayment plans demand the city, the 250 Vikram-replace- allowed to stop anywhere. The Whatever the government plans of public transport. The lay Nepali because they had influential owners. an average payment of Rs 30,000 a ments cruising the streets are only reason we’re surviving is to do about the valley’s traffic and gets to ride the fancy Toyota, The 641 operators given permits to month for five years. The creating new problems, congestion because the ride is cheaper then the resultant air pollution, one Mitsubishi, and Nissan vans, import replacement microbuses microbuses do earn enough to meet and more pollution. metered taxis and more comfort- thing is certain, a well-planned mass something only INGO employees were also given subsidies – 75 the banks’ demands. A microbus “Microbuses are not only able than three wheelers and rapid transport system is the only did earlier. And the dark smoke percent off the import duty on doing the Lagankhel-Ratnapark convenient and comfortable but minibuses.” real solution. Whether or not the emitted by the three-wheelers diesel engine microbuses and 99 stretch ferries around 600 people a also cost-effective,” says Dinesh The traffic police says the government has anything specific in dissipated in the wind. But has percent off for those running on day spending an average of 28-30 Sharma, a daily commuter whose situation is out of its hands. “Almost mind, for now commuters in transportation in the valley become petrol. Each of the larger diesel litres of diesel. This nets the Tokha-Tundikhel ride costs Rs 6. half the nation’s vehicles run in the Kathmandu seem content with any easier and is the air any clearer? microbuses cost around Rs 1.4 operator between Rs 1,700-2,000 “I prefer the bigger ones among the valley. How are we supposed to riding the microbus. t

FEEDBACK by RIC COCHRANE

President Clinton, addressing the United States during the vote recount in Florida, said the Hoste ma haise garera closeness of the ballot and the rotests throughout the United resulting dilemma are signs that pStates and worldwide debate democracy is alive. Clinton’s moral game show “Who Wants To Be a judgement, corruption and other over the current presidential character may be in question, but Millionaire?” This is a classic case weaknesses are inherent, but only election pose challenges to the his assertion is correct. When an of the mental atrophy that arises because freedom also is. It is better original framework of the US entire nation takes to the streets to even in a society blessed with to be given the option to err than Constitution, long considered the make its collective voice heard, the freedom of opportunity and to live in fear, prisoner to despots blueprint for successful democra- system is strong. After all, excellent academic institutions. and tyrants. cies. democracy is government “for the Democracy requires constant care. Yes, democracy is the reason Asian governments like China people, by the people,” according The challenge facing Nepal is to the United States is in turmoil have relished the opportunity to to the US Constitution. Its strength overcome the ill effects of the past regarding the selection of its next ridicule the electoral process and, derives from the active involvement and the corrupt elitist administra- leader, but such a fate is enviable as by inference, the democratic of citizens. tion of the present and choose a it indicates that the power of the system, as “flawed.” Perhaps the A Nepali friend said to me, “We future that will not be easy or system lies with the people. We Electoral College system should be expect this sort of thing in Nepal, necessarily lead to immediate were once also a tiny nation rethought, since Vice President but not in America.” Why not? economic stability. Sacrifice is teetering on the brink of absolute Gore who won the popular vote New democracies and citizens of required in order to achieve a future success or eternal failure. Credit the might not win the Presidency. But non-democratic countries should in which the population is educated courageous whose sacrifices built decrying democracy based on this take heart in America’s current Actually, democracy is a most enough to set the will of the people the foundations of what has become amounts to desperation by leaders situation because it proves that in action, as has happened in the the world’s final superpower. That of communist and autocratic inconvenient political system. It individuals can make a difference US. we still question our system and nations who seize any chance to when they are educated and have requires constant management, But, as a friend who has lived in change components is a reflection introduce new propaganda to their the right to free speech. Nearly 100 Kathmandu for 40 years recently of the sustained vitality of democ- oppressed, undereducated and million votes were cast and now the oversight and, yes, restructuring. commented, Nepalis have been racy in the United States. A

impoverished constituents. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

presidency hinges on the vote count ○○○○○○○○ downtrodden for so long they have powerful statement has been One could argue that Nepali in one state, Florida. The individual there are problems, as citizens, we Americans do not tolerate impro- forgotten how to work and collectively made that some Prime Minister Koirala employs matters. all are to blame.” Citizen Koirala’s priety from their elected officials. sacrifice. The attitude now is one of institutions are still sacred and that similar tactics in reassuring the Koirala, like Clinton, has many “I am one of you and suffer as Koirala, veteran of a different ke painchha, “What’s in it for me?” faith and devotion lie in the sanctity Nepali people of the efficiency of faults, but he, too, has made one much” stance is suspicious system, realises that he can placate The opportunity to achieve of nationhood and the freedom his administration. The misconcep- astute statement. “There may be posturing, especially to Americans voters by assuring them they live in financial liberation at some point, therein. tion in many nascent democracies faults with individuals, such as accustomed to rhetoric and a democracy, while leading a which is more than most Nepalis Nepal should be so lucky. I am such as Nepal is that democracy myself,” Koirala said recently. But, impropriety hidden beneath the corrupt government. have now. The choice must be reminded of a phrase I am told was automatically leads to wealth and a he cautioned, the integrity of blessed canvas of the ideal that is The United States is not made to sacrifice the now for the once popular here: Hoste ma haise high standard of living. Actually, Nepal’s constitution is not to be Democracy. immune to the effects of poor future if Nepal is to have one at all, garera, Nepal lai uchalau (Let’s join democracy is a most inconvenient questioned. Koirala’s self- The difference now between the education, as evidenced by the and not self-destruct and become hands and push each other to uplift political system. It requires deprecation is not a gesture of democracies of the United States focus of the election debacle, voters India’s 28th state or the South-of- Nepal). t constant management, oversight nobility, but a political strategy of and Nepal is that between an misreading a simple ballot and Everest State of China. and, yes, restructuring. those leaders who benefit most educated, literate populace voting for “the wrong candidate.” I Given the poverty of most, the Ric Cochrane is an American Democracy’s strength is its fragility, from the economic freedoms practised in the ways of free speech can only hope these ballot- thought of sacrificing hard-earned journalist living in Nepal who its reliance on many separate afforded by capitalist, multi-party and activism, and one still reeling challenged troglodytes are part of gains for the future of democracy is writes for The Seattle Times components rather than a single, systems. They turn on their under- from decades of oppression. the same American demographic laughable at best. But it is a choice and The Tabby Cat magazine, autocratic, self-governing head. educated constituents saying, “If Personal issues of morality aside, enthralled by the mind-numbing that has to be made. Errors in Seattle. 8 NEPALI ECONOMY 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

BIZ NEWS ECONOMIC SENSE by ARTHA BEED

Urea subsidy back

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ The government has decided to reinstate subsidies on urea. The subsidies were phased out in December 1999 under the terms of an Asian Development Bank loan funding reforms Another burning issue suggested by the 20-year Agriculture Perspective Plan. The new subsidy will cover the interest on loans obtained by both the state-run Agriculture Inputs Corporation (AIC) and the private sector for importing urea. The AIC’s sale price of urea shot up from Rs 740 to Rs 894 per Another oil price hike, another strike. quintal after government support was phased out. The move is aimed at helping Nepali agro- products compete with Indian imports which are cheaper due to subsidies on fertiliser, When will the NOC learn to be a model irrigation and support prices. state-run endeavour? here I was contemplating a lessons. Allowing private

Nepal Battery Co. shuts down life of forced shutdowns, operators into the LPG sector has ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ t going to work once a week to been a successful move. There are Nepal Battery Company, one of the first Indian joint ventures in Nepal, conserve oil, cooking every third numerous private operators, and closed shop last week. Industry sources say the closure of the company, a Union Carbide day to conserve oil, shutting despite higher prices for the gas in India venture, resulted from a protracted labour dispute that involved 19 local staff members down the airport and every Nepal, there’s been virtually no alleging discrimination in favour of Indian workers. Nepal Battery’s closure has left 74 workers service deemed non-essential to illegal trade across the border without jobs. conserve oil. A life of roadblocks, with India. An efficient regulatory permits and zero services. And I body would ensure that while oil

“Dry Port” update wondered why we stop at just a prices in Nepal can’t be divorced

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ two-day strike to protest an oil from the machinations of global Nepali officials say the Indian Railways Board is moving slowly on decisions regarding the price hike. We could just shut players and the rumbles in India, commissioning of the rail link between the Inland Container Depot (ICD) being built in Birgunj, everything down for months. lower prices here don’t immedi- and Calcutta’s Haldia port. This could delay the start of operations after the ICD is ready in Alternatively, we could put ately imply that supplies start December. our fine minds to figuring out slithering over the border. Nepal sent Indian authorities a draft proposal on the operation modalities early this year what the problem is really all Of course, this means that the but has not received a response despite several reminders. The rail link between the ICD and about. It is worth asking why, products like lubricant, maybe NOC would have to clean up its Haldia port would reduce freight costs by as much as 30 percent. The late start of construction when fuel isn’t really subsidised even convenience stores attached act and not be a source of easy of the rail link has already delayed the completion of the ICD by nine months. The US$28.5 anyway, the business of retailing to gas stations. money for every bureaucrat or million “dry port” is being funded by a US$23.58 million World Bank loan and a US$5 million it continues to be monopolised by The oil regulating bodies in politician who sniffs oil or jumps contribution from the Nepali government. the state. The Nepal Oil India, too, have recognised this, on the back of a tanker. The Corporation will never be a and international and local firms government would have to see model state-run endeavour. If the are turning a trip to fill your tank how best the oil business could be

Aqua joins conservation government intends to run the into a pleasant, even an enjoyable opened up to the private sector. A ○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ corporation like a business, it is a experience. The key here is regulatory body would need to be Aqua, the “ultra pure water” retailed by the HC Dugar Group, has been long way from learning what any regulating this Rs 10 billion up, running and alert. Or, we selected as the official supplier of drinking water for both the World successful business knows off the business, and that is something could just continue the same way Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Alliance of Religion and Conservation bat. To do well, your product we need to learn. Someone, and have tankers disappear half an conferences. ”We’re proud to be part of this important conservation needs to be reliable and trustwor- somewhere in the bowels of the hour after a price hike in London. meeting,” says Sanjay Dugar, Managing Director of Aqua Minerals Nepal thy, you need to provide uninter- NOC may understand the The upside is that you could join P. Ltd. “This is a recognition of the quality of our product.” Specially labelled rupted service and you need to economics of subsidies and me every day to contemplate even 1000ml Aqua consumer packs have also hit the market. add value. Oil retail and recognises that everything else in more unproductive futures, since distribution (even of the the oil-retailing business might be none of us will have a life anyway.

Tea policy unadulterated stuff) are not better off in the hands of people FNCCI, what do you think? t

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ hugely profitable by themselves who know how to sell. The Nepal Tea Policy 2000 was approved by the government last week. The policy envisages anywhere in the world. Higher The government doesn’t have Readers can post their views and discuss expanding the area under tea cultivation to 40,800 hectares in the next five years. The govern- margins come from add-ons, value to look farther than its own issues at [email protected]. ment hopes the new policy will increase production of Nepali tea to 6.1 million kg annually by added services, the sale of related backyard for inspiration or 2010, with hill tea constituting 65 percent of the total output. Other provisions of the policy include low interest loans for producers and bank loans covering up to 80 percent of the project costs of firms setting up processing plants. The Grindlays Gazette government also plans to identify fallow land in tea cultivation zones and lease them for up to 50 years to private growers for tea cultivation. INTEREST RATE UPDATE CURRENCY UPDATE First prize: a Hyundai NEPALI RUPEE CURRENT% PREVIOUS% AG/USD CURRENT * WK/AGO %CHG

Call Money Avg. 5.25 5.20 OIL(Barrel ) 33.55 33.10 + 1.36

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ AVCO International, the sole distributor of Hyundai vehicles in Nepal, will give away two 84 Days t/bill 5.04 5.02 GOLD(Ounce) 264.80 264.65 + 0.06 Hyundais as prizes in a lucky draw to be held later this year. The first prize is a Hyundai Accent, 91 Days t/bill 5.29 5.27 a family sedan valued at Rs 1.45 million, and the second prize a Santro Zip Drive (Rs 1.02 GOLD ( NPR *) 7040 7050 - 0.14 365 Days t/bill 6.18 6.16 million). The scheme, open to anyone who books a Hyundai vehicle between mid-October and EUR 0.8582 0.8636 - 0.63 Dec 31, 2000, is an effort to strengthen brand image, says a company press release. Repo rate 5.79 5.77 GBP 1.4319 1.4299 + 0.14 The average rate of 91 days T. Bill rate remained almost JPY 107.84 107.26 - 0.54

Honour for Prisma unchanged at 5.2893 percent compared to 5.2702 percent ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ in the previous week. Expected range for coming weeks CHF 1.7699 1.7637 - 0.35 Nepal’s Prisma Advertising has bagged the Bell Ringer Award 2000 given by Johnson & 5.15 to 5.35. Johnson School of Advertising in New Brunswick, USA for its activities in executing the growth AUD 0.5203 0.5261 - 1.10 of J&J business in Nepal. The award was handed over to the J&J India team on 9 November in FOREIGN CURRENCY : Interest rates INR 46.78 46.65 - 0.28 New Brunswick. USD EUR GBP JPY CHF *Currency bid prices at 8.00 p.m. on 14/11 - Source Reuters LENDING 9.50 6.25 6.00 1.50 5.13 Oil : Oil prices rose on Tuesday reacting to the prospect of

