#366 14 - 20 September 2007 16 pages Rs 30 Weekly Internet Poll # 366 Q. Who is most against elections happening? Total votes: 4,650 No accident Weekly Internet Poll # 367. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q. How should we settle the fate of monarchy? FLOOD OF TEARS: The ill-fated microbus is pulled out of the flooded Dhansar river in Rautahat the morning after five people perished. UPENDRA LAMICHHANE/KANTIPUR Accidents don’t just happen, they are a result of corruption and war he microbus carrying a microbus got stuck mid-river. artery, was knocked out by a Whenever the water receded, newly-wed couple and their As the bus headlamps flood three years ago. Makeshift passengers would make the T relatives left Dhankuta on illuminated the swollen river, the repairs allowed it to keep perilous crossing on foot to catch Saturday afternoon for the passengers got out to push. Just functioning while wheeling a bus on the other side. overnight journey to Kathmandu. then a flashflood engulfed the dealing on the contract delayed The microbus arrived at the It was important to cross the vehicle. The newlyweds, Raju and construction of a new bridge. broken bridge and seeing a bus troubled eastern tarai at night, Kimila Shrestha, and two other The work had just begun at making it safely across, took the despite the danger of highway passengers held on to the roof, the height of the Maoist war in fateful decision to cross. robberies, because of road but five others were washed away 2004 when guerrillas demanded This isn’t the first time a bus blockades and disruptions in the with logs and other debris that Rs 1.5 million from the has been washed away by daytime. There was a banda call the river brought down. Their contractor. He said he couldn’t flooded rivers, and it won’t be for Sunday, and the wedding bodies were found up to 10km pay, and work stopped after the last. Sometimes it is a group was in a hurry to cross the downstream the next day. three of the pillars were casualty of war as in last plains by midnight. This would have been just completed. After the ceasefire weekend’s tragedy in Rautahat, at By the time the bus reached another tragedy on Nepal’s last year construction resumed others it is because disagreement Chandranighapur in Rautahat, it accident prone highways had it but the contractor faced extortion over kickbacks has delayed was 10PM and raining heavily. A not been for the circumstances again, this time by the Jwala repairs. Interestingly, the Road little ahead, hundreds of vehicles that lead to the deaths. This faction of the JTMM. Work was Department rushed equipment were queued up by the side of the wasn’t an accident: it was the halted once more. and repaired the bridge the day highway in the dark because the result of corruption, war and On the night of 5 September after the tragedy, just to prove bridge over the Dhansar river had government negligence. Also, the there was a massive storm how quickly it could act if it been washed away three days microbus probably wouldn’t have upstream in the Chure hills, and wanted to. previously. been travelling at night if the tarai the flood washed away the same This tragedy was proof that Trucks were fording the river unrest hadn’t made daytime section of the Dhansar bridge corruption kills. Negligence can even though the water came up to journeys so unpredictable. once more. For four days, there be fatal. And the sorrow of war tyre height. Driver Anil Tamang A 50m section of the bridge on was no effort to repair the lingers long after the fighting saw a passenger bus go across and the Dhansar on the East-West damage or warn buses on the stops. decided to give it a try. But the Highway, Nepal’s main road highway of the broken bridge. Kunda Dixit in Rautahat 2 EDITORIAL 14 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2007 #366 Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Editor: Kunda Dixit Design: Kiran Maharjan Director Sales and Marketing: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Circulation Manager: Samir Maharjan [email protected] Subscription: [email protected],5542525/535 Hatiban, Godavari Road, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu 5543333-6, Fax: 5521013 [email protected] Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 5547018 Caste mongering www.nepalitimes.com Identity politics is compartmentalizing GLASS HOUSES Nepalis without their consent It’s hard even for die-hard democrats to see a silver lining in the hanks to the past few constantly change as individuals banega na musalmana banega’ went way the current interim executive is conducting itself.The country decades of democracy and adapt to new circumstances. Any on to become the theme songs of has been steered back on to the path of freedom and peace, but it rebellion, the ghost of the discussion on cultural identity the 1950s. looks like governance and development are not on the agenda. T Not even during the worst days of dictatorship have we seen Panchayati daura suruwal must be qualified by a further For newspaper-reading such a paralysis in decision-making. Never have we had such a identity is finally fading away. discussion on counterculture that intellectuals across the world, severe fuel shortage. Although it is due to past mismanagement, Sadly, however, a new monster our societies have undergone over India is often closely associated not much has been done to avert a 14-hour power cut each week fast raising its head is one that the past centuries. with recurring communal riots this winter. At the start of what could be a record tourist season, mechanically forces each Nepali To deny Nepal’s cultural and ethnic strife between Hindus no one can get seats in and out of Kathmandu because the into compartments of castes and identities in political debate is to and Muslims, Christians and national airline is in a shambles. ethnicities. This new caste ignore the elephant in the room. Sikhs. However, in the minds of We may be free, but only to complain about how much more politics is taking us away from Equally, to disregard the dynamic ordinary people, most of whom miserable things are. And all we seem to be interested in are the social inclusion and changes cultural identities have happened to be the Bollywood trappings of democracy, not in actually using it to get results. multicultural coexistence. already undergone is to imprison movie-goers, India is a place where Case in point is the Parliamentary Special Hearing a twenty-first century human an incredibly large spectrum of Committee which is unnecessarily adding more delays to important appointments by staging a constitutional charade. Chief GUEST COLUMN being into a medieval iron cage. diverse cultures coexist, bonded Justice designate Kedar Prasad Giri was “interrogated” by the Mallika Shakya India offers an excellent by a deep affection and making a committee, and a similar fate awaits all the judges of the example in clarifying how culture respectful space for each other’s Supreme Court, ambassadors and heads of constitutional organs. is not static but a dynamic unique cultural and religious These hearings hinge on the assumption that lawmakers are The mono identity of daura concept. It is true that the idea identities. Film after film has best suited to prevent the elevation of unworthy characters to suruwal was the invisible wall of Indian independence started obsessively emphasized the positions of authority and responsibility. But let he who has not that kept Nepalis blissfully out with resistance to the English quintessential oneness of people sinned cast the first stone. unaware of each other’s cultural culture, which initially entailed of diverse faiths. Everyone knows the ambassadorial candidates are political histories. The problem about digging deeper roots of Hinduism. Somewhat belatedly in the appointees who did not emerge from a talent search among being assigned a certain caste But as early as in 1828, the winding road to democracy and career diplomats but from a process of wheeling-dealing. Some ethnicity and bluntly being told Kolkata elites had already pluralism, Nepal has finally come of these names are ill-suited for their new posts, but why are nominated members of a transitional parliament going through the not to venture outside its launched the Brahmo movement, to realise that any political change whole rigmarole all over again after the parent parties of the perimeters is that these are not as or the worship of one universal must have deeper social and honourable members have already done so? Perhaps the best we static as the mongers of caste god, aiming to do away with cultural roots for the common could get was what we have got. Let’s not make an unseemly politics would want them to be. sectarian divisions and caste people to be able to relate to it. fuss over it all. Assigned identities and values hierarchies within Hinduism Thanks to the Maoist rebellion and Reportedly, leftwing members of the legislative parliament while keeping the ancient the popular uprisings that have been most vocal in quizzing Giri and other nominees and spirituality intact. followed in Kathmandu and in holding forth as if they were as pure as virgin snow. While the elite Brahmo the tarai, Nepal has finally set out For all their democratic pretensions, let us not forget that the movement has gained wide to open the old portmanteau of UML was a direct participant in King Gyanendra’s dictatorial attention, one that remains little culture. This is an incredible experiments.