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DECEMBER 19, 2004 REPORTS VOL. I, NO. 35 COVER: RAJ SHRESTHA 18 All the King’s Men By Satish Jung Shahi www.nation.com.np A meeting called at the pleasure of His Majesty displeases many

26 Involuntary Disappearances By John Narayan Parajuli A U.N. team is in town amid reports of an alarming number of disappearances. Rights activists hope the visit will force the government to come clean.

28 Radio Gaga By Satish Jung Shahi More than 40 FM stations, including 14 in the Valley, are in operation. Having a wide range is good, what’s not clear is if they are all sustainable. ServingMinds

COVER STORY ARTS AND SOCIETY 35 Musings on the 20 Outsourcing Bonus National Museum By Veneeta Singha By John Narayan Parajuli Outsourced jobs from developed countries hold promises of employment for 36 Hope for Nepal’s younger generation. Thousands are already working, and the potential Nepali Fiction has barely been tapped. By Ajit Baral Interview: Biplav Man Singh, president of Computer Association of Nepal In the next decade or two, the best writing in Nepali fiction will be in English COLUMNS DEPARTMENTS 11 HIV and Us 37 Love in the 6 LETTERS By Suman Pradhan Time of War 10 PICTURE OF THE WEEK By Biswas Baral 30 The Fate of 14 CAPSULES Violence is always pointless Quota Babies 16 MILESTONE By Swarnim Waglé SPORTS 16 BIZ BUZZ 49 Colombo 44 CITY PAGE Countdown 50 SNAPSHOTS By Sudesh Shrestha 52 KHULA MANCH The Sports Council took everybody by surprise last month when it revealed 56 BOOKS training plans for next year’s South 58 LAST PAGE Asian Games. Now the onus lies on it 33 Beastly Instincts to put the plans to practice. By Jagdish Arya PROFILE 42 Resham Phiriri and LIFESTYLE the Music Man 46 Catering to the 40 Jomsom Journals: By Karuna Chettri in Maryland Crowd Part 2 A music legend in America brings back By Dhriti Bhatta By Kunal Lama fond memories of tunes from Nepal From tent houses to top hotels, busi- ness is booming

5 Letters

Social exclusion is “a simplistic mantra used to explain an extremely complex insurgency

”MAHADEV THAPA

Conflict diagnosis should at least try to read Collier and see I READ WITH KEEN INTEREST if there can be some parallels for Nepal Bipul Narayan’s column that questioned in his work. I have always believed that the conventional theory that Nepal’s social exclusion is a simplistic and do- conflict has its roots in social inclusion nor-driven mantra used over and over (“Conflict Diagnosis,” Opinion, Dec. again to explain an extremely complex 12). He offers Paul Collier’s empirical insurgency that is becoming even more study of conflict in 27 countries, be- so. tween 1965 and 1999, to establish that MAHADEV THAPA civil conflicts thrive on opportunities VIA EMAIL to build their movements and not nec- essarily on social exclusion. The oppor- Deuba in denial tunities include access to finance (as MINENDRA RIJAL, LIKE HIS MENTOR scope for extortion), to natural resources Deuba, chooses to forget that the gov- and to donations from the diaspora as ernment has outlived its utility well as opportunities offered by geog- (“Endgame,” Cover Story, Interview, raphy and poverty. While I do not be- Dec. 12). The Deuba government has lieve the Nepali diaspora has contrib- steadily lost its early goodwill, and it’s uted much to the Maoists, the rebels primarily because it could never make have benefited enormously from extor- the Nepali people believe that the tion at all levels inside Nepal. And they prime minister was in control. With have relied on sheer violence toward all his tall claims of being a democratic that end. People are less likely to take leader, Deuba now seems to worry chances when they see their neighbors solely about his survival. He has failed hacked to death for refusing to “cooper- to articulate why the people should ate” with the Maoists. Our talking heads

6 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly view him as an elected prime minis- candle on the dark background looked ter. He is a royal nominee and behaves attractive, I couldn’t quite figure out how like one. Like Deuba, Rijal fails to pro- the message “Endgame” fitted with the Nation Weekly, The Media House, Tripureshor, nounce the inevitable: The buck stops dark shadows trying to snuff out the Kathmandu, Nepal (Regd. 165/059-060). at Narayanhiti. Since the King dis- burning candle? Tel: 2111102, 4229825, 4261831, 4263098 missed an elected government and sat RAMAN GURUNG EDITOR: Akhilesh Upadhyay [email protected] on top of the dissolution of Parliament TIKHE DEWAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Suman Pradhan COPY EDITOR: John Child and local bodies, the onus now lies on LALITPUR SENIOR STAFF WRITERS: Sushma Joshi, Satish Jung Shahi, him to get the country back on track. Tiku Gauchan STAFF WRITER: John Narayan Parajuli The charade of frequent government Porn business PHOTOJOURNALISTS: Sagar Shrestha, Das Bahadur Maharjan DESIGNER: Raj Shrestha changes needs to stop. These govern- YOUR DEC. 5 COVER STORY EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Indra Adhikari, Yashas Vaidya ments just aren’t capable of telling the (“Porn Business”) looked like a cheap AD & CIRCULATION DIRECTOR: Krishna Shrestha Maoists and the people that they hold attempt to sell “sex.” The article left ASST. MARKETING MANAGER: Rameshwor Ghimire MARKETING EXECUTIVES: Rena Hughes Sharma, Bijendra Pradhan the reins. So why even pretend you are me with more questions than answers. [email protected] in charge? Here are some disturbing ones. Why SUBSCRIPTION OFFICER: Akshaya Shrestha [email protected] PRAYASH SHARMA do an increasing number of young ASST. SUBSCRIPTION OFFICER: Jeshna Karmacharya DISTRIBUTION: Angiras Manandhar VIA EMAIL people now have easy access to porno- MARKETING CONSULTANT: Kreepa Shrestha graphic material? Who are we to CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Nripendra Karmacharya Jomsom Journal blame—the parents or the police? How KUNAL LAMA’S “JOMSOM JOUR- does porn impact the young minds? PUBLISHER: The Mirror Media Pvt. Ltd nals: Part I” was a sight for sore eyes (No How does the society handle the ex- AD ENQUIRIES: Tel. 4229825, 4261831, 4263098 COLOR SEPARATION: ScanPro, Pulchowk, 5548861, 5552335 Laughing Matter, Dec. 12). Reading from plosion of erotica in the public space PRINTING: NPTC Limited 4476226, 4461745 the dust bowl of Kathmandu, the article and its impact on impressionable DISTRIBUTION: R.B. News, 4232784, 4244679 Nation Weekly is published every Monday by The Mirror Media Pvt. Ltd. transported me to that land of pleasures, minds? Every single day, I shudder at All Rights Reserved. The reproduction of the contents of this publication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the the scenic landscape of Mustang. Then the thought of our young girls and boys prior consent of the publisher. in the middle of the flight I encounter viewing “Baywatch” as their ultimate some turbulence. The columnist goes fantasy. Vol. I, No. 35. For the week December 13-19, 2004, released on December 13 off on a tangent and begins talking about SUBASH KOIRALA CONTACT horse-riding being erotic and orgasmic VIA EMAIL www.nation.com.np to women. Kunal, you already write very well, why try too hard? Discretion is the No idiot this better part of valor. MY ATTENTION WAS DRAWN TO We prefer to receive letters via e-mail, without SUSHMA SHRESTHA an article “Reborn Yogis” (Lifestyle, attachments. Writers should disclose any connection NEW ROAD Nov. 28). I have no issue with Yashas or relationship with the subject of their comments. Vaidya’s claim that TV has made yoga All letters must include an address and daytime and Harping the obvious popular in our lives. But I am not sure evening phone numbers. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity and space. JOGENDRA GHIMIRE’S COLUMN whether I particularly like the way E-mail: [email protected] on the judiciary last week didn’t really he mildly ridicules the people who Fax: 4216281 tell much but the obvious: That it is in seemed to have learned the art from Mail: Nation Weekly The Media House, GPO 8975, EPC 5620 urgent need of reforms (“Wakeup Call,” TV. Come to think of it, with all the Tripureshor, Kathmandu, Nepal. Legal Eye, Dec. 12). The article is leaden bashing it receives from us everyday, with heavy doses of NGO-ese, the the TV has been our great teacher. I SUBSCRIPTION E-mail: [email protected] consultancy language that makes up the saw war live on TV, I saw how the Nation Weekly, The Media House, GPO 8975 bulk of the paperwork that floats around British bury their royalty (when EPC 5620, Tripureshor, Kathmandu, Nepal the NGO-world. Here are my own Diana died), I now know the force Tel: 2111102, 4229825, 4261831, 4263098 Fax: 4216281 questions to the judiciary. Why did it of hurricanes, and I see George W. take so long for Baliram Kumar to re- Bush so often on my TV that he now sign? Shouldn’t the Robinson saga make seems to me like someone next door. all the judges hang their heads in shame? Not to talk about the average TV The Legal Eye can surely do better than viewing youngster’s phenomenal un- just dish out un-clever apologies. derstanding of the lives of people P NEUPANE around the world. Well, many of us VIA EMAIL may say that we hate the idiot box for subscription its homogenizing effects on us, but Cover mismatch think of the cultural understanding [email protected] I have been impressed by your recent it fuels. covers. However, I have an issue with NEILA SUNDAS 2111102 the last one (Dec. 12). While the white VIA EMAIL nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 7

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A vacation with Nation Weekly 1. Pabitra Bhandari receives the best agent award from Krishna Shrestha, Advertisement and Circulation Director of Mirror Media Pvt. Ltd. 2. 3, and 6: Sujan Joshi, Utsav Amatya and Dil Krishna Shahi respectively won mountain flights 4. A few of the 100 subscription agents with Editor. 5. Madhu Thapa won two-way tickets for a couple for a ‘Trip to Malaysia.’ 6 7. Anup Tamang, Campaign advisor of Mirror Media hands over certificates to all subscription agents.

4 5 Picture of the Week

ODD COUPLE: House pets, a dog and a monkey, from neighboring shops show playful intimacy at Tinkune.

nation weekly/Sagar Shrestha Meanwhile HIV and Us

Much like the Maoists who are only too happy to exploit the differences among the constitutional forces, HIV too is happy to exploit our cultural attitudes

BY SUMAN PRADHAN And most of them will be women, like those poor wives from Achham. We can wash our hands of Achham and say, OK, Achham is a poor or much of the past week, all eyes were trained on the Raj district with hardly any literacy. The men are not aware enough to protect FParishad. The controversial “political” meeting held by the King’s themselves from the virus. But look at other districts, even the most own men and women hogged the media headlines and aroused developed and educated ones like Kathmandu. You will find many ferocious passions. All that is well and fine, because what the Raj Parishad similar stories like Achham. I personally know a few people who have does and recommends to the King will probably have far-reaching con- died of AIDS in recent years, but not before passing on the virus to their sequences for this battered nation. unsuspecting wives and unborn children. Why must women suffer for But I wish as much news column space and activism were devoted to the faults of their husbands? another malady in Nepali society, a malady that is silently eating away at The answer probably lies in our society, in our cultural beliefs and our national fabric. HIV/ AIDS, the disease that has ravaged the world, is practices. Ours is a society that culturally glorifies women. We worship now ravaging Nepal. female symbols of power (Kali, Durga, Laxmi, etc.) and never fail to Last December, I was at another AIDS Awareness Day. The interna- mention Sita’s virtues against the malicious onslaught of Ravana. And tional agencies charged with fighting the deadly virus came up with a yet, we fail to treat women as equals in our every-day lives. The court new, though un-startling, report: The virus is infecting more vulnerable and legislative battles over the past few years—when there was still a women than men. The tragedy is most of these Parliament—speak of this dual char- women are being infected unknowingly by hus- acteristic of our society. bands who frequent prostitutes and, one Much like the Maoists who might add, indulge in unprotected sex. are only too happy to exploit We don’t have to scour the world for the differences among the examples. We have it right here. The west- constitutional forces, HIV too ern district of Accham is in the grip of the HIV is happy to exploit our cultural epidemic. It’s not only that 70 percent of its attitudes. It is this hypocrisy population, mostly males, migrate to India for that is tearing our nation apart. economic reasons and the conflict. But also be- We see it in our everyday lives, not cause many of these males, away from home just in terms of HIV/AIDS. We all for long periods, indulge in promiscuity. The proclaim to work for the com- Nepali Times recently reported that many mon good, but we hardly of these labourers return home only after fail to dip our fingers in the falling sick with the disease and end up cookie jar the moment the infecting their wives. Those poor women, opportunity arises. It’s not who are culturally un-empowered to de- for nothing that many of fend themselves against their husbands, our politicians and bureau- end up dying an agonising death. crats have been hauled to Just imagine, for a second, what sort of a the CIAA. Ditto for the Maoist life is this? For no fault of one’s own, you get comrades, many of whom are infected and have to spend the rest of your alleged to be profiting from the days lying to your neighbours while you await “people’s war.” Members of the death. Raj Parishad too last week pro- This, my friend, is Nepal’s biggest tragedy. claimed to worry about the nation, It’s a bigger tragedy than the Maoist conflict. but it is hard to dispel the notion The conflict may have killed 11,000 people that all they were really con- and rendered thousands more homeless, cerned about is to once but this silent HIV epidemic is going to again become the nation’s kill many times more within the next powerbrokers. decade. The sad fact is that of the They say ignorance estimated 70,000 people in- is what fuels HIV/ fected in Nepal today, most, if AIDS in Nepal. Yes, not all, will die an agonising, de- and hypocrisy humanising and undignified death. too. nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 11

