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hat is astonishing is how quicklyin the past month the country’smood has turned from bad to

worse. Underneath the seeming calm ofthe bustling streets of the capital there isa deep sense of foreboding that we are allbeing pushed to the edge by forcesbeyond our control.

Five million children couldn’t attendclasses last week because a student groupsent out photocopies of a mildly wordedletter ordering schools to close. Just toshow they meant business, the pro-Maoist students roughed up a fewprincipals. What it showed was not howmuch the Maoists are in control, butwhat little government control there is.The Maoists are simply exploiting avacuum created by absolute disarray ingovernment, in the politicisedbureaucracy, and in a leftist oppositionthat seems to have gone into winterhibernation.

To be sure, Prime Minister GirijaPrasad Koirala hasn’t had much time forgovernance lately. No sooner had hepatched up a threatened mutiny withinhis own party than he was immersed in ahigh-stake haggle with the Royal Palaceto get approval for an ordinance to set upa specially armed paramilitary unit. Aftersix months of toing-and-froing betweenSingha Durbar and Naryanhiti Durbar,the draft law has finally been sent forapproval by King Birendra. That issupposed to be a formality, but one hasto factor in the army’s extreme reluctanceto agree to such a force. Even if it does

get royal approval, the bill will have to beratified by the winter session ofparliament. For now, a demoralisedpolice force cannot put any pressure onthe Maoists even if it wants to—it ispoorly equipped, inadequately fundedand lacks training. Commented oneUML mouthpiece, Drishti: “At present,powers from the Palace to the Maoistsare intent on spreading instability. Butthe government has not been able torespond adequately.”

Sensing the palace, the government,the police and the army working at cross-purposes, the Maoists have seized themoment to expand the movement fromtheir base districts and make the firstinroads into national society. Aftermobilising supporters among collegestudents to threaten schools all over thecountry to close, and for the first timeaffecting the urban middle and upperclasses, they promised to escalate theircampaign in the run-up to the sixthanniversary of their movement on 13February.

Opinion is divided about whetherthis strategy will work. The schoolsclosed not because there was genuinesupport for the 15-point demand laid outby the pro-Maoist students, but due to afear psychosis at work throughout thecountry. Whatever the case, the Maoistswere able to demonstrate a leverage thatthey actually do not have. Says ShyamShrestha, editor of the leftist magazine,Mulyankan: “The Maoists are undertremendous pressure from within theirown movement to resolve the

contradictions their declarations havecreated, that is, show new results.”

So far, Nepal’s Maoists have out-done Mao by carrying out a revolution infast-forward, and they need to maintainthe momentum. The school strike couldhave been a diversion to strengthen theirbase areas and hold elections to whatthey called district-level “people’sgovernment”.

One of the biggest factors working inthe Maoists’ favour is that most of ourdemocratically elected leaders havecompletely discredited themselves in thepublic eye. The Maoists want tocapitalise on this frustration and use it todemand a complete overhaul of theconstitution. They follow Mao by thebook to argue that violence is the onlyway forward because state repressioncannot be confronted with words alone(see box). The issue of whether or not an

armed uprising is the proper strategy hassplit Nepal’s communist movement manytimes in the past. Former advocates ofthe hard line argue that Mao preachedviolence only as a last measure, whereasthe present movement uses violence as astarting point. “The reason the Maoistsseem to be gaining support is because ofthe total failure of governments since1990 to bringabout aneconomic andculturaltransformation,”says HariRoka of the CPN-ML. Even so, it is clearthat the Maoists would not have beenable to get to where they are so quicklywithout opting for an armed struggle.

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"��"��"�1��The question of whether violence is a legitimate strategy for a

proletarian revolution in Nepal has split our communists many timesboth before and after 1990. Khadga Prasad Oli, deputy leader of themain opposition UML, was one of the leaders of the Naxalite rebellion

in Jhapa in the 1970s. “Once you take up arms it is difficult to give itup,” says Oli. “Within two years, some of us had realised that armedstruggle was the wrong way, but it took us 10 years to change theparty’s approach.” His decision to eschew violence even cost Oli hisparty membership, and he understands why the Maoists face a

dilemma now: “Today it’s impossible for the Maoists to win power through force,but neither is it easy for them to stop their struggle.” One window that may get

the Maoists back in the mainstream would be to win over the masses byimplementing broad-based economic and social reform programmes, and thus negate theneed for a revolution. That would be possible only with strong, firm governance and by agovernment that knows what it is trying to achieve.

KP Oli

�$+&)��&Nepal and Bhutan will sit down for the10th round of ministerial talks startingSunday to try once more to hammer outa deal on the return of the 100,000Bhutanese refugees living in camps ineastern Nepal. An agreement ispossible only if the 10-memberBhutanese delegation led by ForeignMinister Jigme Thinley agrees withNepal’s criteria for verification ofrefugees. Bhutan insists each individualbe taken up on a case-by-case basis,while Nepal says humanitarian normsdictate that the family as a whole mustbe taken as a unit. The UNHCR hassuggested a middle-of-the-road option:take up every refugee over age 25 forindividual verification, and the rest as afamily unit. Julia Taft, the US official incharge of refugee affairs, who visitedKathmandu and Thimpu earlier thismonth backed the UN approach. Thetalks are fraught with pitfalls, amongthem is the issue of the 17,000 childrenwho have not known life outside thecamps.

2�)(��(&�3�Kathmandu’smonstrous trafficjams are not justtrappingcommuters. Thisweek, Sri LankanForeign MinisterLakshmanKadirgamar wasstuck at the BabarMahal intersectionfor half an houron his way to theairport to catchhis flight out. SriLankan officialswere said to be peeved thatKadirgamar, who is on the Tamil Tiger hitlist, was provided no security whileGreek Foreign Minister GeorgePapandreou, who was here at thesame time, had two van loads of policeand four out-riders. Kadirigamar’s lonepolice escort finally made a passage forthe car through the jam. A senior ShitalNiwas aide told us the securitydiscrepancy was becausePapandreou’s visit was “official” whileKadirgamar’s was a “working” visit.

��45On Christmas Eve last year flight IC

814 from Kathmandu to Delhi washijacked and held in the Afghan city ofKandahar for a week. A flashback atthe ordeal and its continuing fallout onNepal’s tourism industry…….pg 4-5

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Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt LtdSanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Pulchowk, LalitpurMailing address: GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, NepalPhones: (01) 543333-7 Fax: (01) 521013Editor: Kunda DixitDesk editors: Deepak Thapa, Samuel Thomas, Anagha NeelakantanEditorial: [email protected], circulation and subscriptions: [email protected] Printed at Jagadamba Press (01) 521393

�� by CK LAL

STILL IN BANGALORE—My hugelyentertaining junket tour of India is finallywinding down. The last stop was to attend thisseminar organised by the Indian Institute ofScience (IISc), one of the premier institutionsof scientific learning and research in India.Spread over a large wooded campus, it isequipped with a state-of-the art laboratorywith PARAM, the super-computer. Thetheme of the seminar was to re-live the glorydays of ancient India which had apparentlybeen conducting space exploration, buildingsuper-computers and launching satellites threethousand years ago. Attending the seminarwere luminaries like His Holiness the DalaiLama and Ravi Shankar, the swami, not thesitar-player. Both spoke about spirituality inthe age of science. Also in Bangalore at thesame time was India’s celebrity scientist, DrAPJ Abdul Kalam, the father of India’s nuclearbombs, who was there to espouse peace. Justlike hunters are the world’s most avidconservationists, so it seems with nuclearscientists: war-mongers seem to be the loudestpeaceniks.

Attached to the IISc is the Tata-fundedNational Institute of Advance Studies (NIAS).Unlike its mother institution, NIAS does notlimit itself to the sciences. It does not confineitself to the study of pregnant monkeyscarrying test-tube embryos and moths that eatmosquitoes. It occasionally gets into thescience and society interface. This week, whenthe IISc was playing host to their holinesses,the NIAS was hosting an internationalconference of scientists and philosophers totalk about “Knowledge and East-WestTransitions”.

Even here, the topic of discussion becamesecondary as speaker after Indian speaker tookto the podium to trace the roots of thenuclear bomb, communication satellites andglobal positioning systems to some long-lostSanskrit monograph from the first millenniumbefore Christ. There was one Prof CK Rajuwho said, among other things, that Euclid wasa manufactured personality, and that Einsteinplagiarised his theory of relativity from someancient Buddhist scripture in Pali smuggledout of India. For my namesake Professor CK,proof appeared immaterial, all that matteredwas faith. Looking to the past amidst thesqualour of the present was a quintessentiallyNehruvian process. Nehru was educated inelite schools in England, and he embellished

the glory of an idealised past to awaken acivilisation in deep slumber. Perhaps at thattime in the history of newly independent Indiait was necessary to do so. But sadly, Nehru’sagenda has been hijacked by saffronite fundoswho use it to justify everything from nuclearbombs to revive a “lost” Hindu Empireencompassing Afghanistan, Burma andeverything in between. Now it seems thisagenda has even infiltrated India’s scientificcommunity. Indian and Nepali “scientists”talked nebulously of how our ancestorsstreaked across the subcontinental skies inpushpak bimans. May be true, but this was ascientific conference. We needed proof, notconjecture.

While all this was going on, an Indo-NepalSanskrit Conference was being organised bythe Rastriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in the holytown of Tirupati where a “senior scientist”named CSR Prabhu (they sure have a lot ofinitials down there) expounded on his theorythat not only were our ancients buzzingaround in bimans, but they had also perfectedspace technology, geo-stationary satellites andall-terrain vehicles capable of travelling throughspace, land and water with equal ease. Maywell be true, but how does that change the factthat South Asia has more child malnutrition,less literacy and more gender disparities thansub-Saharan Africa? Why was all this comingout in an Indo-Nepal Sanskrit meet I haven’tyet figured out. And also mysterious is why noone asked Mr Prabhu why our scriptureswhich suddenly seem so ahead of their time,

have no answers for our present developmentdilemma? Or why the ox-cart and the ploughhave remained essentially unchanged for 5,000years?

Mr Prabhu wasn’t finished yet. He said“Nepal’s Royal Library” (do we have one?) hasa copy of Subbaraya Sastri’s book whichcontains technical details on assembling andfabricating a spacecraft, the advanced alloys tobe used, semiconductors, and propellants.Finally, our own Mahendra Sanskrit Universityin Dang seems to have found a purpose: getover its obsession with the Diploma inKarmakanda (rituals) and pursue a intellectualproperty rights case to get compensation fromNASA for stealing what, Mr Prabhu says, arejoint Indian and Nepali discoveries of orbitallaunch vehicles and space stations.

Rajiv Sarkar, editor of Gentlemanmagazine (doing to India in the 00s whatPlayboy did to America in the 70s) put it in hisown very pithy style: “See, all that thesepompous b.....s are bothered about is an Indiaof only 25 million people that is riding on thecrest of the information communicationrevolution, carries international credit cardsand drives around in fancy cars. The rest of thebillion simply do not matter to them. Theseintellectuals manufacture apologies to relievethe guilty conscience of India’s middle-class.”

Why are we so obsessed withmanufacturing and wallowing in an artificialpast? Our history is glorious, but sadly, wecan’t live there. We have to live in the presentand plan for the future. �

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Most Nepalis would not accuse us of being alarmists if we took a deepbreath today and said that the country is staggering towards a dangerousabyss. Ten years after democracy, ten prime ministers and threeelections later, rulers whom the people trusted seem to have run out ofgas. Increasingly, it feels like we are flogging a dead horse. Legally theruling elite may still have the mandate to rule, but morally they haveabdicated that right. Rulers who fiddle around while the country burns,can’t take tough and timely decisions, put the welfare of their neediestcitizens on the back burner, and rulers who are only interested inamassing money and power as if there were no tomorrow cannot beentrusted with the destiny of this nation.

The matrix of change comes in two basic types: it can be for thebetter or for the worse. Change can bring development, or it can bringdegradation. Development, or progress, is said to occur when changeis understood and controlled, when rulers and ruled work towards agoal-oriented process of change that is for the better. But the otherkind of change is when things spiral out of control. The rulers haveneither the inclination nor power to steer, and the chronic failure ofgovernance makes the ruled fatalistic, leading to apathy and despair.This is when we can say there is regression and degradation. It doesnot take a rocket scientist to look around Kathmandu today and concludethat what is happening to the country is degradation and regression. Themore serious aspect of it is that a people who have waited ten years tosee even a glimmer of change don’t see any. They are no longer justblaming our feckless leaders, but also the system. The threat of demo-cratic reversal (both from the left and the right) is more real today than atany time in the past ten years.

The irony of it all is that this is one of the few times there is a majoritygovernment in power that has the numbers in the legislature to seechange through. And yet, nine months after the present rulers took office,more than at any time in the past five years, there is a feeling of no onebeing in control. Five million school children could not go to school lastweek because a student union threatened their teachers, a tourism

industry crippled bythe lack of timelyintervention isbringing theeconomy to itsknees, farmers inthe tarai don’t wantto grow rice anymorebecause they losemoney on every sackthey sell, donors areseriously contem-

plating winding down development projects. It has now reached the pointwhere the government should evaluate its own non-performance and tellus why it has failed. Even at the best of times, Nepal’s developmentchallenges are so serious and solutions are required so urgently thatany government that takes it upon itself to try to rule has an unenvi-able task. Without iron resolve, strong vision and commitment, asuper-efficient and honest bureaucracy, we cannot begin to make adent on this country’s crisis of poverty, inequality and social justice.But this is not the best of times. Democracy is being squeezed fromthe left and the right by people who want to see it fail.

This is a wakeup call.

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What do you say when you look around inside the cabin of a planeflying to Kathmandu these days and see that half the seats areempty? Well, you turn to the bright side, and say the seats are half full.At least there are some daredevil tourists still coming to Kathmandu.They must be into extreme adventure. First there is the adventure ofthe trek, the rafting or safari then there is the adventure of facing thegauntlet of touts, taxi drivers and beggars clutching at your bags asyou emerge from immigration. Now, in addition to all this, there is theadventure of trying not to get kicked out of a hotel. At the check-in at theother end, most tourist passengers were worried: will we find a hotel, dowe have to walk from the airport, are we going to be kicked out atmidnight? It is becoming apparent that Nepal is not for the faint-hearted.The image we are trying to cultivate for our tourism industry is: “VisitNepal: It is Full of Surprises.”

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I made the statement in the context of a student agitation in Pokhara lastyear. It was a figurative statement to encourage and support them in theirstruggle. By “burning down”, I did not mean that one should actually burn downthe infrastructure but rather get rid of old ways of thinking, the educationalsystem, the curriculum, the manner in which it is taught, and other obstacles. Ifyou study the histories of revolutions past, you realise that it is only after thedestruction of the old system that a new one can be put in its place. The prosand cons are not calculated at the time of a revolution, that is why Mao hadstated “a revolution is not a time to hold parties”. You cannot expect decencyand politeness at the time of revolution. What we have said is in line with Mao’sthinking and we still believe in what Mao said. What we want to tell our studentfriends is that for a beautiful and prosperous future you should be able to makesacrifices today and have no second thoughts about making those sacrifices. Youshould not be afraid of destroying this huge factory that is only producingunemployment—especially when the factory itself is slowly dying.

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This is the response of reactionaries and the ruling class. The objective is tocreate doubt, suspicion and anger among ordinary people against the revolution.This is a ploy to create a negative image of the revolution in people who have notunderstood or fully grasped its true meaning. To clarify, I should present somepersonal and family facts. Firstly, I have only one daughter, Manusi, who earlierused to attend an educational shop called a boarding school but who now goesto an ordinary government school. We have not pampered or spoilt her but arepreparing her for a life of struggle and revolution, and in this respect we aresatisfied with her progress. Secondly, it is not true that I joined the revolutionarymovement only after I completed my studies. I finished my Bachelors inArchitecture from Chandigarh (in India) in 1977/78 under the Colombo Plan. Ibecame aware of my responsibilities towards my country, wanted to do

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something for my country and then got involved in politics. I got enrolled for myMasters and PhD only to get a scholarship so that I could devote myself to self-study and think of ways in which I could get involved in the revolution. I mislednobody on this. I told the head of the Jawaharlal Nehru University [in Delhi]and reputed Indian leftist, the late professor Moonis Raza, and my PhDsupervisor, Dr Atiya Habib. They understood my problems and helped me.Many people have doubts about my PhD thesis. It was not purely a technicalone but was based on Marxist political economy and was titled “Natural andRegional Issues in Nepal’s Underdevelopment”. Thirdly, everyone connected toa revolution does not have to just carry a gun. According to one’s proclivities,and the necessities of a revolution, some carry a physical weapon and others amental weapon.