‘Stop Indian trucks’ colder weather in the U.S. Kuwait’s oil minister added to the ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ LIBOR (1M) 6.62 4.90 6.05 0.33 3.21 bullish tone of the market when he said that an output An organisation of Nepali truckers has called upon the government to check the entry and increase was “out of the question”. illegal operation of Indian trucks in Nepal. A statement issued by Nepali truckers in Butwal last Currencies : The euro fell in the absence of the central week says Indian trucks violate the 10 ton legal load limit and even misuse their entry permits BANK RATES(DEPO/LENDING) Mkt Hi/Lo Mkt Avg bank intervention on Monday, surrendering overnight gains and haul goods in Nepal during their 72 hour transit. S/A NPR 6.0/3.5 5.23 and falling to capitalise on America’s political uncertainty. The They also charge that Indian trucks are unsuited to Nepali roads and are a major cause of ECB, which bought euros twice in the open market last week, deteriorating road conditions. Also last week, truck operators in Biratnagar obstructed the F/D 1 YR 7.5/6.0 6.73 did not intervene this time. The yen tumbled to a one-week operation of trucks with Indian license plates stranding goods headed to different parts of the OVERDRAFT 15.5/12.5 13.54 low against the dollar, hurt by political uncertainties in Japan and a drop of over two percent in the Nikkei average. country. TERM LOAN 14.5/13.0 13.37 IMPORT LN 13.0/10.5 11.52 INDIAN RUPEE OUTLOOK : The Indian currency ended Tuesday marginally weaker on import demand sparked by EXPORT LN 13.0/10.0 10.63 worries over firm oil prices. The rupee ended at 46.7875/7950 per dollar compared to Monday’s close of 46.7575/7625. The MISC LOAN 17.5/13.5 15.03 Indian rupee is expected to remain under pressure. 0.74 0.37 0.40 0.22 0.37 0.04 54.00 0.65 0.31 0.56 0.33 0.18 0.02 44.46 0.64 0.36 0.57 0.28 0.13 0.05 46.78 INTERNATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES FOR NEPALI TIMES 0.25 0.28 0.40 0.30 0.42 0.21 11.82 6 months 1 year 0.43 0.44 0.53 0.23 0.12 0.04 56.39 SAARC countries US$25 US$48 0.75 0.37 0.62 0.24 0.20 0.03 80.44 0.65 0.38 0.63 0.36 0.35 0.09 74.05 Other countries US$40 US$75 All prices are in US dollars, collected from informal sources, and are only indicative. [email protected] 9 NOSTALGISA The royal visit of17- 23 NOVEMBER1961 2000 NEPALI TIMES TONI HAGEN

DESMOND DOIG Sherpa Khunjo Chumbi, an elder of the importance of the ambassador ○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○here was the time when Khumjung village. While in London who was to be knighted at the party. Queen Elizabeth II and we had called at Buckingham Palace The queen arrived in an TPrince Philip were to meet the queen with presents undistinguished pink shift dress, a welcomed there with all the colour Khunjo had brought all the way from pink hat, pink shoes and a string of and brilliance that only a night in Sherpaland. The queen was away in pearls, and was confronted by a large Singha Durbar could mean. Crystal Scotland so we did not meet her but brown, green and white cake which fountains played under cascading left the presents behind. Now royal was meant to represent the crystal chandeliers. Fine French invitation had arrived via the British Kathmandu Valley, the Himalayan mirrors reflected the silks and Embassy in Kathmandu commanding Range and Everest. On the summit of brocades and jewels of the guests. And Khunjo and his family to meet the the cake were two grubby marzipan the gold plate on the table. The queen in Kathmandu. figures representing Hillary and Queen of England, who had As members of the British Tenzing. Commonwealth even temporarily in The Queen’s intelligence was disappointed expectant Nepalis earlier World War II British Gurkha veterans greet the Valley those of us with the obviously as good as General Kaiser’s. by wearing the simplest dresses and a Queen Elizabeth on her arrival in Pokhara, expedition in Kathmandu expected an “I’m afraid I shall have to cut you in strand or two of pearls, came 1961. King Mahendra is seen to her right. shimmering in the famous emerald invitation to at least the British garden half, Sir Edmund,” she said advancing tiara, emerald necklace, emerald drop party. It so happened that several towards the cake with a scimitar-like “I’m afraid I shall have to cut you in half, Sir Edmund,” said the earrings and diamonds everywhere, wives of expedition members, among knife and looking past the immediate

even embroidered into her Hartnell them Louise Hillary, were in town. invitees, straight at Ed. queen, advancing towards the cake with a scimitar-like knife. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ gown. All that appeared to stand Khunjo Chumbi had brought ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ But then this is Nepal and between the ladies and meeting the more gifts to the party and these he excitement that gripped Kathmandu but not without protest led by matched black horses. Typical of between the crystal reception and queen was an absence of hats. Of and Mrs Chumbi presented to the at the time of that memorable visit. Field Marshal Kaiser. In their a Nepalese welcome was the crystal banqueting hall is a hall of course it is incredible what Queen at a specially arranged There were buntings and floral place grew weird bamboo arches throwing of vermilion and saffron distorting mirrors so that the Queen resourcefulness will do. Some of the audience. Incredibly, with the decorations everywhere. The roads that tried greenly to look like the as the carriage rolled by. Cho- and Prince Philip were now dwarfs, more adventurous contrived hats on Chumbis was their six-day-old child from the airport to the city had aluminium decorative arches that ruses of Nepalis danced in the now possessed of giraffe necks, now the spot. Others sent cables to who had been born on the long trek been hastily widened and were had spanned London streets for streets. spreading like atomic clouds, now London and Auckland and awaited in from Khumjung to Kathmandu. “I carpeted with vermilion. Some the Queen’s coronation. Noticing Just as the well-known disappearing altogether. a fair lather the arrival of timely planes just had the baby during a lunch break society for the advancement of that these contraptions looked minstrels, the gainies of Nepal, Boris who composed several state bearing hats. Then the unexpected and walked on with the men,” modern Kathmandu had devised not only bare but hideously un- sing of Jung Bahadur, the first banquets in Singha Durbar tells how happened. Our prior invitations were explained Mrs Chumbi to the Queen. lightless traffic lights with pagoda Nepalese, some stout-hearted Rana Prime Minister’s visit to the there were no kitchens and no withdrawn, because apparently, the “What’s his name?” asked Prince roofs and painted green, red and person with a sense of innocent court of Queen Victoria, and of pantries so that the preparation of the ambassador’s wife couldn’t raise Philip and when he was told that the amber eyes; pagoda-roofed letter humour had hung from the centre how Tenzing pulled Sir Edmund many-course meals had to be done enough tea cups for the Hillary-crowd boy didn’t have one said, “Why not boxes not really designed for the of each arch bunches of flowers Hillary up Mount Everest, so elsewhere and brought by relays of and she was dammed if she was going call him Philip?” reception of letters; and zebra and three balloons—two some still sing of the Queen’s and servants to be warmed in movable hot to mix ‘n’ match. On again, off again, Phillip he remains. He’s now in crossings which were so alarming spherical and one elongated, a Duke’s visit to Kathmandu. t cases in the courtyard verandah before we eventually made it but were college in Kathmandu, a strapping and that no one dared use them. situation saved by escaping air. being carried triumphantly into the herded into a fairly distant corner of handsome 20-year-old. A whole To widen the road in front of The King Mahendra and Queen (Excerpted with permission from crystal banquet room. the grounds in case Sir Edmund and lifetime away from Phillip Chumbi, a Royal Hotel, an avenue of ancient Ratna rode an open carriage with My Kind of Kathmandu, Harper I was with Sir Edmund Hillary on Lady Hillary’s presence detract from memory away from me, was the jacaranda trees had been cut down the queen and the duke drawn by Collins, 1994) expedition in Nepal when the queen and the duke paid their state visit. Ed and I had just returned from the world tour with the legendary Khumjung Yeti scalp, and its guardian

premium ad (b) MIN BAJRACHARYA Thukten Phillip Thukten was born just after lunch near Jiri while his mother and father were walking down to Kathmandu in February 1961 to meet Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. His mother wrapped Thukten up in swaddling clothes and kept walking, reaching Kathmandu in five days just in time to meet the royal couple before they flew off from Kathmandu’s Gauchar airport. The ‘Phillip’ in Thukten’s name was given by his godfather Prince Philip (see story). We tracked Thukten down in Kathmandu where, after a forestry degree in Switzerland, he returned to be general manager of Asian Trekking. The only difference with Prince Philip is that his god-son spells Philip with a double ‘l’. How about climbing? Thukten Philip replies: “After nearly getting killed in an avalanche in Manaslu, I decided it just wasn’t worth the risk.” 10 CONSERVATION A green earth 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

t could be a general knowledge quiz question: The Worldwide Fund for Nature iwhat is the organisation with the panda logo that has the same is exploring exciting new ways acronym as the World Wrestling Federation? And most people to get big business, green around the world would get it right: WWF, the World Wide groups and even religions to Fund for Nature. In North America the organisation is still help save the earth’s known by its original name, endangered ecosystem.

World Wildlife Fund. The ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Switzerland-based WWF runs the ○○○○○○○○ largest private nature Outgoing WWF president, past 25 years (see page 11), the conservation programme globally. Ruud Lubbers, who is in decision by India’s Supreme It works with more than 30 Kathmandu this week for the Court to stop commercial shrimp partner organisations, has a annual meeting of the farming in mangrove tracts, the membership of nearly five million organisation, told us that his setting up of a marine reserve and is active in 100 countries. organisation’s ultimate goal is to around the Galapagos islands and WWF has a threefold goal: stop and eventually reverse the the scrapping of two dam projects biodiversity conservation, accelerating degradation of the on Austria’s wildest rivers. sustainable use of natural earth’s natural environment. To “These successes would not resources, and reduction of do that, WWF needs to work have been possible without pollution. closely with governments, civil WWF’s partner organisations and There is no doubt that these society, religious groups national offices,” says WWF are compelling priorities. There is and businesses. “But above all director general, Claude Martin, a serious global spurt of species we have to work with people, who is especially pleased with his extinctions, rainforests and coral so that people themselves feel organisation’s efforts to get reefs are under grave threat, 1998 that they benefit from nature transnational companies to adopt

“Transnational companies have now realised that they are being scrutinised, so even when they come to developing countries they have to use their best practices.”

was the hottest year on record, conservation,” says Lubbers. To greener policies. At the WWF the earth’s population has crossed this end, WWF has supported annual meeting in Kathmandu, the six billion mark, the ozone conservation education Martin presented the case study of hole is getting bigger. The programmes in the world’s how WWF worked with the US oil WWF’s own Living Planet Index environmental hot spots. WWF’s company Chevron to ensure that its concluded that the health of the lobbying with government and oil prospecting work in Papua New planet as measured by changes in local partners has also brought Guinea would not irreversibly forest, marine and freshwater about policy changes and impacts damage the fragile environment of parameters declined by 30 like the doubling of Nepal’s rhino the island which has 1,200 species percent in the last three decades. population to above 600 in the of trees and 2,000 types of fern. “We got very worried because Chevron didn’t have a very good track record, and oil exploration opens up areas for logging and other things. So we got in touch with them to start an integrated President Emeritus of WWF WWF invited the world’s various development programme for the amidst a glittering ceremony in religions to take part in nature Kikori Basin. There was a policy Bhaktapur on Wednesday. Says conservation. The Bhaktapur change in Chevron.” Martin: “With these gifts we gathering was the first major WWF also carefully tracks reached out to up to five billion meeting of ARC, and Palmer hopes “greenwashing” by transnational people represented by these the tradition of religious bodies companies that try to project a faiths.” Some of the gifts were: a giving sacred gifts to Earth will nature-friendly image while ban on hunting of snow leopards grow. For Nepal itself, this is a continuing their ecologically- in Mongolia by local Buddhists, proud moment. Not only because harmful policies and practices. the establishment of a National Bhaktapur was chosen for the Martin says it is a good trend that Biosphere Reserve in the heart of ceremony, but also because it is companies like Shell and BP are the Arabian peninsula, the recognition by the world’s foremost now starting to take climate change Tengboche Monastery in Nepal conservation organisation of this seriously, and they are in the playing a role in reviving country’s achievements in process of changing from oil traditional forest management environmental protection. t companies to energy companies. practices, India’s Jains reducing Adds Lubbers: “Transnational the use of toxic substances by companies have now realised that getting Jain businessmen to be Digital Symphonic Recording Pvt Ltd. they are being scrutinised, so even more ecologically-conscious, when they come to developing China’s Taoists want to get their countries they have to use their best followers to stop using practices.” endangered species in traditional The only trustworthy destination for digital quality recording One of the more exciting medicine. Other leaders at the & partnerships that WWF has struck Bhaktapur event were Jewish, computerised CD premastering. is the one with the inter- Shinto, Sikh, Zoroastrian, Baha’ denominational Alliance of i, and Christian. Religions and Conservation (ARC) Martin Palmer of ARC says: which tries to get faiths around the “All faiths have environmental world to “gift” a conservation teachings, what we saw in Anil Bhawan, Kamaladi, Kathmandu, Nepal project to planet earth. Twenty-six Bhaktapur with the 26 sacred gifts Phone: 00977-1-243649 of these gifts were presented to were these teachings becoming Fax: 00977-1-220161 Britain’s Prince Philip who real.” ARC was set up in 1986 in E-mail: [email protected] officially received them as the Italian town of Assisi where CONSERVATION 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 11 “The WWF Kathmandu Meeting will long be remembered for forging a spirit of partnership ” - Prince Gyanendra n the occasion of the WWF Annual Meeting this week, made them their own. The Annapurna Conservation Area Q Does this mean O Prince Gyanendra spoke to Nepali Times on a wide Project, the Kumrose and Baghmara projects have been there will be less of range of issues dealing with environmental protection in successful in addressing and highlighting this very philosophy. an emphasis on Nepal. The Prince is the chairman of the King Mahendra Trust In the Manaslu Conservation Area, programmes are built around celebrity mammals for Nature Conservation, and has for the past 25 years been the economic upliftment of the people blended with an eco- like rhinos, tigers and