Capsules

judge of the “people’s court,” abuse. The line will be open from captive; the judge has not been 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. released yet. Jana Morcha, who were formerly associated with the Optical fibers rebels, launched anti-Maoist Nepal Telecom is starting an campaigns across the country optical fiber project along the following a brutal Maoist attack Arniko highway. The fibers on its party members, including will be laid down along the the the wife of party Vice Presi- 114-km stretch from dent Pari Thapa. Kathmandu to Tatopani at the Tibet border, with a grant of Riot reports Rs. 260 million from the Chi- The commission formed to look nese government. The project into the riots of Sept. 1 follow- will provide an alternative to MAOIST HAVOC: Aftermath of the explosion at Agricultural Inputs Company in ing the killing of 12 Nepalis in the current satellite commu- Kuleshwore in the early hours of Thursday, Dec. 9. Iraq submitted its report to nication system. Kathmandu Royalist meet even after a Special Court sen- Prime Minister Deuba. The will be connected to Hong CPN-UML ministers boy- tence of a 17-year jail term and commission estimated the loss Kong, an important world- cotted the meeting of the Raj a Rs. 1 million fine. Since, the due to the mayhem and de- wide communication portal, Parishad in Kathmandu. Sit- Supreme Court has reversed the struction that day to be around speeding up global tele-com- ting ministers, as ex-officio verdict. Rs. 1 billion. The head of the munications. members, are members of the commission, former Justice Top Raj Parishad. Student organi- Child abuse Bahadur Singh, asked the gov- Royalty reduction zations affiliated with the four Sexual abuse of children is on ernment to compensate the vic- Government has reduced roy- agitating parties, as well as the the rise. Security personnel, tims. The committee was alties for Cho Oyu for the next ANNISU, the student wing of transportation workers, even formed in Sept. 6 and was asked five years. The reduction came the UML, took to the streets teachers and monks are in- to present a report within three into effect this month. The roy- to protest against the conven- volved in child abuse, a report months. alty has been brought down tion. Deputy Prime Minister by Child Workers in Nepal, from $10,000 to $500 for a Bharat Mohan Adhikari earlier known commonly as the AIDS hotline seven-member team. The Min- had requested Prime Minister CWIN. Fifty-two such cases Youth Power Nepal, an NGO, istry for Tourism and Civil Avia- Deuba to call off the conven- have been reported through the with the help of ActionAid In- tion said that the reduction has tion saying it was unconstitu- CWIN help-line since 2003. ternational Nepal, started the been made to attract tourists tional. Meanwhile, Kesharjung Twenty were reported in 2001. first free hotline telephone ser- who have been climbing from Rayamajhi, a stauch royalist Most of the abused children are vice on AIDS. The service will the Tibetan side in the last few and former chairman of the Raj between six and 16 years of age. also give free counseling on other years. The golden jubilee of the Parishad standing committee, The report also blamed the po- areas like sexually transmitted first ascent of the peak was cel- called upon the King to be ac- lice of indifference about such diseases, reproductive health, ebrated recently. The peak is tively involved in the abuses. suicide prevention and drug 8,201 meters high. country’s politics. The King should rule the country Indian forces through an advisory council, India has deployed security Oil crunch he said. forces along its border with east- ern Nepal to stop the Bhutanese athmandu Valley and other urban centers faced an acute Robinson saga refugees in Nepal from return- shortage of petroleum after the employees of the Nepal Oil The second judge behind the ing to their homeland, reported KCorporation called a strike. They were demanding an increase in controversial case of Gordon Nepal Samacharpatra. The West the price of the petroleum products. The company has been incurring William Robinson, Justice Bengal government has in- perennial loses of Rs. 580 million a month. Long queues were seen at the Baliram Kumar, resigned. An- structed the district administra- oil-depots in Kathmandu, while most petrol pumps remained closed. The other judge implicated in the tion of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri oil corporation has been sell- same case, Krishna Kumar to stop the refugees from cross- ing its products at a price Verma, had resigned earlier in ing over. lower than the purchasing August. The two have been price, hence the losses. The under public scrutiny ever Let free government meanwhile is since they acquitted the Brit- Jana Morcha Nepal released three considering the ish drug peddler, Robinson— of the six Maoists it had captured privatization of the NOC, who was caught trying to from Baglung. The party had Rajdhani reported. smuggle heroin into Nepal— held the Maoists, including a

14 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly Bhaktapur Durbar Square tor the situation of the conflict 30 from his home in Banepa. on the ground. The organization quoted the journalist’s neighbors as saying Hotel pullout that the car that took away Taj Hotels, the famous Indian Budathoki belonged to security hotel-chain, called it quits in its agents. Reporters Without Bor- only Nepali venture. It withdrew ders has also called upon the from Nepal’s first five-star hotel, Maoists to release three other Hotel De l’Annapurna. The Taj journalists in their custody. Group holds a third of the assets nw/SS of the hotel. The rest is owned by Passing away Endangered heritage Bhurigaun segment of the Nepali shareholders. The deterio- Niranjan Govinda Vaidya, one The Department of Archeology, Mahendra Highway reopened rating security situation in of the four founding members along with UNESCO, has on Tuesday, Dec. 7. The rebels Kathmandu was cited as the rea- of the Communist Party of started a 10-year working plan reopened the highway on the son for the withdrawal. Nepali Nepal, died on Friday, Dec. 11. to safeguard the World Heritage behest of human rights activists operators will now take over ad- Vaidya, 82, was suffering from Sites of Nepal. All seven such and journalists. A Maoist leader, ministrative duties, which had blood cancer. He had founded World Heritage Sites in the Val- Ramesh Koirala, said the block- been looked after by representa- the communist party along with ley were declared threatened by ade signaled the beginning of tives of the Taj for the last 15 years. Pushpa Lal Shrestha, Narayan UNESCO. The U.N. body also political retaliations against the Bilash Joshi and Nara Bahadur warned that all the sites could government for its military op- Royal visit Karmacharya on Apr. 22, 1949. be stripped of their status if erations in the West. The royal couple is scheduled to proper measures were not put in visit India from Dec. 23 to Jan. Water treaty place by the government to pro- Still optimistic 2. The official visit comes at the India agreed to provide water to tect the threatened areas. The Ninety percent of Nepalis in a invitation of the Indian Presi- Nepal for irrigation according to durbar squares of Kathmandu, survey by AC Neilson/ dent APJ Abdul Kalam. This will a bilateral pact in 1959. After years Patan and Bhaktapur; Chagu ORGMARG—leaders in mar- be the King’s third India visit in of wrangling, India has finally Narayan; Pashupatinath; ket research, information and the last three years. decided to provide water from Swayambhunath; and analysis—believe that the con- Gandak dam to Nepal to irrigate Bouddhanath were put on the flict will end soon. The poll Plea for release 10,000 hectares of land. A Nepal- UNESCO’s “endangered” list covered around 3,200 respon- Paris-based Reporters Without India Koshi-Gandak Joint Com- last year. dents from 60 districts, who Frontiers has urged the govern- mittee meeting in Patna finally believe unanimously that there ment to track down Raj Kumar decided to implement the agree- New passports was no military solution to the Budhathoki, a reporter of ment. The pact had been long Nepalis passports now will be current crisis. Ninety-six per- Sanjeevani weekly. The reporter behind schedule. A sub-commit- machine-readable. The replace- cent of the respondents be- was abducted along with his fa- tee has been set up to work out ments will supposedly be harder lieved that the government ther and three friends on Nov. the technicalities. to manipulate than existing should hold peace talks with

ones. The switch is being made, the Maoists, while 85 percent nw/SS as many countries across Europe held the political parties respon- and United States will soon sible for the crisis. grant visas only to the ma- chine-readable passport holders. EU team All existing passports will be re- A four-member European placed. The instillation and Union delegation is slated to ar- management of the new sys- rive in Kathmandu on Dec. 13 tem will cost the government to push for talks between the over Rs. 1 billion. During ini- government and the Maoists. tial phases, the passports will be This is the first such EU delega- distributed only from tion being sent to Nepal. The Kathmandu. Later, a separate European team, headed by Rob- passport distribution unit will ert Milders, director of Asia in be present in each development the Netherlands Ministry of region. Foreign Affairs, will meet Prime Minister Deuba, various Cabi- Blockade off net ministers, as well as the rep- After an 18-day blockade by the resentatives of the civil society. FOR A CAUSE: Prem Kumari Chaudhary, a former leprosy patient, launches Maoists, the Kohalpur- While here, they will also moni- “Addiction”— a remix album. The proceeds of the launch-party went to Santi Sewa Griha, a shelter house for leprosy victims. nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 15 Milestone Biz Buzz

UTILITY PAYMENT cent will be separated for institutional promot- Honored Suvidha Sewa has launched a new service for ers and the remaining will be allocated as ordi- payments of utility nary shares to the public. Besides all these, the bank also expects to promote schemes n international organization working for bills. Suvidha Sewa such as project financing, working capital loans, peace has honored Bhutanese human provides the service A in association with home loans, vehicle loans and education loans. rights activist Tek Nath Rijal as an “Am- the Standard Char- bassador for Peace.” CHINESE MARKET Rijal, who heads the Human Rights Coun- tered Bank. Stan- Nepal participated in the China International cil of Bhutan, has also been invited by the dard Chartered credit Travel Mart at the International Expo Centre in Inter-religious and International Federation for card holders will now Shanghai. The travel expo had more than World Peace to participate in a Washington be able to pay their utility bills—for telephones, 2,900 exhibitors from 64 countries. The Nepal D.C. conference on “Leadership and Good cell phones, electricity and water—easily in Tourism Board and the RNAC arranged for Governance” from Dec. 11 to 14. An awards Suvidha Sewa outlets, mainly department Nepal’s participation this year. Three private par- ceremony will precede the conference. “There stores and retail shops at present. The pay- ticipants—Asian Trekking, Saathi Nepal Travels will be around 3,000 people [there],” says ment will be made through the customer’s credit & Tours and South Asian Holidays—took part Rizal, “and this will be an opportunity to dis- card account and original receipts of payment in the event. The tourism board reported that cuss the Bhutanese refugee problem in the will be deposited at the outlet. Twenty-five out- more than 4,000 people visited the Nepal stall. international arena.” lets in the Valley will currently provide the ser- vice. There will be a one-time membership fee Rijal was detained in Bhutan several times NEW YAMAHA after campaigning against practices adopted of Rs. 100 for all services while the monthly Fazer, Yamaha’s new bike, has hit the market. by the Bhutanese government during the service charge will be Rs. 25 per service. Morang Auto Works, the authorized distributor 1988 census. In 1993, he was sentenced Suvidha hopes to win customers over with the of Yamaha motorcycles, introduced the new to life imprisonment for “treason,” but was security of its transactions and its timeliness. bike. The bike is available in two models, with set free in 1999 due to mounting interna- disc brakes and self-start or without. It is pow- tional pressure. GURKHA BANK ered by the already-tested YBX engine, which He went on an indefinite hunger strike in The Gurkha Development Bank, promoted by is has been used for both the Yamaha YBX February this year, asking Bhutan to resettle British Gurkhas, began operations from early and the Enticer models. An air-cooled, 4-stroke, the refugees languishing in U.N. camps in east- this month. The bank aims to invest in the sec- 2-valve engine improves the bike’s pickup and ern Nepal. He ended his fast when Nepal as- tors that have not been explored yet. Also, the performance. The twin headlights and the dia- sured him of its support to end the refugee bank will focus its activities in the areas of agri- mond-shaped frame give the Fazer both poise impasse. The government agreed to support culture, industry, trade and services. The bank and style. Other features of the bike include the ongoing verification of the refugees and is the newest development bank the Yamaha Throttle Position Sensor, a patent their repatriation under the aegis of the United and the 26th investment bank in technology of Yamaha, and a BS carbure- Nations High Commission for Refugees and the country. With an authorized tor designed to the Human Rights Council of Bhutan. capital of Rs. 640 million and a meet the new In 1998, Rijal received the Prakash paid up capital of Rs. 320 million, Euro-2 emis- Kaphley International Award for his efforts to the Gurkha Development Bank will sion stan- bolster the democratic movement in Bhutan. distribute 51 percent shares to indi- vidual promoters, whereas 19 per- nw/SS 16 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly dards for 2005. The Fazer has a fuel capacity of 13 liters, with a reserve of 1.2 liters. A large capacity stylish muffler, a new design taillight and integrated meter panels also add to its sporty look. The introductory price for the Fazer is Rs. 113,900 for the disk brake and self- start version and Rs. 105,900 for the one with- out these features. We’re committed PASHUPATI PAINTS to you Pashupati Paints has brought out a new ma- chine—the “Color Bazaar,” which will allow cus- tomers to get the color of their choice instantly. Here at Nation Weekly the very same care and attention that The machine go into our magazine go into customer service. This means that if will aid people you’re a Nation Weekly subscriber, your complete satisfaction to customize is guaranteed. It’s our top priority. their own col- ors from an array of We’re always n When you have 10,000 dif- suggestions ferent colors. here to help…. or comments - especially about The machine n When you have a ways in which we can improve has a built-in question subscription service - we welcome fully comput- them. about your subscription, such erized fluid as undelivered issues, management technology. duplicate invoices, your n When you want subscription expiration date, uninterrupted delivery - NUMBERS STILL DOWN or anything else – please guaranteed The decline in the number of visitors coming don’t hesitate to get in please be sure to renew your in by air continued in November. The figure touch. Be sure to include subscription early. We'll notify you dropped by 17 percent as compared to num- your Full Name and Address in advance, so you needn't miss a single issue. bers from the same month last year. Tourist when you contact us. arrivals from India as well as other third world countries declined in November; the total number of tourist arrivals by air was 24,095. The tourism industry had seen a growth of Write or telephone: around 50 percent in the number of tourists E-mail: [email protected] from the non-Indian market until September. Telephone: 2111102, 4229825, 4261831 There has been a softening in the declining Fax: 4216281 rate of Indian visitors, though, which the NTB Mailing Address: Nation Weekly attributes to promotional offers launched by GPO Box 8975 EPC 5620 the Royal Nepal Airlines and Nepal Tourism Board in India. The figures for the arrivals by Media House air for November are as follows: Tripureshwor RISK-FREE · India: down 17% to 5,127 Kathmandu, Nepal ly GUARANTEEomplete re not c cel · United States: down 15% to 1,445 If you a an can d you c d · United Kingdom: down 18% to 2,305 satisfie n an bscriptio your su fund · Germany: down 5% to 1,471 a full re receive d unmaile · France: down 4% to 1,695 on any es. · Japan: down 37% to 1,883 issu BOK DIVIDEND The Bank of Kathmandu will reward share- holders with dividends from its profits in the fiscal year 2003-2004. The bonus amounts to 20 percent of the profits. Ten percent of THE MIRROR MEDIA PVT. LTD. the dividends will be distributed in cash while the rest will be retained as capital funds. nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 17 Controversy ALL THE KING’S MEN