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I studied for two years at ASCOL in 1971-72. At that time there was hardlyany political activity taking place in the country. Banned parties had just begunto unite and go underground. I come from a very backward village where peopleare mostly farmers. I was the most educated one among my relatives and othervillagers and so there was no one to guide me in life or in politics. Besides beingaware that dynastic monarchy was not correct, I did not have any other politicalawareness. But this does not mean that I did not have a taste for politics at thattime. I used to read a lot of papers, and listen to speeches given by students alliedto different political parties. Elections at ASCOL at that time were notconducted on a panel basis, but one could votes candidates of different parties. Iremember I had voted for Prakash Man Singh from the Nepali Congress and the

late Madan Khatiwada from the leftists as my class representatives. At that timeRam Raja Prasad Singh, who had been elected from the graduate constituency,was not allowed to take his oath and was arrested. ASCOL was closed in protestand I, too, participated actively. Yet my political awareness was limited and Iconcentrated on my studies. After finishing my engineering degree in India, I sawthe pathetic state of Nepalis working in India, saw the inhumane attitude of theIndians towards the Nepalis, and thought about the backwardness of my villageand country. I began asking myself what the best way to live was, and what aperson was supposed to do on this earth. Searching for answers I slowly cameinto contact with Marxist-Leninist and Maoist thought and politics.

�� *+�,-(I cannot forget the time I spent at ASCOL because it left a very deep mark

on my personal life. At that time ASCOL was considered to be the best college inNepal and to be associated with it was an honour. Hard-working students fromall over the country used to join it but there was still a predominance of studentsfrom rich families, from the upper strata of society, and from Kathmandu.Students like us from villages and backward places were lumped together andthose from St. Xavier’s, St. Mary’s and other schools were put in other groups.On the first day of school we were asked to introduce ourselves and since I hadstood first in the SLC board examinations, I was made to give a speech in front of1500 students. This was my first public speech. I had some difficulty whilespeaking, but it was a good experience and I will never forget that. The behaviourand attitude of the English-speaking students created some problems for me, butafter I did very well in English, they too started respecting me. I used to live in asmall room on the ground floor of poet Lekhnath Poudel’s house in Thamel(where Saraswoti Campus stands today). I had to live on the Rs 100 that theMinistry of Education provided me as scholarship, a stipend from the MadanPuraskar Guthi, and the money awarded by the present king for scoring thehighest marks in geography. I did not have many friends, but since I was from avillage and had come first in SLC, everyone was friendly and helpful to me. �

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�� by DANIEL LAK

his week, with tales of woe pouring out at parties allover town, the misty, wintry blast chilling our bones,ten reasons why we must not despair, why things in Nepal

aren’t as bad as some say at the moment. This list is necessarilysubjective, arbitrary and may not make it past international anti-facetiousness firewalls. You have been warned.

1) The school strike was good for our kids. Take mine. Theymissed out on various activities that only go to perpetuate falsestereotypes about West Asian kings and magi. The usual seasonalbashing of innkeepers in small villages near Jerusalem fell by thewayside as the gates of the school remained shut tight. Some of uswere forced, nearly at gunpoint, to play with our children, to readwith them, to renounce the keyboard for a few days. And to top itoff, the strike is a one-off. It won’t happen again. Right guys? Right?

2) The cold, gloom, mist and frost that has us all huddlingtogether in pathetic knots of misery is good for adults. The westerncapitalist aim of making us all Atomised Individuals, good for little elseother than work or consumption, can’t be met while we’re going aroundgiving each other bear hugs, and passing around paper bagged bottles ofliquid warmth. Snuggle up, arms around shoulders, sing a few songs,and get to know your fellow man, and woman. There’s never been a

better time.3) Manchester United is on a losing streak. Or at least

they’re not devastating every opponent that dares to be on thesame pitch. Now I know all of you won’t rejoice in that. In fact Isuspect few of you will. But those of us who gallantly support sportsteams that believe in talent development and heart over money andbrand-name-ism, have seldom been happier. And besides, we know itwon’t last.

4) There is no number four this week but it has to be includedto make this list add up to ten. The next list will definitely have anumber four.

5) The American election is OVER. No more boring,interminable rubbish spouted by news channels, papers, magazinesand individuals around the world, most of whom knew only too wellthat whether Bore or Gush won in Florida, the World’s OnlySuperpower would continue much as it has for decades. So theSupreme Court has overruled the voters and said “Enough”,probably because even the stand-up comics were finding thingsdifficult to mime for jokes. That’s an end to it then. But then again,the president-elect is a regional politician, scion of a political family,of uncertainly intellectual capacity, and facing a bitter, divided and

deeply partisan Congress. So don’t celebrate too soon.6) Whisky tastes better in winter. This is a scientifically proven fact,

and if you don’t believe me, perform your own experiments.7) Nepali politicians are no more corrupt, venal or ignorant of the

condition of the masses than their counterparts in India, Pakistan (oops,forgot, no more politicians in Pakistan, scratch that) or Fiji for thatmatter. That’s something to think about. But does Nepal really want tobe compared with those places? Probably not. So just have anotherwhisky.

8) It’s wedding season. All over the place, happy families arespending vast sums to marry off sons, daughters and others, sending theminto that wonderful world of matrimony, adult-hood, child-rearing,prosperity and so on. Go raise a glass to the happy couple, any happycouple, and just smile wisely if they ask you if marriage is all it’s crackedup to be.

9) The Nepali Times is alive and well, seven months into its long andno doubt, exceedingly prosperous future. Long may it be with us.

10) Er, I’m off to the beach. No, not the sandy terrace of the JunglePub in Sauraha, but Bentota in Sri Lanka where none of the precedingnine points really matter all that much. Except for Man U that is. Longmay they lose. �

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henever Sanjay Dhital andhis wife Rosina have takena flight in the past year,

they’ve had goose bumps. It isespecially bad when cabin attendantsbring around the food. Sanjay says helooks around nervously half expectinga masked man to run down the aisleshouting “Get down.” Sanjay workedfor a Japanese medical charity inPeshawar and was flying back fromKathmandu just after getting marriedlast year when his Indian Airlines flightIC814 was hijacked just as the foodwas being served. “I have tried toavoid Indian Airlines since thenbecause the Kashmir problem was thereason for the hijack and it has notbeen solved,” he told us.

Last week, The Times of Indiareported that one of the hijackers ofIC814 had been spotted inKathmandu. For many here the reportwas a sharp reminder of the bias andscape-goating of Nepal by the Indianmedia last year in the aftermath of thehijacking. Nepalis need no reminding.The hijack and the prolongednegotiations that led to the release

had a political fallout that added toalready worsening Indo-Pakistanrelations and raised tensions in theregion. But what hassled manyNepalis was the ‘regional superpowerpress’ (in sheer number and soundbytes) putting the blame squarely on asmall neighbouring country, andaccusing it of harbouring Islamicmilitants and other sundry subversives.In Nepali eyes, the main culprit wasthe Zee News TV channel, whicheven had a computer simulation ofmilitants getting off a PIA plane andboarding the IA aircraft parked side byside, like passengers at a New Delhibus terminal. Indian magazines carried

pictures of madrassas in the tarai withcaptions saying they were trainingcentres for Islamic terrorists.

It suddenly became characteristicof a newly jingoistic Indian state andan equally obliging media that whilethings were not better managed athome it was better to deflectattention. Press coverage of thehijack distorted facts, lackedobjectivity, vilified an innocent andreduced the crisis itself into a mediaevent, all in the rush to beam thefirst breaking story. A year after thedrama, media critics even in India arenow admitting that the hijack waspart and parcel of the Kashmir

conflict between India andPakistan, and Nepal just gotcaught in the middle. Theresponse of the Indian statemachinery was to distractattention from its own long-termfailures in Kashmir and its initialbungling in reacting to the hijackby maligning a conveniently weakneighbour. So the story was notabout intelligence failure, or aboutsquandered options when theairliner stood on the tarmac atAmritsar airport. And what hurtNepalis most were the Zee Newsitems quoting “intelligencesources” that the hijackers hadbrandished Kalashnikovs evenbefore the plane entered Indianairspace and that a Nepali wasone of the hijackers; there was nocorrection after the reportsproved false.

The appearance of a story inthe press is itself conspiratorial.Hijacks are conspiratorial, and sowere the negotiations that endedthe hijack—no one has a clue as towhat actually transpired, howmuch money changed hands and

who was involved. But there’s astake in the fallout as well. Whobenefits from adverse mediacoverage? It is possible that thebudget for Indian intelligencegathering in Nepal has grown byleaps and bounds? There are thosewho benefit from a perceivedheightened security threat. Thenthere was the nearly six-month longhaggling over improving the securityof Kathmandu airport. Nepalis didnot want to allow Indian airlinessecurity checks on its “soil”, andfinally agreed to have a special rampwhere passengers would be frisked.The added security has made itmuch more of a hassle to travelIndian Airlines, compared to otherairlines. But most passengers havethe attitude: better safe than sorry.

Airport manager Rajesh RajDali says Kathmandu airport’ssecurity is now much tighter.“We’re now as good as any airportanywhere,” Dali told us in his officeoverlooking the runway. “We areproviding airlines all securityservices they have asked for.” Theairport now has a sterilisedpassenger hold where evenemployees—except those helpingboarding and authorised securitypersonnel—are not allowed to mixwith passengers. There is close-circuit television surveillance of allsensitive areas.

Checked-in baggage also passesthrough several screening processes:X-rayed first, and then screened fora second time upon request ofairlines. In addition it also allowssome airlines—upon request—toget passengers to identify theirchecked-in baggage on the apronbefore boarding. In addition to thehand baggage screening at theterminal, the Indian Airlines’ specialramp is where security personnel doa thorough body frisk. Pakistan

International Airlines also has bodyfrisking, but does that on thethreshold of the aircraft itself.Asked about inconvenience topassengers from long queues on theapron, Dali says: “There wereproblems when these new securitymeasures were introduced but wehave now streamlined it and wedon’t harass passengers. We haven’tgot any complaints from anyairlines.”

Another post-hijack developmentis the institutionalisation of theNational Civil Aviation SecurityCommittee that is headed by Nepal’sMinister of Tourism and CivilAviation, and the formation of similarsecurity committees in all airportsaround the country. One of thegreatest casualties of the hijacking wasNepal’s tourism industry. More than30 percent of the tourists in Nepal arehigh-spending Indian holidaymakerswho used to splurge in the restaurants,shopping centres and casinos ofKathmandu and Pokhara. FromJanuary to June, there were no IndianAirlines flights at all which cost theIndian carrier an estimated IRs 2.5million a day. But the damage toNepal’s tourism industry wascolossal, not just because Indianswere not coming, but also because athird of non-Indian tourists still flyin via New Delhi, Calcutta orBanaras. Luckily, tourism managedto recoup some of the losses with ahealthy autumn season despite theIndian numbers being down, whichhad more to do with new rulesabout only Indians and Nepaliswith passports or citizenship papersbeing allowed to fly between thetwo countries. Even though theflights have resumed, and thesecurity is tight, the fallout fromthe negative media coverage inIndia is going to take a long time toundo. �

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Daman Kumar Soni was sitting next to Rupin Katyal when thestabbings began. Satnam Singh was in the seat directlybehind Katyal. As the flight had made its way towardsAmritsar, the flight purser had been shifted to the twenty-fourth row. The hijackers had picked out eight well-builtpassengers, summoning them by crooking their fingers andmaking them get up. Daman Kumar Soni was among them.One at a time, they were asked to move to the executive classcabin where they were made to sit down, tightly belted in, andwith their seats reclined. “When I walked into the executiveclass, I saw an open bag with what looked like yellow nylonrope in it,” Soni says. “I wondered what it was for.” He wassoon to find out. The rope was used to tie the wrists of all theeight passengers who were belted into the seats in theexecutive class cabin. “They looked like handcuffs,”remembers Soni. Among those who were handcuffed withthem was a man called Chander Chhabra, a honeymoonerwhose name was Garg, at least another Indian in his thirties,and a foreigner with a beard and long hair who wasblindfolded.

In the cockpit, when the countdown began, bits of it couldbe heard through the cockpit door. “As it progressed, Soni

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.��!��"!��!��"�/��"!��01saw his life flash before his eyes. “It was excruciating. Animage of my family deity flashed before me. I thought we wereall going to die. It was a hopeless situation.” From the front,they could hear shouts: “Pilot, plane udao, plane udao (Fly theaircraft).”

Loud, angry exchanges emanating from the cockpit andoutside its door punctuated the air. A hijacker, later identified bythe passengers as Doctor, came rushing up with a small knife,no larger than those used in a kitchen, to the rows where thepassengers were tied down. “He started stabbing Rupin,hitting him repeatedly at least 20-25 times. It was all so fast, itlooked like he was pounding a roll of dough.”

Doctor then went towards the cockpit door but came backand once more began to assault the mild-mannered Katyalwith the small knife. He then moved to the seat behind him andbegan to attack Satnam Singh. While everyone else stayedquiet, Chander Chhabra began to plead for mercy. Doctoraimed a kick at his face to silence him. Another foreigner, aBelgian, was also struck. Blood was soon dripping down theseats and on to the floor. �

(Excerpted from IC814 Hijacked! by Anil K Jagga andSaurabh Shukla, Lotus 2000)

522 - 28 DECEMBER 2000 ��

tissot

$� �$��All pictures accompanying the article Ganja Nation (Nepali Times #21)were by Shribhakta Khanal instead of what appeared, except the photographof the India-Nepal border on p6 which was by Chandra Kishore Jha.

Friday, 24 DecemberI couldn’t get the PIA flight to Peshawar [via Karachi], so we hadto fly Indian Airlines. The flight was two hours late. We took offand half an hour later were served lunch. I’d begun eating when Iheard shouting “Heads down, don’t move.” Looking back, I sawthree masked men running up the aisle. Two had pistols, the third,a grenade. They shouted in Hindi: “Don’t move or we’ll shoot.” Istopped eating, put my head on my knees, shut my eyes andwaited. An announcement came over the PA system: “The planehas been hijacked. Don’t try to be smart. Keep your heads down.Or we’ll shoot you.” The captain came on: “We’ve been hijacked,try to be patient, obey instructions.” We had to blindfoldourselves. The plane descended and landed somewhere. I thought:if there’s a commando raid, it will be now. But we took off 25minutes later. I was really scared. My wife began to cry, and Iheld her hand. The plane landed one more time, and took offagain.

Saturday, 25 DecemberWe landed for the fourth time. There was no way to tell where wewere. We were made to sit at the back of the plane. We weregiven four biscuits each and water for lunch and asked if weneeded to use the toilets. We could take the blindfolds off. It wasdifficult to hold back the tears. My wife glanced at me as I wipedaway my tears. She ate two biscuits. There was total silence.Around 10 pm they brought food—hard rice, beans, water. It wasvery cold, and we heard later that the temperature outside wasminus eight degrees. It was difficult to sleep.

Sunday, 26 DecemberI was very thirsty and asked one of the hijackers, a reasonablefellow called “Doctor”, for water. He poured me a soda. They putour blindfolds back on, and in the afternoon gave us naan servedon Afghan Airlines cutlery. I knew we must be in Afghanistan.

Monday, 27 DecemberThe captain said: “No one has come to rescue us, the Indiangovernment is doing nothing. I’ve asked for international help onCNN and BBC.” The hijackers said: “Your government doesn’twant you, why should you return? Let us all die together.” Theycursed the UN and the US saying Muslims are dying in Chechnyaand no one is bothered. Around noon they said UN diplomats werecoming from Islamabad. An Indian team was expected byevening. The hijackers looked more relaxed. We did not need to beblindfolded, and could talk softly. Deep within I was worried they

had major demands. That evening, a passenger was asked torecite dialogues by Gabbar Singh [a character from an old Hindifilm]. The atmosphere was lively at times.

Tuesday, 28 DecemberOne hijacker was called Burger. Negotiations were on and heeven joked a little.

Wednesday, 29 DecemberBiscuits for breakfast. Women got milk. The smell from thetoilets was unbearable and I was worried about diarrhoea.Someone came to clean them, which was a relief. Burgerinteracted with passengers—women called him bhaiya [brother].Talks were still on, and they served us chicken. For the firsttime, I could sleep today.

