#789 1 - 7 January 2016 16 pages Rs 50 JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER DIWAKAR CHETTRI DIWAKAR BEGONE 2015 aving survived a year like the one that just ended, 2016 has to turn out Hbetter for Nepal. The country was punished first by God, then by our own incompetent leaders, and now by India. We are glad to bid goodbye to 12 YEAR ON YEAR SICK OF THE COLD painful months, and would like to think that Nepal woes have bottomed out. EDITORIAL PAGE 2 Special report from Rasuwa, Gorkha There is now nowhere to go but up. and Sindhupalchok on earthquake Still, the attrition is taking its toll on 28 million Nepalis and the two AUTHORITY TO survivors. million homeless earthquake survivors whose misery is multiplied manyfold. RECONSTRUCT This humanitarian disaster is now becoming a crime against humanity. BY OM ASTHA RAI PAGE 13 PAGE 7, 14-15 2 EDITORIAL 1 - 7 JANUARY 2016 #789 YEAR ON YEAR 2015 could have been worse, here’s hoping 2016 is kinder to Nepal aving survived a year like diversification, and a strategic the one that just ended, shift away from dependence H2016 has to turn out on Indian petroleum. We better for Nepal. The country hear assurances from the was punished first by God, government, but we don’t then by our own incompetent yet see a strategic national leaders, and now by India. We commitment to those goals. are glad to bid goodbye to 12 Meanwhile, the attrition painful months, and would like is taking its toll on 28 million to think that Nepal's woes have Nepalis and the two million bottomed out. There is now homeless earthquake survivors nowhere to go but up. whose misery is multiplied Despite everything that manyfold. Dialysis patients went wrong, however, and as have to cut visits because incongruous as it may sound kidney centres are running during this period of national out of fuel, hospitals are out of crisis and hardship, it must be said: things could have been structures, and the shaking lasted less than a minute, saved essential drugs, children in tents are dying of cold. This worse. countless lives. Telephones and electricity were working humanitarian disaster is now becoming a crime against It starts with the Turkish Airbus that veered off the right away, the highways were not cut off and Kathmandu humanity. Yet, the world couldn’t be bothered. runway at Kathmandu Airport on 3 March. If the nose wheel airport was not damaged. The earthquake was a warning to Lately, there have been signs that the Oli-led coalition hadn’t collapsed and brought the plane to halt in the soggy get our act together before the real Big Ones, which are yet in Kathmandu and the establishment in New Delhi have grass, it could have been a major catastrophe. As it turned to come. realised that this isn’t helping anyone, and are looking for out, Nepal got away with having its international airport The earthquake forced guilty politicians to push for an exit. However, the population in the plains has now closed for four days leaving nearly 100,000 people stranded regime change, but for that it was first necessary to rush been so radicalised by the Madhesi Front and brutal state during the peak tourist season. through a new constitution. That was the last element of the crackdowns that the leaders are no longer in total control Seven weeks later, we were struck by a 7.8 magnitude peace process, and although it had flaws it was passed by of the streets. earthquake, and powerful aftershocks that rocked central a democratically elected assembly. In their hurry, the Big 3 Our hope for 2016 is that in the upcoming weeks the Nepal for months. Nearly 9,000 people were killed, three parties forgot that the Tarai isn’t just a vote bank, but is also two amendments to the constitution will get the nod million people affected, more than 700,000 buildings were populated by Madhesis, Tharus and others. Tarai leaders from parliament, and the proposal to defer provincial destroyed and Kathmandu’s historic towns damaged. who had lost the 2013 elections after being throughly delineation for three months will be agreed upon. That Yet, as we wrote in this space in May, we got off discredited for their greed and incompetence latched on to will set the stage for confidence rebuilding efforts both relatively lightly. The doomsday scenario of a mega-quake this lapse (and fanned the flames) to launch an agitation, between New Delhi and Kathmandu as well as between in Kathmandu had predicted at least 100,000 fatalities, with which India backed with a blockade of the border. hills and plains within Nepal. unimaginable damage to buildings and infrastructure. The India’s siege of Nepal has now lasted nearly five months. The egotistical politicians in India