#547 1 - 7 April 2011 16 pages Rs 30 MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal faces the media following a program organised on the 56th anniversary of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Wednesday That tingling feeling wo months since UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal managed to Tmanoeuvre himself to power with a little help from his friends in the Maoist party, his government has not even achieved the bare minimum of settling on a full complement of ministers for his cabinet. One of the ministers he has nominated, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, has already rocked the boat by prompting the resignation of the widely admired Finance Secretary Rameshwor Khanal. At the rate the prime minister is going, the process of forming a government may not even be completed by 28 May, when the Constituent Assembly is due to expire. With his enemies within and outside of UML quite happy to see him fail, and the party from which his government derives its chief legitimacy distracted by the much-hyped prospect of a vertical split, Khanal will have to conduct some serious outreach if his tenure is to be seen as more than the lucky aftermath of a slap in the face. p11 The hold of the past. War lingers in villages like Simigaun, even in peace Matthew Bleiman p13 Power to the people. Nepal’s successful rural electrification scheme is in danger of slipping into darkness. Rubeena Mahato 2 EDITORIAL 1 - 7 APRIL 2011 #547 UNTIED WORKERS hat does the rub their hands in glee at the prospect dissolution of of a Maoists split even if they only Wthe three parallel continue to stumble along in strife, Maoist trade unions mean? for there is no doubt that they are not It means that the situation doing themselves or their support had become untenable in the base a favour. The rest of the political eyes of the public, even if the establishment and India are obvious absurdity of three separate candidates for schadenfreude, but a unions belonging to the one fair section of the media, the business mother party was simply a community, and the rest of the refl ection of the seemingly Kathmandu elite would like no better irreconcilable three-way split than to see the fragmentation of the in the highest echelons of the Maoist party fragmented. not quite United Communist But is Nepal better off with Party of Nepal, Maoist. a monolithic Maoist party that is Whoever is now chosen reluctant to reform, but which at to lead a reformed, united least makes some effort to engage trade union, it will not settle with the rest of the establishment, the larger question of and which still represents one half whether the largest party in of a peace process that it has not the country can keep itself quite abandoned? Or do we want a from falling apart. Whatever split that, let no one be in any doubt, the driving forces – external would be far more signifi cant than and internal manipulation, previous splinters, and which could ideological schisms, egoism, leave us with two or three still large media sensationalism – even and powerful parties? At least one the most diehard Maoist of these parties will then resort to supporter is compelled to unbridled radicalism to claim the concede that the Maoist party revolutionary mantle. has a serious internal problem on its hands. Indeed, most such It’s hardly a surprise either. After all, parties from the full In the short term, the aforementioned stakeholders will diehard supporters, the cadre, have already chosen sides. Those range of Nepal’s political spectrum have and will continue to probably fancy their chances with a Maoist split, in as much as whose maintain that every communist party’s revolutionary spirit endure splits based purely on a lust for power and paisa. The the Maoist party will be weakened. In the medium term, a split derives from the ferment of debate, and that UCPN (Maoist) Maoists have the added complication of ideology to deal with. would do nothing for the peace process and the constitution. is no different, is either lying or blinkered to the realities of You can’t sit on the sharp fence of revolution for very long In the long term, a split, and the inevitable exclusion of the revolutionary communism. It is as much wishful thinking as that without being accused of being an extremist or a reactionary. radicals, could fuel the basis for yet another damaging confl ict. indulged in by of those who do wish to see the Maoists split. But we should worry about the consequences. Many will Be careful what you wish for. ON THE WEB www.nepalitimes.com CUNNING PLAN don’t really understand what change is government? Otherwise,most of the genuine and do business, make money and take it “With public consultations an impossibility