Thursday, 30 DecemberSuddenly, the atmosphere on the plane was different. Burgerappeared with a megaphone and woke us up. “I have bad news,the talks aren’t going anywhere. The Indiangovernment didn’t agree to our demands.There is only one thing we can do now—kill you and ourselves. Your governmentdoesn’t not care about you. We will beginkilling you one by one. I may appearfriendly, but I can be tough. Think aboutAllah, recite his name.” This was it. Afteran hour Burger asked: “Does anyonewant to eat?” No one spoke. Then Gajendra, a Nepali, asked forfood. He ate well. At noon Burger went to see the chief. Hereturned after 15 minutes, smiling, “Salaam alaikum friends. Atthe Taliban’s humble request, the Indian government is talkingagain. Pray to Allah.” An hour and a half hour later,he appeared saying, “Congratulations, 80 percentof our demands have been met.” We wererelieved, and waited. Burger asked if we wanted togive the Taliban a token of our appreciation. Wedecided to present them with a model of theaircraft we were on with details of the hijacking.Burger said: “Brothers and sisters, pleaseforgive us. We did not want to cause you allthis trouble. Your families have suffered alot. We want to hear that you’ve forgivenus.” Everyone said in Hindi, we forgiveyou. Burger said “Have a good trip back,”and stepped off the aircraft.

Soon after Sanjay Dhital and Rosina were married, he had to be back at his job with a Japanese charity in Peshawar. So their journey was going tobe like a honeymoon trip. Well, almost, for as they boarded IC 814 in Kathmandu on 24 December last year, they could hardly imagine they’d gothrough such a traumatic ordeal. Nepali Times presents excerpts from Sanjay’s diary:

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�� !��2��3!��It’s official. We now have an IT policy. Last week the Ministerfor Science and Technology called a press conference todiscuss the policy and announced that the governmenthoped to earn Rs 10 billion from hardware and softwareexports in the next five years. IT is to be declared a nationalpriority sector in which the government would be all: the“promoter,” “facilitator,” and “regulator.” It is also proposed todeclare IT companies “essential services” to ensure that thesector is not affected by strikes and bandhs.

The government also envisages setting up a venturecapital fund and an IT park in Banepa that would be used asan “incubator” to nurture new companies. Companies thatset up operations would be allowed to import equipment bypaying just one percent customs duty for five years. However,the customs concessions specified by the policy would beapplicable only to training institutes. And they will need therecommendation of the to-be-formed National InformationTechnology Centre (NITC). In addition to recommendingduties, the NITC is also to work on computerisation ofgovernment offices, develop content, design and assist thegovernment in designing websites.

Other “will do” statements include establishing Internetnodes in all districts within three years and taking the Net tothe villages. It also specifies that telephone charges forInternet use would be gradually reduced—in contradiction toreports that the Nepal Telecommunications Corporationplans to raise local call tariffs (see: Nepali Times #21).

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�!��!�� !��The Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist), generallyknown as Ma-Le, managed to keep itself together by agreeingon a last-minute compromise to keep its central leadershipvirtually unchanged. The first formal national convention of the

ML, held 7-13 December, endorsed Sahana Pradhan asPresident and Bam Dev Gautam as the all-powerfulGeneral Secretary. The ML split from the parent UML party

about 33 months ago and was completely routed in theparliamentary elections of May 1999. Powerful dissident

CP Mainali has been given charge of the westerndevelopment region and two other party organisations, while

Devi Prasad Ojha is to head the party’s publicity wing.

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6 22 - 28 DECEMBER 2000 ��

ritish Defence MinisterGeoffrey Hoon skirted thegritty issue of British Gurkha

pay and pension during his visit toKathmandu last week. But it willnot go away because it raises a webof complex questions, and not onlyfor the British and Nepaligovernments. At issue is more thanthe matter of mere monetary paritybetween British and Gurkhasoldiers in pay and pension.

Individual fortunes are, nodoubt, important. Why should SgtBalram Rai’s supreme sacrifice bevalued at less than that of a whiteBritish soldier? Only racialdiscrimination and the injustice itlegitimises as “fair-play” canaccount for the absence ofinternational outrage at theperpetuation of such bias. If SgtRai’s death is of relatively lesservalue then why was there apremium on his life as apeacekeeper in Kosovo? Of equalconcern is that after more than 50years, a Gurkha soldier whosurvived the horrors of Japanese

POW camp is not entitled to the£10,000 the British parliament hasvoted as compensation for victimsfrom its own country. And why?Because, the British argument goes,the Gurkhas were “technicallyIndian Army units” before 1947.Come on. Before 1947 India was apart of the British Empire.

Peacekeeping, it seems, isreplete with horrors almost asrepugnant as war waging.Peacekeepers of the world first goto war against “ethnic cleansing” inthe Balkans, and then they applythe same principle to different racesin their own peacekeeping force.Just shows that peacekeeping by thepoorer countries of the world toprotect the wealth, economy,security and strategic interests ofthe advanced industrial nations isfraught with the same perils as war.When it comes to the vulnerable

underbelly of Fortress Europe,people of all countries and races arerallied to the cause of“peacekeeping”. Western securityand strategic interests are toovaluable to be guarded by lives fromthe West alone. But when peace isat stake in places that have fallenoff the globalisation map, likeSierra Leone and, earlier Somalia,then peacekeeping is left to “thirdworlders”. The West has littlesecurity and strategic concerns tomotivate intervention in theseconflicts except when the domesticcompassion factor generated bytelevision images of misery getspolitically too hot to bear.

The problem with the poorercountries is not economicbackwardness alone. The people ofthese countries are also poor inlearning the lessons they shouldfrom such conflicts and the

by SHASTRI RAMACHANDRAN��

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discrimination inherent in them.Their governments collaborate withthe advanced countries that havealready subordinated the UnitedNations to their own objectives inthe name of globalisation,democracy, peace and humanrights. These governments earnhard currency by sendingcontingents of their armed forces aspeacekeeping troops. Everyone ishappy with this cosy dollariseddeal. Only the poor in poorcountries are twice betrayed: by therich nations and by their owngovernments.

Yet, these governments neverlearn. Even as the issue ofdiscrimination in pay and pensionof Gurkha soldiers in the Britisharmy is raging—and Nepalisentiment is deeply offended—theNepali government wants itssoldiers to be included in the UN

peacekeeping mission to SierraLeone. This is asking to be lynched.Foreign Minister Chakra PrasadBastola has gone a step further: hewants British help to establish aregional international trainingcentre for peacekeepers inPanchkhal. Yes, the same Britishwith whom he ought to have takenup the pay-and-pension issue that isagitating Nepalis.

The Western world doesn’t wantbody bags coming back from its war-waging or peacekeeping theatres. It ispolitically expensive and explosive

even if it comes with a hefty paypacket. Cheaper, and smarter, to getthose developing country soldiers topull chestnuts out of the fires ragingaround the world at any given time.The least we can do is learn about thecosts of war and peace, and learn tospeak for the interests of our ownpeople. Maybe the Japanese wouldhave been forgiven for their barbaricPOW camps sooner had the victimsnot been from the Western world. �

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If the government gets itsparamilitary ordinance passed, theinsurgency could see a dangerousescalation. With semi-automaticweapons, helicopters and betterequipment on both sides, casualtyrates would rise. The governmenthas anticipated the generals’displeasure and stipulated in thedraft ordinance that theparamilitary would be under thearmy’s command in situationswhere they are deployedsimultaneously. (After the Dunaimassacre in September, the armyhas been partially deployed in 16district headquarters.) The newforce will initially be staffed withtransfers from the army and thepolice.

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The draft paramilitary bill will allow the force to be used to• control armed conflict, or its likelihood;• control any armed rebellion or separatist movements;• control terrorist activities;• control ethnic clashes;• help in relief operations during natural calamities and

other emergencies;• tackle hostage-taking;• provide security along the borders; and• fight alongside the Royal Nepal Army in the event of war.

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With daggers drawn on bothsides and peace talks stalled, mostpolitical observers fear the worst asthe Maoists move into the occupypolitical space left vacant bygovernment inaction. The Maoistssay they are now taking theirstruggle from the “StrategicDefence” phase to “StrategicBalance”. In Mao jargon, thatmeans creating alternativegovernance structures to fill thegovernance vacuum in the mid-western hills. During this stage,Mao said, guerrilla armies must also be ready for frontal warfare with the

enemy. If that is what his Nepalidisciples are preparing for, theDunai siege could be a sign ofbigger battles to come.

The Maoist leadership doeshave their own internal challengesto face: their junior cadre are armedand impatient, but not adequatelypoliticised. They don’t want theviolence to spiral out of controleven as they reign in a guerrillaforce that has tasted blood.Escalating violence will help rightistforces who want to go back to pre-1990 days, while a negotiatedsolution is likely to benefit theUML. “The dilemma for theMaoists is that by agreeing to apeaceful resolution now they wouldhave to settle for a constituentassembly after sacrificing 2,000

(Clockwise from top) Guerrillas onthe move at night transportingwounded, young out-of-uniform, butgarlanded, Maoists get ready to moveout of camp, and a guerrilla trainingcamp in a jungle clearing in mid-western Nepal lives. That would be an

unacceptable price to pay,” saysHari Roka.

Recently the Maoists have beensounding out centre/left partiesabout an alliance for a “people’sstruggle”—this could be taken as anindication that they are looking for

a soft landing. Maoist leaders couldbe looking at the long term wherethey foresee a scenario whereserious instability caused by theinsurgency may be used by theformer autocratic forces to regaintheir lost powers, or even costNepal its independence. �

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722 - 28 DECEMBER 2000 ��

Dev Kumari Thapa is one of the most established Nepali writers writingtoday. Born in 1927 in Kurseong, India, she has made Biratnagar her home.She is the author of several short story collections and children’s books, andhas headed the Biratnagar Sahitya Sansthan. The story translated below wasoriginally published six years ago in Samakalin Sahitya #14, and it shows offthe author’s skill in painting an evocative social portrait in a short, concisestyle. The story captures the turbulence of the life of the simple, earnest,imperfect everyman in a society structured for injustice.

��His name may be Som Bahadur, but everyone just calls him Maila Dai.Even he doesn’t know how old he is. He could be twenty or he could besixty. There are countless lines on his face, but his hair is thick and black.His teeth are straight, strong and white, his complexion fair. Maila is slim,short, energetic and garrulous. All kinds of people come to his shop formamacha. All kinds of chatter take place there. Without any forethought,he adds his own views to the opinions of his clients. He bears an intolerableacrimony towards the well-to-do. He says, ‘The merchants of the hills gulpthe fields of the poor; the merchants of the terai ruin their vigour by mixinginedibles into foodgrains. You can’t find a single authentic red-hot Nepalithese days. How will this country ever last?’ He sighs heavily. ‘We’rebecoming the kanchhas and bahadurs of foreigners not just abroad, butinside our country as well.’ Clients laugh when they hear his words, andsome of them ask, ‘You give great speeches, Maila Dai, why don’t you joinone of the parties?’ He says, ‘Who’ll fill my stomach if I join the parties?After being sacked from four separate jobs, I’ve had my fill of jobs, too.That’s why I’ve opened this mamacha shop. Now if I join a party, who’llrun this shop?’ One client shouts, ‘Get married, then!’ Maila laughs, ‘I’vemarried thrice already, how many more times should I marry? None of mywives last, they just make off with all my possessions.’ At this, everyonebreaks into guffaws. He too laughs. He looks jovial. That’s how Maila is.

His first job was at our office. That’s when I got to know him. Maila, orSom Bahadur, had impressed everyone with his work as a peon. Energeticand cheerful, he did as everyone bade. For the bosses, he willingly broughttea, biscuits and cigarettes, he dusted the chairs, and he carried files; he alsosatisfied all the others. I, the accountant at that office, became quite close

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to him. He used to come to my lodgings and do some shopping for mymother. Sometimes my mother would give him some simple snacks. Oneday he brought us tomatoes and collard greens. My mother scolded him forsquandering his money. But I understood—he’d done that because of hisown self-respect. My mother used to feed him every now and then; andfeeling uneasy at this, he brought small gifts of vegetables on his visits.

One day something that had never happened took place in our office.The boss was heard shouting, ‘Get out at once!’ We were all surprised. Henever shouted, even when upset. What had happened? After a while, SomBahadur emerged from the boss’s room, red and flustered. He came to mychair and said, ‘Sir, write my resignation letter.’ This was an order, not aplea. Everyone was startled, and we advised him not to leave his job sohastily. He didn’t agree, and started to become insistent. So I composed hisresignation letter and typed it for him. As soon as he signed the letter, heleft the office without so much as a namaste, as though he were some kindof victor! There was a lot of talk about him at the office that day.

That evening, he came to our house. Even before I could ask, he began,‘Sir, that boss is a thief.’ I smiled weakly, and said, ‘Dhut, nonsense.’ Hesaid, ‘It’s true! Sir, for many days he’s been forcing me to steal. I couldn’tstand it any more, and so I revolted today.’ He didn’t say refused; he saidrevolted. My ears pricked to attention. He was using the words of apolitician. I asked, ‘What happened?’ And he said, ‘Last week I broughtpurchases worth five thousand to the office, along with a bill. The boss keptthe bill, and gave me orders to take all the purchases to his house. I didthat, but a revolt took place in my heart. After that, on four other occa-sions, I took purchases meant for the office to his house. But today I put allthe purchases on a cart and took them straight to the Sir at the office’sstore room, along with the bill. The Sir from the store room later gave thebill to the boss, and the boss exploded at me. So naturally I answered back.He’s a man who’s digested all his shame!’ To this, I said nothing. Therewasn’t anything to say.

After that, Som Bahadur started to run after another job. He lost a lotof weight in the process. Finally, he found work as a night guard at thewarehouse of a merchant. He even got married. He didn’t last long at hisguard job, though. There were bound to be irregularities at that warehouse.So he ‘revolted,’ and he got thrown out. His wife went to visit her parents,

and she never returned. After that, Maila once again began to wander aboutin search of work. I placed him as a labourer at a mill. He didn’t last thereeither; so I placed him in another mill. He couldn’t last there either, so Itold him, ‘Look, Maila, you don’t possess the traits one needs to hold a job;why don’t you do some trade instead? You won’t have to stay underanyone’s orders.’ He smiled wanly and said, ‘What trade can I do, Sir? Thelittle money I had, my wife took when she went to her parents.’ I said, ‘Iknow. I can take out a thousand from my retirement funds….’ Cutting meoff, he said, ‘No, Sir. You have to look after your mother. You haven’t beenable to settle a proper home. I won’t use your money.’ I assured him, ‘Itwon’t be charity, fool. I’ll loan you that money. You can pay me later.’ Afew days later, he opened his mamacha shop. His shop did quite well, andhe returned my thousand rupees before long. He even started to play withhis extra cash, but he never managed to make a home. Maila wouldn’tmarry an ordinary girl, and smart girls wouldn’t tolerate his abuse. Indeed,his temper was very bad. He let loose with his fists over the most triflingmatters.

After leaving four jobs, Maila could finally play with a few paisa, thanksto his independent business; the course of his life had found a place to rest,at last. Sometimes he came to visit my mother, carrying fruits or sweets. Mymother loved him as her own son.

There was a lot of unrest in the market. Demonstrations, strikes,chakka jams, peaceful processions—unheard-of debacles. I was standingat the window, surveying the spectacle. A huge crowd of demonstratorsappeared in front of my house. Youths, middle-aged men and women,the elderly, and children were waving about their arms and chantingslogans as they marched past, carrying placards with slogans painted onred cloth. A fair, skinny, short man was shaking his fists, hollering andleaping about. His whole body was shiny with sweat, and he wasentirely naked except for a short lungi tied below his waist. I called mymother, and indicated that man with my index finger. At first, mymother was surprised. Then she started to giggle, ‘There, now, evenMaila’s started to join demonstrations. Look, he’s jumping around likea monkey.’ She laughed again.

And I thought—the course of Som Bahadur’s life’s journey has startedyet once again. �

��ll who know Calcutta willfind the subject of mysketch, familiar: the rearing

bronze horse, the rider, sword-handresting on his charger’s flank,looking searchingly over his rightshoulder. In Calcutta, it is perhapsthe most brilliantly conceived of allthe heroic bronzes of Britishviceroys and famous generals thatonce galloped the maidan and arenow tucked away under trees in theVictoria Memorial or drawn up insome semblance of review in the oldGovernment House at Barrackpore.This particular bronze, or rather itslook-alike, used to occupy thetraffic island opposite Park Streetuntil it made way for the statue ofMahatma Gandhi. Where wagsonce offered the vision of GeneralSir James Outram charging upfashionable Park Street to have teaat Flurys and Trincas or read a newhistory of his times at the OxfordBook Depot, they may now suggesthe is galloping away from thetemptations of the street. In fact, he

is forever frozen, leading a chargeagainst the besieged residency inLucknow and he wears the uniformof the Bengal Army which hecommanded.