actively involved in natural and cultural heritage conservation. friendly sustainable management of tourism. elephants and more MIN BAJRACHARYA Prince Gyanendra has been closely involved with the on conservation of international conservation movement, and is a strong Q Learning from these projects, what are the major habitats and ecosys- advocate of a people-oriented approach to environmental challenges facing biodiversity conservation in the Nepal tems? protection. Himalaya, and how does KMTNC plan to address them? Prince Gyanendra: Prince Gyanendra: Nepal is ecologically very fragile. But we are You are right: many Q How important was it to have the WWF Annual Meeting in also gifted with the bounties of nature, bestowed by rich conservation organisations have directed their activities to Kathmandu? biodiversity. Nepal is also subjected to various ills faced by many flagship species. I believe this was done because it was Prince Gyanendra: The fact that WWF has chosen Nepal as developing countries. An uncommitted leadership, abject easier to project and fundraise for a cuddly panda. The tiger, the venue for its conference speaks volumes of the poverty, rising population and a lack of will to see things to their with all its majesty, lies at the apex of the food chain, as a successfully implemented conservation activities in Nepal. It logical and fruitful conclusion are challenges. If left unattended, premier predator. The tiger’s well-being provides vital informa- also highlights the efforts of the Nepali people in pioneering these will have grave and serious consequences. Conservation tion on the health of its entire home range. So, it is important innovative schemes in this particular field. The added is a multidisciplinary approach, requiring the cooperation of to realise that things cannot be compartmentalised, especially sweetener was that the conference also brought together the various sectors in society. KMTNC will continue its efforts in when you are dealing with the environment and conservation. world of religion with that of the environment. Besides an in- partnership with all concerned for the conservation of the unique Without addressing the whole (ecosystem) you would only be depth discussion on the role of religious establishments in biodiversity of the Himalaya. solving half the problem. I think this message will also come strengthening conservation, the Kathmandu Meet will be long Q How exactly does the KMTNC plan to do this: to go beyond out loud and clear from the present Kathmandu conference of remembered for forging a spirit of partnership. Care and the WWF-International. compassion must take precedence while devising strategies the successes of the past? for the sustainable management of natural resources. Prince Gyanendra: Your question at least accepts the fact that Q What in your opinion are Nepal’s conservation priorities? KMTNC has not wasted its resources in idle maters. Reaching Prince Gyanendra: Nepal’s conservation priorities, and the Q What specifically are some of these successful and striving to improve the quality of life of people is easier said strategies to achieve them are well defined in numerous HMG conservation success stories in Nepal? than done. If people do not want conservation, no amount of policy papers. The fact that they have not been implemented is Prince Gyanendra: Conservation cannot be successful, much effort will succeed. Care must be taken to inject the human another thing. Clearly, the conservation of biodiversity coupled less sustainable, unless it embraces the long-term interest element to all conservation efforts, and the Trust intends to give with sustainable management of natural resources has received and welfare of the people who are to benefit from it. The King importance to such areas where conservation will have a long- utmost priority. However, we are also beginning to witness the Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation has increasingly term impact. That is why, while we recognise the need for habitat problems of “brown issues”. Unplanned urbanisation, increasing taken an integrated approach in the formulation and and species conservation, we will expand to identify issues migration to towns and cities, excessive use of chemicals, and implementation of its conservation programmes. The Trust related to the environment with more of an eco-regional industrial activities resulting in water and air pollution are creating was a catalyst of these programmes, but more importantly the perspective. dangerous consequences. The time has come for Nepal to give communities for whom they were intended accepted them and due attention to these issues, sooner rather than later. t Nepal showcases environmental success stories ALOK TUMBAHANGPHEY Not all of these were WWF the success of this programme directly into the village economy to community participation. Terms process and achieved a lot as well. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○he gala World Wide Fund projects, but it was a chance for that WWF delegates this week ensure that locals benefit from like “buffer zone”, “agro- But we still have a long way to for Nature (WWF) annual Nepal to draw attention to the flew down to Chitwan to see tourism and protect nature—the forestry”, and “integrated go,” says Ukesh Raj Bhuju, Tmeeting that ends Friday in successes of other organisations like another translocation of rhinos ultimate reason that brings tourists conservation development” have Director of Communications. In Kathmandu provided a unique the World Conservation Union from Chitwan to Bardiya—made there. Eco-tourism has now become become more prevalent. Since the future, WWF Nepal is opportunity for Nepal to showcase (IUCN), the King Mahendra Trust possible by the successful revival a buzzword, but nowhere has it nature does not recognise man- looking at lobbying hard for some of it conservation success for Nature Conservation of the rhino population in been as spectacularly successful as made boundaries, the other trend is trans-boundary conservation stories. On display here for the (KMTNC), and Nepal’s Chitwan. in Annapurna. So much so that eco- towards trans-boundary conserva- efforts like the Tri-National world to see were: Department of National Parks and WWF’s early support went to tourism projects modeled after tion, by Peace Park in the c the rescue of Nepal’s one- Wildlife Conservation. the Annapurna Conservation Area ACAP are springing up all over the integrating Kangchendzonga area where the horned rhinoceros from the brink Back in the 1960s when tigers Project when it was started in world: from Malaysia to Costa national borders of China, India and Nepal of extinction and rhinos in Chitwan had been 1985. ACAP was based on a unique Rica. parks in meet. WWF is also trying to get c the dramatic comeback of nearly hunted to extinction, and model of integrated conservation WWF also stepped in with Nepal with the Tarai Arc project off the the tiger in Chitwan habitat destruction was threaten- development programme that takes support for the Bardiya Integrated conservation MIN BAJRACHARYA ground to link national parks c research into the elusive ing the remaining animals, it was tourism income and injects it Conservation Project, Sagarmatha areas in along Nepal’s southern border snow leopard WWF that stepped in with its Pollution Control China or with those in northern India. c conversion of nearly a first project in Nepal. The Rhino Committee, the India. Says Nepal’s future conservation quarter of Nepal’s geographical Conservation Programme in 1967 Northern Mountains Chandra Chandra Gurung challenges are difficult: arresting area into nature reserves and and eventually the creation of the Conservation Project, Gurung, the the decline of the tarai forest, parks Royal Chitwan National Park in and the country representative of WWF’s protecting Nepal’s Himalayan c success of eco-tourism 1971 were a direct result of Kangchendzonga Nepal Programme: “All of this forest cover from timber poachers models like the Annapurna lobbying by conservation groups, Conservation Area. would never have been possible from across the border in Tibet, project. including WWF. It is a mark of Most recently, WWF without the support we have safeguarding the success of the is helping start the received from the government and community forest programmes, Pulchowki- local communities as well.” and continued vigilance against Chandragiri Corridor Successive governments, which have increasingly well-armed rhino and along the southern rim often been at the receiving end of tiger poachers from across the of Kathmandu valley. criticism for inertia and confusion, southern border. With the rapid WWF Nepal today have shown there is political will to reduction of forest cover in the has a budget of $2.5 see conservation efforts through. tarai, Nepal’s nature reserves also million and a large Local initiatives have also been need jungle corridors for migrat- presence but it was only in 1993 vital. Two of four WWF Conserva- ing species, and tarai parks also that the WWF Nepal Programme tion Merit awards given to persons need to keep their natural formally established an office in from around the world for their contiguity with the Mahabharat Kathmandu. Till then it had conservation efforts have been forests. operated through local awarded to Nepalis: The Rimpoche Says Chandra Gurung: “What organisations like the KMNTC or of Tengboche monastery, Nawang gives me hope is that we have come the Department of National Tenzing Jangpo, for his role in the so far with such hard work and Parks and Wildlife Conservation. preservation of the Sagarmatha commitment over the years. That

ROGRAM Trends in nature conservation region, and Min Bahadur Gurung of commitment is still there: in have also shifted from fencing off Ghandruk for grassroots conserva- government, in the communities nature reserves and having the tion efforts in the Annapurnas. and in the staff of environmental army guarding wildlife to greater “We have learnt a lot in the organisations.” t WWW NEPAL P WWW NEPAL 12 LIFESTYLE 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES The necessary stage

MOHAN SRILAL IN SINGAPORE ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Briefs and the ○○○○○○○○○○ Singapore’s new-found commitment to artistic freedom is being tested

ANJA KREISEL IN FRANKFURT in a battle between a Singaporean playwright and the government over ○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○ To the dismay of women, men hen it comes to their the staging of a play on Muslim women and divorce. This debate over creative licence and social responsibility is choice of underwear, aren’t very adventurous about man rocking a country whose history makes it especially sensitive to issues of W men, rather predictably, their underwear. race and religion. The row also comes at an embarrassing time for the fall into two distinct categories: Singapore government. In the last two years it has invested millions of those who like close-fitting jocks thongs do no better than ninth is men’s apparent dislike of shopping dollars and started moving away from its tradition of strict censorship and those who prefer a loose fit. place in the survey. Even worse off for undergarments, with less and control of the arts to portray itself as Asia’s Renaissance arts city. According to a recent survey carried was the all-in-one which caught than half prepared to At the centre of this controversy is Talaq, a play based on the true out by the German industry the eye of a mere four percent. take matters into their story of a Muslim Singaporean-Indian woman. It deals with rape within magazineTextilWirtschaft, most men Given men’s insistence on own hands. The marriage, a taboo subject especially among the local Muslim commu- prefer snug shorts, with the Y-front comfort, it is no surprise that number of married men nity. Talaq was first performed in 1998 in Tamil. In that version, the style a hands-down winner over the women’s demands for erotic styling who actually shop for briefs woman whose life it portrays played herself. Though the play was roomier boxer short variety. go mostly unanswered. Two German sinks to 28 percent, for the critically acclaimed, Muslim religious bodies criticised it sharply and the playwright, Elangovan, claims he received death threats. He now Much to the dismay of the female accountants show little rest moms or wives buy it for wants to stage Talaq in English and Malay to reach a wider audience, majority of women, 42 percent of men sympathy for the male of the species. them. but the Public Entertainment Licensing Unit (PELU) has refused to still choose the white, ribbed classic Real cheek is what they called the A quarter of all European grant the company a performing license due to protests. with the convenient slot to the fore. ‘tent effect’—briefs that are ten years men own only ten pairs of Elangovan, however, is unbending. “An artist must understand the Y, or fly-front briefs, either white or old and “bulge in all the wrong underwear, while the average politics of existence, learn to walk in the inferno first, get prepared to patterned, are most popular with places”. male can boast of a collection of have stones thrown at you.” Among those who protested vehemently mature consumers. It is mostly The magazine reveals that it is 18. Underwear can expect to see against the play’s Tamil performance was the Muslim religious group younger men who prefer the slightly above all young women who long for service for four years before South Indian Jamiathul Ulama (SIJU), which has no female members. scantier variety that shows off more of the thrill of crisp mini-briefs, thongs making way for a replacement, The secretary Haji Ebrahim Marican says Talaq does not depict Islamic their legs. and tight-fitting boxers, as opposed mostly in the shape of a fives- law accurately. Under Islamic law a husband need not ask his wife’s Embellishments such as buttons to humdrum Y-fronts. Neither are pack—buying in bulk puts off permission to have sexual intercourse, Marican clarifies. “Even if she is angry or not in the mood, he has the right to it.” and other frivolities are generally all-in-one experiments to be laughed shopping for at least another year. S Thenmoli, president of the theatre group Agni Kootthu which is frowned upon. The reason? While at, although only one in four women The survey reveals other things as performing Talaq, says the play has attracted interest from women of all support is important, men don’t like has a soft spot for loose-cut boxer well—men do not expect to pay races. “They believe the play is not about religious issues. It’s a anything too constraining under their shorts. Men in colourful underwear more than $5 for their nearest and women’s issue.” The play was to have been staged over two days in late jeans, says one 40-year-old from can likewise expect to be turned dearest, with a mere one in five is October, but Agni Kootthu was Frankfurt. With boxers and Y-fronts down. One factor weighing in favour willing to splash out more than $15 denied its performing licence such clear favourites, plain, closed of the fairer sex in the underwear war on a single pair. t (dpa) after it refused to stage a preview A play concerning for the National Arts Council Muslim women and (NAC). The NAC, the government’s arts funding and divorce ignites con- administration body, demanded troversy and tests the review to judge the play’s social sensitivity. Thenmoli the Singapore refused because the review government’s re- panel included two members of solve to guarantee SIJU. The National Arts Council artistic freedom. said the panel members were chosen “as their sensitivities were relevant to the evaluation process,” but Thenmoli insists that SIJU “has nothing to do with theatre”. Thenmoli was arrested later when she tried to stage a public “dress rehearsal” at the surya ad NAC’s Drama Centre. The police claimed it was a public perfor- mance without a permit. International media coverage of Thenmoli’s arrest has embar- rassed the government and triggered debate about artistic freedom and social responsibility. In an editorial last week the Straits Times was critical of the rancour and “bad handling” which has dogged Talaq at a time when Singapore is trying to promote the arts and mass culture. “It is a timely reminder that artistic experimentation ends where race and religious sensitivities begin,” it said, arguing that this setback should not discourage playwrights from exploring serious social issues. “Otherwise home-grown drama can never develop an audience base, and that would be a shame,” it added. Most of the 4 million Singaporeans are either Buddhist or Christian. Muslims, mainly of Malay descent, are a small segment of the population that is three-quarters of Chinese descent. Religion is a sensitive issue on the island due to a bitter experience in the 1960s when media coverage of a religious conversion triggered race riots. Since then, discussion of religious issues in the media has been prohibited. In a speech last month, Singapore’s Arts Minister David Lim argued that the measure of great art is not how much attention it gets, but how faithfully it captures the spirit of society. “Social responsibility and artistic integrity are merely two sides of the same coin,” he said. Theatre artist J.P. Nathan disagrees, “The function of the artist is to criticise, evaluate, question social norms.” The debate will continue, as Elangovan and Thenmoli have vowed to continue the battle to get a permit to stage the play in Malay and English. t (IPS) WORLD 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 13 Can nuclear power save the The Milosevic papers