A meeting called at the pleasure of His Majesty displeases the Palace is looking to expand its sup- port base for such a role and also hoping many to weaken public support for the oppo- sition parties. BY SATISH JUNG SHAHI strongly that the Raj Parishad is only pav- “The Raj Parishad came into being ing the way for an activist Palace to take because of King Birendra’s urging, ROBABLY THE LAST TIME THAT a front seat politically, especially while though it has the same functions as the the Raj Parishad—the King’s privy Parliament is dissolved. Analysts say that National Assembly,” says Narhari Pcouncil—hogged the headlines was in June 2001, when it convened to choose the successor to late King Birendra. Until then not many knew what the body’s functions were or why it had been formed. The most obvious duty of the chairman of the council’s standing committee was to act as the chief guest at social functions. But last week Raj Parishad was in the spotlight again, amidst sharp comments, especially from opposition political par- ties. It held a full-scale meeting in the capital. The gathering’s top agenda item, the parties fear, is to ask the King to play a more “active” role to resolve the present political impasse. That would be turning the clock back to the Panchayat, a bloody blow to the achievements of the 1990 Jana Andolan, which brought the banned po- litical parties to the political mainstream and made the people sovereign. The parties are smarting unnecessar- ily, say the royalists. Similar meetings have already been held in all other re- gions—starting with Biratnagar in the East, Nepalgunj in the Midwest, Dhangadi in the Farwest, and Pokhara in the West. “The Raj Parishad is doing ex- actly what the Constitution allows it to do,” former Army chief and Raj Parishad member Sachit Shumshere Rana told the media after King Gyanendra inaugurated the conference at the Birendra Interna- tional Convention Centre on Dec. 9. “We can even prove our move in the court should there be the need.” It is not surprising that the parties and their affiliates have resorted to street protests once again. They believe Narendra Shrestha Narendra

18 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly Controversy ALL THE KING’S MEN

A meeting called at the pleasure of His Majesty displeases the Palace is looking to expand its sup- port base for such a role and also hoping many to weaken public support for the oppo- sition parties. BY SATISH JUNG SHAHI strongly that the Raj Parishad is only pav- “The Raj Parishad came into being ing the way for an activist Palace to take because of King Birendra’s urging, ROBABLY THE LAST TIME THAT a front seat politically, especially while though it has the same functions as the the Raj Parishad—the King’s privy Parliament is dissolved. Analysts say that National Assembly,” says Narhari Pcouncil—hogged the headlines was in June 2001, when it convened to choose the successor to late King Birendra. Until then not many knew what the body’s functions were or why it had been formed. The most obvious duty of the chairman of the council’s standing committee was to act as the chief guest at social functions. But last week Raj Parishad was in the spotlight again, amidst sharp comments, especially from opposition political par- ties. It held a full-scale meeting in the capital. The gathering’s top agenda item, the parties fear, is to ask the King to play a more “active” role to resolve the present political impasse. That would be turning the clock back to the Panchayat, a bloody blow to the achievements of the 1990 Jana Andolan, which brought the banned po- litical parties to the political mainstream and made the people sovereign. The parties are smarting unnecessar- ily, say the royalists. Similar meetings have already been held in all other re- gions—starting with Biratnagar in the East, Nepalgunj in the Midwest, Dhangadi in the Farwest, and Pokhara in the West. “The Raj Parishad is doing ex- actly what the Constitution allows it to do,” former Army chief and Raj Parishad member Sachit Shumshere Rana told the media after King Gyanendra inaugurated the conference at the Birendra Interna- tional Convention Centre on Dec. 9. “We can even prove our move in the court should there be the need.” It is not surprising that the parties and their affiliates have resorted to street protests once again. They believe Narendra Shrestha Narendra

18 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly Acharya, a senior NC central commit- The Constitution provisions for the Raj Parishad tee member. The key function of the Raj Parishad is, according to the Constitu- Raj Parishad members sioner of the CIAA, the audi- Pratinidhi Sabha, the chair- tion, “to submit recommendations on - Members of the royal family tor general, the chairman of man of the Rastriya Sabha, matters referred to it by His Majesty” or any other persons desig- the Public Service Commis- the bada gurujyu and the and to announce the succession after the nated by the King sion, the chief election com- commander-in-chief death, incapacity or abdication of the - Ex-officio members: the missioner, the attorney gen- King. The parties believe none of those prime minister, the chief jus- eral, the mukhya chautariya, Conditions to call for a meet- things has triggered the current meet- tice, the speaker of the the secretary of the King, the ing of the Raj Parishad ing. Pratinidhi Sabha, the chair- chief secretary and the in- - On the demise of the King or “The intention of the Raj Parishad man of the Rastriya Sabha, spector general of Police if the King proclaims his abdi- does not look so clean,” says Madhav the chairman of the Raj cation Kumar Nepal, general secretary of the Parishad Standing Commit- The Raj Parishad Standing - If at least one-fourth of the CPN-UML, whose ministers chose tee, the deputy prime minis- Committee total Raj Parishad members not to attend the gathering despite be- ter, ministers, the main op- - A maximum of 15 Raj sign a requisition declaring ing ex-officio members. Its ministers position party leader in the Parishad members, including that that King is unable, by and senior leaders have declared the Parliament, the field marshall, a chairman reason of mental or physical meeting “unconstitutional.” Their the bada gurujyu, the com- - Ex-officio members: the infirmity, to perform his func- mander-in-chief, the mukhya prime minister, the chief jus- tions chahebjyu, the chief commis- tice, the speaker of the - At the command of the King

protests were joined by almost all ma- jor parties, including the student wing of Prime Minister Deuba’s own party, the NC-D. In fact, the five-party protests be- fore Prime Minister Deuba’s reap- pointment in June called for the dis- solution of the Raj Parishad. The pro- testing parties are now saying that the council’s activism and convention are dangerous, coming at the heels of the Palace confidante and Information Minister Mohsin’s recent warnings about the impeding specter of an au- thoritarian government. Former chair- man of the Raj Parishad standing com- mittee, Keshar Jung Rayamajhi, has re- peatedly suggested that the King form an advisory council, since the parties, he says, are incapable of resolving the present crisis. The keynote speech of the current chairman, Parshunarayan Chaudhary, also made the parties nervous: He de- clared the monarchy to be the “major” trump card to bring all forces together in the current crisis. It is unlikely that the parties protesting in the streets will agree to that. As Chaudhary was speak- ing inside the BICC, a senior Army officer was leading a charge at student protestors inside the Tri Chandra Col- lege and Armed Police SSP Madhav Thapa was requesting: “Jaar Saab, please move out. Just try to under- stand.” nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 19 OUTSOURCINGOUTSOURCING BONUSBONUS

20 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly vices in the years to come. Nepal’s ad- vantage, they say, is in both cost and qual- ‘Outsourcing is Growing’ ity. The 12-hour time difference between Nepal and the United States also helps: hough there is no Wipro, have until now been Nepali university students can work the TInfosys or Satyam in major outsourcing night shift, especially in call centers, and Nepal yet, Nepali tech- destinations, but still attend classes during the day. nocrats dream of building their the labor cost “I went to college during the day own world-class enterprises [there] is getting while I worked at night,” says former some day. Nation Weekly higher. Companies call center employee Mokshada Thapa. spoke with CAN President will go to any length “Trying to sell products to Americans Biplav Man Singh. to find cheap labor. while sitting here in Nepal was a learn- The question is ing experience. Mostly it was fun, but What are the prospects of whether you want it was also annoying to hear rude re- outsourced jobs in Nepal? to hire a clerk or an marks from would-be clients.” Night The potential is immense. We accountant in the have adequate manpower. United States for Currently our IT colleges pro- $7,000 or in India duce more than 4,500 IT for IRS. 7,000 or in nw/SS graduates each year. We Nepal for Rs. 7,000. The an- vate sector does business, not have a cheap labor market. swer would obviously be the government. That’s what companies in the Nepal. But how far and how What challenges do Nepali west look for. Nepal could be quickly can we tap the poten- companies face to tap the an alternative outsourcing tial That’s the biggest ques- potential? destination. tion. The journey to turn the po- tential into reality is a long In what areas can Nepali Most of Nepal’s business in one. We have young IT grads companies do better? outsourcing comes through with immense creativity; we We haven’t explored the niche India, doesn’t it? need companies and firms markets. Every country looks Nepali companies do get to manage and promote for a niche. For instance, Hol- business directly. But a new their creativity. What’s hap- land [the Netherlands] is fo- trend is emerging in recent pening in Nepal is that a few cusing on designing circuits. days. It’s called neighbor grads get together and start But there is no such thing in outsourcing. India in 2003 a company with a little capi- Nepal. Everyone seems to be exported $2 billion worth of tal that they raise from their doing everything. We have ad- outsourced services. If we can families. The result is that vantages in IT-enabled ser- piggyback [and take] 10 per- they cannot start a big busi- vices. cent of the Indian share, it ness or really go far. There would be huge. are neither funds nor ven- How big is the volume of the ture capital available in outsourcing business in Do we have adequate laws? Nepal, unlike many other Nepal? The government made an IT countries. Even the banks We don’t have authentic data, law in 2000, and it’s revis- have remained tight-fisted but our guesstimate puts it ing [the law] again. The bill is when it comes to providing somewhere between $5 mil- before the Cabinet. Many soft loans to IT businesses. lion and $6 million annually, countries in the world are yet Instead of providing loans on and it’s growing. to have any IT laws. So we the basis of the collateral, have a comparative advan- the banks must provide Is it likely that Nepal could tage. project-based loans. emerge as an alternative There is also a need for outsourcing destination to But IT entrepreneurs say the the government to act as an India, if things go right? law is just on paper, that incubator. Our 4,500 IT grads Cheap labor is the driving force there is no implementation. can open 400 IT companies. behind outsourcing. Apart from We can’t just keep on blam- If only 40 of them perform well, that, English literacy also plays ing the government. The gov- the benefits will be huge. an important role. Countries ernment can only act as a fa- Nepali grads have performed with high English literacy rates cilitator; the private sector has well in this sector. With proper like India and the Philippines to take the lead role. The pri- promotion, they can excel.