There is the magnificentcharger, every muscle and veinfaithfully portrayed, its tailstreaming behind it. It requires onlythe slightest imagination to see thesweat coursing down its flanks andfoam flecking its face. InKathmandu, the rider is GeneralJung Bahadur, first Rana primeminister of Nepal, proud in all hisdecorations and wearing, perhaps,the legendary pearl necklacepurchased from Nana Sahib. QueenVictoria had honoured him with theKnight Grand Cross of the Order ofthe Bath. Prince Louis Napoleon,later Napoleon III of France,presented him with his jewelled

sword and the Emperor of Chinahad bestowed upon him thecountry’s highest (and mostunpronounceable) award,accompanied by the Double-EyedPeacock Feather and the SableCoat. The general wears the gem-encrusted crown of the maharajaprime ministers, the bird of paradiseplumes arching behind. Hispenetrating backward glance couldbe for any number of reasons, sinceJung Bahadur, almost endlesslyinvolved in plots and coups andpalace intrigues, was forever onguard against assassination attemptsas bizarre as any history hascontrived. Pointing to a portrait inhis palace at Thapathali, he isquoted as saying to his companion,the British author of Journey toKathmandu, Laurence Oliphanti,‘This is my poor uncle MathabarSingh, whom I shot. It is very likehim.’

A marble plaque set in thepedestal, decorated with the moonand the sun, a khukri, cannon balls,the imprint of feet, a rifle and asword, bears the legend ‘HisExcellency Maharaja Sir JungBahadur Rana G.C.B & G.C.S.I.Though Ling Pim Mako KangWang Sian. Prime Minister andCommander-in-Chief, Nepal. Born19th Ashad 1874 Sambat. Died27th Phagoon 1933.’ Surprisingly,there is also an inscription inPersian, and the sculptor’s name,

T. Brook, London 1881, isinscribed on the base of thestatue.

Which came first,the Outram or the JungBahadur statue? Outram’sobviously. Though the renownedsculptor J.H. Foley RA omits toadd a date to his signature, aninscription tells us that the bronzewas cast by R. Masefield & Co.Founders, London, in 1873. Thegeneral had died ten years earlier, soI wonder if he ever sat for hislikeness. I had always taken it forgranted that both the Calcutta andKathmandu statues were the workof one man, but Jung Bahadur’sstatue has the name T. Brooks,London, 1881, inscribed on itsbase: Brooks being one of Foley’sassistants, a brilliant copyist orresponsible for casting the secondbronze from the original mould.Jung Bahadur died in 1877, so onceagain the statue is posthumous andone is left wondering how thesculptor arrived at so detailed andperfect a likeness. Whatever theanswers to an intriguing situation,there is no doubt that these twoalmost identical equestrian statuesare among the finest anywhere.

Jung Bahadur wasn’t the onlyRana prime minister perpetuated inbronze. They almost all were, andKathmandu’s Tundikhel or Maidan,exhibits some outstanding statuary—one achieving the almost

impossible by having the horse rearup on a single hind leg. Famousnames in heroic statuary werecommissioned abroad. I know ofonly one exception, a sadlydispirited bronze of a later primeminister that commissioned locally,was considered too inferior to erectamong its gallant brethren onKathmandu’s maidan. It stands,rather incongruously, in a templecourtyard.

What was amazing was the featof getting these cumbersome andvastly heavy monuments toKathmandu, as they belong to thetime when everything imported hadto be carried over the mountainsbetween Nepal and India.Limousines, royal carriages,extravagant chandeliers, hugeVenetian mirrors, grand pianos andsuites of ponderous furniture allwere brought in on backs of porterstoiling up precarious trails. Fragilechandeliers could find replacements

for parts—broken mirrors musthave been a headache—but how toreplace a delicate finger broken orplacate the bad omen of adecapitated prime minister?Carrying an elephant would havebeen easier.

There is a third in this trilogy ofsimilar equestrian statues; that ofNetaji Subhas Chandra Bose at theSham Bazaar crossing. There is nodoubt where the inspiration camefrom. A hundred years separates theoriginal two and the disproportio-nate third, but there must be amoral somewhere in a singleinspired work serving the memoryof three such widely different butdistinguished men: a dashing Nepaliprime minister, a British generaland an Indian hero of Indepen-dence. �

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MIN

BA

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Oil: The recent slide of crude oil prices, by about 20percent, has spurred calls in the cartel to cut outputagain. OPEC members are concerned that fourconsecutive output increases in 2000 will lead to aprolonged slump in prices.

Currencies: Recent economic data reinforcedperceptions that the US economy is slowing down,allowing Europe space to catch-up. The Euro endedthe week sharply higher against the dollar and yen.The euro rose to 90 cents, its highest in three monthsand a gain of 2-1/2 cents on the week. It also surgedto a four-month peak against the yen.

INDIAN RUPEE OUTLOOK: The rupee is expected toremain ranged against the dollar amid thin corporateflows and inter-bank volume. Foreign funds could buydollars for year-end repatriation. They have been netbuyers in Indian stock markets so far—added$222.2m investment in November. Lacking strongimport demand, state-run banks may buy dollars tokeep the rupee from appreciating.

8 22 - 28 DECEMBER 2000 ��

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Average rate of 91 days T/Bill improvedslightly this week as the surplusliquidity in the banking sector was seenslightly reduced. The average T/Bill rateis expected to remain under pressurein coming weeks as commercial banksare expected to offload their long dollarposition. Expected range for next week4.20 to 4.30%.

AG/USD CURRENT * WK/AGO %CHG

OIL (barrel ) 29.06 28.44 + 2.18

GOLD (ounce) 270.45 272.50 - 0.75

GOLD (NPR*) 7100 7200 - 1.39

EUR 0.8981 0.8832 + 1.69

GBP 1.4774 1.4443 + 2.29

JPY 112.58 110.79 + 1.62

CHF 1.6754 1.7077 - 1.89

UD 0.5449 0.5438 + 0.20

INR 46.75 46.75 -*Currency bid prices at 2.30 p.m. on 18/12Source: Reuters

CURRENCY UPDATE

NEPALI RUPEE CURRENT%

PREVIOUS%

Call Money Avg. 5.15 5.25

84 Days t/bill 5.08 -

91 Days t/bill 5.28 5.26

364 Days t/bill 4.87 5.73

INTEREST RATE UPDATE

USD EUR GBP JPY CHF

LENDING 9.50 6.50 6.00 1.50 5.13

LIBOR (1M) 6.69 4.95 5.99 0.94 3.32

FOREIGN CURRENCY: Interest rates

BANK RATES (DEPO/LENDING)Mkt Hi/Lo Mkt Avg

S/A NPR 6.0/3.5 5.23

F/D 1 YR 7.5/6.0 6.73

OVERDRAFT 15.5/12.5 13.54

TERM LOAN 14.5/13.0 13.37

IMPORT LN 13.0/10.5 11.52

EXPORT LN 13.0/10.0 10.63

MISC LOAN 17.5/13.5 15.03

mul

tisys

All prices are in US dollars, collected from informal sources, and are only indicative.

0.74 0.37 0.40 0.22 0.37 0.04 53.76

0.68 0.36 0.58 0.36 0.21 0.02 46.76

0.64 0.36 0.57 0.28 0.13 0.05 46.75

0.25 0.28 0.40 0.30 0.42 0.21 11.82

0.41 0.43 0.52 0.22 0.12 0.03 57.90

0.73 0.36 0.60 0.23 0.19 0.03 82.65

0.65 0.38 0.63 0.36 0.30 0.09 74.30

�� by ARTHA BEED

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��Nepal’s first chemical fertiliser plant was formally inaugurated last week. The Luna NepalChemical Fertilisers—a Rs 260 million Nepal-India joint venture—promises to produce 60-80,000 metric tons of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash-based compounds while providingdirect employment to 600 people. Nepalis own 20 percent of the factory’s stock, and theremaining 80 percent is held by Indian investors.

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�� !��"�Surya Tobacco Company bagged Nepal’s first National Safety Award for having the safestworkplace among 65 competing industries. The award was given as part of the NationalSafety Week, 3-9 December, and Surya won it for adhering to European environment, healthand safety standards. Safety evaluation was conducted by a three-member jury comprising ofB.B. Chhetri, chief of the Occupational Safety and Health Project, S.N. Vaidya, director, Depart-ment of Labour and C. Pinnagoda, International Labour Organisation.

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��!��#��Maruti Trading has begun marketing six brands of chocolates made by Baker’s Pride, anOman-based company. All the six new brands—Oasis, Bang, Zoom, Mega, Island and Bravo—come in 20-30 gm consumer packs and are priced at Rs 11.

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��$��Chitwan is gearing up to welcome 150,000 Christmas and New Year’s visitors at the ChitwanFestival 2000 (26 December to 2 January) to be organised at Champachaur in Narayanghat.There’ll be 275 stalls selling everything from food and tourism trinkets to elephant rides andboating on the Narayani River, say the organisers.

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%$��"��"��Cane growers of Sarlahi and the management of the local Indu Shanker Sugar Mill havereached an agreement on a higher price for sugarcane. According to the new terms, the priceof cane delivered at the factory gates is now Rs 136 per quintal, up from the previous Rs 125.The government sugar factories have fixed the price of cane at Rs 131 per quintal.

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� ��%�� Public transport operators have begun to protest the government’s decision to get rid of allvehicles that are more than 20 years old by mid-November 2001. The vehicles have begunflying black flags, and this form of protest will continue until 5 January. They also plan tosubmit a memorandum to the Prime Minister asking reconsideration of the decision. Shouldthat fail to change things, transporters say, they’ll enter phase two of the protest, which willinclude shutdowns in Kathmandu Valley and across the country. No dates have yet been given.If the government follows up with implementation, the streets will have 10-15,000 fewervehicles by this time next year. Next on the hit list of the Ministry of Population and Environment(MOPE) are two-stroke motorcycles, which are said to number anywhere between 30-35,000.

he national icon of corruption hasnever failed to grab headlines.Each new deal by the flag carrier

is invariably followed by controversyand provides an excellent platform forpolitical mud-slinging. In the absenceof other ecoomic activities, RNAC isone of the few areas that the corruptcan make a killing. The corporation,with its Rs 6 billion expenditure,represents an outflow of about 1.6percent of the national GDP, makingit one of the largest disbursements.Politicians and others therefore loveto dip their fingers into this honeypot. That is why it is also the bestexample of the business-politics-bureaucracy nexus—raking in millionsat the cost of the nation.

It is almost a given thatcorruption cannot be rooted out fromRoyal Nepal Airlines. That is whysome people argue that thecorporation should be left alone andthat one should look at the positiveside of the aircraft deals. Moreaircraft, albeit with some money madeon the side, will certainly contribute

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to the nation’s tourism business. Thatis the kind of rationale behindadvertisements in the print media (notthis one) supporting the decision tolease the Lauda Air 767.

The airline is yet to explain why itdid not approach Boeing or AirbusIndustrie directly instead of using anagent out of Australia. The only answercan be that the kickbacks are nowbased on lease rentals which ensures asteady flow of cash rather than a one-time payment, and that is why thecorporation never even thought ofbuying a new aircraft and stuck toleasing.

The issue is not about this oneaircraft deal alone but with the way thecorporation stands today. Withaccumulated losses more than doublethe capital invested, financial solvencyis a mirage. Added to that are debts tobe repaid and outstanding dues climbto infinity. The break-even level ofoperation is always above the capacitylimit. This means that the airline has tocarry more passengers than its planescan carry if it is to meet expenses andoverheads. The corporation has always

taken comfort from the fact that it isless bankrupt than Indian Airlines andhas used the financial situation of theIndian company as its benchmark foroperations.

A corporation led by politicalappointees and saddled with over1800 disgruntled employees may findit difficult to get a managementcompany that can work a turnaround.The question of handing over theairline on a management contracttherefore does not arise at all. Even ifthe government tries to sell it off, itmay not find takers for a near-insolvent company. For one, the realstate of finances at the corporation isunknown since the last time itsaccounts were audited was five yearsago. Even the prime real estate atNew Road may not be able providethe attraction that many peoplebelieve it will. So the governmentactually has no option but to keepRoyal Nepal Airlines flying somehowso that politicians can keep interferingand milking it for what it’s worth. �

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22 - 28 DECEMBER 2000 �� 9

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s legend has it, the idea ofan elephant polotournament in Nepal was

born at a bar in St Moritz in1981 as Jim Edwards of TigerTops was chatting with a poloenthusiast and whiskey magnate.As the night got merrier, thegame began to take shape. It mayhave evaporated with the nextmorning’s hangover had Jim afew weeks later not got atelegram (no email in those days)from his drinking buddy saying:“Have stick and balls. Getelephants ready.”

And so began the first-everinvitational internationalelephant polo tournament at theMeghauli airfield outside theRoyal Chitwan National Park.

Last week, the 19th AnnualWorld Elephant Polo AssociationChampionships were held withten teams taking part in twoleagues. Tiger Tops Tuskers tookaway the WEPA 2000 trophy,winning the championship in abrilliant display of gamesmanshipin the final match against theSwissair Jumbos. The Eldoradoteam from the USA won theAmateur Quaich Cup in a hotlycontested battle with the ScrewyTuskers.

Elephant polo rules havechanged over the years, butbasically each game consists oftwo chukkers of ten minutes

playing time each, with elongatedtwo-metre polo sticks and regularpolo balls. (Footballs were onceused, but they exploded under thefeet of elephants as they dribbled.)The field used to be regular polofield size, but the elephants tooktoo long to get to the other side sothey have since been reduced to100 m x 60m. Each team nowfields three elephants, each with amahout and player wearing acolonial-style pith helmet. Forthose who have watched horsepolo, it is like watching the gamein slow motion. Someonedescribed it as: “one of the world’sfastest games on one of nature’sslowest beasts.” Or as JimEdwards puts it: “Elephant polo islike playing golf from the back of aslow-moving Range Rover.”

The game is not easy and slowas it looks. A team’s performancedepends on coordination betweenthe elephants and their life-longdrivers called mahouts, betweenvarious elephants in the sameteam, the accuracy of the passesand the ability of the forwardelephants to outrun theopponents. For sake of fairness,the mounts and elephants areswapped at half-time betweenchukkers. Other important rules:• Elephants are not allowed to

squat or lie down in front ofthe goals.

• Elephants aren’t allowed topick up the ball with the trunk at

any time. Opposing team gets afree hit if there is a foul.

• If players fall off elephants, play isstopped until they get back on.

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19th WEPA Championship Rankings

1. Tiger Tops Tuskers (Iceland)

2. Swissair (Switzerland)

3. Chivas Regal (India)

4. National Parks (Nepal)

5. British Gurkha Gladiators (UK)

6. The Tigresses (International)

7. Eldorado (USA)

8. Screwy Tuskers (USA)

9. Harry Winston Rough Cuts (Japan)

10. Cresta Poonanhis (South Africa)

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Let the games begin (above), the clash ofthe titans (left).

• Pooper-scoopers are allowedonto the field to pick upelephant droppings during play.

• Elephants are allowed to be fedpick-me-ups (sugarcane ballspacked with molasses and rocksalt) at the end of the match.Mahouts can have a cold beer,but not elephants.

• Personal fouls include: hittinganother player, elephant orreferee with stick, or elephantstanding on ball.Before it was revived in Nepal,

there are very few records to showwhere elephant polo actually began.Miniature Mughal paintings depictwhat look like women hitting ballswith long sticks from the backs ofelephants. The Maharajah of Jaipurin the Indian state of Rajasthan,who was a pony polo aficionado,staged an experimental match 50years ago, just as a joke, replacingthe ponies with elephants.

The WEPA championships areinvitational and invitations are sentout from the Association’sheadquarters at Tiger Tops in theRoyal Chitwan National Park.Entrance fees are $5,000 per team,and entrants include Steven Swig, arich lawyer from San Fransisco, AlfErickson of Fort Lauderdale,Florida, another lawyer who alsoindulges in hot-air ballooning andcollecting corkscrews. Erickson’steam, called Screwy Tuskers,which includes some of his four

daughters as players, this yearfinished second from the bottom.Says Erickson: “I don’t take thisgame seriously. I take itobsessively.”

The Nepali teams, whichincludes the National Parks team,generally do well since they havethe most practice riding elephantsin the park and in the Meghaulifield. They have won the trophy acouple of times, last in 1998.This year they had a handicap offive and came fourth.

Ram Prit Yadav, captain ofthe National Parks team andformer warden of the ChitwanPark says: “It’s been 12 yearssince I began playing polo. At firstwe just didn’t get it and lost fortwo or three years. But then wegot the hang of it, and we’ve beenwinning … We’ve won becauseour elephants are swifter and weplay well.” �

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soaltee ad

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Where: Hotel de l’Annapurna, Durbar MargWhen: New Year’s EveParty line: Global fusion, with Annapurna’s chefsproducing fusion cuisine at the poolside lawn.Unlimited drinks, dance, dinner, prizes and othersurprises. Also, special buffet at Ghar-e-Kabab.Budget: Rs 3500 per person and $50 for expatriates.Contact information: Tel: 221711; fax: 977-1-225236;email: [email protected]; website:www.yomari.com/taj-annapurna.