TIM RADFORD IN LONDON The Serbian strongman may be gone, but terrible ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ife is not just a force for good, it is planet? truths lie hidden in secret service files. a force for its own good. Life has a VESNA PERIC ZIMONJIC IN BELGRADE lway of managing things in favour Lovelock is now 81. He and his wife ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ of more life. And in the course of Sandy—his first wife, Helen, the fter Slobodan Milosevic lost power in the September doing so, life manages a whole planet. mother of his children, died after a a elections and the October popular uprising, efforts It makes an atmosphere to breathe, long illness—have completed the 960 are now on to remove vestiges of the former regime. and water to drink, and food to eat km coastal walk in southern England. The most complicated of these battles will be the one and then it recycles its own detritus. It He has pursued a long career as a kind against the State Security Service (SDB). hijacks sunlight and passes it around of freelance scientist and he says big For two years now, Rade Markovic, one of the closest to the next user in digestible, shrink- corporations are not for him, although aides of Milosevic and his once-powerful wife, has headed wrapped form. Having done that, it he is happy to sell them his inventions. SDB. Markovic, 54, now refuses to resign. In one of his rare disposes off itself, directly as nutrient He doesn’t care for science run by interviews with non-government media, he explained that he for some other creature, or indirectly bureaucracies. He lives in an idyllic would “abide by the law”. “I’ll submit my resignation after the as a strata of phosphate or a layer of corner of Devon, on a 14-hectare December 23 elections, to the new parliament and chalk or fossil limestone, or as energy farm, on which he has planted 25,000 government of Serbia,” he said. His superior, interior to burn 1 billion years later. trees. minister Vlajko Stojiljkovic, resigned 9 October after Might things have got a little hot He takes the long view of eco- massive public protests. when carbon dioxide levels built up hazards. He isn’t bothered by the “Markovic is stalling for time in order to destroy evidence dangerously at the dawn of the Yes, says Gaia creator James Lovelock menace of industrial chemicals like of abuse of power by the SDB in the past,” says Belgrade Eocene, 55 million years ago? Fear PCBs or agricultural fertilisers in the lawyer Svetislav Djurdjevic, head of Belgrade police in the not. The rapid response team was on who thinks this may be the only way to way that Greenpeace or Friends of the early 90s. “No one knows how much evidence on illegal hand. Plankton bloomed, the oceans stop the greenhouse effect from making Earth are. A chemist from the start, he acts of the SDB have to be destroyed. The best guess is that

became a garden and greedily mopped the earth uninhabitable. points out that according to a Royal there are numerous documents on clandestine operations

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ up the excess carbon, cooling the ○○○○ Society of Chemistry survey, chemists or dossiers on opposition politicians who came to power in greenhouse world to acceptable levels. vast feedback mechanisms that This answer, Lovelock says, is live longer than most scientists. The the September elections,” he adds. Sources within the Not for the first time, nor the last, the ensured its own survival. The Earth ecologically clean and tidy and has a big threat to the planet, he says, is ministry say that the tapping of phones and interception of biosphere had risen to the challenge, could be regarded as a single living very bad press. It is nuclear power. “I people—there are too many, doing letters or email of Milosevic opponents was part of the and adjusted itself. organism, a self-sustaining whole. can envisage somewhere about 2050, too well economically and burning illegal operations of SDB. Dossiers were kept on opposition It is more than 30 years since The idea of Gaia caught the when the greenhouse really begins to too much oil. His new book is a hymn politicians, their sympathisers, non-government media James Lovelock formed the idea of the imagination of people everywhere. bite, when people will start looking to science, and to Gaia and to the journalists, and Serb journalists working for foreign media. biosphere as a self-regulating entity, of Gaia is a kind of metaphor for a very back and saying: whose fault was all other makers of his great idea, and to DOS leaders say that they will open up the dossiers after life and the planet as a kind of subtle lesson in the physiology of a this? And they will settle on the the forces that made him choose to the December elections. “People have every right to know sensitive organism, not sensitive to any planet. But Gaia became a reality, too, Greens and say: ‘If those damn people swim upstream, to stay independent, what was done to them here,” says Zoran Zivkovic, a DOS particular form of life, just to the for the Greens, particularly those hadn’t stopped us building nuclear to be free to follow his nose. He takes, leader. “The work of state security should not be a taboo principle of life. He called it the Gaia inclined to mysticism. Lovelock is power stations we wouldn’t be in this as he has done all his life, the long subject ever again,” he added. SDB only recently turned to hypothesis. The novelist William fond of individual Greens, but he mess’. And I think it is true. The real view. “Two years without a harvest? It Serbs in Serbia. In the early 90s, SDB was involved in the Golding, a friend and neighbour, doesn’t have much patience for the dangers to humanity and the would probably bust civilisation. creation of various paramilitary units that took part in wars in suggested the name. Gaia was the Green attitude to nuclear power. ecosystems of the earth from nuclear People would survive all right. It really former Yugoslavia. Some of the units are believed to be Earth goddess, the Greeks’ Mother Fossil fuels are literally beginning to power are almost negligible.” would cut us back, and that is the sort responsible for major war crimes against non-Serbs in Nature. The Earth maintained an cost the earth and meanwhile Green No surprise that Lovelock regards of thing nobody really prepares for. Croatia, Bosnia or Kosovo. equilibrium, homeostasis, in key life- campaigners are rejecting at least one himself as an eccentric, and a radical, It’s not some ecological poison or “That is the evidence that is probably being destroyed,” preserving areas such as temperature easy answer to the great problem of and he enjoys being a member of the GM foods or nuclear that is going to said Natasa Kandic, the head of the respected and the salinity of the sea. This how to power an economy without awkward squad. The Gaia hypothesis get us, it is going to be some perfectly Humanitarian Law Centre (HLC). “For years we felt that equilibrium was the result of the shutting down the biosphere with was a huge delight to some, but it ordinary natural event.” t (The murky things were happening within SDB. The time has activities of life itself, which created polluting greenhouse gases. was a huge provocation to others. Guardian) come to start revealing those secrets.” HLC recently received a document, sent to it by an SDB employee, which showed SDB involvement in the COMMENTARY Custom madeby ANTHONY babies BROWNE AND ROBIN MCKIE surveillance of prominent journalist Slavko Curuvija on the LONDON - Dr Paul Serhal, a fertilisation expert at University College Scientists argue the case for genetic Hospital, London, will soon attempt a historic operation to eradicate an

inherited cancer that has blighted a British family for generations. The disease, a manipulation of embryos. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

form of bowel cancer known as familial polyposis, kills half those afflicted by it, ○○○○○○○○ mostly when in their forties or fifties. spare parts, but says, “If that’s a by-product of a baby who is wanted and loved Serhal will use ‘pre-implantation genetic diagnosis’. Embryos are grown anyway, it may not be a problem.” He further suggests that low-risk invasive outside the womb with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), tested to see they don’t carry procedures with potentially great benefit might be acceptable. Nathan is not so the gene and healthy embryos are implanted. It will be the first use of IVF sure. “I have greater reservations about things that harm or hurt the child. technology in Britain to produce children without a specific cancer-causing gene. Kidneys, I would find that hard to deal with.” Serhal agrees. “You don’t have a This is not an isolated instance. The case of Molly Nash provoked much second child if you will operate on it.” But parents are emotionally involved. If They want the files. Revellers celebrate the fall of Milosevic. debate recently. Finding their daughter afflicted by inherited Fanconi anaemia, the choice is between watching one child die of kidney disease and having day of his death. Curuvija was killed in broad daylight by the Colorado-based Nashes used genetic diagnoses of embryos to have a healthy another to donate a kidney, there’s no choice for Tim Hedgley, chairman of the unknown assailants, at the height of the NATO air campaign second child whose umbilical cord provided life-saving transplant material for fertility charity Issue. “In the circumstances, parents would have to choose against Serbia in April 1999. He was highly critical of Molly. The Mastertons from Scotland triggered controversy by invoking human between two children or none. I would go for two children.” Milosevic and his wife, Mira. SDB is also blamed for a rights legislation to legally employ similar techniques to have a daughter rather As science evolves, so will ethics. What is shocking now may be acceptable mysterious car crash in October 1999, in which four aides of than a son, to replace their baby girl who died in a fire. in the future. Hedgley gives the example of heart transplants and believes people prominent opposition leader Vuk Draskovic were killed. The People are talking about ‘designer babies’. Critics fear parents may now use will be comfortable with harvesting blood and bone marrow products, and investigation established the fact that the truck involved into the slightest excuse to discard ‘tainted’ embryos, or genetically select offspring as eventually even organs like kidneys. By invoking the Human Rights Act to break the accident belonged to the SDB, but the name of the driver ‘organ factories’. Serhal’s work supports this fear. Familial polyposis does not kill the ban on sex-selection, the Mastertons set a precedent that forces ethics to who disappeared from the scene was never revealed. if carriers of the gene have their colons removed before the disease manifests keep pace with science. Jonathan Montgomery, healthcare lawyer at the The disappearance of Ivan Stambolic last August is still itself. Discarding affected embryos is unnecessary, say opponents. Serhal says he’s University of Southampton, says the Human Rights Act could be used to break unsolved. Toppled by Milosevic from the presidency of giving families peace of mind. other bans, such as on choosing the appearance of babies. “The HFEA would Serbia in 1987 through typical communist party intrigue, Genetic testing of embryos is taking centre stage in debates over medical ethics. have to prove its right to infringe on people’s choice and justify why it was Stambolic turned to private business. He re-emerged in the Only five hospitals in the UK are licensed to carry out such tests for conditions interfering in terms of public health or morals,” he says. The range of diseases independent media ahead of the September elections, and including spinal muscular atrophy, cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy, and they being tested for will certainly expand. Tests for Down’s syndrome, Huntington’s was highly critical of Milosevic. On August 25, he have only resulted in about 20 ‘pure’ babies. As science and acceptance advance, disease, breast cancer and Alzheimer’s are being considered. The HFEA now has was abducted and his whereabouts remain unknown. numbers are expected to grow rapidly. While British doctors are comfortable about to ask whether doctors should be allowed to test for ‘late onset disorders’ that According to Slobodan Vucetic, former Supreme Court screening out the most severe genetic diseases, they’re uncertain about dilemmas may not affect people till their fifties or later. judge who was sacked earlier this year by the Milosevic like the Nashes’. A key factor in the resolution of such issues will be the exact nature The controversy doesn’t end here. As IVF gets easier and more accepted, regime, once the rule of law is established in Serbia “things of the transplant involved. In the Nashes’ case it involved using cells from the new fertile ‘responsible’ parents without family histories of genetic disease may pre- will come into their right place”. Says Vucetic: “It is not a baby’s umbilical cord, not any of its own tissue. “This seems an ideal use of technology diagnose their embryos, just as it is routine now to test new-borns for certain surprise that SDB was a non-transparent, clandestine for humane purposes,” says Alastair Kent, director of the Genetic Interest Group, conditions. Infectious diseases like polio have been virtually eradicated in service. SDB is the legacy of a single-party, communist state an organisation for people with genetic diseases. Sara Nathan, on the ethics developed countries by vaccinations. Widespread genetic testing might do the that has existed here since 1945.” committee of the British Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), same to genetic diseases. Until the September elections, Yugoslavia was the only also has few concerns in this case. The HFEA’s Nathan is sceptical. “I don’t see a day when women routinely country in the region where communism continued after the But what if the person requiring help is not the new baby’s sibling but its screen for genetic disorders.” Kent disagrees, “I wouldn’t have a problem Berlin Wall fell in 1989. According to DOS law expert Dragor parent? Serhal plans to conduct a similar procedure for thalassemia, where the with widespread testing, as long as it isn’t done with coercion.” In such a Hiber, the state system that existed unchanged since 1945 child’s umbilical cord could help cure the father. The ethics get trickier if blood, future, thousands would have the chance to be free of afflictions that have should be dismantled. Only then can SDB work become bone marrow, or even entire organs, not just disposable umbilical cells, are dogged their families for generations. For them, that truly would be a Brave more transparent, he adds. (IPS) sought to save a relative. Kent agrees that babies shouldn’t principally provide New World. t (Observer) 14 ASIA 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