22 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly Cover Story

jobs at call centers are not the only op- son. A report from U.S. consultancy thankless jobs offshore to countries like tion. Forrester Research projects that 3.3 mil- Nepal and create a win-win situation. Work done during a day shift here lion jobs will be outsourced through Nepali companies are increasingly pre- can be delivered to clients in America, 2015, more than 200,000 each year. Most paring to take advantage of the opportu- first thing in the morning as they arrive of these jobs, the report says, will be low- nity. at their offices. Nepali companies are paid (by U.S. standards) call center po- At the huge TechxNY technology already providing many outsourced jobs: sitions. Nepali companies would get a tradeshow—formerly known as medical transcription; back-office op- huge boost if they could snag just a frac- PCExpo—at the Jacob Javits Convention erations; revenue accounting; insurance tion of these 200,000 jobs. Center in New York last year, Nepali claim processing; web and digital con- Thanks to the Internet and ever- outsourcing company Data Resources tent development; mapping and digiti- cheaper telecommunications band- was pitching potential clients about op- zation; and data entry, processing and width, outsourcing of IT-enabled ser- portunities in Nepal. Data Resources’ conversion. vices has become not only possible but Managing Director Bhavana Rana was at Most Nepali outsourcing companies also inevitable. Companies in the west the expo to convince clients that the work for U.S. companies for good rea- send many of their low-paying and Maoist problem won’t affect work nw/SS

ServingMinds Pvt. Ltd nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 23 outsourced here. Her company is ex- “We have all the elements to do well Call Centers: Large companies use call cen- panding its outsourcing operations and in outsourcing,” says Allen Tuladhar, the ters for telemarketing and customer service. is seeking clients like hospitals, legal CEO of Unlimited Software Network, Call center clerks respond to customer ques- firms, insurance companies and airline which has been in the business for 14 tions by providing information about products frequent flier programs. “We’re here years. “But the bulk of the outsourced and prices. There are two types of call centers: looking for long-term business. That’s work is not yet coming in.” Tuladhar’s inbound and outbound. Inbound centers only what I learned in this country, and that’s company has been contracted by respond to queries, while the outbound cen- what I want to do,” Rana said at the Microsoft to localize MS Windows and ters make calls and market products. time. MS Office into Nepali. The work on The profits from outsourcing that In- Windows has already been completed. Medical Transcription: Medical advice by doc- dia has garnered in recent years have He says this is one of the biggest con- tors recorded on Dictaphones is transcribed and spurred economic growth. Prospects for tracts any Nepali company has ever re- sent back to them electronically. Medical tran- Nepal could be very good as well, say in- ceived for software development. Un- scription companies in Kathmandu alone em- dustry leaders. Nepal is emerging as an al- limited is also one of the biggest Nepali ploy more than 500 people. ternative for global companies looking for exporters of software to America, and the even cheaper options. Nepal’s strength lies company has an office in Los Angeles. Back-Office Operations: Raw data and pa- in its comparatively higher rate of En- “My bread and butter comes solely per documents are sent out for data entry, con- glish literacy as compared to other Asian through this business,” says Tulahdhar. version and processing. Organizations like banks countries with cheap labor. Nepal also Despite the huge potential, industry and airlines outsource their data processing op- has a pool of IT graduates growing by officials point out many drawbacks. erations to cut costs and to focus on core op- more than 4,500 each year. The exact figure Most outsourcing jobs are labor-inten- erations. of those working in outsourced jobs is un- sive, and the price tag for 10+2 gradu- certain, say CAN officials, but it is cer- ates is often very high, says an entrepre- tation of an otherwise excellent national tainly in thousands. There are many new, neur. Qualified workers who can be pro- IT policy. startup companies that are trying to tap ductive immediately in outsourced jobs “Nepal’s IT policy is excellent from outsourcing’s potential. like medical transcription and call cen- an outsider’s perspective,” says ters are almost non-existent. Unlimited’s Tuladhar. “But has it been

nw/SS And there is the huge problem implemented? It’s a big joke.” Despite of funding outsourced projects the problems, Nepalis are enthusiastic that often require considerable about outsourcing. Some Americans and . capital investment. “There are Europeans, though, are bitter about the neither funds nor venture capi- jobs lost to outsourcing. But experts say tal available in Nepal, unlike that their anger is, for the most part, un- many other countries,” says justified. CAN’s Singh. “Even the banks The fact is that countries outsourcing have remained tight-fisted jobs aren’t losing. It’s a win-win situa- when it comes to providing soft tion for both sides, writes Daniel T. loans to IT businesses.” Other Griswold, associate director at the Cato entrepreneurs complain about Institute, a prominent American think- sluggishness in the implemen- tank. The institute’s Center for Trade Policy Studies in Washington says that nw/SS outsourcing is stimulating the American INFOTECH: Fresh grads from places like Apex College (above) find ready employment in the IT industry economy by enhancing companies’ abil- ity to focus on core operations. That, in turn, results in increased productivity. For every dollar Americans send abroad in IT-related outsourcing, they get three dollars in “insourcing,” according to Griswold. Changing market dynamics and the revolution in information technology have triggered an outward flow of a slew of jobs from the developed world. Ev- ery country in the developing world is vying for a part of that business. “Theo- retically,” says Unlimited’s Tuladhar, “the prospects for Nepal are high.” So are hopes.

24 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly ...... #...... #...... #......

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A U.N. team is in town amid reports of an alarming number of disappearances. Rights activists hope the visit will force the government to come clean.

curity forces and the Maoists. Other Working Group are in Kathmandu to BY JOHN NARAYAN PARAJULI rights organizations say that, on aver- gather firsthand information on the age, one person disappears each day, alarming human rights situation after EPAL’S ESCALATING INTER- mostly into state custody: The actual local human rights activists asked them nal conflict has earned the number could be many times higher. to intervene. Although the group can’t Ncountry many worldwide top- Many families don’t report disappear- impose legal sanctions, the fact that it is tens, including that for most disappear- ances for fear of being targeted again. here to assess the situation, say rights ances—cases where people are deprived The disturbing pattern of disappear- activists, will put pressure on the gov- of their liberty unlawfully and are with- ances has been on the radar screens of ernment and security forces to discharge out access to the justice system. the U.N. High Commission for Hu- their obligations under international The National Human Rights Com- man Rights and other non-governmen- conventions. mission says it has documented 1,430 tal organizations for quite some time. On the last International Day of the cases of disappearances, both by the se- Members of the U.N. Human Rights Disappeared in August, the working

CONCERNED: Human rights activists and intellectuals discuss worsening human rights situation nw/SS

26 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly DEEMED A UNIVERSITY?: Tri-Chandra might get “deemed university” status

group made direct reference to Nepal’s It describes enforced disappearance whereabouts of all illegal detaintees. Fol- growing numbers of disappearances. as a serious crime with severe conse- lowing a hunger strike by relatives of “The working group expresses particu- quences for victims, for the relatives and some of those who had gone missing in lar concern over reports received from friends of the victim, and also for entire the third week of June, the Home Min- reputable non-governmental organiza- societies and for the credibility of states. istry formed a five-member probe com- tions on the situation in countries such The alarm bells on Nepal’s rights records mittee under Joint Secretary Narayan as Nepal, Colombia and the Russian now seem to be ringing continuously. Gopal Malekhu to investigate the cases. Federation,” a statement said. “While in In October, the Asian Human Rights After three months of investigations, the 2003 the working group transmitted 18 Commission, a Hong Kong-based rights committee came up with 30 names. cases of alleged enforced or involun- group, called for urgent action to stop Rights organizations lament the increas- tary disappearances to the government massive cases of disappearances. It said ing tendency in the government to stone- of Nepal, in the first half of 2004 this that hundreds of people, including chil- wall the allegations. They say the gov- number had risen to 130.” dren, have disappeared in Nepal, that ernment probe is inadequate and incom- The group set up by the U.N. Com- authorities have taken no action to stop plete. “Without an independent probe mission on Human Rights in 1980 has the situation and that the perpetrators commission investigating the cases of taken up 50,000 cases of alleged disap- have absolute impunity. More innocent disappearances,” says Hiranya Lal pearances with over 70 governments. It lives will be lost and the country could Shrestha, a member of Civilian Probe was established to assist the relatives of record one of the worst cases of disap- Committee on Disappearances, “it is those who have disappeared in ascertain- pearances in the entire human history if highly unlikely that any government ing their fate and their whereabouts and nothing is done to arrest the problem. committee will provide factual statistics to act as a channel for communication Rights organizations, both national on disappearances.” between the families and governments and international, say the rule of law has The committee has documented concerned. The U.N. group notes that collapsed and that Nepal has failed to 1,705 cases in total—1,193 by the state, involuntary disappearances infringe discharge its obligations to its citizens 449 by the Maoists and 63 by unidenti- upon an entire range of human rights em- in accordance with the international fied groups. Among the reported cases, bodied in the Universal Declaration of conventions. The scale of disappearances Kathmandu, shockingly, has the high- Human Rights and in other major inter- is shocking. est cases of disappearances, more than national human rights instruments. “This is a dangerous trend,” says Shiva one individual per day. Hari Dahal, president of Peace Campaign “It doesn’t appear that the govern- Nepal and a member of the Civilian Probe ment is serious about improving the Committee on Disappearances. Rights human rights situation,” says another activists say that supporters of the victims’ member of the committee, Padma families have also been threatened. The Ratna Tuladhar. Local human rights ac- government has revealed the whereabouts tivists are increasingly asking the inter- of only 30 of some 800 people allegedly national community to pressure the detained by the security forces. government. The Army, however, claims there are With the arrival of members of the no more than 50 individuals under de- U.N. working group, the rights groups tention. “The Army is committed to hu- hope the government will be forced to man rights,” says the RNA spokesman, act more responsibly. Recently the Brigadier General Deepak Gurung. “We New York-based Human Rights Watch are investigating cases of human rights sent a fact-finding team to Nepal and violations and extra-judicial killings and lobbied the U.S. Congress to pressure compensating those affected.” The Army Nepal to do something about the poor in its recent press briefing said it has rights situation. freed more than 1,000 private individu- The U.S. Congress has now tied hu- als after interrogation. man rights strings to its military aid to It also claimed that it has punished the Army, and for the first time in two 105 security personnel accused of hu- years, the Army’s chief met officials man rights violations. But it denies hav- from the National Human Rights Com- ing the alleged detainees in its custody. mission. He had repeatedly declined to Human rights groups fear that many of do so prior to the Human Rights Watch them may have been killed. visit. “This visit will also have an im- Amnesty International’s recent report pact on the government’s modus oper- says that it has, to date, documented a to- andi,” says Dahal. That should also ap- tal of 622 cases of disappearances by the ply to the Maoists, who seemed to have state. Rights activists have been demand- upped the ante since the Dashain ing that the government make public the ceasefire came to an end. nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 27 Media

MEDIA SPATE: FM stations in Kathmandu are increasing— Kantipur FM (left), Metro FM, and RADIO Radio Sagarmatha (right) GAGA There are now 14 FM radio stations operating in the Val- ley. Countrywide 56 stations have been awarded licenses, and more than 40 are already in operation. Having a wide range of such media is good, what’s not clear is if they are all sustainable. FM station clandestinely since the last BY SATISH JUNG SHAHI two years in Maoist hotbeds. ET INTO ANY TAXI IN THE “In some places such as capital city, and it’s almost cer Solukhumbu, porters have specially- Gtain that the radio will be blaring made dokos to carry their FM sets, as loud music or a live talk show. Ask the [the radio] has been so popular,” adds taxi driver which station he is tuned into: Koirala, who is also the president of the He’ll probably say, “I don’t know, just World Association of Community Ra- some FM station.” dio Broadcasters. FM stations are in op- The launch of Nepal FM 91.8 MHz eration in Bajhang, Gorkha, Jumla, Dang, on Dec. 3 by Prime Minister Sher Surkhet, Palpa and Rupandehi. Bahadur Deuba brought the number of FM radio stations are setting trends FM radio stations operating in the Val- in news, entertainment and music. One ley to 14. Two more are coming soon. of the most popular types of shows are Bhaktapur FM 105 MHz is currently call-in programs, where the audience undergoing test transmission and Me- share their views with the program host. dia Current 100.8 MHz has already ob- “The production of call-in shows is tained its license. It’s becoming hard to cheap,” says Ghama Raj Luitel of Radio keep track of all the station names. “The radio has become a good time pass,” says taxi driver Harisharan Khadgi, as he drives his white Maruti 800 past Ratna Park, maneuvering slowly through the heavy traffic so common now on Kathmandu streets. “There is always an- other station to listen to when you get bored of one.” Khadgi likes to listen to the latest Hindi “disco” music and news up- dates as he drives. Ask him about the day’s headlines and he’ll quote them exactly. “FM radio is changing the patterns of people’s lives and has become an in- tegral part of the society,” says Bharat Dutta Koirala, a Magsaysay award win- ner and a founder of Radio Sagarmatha, established in 1997. “Both the Maoists and the security forces are tuning into FM stations and no FM station has come under Maoist attack so far.” Even the Maoists have been running their own

28 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly Sagarmatha, “and they empower young a football match in Jumla get priority if people to express themselves.” He is also the station from Kathmandu is broad- the general secretary of the Upatyaka FM casting news of a match in Dhulikhel?” Prasarak Manch, a forum of broadcasters asks Adhikari. “Additionally, it mini- within the Valley. Luitel points out that mizes the opportunities for community there are some complaints about FM sta- stations in the rural areas to be more tions—that the news they broadcast is competitive.” misleading and that they are debasing the According to the National Broad- language with a confusing mix of English, casting Act, a 500-watt FM station, com- Hindi and Nepali. And most FM stations munity or commercial, has to pay an an- now mushrooming in Kathmandu, says nual licensing fee of Rs. 250,000, and the Sanjeev Adhikari of Radio Sagarmatha, fee increases by 10 percent each year. have targeted the youth at the expense of Those, like most community stations, other audiences. with 100-watt capacity have to pay up Rs. “Many aim only to please their ad- 50,000. vertisers in the name of programming According to Koirala, who was the [because] they think only of making a coordinator of a committee established profit,” says Adhikari, adding that the by the government two years ago to sug- FM stations now should identify their gest ways to manage the media, a proposal niche audience and focus on improving to waive licensing fees and taxes for com- their strengths. “But the market is just munity radio stations was raised, but, like too small, and rumors are that a lot of most government plans, it has remained the stations are running huge financial only on paper. The community stations losses. The government’s liberal poli- are usually managed by the public with cies will run the existing stations to bank- resources through local VDCs and their ruptcy rather than help them flourish.” objective is not necessarily to make prof- Another controversial issue, both its. The same committee headed by Luitel and Adhikari say, is that the gov- Koirala had suggested that the government ernment has allowed a single commer- “do as they like” with other profit-ori- cial FM station to operate in many parts ented commercial stations. of the country. Image FM 97.9 MHz in But the government neglect is not Kathmandu has transmission stations in discouraging people like Koirala. “We Bhedetar in the East and Pokhara in the need to make this [Nepal] a radio coun- West. Kantipur FM 96.1 MHz broad- try,” he says. “With the low literacy rate casts from Kathmandu and also has a and television just too expensive for 10,000-watt transmission facility in remote areas of Nepal, radio is very Bhedetar. suitable. That is just where most of the “[Allowing] that destroys the whole development money is flowing pres- concept of local FM content. How can ently.” All photos nw/SS

nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 29 Writing on the Wall THE FATE OF QU