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Where: The Everest Hotel, New BanesworWhen: Christmas Eve, New Year’s EveParty line: 24, 29 and 31 Dec special party at GalaxyDisco. New Year’s Eve dinner, dance and live music byFaces, a Filipino band at Café Hall.Budget: You have to go to the party to find out.Contact information: Tel: 488100,488099;fax: 977-1-490288;email: [email protected];website: www.everesthotel.com.

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Where: Hotel Yak and Yeti, Durbar MargWhen: December 20 onwards, 24 December, 25December, New Year’s EveParty line: Christmas cakes and cookies on sale starting20 December at Lobby Gazebo.Dec 24 – Christmas carol singing at the lobby (6 to 7pm). A five-course a la carte dinner with acomplimentary aperitif at The Chimney; an extendedbuffet at the Sunrise Café.Dec 25 – Brunch with a live band.Dec 31 – A seven-course dinner at The Chimney; amezze and kabab buffet dinner with live Nepali musicand dance at Naachghar; buffet at Sunrise Café; disco atAtrium Avalanche.Jan 1 – Poolside brunch with live Nepali fusion music.Budget: Dec 24 – Dinner at The Chimney is Rs 2500per person; dinner at Sunrise Café is Rs 1200 perperson.Dec 25 – Dinner at The Sunrise Café is Rs 1200 perperson.Dec 31 – Dinner at The Chimney is Rs 3000 perperson; dinner at Naachghar is Rs 1500 per person;entrance to the Atrium is Rs 1000 per person.Jan 1 – Poolside brunch is Rs 1000 per person.All prices include tax.Contact information: Tel: 248999,240520; fax: 977-1-227782; email: [email protected]; website:www.yakandyeti.com

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Where: Soaltee Crown Plaza, TahachalWhen: 23December, 24December, NewYear’s EveParty line: Frontlawn 23 Dec,Wild WildWest, children’sparty.24 Dec – Dinner at Gurkha Grill with Filipino bandSpice on Ice.31 Dec – Theme dinner at Megha Malhar – SpaceOdyssey with MC model Ananya Dutt, performance bya Mumbai band, buffet, door prizes; dinner at GurkhaGrill with Spice on Ice againBudget: Wild Wild West, Rs 1200 for a family of three(Rs 400 per extra child);24 Dec – GG is a la carte.31 Dec – Space Odyssey is Rs 5555 per person; GG isRs 4000 per person. All prices include tax.Contact information: Tel: 272555; fax: 977-1-272205;email: [email protected]; website:www.soaltee.com

Where: The Radisson Hotel, LazimpatWhen: 24, 25, 26December, NewYear’s EveParty line: TheRadisson Pastry Shopsells ChristmasHampers and assortedtreats17-25 Dec –Christmas carols from 7 to 8:30 pm in the RadissonLobby.24 Dec – Five-course dinner at the Fun Café with acomplimentary glass of red wine.25 Dec – Turkey buffet dinner with unlimited sparklingwine at the Fun Café.26 Dec – Boxing Day brunch at the Fun Café.31 Dec – Theme dinner at Nepa Dhuku – Kiss theMillennium with DJs, including Stevie from London’sMinistry of Sound and a buffet dinner.Budget: 24 Dec- Rs 1500 (excluding tax) per person.25 Dec – Rs 1199 per person.26 Dec – Rs 999 per person.31 Dec – Rs 1250 per person.All prices 25 – 31 Dec include tax.Contact information: Tel: 411818; fax: 977-1-411720;email: [email protected]; website:www.radisson.com/kathmandu

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Where: Club Himalaya Nagarkot Resort, NagarkotNagarkot is an easy 30 km from Kathmandu. At 2175m, itprovides a grand view of the central Nepal Himalaya,including Shisha Pangma.When: Christmas, New Year’s EveParty line: 25 Dec – Christmas dinner with live piano.31 Dec – Special buffet dinner.Get there before 31 December—celebrations are for in-house guests only.Budget: Double rooms at Rs 4000 or $90. Rs 3200 or$75 per single room. $ prices are for tourists only.Contact information: Tel: 680080, 680084, 410432(Kathmandu office); fax: 977-1-680068, 413641(Kathmandu office); email: [email protected]

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Where: Hattiban Resort, PharpingPharping is a quiet spot 15 km south of Kathmandu with amagnificent view of the Himalaya.When: Anytime.Party line: Not so much a party as a few relaxing days awayfrom the bustle and excess of city celebrations. Breakfast inbed, soothing walks, horse riding, short trek and quiet,private evenings.Budget: Bed and breakfast for Nepalis, Rs 1800 percouple per night; for resident expatriates $46 per coupleper night; for tourists $90 per couple per night.Contact information: Tel: 371397,371537; fax: 977-1-371561; email: [email protected]

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Where: Central Godavari Resort, GodavariA 25-minute drive from Patan, Godavari is a lush getawaywith green hills and a panoramic view of the Himalaya.When: Anytime, 25 December.Party line: Again, not a party as such, but like Hattiban,some serious relaxing. There are weekend packages for onenight or two. The packages include breakfast, dinner and25 percent discount on health club facilities. BBQ lunchChristmas day. The resort runs an hourly shuttle servicefrom New Road via Tripureshwor, Pulchowk, Lagankhel,and Satdobato.Budget: One-night package at Rs 2500 or $55 for a singleroom, and Rs 3400 or $75 for a double room.Two-night package: Rs 4200 or $80 for a single room. Rs5200 or $100 for a double room. $ prices are for non-Nepalis.Contact information: Tel: 533675, 560675, fax: 977-1-560777; email: [email protected]; website:www.godavariresort.com.np

Basically, you could stay in Kathmandu, take a breakat resorts outside the city, go on adventure orwildlife holidays, or, if time, inclination and budgetssuit, fly to a nearby destination overseas.

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1122 - 28 DECEMBER 2000 ��

yak & yeti ad

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This might not sound like the best idea at this time ofyear, but the views are excellent, the air is crisp, and youcould find that it’seasier than youanticipated. If you’rea walking fiend, ofcourse, you alreadyknow this. Sometrekking routes morepopular—and sensible—at this time of year are given below.

Bigu Gompa:Route: A morning start with a six-hour bus ride to Charikot(north of Kathmandu). You’ll pass through Dolakha, RatoMate, Malephu, Sarang Khola, Piguti, Koshi Khet, Tori Khet,Gum Khola Bazar, Bigu, Bigu Gompa (a Tibetan monastery),and Tingsang La. Catch a bus from Barabise back toKathmandu.Don’t count on finding accommodation and reliable food onthis route. It might be best to go on a planned package trek.Budget: $320 per person for a group of four to six includingmeals, accommodation, transportation (Kathmandu toCharikot and Barabise to Kathmandu) and any campingfacilities required.Total duration: 8 daysMaximum height: 3300m (at Tingsang La pass)En route views: Gaurishankar, Melungtse

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Ghorepani:Route: A seven-hour bus ride to Bhumdi. You’ll passthrough Pame, Panchase Bhanjyang, Tilher, Dobato,Ghorepani, Gandruk, Landruk, Potana, and DhampusPhedi. Drive to Pokhara and catch an early morning flightback to Kathmandu next morning.Budget: $360 per person for a group of four to sixincluding meals, accommodation, transportation(Kathmandu to Bhumdi and Dhampus Phedi toPokhara).Total duration: 10 daysMaximum height: 2000m at Panchase BhanjyangEn route view: Manaslu, Machhapuchhare, theAnnapurnas, Dhaulagiri, Tukuche Peak.

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Bandipur:Route: A four-hour bus ride to Dumre. You’ll pass throughBandipur, a Newari village surrounded by Magar villages,Bahun Bhanjyang, Khandi Danda, Jar Bhanjyang, SolaBhanjyang, Hile Kharka, Bhoteshwor, Lapdi Gaun, KapalDanda, and Ghyansing Gaun. Drive home from Mugling.Budget: $160 per person for a group of four to six includingmeals, accommodation, transport (Kathmandu to Dumre andMugling to Kathmandu).Total duration: 4 daysMaximum height: 3000m Kapal DandaEn route view: Dhaulagiri, the Annapurnas, Ganesh Himal,Langtang

All prices and route information courtesy Mandala Trekking,Kathmandu. Tel: 412438,email: [email protected]

��

Koshi Tappu Wildlife ReserveKoshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is for adventure andwildlife-lovers. Spread over 175 sq km, the Reserve isa combination of wetland, grassland, scrub anddeciduous forest, all of which make it one of the bestbird-watching sanctuaries in Asia. The Reserve isaccessible by air, road and river. A 45-minute flight toBiratnagar from Kathmandu, followed by a one-and-a-half-hour drive is the easiest option. For trueadventure seekers, an 8-10 day rafting trip down theSun Kosi River is an exciting option. Or, take themeandering highway from Kathmandu, a 10-hourdrive.

Where: Koshi Tappu Wildlife Camp, PrakashpurWhen: October to March (best season)Adventure line: Morning jungle treks by the riverlagoons and wetlands, rowing down the river, visitingTharu villages—and, of course, birdwatching. A two-night three-day package includes meals,transportation from Biratnagar Airport to the Camp.Budget: Rs 7000 per person for Nepalis andexpatriates, $145 for tourists.Contact information (Kathmandu):

Tel: 247078,247079; fax: 224237, 243250;email: [email protected].

Royal Chitwan National ParkThe Royal Chitwan National Park is one of Asia’s bestwildlife sanctuaries. The Park is home to over 50mammalian species, 55 reptile and amphibian species, and525 species of birds. Every package here includes safaris onelephant back, jungle walks, canoeing and bird-watching.Look for the greater one-horned rhino, the Royal BengalTiger, gaur, wild elephant, antelope, striped hyena, gharialand the Gangetic dolphin. Chitwan is just a 30-minute flightor a six-hour drive from Kathmandu. If you’re looking forsome great adventure, a two-day rafting expedition downthe Seti or Trisuli will also get you there.

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Where: Machan Wildlife Resort, SunachuriWhen: October to MarchAdventure line: A two-night package includeswildlife and culturalactivities, meals andaccommodation.Budget: Rs 5,000 perperson for Nepalis and$155 per person for expatriates (both including tax). $225 per tourist and INR3799 per Indian national (bothexcluding tax). Contact information (Kathmandu): Tel:225001, 245401, 245402; fax: 240681; email:[email protected]; website:www.nepalinformation.com/machan

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Where: Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge, Tharu Safari Lodgeand Tiger Tops Tented Camp

When: 23 Dec to 2JanAdventure line: Atwo-night packageincludes all jungleactivities,accommodationand meals.

Budget: $150 per person excluding taxes, park fees andtransportationContact information (Kathmandu): Tel: 411225; fax:414075, 419126; email: [email protected];website: www.tigermountain.com

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Where: The Rhino Residency Resort, SaurahaWhen: October to MarchAdventure line: A two-night and three-day package includesall jungle activities, meals, accommodation, Park entrancefees, roundtrip transportation between Chitrasari at thePark entrance and the resort.Budget: Rs 3200 per person for Nepalis; $120 forexpatriates; INR 3800 per person for SAARC nationals;$200 for tourists.Contact information: Tel: 220697, 231198; fax: 231200;email: [email protected]; website: www.rhino-residency.com.

Royal Bardiya National ParkThe Royal Bardiya National Park, spread over 968 sq km inthe far west of Nepal, is the largest wilderness area in thetarai lowlands. It is home to endangered species like therhinoceros, wild elephant, tiger, swamp deer, black buck,gharial crocodile and Gangetic dolphin. Also here areendangered birds like Bengal florican, lesser florican, silver-eared mesia and Sarus crane. The Park is surrounded bylively Tharu villages. A 70-minute flight from Kathmandufollowed by a three-hour jeep ride will get you there.

Where: Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge and Tented CampWhen: 23 Dec to 2 JanAdventure line: A two-night package includes all jungleactivities, accommodation and meals.Budget: $150 per person excluding taxes, park fees andtransportation.Contact information (Kathmandu): Tel: 411225; fax:414075, 419126; email: [email protected];website: www.tigermountain.com

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Pokhara isn’t just the starting point for most ofNepal’s famous trekking and rafting destinations. Italso boasts of the Phewa Lake and panoramic viewsof the Annapurnas, with Machhapuchhare, the mostfamous geographical landmark of Pokhara, dominating the skyline to thenorth. The valley of Pokhara is at an elevation of only 900 m and so iswarmer than Kathmandu. It’s west of the capital and is accessible by a 30-minute flight or a six-hour bus ride. Charter helicopters are also available.

Where: The Fulbari Resort and SpaWhen: 29 Dec to 1 JanParty line: A three-night, four-day package includes deluxe

accommodation, international buffetbreakfasts, airport transfer,complimentary shuttle services toPhewa Lake, complimentary drinks,gifts, and discounts at the GorkhaBar with live piano and at NasalChowk with Nepali music anddance.

Dec 30 - BBQ lunch with live music by Tantra at View Point BeerGarden; dance party with Calcutta’s Jimmy Tangree at Base Campdiscotheque.Dec 31- “International Night” New Year’s Eve dinner and dance.Budget: $ 200 for a single room, $ 220 for a double room.

and sightseeing packages—$125-$1136per person.

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Where: PattayaBudget: Kathmandu-Bangkok roundtripairfare—Rs 25,300 or $440.Again, there’s a range of accommodation,food, transport and sightseeing packages—$73-$467 per person.

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Where: KrabiBudget: Kathmandu-Bangkok-Krabiroundtrip airfare–Rs 33,300 or $495.

Once again, all-inclusive packages are plentiful—$138-$261.Contact information: Thai Airways, Annapurna Arcade Tel:223565,224387,221247; fax: 225084

Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka offers more than just beaches and good roadsthrough the lush countryside. There’s the food, Christmas spirit and thefamous laid-back ambience to get into.

Where: ColomboBudget: Kathmandu-Delhi-Colomboroundtrip airfare—$610.A five-star three night and four day-stayin Colombo if booked from Nepal isanywhere between $80-$95, although

better deals may be available on a walk-in basis.Contact information: Sri Lankan Airlines authorised agent–ZenithTravels, Durbar Marg. Tel: 223502, 223162,227064; fax: 227132; email:

[email protected]; website: www.nepalpages.com/zenith

The Maldives: Tranquil beaches, some of the bestdiving in the world, and a truly hassle-free holidayawait you in this tourist haven.

Where: The MaldivesBudget: Kathmandu-Male roundtrip airfare (via Delhi and Colombo)—$695. Hotels cost $250 to $555 per person per night.Contact information: Sri Lankan Airlines–Zenith Travels (Authorisedagent)Durbar Marg. Tel: 223502, 223162,227064;fax: 227132; email: [email protected];website: www.nepalpages.com/zenith

India: Goa, the “Ibiza of Asia”, gave rise to anentire genre of electronic music. Holidayseason here means traditional Portuguese-influenced food and music and raves, but alsorubbing shoulders with Bombay’s glitterati.

Where: GoaBudget: Kathmandu-Delhi-Goa one-wayairfare—$335. Per night stay at Goa is INR 12,000 per person per night.Contact information: Zenith Travels, Durbar Marg. Tel: 223502,223162,227064; fax: 227132; email: [email protected]; website:www.nepalpages.com/zenith

—Compiled by Sujata Tuladhar

Contact information (Kathmandu): Tel: 520085, 527588; fax: 523149;email: [email protected]; website: www.fulbari.com

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Where: Shangri-La Village PokharaWhen: 21 Dec to 25 DecParty line: A stay of any length between the above dates entitles you to freebuffet breakfasts, gifts, free use of the fitness centre, and 15 percentdiscounts on food, beverage, laundry and long-distance calls.Budget: Rs 10,000 for a Nepali couple and $160 for an expatriate couple.Contact information (Kathmandu): Tel: 435741; fax: 435744; email:[email protected]; website: www.hotelshangrila.com

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Where: Tiger Mountain Pokhara LodgeWhen: 23 Dec to Jan 2Adventure line: A two-night package includes accommodation, meals andadventure activities like exploring the nearby forests, countryside andGurung, Bahun, Chhetri villages on foot, pony and mountain bike, full- andhalf-day treks around the Valley’s beautiful lakes and picturesque hillvillages, and birdwatching.Budget: $150 per person excluding taxes, park fees and transportation.Contact information (Kathmandu): Tel: 411225; fax: 414075, 419126;email: [email protected]; website:www.tigermountain.com.

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If you have done the whole circuit, or just lookingfor somegood sunand sand as a way out of thedepressing cold, here are somepopular tropical destinations thisseason.

Thailand: Beaches,pagodas, forests, shoppingand film locations—touristdestinations in Thailandhave them all at affordableprices.