ANALYSIS by WENDY WILSON China readies for WTO ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Japanese revision commission is ○○○○○○○○○ examining Article 9, the post-World GENEVA - Multilateral negotiations for including China in the War II ‘Peace Constitution’ which World Trade Organisation (WTO) made progress during A new axis allows the country to maintain armed sessions this week due to Beijing’s greater “flexibility” said the trade official in charge of following that country’s acces- WASHINGTON - In Asia’s changed forces for self-defence only. Removing security environment, Japan is that self-imposed barrier is a triple- sion process. searching for its right role: It wants to edged sword. Without Article 9 Talks are to reconvene, also in Geneva, in early be a stronger, more independent restrictions, the Japanese would have December, but it is unlikely the parties involved will reach an regional power, but at times seems to less reason to host US military agreement by the end of this year. The admission of new prefer avoiding tough international presence, and have to take on more members into the WTO requires the signing of bilateral issues. In some respects, it yearns to responsibility for their own security. accords with each of the organisation’s members and also be the ‘Switzerland of the Far East’, The Article 9 debate outcome multilateral approval in the working party created specifically respected by all, removed from the will have an undeniable impact on for each country requesting admission. The number of fray. Yet the end of the Cold War has future ties. In addition, Japan’s countries and customs territories included in the WTO heralded a fresh onslaught of security Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) is reached 139 this week. Another 30 countries, including threats in the region, threats too under much discussion by both Russia and Saudi Arabia, have presented admission re- overwhelming for Japan to ignore or parties, as much for its cost as for its quests. Negotiations for China’s entry into the WTO, which handle alone—North Korea’s nuclear need. According to Michael Green, have extended over 14 years, are of significant interest due to and ballistic missile programmes, Parting shots, US servicemen pose at a beach in Okinawa. senior fellow for Asian Security at the the magnitude of the country’s market and the productive China’s rising military power and Japan and America are to redefine their Council for Foreign Relations, “The potential the nation has demonstrated in recent years of growing influence, and potential Japanese want a lot of redundancy in continued growth. (IPS) conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Fearing roles in northeast Asia. their system: their own sensors and

abandonment, Japan clings ambigu- constraints of containing the Soviet scramble to resolve short-term cueing, the complete (system). But Sri Lanka’s cuppa woe ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ously to its bilateral security alliance Union in the post-Cold War years, internal issues are neglecting long- with a cost of $5-10 billion, they may ○○○○○○○○○ COLOMBO - Cheap tea imports are threatening the livelihood with the US since the end of World the two countries allowed their term international ones. Their have to rely on the US to provide that of thousands of small tea farmers in Sri Lanka, home to the War II. Ironically, Japan is just as relationship to languish in its earlier detachment perpetuates the American part of it.” One Japanese analyst famous Ceylon Tea. Nearly 60 percent of Sri Lankan tea is concerned that it will be dragged into incarnation, without benefit of revival opinion that the risk-averse Japanese cynically remarked that TMD stood produced on small farms in the central highlands. The rest of conflict by American involvement in or revision. are so steeped in “status-quoism” that for totemo miachigatte-iru defence, or the production is on large estates owned by big business the Asia-Pacific, as it is worried about Even in its “rickety” financial they must be forced to be pro-active “absolutely unbelievable defence”. houses. Nearly 20,000 Sri Lankan tea farmers and tea factory its own defence without US military situation, “Japan’s position is to in regional affairs. The “threat of peace”—if a owners are reportedly hit by imports of foreign tea over the presence. support American primacy; the kind In light of Washington declaring reunification of Korea occurs—throws past two years. For many years, the US-Japan of order where American power China a “strategic partner,” a good more uncertainty into already The government says it has allowed the import of only a alliance has been plagued by internal excels,” contended political analyst case can be made for Japan’s attempts complex US-Japan ties. Reconcilia- small quantity of special, high-grade tea for blending pur- friction. Unresolved jealousies quickly Tadokoro. He suggested that Japan’s to establish its own international tion on the Korean peninsula would poses and re-export. Sri Lankan tea farmers and factory make their way onto a diplomatic slow economy may in fact be the connections. Meanwhile, some say undercut the rationale for large US owners say they do not object to the import of high quality tea seesaw. “Japan has done its best to “political logic” that sustains the growing public opinion in Japan for a military presence there, affecting what for blending with local tea. But they complain that the permis- stabilise the global economic picture,” historical dynamics of the alliance. more assertive security and foreign has been for five decades a security sion is being misused to import large quantities of cheaper claimed Masayuki Tadokoro of the Not all agree that this is a good thing, policy is but natural for a country of pillar for Tokyo. Japan’s recession may grade tea, which is hurting local producers. National Defence Academy University and want a change from this its size and clout, despite fears by also affect how far it can go in forging The beverage is now being imported from China, Vietnam, in Yokosuka, Japan, speaking at the traditional alliance, but for different some of a reversion to a militaristic its own security profile. Some here say Indonesia, India and Papua New Guinea. Local tea industry Sasakawa Foundation for Peace here reasons. past. Japan’s pursuit of advanced arms its political structure is incapable of leader Ratna Gamage says the imports have driven his last week. “It pumped money into the Japan’s domestic political purchases, reconnaissance satellites creating strategies for change, but business to bankruptcy. “We have been bankrupt for the past American economy in the late 1980s.” structure is in turmoil. A series of and ballistic missile defence is Washington must learn to co-operate few years,” says Gamage, chairman of the CTC Tea Factories Apart from this flood of Japanese scandals and diplomatic missteps by significant evidence of the country’s with Tokyo without condescension if Association. Gamage, who is leading a two-year-old investment, however, the alliance leaders of the ruling party has desire to establish a more assertive and it hopes to revitalise the alliance campaign by the local tea industry against cheap tea imports, flagged. Freed from the strategic distracted politicians, who in a wild autonomous security posture. A effectively. t (IPS) is now taking the protest outside the country.

Inert after Kyoto

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ China’s year of the tiger TOKYO - Japan is headed for this week’s talks on global warming at the climate change convention in The Hague with few proposals to reduce its greenhouse gas production, and little

CORY MEACHAM IN LONDON genuine initiatives for progress on the issue. Critics say Japan, ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○ Beijing wants he Chinese government is strengthening relations with Western to save the host of the United Nations negotiations on climate change scientists to learn more about tigers still roaming the country’s convention in 1997 in Kyoto, remains far from the target it then T endangered agreed upon—to reduce its production of greenhouse gases by jungles and forests. This is vital, as the species is one of the most endangered on earth. South China 6 percent of the 1990 level. Until now, communist China has largely frustrated attempts by Much to the horror of environmentalists, Japan is also Western environmental scientists to analyse and evaluate tiger data tiger from banking on a proposal that supports a scheme that would allow collected by Chinese researchers, creating what environmentalists call a ‘silk extinction. emissions trading with developing countries. Tokyo supports curtain’ around the country. proposals at this week’s conference for industrial countries to Last month, representatives from China’s environmental ministries fear among Western give financial and technical support to developing nations for travelled from Beijing to attend the launch of a new UK-based environmen- scientists is that by tackling global warming—and then earn “credits” that can be tal charity at the Chinese embassy in London. Following negotiations focusing on the evidently used to “trade” emissions to meet their own reduction targets. during and after the launch, key tiger information and samples of evidence irretrievable South China tiger,

are changing hands, and plans to facilitate joint tiger-research efforts that the country will squander valuable Impeaching Erap ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ will place more Western scientists on the ground in China are taking shape. energy, resources, and time better devoted to other subspecies. ○○○○○○○○○ The charity, Save China’s Tigers, is the brainchild of Li Quan, a UK “But if we do not give the South China tigers this last chance,” says Li MANILA - The stage is set for the impeachment trial in December resident whose blend of Eastern and Western backgrounds has helped Quan, “they will most certainly perish. The Chinese conservationists of Philippine President Joseph Estrada, the first time an facilitate co-operation between the hemispheres. “There have been a lot of believe this tiger can be saved. That is why they have quietly taken the first incumbent president will face such proceedings on corruption cultural misunderstandings between China and the West,” she says. “Save steps and are now seeking help and support from the West.” charges in this country. China’s Tigers could be a bridge in the conservation world between East That support might not be quick in arriving. Distrust of Chinese science The House of Representatives sent the impeachment and West.” and administration remains strong among Western environmental research- complaint to the Senate so that it can prepare for the trial. “The Li Quan is uniquely suited to build just such a bridge. Born and raised ers, spawned and nurtured by the difficulties encountered in previous efforts single most important act has been accomplished and the in China, she graduated from Beijing University and then moved to America to save endangered animals. Prime among these was the giant panda, impeachment rap has been transmitted,” said the House to take degrees at the Wharton School of Business and the Lauder Chinese conservation management of which has been regarded in the West Speaker, Manuel Villar, who had been an Estrada supporter until Institute. She pursued a career in fashion-trademark licensing that took her as a fiasco. accusations last month that the President received more than to Belgium and Italy, capping her career as the head of world-wide licensing The distrust is mutual. China is quick to point out that since neither $10 million in kickbacks from illegal gambling. for Gucci, after which she settled in London to pursue her altruistic pandas nor tigers are found naturally in the West, the West is hardly the A provincial governor who used to be a friend and once interests full-time. authority on such creatures. Western conservation debacles with animals gambling partner of Estrada made the charges in early October. “I was deeply saddened when I learned that the indigenous Chinese such as the bison also supply plenty of ammunition for the East when The accusations threw the southeast Asian country into a political tiger, the South China tiger, is on the verge of extinction,” she says. “I defending its environmental track record. Even at the launch of Save crisis and rattled the economy, sending the peso to record lows would feel personally responsible if I did not try to make a small contribu- China’s Tigers, the Chinese contingent bristled when asked to supply against the dollar. It has shaken confidence in Estrada’s two- tion to the survival of the South China tiger.” samples for DNA re-analysis by Western scientists—the Chinese have year-old government, prompted calls among businessmen, But her contribution must confront controversy on several fronts. Of already meticulously performed and documented such analysis in laborato- workers and critics for him to step down, and triggered defections the four tiger subspecies found in the wild in China, the South China ries back home. by supporters. subspecies is so profoundly endangered that no more than three dozen of “There will definitely be obstacles arising from differences in culture, Senators said they aim to finish drawing up the rules of the animals survive in the wild; only 52 are alive in captivity, all in Chinese social structure, and political systems,” says Li Quan. “The task is huge and impeachment this month, and start the trial itself in December. zoos. Many scientists feel the South China tiger is doomed no matter how success is not guaranteed. But even if this effort fails to save the South But far from just being routine legal procedure, the general carefully it is managed. China Tiger, the ecosystem in the tiger range area will benefit and be better strikes this week will mean the pressure is now on the 23- And yet it is upon precisely this subspecies that much of China’s positioned to provide shelter for the incredible variety of fauna and flora member Senate to determine Estrada’s guilt or innocence. Estrada, who denies the bribery charges and has turned down attention is focused. The other three subspecies of tiger represented in there.” t (Observer) China survive also in neighbouring countries, and so are not seen as calls for him to resign, will now work on getting enough numbers exclusively ‘Chinese’. So it is that the South China tiger inspires a fervent Cory Meacham is an environmental journalist and the author of in the Senate to win. A two-thirds vote is needed for impeachment and protective nationalistic pride not enjoyed by the other animals. The How the Tiger Lost Its Stripes (Harcourt, 1997). to be carried out by the Senate. (IPS) FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 15 Deuba preparing pulling out in two years’ time. Its A That is our only demand, and that annual contribution amounted to too can be negotiated upon. for battle more than Rs 10 million. NORAD, “Why is the noose around ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Chhalphal, 12 November too, has stated that it will not be able Who has Created to help a couple of years from now. More Leaders: Padma Ratna’s neck again?” The district- and village-level The WWF, which till now gave conventions of the Nepali Congress almost $100,000 per year, has also Koirala or stated that it will be reduce that Govinda Raj Joshi is Nepal Samacharpatra, 8 November started from 9 November. With tough

mental and physical battles being amount to $20-30,000. Bhattarai? ○○○○○○○○○○○ The KMTNC, established in ○○○○○ Immediately after the release of Dinesh Sharma, both the government and the fought by both the camps, doubts are Kedar Subedi in Saptahik Bimarsa, 1982, does not have its own sources Maoists are at each other’s throat. Everyone who watched the release of Sharma being raised as to whether or not the 10 November of income, beside the entrance fees could vouch for the fact that Sharma did not look like a person who was made to entire process will be completed by charged of tourists entering the ACAP sign documents under pressure and will not believe it even if he says so. Report- the 15 November deadline. Yesterday, Koirala area. The management of ACAP was ers did not ask Sharma to read a written statement. People could see and feel elections took place in different parts Koirala has helped the Nepali handed to the KMTNC for ten years that there was not even an iota of pressure at the time Sharma was presented to of the Valley. In many places, the Congress to create many youth in 1991/92 and the lease period ends the press. If there was any kind of pressure he could have stated it at that time. prime minister’s camp had already leaders. In most cases he has given the Govinda Raj Joshi next year. That means even this small Therefore it is difficult to believe that he was under great pressure to make that declared people elected without even No 2 position to people from the trickle of funds is going to dry up. No statement. People watching television could easily guess that he was under no pressure at all. Sharma is holding the elections and is preparing younger generation. Among the one knows how KMTNC will lying, that is my conclusion. to get some district representatives current generation of secondary function after this. This is one reason The government’s mistake lies in making the Maoists sign documents. That is wrong. Time and nominated the same way. Meanwhile, leaders, Sher Bahadur Deuba, why many employees are quitting. again I used to tell home ministry officials, “Do not trust a Maoist who agrees to sign documents. the Deuba camp has got wind of this Ramchandra Poudel, Sushil Koirala, Even if a Congressman says that he will stand surety, do not believe him and do not release him. and is now preparing a counter-move. Sailaja Acharya, Taranath Ranabhat, Partly believe a Maoist who says that he is going to join the Jana Morcha, because that is their point The Deuba camp has alleged that “Our movement Khum Bahadur Khadka, Dr Ram of origin. After that if he says that he is going to join the CPN-ML, believe him to a certain extent. election officials were only sent to Sharan Mahat, and Bijay Gacchedar,

places where the PM’s camp is strong will continue” all became prominent because of ○○○○○○○○○○○