In two weeks, all quota restrictions on textile and clothing concession comes with relatively tight “rules-of-origin” requirements, which exports to the United States and the European Union will the LDCs find difficult to comply with come to an end. For a Nepal in the midst of a war, the in full. Even Bangladesh, the more able within the poorest nations club only had easiest route is to plead and lobby for tariff-free treatment. 57 percent of its clothing items qualify for preferential treatment for having met iii) importance of domestic textile base such rules of origin in 2002. While these BY SWARNIM WAGLÉ and supply chain, iv) prospects of an un- rules are needed to ensure that the ben- N LITTLE OVER TWO WEEKS, ON restrained China in claiming other efits of preferential access are not shared Dec. 31, 2004, the world will mark a country’s export markets, v) uncertainty with third countries, they need to be Iquiet revolution. That day, the WTO about buyer behavior, vi) role of free trade made much simpler if the poorest coun- Agreement of Textiles and Clothing agreements, and viii) intensity of domes- tries are to benefit. Canada has shown (ATC) will terminate, ending all quota tic public policy response required, etc. the way recently through its Market Ac- restrictions on textile and clothing ex- Despite an unpredictably complex web cess Initiative for LDCs, in which ports of WTO members to the major of factors, a general expectation is that, fol- apparel exports qualify for duty-free markets of the world, especially the lowing the removal of quotas there would treatment with as little as 25 percent United States and the European Union. be an increase in exports of textiles and value-added in an LDC of origin. This This is significant because for the past clothing from Asian countries (led by has led to some of them performing in- 40 years, trade in textiles and clothing, China and India). Overall, there would be stantly well. Comparing the year-on- now a $350 billion global industry, has two likely groups of gainers: The first in- year import figures from January-Sep- been governed by a series of protective cludes countries that are competitive by tember 2003 and 2004, Bangladesh’s ex- regimes, most recently the Multi-fiber virtue of scale, cost, and capacities that are port of items such as knitted, crocheted, Arrangement (MFA). While the purpose vertically integrated with the rest of the and woven clothing grew by 52 percent of the MFA was to restrain trade, it ended production chain, including ability to of- to Canadian $339.5 million, Cambodia’s up being useful to the least developed fer services supplementary to mere pro- grew by 69 percent to Can$105.6 mil- countries (LDCs) of Asia like Nepal, duction. The second consists of countries lion, and Lao PDR’s by 40 percent to Laos, Cambodia and Bangladesh, by pro- that are moderately competitive in com- Can$6.5 million. Even Nepal saw its ex- voking a shift of investment from coun- parison, but are beneficiaries of tariff pref- ports to Canada grow by 127 percent to tries where quotas were exhausted. The erences, niche expertise and shorter dis- Can$7.3 million during this period. Nepali apparel industry, for example, tance to major markets. grew as a direct result of quota restraints Nepal does not belong to the first Lobby US Congress placed on India. During its peak in the group. But it could belong to the sec- In the world’s most significant market, early 90s, it employed over 100,000 people; ond, if it enjoyed secure and meaningful the United States, however, Asian LDCs despite the gradual decline since, gar- preferential access to major markets, or do not enjoy any preferential treatment, ments, which brought in $162 million in be known for production of distinctive unlike their counterparts from Sub-Sa- 2003, is still our largest export category. niche products, such as Sri Lanka, that haran Africa, who have been benefiting The quotas that sheltered production has in recent years been producing from elements of the African Growth and in countries like ours will vanish after world-class bras. Victoria’s Secret, one Opportunity Act. This means that LDCs two weeks. Come Jan. 1, 2005, and be- of the top-end producers of women’s like Nepal are doubly hit. On the one yond, how will this momentous change lingerie, sourced over $350 in trade rules impact the various regions million of exports from the of Asia? The gamut of assertions and conflict-ridden island in 2003. speculations on post-ATC outcomes is For a Nepal in the midst of a very wide, depending on the person asked, war, the easiest route is to method used and data analyzed. Accord- plead and lobby for tariff-free ing to one synthesis of research coordi- treatment of clothing exports nated by Accountability, London, nobody in the major markets. Right knows the magnitude of the following: i) now, the LDCs do enjoy duty- the scale of job losses in the least devel- free access to the EU, under oped countries, ii) degree to which prox- what is called the Everything- imity to markets will shape trade flows, But-Arms Initiative, but this

30 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly faster customs clearance; reduction of op- portunities for rent seeking; rationaliza- tion of fees, taxes, and inspections? Can OTA BABIES we create in-country resources on knowl- edge about markets for enhanced ability to lean-retail and develop quick fashion hand, they cannot match the economies some optimism is that companies wouldn’t response? Can we introduce effective of scale and vertical integration of the want to rush to China immediately, the larg- systems of credit support clothing enter- textile and clothing sectors in large est projected gainer from quota elimina- prises at reasonable interest rates? Can we neighbors like India, China and Paki- tion, because exports from China will con- ensure that input costs on power, trans- stan, and, on the other, they do not enjoy tinue to face restraints in the major markets port and key raw materials are competi- the tariff preferences enjoyed by their at least until Dec. 31, 2008, as per its Proto- tively priced? Can we invest enough on smaller peers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Any col of WTO accession. Another reason is our infrastructure? Can we enhance our non-reciprocal preferences offered by that stung by outbreaks like SARS in East labor productivity in the shortest term? the United States to the exports of cloth- Asia, and the terrorist attacks in the United Can Nepal engineer policy reforms that ing from Asian LDCs like Nepal could States in 2001, that severely disrupted trade will facilitate the institution of these ge- thus be of great help—in fact, a dollar of flows, buyers seem keen on maintaining a neric measures? The answer is no, not in trade tax waived on our apparel exports steady supply chain by diversifying their the next two weeks, months or even years. would be worth much more than a dol- portfolio of production sites in several im- If your house is on fire one afternoon, lar given to fund anti-Mao bullets. But portant countries, not just one or two. While you wouldn’t worry about having missed in the immediate future, whether such a eventually, the bulk of the clothing trade your morning walk that day. concession can be secured would depend will be dominated by large producers, there Even damning editorials in the foreign on the initiative of individual members still will be countries that could remain at- press, such as the one that appeared in last of Congress. Senator Dianne Feinstein tractive to importers of clothing niches. The week’s issue of The Economist, call for of California had initiated such a bill for question for us is, can we do what it’d take greater international attention to a “failing” Nepal in 2003, but it was later withdrawn. to belong to this secure club of “China and Nepal. If I stitched clothes sitting in Following the U.S. elections of Novem- the Few”? Purano Baneshwore for teenagers in ber 2004, there now are fresh attempts to Helsinki, what would that mean? For a introduce the Least Developed Econo- Nepal is on Fire start, it’d mean implementation of long- mies Economic Development Act Like all charity, wish-lists should also be- standing international commitments that (LDEED) in the 109th Congress. Cam- gin at home. Can we overhaul our trade pledge duty-free entry, with easier rules of bodia has been hiring expensive lobby- facilitation systems to reduce time and origin for products from LDCs in all ma- ists in Washington to push through such cost of doing business through jor markets. Without some form of tar- an act. If we are too poor to cost-share, iff-edge embodied in our clothing ex- why don’t we pay them with ports, it’d be impossible to out- smiles and politely piggyback? sell comparable competition Although some job losses from our more efficient have been reported, neighbors. If that kind of in- Bangladesh’s exports are keep- ternational solidarity is not ing steady so far. In Cambo- forthcoming immediately, our dia, too, the major apparel im- garments industry will have to porters went on record in an brace for a guaranteed, gradu- important World Bank survey ated collapse. At those eventual recently that, in appreciation moments of reckoning, I’d want of the country’s relatively de- to drop my sewing needles and cent working conditions, they ask: Should I be sad at having to intend to increase or maintain mourn a slow death, or shall I their share of sourcing from instead rejoice the fact that I that country, one that is still lived as long as I did when I recovering from history’s was not supposed to, and I did most disastrous flirtation with so only because, for 40 years, violent Maoism under Saloth the world was less noble and Sar (nom de guerre: Pol Pot). its rich boys more greedy. Nepal and the Lao People’s Re- (Views expressed are personal; public aside, the other poorer for details on trade policies affecting quota babies appear to be the global apparel industry, please slightly better prepared to face the write to the columnist at storm next year. One reason for [email protected])

nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 31 GuestOpinion Column Beastly Instincts

Every five years, tens of thousands of animals are sacrificed at Gadhi Mai. It is a cruelty without parallel.

BY JAGDISH ARYA This, however, doesn’t apply to buffaloes. They are kept separate in a very large, fenced field and they have to be registered and paid for very five years, thousands of animals are sacrificed to appease before the kill. No one is allowed to take away the heads of their animal; the Goddess Gadhi Mai, the site of the single worst carnage in that portion of the kill is meant for Gadhi Mai. Obviously, all creatures, E small and big, which are brought for sacrifice, go through pain and suffer- the country. This year the fateful date is Dec. 18. What leads to the massacre is a very murky turn of events. The ing but buffaloes suffer the most. The killers can’t chop off the buffaloes’ goddess gives the indication of her hunger for blood when a lamp ignites heads because of their size. So, to make their task easier, the hackers on its own at an anointed site at Gadhi Mai in Kalaiya. The whole thing first cut the buffaloes’ hind legs after which the animal falls on the takes place outside the public view, under a piece of cloth. Once the ground. They then start hacking on the neck until the buffalo’s head is priests show that the lamp is lit, it is deemed as an indication from the separated from its body. It takes 20 to 25 attempts in case of big goddess that she is demanding sacrifices or that she has signaled that buffaloes. the sacrifices can begin. A series of rituals takes place, ultimately leading The bloodletting that takes place turns the entire area into a marshy to the bloodbath in which hundreds of thousands of animals are hacked land of blood; the chopped animal heads littred everywhere present a to death. repulsive sight. The most appalling treatment is meted out on the The first ritual is the worshipping of weapons, animals that are brought for the which are later used to sacrifice the animals. Then Pancha Bali; their throats the priests chant different hymns to appease the are slit. The slitting is goddess. Once the pre-sacrificial rituals end, the animals are brought in for the kill. The sacrifice starts with the offering of five different creatures— the Pancha Bali. This includes: pigs, buffalos, goats, roosters and rats. The first on the list is the goat, followed by thousands of pigeons. Then come the pigs. This goes on until a rat is brought to complete the Pancha Bali. Remarkably, the pig’s blood is not sprinkled on Goddess’s idol as the animal is considered unholy.

CLIMAX As the ritual of the sacrifice of five groups of animals approaches its end, more than 600 people carrying naked swords and axes wrapped in red clothes descend from all sides. They frantically rush towards the fenced field where thousands of buffaloes are kept. Many of them wear red headbands, indicating they are licensed killers. done slow This fair is infamous for the sheer number of deaths and the cruelty and deliber- on display—all in the name of appeasing Goddess Gadhi Mai. The fair ately. Legend has reaches its climax on the day of the mass animal sacrifice. it that longer the duration, the The last Gadhi Mai Mela in 1999 saw 18,000 buffaloes sacrificed. happier the goddess. That’s not all. Three to Interestingly, the Gadhi Mai Mela Committee keeps the record of buffa- four days after the sacrifice, people start fleeing the mela venue loes that are brought for sacrifice because the devotees pay to get their as it starts emitting a nauseating smell. All kinds of traffic avoid the animals beheaded. This year, the committee expects this number to fare. But it’s the people living in adjoining localities who suffer cross the 25,000-mark. It, however, does not keep records of other most. Many fall sick. It takes up to two weeks for the smell to go animals or birds because of the overwhelming numbers. They include away. goats, chickens, ducks and pigeons, besides buffaloes. Clearly, the scale of the killings at Gadhi Mai is increasing. Who is To facilitate these killings sacrifice zone with a three-km radius around going to stand by these mute animals and speak for those who cannot the Gadhi Mai Temple has been set up. After entering the sacrificial zone speak for themselves? one can chop off the animal anywhere one pleases. (Arya is an environmentalist campaigning against cruelty against animals )

32 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly

Musings on the

National Museum admired and much to be preserved. On display in the weapons gallery are the BY VENEETA SINGHA opened to the public in 1938 and then automatic electric machine gun designed was named the Rastriya Sangrahalaya by by Nepali scientist Gehendra he locale is quiet—trees and King Mahendra in 1967. Shumshere, the Sword of Napoleon III bushes and a paved path. On three The main museum is a treasure trove presented to Jung Bahadur Rana during T sides are the galleries and the with a natural museum, a weapons gal- his tour to Europe and the Indian Sepoy museum. There is a fountain pool in the lery, and postal and numismatic galler- Medal presented to Colonel Rayamajhi. middle but no water. The buildings are ies. Ancient ceramics from Israel (circa The second building known as the intricate and unique but in dire need of 800 B.C.), prehistoric Paleolithic and Juddha Jatiya Kalashala was built by the a fresh coat of paint. Sparse shrubbery Neolithic tools and even a photograph Rana Prime Minister Juddha calls out for succor and water. of the political map of Nepal before the Shumshere and its main entrance is a Swayambunath looks down from afar. Treaty of Sugauli—there is much to be copy of the Torana Stupa from the first There are a few visitors but there ought to be more, many more. The iron gate is half closed—it should be open and welcoming. A stray dog walks by and the stone lions look tired. The entrance to the museum is or- nate but dilapidated. The museum is housed in a neo-classical style building reminiscent of the Rana palaces. You look around and wonder—the pages of history are earmarked but woefully in need of light, color and vigor. Nepal is one of the few countries that has seven World Heritage sites within a radius of 20 kilometers yet the National Museum with its plethora of art and sculpture and historical artifacts looks worn down. It was established in 1928 as an arsenal museum. Originally called the “Chhauni Shilkhana”—the store- house of arms and ammunitions—it was