Where: PhuketBudget: Kathmandu-Bangkok-Phuket roundtrip airfare—Rs34,100 or $495.There’s a wide range ofaccommodation, food, transport

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1322 - 28 DECEMBER 2000 ��

GENEVA - Two major globaleconomic forces are competing forthe world’s attention. On the onehand, the promise of a “neweconomy” underpinned byinformation and communicationtechnologies is exciting policy-makers, including those from theworld’s poorest countries. On theother hand, growing instability anduncertainty linked to globalisationhave left policymakers deeplyworried about the impact offinancial shocks on growthprospects.

So far, the US is the onlyexample of a country able tosignificantly turn these forces to itsadvantage. By some accounts thespread of new technologies hasalready considerably boostedproductivity and raised the potentialfor growth. In contrast, the impactof new technologies has been muchless evident in most of Europe and inJapan.

Meanwhile the US economy hasalso been helped by uncertaintyelsewhere in the global economy:financial crises in emerging marketshave helped sustain its rapid growthas capital is attracted to this safehaven, and cheap imports help keepthe lid on inflation. And the recent

recovery in emerging markets hasfurther added to the demand fordollar assets as reserves are piled upas a safeguard against future crises.

The disparities in growth rateswithin the industrial world and astrong dollar have resulted ingrowing trade imbalance, as the UShas become the world’s “buyer oflast resort”. Countries with tradesurpluses are more than willing tohold proceeds in dollar assets inthe US.

At the same time, thecombination of technological andfinancial innovations has aggravatedthe underlying fragility of currentfinancial and trade flows. Thevulnerability of developingcountries to any policy shifts in themajor industrial countries will, ofcourse, depend on their currentstate of health, and the stronger-than-expected recoveries in some ofthe economies hardest hit byfinancial shocks offer a measure ofhope. But with persistent biases andasymmetries in the trading systemand the continuing structuraluncertainty and volatility of thefinancial system, growth in manycountries remains hostage to

unstable capital flows.The problems facing much of

Africa are of a different order. Thebasic policy challenge there remainshow to overcome savings andforeign-exchange constraints and toraise investment to the levelrequired for growth of at least sixpercent per annum. The currentlevel of private capital inflows is toosmall to fill the resource gap butstill big enough to make manyAfrican economies vulnerable to thearbitrage arithmetic of short-termcapital flows. This also means asteadily growing dependence oncapital flows, though in recent yearsthese have barely compensated forresource losses due to unfavourabletrading conditions. The only way toend Africa’s aid dependence is tolaunch a massive aid programmeand to sustain rapid growth for longenough to allow domestic savingsand external private flows togradually replace official flows.

The pace of recovery of East

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�� IN BRUSSELS

n international publicinterest law organisationworking on behalf of

Europe’s Roma (Gypsy) populationsays last week’s high-profile EuropeanUnion (EU) human rights forum inParis “continued the unfortunate EUtradition of treating human rights as apurely external matter.”

The Budapest-based EuropeanRoma Rights Centre (ERRC), whichmonitors the rights of Roma inEurope and provides legal defence incases of abuse, said the EU failed toheed NGO pleas last autumn at thefirst Human Rights DiscussionForum for the EU to also examinehuman rights issues within memberstates. Declining an invitation toattend the forum, Dimitrina Petrova,executive director of ERRC, said:“Racial discrimination and growinganti-immigrant intolerance are onlysome of the serious human rightsproblems which plague many EUmember states. The approach of theUnion to human rights remainsunchanged.”

The ERRC believes the right ofindividuals to access internationalprotection from persecution in theircountry of origin is gravely threatenedin Europe. It points to a failure onthe part of many Europeangovernments to provide legal regimesin the fields of immigration,individual establishment andintegration, in accordance withinternational law and human rightsnorms, especially for Roma.

The agenda of the Paris meetingis especially disappointing in light ofthe frequency with which Europeanleaders call for an end to anexclusively external EU human rightspolicy.

Dimitrova said that the EU hasa “double standard”—pointing toabuses around the world without

tackling those at home—and thatmakes it less likely that easternEuropean states applying for EUmembership would adopt bestpractices. In its Human Rights Agendafor the European Union for the Year2000, the so-called Comité des Sages(‘Wise Men’) of the EU Commission,noted that widespread human rightsviolations continue within the Union,and concluded, “a Union not preparedto embrace a strong human rightspolicy for itself is highly unlikely todevelop a credible external policy, letalone apply it with energy orconsistency.”

A United Nation’s Geneva-basedCommittee for the Elimination ofRacial Discrimination report saysRoma are victims of racism, violence,poor social conditions and humanrights abuses, but police often fail toprotect the Roma because they areprejudiced against them. Europeanmedia exacerbates the problem by

stereotyping the Roma as predisposedto crime. Roma, targeted by KosovoAlbanians in retaliation for allegedcollusion with Serbs during last year’sconflict, have sought refuge in EUstates, only to be forcibly returned.

European countries in whichserious incidents of violence againstRoma have occurred in recent yearsinclude: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina,Bulgaria, Croatia, the CzechRepublic, France, Greece, Hungary,Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia,Slovakia, Ukraine and Yugoslavia.The United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees(UNHCR) has been advocating “therecognition of Kosovo Roma asrefugees or persons in need ofinternational protection.”

With only five Romany membersof parliament in Europe, some 20mayors and about 400 localcouncillors, Roma are still vastlyunderrepresented in public office

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'��%�!��!��SYDNEY - Australia, the largest per capita producer of greenhousegases, says its efforts to enhance “carbon sinks”—trees, farmland andvegetation that soak up carbon dioxide—should mean it can have a lowertarget for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. But environmental groupssay this argument is leading to official complacency about Australia’semission levels and appears to be pushing deforestation and the demiseof indigenous forests in this country.

Australia’s 1.5 percent share of global greenhouse gas emissionsseems low, but not for its small population of 19 million. Recently,Australia’s emissions have increased 16.9 percent from the 1990 baselevel, over 100 percent more than it was allowed under the UnitedNations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

With an economy heavily dependent on greenhouse gas-generating fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, Australia says it cannotafford to switch to renewable forms of energy. Like the US andJapan, Australia has been avoiding committing to a low annualemission target. The UNFCC, also known as the Kyoto Protocol, is notyet in force: it needs to be ratified by 55 countries, but only 22 havedone so until now. Further talks on specific ways to cut greenhousegases, among them trading in “credits” earned from environmentalprojects overseas by rich countries, collapsed at The Hague lastmonth. If carbon sinks are not included in the emission targetequation, Australia must curb 400 million tonnes of carbon dioxideemissions. ��(IPS)

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Asia in the past year has beenencouraging, although the factthat policymakers failed toanticipate both the depth of thecrisis and the speed of theturnaround should caution againstexcessive exuberance. There arestill reasons for concern. In thefirst place, recovery has beenaccompanied by only limitedcorporate restructuring, and thehealth of the East Asian financialsystem continues to rely on publicintervention for credit.

Second, exports are unlikelyto continue at their recent pace,and public deficits and debt havebeen on the rise in most of thecountries seriously affected by thecrisis. Since premature fiscaltightening could stifle growth,fiscal consolidation needs to waituntil private demand takes thelead in growth. This may bedelayed, however, by persistentunemployment and the existenceof excess capacity in many

industries.Finally, the recovery has been

sustained thus far by highlyfavourable conditions in the worldeconomy that are susceptible tochange. A sharp slowdown in theUS and deterioration in globalfinancial conditions could beparticularly damaging.

A fundamental lesson of thefinancial crisis is that excessivereliance on foreign resources andmarkets leaves growth prospectsvulnerable to external shocks. In anincreasingly interdependent globalfinancial and trading system, it isclear that trust in market forces andmonetary policy alone will not besufficient.

Increased international co-operation and dialogue are neededif the full potential of newtechnologies to bridge the growinggap between the rich and poor is tobe realised. This calls for boldleadership, of the kind thatushered in the post-war GoldenAge. � (IPS)

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across the continent, although theyconstitute significant minorities inmany countries. Roma are at risk fordiscriminatory practices as there is no‘homeland’ and no foreign governmentto forward their cause internationally.

Belgium, Denmark, Finland,Sweden and the UK have responded tothe arrival of Romany refugees fromother countries by imposing a visaregime on the country of flight, thushindering Roma, in need ofinternational protection, from accessto procedures to have claims heard.“Many member states of the EU applyso-called ‘manifestly unfounded claims’procedures to persons they believe arefraudulently applying for refugee status.In light of deeply ingrained prejudice inEurope regarding Roma as ‘chronicliars’, there are serious concerns thatauthorities dismiss legitimate claims forasylum lodged by Romanyindividuals,” the ERRC said inOctober. � (IPS)

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A Roma protest camp in Germany. The banner proclaims: “German politics is racist.”

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14 22 - 28 DECEMBER 2000 ��

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�� IN TOKYO

trong opposition from theinternational community hassoftened the Japanese

government’s move to cut its officialdevelopment assistance budgetdrastically next year, but the world’stop donor seems no longer willing tolend as generously as it did before.

“Japan’s aid budget is beingreviewed with the focus on qualityrather than quantity and the newpolicy is quite popular with thepublic,” said Kenichi Maruyama, anexpert on China at the Institute ofDeveloping Economies, aquasi-governmental think-tank. The bombshell on aidpolicy came November whenShizuka Kamei, top policyplanner of the ruling LiberalDemocratic Party, called for a30 percent cut in the aidbudget. He cited two reasons:Japan’s tight fiscal situationand the doubts that have been raisedabout whether aid is truly appreciatedby recipients. Of the $772 billionfiscal 2000 budget, aid accounted for$9.48 billion, down 0.2 percent fromthe previous year. Japanese mediareports the ruling coalition has settledfor a 3.0 percent reduction for fiscal2001faced with growing opposition todrastic cuts.

UN Secretary General KofiAnnan wrote to Japanese PrimeMinister Yoshiro Mori last week topersuade the government to continuewith its present aid programme. Thegovernment has promised thatassistance already pledged in the formof loans and grants will not be affectedby the proposed cuts starting in April2001. Asian countries, which receive

about 62 percent of Japanese aid, areexpected to be the main losers.

Kamei, known for hisconservative and populist views, is atop player in the LDP and thecoalition government. Publicperception is that while Japan’s officialdevelopment assistance programmeaims to contribute to the stability andgrowth of developing economies, theresults have not always been positive.

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China, Japan’s second highestrecipient, is under special scrutiny.Thestudy finds that despite millions ofdollars extended to China over twodecades, a period that contributed tothe country’s economic growth,Beijing’s military spending hasincreased year after year. Chinareceived $1.22 billion aid in fiscal1999, following Indonesia, which got$1.6 billion, including a special

package during the financial crisis.Guidelines outlined in 1995 state

that aid would not be extended tocountries with high military budgetsand poor human rights records. Thelatest move to reduce aid followsseveral similar moves by the LDPsince 1997 when the then primeminister proposed a 10 percent cut.Since then, annual growth in the aidbudget has been zero percent. Expertscontend that the new reductions willbegin April 2001, given Japan’s severefiscal crisis and growing public opinionagainst corruption-tainted projects indeveloping countries.

Kiichi Miyazawa, Japan’sinfluential finance minister, said lastmonth: “Assistance should bereviewed because there may be partsthat are provided out of habit.”Yomuiri Shinbun, Japan’s leadingnewspaper, explained in a recenteditorial that Kamei’s proposaldeserves special attention as the aidbudget accounts for about 10 percentof Japan’s total public-works projectsresponsible for current fiscal deficit.

The newspaper also pointed outthat recipients have not submitted

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IN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

“It was the craze in those days and Itoo could read and write,” recallsFausia, referring to a concerted drivethat banished illiteracy a decade agofrom this verdant corner on thesouthern tip of India. But today, thecampaign that brought Kerala to“total literacy” as defined byUNESCO, is receding into memory.

Fausia, one of Kerala’s celebratedneo-literates, has fallen back into anilliterate existence. “I can no longerread the letters my son sends me fromthe Persian Gulf where he works,” shesays. She blames her presentunlettered condition on thedisappearance of the thousands ofvolunteers who trudged from door todoor as part of Kerala’s Total LiteracyCampaign (TLC) between 1989 and1991. The campaign systematicallysought out and banished illiteracy.

The Kerala Sastra SahityaParishad (KSSP), a volunteerorganisation that spearheaded theTLC drive, had the enthusiasticservices of 350,000 volunteers for ahighly successful campaign that gavethe 30 million people of this stateindices that matched those of Westerncountries. Under the KSSP campaign,the unpaid volunteers served asinstructors and turned Ernakulam intoIndia’s first totally literate district anda model for other literacy campaignsacross India. But Ernakulam is nowheading to set records of another kindbecause, according to a recent randomsurvey, the literacy rate in the districthas dropped to 73 percent.

The same survey said that Kerala’soverall literacy rate has gone down to82 percent from the 90 percentachieved at the time of the 1991census and taken up to an average of93 percent over the next few years.“Lack of facilities such as continuing

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education centres, official lethargy,and widespread addiction to alcoholare some of the reasons for thedecline,” says K Soman, a literacyactivist. According to KP Kannan,social scientist at the prestigiousCentre for Development Studies(CDS) here, the decline is mainly dueto neo-literates lapsing back intoilliteracy. He says it does not reflect areal setback to Kerala’s pre-eminenceas India’s most literate state.

Yet, despite Kerala’s remarkableprogress, like the rest of India, it hasno law for compulsory education.Experts have pointed out that such alaw is necessary to consolidate thegains of mass literacy and masseducation. By 1997, Kerala hadachieved 93 percent literacy, but was

trailing behind the northeastern stateof Mizoram, which then had 95percent literacy, according to a surveyconducted that year by theUNESCO-supported NationalLiteracy Mission. The two centrallyadministered island territories ofAndaman and Nicobar in the Bay ofBengal and Lakshadweep in theArabian Sea showed 97 percent and96 percent literacy rates, respectively,in 1997.

Other states are fast catchingup and western Rajasthan sprang abig surprise by taking a quantumjump from 39 percent literacy atthe time of the last census in 1991to 55 percent in 1997. SouthernTamil Nadu has reached 70percent. With the country as a

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PESHAWAR - Severe fund shortages are forcing agenciesinvolved in de-mining efforts in Afghanistan to close or send theirstaff on forced leave, setting back efforts to clear the war-torncountry of deadly mines.

“Only seven percent of our staff, including the emergencyteams, are working,” said Kefayatullah Eblagh, director of AfghanTechnical Consultants, one of the largest mine-clearing agenciesin Afghanistan.

The United Nations Office for the Co-ordination ofHumanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan (UNOCHA), whichsupervises de-mining operations, has directed all mine-sweeping agencies not to increase staff salaries for 2001 andreduce other expenditure, and will have fewer organisationsassisting next year. The agency asked UN-member countries for$26 million for de-mining activities in Afghanistan, but receivedonly $14 million for 2000.

The legacy of a decade-long (1979-1989) war between thethen Soviet Union and the Mujahideen, landmines play havoc withthe lives of ordinary Afghans. When the Soviets withdrew fromAfghanistan in 1989, they left 919 sq km of land strewn withmines, making the country the world’s most mine-infested area.NGOs have cleared landmines and other explosive material from218 sq km, leaving 720 sq km still dangerous. The mines havekilled 40,000 and disabled 210,000 Afghans. The Mine ActionProgramme says 150 to 300 casualties occur every month onuncleared land.

Haji Atiqullah, director of the Mine Clearance Programme forAfghanistan (MCPA), said from January to October 2000,agencies cleared mines and unexploded ordnance from 83million sq metres, falling short of the 90.8 million sq metre target.The shortfall was due to sudden reduction in UN funds in

September.Afghan landmine-sweeping agencies want the

UN to arrange $20 million for next year. The MCPAwants to carry out a survey of the northernprovinces, which recently fell to Taliban forces

after fighting with the oppositionNorthern Alliance, to determine if newmines were planted by either side.

Attiqullah said: “We aren’t sure ifAfghanistan will be clean oflandmines in the next eight to tenyears, so we plan to erectidentification marks in such areas.”

A severe setback in de-miningoperations has larger implicationsfor Afghanistan. Land mines areone of the major hurdles in the

return of refugees, developmentand reconstruction of thecountry. �

proper reports on how Japanese grantsand loans have been used. ForeignMinister Yohei Kono, who is not keenon cutting aid, acknowledged thegoing is tough. He said he wouldwork towards keeping afloat Japan’said budget, which he stresses is thepillar of Japanese diplomacy. Aidexperts too say that Japan’s foreign aidis just 0.28 percent of its GNP, and acut is too small to affect the economy.

