#55 10 - 16 August 2001 20 pages Rs 20 10-1110-1110-11 191919 NEPNEPNEPALIALIALI VICTORIA CROSSES HARE KRISHNA EXCLUSIVE BINOD○○○○○○○○○○○○ BHATTARAI ○○○○ he method is psychological warfare: intimidation, threats T and panic. The result: the Maoists’ ban on alcohol sales and consumption nationwide from 18 HIGH AND DRY August is a move that will cost the Despite the truce, the Maoists are going for the state’s economic already cash-strapped government Royal mess Rs 10 billion a year in revenue alone. jugular. More than 500,000 people directly Development Programme (ISDP) not out to wreck the to be Maoists. Extortion and Royal Nepal Airlines’ nosedive scrapped. And last but not least, economy, and deny that intimidation has gone into high gear has come to this: cancelling its and indirectly dependent on the trunk routes at the beginning of brewery and distillery industries will they wanted all “unequal treaties” they are trying to Taliban- since the truce was announced on the autumn tourist season. be affected. Some 50,000 retailers (presumably with India) abrogated. ise Nepal. Maoist leader 23 July, and the Maoists appear to European routes, Singapore and and wholesalers across Nepal will The Maoist paper, Janadesh, Baburam Bhattarai told us in be on a spree to fill up their coffers. Dubai were haemorrhaging cash be hit. quoted Deuba as telling the women: an interview (#51) last month: Almost every big business we and have been stopped. A The underground Maoists have “Your demands are legitimate, I will “Please do not mistake us for privately polled were already victims tourism slump after the royal pushed their anti-alcohol campaign try to fulfil them within the religious fanatics like the of Maoist blackmail and admitted massacre did take its toll, but the through the above-ground All constitutional framework.” The Taliban…we have no agenda for that they have been paying them airline suffers from chronic Nepal Women’s Organisation prime minister’s office has not puritanical fads like the alcohol ban. off. t political interference and (Revolutionary) and their intention denied the statement. Please note that the campaign mismanagement. The two jets it is clear: to starve the government of Deuba also met a team from the against ‘alcoholism’ is not the same had leased have been returned, Nepal on the wagon taxes from alcohol. On a high after FNCCI this week that wanted to thing as an alcohol ban’.” and the airline is now down to just p. 9 two 757s. They have to service 24 their victory in declaring Chitwan warn him of the trouble ahead. One It has been standard operation weekly flights to Bangkok, Hong district and some other areas business leader told us the prime procedure for the Maoists to say one Many Kong, Shanghai, Osaka, Delhi, alcohol-free last month, on Monday minister appeared to be underesti- thing and do another. Their expect their Bombay and Bangalore. One way the women went to meet Prime mating the seriousness of the crisis. strategy while the truce holds next target to be Royal Nepal can stay afloat is to Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. “Directly or indirectly the govern- appears to be to keep the public the tobacco invest in another jet immediately They were in a defiant mood, and ment stands to lose billions a year, confused and frightened, sow a industry and for the tourist season. Given the according to sources present at the besides the loss of employment,” general sense of panic and hit at foreign multina- political sensitivity of such a meeting, put forward a 22-point said the businessman. “This has government revenue sources. “Not tionals. All these MIN BAJRACHARYA move, it is difficult to imagine it manifesto, threatening “severe now become an economic war.” only are their demands contradic- have already faced happening. RNAC knows which action” if their demands were not Brewery and distillery owners tory, they are impossible to fulfil plane it needs, but government the brunt of extortion are preparing to slow down and even for a Maoist government,” says officials will want to make the met. and threats by Maoists decision so they can pocket a Besides a nationwide ban on even stop production, but they are another worried distillery owner. and criminals pretending kickback. It is such malfeasance alcohol and gambling, the other hoping against hope that the threat that has ruined the airline. demands include stopping the sex- will be lifted. Deuba tried to assure BEER FACTS In 1991, Royal Nepal had 19 trade in hotels and restaurants and business that the government aircraft, including four jets and a shutting down ‘cabin’ restaurants, would provide security and n Rs 3 billion rupees have been invested in breweries, 15 percent of it foreign capital fleet of ten aircraft for its domestic reserving 40 percent government requested them not to close. But n Breweries contribute three percent of the Gross Domestic