Then if he says he is going to join the RPP (Chand) believe him a bit more. After this if he says he is ○○○○○ going to join the UML or the RPP, then you have to believe him completely. If he says that he is and not to those places where the Jwala, 12 November Koirala. going to the Congress do not believe him at all and do not release him.” Maoists should not be made camps were perceived to be weak. (Excerpts from an interview with Koirala made Deuba the leader of to sign documents. They will sign anything. This has been my experience. If you want proof of this, Despite the fact that the issue of Bishnu Lamsal, member secretary, the Nepali Congress in parliament. At put Bhakta Bahadur Shrestha behind bars for 24 hours, and say that you will only release him after active party membership has yet to be United Central Struggle Committee Koirala’s request, Acharya and he signs a document. Without even looking at the document, he will sign it. People who do not solved, the Deuba camp has agreed to [of hotel employees]) Khadka withdrew and Deuba became realise this cannot understand the present situation. participate in the elections. It has, the NC leader in parliament. It was Ram Chandra Poudel himself stayed in prison for a long time and refused to sign any documents while however, not yet indicated whether it Q It is said your demands are against Koirala who proposed that Poudel be he was there. Therefore the fact that he made someone sign papers under pressure is a statement that I do will accept the results or not. Deuba the law? made the speaker of the house. not trust and I doubt if anyone in this country believes it too. Someone is playing games and he got caught has indicated that he and other A The Labour Act, 2048, states that Ranabhat, the present speaker, too in that game. The realisation that the government was going to make public the names of all the arrested members of his camp from the central within 21 days of a petition being became speaker because of Koirala. Maoists and that the Maoists were coming in for a dialogue scared a lot of people and it is these people who committee might resign if circum- filed, a ruling must be given. We After Koirala became the started playing these games. It might be that while the government was thinking of releasing Sharma, stances so demand. presented our demands to the president of the party, Ranabhat was someone might have told the deputy prime minister that Sharma had stated that he was ready to leave the With conspiracies, horse-trading, government on 6 September and it made secretary of the party twice. Maoists. He must have been doubly pleased; here he was ready to release a Maoist and he was ready to quit threats and force being used by both was to provide a ruling within 21 days Sushil Koirala was made vice- his party. Nothing could have been better. He might have said yes. Herein lies the fault. If the DPM parties, it seems like both camps are but did not. The laws allow for the president once and secretary twice. analyses this, he will realise where he went wrong. participating in the elections in full ruling to be postponed for another 21 Ranabhat was earlier in Bhattarai’s There are people who accept their mistakes. The Panchayat system is now the talk of the town. force. Consequently, the election days, and this again can be extended camp and a vocal opponent of There were many who did not sign the papers during the Panchayat system and rotted in prison. Some process is causing a lot of violence by another 15 days. Nothing Koirala. This shows that Koirala signed under tremendous pressure, while some others signed of their own will and later denounced it. with incidents of people being happened all along. The employees does not discriminate between the Then, too, different parties had different policies. Some were prepared to do anything and some hoped physically assaulted. The day before can go on a strike after 66 days. We two camps. Both Gachhedar and they would be freed without signing any documents. But you cannot compare those times and the yesterday, Narendra Jha, president of only followed the above-mentioned Khadka were ministers under him situation now. If someone says that he has now forsaken violence, there is no reason to lock him up. If the Saptari district committee, and Act. for a long time. Mahat, too, was in Baburam and Prachanda forsake violence, then the home ministry cannot lock them up. The difference Gopal Kattel, a central observer, Q After the talks with the government, the cabinet earlier. Now, when in this case was that the DPM and Sharma could not meet. I have heard that they met only after the were physically assaulted and you have ended your agitation, why? Koirala is once again contesting as press conference. Who took this proposal to the DPM? A conspiracy took place there but he should not injured. In Kathmandu, two people A We have not stopped our agitation. candidate for party president have believed it. This is where the trouble surfaced. Does Sharma have a hand in this or not? Why would were injured in Baudha. We have only postponed it. younger leaders are in high he sacrifice his ego and prestige to surrender? The Maoists declare that the environment for a dialogue Q Your agitation has taken a long positions. Sushil Koirala is secretary, has been destroyed and that they will not negotiate with Koirala’s government. Then, after all the drama, Future of KMTNC time. You are prolonging it further. Poudel is deputy prime minister, they point fingers and say that the government is not sticking to its word. This is dishonesty. Why? and Ranabhat is speaker. If the DPM still uses Padma Ratna to talk to the Maoists, it will not cause any harm. I know him bleak A The concerned authorities should Under Koirala’s presidentship, very well. He took part in a meeting in Calcutta at which the Maoists were present too. He gave a Deshanter○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○, 12 November act. The tourism industry is going to second generation leaders have speech and a photograph of that is at the police headquarters. After the DPM read that speech of his, he be affected. We know that. We, too, always received prominence. Till might have thought this person would be able to get the Maoists to the negotiating table, not as a Despite the palace’s direct involve- don’t want to go in for an agitation, now almost 85 percent of working Maoist but as a human rights activist. He is active in many ways and therefore can be called a Maoist, a ment in the King Mahendra Trust for but despite all this, the authorities are committee seats have been given to human rights activist, a person close to the Maoists, but it is best to call him a Maoist. t Nature Conservation (KMTNC), the not acting in a responsible manner. young leaders. Every time a new (The author is a former home minister.) future of that organisation does not The government had asked for some committee is formed, Koirala has seem to be secure. King Birendra is time. They asked us to give them a made it a point to increase the the patron and his brother the few days more. “If you could wait for number of young leaders and QUOTE OF THE WEEK chairman of that organisation. At 20 years then why can’t you wait for decrease the number of old leaders. present, the financial state of the another 4 or 5 days,” was what the Even after all the “drivers” have taken turns to steer this “car” it does not move, and when it does, overturns organisation is very weak, many high- government told us. But that is not Bhattarai soon after. In such a situation is it right to blame the driver all the time and absolve the old car any fault? ranking officials have resigned to join why we have stopped our agitation. Bhattarai has always reserved the No —Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai commenting on Nepal’s Constitution other institutions, the management is Other programmes that are part of 2 position for one of the leaders of Janadesh, 14 November weak, and realising this many the protest are being carried out. We his age group. It was always the late international organisations that were have postponed our strike and black Mahendra Narayan Nidhi, Yog Prasad earlier helping the KMTNC have armbands day. We have not run away Upadhaya, Basu Risal or Ram Babu started to back out. from our movement. Prasai. According to sources in the Q Who should fulfil your demands: When he became prime minister KMTNC, among those who have the hotels or the government? for the first time, he made Nidhi his resigned sensing that their future there A Both have agreed to implement it number two and Upadhyaya number is not secure are project director many times. At the time of collective three. When he became PM for the Siddharth Bajracharya, chief officer bargaining, which takes place every second time Upadhyaya became Mahesh Pudasaini, administrative two years, the hotels had stated that if number two even though Upadhyaya officer Anil Ranjit and engineer Bijay the government gives them permission was not a member of any house of Gurung. Other officials too, are then they would implement it. But parliament. When he realised that he beginning to think about their future the government has to make the may have to go, Bhattarai made and are waiting for the right moment appropriate laws. The owner does not Poudel the deputy prime minister to put in their papers. have to pay, it is the tourist who is and gave Upadhyaya a valid excuse Almost eight months ago, the going to pay and this is the system the to resign from the cabinet. chief of the UK chapter of KMTNC, world over. The government and After the advent of democracy in John Chappel, had asked the HAN [Hotel Association of Nepal] 1990, Bhattarai became party chairman, Prince Gyanendra to have both agreed many times to president. He made Nidhi the intervene since the management was enforce this, but now except for HAN secretary and Upadhyaya and Risal proving to be inefficient. everyone is agreeable to it. That is deputy secretaries. Ram Babu Prasai International organisations that because most hotels maintain two was made treasurer. Bhattarai was have been supporting the KMTNC accounts and if they agree to what we party president for 20 years and have raised many questions but have want they will be exposed. It is almost 80 percent of the central not received satisfactory answers. because of this that HAN does not committee members were people of SNV, the Dutch aid agency, which want to meet our demand. his age, and every time the commit- Clockwise from top left: 1. One man one post: PM Girija, President Koirala. 2. One man two posts: has funded the KMTNC for the past Q Is your demand limited to the one tees were dissolved and new ones PM and president Koirala. 3. One man three posts: PM Girija, President Prasad, and Koirala. ten years, has indicated that it is for the ten percent service charge, or do formed, the ratio of old people grew —Drishti, 14 November you have others? at the expense of the younger ones.

THIS PAGE CONTAINS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI LANGUAGE PRESS 16 SPORTS 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

PROFILE by ALOK TUMBAHANGPHEY Nike workers urge Woods to do it ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Bangkok - Thai activists holding a giant Nike logo demonstrated inside a luxury hotel where Tiger Woods was being honoured, Nepal’s squash champ and urged him to ask Nike to improve working conditions for its workers in Thailand. About two-dozen labour union workers and courts in the valley, provided him student activists marched into the riverside Shangri-La hotel to with the perfect opportunity to conduct the protest while Woods was in a ballroom, receiving learn the nuances of the game. an honorary doctorate in sports science from a local university. Eventually Hira partnered with Woods, who signed a $100 million, five-year endorsement single players, worked on his game deal with Nike, is in Bangkok to play in the Johnnie Walker he fact and created a niche for himself in Classic tournament beginning Thursday. Woods walked past t that the small world of Nepali squash the protesters but did not stop to speak with them. The professional players. protesters handed a letter to an aide. The letter said the sportspersons in Nepal don’t Hira arrived in the national demonstration was on behalf of the 70,000 workers producing earn a decent living is fairly well scene when he stood third at the Nike footwear, garments and sportswear in Thailand in established. But even this 1992 Annual Mercantile Squash subcontracted factories. “We appeal to you to use your influence common truth has a heartrending Tournament. Two years down the as a respected athlete and as a benefactor of Nike’s success to ring to it when it concerns a line, in 1994, he would win his first push for better working conditions,” the letter said. promising player like Hira Bahadur tournament, the Mercantile The protesters held banners saying: “Tiger Woods Stop Thapa, the undisputed squash Tournament, and continue doing so Puttering”. The protest letter said Nike spends the equivalent of champion of Nepal since 1994. for four more years. The club 14,000 workers’ daily wage to pay Woods for one day. Woods, Hira hails from the hills of assistant had succeeded in beating whose mother is Thai, is a national hero in Thailand and is Bakrang in Gorkha, from an average even those who had played the expected to come under more media glare at the tournament. Nepali farming family like most game for years, and from then on it others. He has not had any formal has been merely a matter of

education nor has he received much routinely winning all the games. Tergat, Radcliffe claim gold ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ formal training in the game he loves so “The only formal training I have MIN BAJRACHARYA Mexico City - Olympic 10,000 m silver medallist Paul Tergat of much. But there is no doubting his received in the game was when the Kenya once again proved he is king of distance running when love and dedication for the game. Nepal Squash Racket Association he won the men’s world championship half marathon gold at If there is one man in this city sent me to Peshawar to train for a Veracruz. In the women’s event, Britain’s Paula Radcliffe won who came from the hills with a month under the guidance of her first ever world championship gold medal. singular intention in mind, and not Fakkar Jaman, a renowned The boy from Bakrang started off as The 31-year-old Kenyan easily retained the title he won a only achieved but excelled at it, it is Pakistani coach,” he says. Hira has year ago in Palermo on his championship debut, running a Hira Bahadur. When he came to won every squash tournament caretaker of the squash club, and leisurely 63 min 47 sec. Tergat held off Tanzanian teenager Kathmandu in 1985, under the played in the valley—from the ended up as national champion. Phaustin Baha to win by just a second in a sprint finish, with last guardianship of his first cousin, Hira Mercantile Cup to the Crown year’s bronze medallist Tefaye Jifar of Ethiopia third in 63 min had only heard of the game but his Prince Cup—although he hasn’t telling on him (he is in his early 30s), see the younger generation do 50 sec. curiosity was getting him. His cousin benefited a great deal economically. he believes that he can still beat any so. He is organising a training Kenya also won the men’s team gold ahead of Ethiopia and had been entrusted the task of finding “It’s hard to make a living as a Nepali challenger. What about the camp for younger kids who are Belgium. In the women’s, Britain’s Paula Radcliffe won her first someone who could look after the sportsman in Nepal,” he says, “The prospects of going international we interested in the sport. While it ever world championship gold medal despite a mid-race panic. Battisputali Squash Club and he asked average cash prize in the tourna- ask him? “The international players may still be a few years before we The Britisher had a runaway victory in 69 mins 07 sec, well Hira if he would come along. ments isn’t very high, and even if are physically and technically better see international level players ahead of Kenya’s Susan Kepkemei by 33 secs and Romania’s Hira didn’t know the game, but you win all of them it is still tough.” than us. It will take us a lot of time to from Nepal, we may yet see Hira Olympic marathon silver medallist Lidia Simon by 1 min 17 sec. was willing to learn. His job as But for Hira Bahadur Thapa get to that level,” he says. compete at the next SAF Games In the team event, victory went to Romania ahead of Japan and caretaker of this single court squash there is no greater passion than the Hira may not ever play at the where the game is likely to be Russia, with Britain in sixth position. club, one of the few wooden floor game, and though age has started international level but he hopes to included. t The Eastern Open