likely to happen in this country. Nobody demands have already been addressed or can back to India; many villages have women under the current timeline for constitution has answered the question, what after the be resolved from the CA. with HIVAIDS; the potential remains unused; writing, by now it is probably not a good constitution? Variously upset and jubilant And I am not getting this ‘India’s security and Karnali blues and plays are only to idea for the politicians to rush through a about the disruptive changes in the form of the interests’ from quite a long time now. Was read or see in KTM for fun and sympathy makeshift constitution, even if they abolition of the constitutional monarchy and it its interest in killing Nepali Jamim Shahs amongst selected groups of fans including were able to.” (‘Make haste slowly’, the establishment of secularism, as well as and other Shahs in broad daylight through writers and the media. Editorial, #546) the threats and opportunities likely to emerge contract killers sponsored directly by the Indian In the early 80s, in a response to a I absolutely support this position. from federalism, Nepal’s elites have failed to embassy? Or is that about allowing Tibetans question by a group of donor agency staff What has happened has happened. If you inform the to come to Nepal, so that India can get at least on what I believed the development trend rush into the constitution-making process, ordinary citizens that these are not something worth speaking about against China should be for the far western region, my it will lead to additional complications. But really the changes, but structural adjustment and show it to their masters in the West? With response to them was just help build roads, this being Nepal, they may be planning required for the real changes. the issues of the Bhutanese refugees, the roads and roads. Nepali people will do the to rush through to keep the record of Soni Meghalaya issue, SSB forces terrorising Nepali rest. I still believe it. Don’t you? having last-minute solutions appear out nationals at the border, with the involvement S. Upadhyay of thin air. LOSING MY HEAD of Indians in most of the cases of vandalism, However, the sensible thing for the I have, in a safety locker in my old house terror and drug-related issues in Nepal, I see TIGER, TIGER government to do is to make a clear in Dadeldhura, some 2 lakh Nepali rupee the security problem to Nepal from India and Stories like these make my day (‘Cross- statement of facts, and clear all doubts. notes. All crisp. All with the grumpy face not the other way round! country tiger’, Min Ratna Bajracharya, They must admit that given compulsions of Gyanendra (‘Off with the heads…nah!’, Mahesh #546). Well done to all the staff involved. that they are too embarrassed to talk Paavan Mathema, #546). Raghu about, they could not complete the entire I live in Timbuktu, Africa. And I have the GO WEST process and, therefore, they have a only keys to the locker with me. Obviously, I’m The beautiful Api, Mahakali, Seti River, the cunning plan which would help them sort too paranoid to trust my relatives with the keys. forests, and the beautiful cities: Baitadi, out the situation. If the intelligent people at Rastra Bank again Dadeldhura, Doti, Chainpur, Martadi, The cunning plan would involve decide to declare those currency notes illegal, Kalikot,Sanphe and many others have long the following with the fi rst point most should I buy a plane ticket to Nepal to turn been there (‘Fabulous far west’, Dambar preferred: them in? Krishna Shrestha, #546). So have the wildlife Weekly Internet Poll # 547 a) Conduct fresh elections for the Thurpunsich sanctuaries. The climate allows all kinds of Q. Is the CIAA on the right track with former CA, or b) Do what this editorial suggests crops, vegetables, fruits and herbs from the minister Wagle’s corruption conviction? and provide a pre-set timeline that must WHOSE SECURITY? northernmost Himals to the fl at Tarai, which Total votes: 1,958 be followed. If any of the deadlines are “…address Madhesi issues, and not act also has great fi shery production potential. missed the PM or (someone) would against India’s security interests” (‘All’s not Educated far western folks and their political immediately resign or undergo some lost’, Prashant Jha, #546) leaders live in KTM. The rest? We all go to other sort of penalty. Raising the stakes Madhesi issue?? I am sorry, what issue is India and bring back HIVAIDS. The donors and in this manner will ensure everybody that that, One madhesh one pradesh? So that I/NGOs and government regional offi ces run the government is serious about what Indians can cash in on our resources for dirt- their projects through Nepalganj Unit offi ces they are saying.