Product, almost as much as the tourism industry routes. Today it has just seven jobs for women, banning porno- factory-owners do not trust the n The industry pays about Rs 1.5 billion as taxes and duties, four percent of government revenue operational aircraft. Fleet size has graphic publications and giving government, and feel vulnerable to n Over 1,200 will lose jobs and another 25,000 in packaging, transport, etc. would be hurt shrunk, but staff has grown. No women equal property rights. That Maoist sabotage. Fumed one surprise, then that the airline is n Nearly half of the beer produced is consumed by tourists. wasn’t all, the women also wanted distillery owner: “They are in deep red. Total debts: becoming like the Taliban.” n Nepal produces 23 million litres of beer and 4.2 litres of alcohol a year Rs 2 billion. the Public Security Regulations and the Integrated Security and Maoist leaders have said they are n Nepali breweries export Rs 100 million worth of beer annually to India. rime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is still not talking. But just about everyone else is talking about talks. What’s going on? There P are two explanations. Deuba is keeping is cards close to his chest: so close that not even his closest aides know what he has up his sleeves. What’s up Deuba’s sleeves? The second explanation is that he has nothing up his sleeves, and his government is just coasting along waiting for the Maoists to make their has the support of the UML, which is privately said to favour a hardline approach next move. to force the insurgents to negotiate. The UML has also come out strongly against To be sure, Deuba has done his rounds to strike an all-party consen- authoritarianism of the left and right, and has proposed talks for left unity. A united sus on the agenda for talks. He seems to have the crucial backing of his left would be a political bulwark against the Maoists. UML supremo Madhav own party, and the UML has made reassuring noises about its commitment Kumar Nepal has even gone on record to say that if the king doesn’t seem to be to parliamentary democracy. But Deuba hasn’t uttered a word, and worried about the monarchy, then a republican constitution may not be such a probably won’t until an all-party meeting to hammer out a peace strategy. taboo subject after all. This waffle approach has partly paid off: the anti-Maoist Armed Police Even donors are upbeat about the possibility of peace, but they want to be Force ordinance is a step closer to its ratification by parliament. Deuba sure it’s not a sham. On Monday they told finance minister Ram Sharan Mahat even managed to hand the Maoists a lollipop, saying the paramilitary this was Nepal’s best—and possibly last—chance. They reminded him Nepal’s ordinance had to come because it was already there—meaning not future hinged on a workable peace plan: for development, investment and tourism. intended to be used against them. They probably don’t believe him, but the Japanese ambassador Mituaki Kojima was uncharacteristically blunt: “We are for the moment they have to pretend to. watching very carefully the political process to address the issue.” The Norwe- “He was busy trying to get support for the ordinances, now his focus gian ambassador Ingrid Ofstad said the road was long and there could be is on the meeting, which he wants to hold as early as next week,” one setbacks, but her government would back a peace initiative. source close to the prime minister told us. “He wants a common plan While Deuba is working behind the scenes, the Maoists are now almost MIN BAJRACHARYA before making his next move.” above ground. They have declared “peoples’ governments” in 10 districts. They If that is true, it could mean that Deuba is smarter than the pundits give have stepped up public meetings, extortion and “tax collection” from businesses, him credit for. He is said to be in direct communication the Maoists, and is and have threatened the economy with a nationwide alcohol ban from 18 August not using the proxy human righters any more. Deuba’s rough peace plan (see main story and p 9). t Hotline: 523050 one world... ...one link Internet Access | Email | Fax2Fax | Web Hosting | Domain Registration | VSAT Networks | WAP Services | Software Development 222 EDITORIAL 10 - 16 AUGUST 2001 NEPALI TIMES 10 - 16 AUGUST 2001 NEPALI TIMES 333 Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Editor: Anagha Neelakantan, Design: Swosti Rajbhandari, Kiran LETTERS Maharjan [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Advertising: Sunaina Shah, Anup Adhikary MAO BUDDIES [email protected] FLOOD OF RECRIMINATION abolish his dynasty was started that the Nepali Congress interesting to analyse these Communications Officer with makes a strong point about Subscription: Anil Karki [email protected] A Your interview with Dr when he was alive is the height government led by Mr Deuba is contradictory trends.