MUKUL HUMAGAIN ○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○fter the Surya Nepal Western Open, Nepali agolfers are all set to tee off at the Dharan Country Club. The Surya Nepal Eastern Open to be held 17-18 November will attract 50 golfers (both professional and amateur) from Nepal. For the first time, Dharan is hosting a national Surya Masters, this tourney will will also provide an opportunity level golf tournament. Top provide an ideal platform for for aspiring golfers to show off Nepali professional golfers will Nepali golfers to prepare their skills and make their be in the fray for the prize themselves for the big one. It presence felt nationally scene. t money of Rs 50,000, with the winner taking home a purse of Rs 8,300. Deepak Thapa Magar, after a splendid show at the Surya Nepal Western Open, is the favourite to win here. Thirty- three-year old Magar shot a course record of three under 70 at the Himalayan Golf Course on wanted ad 12 November to win his second Surya Nepal Western Open title. But the likes of Pashupati Sharma, Deoraj Pakhrin, Deepak Acharya, Radhey Shyam Thapa, Toran Shahi and Sabin Sapkota will be there to challenge Deepak at Dharan. For Deoraj Pakhrin and Sabin Sapkota, this tourney will be a special one— both of them will be playing in their home turf. Dharan’s 18-hole golf course was established in 1960 at the British Gurkha Camp for the officers of the British Army. Now, expatriate workers, ex- army men and businessmen from Dharan are regular players at the club. Organised just before the 17 NATION Nepali timber to17- 23 NOVEMBERTibet 2000 NEPALI TIMES ALL PHOTOS RK MANANDHAR

HEM BAHADUR BISTA IN HUMLA

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ here is a threat of snow, but tChho Kyong Lama is undeterred. Hoping that the blizzards will not begin in the next few days, he prepares for another trading trip to Taklakot on the Nepal-Tibet border. His merchan- dise: timber from the alpine forests around his village. It is not just Chho Kyong who is in the business; every family from Kermi village in Humla district would like to make that “last” trip up north before they are forced indoors by the snow. The villagers say they have Nepalis are chopping down no choice but to cut down the trees. “Last year I went to Simikot priceless trees that took to buy rice. I had to stay at the district headquarters for five days centuries to grow, loading them just to get the coupons for five kilos of rice. Including the time I on yaks and hauling them to spent on travelling, it took me Tibet. Pretty soon, there won’t seven days altogether. The expenses are something else,” says be any trees left in Humla.

Chho Kyong Lama. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ This time he decided to do ○○○○○○○○ something else to feed himself and Statistics show that 13 percent The more houses are built in Tibet his family. Instead of heading to of Humla is under forest cover. the more will be the demand for Simikot for rice coupons like Forty-nine percent comprises Nepali timber since that part of everyone else, Chho Kyong coniferous or softwood species, the arid high plateau just does not decided to cut down trees and sell and roughly five percent is have the forest cover to meet its them at Taklakot and buy food hardwood. But these are official timber requirements. from the market. A mature nine- figures and do not take into Namda Lama, another Nepali foot log fetches around 25 kilos of account the plunder that has from Yalwang who visits Taklakot wheat flour at Taklakot and all it taken place in recent years. All the every month to buy supplies for takes is seven days to fell, shear same the District Forest Office her hotel, observed a still more and transport two such logs to the thinks there is no cause for alarm. worrying trend—over-supply. “The border. “Illegal logging is not very demand for timber is growing but It certainly is an effective way threatening,” was an official’s the price is also coming down.” of thumbing a collective nose at bland response. Last year a yak-load of timber the central government in Most of the timber headed for fetched around 70 yuan (known as Kathmandu that has remained Tibet passes through the villages of Sukar locally) (Rs 750) in Ser but indifferent to the food shortage Muchu, Khagalgaun, Hepka, and this year it’s hard to get even 50 that hits Humla every year, but Dandafya. The forest office has four yuan, she told us. “One small plank for the fact that the forests may rangers looking after forests in could fetch at least 22 measures of not last very many years. Trees Humla, and on paper there is even flour last year, now we only get 12 have almost vanished in most of a range post at Muchu. But when measures.” Humla district and what Chho we asked the people of Muchu to Tibetan traders dictate the Kyong and his neighbours are show us where the post was, they prices. The villagers usually obtain selling could be the last ones did not have a clue. That could be supplies on credit from dealers in standing. Villages like Kermi, why the acting chief of the District Taklakot and Ser promising Muchu, Yari and Yangar along the Forest Office did not know what he payment in timber. However, when border with Tibet still have was saying when he asserted that they do bring in the wood, they are patches of green but with the “because transportation is difficult forced to accept any price the scale of illegal logging now taking very little timber is smuggled”. Tibetans offer. The Nepalis have place, even these will not last for When we reached the Humla no choice since they cannot take long. Karnali at Hilsa, we found only an the wood back. Yest, such unfair The high-altitude villages of unmanned bridge over the river practices haven’t stopped the Humla district are covered in snow separating Nepal and the Tibet timber trade. for up to six months each year. At autonomous region of China. On We asked Chabilal Lama, a this altitude trees take very long to the Nepal side are five small member of the District grow and mature. The Himalayan ‘hotels’. Bahadur Lama runs one Development Committee, why no forests we see today are something of them. Pointing towards a yak- one seemed bothered about the that have taken thousand of years and-mule train on the bridge, he deforestation and illegal timber to mature, which is why the rate at said: “It’s hard to tell how much trade. “What should we do, save which they are being decimated is timber is taken across every day. the forest or save ourselves?” he so alarming. They do it night and day. Those shot back, and added, “I myself am caravans are not going to stop a thief and cannot survive without until it begins to snow.” selling timber in Taklakot. How Across the river on the Tibetan can I ask others not to cut down side lies the small village of Ser. the forests?” Traders who don’t want to carry There is a popular saying in their timber to Taklakot, 35 km Humla: “Rajako ain bhanda khola ko away, sell their logs at Ser. Almost chain thulo.” This roughly translates every house in this settlement of as: state laws are applicable only in where.” This police post is 40 km even the inability of the adminis- Clockwise from top left: Deforested 20-25 households stocks timber Kathmandu, here it is nature that away from the Hilsa bridge—a tration to do much: “There’s little hillsides near Yari; Yak train carries brought from Nepal. “The determines how people live. The distance that locals manage to cover we can do when people have no Nepali timber across the Hilsa bridge progress of the Tibetan society people also seemed to care less in a full day while a laden yak train other means of feeding themselves with the barren hills of Tibet across and economy has increased the about the laws and more about takes three days. and their families.” the Humla-Karnali river in the demand for modern houses,” doing things that would make it All the top district officials we There’s another side to the background; Simikot airstrip at 3200 explained Tshering Lama, whom possible to survive the next day and met—District Development timber story. Every yak, mule, m; and yaks returns with supplies. we met in Hilsa. the next year. Committee Chairman Jiwan donkey, sheep and goat caravan “More and more modern Assistant Sub-Inspector at the Bahadur Shahi, Chief District returning from Tibet brings the like. A bottle of liquor that houses are being built in the Muchu Police Check Post, Tej Officer Chetra Bahadur Bhandari back not only flour but also costs Rs 40 in Tibet can fetch Tibetan villages of Ser, Khochar, Bahadur Sharma, gave us the and Deputy Superintendent of liquor. Some people bring back up to Rs 100 in Simikot. It and Taklakot. This demand is regular police official’s refrain: “We Police Jiwan Shrestha—agreed a few bottles for their own makes good trading sense and because of the retirement benefits don’t allow anyone to smuggle that timber smuggling is not new consumption, but more often provides the villagers with much- the government gave to officials wood from this post. I cannot tell to the border villages. They spoke the animals are loaded with needed income. Only if it had not for building houses,” he added. you about what happens else- in one voice about the reasons and cartons of brandy, whisky and been at the cost of the trees. t 18 CITY 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

ABOUT TOWN QUICKWORD 7 by QUICK EYE FILMS Across light (4) 20 Jagged, Greek god sat v Nepali 1 Bark up the wrong one (4) 31 The bonds that choke in on a pin (5) 5 Staple… thee well (4) the tropics (4) 23 Lead to an agreement (4) Aago – Ganga Chalchitra, Goon (Kha), Padma, Ranjana 9 Near to making the 32 What Buffy did to the 24 Bomb the writer, what Basanti – Plaza 2 moolah (4) vampire (4) the ’eck! (4) Dhukdhuki – Goon (Ga), Radha 10 Communicate with 25 The blown dwarf’s Dodhar – Biswajyoti, Plaza 1, Prithvi former flame, electroni Down demeanour (4) v Hindi cally (5) 1 This little duck whistles (4) 27 Aye mineral water! (3) 11 Neutralise with base (4) 2 Characteristic of F1 Dhai Akshar Prem Ke – Shri Nava Durga 12 Adios says the Gaul (5) stories (4) Do Shikari & Sabse Bada Shaitan – Ashok 13 Public space for orators 3 Little mermaid’s love (4) Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega – Kumari and musicians (6) 4 Cause to be beloved (6) Kaho Na Pyar Hai – Krishna 15 Between heaven and a 5 The American agent Kurukshetra – Shivadarshan, Goon (Ka) dropped glottal (3) stuffed himself (3) 16 Opposed to, like 6 Foreign to (5) QUICKWORD ANSWER 6 Mission Kashmir – Tara, Metro, Manakamana, Gopi Baluwatar and v Foreign 7 Dizzy from pulling in Bhaisepati (7) the trout (5) Beshkempir: Growing up in Kirghizistan. 18 Serendip went by other 8 Former guerrilla is After understanding his adoption, life an precious name (7) jubilant at (5) changes for young Azate. A film of pure 21 Swear at the mutt (3) 10 Bitter pint in Thamel? (6) poetry. Directed by Aktan Abdikalikow. An 100 22 Ended with an e-wanting (6) 14 Idi chased the Indians Inter-Cultural Film Society presentation, WIN A 26 Insurance agent fell out out of here (6) Saturday 18 November. 4.30 pm. Russian HOUR with Andrew (5) 17 Making deals with ideas (6) Cultural Centre. English sub-titles. INFOCOM 28 Sol works on the ozone 18 French approval for the hole (4) showy display (5) Cyrano de Bergerac, 1989. An army officer and a swordsman, Cyrano MILLENNIUMCD 29 Bewildered, out sailing (2,3) 19 Many, faceted like de Bergerac is a romantic poet who longs for a love that eludes him. 30 Florence, give me a Ravan? (5) The object of his passion is his cousin, the beautiful Roxanne, and the object of his torment comes in the shape of his very long nose. The most convenient and economic way to surf the internet Out of 5 entries, there were Directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau, starring Gerard Depardieu, Anne Terms and conditions no correct answers. Brochet and Bincent Perez. Sunday 19 November. 2 pm, Alliance 1 The contest is open to everyone, except employees of Himalmedia Pvt Ltd and Infocom Pvt Ltd. Francaise auditorium, Thapathali. French with English subtitles. Entry 2 In case of more than one correct entry, the winner will be decided by Free. To send in your entries, please fill in the details below and fax to 977-1-521013, or email to [email protected]. lucky draw. Entries can be dropped off at Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur. EXHIBITIONS 3 Entries have to reach Himalmedia, by 5 pm, v Art 22 Nov, Tuesday. 4 The winner will be announced in the coming issue. Name...... Wood’n Motion. An exhibition of sculptures and 5 The prize has to be collected from Himalmedia within a week of the Ph...... email...... paintings by German artist Beate Neumann showcasing announcement. Please come with an ID. an array of 20 wooden sculptures. Accompanying them are 16 paintings using elaborate batik techniques on Lokta paper which produces the illusion of wood-print. The show will be supported by a video that shows the artist at work. 18–26 November, 10.30 am-4.30 pm. Patan Britain in Nepal week Museum. v Photography Voices with Vision. Exhibition of photographs, art and writings done he British Council is percussions that range from the world of reggae music. Sense and Ujeli, the Meena cartoons, Abodh by Bhutanese refugee students from Jhapa camp. Seven volunteers celebrating Britain in Nepal Indian tabla to African Sensibility is the much-celebrated Bandhiharu and Chameli will be t Week from 24-30 drumbeats, the Japanese taiko to film by the Merchant-Ivory duo. screened and discussed. The goal and two teachers guide you and provide an overview on the completed work and the process. Baggikhana, Patan Dhoka. Take the right turn as November to mark the opening hard beats of the modern The movie is set in the early of the festival is to provide you enter Patan Dhoka and enter through the big brown gate (Rato of the new British Council drumset. The concert is 1800’s in England and traces the examples of good practice in the Bangala School Gate) on the right. 15-22 November. Open all day. premises at Lainchour. The scheduled for 24-25 November career of the two Dashwood sisters use of cinema and video to [email protected] celebrations aim to highlight the and is open to all. and their widowed mother. A disseminate human rights ideas v Dance links that connect Nepal and British film lovers too have not must see. All the movies are and information and to enhance Anokha – Dance of Gods and Men. A unique fusion of Kathak and hip- the United Kingdom and has a been left out of the celebrations. debate on human rights issues hop presented by renowned French group Accrorap Kader Attou. host of activities such as a fusion The Council will be showing some amongst young educated Nepalis. Saturday 25 November. 6:30 pm. Royal Nepal Academy. Rs1000, 500, 250, 100. music concert with music of the best of British films A panel discussion will follow The group will also conduct a Hip Hop Dance reflecting eastern and western produced such as Sense and each screening. The panel will Workshop, a day before their show on Friday 24 influences, a pick of British Sensibility, Sliding Doors, comprise of human rights experts November at the Alliance Francaise, films, and a Human Rights Film Chicken Run, Baby Mother, and as well as film industry Thapathali. 9.30 am–12.30 pm for dancers and Cartoon Festival. Fever Pitch. Chicken Run is the being shown free of charge at professionals. These will be and 2.30-5.30 pm for dance aficionados. The music festival will have a latest film from Nick Park, Oscar the Russian Cultural Centre followed by an open public Nominal participation fee Rs 1000. Limited seats. 241163, 242832 mix of western and eastern winning director of Wallace and from 5:30 pm onward, 26-30 discussion on the films. v Architecture music, featuring the Network of Gromit while Fever Pitch is a November. There will also be a Human Architect and Farmer. An exhibition of wood and stone carving with Sparks in concert with Prem romantic comedy about a man For the like minded there is Rights Exhibition parallel to the demonstration and a 2-metre high model of a temple to give insight to Autari of Sur Sudha at the and a football team. Sliding Doors the Human Rights film and screening and discussion sessions the visitors on the interior of a temple accompanied by continued film Birendra International is another romantic comedy that Cartoon Festival at the Himalaya during the three-day festival. projection in French, Nepali and English. Exhibition jointly presented by the Kavre Integrated Project, the Alliance Francaise and the French Convention Hall. Audiences will makes one contemplate on the if Hotel, 28-30 November. Open Organizations active in the human Embassy. Aims to present aspects of French cooperation in Nepal and be rocking to the rhythm as the question. Baby Mother is the only by invitation, this is the first rights sector will exhibit their work done by Nepali artists.14-23 November, Alliance Francaise, band takes you on a journey story of a young black woman ever human rights film festival literature and posters to audiences Thapathali. through the world of trying to earn her name in the taking place in Nepal. Films such invited to attend the festival. t FUN AND FROLIC v Eating out NEPALI WEATHER Barbecue. Lavish barbecue nights for the season with a Thai theme in Kathmandu. Shangri-La Hotel’s prize-winning Shamabala Garden. Lazimpat, 7 minutes ride north from Thamel. 412999 MUSIC’N DANCE v Fusion UK band Network of Sparks live in concert with Prem Autari of Sur Sudha. Birendra International Convention Centre, New Baneswor, 6