Inge Kaul, Director ofDevelopment Studies at the UnitedNations Development Programme ,said in a recent developmentseminar that reductions in Japan’said would hurt developingcountries. “Take for example thegrowing rates of tuberculosis inIndia. In a global age it is in theinterest of Japan to provide fundsfor the eradication of this disease asit can affect Japan as a result ofmore people travelling,” he said.

Maruyama, of the Institute ofDeveloping Economies, says thatJapan should not slash aid to poorcountries but revise aid to Chinathat is reporting high growth ratesand increased foreign cash flows.“Aid to China can take a differentform such as for environment andhealth projects rather thanexpensive infrastructure that is stillthe line,” he says. � (IPS)

whole maintaining an averageliteracy growth rate of two percent,authorities have reason to expect anational average of between 66 and68 percent when the currentdecennial census exercise iscompleted in 2001. Experts say thismight touch 75 percent by 2005.

“It is not that Kerala’s literacyrate has gone down but that otherstates’ have picked up,” explainsMG Shashibooshan, director of theKerala State Literacy Mission. Butother officials are not so optimistic.The director of the State Councilfor Education Research andTraining, V Vijayakumar thinks it ishigh time for a thorough overhaulof the existing system, taking intoaccount factors such as disinterestin literacy among poorer people.Shashibooshan admitted that thedecline was enough to spur thestate to add to its existing networkof 4,000 continuing educationcentres. “At least 18,000 morecentres are needed and freshinitiatives are on the anvil,” he said.

For Kerala, there is more in thedecline than loss of status, held overdecades, as India’s most literatestate. With little investment inindustry, the state’s populationdepends on remittances sent by itsestimated four million literateexpatriates in other Indian states,the oil-rich West Asia and furtherafield. Remittances from outsidethe state have maintained Kerala’sconsistently high ranking amongIndian states in annual per capitahousehold and consumeristexpenditure in spite of a seriouscrisis in investment, production andemployment.

Literacy—in particular femaleliteracy—has been a key factor inKerala’s other demographicachievements that set the stateapart from the rest of India suchas a gender ratio favourable tofemales, low infant mortality,high life expectancy and low birthrates. � (IPS)

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Two Afghans crippled by landmines learn towalk with orthopaedic support.

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A young participant in India’s National Literacy Programme.

Less Japanese aid could affect projects like theBorbudur and Prambanan ArchaeologicalParks in Indonesia, and the Beijing VegetableResearch Centre in China (inset).

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If the Nepali Congress in not united, the party will face the same kind of defeat as we suffered in the previouslocal elections. We could blame our defeat on Bam Dev Gautam, who was the home minister and deputyprime minister at that time. This time we won’t have a scapegoat like him.

—Khum Bahadur Khadka, former minister and Nepali Congress MP, in an interview withRastra Bani, 20 December, 2000

THIS PAGE CONTAINS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI LANGUAGE PRESS

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�� Jana Awhan, 15 December

1. All bilateral and multilateral treaties and agreements found unjust or unequal will be scrapped. All treatiesthat were secretly entered into will be made public and those that are not fair will be scrapped. Specialfacilities currently being provided to powerful countries will be ended.

2. Will not be part of any military alliance and will protest any action that tries to subjugate a third countryby force.

3. Will follow an independent foreign policy and is not going to be a member of useless organisations such asSAARC.

4. Will keep all neighbours at the same distance, will follow and practise a policy of equality, friendship andunderstanding with all countries.

5. Will not establish relations with countries that discriminate on the basis of religion, colour, caste or arecarrying out military action against a third country. Existing treaties with such countries will be scrapped.

6. Unjust military action will be protested against and help in all forms will be provided to the countryagainst which military action is being taken.

7. Aid in whatever form will be provided to people who are being oppressed in their particular countries andeven if a civil war is taking place, the oppressed will be provided aid.

8. Voices will be raised in the international forums to fight for the rights of land-locked countries.9. Only treaties that are equal and beneficial to both the parties will be signed, and exchange programmes

will be held at regular intervals.10. Treaties that foster friendship and understanding will be promoted.

!��"��#�$��%��"Sambodhan, 15 December

For the first time in the nearly five years since they began their insurgency, the Maoists have announced theformation of a ‘People’s Government’. This is a major challenge to the Congress government. In Rukumdistrict the people’s government was formed on 1 and 2 December. Besides a chief and a deputy chief, 15others were elected as representatives. Top Maoist officials and other cadres attended this ceremony.

According to sources, the Maoists have chosen Rukum as their temporary programme area, following whicha government was formed there. After a two-day meeting in Rukum it was decided that 43 village developmentcommittees would take part in choosing the district people’s government.

The sources said Purna Bahadur Gharti was elected the head of the district people’s government withMaheshwor Jung Gahatraj as his deputy. Others elected to the 15-member committee are Kul Bahadur Nath(representing the people’s army), Tejendra Kham Magar (the Magar community), Man Prasad Shrestha (theNewar community), Budhi Prasad Sharma (the farmers), Saruwa Batha (the Jatiya Morcha), Kamala Rokka(women), and Surya Nath Pun, Narendra Buda, Chandra Bahadur BK, Tanka Bahadur Pun, Kumar Gharti,Hari Bahadur Oli and Om Prakash Gharti. Two other candidates were defeated.

Maoist leaders present at the elections stated that this is a temporary people’s government formed at thetime of a peoples’ war. This is also Nepal’s first temporary government. The entire district has been left open tothe Maoists after all police posts were moved to the district headquarters. Maoist sources also said that thegovernment recently formed is a transitional one, and elections would soon be held for a permanent one.

The people’s government is going to provide security to the villages, provide help to the families of themartyrs, help in local development, protest when the police or army enter the villages, and help increase theproductivity of the farmers. What is not clear is where the money will come from to provide for all this work.The government in Kathmandu was on the verge of providing development funds to the districts of Rukum,Rolpa, Kalikot and Jajarkot with the help of the security forces. The formation of the peoples’ government hasnow brought in a new element to the affair.

The Maoists formed the district people’s government with great enthusiasm but it is going to be difficultfor them to protect this district with the same enthusiasm. This decision was taken in haste and shows politicalimmaturity and leftist opportunism and is going to prove a political blunder.

��&��&�'Naya Sadak, 15 December

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel is getting ready to form a highly secrettaskforce comprising officials of the National Investigation Department (NID) to keep an eye on Maoistactivities in Karnali. It had been reported earlier that Maoists had collected 326 boxes of arms and ammunitionfrom the Nepal-China border and brought them into Karnali through the upper Dolpo region. According tosources almost half the weapons collected by the Maoists were bombs and guns with silencers. It was afterreports of the delivery became known that the DPM is getting the NID active.

It has been learnt that the Maoists want to capture Karnali by end of this year. The Maoists know that thegovernment is already aware of their plans. The DPM has ordered the CIAA to form a committee to studythese activities but it seems that NID members have asked that they not be sent to Karnali alone. Because ofthese objections work on forming the committee has not progressed much. The deputy PM has assured theNID that police and army personnel would be included in the group going to Karnali. But NID employees arenow doing all they can to influence their seniors into not being named part of the team.

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)��*��Editorial in Himal Khabarpatrika,16-30 December

For a week schools throughout thecountry were shut down. Students,their parents and teachers lookedup to the government for assistanceand encouragement for the smoothfunctioning of schools, but thegovernment failed even to officiallyacknowledge the problem in time.Warring hotel entrepreneurs andworkers appealed to thegovernment to mediate to reach anagreement, but Singha Darbar failedonce again to respond. Thegovernment did take an initiativebut it came after the worst damagewas already done to the industry.The threatened strike was avoided,but it was too late to save losses tothe industry. Tarai farmers aresuffering due to the dwindling priceof rice in which they invested somuch of their labour and expensivefertiliser. Rice-growers hadexpected the government to fix abase price for their produce, orfailing that, that it would at leastact to check the cross-bordersmuggling of cheap rice from India.Singha Darbar failed them too. Andinstead of offering support to thefarmers as would be expected, theirdesperate condition is yet to beofficially acknowledged. Police areposted in far-flung posts withoutproper weapons for self defence anddozens of them are being killed insingle attacks. Unarmed civiliansare being killed and their familiesand children are suffering theirlosses in silence. Bandhs, strikes andchakka jams have become part ofdaily life.

During difficult timesdemocratic governments stand withthe people, but unfortunately ourgovernment has failed us even whencivil society has appealed forassistance. No department, ministryor official sector can be singled outfor this apathy, the wholegovernment apparatus is a part of it.

Prime Minister Girija PrasadKoirala has been a total failure inthe sense that the promises he madewhile returning to Singha Darbarnine months ago have notmaterialised. The peace andsecurity situation of the country hasworsened, while economic progressand development have taken a backseat. Nine months itself is not along period, but there seems to benothing to call for optimism. Thegovernment has become incapableof any action. It is the government’sresponsibility to strengthengovernment mechanism and reachout to the people for a way out, ifnecessary. The present Constitutionhas accorded the power to makeSingha Darbar strong, but,unfortunately, the government itselfhas failed to protect and follow theConstitution.

It is time the prime ministerevaluated his own performance. Ifhe still has faith in the ability of thepresent government he should actpromptly (although the generalpublic has totally lost faith in thegovernment). If he believes that acabinet reshuffle is the answer, there isno sense in delaying it and if it is theupheaval within the party that is theobstacle, the prime minister himselfis the key person who needs to act.In short, some bold decisions areneeded to save the country. If theprime minister’s health and otherfactors are the obstacles towardsmeeting the national challenges and

the worsening situation of thenation, as believed by the generalpublic, the prime minister shouldpay attention to these issues also.No democratic government has theright to remain blind to theproblems of the nation and thepeople.

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'�� Saptahik Bimarsha, 15 December

The government has decided to setup a special court to try all Maoist-related cases. This special court willalso be responsible for trying allcases related to smuggling. At thesame time, the cabinet has alsocompleted all the formalities for theformation of an armed police force.The armed police force will operateunder the home ministry. A thirddecision was the formation ofregional administrative offices in thefive development regions to be runby politically-appointed‘Chhetrapals’.

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��'��(�$�&�Budhabar,13 December

The Communist Party of Nepal(Marxist-Leninist) recentlyconcluded its national conventionin which a clear division of forceswas seen between a bigger andpowerful group and a smaller andnot-very-powerful group. Thebigger group prevented voting onmany of the papers that were

tabled. The party did not evenallow CP Mainali to present hispaper, and passed Gautam’s paperlate at night without discussion.Mainali’s supporters had opposedthis high-handedness when theconvention was being held.

Gautam’s supporters did not letMainali’s paper be discussed for thesake of party unity and this led toprotests from supporters of Mainali.The latter said that Gautam’spolitical programme was beingforced on them but besidesprotesting they could not doanything. Gautam stated that thevoices of the minority will be heardand voting on issues will take placeat the next convention to be held intwo years. Mainali’s supporters till thevery end were in favor of voting takingplace. Earlier, Gautam had askedMainali to take a positive view of hispaper and support him, but Mainalistated that he could not agree withGautam in principle. RK Mainali hadthen tried to mediate but wasunsuccessful. There was a demand forcompromise and a mediator wasrequired to solve the problem in sucha way that a win-win situation couldbe created. Gautam’s supporters werenot in favour of this and were notprepared to compromise onanything. Gautam got his paperadopted with a lot of arm twistingand this left many delegatesdisappointed. They were not totallysatisfied that all papers not

discussed at this convention wouldbe discussed at the earliest. Partymembers have warned that theymight revolt against this type ofbehaviour.

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��-�'Deshantar, 17 December

The Ilam election court has ordereda re-count of the ballots of Jhapadistrict constituency number fourfrom 22 December. The decisionwas passed by the court headed byattorney Ramesh Jha following apetition by the losing candidateYukta Bhetwal of UML, allegingfoul play during the vote count in

the last parliamentary elections.The decision has put the winner,Foreign Minister Chakra PrasadBastola, in a very tricky position.The same court had ordered the re-counting on 6 August, which washalted after Bastola appealed to theSupreme Court. The SupremeCourt ultimately went with thedecision of the election court andhence the re-count.

Bastola had won the election bya slender margin of 26 votes.Among the various reasons cited forthe need for a re-count, Bhetwalhas accused the counting process ofhiding votes that were in his favourand counting disqualified votes infavour of his competitor. Prepara-tions for the re-count are alreadyunderway.

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��Nepali Patra, 15 December

While the ruling party the NepaliCongress is engrossed ininfighting, the main oppositionUML is gearing up to amend theconstitution, and the third largestparty, the RPP, is getting readyto start a farmers’ agitation verysoon. The recently concluded19th central committee meetinghas already taken a decisionregarding this. The details of theagitation have not yet been madepublic, but according to the partydeputy chief, this agitation willcentre around 20 places in thecountry.

The agitation is going to focuson the problems faced by thefarmers, the exploitation they aresubjected to, the decrease in theprices of agricultural products, therise in the prices of fertilizers,petroleum products and sugar, theKamaiya issue and the security ofpeople engaged in the agriculturalsector. The RPP wants thegovernment to provide security tothe farmers, buy their products at areasonable rate, discourage foreignagricultural products from enteringthe country and develop foreignmarkets for our products. The partywants the government to increasethe price of agricultural good in thesame ratio at which prices of otherconsumer goods have risen.

Sign on wall: ‘Keep Kanti Children’s Hospital clean.’

1. What’s an old guy like you doing here?2. What could I do? The discharge fee is just too much to bear…3. … I was a kid when I got admitted

—Phalano, by Rajesh KC, Himal Khabarpatrika, 1-15 December.

Gautam

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his season, shoppers all overthe world surfed the Netlooking for unique gift items

and some bought copperflowerpots, vases andcandlestands fashioned by theBishwokarmas of Palpa. This is

part of a larger trend in e-commerce in the US—retailingauthentic, politically correcthandicrafts from around theworld, often backed up byphotographs and reportage, toNet-savvy, credit card-wieldingAmericans and Europeans. Andoften, it is small, ruralcommunities in countries likeNepal, and grassroots NGOs thatbenefit.

For centuries, theseBishwokarma coppersmiths ofPalpa survived by their craft—hammering sheets of copper intowater basins, pitchers and trays.Then, some 30 years ago, Indianmass-produced aluminium andthen plastic containers beganmaking inroads into the Nepalihinterland, and unable tocompete, the Bishwokarmas wereforced to abandon their trade and

migrate to India in search ofmenial jobs.

A year ago, decorative itemsmade by the coppersmiths ofPalpa started appearing on theInternet. Socially conscious on-line companies, likewww.viatru.com (formerlyworld2market.com, a business-to-consumer website) started takingthe copper items they producedand supplied them to retailerslike Pottery Barn or mail-order

and online companies like theSundance Catalog. TheBishwokarmas of Palpa don’tknow what the Internet is—mosthave not even seen a computer,but e-commerce has changedtheir lives and fortunes, and ishelping to bring others backhome.

The patio of a stone hut in

the sleepy hills of Palpa is buzzingwith activity. As modern Nepalimusic blares from a cassetteplayer, scores of artisans sit in acircle, beating and burnishingwater pitchers, basins and trays.

Bal Bahadur Bishwokarmajoined the circle of artisans sevenmonths ago during a visit fromIndia where he worked as a cook inKurukshetra, Haryana. “I thought Iwould earn a lot in India,” says BalBahadur. “But I didn’t. I used toearn Rs 3500 but I had a lot ofexpenses too. I had no savings! Thisis my place, my village. I can bewith my family here…” BalBahadur has no plans of going back.

Bal Bahadur asked a lot ofquestions before joining the localcooperative, says Bir BahadurBishwokarma, the nominal leader ofthe coppersmiths, “He comparedhis income with ours and realisedhe had no savings, whereas a personhere saves Rs 25-30,000 a year.”

The copper pot industry wasstarted by Bir Bahadur after hereturned from a training programmeat Balaju Technical Institute 14

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years ago. Today, the industryemploys 35 coppersmiths who earnRs 3500-7000 a month. Many ofthe once-landless Bishwokarmas arebuying land and all of them aresending their children to school.That is saying a lot for a communitythat has traditionally beenbackward due to theirmarginalisation by other groupsthat consider them ‘untouchable’.

Every two weeks, group leaderBir Bahadur Bishwokarma travels toKathmandu with as much as 320kgs of copper items. They go to theAssociation for Craft Producers(ACP), a fair trade group inKathmandu that checks the qualityof the products and suppliesInternet companies with coppergoods. The association also sells theBishwokarmas’ work at theirKupondole outlet, Dhukuti. TheACP sold $40,000 worth of copperitems in 1999. Since the pots beganappearing on the Net early thisyear, that figure has doubled.