and Nepal have fact that the main quake measured less than 8 magnitude There could have been a silver lining in all this, and the recklessly held hostage Nepal’s 28 million long-suffering and struck during the daytime on Saturday, the shock waves hardships could have perhaps even be justified, if the people. They must end this suffering, and owe us at least were of a low frequency which saved most ferro-cement blockade had spurred efforts towards self-reliance and trade this much. YOUR SAY www.nepalitimes.com THIS WEEK LIVING DANGEROUSLY at the grassroots level to be meaningful. refugees on Nepal and steadfastly The writer has once again failed to In its absence, both local and national refusing to help solve the problem comprehend the problem in its proper politics and debate will continue to for the last 25 years and hosting depth and perspective, and has remain confi ned to fi ghts between the Nepali Maoists who went on to instead hastened, rather naively and different feudal lords and their followers kill 18,000 fellow Nepalis from the probably fashionably too, to blaming the for the right to rule over the people, control and command centre in the government and Kathmandu for the ills instead of being about people’s welfare. Indian capital are few examples from that are not (‘Years of living dangerously’, Dev Batsya the past. Anurag Acharya, #788). BS Bihari Shrestha I didn’t agree with all you wrote. However, you wrote passionately from Besides a strong penchant for Anurag is one of the very few the heart, thought lucidly with your head tea, the British Raj really seem to columnists with an honest and unbiased and left indelible impressions of your have taught our Indian neighbors view of the prevailing situation, his travels with your hands. how to dominate and enslave a assessment of the happenings in the Namah weaker nation. Tarai and elsewhere will be thoroughly Hurray missed. DECIDING TO DE-ESCALATE Ambarish Palit Nepalis should ask their corrupt GOPEN RAI politicians to stop blaming India and Weekly Internet Poll #789 When blaming just Singha Durbar get their act together (‘Deciding to de- Q. Should the Madhesi Morcha accept an all party Most reached on Facebook and Kathmandu for all the country’s escalate’, Kanak Mani Dixit, #788). What committee to redraw federal boundaries? The wreckage of 2015 by Siran Liang woes, one forgets that most of the For Nepal the past four months under the border blockade has been an economic you have seen is simple “Arm Twisting”, Total votes: 201 earthquake, leaving most businesses and industries in ruins, consumers and investors reeling. ministers including many Madhesis not "Blockade". If it would have been (13,532 people reached) running the country for the last 25 years blockade Nepal would have been are not from Kathmandu. The politics destroyed by now. they bring into Singha Durbar is just a Frederick S Pardee Most shared on Facebook Most visited online page Homeless in winter by Om Astha Rai Deciding to de-escalate by refl ection of the same politics they have (89 shares) Kanak Mani Dixit (1,164 views) been doing locally. It is easy to point We should not forget that this is Weekly Internet Poll #790 fi ngers at a perceived enemy like Singha not an isolated case of Indian atrocity To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Most popular on Twitter Most commented Darbar/Kathmandu, but change and the against landlocked Nepal. Two earlier Touchy-feely bilateral relationship by Ass Deciding to de-escalate by Q. Are you hopeful for 2016? (43 retweets, 51 favourites) Kanak Mani Dixit (18 comments) fi ght against discrimination has to start blockades, dumping of the Bhutanese Publisher and Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Associate Editor: Tsering Dolker Gurung | Online Producer: Ayesha Shakya | Design: Kiran Maharjan Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu Nepali Times on Facebook [email protected] | www.nepalitimes.com | www.himalmedia.com | Tel: 01-5005601-08 Fax: +977-1-5005518 Follow @nepalitimes on Twitter Marketing: Arjun Karki, Surendra Sharma [email protected] | Advertorials: Ram Krishna Banjara | Subscriptions: Santosh Aryal [email protected] Follow @nepalitimes on Instagram Printed at Jagadamba Press | 01-5250017-19 | www.jagadambapr.com 1 - 7 JANUARY 2016 #789 OPINION 3 in internal politics. Some civil society voices have become so servile and compromised that few dare to raise a voice against The endless transition the Indian siege. People inside India oppose the blockade but ight months after an here in Nepal our own say India earthquake and four months A strong, stable and democratic Nepal left alone to solve its own issues is not responsible.