34 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly Arts & Society

The Buddhist Art Gallery is a trib- ute to Buddhist art and is divided into three sections—the Southwest Tarai, the Kathmandu Valley and the High Himalayan Range. It was established with a Cultural Grant Program in 1995 and grant assistance from Japan. The gallery hosts rare Buddhist art, painted red ware and grey ware potteries, sil- ver punch marked coins, caskets among others. Wooden Buddhist sculptures—Basundharas, Chakrashambaras, Dipankaras, Lokeshwaras—sit under warm lights. The Mandala Gallery introduces 108 Bodhisatvas along with other minor gods arranged in accordance with tantric Buddhist scriptures. This gal- lery is well designed and thoughtfully presented. One is astounded by the artifacts but the condition of the museum is saddening. It lacks the ambience, the century B.C. The different sections of the 10th century. We now come to the atmosphere, the color and the life the museum present stone, wood, wood section—crafts which have made that most museums gift to the visi- bronze and terracotta art as well as paint- Nepali architecture famous the world tor. History is preserved but in a ings and lamps. The oldest piece in the over. There is a veritable abundance of meager way. Our forebears must stone section is the sculpture of Jaya woodcraft amongst which is a wooden surely be saddened that a way of life, Varma from the Christian era. In the tympanum of Mahishasur Mardini (circa a culture, a gift is now lying in a cup- bronze section, we are presented with a 18th century). Next come the paintings— board without the life that has gone solid statue of Vishnu that dates back to yet another feast of art. into it.

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:SHERPA ASSOCIATION OF NEPAL(SAN)Ph 4488256/98510-82711 nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004SHERPA-SEWA KENDRA GATE Ph 4480529 35 Literature

thing, one doesn’t feel the necessity to write well. Hope for Nepali Fiction As long as more books are self-pub- lished, rather than the product of pro- fessional publishing, it will be difficult In the next decade or two, the best writing in Nepali to expect well-crafted writing. Honest fiction will be in English and critical reviews would deter writers from publishing whatever gushes spelling. The written Nepali language through their minds in a burst of inspi- BY AJIT BARAL often turns stiff. That the sampadak mandal ration. Sadly, we don’t have a tradition of n a two-part essay published in the of “Nepali Brihat Sapdakosh” writes its honest and critical reviews. New Yorker in 1997, Salman sampadakiya couched in flowery sen- In short, the situation in Nepal isn’t I Rushdie made a rather interesting conducive for producing excellent tences indicates how indifferent we are claim: That the best of Indian fiction was to one of the basics of good writing— Nepali fiction. That, however, doesn’t written in English. He made a similar that language should be simple. mean that Nepali writers haven’t pro- statement in his book on Indian writ- The complete lack of editing prac- duced quality fiction. Writers like ings. Unsurprisingly, the two statements tice doesn’t equip Nepali writers to Dhurba Chandra Gautam have been con- unleashed a volley of protests from the write well-crafted fiction. No publish- sistently producing excellent fiction. vernacular writers. Later Rushdie admit- ing house has an in-house editor. Ask But they are few and far between. ted that he had read little Hindi litera- them why they don’t have an editor and The future of Nepali English fiction, ture and whatever little he had read was they will come up with a routine answer: however, looks bright. The reach of En- marred by poor translation. Essentially, “We make a profit of just Rs. 10,000 to glish is spreading, and more and more he admitted that it was a case of misjudg- Rs. 20,000 rupees from a publication. We Nepalis are starting to develop sound ment. won’t get anything if the amount goes proficiency in the global language. Each Notwithstanding the Rushdie retrac- towards paying an editor.” year around 4,000 students leave for the tion, here’s a statement, Rushdie-style: Try explaining to them that an edi- Untied States for higher studies. Some The best of Nepali fiction in a decade or tor can improve the language and the of them are even joining creative writ- two to come will be written in English. content of the book, and thereby help ing courses and getting trained in the craft of writing. Those who have a pen- chant for writing but are not fortunate enough to take a creative writing course have been consulting loads of books on the art of writing and editing. Those writ- ing in Nepal don’t have the luxury. Sure, they can consult English books, but their lack of proficiency doesn’t help their cause. Moreover, there are certain rules in PROMISING FUTURE: English that don’t apply to Nepali writ- Manjushree Thapa and Samrat Upadhyay have made their ing. For example, one of the cardinal rules mark in English fiction writing of English writing is, to quote William Safire’s “Rule for Writers”: “Passive This I say with all the awareness that fic- the sales, and they will turn their heads Voice should never be used.” Some of tion in Nepali has over a hundred years away in mock disbelief. Surprisingly, the passive voice constructions in Nepali of history while Nepali fiction in En- even organizations like the Royal are delectable and read well. glish began just recently. Here are the Nepal Academy don’t have the prac- This is the reason why we are get- reasons behind the claim. tice of editing publications. Every acad- ting to read a lot of fiction by Nepalis The more developed a language is, emy publication has an editor or two, in English these days. Most of it is posted the more developed will its literature but they seem to be by and large hon- by young wrtiers, particularly on the be. But the Nepali language isn’t as de- orary. The content is poorly edited. Internet. With time they will mature veloped as other languages like English There is also a lot of self-publishing as writers and some of them will make and French. It started to systematically going on. In fact it doesn’t cost much to it big, thanks to the agents and editors grow after the publication of “Turner’s publish a book; a modest one can be pub- who will help them find good pub- Dictionary,” exactly 130 years ago. But lished for Rs. 30,000, or even less if, for lishers and improve the quality of the Nepali language is yet to develop example, one is willing to compromise their writings. No wonder that nov- “more or less fully” as is evident from on the quality of layout and printing pa- elist Manjushree Thapa says she ex- the fact that it doesn’t have a standard- per. Since one can publish just about any- pects exciting times for Nepali fic- ized grammar or consistent usage and tion in English in a decade or two.

36 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly Movies

derfully cinematographed and directed Love in the war saga. Among its other weak points is the unnecessary German narration, Time of War which permeates the movie once a while, hindering the normal flow of the story. “The Star,” with its running time of Violence is always pointless 93 minutes, is short yet entertaining. It doesn’t get unnecessarily caught in try- ing to show the horrors of war, a subject BY BISWAS BARAL many war movies are perpetually preoc- hey are just a bunch of novice cupied with. And yet, while this movie is scouts in their 20s, who believe able to present a brilliant depiction of the T their only job is to safeguard their downsides of wars, heroism in the battle- country against the invading German fields is its central theme. army. They are the stars of “The Star,” a The film is based on a famous 1947 Second World War Russian epic, re- story, “Zvezda” or “The Star,” by cently screened at the Russian Cultural Emmanuil G Kazakavich, a renowned Center to commemorate the 60th anni- Russian short story writer. The book versary of “the victory of the captures the author’s experi- allied forces over the Fascists.” ences in the Russian army. The setting of the movie is Kazakavich shows the reali- the Russian-Polish border at ties of war rather than flaunt the height of the war in 1944. A the Red Army’s superiority, as group of young Soviet

rapt attention of the audience. There were episodes of spontaneous applause follow- ing heart-touching episodes, interspersed with less frequent light moments when the viewers cooled off. The bravado of an Asian-Russian, much alike a khukuri- wielding Gurkha soldier—maybe, the gal- lery hoped, one of those 200,000 Nepalis scouts—code-named “The Star” for the who participated in the Second World many of his contemporary Russian schol- operation—are sent across the border to War—provided some hilarious moments ars and filmmakers did, in writing about monitor enemy activities and radio back in an otherwise somber film. the role of the Russian troops in the Sec- to the Russian bases. Two such groups “The Star” in many ways is a poignant ond World War. already having failed during previous at- portrayal of the events of war—of lives “The Star” shows that heroism tran- tempts, there seems little hope for the torn apart, of villages razed to dust, of scends geographical boundaries. There new scouts. indiscriminate killings. The scene where are heroes everywhere: in Russia, the A love story is also enmeshed with the Katya tries to radio Travkin, even when United States, in Communist China, in ghoulish realities of the war. The vague re- he is believed to have died at the warfront, Nepal; even the Nazi Germany had lationship between Travkin, the scout- epitomizes her unswerving devotion for many who chose to stand up to despots. commander, and Katya, a female radio op- the desolate hero. Katya’s broadcasting But, ironically, those brave men pay the erator, is often hard to grasp for modern the radio signals from The Earth, the biggest price while on their way to viewers. But the film’s main focus is on codeword for the Russian base, keeping achieving immortality. how a handful of amateur scouts manage to her hopes of making contact with The “It [the film festival] is a commemora- accomplish their mission against all odds. Star alive, certainly bears metaphorical tion of the then Soviet people and Soviet They succeed through sheer determina- connotations. Katya has met Travkin only armies who boldly fought against fascism,” tion and grit; but, in the process, they pay a couple of times but is shown desper- says Sergey F. Kiselev, the director of the the ultimate price with their lives. In the ately lovelorn when he is dispatched to Russian Cultural Center in Kathmandu. mold of the typical Hollywood war clas- the border. The love story is underde- The message the festival strives to give: That sics, the movie salutes heroism, self-sacri- veloped, sometimes even threatening to violence causes only suffering; that aggres- fice and renunciation in the battlefield. wreck the true essence of the film. sors are doomed in any war; and that inter- This 93-minute Russian thriller—with The movie at times verges on the national consensus is the only way to re- English subtitles—managed to hold the melodramatic but, overall, it is a won- solve interstate disputes. nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 37 The Bar of its own kind ! Live Band : Prism with Ram Shrestha Every Saturday Regular : Puspa Sunawar BEIJING ROAST DUCK RESTAURANT BICC Complex, New Baneshwor, Kathmandu Tel : 4468589, 2040339, Fax : 977-1-4473652 Comfort above the clouds ... after sunset, waiting for the sunrise ...

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tel. 6680045-48/80/83 | [email protected] | www.nepalshotel.com CITY OFFICE: Hotel Ambassador, Lazimpat, Kathmandu | tel. 4410432/4414432 | [email protected] No Laughing Matter Jomsom Journals: Part 2 Wee-hours trips to the loo are a wee bit cold at 3,800 meters

BY KUNAL LAMA village. It was poignant to observe this caste separation, even by the pure waters of the Panga Khola. ’m not terribly religious nor was I on a pilgrimage, but I had to walk up After a night in Jomsom, full of tourists unable to fly to Pokhara unless Ito the white-walled compound from where the temple and the gompas they paid $200 for a chopper ride, I took the trail to Marpha and Tukuche, gaze serenely down. A sacred site for both Hindus and Buddhists, avoiding the tractor track that runs all the way to Kalopani. Marpha was Muktinath is mentioned as Shaligrama in the Mahabharata because of a picturesque revelation. Tucked into the folds of the mountains, safe its ammonite fossils known as shaligram and said to represent deities, from the scathing winds sweeping up the Thak Khola, it prides itself as especially those associated with Vishnu. I was pleasantly surprised to the “Delightful Apple Capital of Nepal.” Though I was sick of apples by see a Buddhist nun open the doors to the shrine that housed three idols, now, Marpha was, nevertheless, delightful. Full of curving, cleanly swept, all of them looking more like the representations of Buddha in monaster- flagstoned lanes and two-story houses constructed of roughly dressed ies than Hindu gods in temples. Hinduism and Buddhism are indeed two stones, it could be the perfect setting for the next Harry Potter sequel, faces of the same coin, but General Simha should have chosen the should they decide to borrow the magic of Marpha. Bhakti Hirachan, aftermath of a less politically-loaded occasion than the recent Second charmingly chaperoning me about the town, proudly told me how the World Buddhist Summit in Lumbini to voice his unsettling opinion, seeing lanes were widened by covering up the free-flowing sewage system. He that he is the chairman of the World Hindu Federation. wryly added that alcohol-soaked locals now did not have to fear falling Muktinath, at 3,800 meters, was cold; the trips to the nearby toilet in into it. I was also taken to Tashi Lhakhang Gompa, host to the Mani the middle of the night weren’t at all amusing. However I lazily dreamt of Rimdu festival every Laxmi Puja. The present, third avatari (reincarnate) Dzong, the seldom-visited ancient capital of this region across the river Lama was away in Denver, married to an American, teaching Buddhism at a university. The revealing, savvy, globe-grasping guise of Buddhism never fails to bemuse me. Leaving Marpha, I made a quick side trip to Chhairo, the site of a decaying gompa set in a pretty pine grove with a brook bending through the trees. Con- servation efforts are afoot. Then it was a steady trudge to Tukuche into a biting wind on a seemingly endless, dusty road marked by a string of lofty electrical poles. It felt quite eerie to be the only two souls in the middle of no- where. The Niligiris still watched over us, and the landscape now began to sprout pine trees. When we finally reached from Muktinath. Dominated by the ruins of a crumbling fort, Dzong exists Tukuche, I was deeply disappointed. Once the most important Thakali in its own empty, esoteric, exotic world with only an upa swastha chowki village, houses—decorated with carved windows and doorways remi- (sub-regional health post) to show its links to the government of Nepal. niscent of the Newari architecture of the Kathmandu Valley—on the The next morning, we did what I call the “Lupra Loop”: Instead of de- riverside were rapidly falling apart, heavily padlocked as if to stop scending to Jomsom the same way, via Jharkot and Kagbeni, Kamal them from disintegrating completely. The only saving grace of Tukuche Pun—my faithful guide/porter—and I took a left turn up into the hills, was the discovery of High Plains Inn that proudly and defiantly adver- then dropped down steeply to the river to reach Lupra. The walk in the tised a Dutch bakery. A cozy hostelry run by Purna, a local Thakali hills was pure joy. I threw away my hat to have an unbrimmed view of the lady, married to Patrick, a Dutchman, the rooms were quirkily ar- panoramic scenery and to develop a high Himalayan tan, photo ageing ranged in tight corners, on different levels. This was the only hotel I be damned! Lupra was a fascinating Bon-po village, the only one in the stayed in where even the faucets were fastidiously gleaming with heavily Nyingma-pa dominated region. Traditionally consisting of 13 polished chrome. I woke up at six a.m. to the salivating smells of households, each with their own household lama, the number has now pastries and bread baking away and the astonishing aroma of freshly grown to 16, including a Biswakarma family at the far upper edge of the brewed Douwe Egberts coffee!