pm. 24-25 November. Free tickets available at The British Council DSES- 15-11-2000 0700 GMT (next to British Embassy) Lainchour. 410798 Classical Nepali Dances based on Buddhist and Hindu epics and the Tantric pantheon showcasing the most sacred and hidden arts of the ancient Kathmandu valley. Tuesday at The Great Pagoda, Hotel Vajra (near Swoyambhunath Stupa). 10 minutes ride west of Thamel. 7 pm. Rs 400. 271545 Ballads and Dances of Old Tibet performed in typical Tibetan ancient style along with traditional instruments by the Tibetan duo Tshering Gurmey and Tshering Paljor. Every Thursday, Naga Theater, Hotel Vajra (near Swayambhunath Stupa). 10 minutes ride west of A moisture laden front, which was moving eastward from west Asia last Thamel. 7 pm, Rs 400. 271545 week, dispersed en route over the western Himalaya. Southwesterly v Book Release winds from the Arabian Sea took it over the Pamirs, and also brought “Bringing up Children in a Changing World. Who’s Right? Whose us this opaque haze that has enveloped the whole of North India the Rights?” book release followed by sharing of key findings. Organised by past week. The haze brought down maximum temperatures but Save the Children, UNICEF, Seto Gurans, National Child Development capped the minimum. All this will change with another weather front Services and Research Centre for Educational Innovation and that should be upon us by Friday, bringing a sprinkling of snow to Development. Keynote Speaker: Hon Tirthaman Shakya, Chief higher altitudes as far as central Nepal, even rain in places. Visibility Secretary, HMG. Rato Baithak, Hotel Himalaya. 14 November, 4.30 will improve, and temperature fall further. pm. Call Reena Bal: 412598 v Meeting The All Nepal Rotary Inter City Meeting with the theme “Rotary KATHMANDU Foundation”.District officials from Calcutta and members from all the Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Rotary Clubs of Nepal will be attending. Hosted by the Rotary Club of Kathmandu Mid-town. 22 November, Narayani Hotel, 5 pm. For inclusion in the listing send information to [email protected] 24-09 23-08 22-08 24-07 23-07 17- 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES 19 HAPPENINGS “Scintillating jazz by a cohesive group.” Nepal’s premier jazz band finds takers as far afield as Australia.

SALIL SUBEDI ○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○ Festival more than confirmed this adenza sounds like a car, but judgement.” actually they’re Nepal’s best It took the band a while to cut C jazz band. If you missed through all the red tape and get them in the autumn, the boys are there, though. But once there, they back in the house Saturday nights went great guns. On their first day

MIN BAJRACHARYA at Upstairs Lazimpat. they played three gigs, starting out From right, WWF President Ruud Lubbers, Prince Gyanendra and U Barsbols, “We were in Townsville, with a sidewalk jam, and many faces Mongolia’s minister for nature and environment, at the opening of the WWF Australia, jammin’ the beat,” says in the audience were familiar by the annual conference. Nabin Chettri, drummer and end of the festival. It seemed as if vocalist, referring to the Palmer people couldn’t get enough of Street Jazz Festival held annually in them. All their venues were packed The Cadenza boys Townsville the last weekend of July. and they were invited down to The band, then comprising Brisbane to play at a couple of bars. Nabin Chettri (percussion, vocals), “We arrived in Townsville late and are back in town brother Pravin (bass) and Tony stressed out, but the excitement of Zorbas (sax), played experimental playing there was overwhelming. We didn’t know how to play the drums Their 1993 debut album ‘Confes- and straight-ahead jazz solo and simply took off with a couple of jams five years back, when we lost our sions’, recorded on a home recording with the Afro-Dizzy Act from and a good sleep,” laughs Nabin. drummer. Sitting on the bed and system in Darjeeling by Vikram Brisbane, an Aussie-Bermudan This energy and spirit has helped beating tin cans and taal was kind of Subba, remains popular among their outfit AllStars and the Stephen the band stay alive and evolve. When funny, but then one fine day, it took Darjeeling fans. And if the crowd at Newcombe Trio. Nabin started out in 1991 with a rock off when Dev Rana and Mahendra Upstairs is anything to go by, a new Despite only a four-year run, the ‘n’ roll band, Broken Wings, in his Lama let them play their band’s album will be snapped off the shelves.

MIN BAJRACHARYA festival has a reputation for attracting hometown Darjeeling, he was happy drums,” he recalls. In just one evening there recently, I Mural dedicated to world peace prepared by four Kathmandu school students to great musicians from around the doing covers. By ’94, though, Nabin The band has seen many shake- heard people invite Cadenza to play in be exhibited at Tundikhel in December. world. This year Cadenza enhanced and two friends, Harish and Arun, had ups, most recently the departure of California, Colorado and Melbourne. that reputation, and also made a founded Cadenza to explore their British-Jamaican Tony Zorbas. The vibe during a gig is electric, and statement about Nepal (“How did interest in jazz. The name comes from They’ve lost the horn, central to their even folks who don’t ordinarily care you hear jazz in Nepal?”) and the ‘cadence’, the movement of sound, an new fascination with Coltrane, but much for jazz really get into the potential of Nepali musicians (“Big improvisation, the end of a musical they’ve got two new guitarists and are music. voice for a little man,” of Nabin’s passage. It became Cadenza because, working with a female vocalist who’s a The band says it best. “Your stellar vocals). Nick, the festival “It looked jazzier with the ‘z’ of jazz perfect counterpart to Nabin’s deep, technical skill has to be sharp. But it’s director and a musician himself, in the band’s name.” mellow sound. They’re even more about soul and mind. The remarked, “They played brilliantly Nabin’s voice, one of the considering a third album with the head’s got to be focused. The and inspirationally as a trio and in strongest aspects of the band, has help of the other constant through the energy exchange has to be positive. combination with other musicians. been described as similar to George years, Upstairs’ owner Chhedyup You never know who will play what This was scintillating jazz by a Benson’s, though just last Saturday Dojo. He’s helped Cadenza find new notes next, so there’s always got to cohesive group. I had earlier been we heard him do a brilliant Louis members, provided them with a venue be a strong confidence and the impressed by their musicianship and Armstrong cover. He’s nothing if since 1998 and also managed their passion to play. Then whatever

MIN BAJRACHARYA unique approach to jazz on a not versatile. Nabin started out on Australian venture. heights you reach, there won’t be Secretary General of Amnesty International, Pierre Sane (speaking into mike) at sample CD they sent me. Their vocals and guitar, but he’s since Shake-up or not, they sound that fear of falling down. Jazz is the the press conference organised to highlight AI’s campaign against torture. playing at the Palmer Street Jazz moved from guitar to percussion. “I really good, and ripe for an album. best of all .” t AlsoOFF THE BEATEN TREK rans by PADAM GHALEY don’t know if this qualifies for the off the beaten trek column, Ibut shouldn’t any out-of-the- ordinary hike be eligible? And running, instead of walking across the Nepali countryside, is certainly offbeat. Earlier this month, the trails around Kathmandu Valley, Nagarkot, Chitwan and Pokhara were full of French marathoners running hither and thither. Where were they going in such a hurry? Were they hash house harriers? The local villagers just looked on indulgently, as if asking: “What will these crazy foreigners do next?” The group of 80 French marathoners, some professional runners and others running just for the heck of it, invaded Nepal 27 October PADAM GHALEY/COMPUTER ENHANCED PADAM to 2 November, raced around for a French runners leave Macchapucchare and the dogs behind. week and flew right back. We caught up with Dr Jean Pourche, the leader Marathons treks are a rage in Nepal. and organiser of the trek marathon. “It went very well, we want to do it marathoner Ratna Tuladhar. The to the annual Everest Marathon again,” he said huffing-and-puffing on group is planning a Kathmandu which is going on even as we go to Sarangkot, against a spectacular Valley-Bhaktapur Durbar Square- press. This run is not for the faint- backdrop of Machhapucchare. Kathmandu Durbar Square marathon hearted: it starts at Gorak Shep below The marathoners got right down next year. Interested runners needn’t Mt Everest at 5184 m down to to it with a warm-up near Thecho in worry about pollution—the run will Namche Bazar at 3446 m—a the Kathmandu Valley, and then ran a take the back lanes through Old horizontal distance of 42 km. Nepalis two hour marathon every day to Thimi, the Pashupati jungle and into have been doing very well in these different places. In Pokhara, they ran the city through Thamel. runs: in 1997 they bagged six of the from Naudanda to Sarangkot, a Pourche is all praise for the top ten positions out of a pack of 88 horizontal distance of 12 km and a Nepalis who cheered them on along runners. vertical of 1,450 m to 1,700 m and the way, but he warns future runners But the mother of all marathons down to 1592 m in two hours or so. about dogs. Village dogs, it seems, in the Himalaya was the great round- Then they were off to the Shangrila don’t take too kindly to white legs Annapurna run organised in March Hotel for some serious relaxing. Alain and like to go after them, for the thrill this year when 17 sprinting trekkers Fayolle, followed by Yanique Camusat of the chase or the fun of sinking their ran all the way from Besisahar to took the overall first and second canines into well-toned calves. Pokhara in eight days—a journey that positions. Also running was Nepali The French had it easy compared usually takes two weeks. t 20LAST WORD 17 - 23 NOVEMBER 2000 NEPALI TIMES

meetings. Not only are these rubber bonfires great ways to keep warm in winter, they also Under My Hat incinerate trash that would otherwise clog up our landfills. by Kunda Dixit • The freedom to block roads. Nepalis have perfected ingenious ways to use national highways here is still a trick or two we can teach the as an imaginative fund-raising tool. Pro-democ- T Americans about how to make a vibrant racy supporters have now extended this to democracy work more vibrantly. But even activities such as blocking the runway in we have to grudgingly admit that Americans are Jomsom. quick learners, and after 200 years they’re finally • Choosing large international wildlife CARS getting the hang of it. Both the Donkey Party gatherings and biotechnology conferences to

and the Elephant Party are following all the showcase democracy in action to our distin- ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ cardinal rules that have been perfected in Nepal guished foreign visitors. ○○○○○○○ • Chukka jams. Notwithstanding the fact that USfor post-election can hoo-hah. learn from us Cardinal Rule #1: Never accept an election our chukkas are stuck in traffic jams most days result if you are losing. anyway, our freedom fighters have found ways Cardinal Rule #2: Accuse the incumbent of to enforce spontaneous ways to gridlock traffic rigging, ballot-tampering, booth capturing so you so that we can burn the greatly more expensive can order hand recounts. fuel in even greater quantities to protest the Cardinal Rule #3: Immedi- fuel price hike. ately pronounce elections • Valley bandh. This is free and fair if you are something the Americans can pick winning. up from us right away: have a Cardinal Rule #4: Have strike in Silicon Valley and block ready a list of epithets to the information superhighway. hurl at opponents in • One-day Nepal bandh. hastily arranged press This is when the whole country conferences. is forced to voluntarily enjoy a Cardinal Rule #5: national holiday and a car-free Vote counting should day so that our distinguished last at least three weeks foreign visitors can breathe after election day. clean air while they are in It is good to see that Nepal. just as in Nepal, democ- • Two-day Nepal bandh. If racy is alive and kicking in one day is not enough to clean America. But there are still up the air, we close the things in our democratic country down for two days. arsenal that the Americans • One-week Nepal bandh. have yet to master. And we We haven’t tried this one yet, but the will waive our intellectual property rights over Gore and Bush campaigns can leapfrog all the these great ways to enforce democracy on intermediary steps and declare a one-week bandh reluctant citizens: from sea to shining sea. After all, no price is too • The freedom to burn tyres at corner great to protect our democratic way of life. t

AMBASSADOR MAYOS ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

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