40 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly

Profile

The Washington Post calls Jenkins “who brings music from around the world into the classroom” Resham Phiriri and the Music Man

in its unadulterated, original folk version. The moment, A music legend in America brings back albeit brief, is as irrational and surreal as a dream—for fond memories of tunes from Nepal displayed on a long table in front of me is an assortment of Nepali musical instruments: madals, kartals, flutes, manjiras, gongs, cymbals, damarus, matyangras and bells. A musical feast for a depraved Nepali like myself. BY KARUNA CHETTRI IN MARYLAND Little did I know that when I requested Bill Jenkins to s I lead my group of four- and five-year-old students give an interactive musical workshop on Asian musical into the library of Robert Goddard Middle School in instruments, I would be regaled by songs from my own AMaryland, I freeze in mid-step hearing the unex- childhood and my students experience a sensorial journey pected: the cassette player is belting out “Resham phi-ri-ri” into a world of Nepali music. I had only the talented

42 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly musician, collector and teacher, Bill, to thank for such a rare experience. For Bill, teaching music is a passion that evolved over time from early 1950s. He had a hobby of collecting such things as stamps, baseball cards, rocks; but the interest in music was sparked when young Bill was given a set of bongo drums. Thus started what was a lifelong interest in international music and musical traditions, and interna- tional travel. By the time he was in high school, Bill had gained much knowledge of Indian music that was further and warbles of the Amazon rainforest birds. I stood strengthened by a degree in Asian studies. What had mesmerized, transported to a world beyond my imagina- initially started as a personal interest eventually expanded tion; a world of sounds and harmony in nature; the imagery into a career in music when Bill was asked by a local and sensorial experiences, all too powerful to resist. library to consider doing a children’s program. It was a In March 2002, Bill traveled to Nepal to help the success. His rapport with the children and his ability to Smithsonian Museum collect musical instruments for its impart the basic knowledge of beat, rhythm and harmony children’s program. The hands-on program based in regardless of the children’s age or the type and origin of the Washington D.C., named “Imagin Asia,” incorporated instrument, gained him instant popularity with the local exploration of the Himalayan regions while displaying art schools as well as the famous Smithsonian Museum. and artifacts from around Nepal, Tibet and India. The He was also profiled in the venerable The Washington musical instruments were an important component that Post as “Bill Jenkins [the one] who brings music from provided the authentic, cultural experience of a Himalayan around the world into the classroom.” culture steeped in folk music. Bill organized the six-week “The way people organize sound into groups of num- long workshop for children with Bhim Dahal, a Nepali bers, especially into increments of four, can be frequently drummer and dancer. observed in traditional music,” observes Jenkins in the During his visit to Nepal, he stayed in Patan and fre- Post. “It’s natural. Every time, we walk we are keeping a quented many instrument factories from where he bought beat and we’ve heard the sound of a heartbeat since before 10 madals, three flutes and many kartals to name a few, for his we were born, and so everybody has musical ability in private collection which boasts of 200 instruments repre- varying degrees.” It must be just this faith that allows him senting the major musical traditions from all the continents. to reach out to every child participating in his workshop. His collection is probably the largest of its kind outside of a Children are fascinated by his collection of non- museum in the Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia western musical instruments made from, seedpods, area. He also recorded bhajans and sutra-chanting by monks coconut shells, gourds, bits of wood, skin, animal bones, from Boudha. When asked to name a Nepali instrument he tortoise shells, goat toes. Music from such instruments has found exceptionally unique, Jenkins responded that al- stronger rhythms and simpler melodies that they learn though most of the instruments were beautiful in their with ease. The synchronized beat of drums, bells, maracas, structure and craftsmanship, he found the Nepali bells shakers and scrapers—unleash the joys of creativity which resonate with a rare purity and clarity of sound. Jenkins allow the children to express their energies while posi- attributes it to the skillful mix of seven metals inherent in tively altering their moods. A natural high, I, myself have the bells and the singing bowls. observed and experienced for the last three years, each “Watch me clap. Move only one hand, flexing at the time I have participated in wrist, while holding the other hand still,” Bill instructs my Bill’s “World of Music.” class as he prepares the students to clap to the beat of Bill’s ability to re-create “Resham phi-ri-ri.” After a few minutes of clapping and various environments and singing to the catchy folk song, he hands out the damarus, habitats through music is the kartals and the finger cymbals. On cue, the children play exceptional. This year, I their instruments in almost perfect harmony. As the watched him bring to life pulsating music approaches a definite crescendo, Bill the rainforest of South motions for the group to slow down while he switches to America with the help the haunting bhajan of “Raghupati raghawa raja ram ” The of a bunch of seed- mood of my young students mellows at which point noisemakers, which Jenkins strikes on a number of various sized temple bells. my students shook The pure tones and varying pitches ring unceremoniously with great enthusiasm stringing each person with a haunting strand before fading and vigor while he into a harmonious memory. The mood created is serene blew on different and the space, sacred. As I closed my eyes to press back the kinds of carved tears, I experience Devghat in Maryland. wood whistles that (Chettri is a early childhood educator who has been teaching at mimicked the calls Robert Goddard Montessori in Maryland for the last five years) nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 43 CITY ThisWeek V T E EN S “Spirit of Emotions” The series of formless non- ART figurative, semi-abstract EXHIBITIONS paintings expresses the emo- tion and inner state of mind rather than what physical world looks like. Ramesh Khanal’s paintings are non- objective mindscapes in the abstraction of a physical mo- tif. Using bold heavy oil paints and acrylics, he has expressed his emotions through sur- prising colors as formless as vapors or perhaps formed in the Park Gallery, Pulchowk. a way that one cannot see is Till Dec. 16. For information: depicted in his paintings. At 4419053.

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BY DHRITI BHATTA dressed men and women with gifts con- All photos nw/SS verge for parties. Then they savor the lip- t’s 12:45 p.m. Indreni Food Land in smacking catered buffet in the corner of Lagankhel explains why: “Registering Naya Baneshwore is quiet except for the tent. with the tax office means exposing your- Ia group of three youngsters enjoying self to hundreds of unanticipated prob- Wedding parties are a big business cheese pizza in the wide indoor hall. today. The guest lists are long—from 100 lems.” There aren’t too many customers around to 1,000, a party of that size requires a lot With so many caterers, the competi- but the place still looks busy. The wait- of coordination. Obviously there’s lots tion is fierce. Customers look for a bar- ers are running up and down the two- of the pressure on the hosts. And one gain—a Rs. 50 per person discount saves story restaurant, also a party venue, with important part of the job is arranging a lot when the guest list runs to hun- a sense of purpose. So what’s going on? food: Hence hiring caterers for wedding dreds. But Sambhu Shrestha, proprietor Chef Kumar Giri and a dozen other parties has become common. of Indreni, suggests caution. “Quality, kitchen staff are working in the huge The catering business has come a long after all, is the essence of catering,” he kitchen full of oversized dekchis and tapkes, way. A decade ago there were about 20 explains. “Only then does the issue of filled to the rim with uncooked cauli- catering businesses in the Kathmandu price come in. Once the customer val- flower, marinated tomatoes and other un- Valley. The number now has shot up to ues your quality, it’s very easy to get more cooked vegetables. In one corner a strong more than 150. The number could be business, and that’s how the business hand cuts up pieces of chicken and in an- higher since many of them never regis- cycle become complete.” The prices other the staff chops ginger and onions. ter. “About 25 percent of the companies range from Rs. 150 to Rs. 350 per head “We’re getting ready for the party tonight,” are operating illegally,” says Govinda and are fixed according to the menu. says Giri, wearing his tall white hat and Bahadur Chaulagain, who has been run- Non-vegetarian menus have high de- supervising the work in the kitchen. ning New Annapurna Catering in Naya mand. But, in the last three to four years, “There’s a wedding party at 4 p.m.” Baneshwore for the last four years. the number of vegetarian parties has also It’s finally Mangsir. After a five- Many of the illegal outfits are avoid- shot up. month hiatus, the wedding season is here ing taxes. Ujjwal Krishna Shrestha, who While the number of parties has gone again. Beautifully decorated houses has been in the business for more than up, caterers say they are making less decked with party lights illuminate the 10 years and owns A-Z Catering in Prayag profit than they were seven or eight years dark winter nights, and handsomely Pokhari and the Party Palace in ago. Big catering companies like A-Z

46 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly Catering, Indreni and Kismis Catering who used to have a whopping profit margin of 50 percent have had their prof- its slashed to less than 25 percent. And small outfits like New Annapurna Ca- tering say they are struggling to stay in business. Big or small, caterers have swamped every kind of party, even private recep- tions. “It’s no longer just weddings,” says Manish Nyachhyon, owner of Kismis Catering Service. “We are asked to cater on such occasions as bratabandas, paasnis, birthdays, seminars and even during mourning.” Weddings still make up the bulk of the business, but the other events are important because they keep the business afloat during the lean non-wed- ding months. Without them, caterers to these. Electricity and water are also out the day to please the 130 guests. “It’s would be employed only between April major problems. “But we are so used to such a relief now. I can go back to my to July and in the winter months. them that they no longer seem as a prob- room and lay back and relax,” says Giri. Ask the caterers what they fear most? lem,” says Nyachhyon with a grin. But work needs to start early tomorrow “Bandas, traffic jams and fuel shortages Meanwhile, Kumar Giri of Indreni morning. There’s a wedding party for are the three biggest hindrances,” says and his group of nine men are finally at 400 people. Work never stops for the ca- Nyachhyon. Many of the caterers are the end of their hectic day. It’s 11 p.m. terers these wedding days. And, they compelled to cancel their bookings due and they’ve worked incessantly through- aren’t complaining. nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 47

Sports Colombo Countdown The Sports Council took everybody by surprise last month Sport officials themselves concede there is a lot to learn from successful when it revealed training plans for next year’s South Asian sports administrations abroad: While Games. Now the onus lies on it to put the plans to budget crunch is a perennial Third World problem, good management and practice. foresight can help offset at least some of that disadvantage. The officials ad- dent recently, which resulted in him mit that it was “a big mistake” on their BY SUDESH SHRESTHA along with Nayana Shakya, a swimmer, part not to scout young talent. n an interview with the state-owned being denied coaching licenses. Others “We’re now considering long-term Nepal Television last month, mem- say a good deal has to be done before the planning with an emphasis on groom- Iber secretary of the National Sports training actually begins. ing the base-level talent, rather than Council, Kishor Bahadur Singh, re- Then there’s concern that the sports placing importance on short-term vealed plans for a long-term training ses- establishment is banking too heavily on gains through a quick training regi- sion for athletes. The session was sup- a handful of top athletes for too long, men,” he explains. posed to be a lead-up to the 10th South overlooking its long-term responsibil- The council is planning a two- Asian Games scheduled for August 2005 ity to raise new talent. pronged strategy: Maintain competitive in Sri Lanka. It may be a bit unfair to compare our interest among the athletes while expand- The decision was an unprecedented preparations with Australia’s, but here’s a ing a base that will ensure a larger pool of one. Never before had the council been little peek at their program. The Austra- talent in all sports disciplines that have a so proactive as far as training for the re- lian Olympic Committee last month an- wide following in the country. gional games goes. Was the council try- nounced a package of 17.8 million Aus- But budgetary concerns inevitably pop ing to equal the 1999 feat when Nepal tralian dollars ($13.7 million) to help top up. To run a nationwide sports program won a record 31 golds to finish with an annual budget of Rs. 120 second behind India in the medal million is a daunting task. One estimate suggests the preparation

standings? It’s been all downhill nw/SS since: In the last edition of the for the upcoming Colombo games held in Islamabad, Nepal Games alone would cost over bagged only seven golds. Rs. 30 million. The discipline- “General training is already specific training will jack up the on for a few sports,” says Dhan cost to Rs. 70 million. Bahadur Basnet, director at the With the insurgency eating up council’s training division. “The much of the country’s resources, sport-specific training will start chances are remote that the only in January.” It’s also encour- sports sector, which is consid- aging to see the authorities try- ered a “luxury” by some planners, ing to assemble a good contin- will get a cash infusion from the gent for the regional games. government any time soon. But as during most lead-ups to inter- athletes like swimmers Ian Thorpe and Despite the apprehension, Basnet national events, this one too is fraught Grant Hackett. The preparation for the appears optimistic, like most other offi- with difficulties. And there is no dearth 2008 Olympics has started down under. cials when they talk to the press. He in- of advice. Those familiar with the work- Another 8.2 million Australian dol- sists that medals alone will not be the ing of the council believe it could start lars will be spent on international com- yardstick of our success. “The emphasis with identifying the areas of weakness petition in the lead-up to Beijing; 4.6 should be on the quality of performance before building on the strengths. And million on medalists and their coaches and how athletes perform under stress,” there are plenty of such areas. and 5 million to develop young athletes. he says. He explains that efforts are on to Deepak Bista, a taekwondo gold All this suggests that Australia’s unprec- rope in the private sector for sponsor- medalist in Islamabad, hits out at the edented success at the Athens Olympics was ships in order to gradually avoid depen- council’s all-too-erratic administration. not an accident. It stood fourth in the medal dence on the government. “The council’s programs are always in a standings in August, finishing behind the The sooner that happens the better. state of flux and that discourages athletes United States, China and Russia. It won 49 At least, then the athletes will get some who want to get into some kind of medals, including 17 golds. Australia is aim- time to get into their groove during the groove,” he says, recalling a bitter inci- ing for a top-five finish in Beijing. Colombo countdown. nation weekly | DECEMBER 19, 2004 49 Snapshots BY DHRITI BHATTA TRUE CLASSICIST Call him a classicist who cares little about commercial pressures. Singer, composer and lyricist AAVAAS, who studied under the legendary Ambar Gurung for more than 10 years, is admittedly an old-school musician. But it took him quite a while to come out with an album on his own. His first solo album, “Palaa Palaa,” was released early this month. It was recorded live in a small studio with 20 musicians over six days. Each of the 10 songs was recorded time and over until everybody thought he got it right.

Help is on the way

You don’t get AIDS through hugging. Many of us talk the talk but few of us actually decide to walk the walk. ASHA RAZAK has been actively involved as an AIDS volunteer with Nepal Plus. In fact, she is the only non- HIV member with the organization run by AIDS pa- tients. Her responsibilities: To raise awareness about AIDS by involving media groups. On Nov. 26, Razak was at Pashupati lighting 100,000 lamps together with Nepal Plus members and the students of the St. Xavier’s College in memory of all those who have died of AIDS. “Youngsters are the most vulnerable to HIV,” says Razak. “It’s high time we started sex education and teaching about drug abuse in schools” nw/SS Brazilian Director

Brazilian theater director Juliane Boal, fa- mous for his “Theater of the Oppressed,” a drama form where audiences actively participate, landed in Kathmandu last month. Visiting Nepal at the invitation of Aarohan theater group, which had adapted Boal’s theater form and staged it as Kachahari, Boal gave a four-day training on the subject. “Al- though we’d been practicing this the- ater form for the last three years,” says Sunil Pokhrel, a founder and active mem- ber of Aarohan, “its true roots and its ad- aptations came out vividly only after this training.” Photo: Courtesy of Kantipur 50 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly

Khula Manch The Mountain Biker

even years ago, Suresh Kumar Dulal, now 23, Scame to Kathmandu from Lamjung as a student, struggling to make ends meet. After a few years in the rafting and hotel business, Dulal found himself a unique profession—that of a cycling guide. Cycling, since then, has helped him scale new heights. He is now Nepal’s champion biker who has won all the major competitions since 2000 and has represented Nepal in Germany, Austria, Italy, Japan and New Zealand in

international races. But he has set his sights even nw/SS

higher. An executive member of the Don’t we have training facilities here? Darjeeling and Thailand on my assign- Nepal Cycling Club, which promotes Not at all. The government allots around ments as a cycling guide. That is how I mountain biking, Dulal now wants to Rs. 30 million every year for sports but earn my bread and butter. train in England to prepare for the 2005 not a penny of that amount is spent on South Asian Games, the first time moun- mountain biking. There is so much po- What are your daily training sessions tain biking will be included in the re- tential if biking could be promoted as a like? gional games. His next shot: the 2008 form of adventure tourism. A few regu- I get up at around 5:30 a.m. and head ei- Olympics. Satish Jung Shahi talked to lar competitions every year would be of ther to Nagarkot, Phulchoki, Kakani, Dulal about biking, its infrastructures great help. That would bring interna- Lakhure Bhanjyang or Jamachou on my and his Olympic plans. tional bikers to Nepal and provide bet- bicycle. I can reach Nagarkot in an hour ter competition for us. I am also very and 10 minutes. But I have to come back What is the biking scene here like? happy that the media has started promot- to my office at Himalayan Mountain As good as in Switzerland or Germany. ing mountain biking as an adventure Bike Tours and Expeditions to do my We are gifted with the rough terrain that sport. nine to five duty. In the evening, I attend is apt for biking. In recent years, the an hour of fitness training. Only cycling number of Nepalis participating in vari- up and down the slopes is not going to ous competitions has increased. One In recent years, the be enough, I also require serious fitness such event, the Kathmandu Mountain training. Biking Competition, was held last number of Nepalis par- month. A few are even taking up biking ticipating in various Your club organized a clean-up cam- as a career. paign at Pancha Kumari Temple in competitions has in- Sinamangal last Saturday, Dec. 11. And you are one of them... creased. A few are What was the idea? My specialization is cross-country People believe cyclists do nothing but mountain biking. Luckily for me, the even taking up biking wear short, tight half pants and helmets South Asian Games has decided to in- as a career. and ride around in their cycles. We wanted clude mountain biking in its next edi- to prove them wrong; as well as promote tion. Our biggest competitor there will cycling by increasing our interactions with be Sri Lanka. I hope I can win a medal Isn’t mountain biking an expensive locals—raising awareness about a healthy for Nepal. Later, in 2008, I want to rep- sport? and clean environment through cycling. resent Nepal in the Olympic Games. Yes, it is. A minor spare part of an origi- We noticed a huge pile of garbage near the Tesco, a supermarket, and Trek Cycles nal mountain bike costs a minimum of Pancha Kumari Temple in Kalimatidole has agreed to sponsor me; and the Brit- $20 to $30. The bicycle I ride costs along our popular cycling route behind the ish Cycling 4ederation in North Hamp- around Rs. 160,000. But I am happy that I airport. We wanted to do something about ton has agreed to provide me training. am biking for a living. So far, I am abso- it. Plus, we thought we could promote That is, if I get a visa and I am able to go lutely loving this career. I've traveled to cycling as a pollution-free sport and a cheap there. Bhutan, Mongolia, China, Sikkim, form of transport.

52 DECEMBER 19, 2004 | nation weekly JobsJobsJobs

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56 NOVEMBER 14, 2004 | nation weekly Hamilton portrays Prithvi Narayan Shah, who resisted the British Books as an unsympathetic and cruel character and 10/16 paisa) make this a goldmine for researchers and activists working in gender rights and women’s history. Also relevant are the careful ac- counts of extrajudicial killings be- tween warring parties, torture that sounds startlingly similar to what is still practiced in Nepal, and concepts of honor that might give our activists working in peace-building a clearer understanding and historical frame- work on the messy human rights situ- ation in Nepal. Hamilton pays detailed attention to the governing structure of the coun- try, extensively documenting land rights given to courtiers and to various office-holders. He writes, of the gov- ernment: “At other times, again, on business of the utmost emergency, a kind of assembly of notables is held, in which men who have neither office, nor any considerable influence in the government, are allowed to speak very freely, which seems to be done merely to allow the discontents of the nation to evaporate, as there is not a vestige of liberty in the country, nor does the court seem ever to be controlled by the opinions advanced in these assem- blies.” We can all be glad that our coun- try has come such a long way from the 1800s in terms of government. Were Hamilton still alive, his me- ticulous attention to cartography and to the lengths and durations of desti- nations would probably lead him to be recruited as a consultant by our con- temporary warring parties. If the Army or the Maoists had paid as much atten-

nw/SS tion to geography, this war would prob- ably be over by now. purpose of his Nepal visit. Everything is pearances in a small paragraph about a But even the British were not om- carefully and extensively documented raja who keeps a Kiranti army armed with niscient, and, as later documented, nei- with an eye for future exploitation. poisoned arrows. ther were they omnipotent. Hamilton, Prithvi Narayan Shah, who resisted the What makes Hamilton’s account par- talking about the “swelling in the British, shows up as an unsympathetic ticularly relevant for the contemporary throat” of Nepalis, theorizes that this and cruel character, and his enemies are reader is his careful accounting of cul- must be due to drinking water that treated cordially by the British, reveal- tures and gender roles of different came from mountains covered with ing a small bit of their “divide and con- groups. For those who have a fondness perpetual snow. The discovery of io- quer” methods. The minerals and herbs for making grand claims about dine was still eight years away. In 1811 would never make it down to India. What Brahminization and Sanskritization Bernard Courtois (1777-1838) would would come to be the British’s greatest without the attendant footnotes, this discover iodine while trying to help gold mine, the Gurkhas, makes brief ap- book provides documented ammuni- Napoleon make gunpowder. But until tion. Extensive notes about widow then, even Hamilton, that thorough, contemporary reader burning, marriage choices for women careful frontier-anthropologist, would in different communities, all the way remain in the dark about what caused f different groups down to the fines for adultery (2 rupees goiters.

nation weekly | NOVEMBER 14, 2004 57 Last Page Business Unusual

he Raj Parishad has come up with each other down while they get to enjoy the obvious: It believes that the the occasional moral high ground. Prime TKing’s role in Nepali politics is Minister Deuba is deeply frustrated that central, and that if Nepal is to tide the Maoists won’t come to talks. This de- We’re endlessly efficient 365 days... through its deep-seated problems, the spite successes in lobbying both New monarchy has to get back to its activist Delhi and Washington to get additional ways. Unsurprisingly, the King’s privy weaponry (with promises for still more) council blames the political parties for and explicit support of the government’s all the ills currently plaguing the coun- anti-Maoist campaign. Inter Continental Shangri-la try. The Royal Nepal Army is seen as the The Maoists, however, seem to be in Freight (p.) Ltd. Logistics (p.)Ltd. ultimate savior. Sacchit Shumshere Rana, no mood for talks. This points to two pos- Thamel, Bhagwan Bahal, GPO Box:11829, Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: 4424456, 4410901, 4423671, 4412601, Fax: 00977-1-4414858 member of the Parishad and former chief sibilities: Either that they have decided to E-mail:[email protected], [email protected] of the RNA asserts, “Everything except fight to the finish, or, even more alarming, website: www.shangri-lafreight.com, www.visitnepal.com/shangfreight the Army has collapsed due to the all- that Nepal’s conflict has reached a point of pervasive corruption.” The Maoists, he no return. What was once described as a believes, are nothing but the result of this low-intensity internal conflict has trans- dangerous decadence. At the conclusion formed into a full-blown civil war, where, of its controversial meet last week, the to borrow Michael Ignatieff’s phrase, war- Parishad unapologetically declared, “His riors have lost their honor. The National Majesty’s patronage and guidance will Human Rights Commission has docu- provide answers to all the problems.” mented 1,430 disappearances to date, which The Raj Parishad prescription is pro- puts Nepal in the dubious company of such vocative, divisive and out of sync with war-torn countries as Colombia. public opinion. We have little doubt that It is time for the international com- the majority of Nepalis still want the King munity to step in, and not just with polite to remain firmly within the confines of a fact-finding missions. The venerable constitutional monarchy and want the Economist, in its Dec. 4 editorial, warns political parties to regain the driver’s seat of the power vacuum that may tempt in national politics. While the Nepali Nepal’s nervous neighbors to rush in. If people still have huge issues with indi- India does that and China decides not to vidual politicians, this should not be mis- sit idle, the result would be disastrous. In taken for a blank check for the Palace or its current state, Nepal is a serious secu- the Army to intervene politically. If any- rity problem not just for Nepalis but the thing, the people are as fed up with the whole region, something New Delhi has Palace as they are with the parties—the already found out the hard way. two don’t see eye to eye on anything. The Which is why we call on the interna- net result is a feeling among the public tional community to take action now. that neither is able to pull the country back There should be an immediate interna- from the abyss. The fact that the constitu- tional conference on Nepal under U.N. tional forces have especially drifted apart aegis. The Economist politely describes after Oct. 4, 2002 is telling. The drift con- Nepal as a failing state. We say this: Ven- tinues, three appointed governments later. ture outside the Valley, and witness a failed Indeed, the Palace often gives the im- state. Meanwhile, inside Kathmandu, the pression that it listens more to a narrow parties and the Palace continue to duel and group of Kathmandu elites, who seem to its residents nonchalantly watch news of cringe at the very mention of political par- more deaths, destruction and dead-end ties and politicians—most of whom also politics. have huge constituencies outside the Val- ley. We are staring at a class divide of monu- mental proportions. So who is benefiting from all this con- fusion? The Maoists, of course. They are happy to see the parties and the Palace run Akhilesh Upadhyay, Editor

58 NOVEMBER 14, 2004 | nation weekly cover.pm6 2 12/10/04, 2:14 PM cover.pm6 1 12/10/04, 2:13 PM