The ACP helps Nepali artisansmarket their traditional skills.“Although the association has beenexporting products made by its1000 members for nearly 15 yearsnow, the web has opened up newmarkets,” says Meera Bhattarai, the

Association’s director.“People pour into Kathmandu

with great expectations hoping theywill get better paid jobs,” she says,“but it is not true in most cases.The best thing would be for themto live in their own community,their own village and be able to livea decent life.” In fact some of the

Clockwise from top: The pots as seen by Sundance Catalog customers;the Palpa cooperative of the Bishwokarmas; a world2market.com represen-tative shows a girl from Palpa how her parents’ crafts look on the Internet; aBishwokarma coppersmith at work.

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Bishwokarmas working in thepatio have seen a computer beforebut none seemed interested in thenew universe of the Internet. Butthey are grateful it has giventhem enough work to continuedoing what they are most familiarwith and stay on in their ownvillage.��

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Terms and conditions1 The contest is open to everyone, except

employees of Himalmedia Pvt Ltd andInfocom Pvt Ltd.

2 In case of more than one correct entry,the winner will be decided by lucky draw.

3 Entries have to reach Himalmedia, by 5pm, Tuesday.

4 The winner will be announced in thecoming issue.

5 The prize has to be collected fromHimalmedia within a week of theannouncement. Please come with an ID.

Name..........................................................................................................................................Ph...................................................................email...................................................................

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Out of 12 correct entries the luckywinner is Terence D’costa

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KATHMANDU

This satellite picture taken on Wednesday morning shows clear skiesall the way to West Asia with only white patches of ground fog over theGangetic plains bordering Nepal. A high-pressure area is sittingstubbornly over northern India. A strong high-altitude westerly jetstream has been blowing across the northern part of the subcontinentthis week, clearing away the haze for great views of the mountains andwarmer afternoon temperatures. Conclusion: no rains for theforeseeable future. Foggy mornings and bright afternoons willcontinue for Kathmandu and other mid-Himalayan valleys. A suddendrop in night temperature over the weekend may bring frost to valleyoutskirts.

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Movie ticket bookings online at <www.nepalshop.com>. 50% discounts on all bookings for school students atTara and Prithivi movie theatre.

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��Kids Guernica – Kids Guernica–2000, Nepal. International children’s peace mural exhibition in supportof the global movement for children’s rights. The exhibitions sends a message of peace fromchildren from around the world. Tundikhel. 21-27 December. Exhibition throughout daylight.��Vision. Solo painting exhibition by Sanjay Bantawa organised by the Chomolungma UNESCOCentre. Opening 23 December. 3:30 pm. Bamboo Gallery, Panipokhari. 412507��A Diary of Portraits (1975-1999). A series of studies in mixed media of the colourful people ofKathmandu by Carolyn Boch, a long-term resident of Nepal and a teacher of Creative MandalaArt Classes at the Himalayan Buddhist Meditation Centre. Last day 31 December. Gallery hours9am-6pm. The New Restaurant at the Summit Hotel, Kupondol. 524694��Angkor. A black-and-white photography exhibition by Jaro Poncar from Prague. The focus ofthe exhibition is the Hindu/Buddhist temple complex Angkor, regarded as one of the architecturalwonders of the world. 20 Dec-20 Jan, 2001. 8 am-6 pm. Indigo Gallery, Naxal.

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��Weekly Prizes. Take part in the various quiz competition and win numerous prizes ranging from giftvouchers, air tickets, adventure trips, dinner and lunch at some of the best places around. Special attractionfor Christmas. Log on to <www.nepalshop.com>

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��Eid-ul-Fitr. Namaz prayers at Nepal Jame Masjid and Kashmiri Masjid, Bagh Bazaar. 10 am on 26 or 27December. Call for date confirmation 247044��ChristmasCarol Singing. Services at Assumption Church, Dhobighat. Carol singing starts 6 pm, Mass at 7 pm. 24December.��Mass. Aradhana Chruch Sanepa, 10 am. Assumption Church, 9 am and 5:30 pm. Hotel Annapurna,Durbar Marg, 7:30 am. Hotel Yak & Yeti, 10 am. 25 December

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��Jazz Sessions. Live jazz at The Jazz Bar, Hotel Shangrila. A unique jazz bar where Michael Fienstienplayed Gershwin & Porter. Featuring this month a host of jazz bands including Elaine McInnes & ChrisMasand with the Jazz Commission, the Swingtones, the Latin Lovers and others playing Cole Porter, Gershwin,

Brubeck and Coltrane. Enjoy the drinks from a bottomless cellar, gourmet food,coffee, cognac and cigars and hear… interpret Ella, Sarah, Louis. 412999.��Ch@tmandu Ho! Halla! Hamro.com Nepal’s most popular chat presents a charityconcert featuring ‘The Albatross, Wild Graz, Smarika, Monkey Temple, FlowerGeneration and others. 23 December, 12noon—5pm. Aroma Sports Center, Sanepa.Tickets: Tick ‘n’ Tock, Suwal Video New Road, All Nanglo and Bakery Café outlets.Rs250 (includes burger and a Coke).��Shikar Beat Contest. Twenty selected bands of the original 82 will be contestingfor cash awards totalling Rs 172,000. Special guest performance by Cobweb, 1974AD, Robin & Looza, Rock Yogis. 23-24 December, 3 pm onwards. Tundikhel KhullaManch. Free Entry.

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��Classical Nepali dances based on Buddhist and Hindu epics and the Tantric pantheon showcase thesacred arts of ancient Kathmandu Valley. Every Tuesday, 7 pm. The Great Pagoda, Hotel Vajra (nearSwoyambhunath Stupa, 10 minutes west of Thamel). Rs 400. 271545��Children Khel. Exciting children’s Chirstmas and New Year party. 24 December, 11 am-3pm. Entry Rs 100.Free drinks and prizes. Hotel Shangrila, Lazimpat. 412999

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��ASMAN Night. Benefit dinner and dance for The Education of a Girl Child, organised by ASMAN. 24December, 7:30 pm. Baber Mahal Revisited. Rs 1500. 270147, 413151, 413394

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��Cultural imperialism in Nepal. Discussion forum led by Mahendra Lawoti, researcher at the Nepal SouthAsia Centre. 26 December, 5.30 pm. Unless otherwise noted, presentations are in Nepali. Write or Call fordirections: [email protected]/ 246065.

For inclusion in the listing send information to [email protected]

by NGAMINDRA DAHAL

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HAMMER AND SICKLE: Leaders of the main oppositioin UML, includingGeneral Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal (with raised fist and red scarf) rallyon New Road on 20 December to protest rising food prices.

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wenty-five years after the firstsnow leopards were radiocollared in Nepal and serious

efforts to save this secretive cat began,environmentalists are encouraged byits comeback. There are now as manyas 500 snow leopards in the 22,000 sqkm of eight protected nature reservesin the Nepal Himalaya—nearly onetenth of the total world population.

Snow leopards are found atelevations of 3,000-5,400 m in theHimalaya and 900-3,000 m in CentralAsia, Mongolia and Russia, but it is inNepal that they have the highestdensity. “Mugu is the snow leopardcapital of the world,” declares RodneyJackson, the world’s most famoussnow leopard expert.

It was Jackson who, with Nepaliresearcher Karan Shah between 1983and 1985, radio-collared five snowleopards (three males and twofemales) in Dolpo to study their range,feeding and breeding habits. Thewealth of data collected helpedenvironmentalists figure out whereinterventions were needed to save thiselusive and exotic cat.

Raising money was easy.Something as cuddly and mysteriousas a snow leopard is made to be amascot for environmentalprotection—almost as successful asthe giant panda. Snow leopardconservation therefore was soon well-endowed with generous grants fromfoundations like National GeographicSociety, and Jackson also got theRolex Enterprise Award for furtherwork.

Today the Langu Valley of theShey-Phoksundo National Park inDolpo has as many as 12 snowleopards per 100 sq km, one of thehighest densities in the world. Thefigure for Manang is about seven per100 sq km, and other protected areasof Nepal have about one snow leopardfor every 200 sq km. Since 1973,snow leopards have been protected bythe Convention on InternationalTrade in Endangered Species(CITES), and in Nepal also theanimal is fully protected under Nepal’sNational Park and WildlifeConservation (NPWC) Act.

Despite the conservationssuccesses, people in the highmountain areas of Nepal, Tibet andCentral Asia have traditionally looked

at the snow leopard as a pest that killssheep and other livestock. So the firstinstinct of highland farmers is to killthe animal if they see it. Lately, theastronomical prices that snow leopardpelts command in the internationalmarket have given an added incentiveto farmers who sell the fur tomiddlemen who come by. Despite aninternational campaign againstwearing fur of endangered species, thetrade is thriving.

A farmer in Mugu sells a completesnow leopard pelt for as little as Rs800—little knowing what kind of amarkup it will have by the time it getsto Hong Kong. If the Mugu farmercan take his pelt across the borderinto Tibet, he can get $190 for thesame item. After cleaning, processingand cutting, the fur of one snowleopard can have a street value of asmuch as $50,000 in East Asia orNorth America. Such prices make thetrade much more lucrative than evennarcotics. Just like for the tiger onNepal’s southern border, there is ademand for just about every part ofthe snow leopard in traditionalChinese medicine. Snow leopard liver,heart, kidney and bone are supposedto be key ingredients in Chinese

traditional aphrodisiac potions. So,besides the fur, the Mugu farmer alsobarters the bones and dried internalorgans of snow leopard with sheepfrom Tibetan traders.

In Nepal, the fourth amendmentof the 1973 NPWC Act has set stiffpenalties for buying and selling ofsnow leopard parts ranging from Rs50,000–100,000 or 5-15 years inprison, or both. But lax enforcementof this law, corruption and the hugerewards for trafficking have meant thatthe illicit trade goes on. Though thereis no exact figure on the poaching

numbers, it is estimated that about sixsnow leopards are killed in Nepalevery year by poachers, mostly inwestern Nepal. “It’s not easy forpeople who lose their livestock tosnow leopards,” explained Jacksonwhile presenting a slide show atIndigo Gallery this week.

“Reducing people and wildlifeconflict is the best approach,” says

Jackson, who is also director of theSnow Leopard StewardshipProgramme of the Snow LeopardConservancy, an organisation thataims at protection through tightercommunity-based action to save theanimals.

The Programme chooses sites

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based on their importance to snowleopards, and alpine biodiversity andwhere there is a history of livestockdepredation. Pilot projects for snowleopard protection with communityaction are underway in Ladakh andthe Annapurna Conservation Area inNepal. Other sites underconsideration include the South Gobiregion in Mongolia, the KhunjerabNational Park and the Baltistan area inPakistan and the QomolungmaNational Nature Preserve north of MtEverest in China.

At present there are variousorganisations focusing on theconservation of the snow leopard inNepal. In 1999 the Snow LeopardConservancy in collaboration with theAnnapurna Area Conservation Trustorganised the first training for parkofficials in the Dolpo region. “Thepark people and the park staff are themost important people. They wouldbe the best motivators andconservationists if trained well,” saysJackson.

The World Wide Fund for Nature(WWF) has identified five majorthreats against snow leopards fromhuman causes: poaching, loss ofnatural prey, predatory killing,degradation of habitat, and lack of

support and awareness among localpeople. Poaching remains the mostcommon threat as it not only destroysthe cat’s population but also its foodsupply: Himalayan blue sheep, Asiaticibex, marmot, pika, hares, rodents andgame birds like Tibetan snowcock.

“A snow leopard attacks livestockonly when it can’t find anything elseto eat. Vilagers don’t know that: theykill off wild sheep and other prey, andthat causes the conflict with the cats,”says Anil Manandhar of WWF inKathmandu.

Jackson’s project aims to helphighland villagers to make leopard-proof corrals for livestock and to helpwith education. “We have to helpvillagers benefit from protecting theleopards by training them to use theirindigenous practices scientifically,” hetold us. The slogan for saving thesnow leopard is similar to the one

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Because the snow leopard’s rangetraverses international boundaries,conservation efforts have to plan forconservation without borders.Proposed transboundary naturereserves like the tri-national parkplanned for the Kangchendzonga areawould help in protecting the snowleopard. “The concept of trans-boundary protected areas will enhancethe mobility and breeding of theleopards,” says Jackson. �

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GOOD HEALTH: Thai ambassador Powthep Vanachinta with BhiksuSudarshan at a ceremony to mark a free clinic for alternative medicine atKirtipur Vihar, 16 December.

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decade after the Internet,Nepal is still struggling tomake a creative dent in

cyberspace. There are 16 InternetService Providers for the rathersmall Nepali market of 100,000Internet users. Being online stillisn’t big business for anyone, excepta handful of travel-and trade-relatedsites who can make the odd buckfrom online registration for theirservices.

If you look at Nepali websitescatering to domestic andinternational users, it isn’t hardto see why. Of course, given thesize and particular ramificationsof Nepal and its economy, it’shighly unlikely we’ll have any realtransition to a New Economyanytime soon, or see local firmslisting on NASDAQ unlesssomeone here goes online with abrilliant new application orservice. But even given theconditions we have, Nepali sitescould be a little moreimaginative. They could lookbetter, read better and workbetter.

Basically, verbiage about theendless possibilities of the Internet

and a border-less world aside,Nepali sites fall into one of twocategories—portals andentertainment sites, andprofessional sites for organisations.There are few that create aninteractive, aesthetic experiencewhile also providing a service. Theentertainment sites and portalsusually have a few illegal mp3s, amust-have Java chat applet, lots oflinks that don’t work, a freewebmail service and sometimes evena matchmaking service. Thecorporate and non-profit sites offeror simply advertise their services.Most visitors to entertainment sites

are from the Valley and theirfavourite pastime seems to betapping away at their keyboards,producing inane exclamations andflirting in chat space. A chat room

veteran explained that the hottesttopics are “sex and India bashing”.

Nepali users from overseasusually log on to news sites likenepalnews and kantipuronline.Many users of entertainment siteslike hamro.com, explorenepal.comand nepalsearch.com are Nepaliswho see the more technicallyadvanced international services likeYahoo! Messenger as communityspaces that force you to efface yourcultural identity. Interestingly,though, once casual chattersbecomes regulars and start makingfriends they form groups in globalservices like MSN and YahooMessenger and bid goodbye toNepali chat sites. Webmasteraccept that this is a regularoccurence and, in some ways,inevitable.

Hamro.com (formerlyeconepal.com) is one chat sitethat’s managed ‘stickiness’ prettywell in these competitive times.(‘Stickiness’ refers to the abilityof a site to draw repeat users whoeventually form a loyalcommunity around it.)Hamro.com was Nepal’s firstJava-powered chat site. It waslaunched about a year ago andsoon had over 40,000 registeredusers—this is clearly Nepal’s most

popular chat site. Althoughhamro.com is virtuallysynonymous with online chattingfor Nepalis, the webmasters aretrying to do something out of theordinary. State radio’sradionepal.fm already web-castsNepali music 24 hours on the site.Their matchmaking service sets updates and has around 1000members. The webmasters are eventhrowing a party for their loyalchat-service users. “Hamro.com isnot just a chat site,” says SakarBhusal who at 19 is perhaps Nepal’smost successful and youngestwebmaster. “We are planning to gomuch further ahead with a whole

range of different features, likestudy abroad guidance specificallydesigned for Nepali students,” saysthe young geek. Hamro.com isthriving only because it providedthe first Java-based chat applet andconstantly upgraded it to thepresent voice chat. The other siteshave simple chat programs thatanybody can download from themany free software providers. InNepal, like in many wired societies,first-mover advantage, user-friendliness and technical finesseoften make the perennial criticalarguments about bandwidth andappropriate Net-technology fordeveloping countries irrelevant inthe context of community building.

But in general, the rise andfall of Nepali sites is a tale offailure to be innovative. SurfNepal-specific portals and allyou’ll find is the sameinformation repeated ad nauseum.One good thing about this massof guidebook information onNepal is that it serves the tourismindustry well and is perhaps moreeffective than Nepal TourismBoard’s marketing tactics (or lackthereof). There’s plenty forprospective first-time visitors toNepal. Almost every Nepali portalhas sections on places to visit,

culture, festivals, hotel and lodgeinformation. Tourism industryprofessionals like trekkingagencies and hotels also havesites. The basic facts are every-where but, sadly, no single sitehas been creative enough to gobeyond the obvious in terms ofinformation, images or analyses.Yes, mountains are beautiful, andyou’re bound to have loads of funon a white-water rafting trip, butwhat else? Rupesh Pradhan,Director of Yomari Inc., designersof Nepal’s most comprehensivesearch engine nepalhomepage.com, says, “Making a web page isa relatively simple task today,anyone can do it. As soon aspeople get a printer, they think ofeven making a book. But for goodcontent you need study, knowl-edge and most of all resources.”Nepalhomepage.com looks likeit’s come out of the initial phase.Catering to over 180,000 visitorsfrom 40 different countries everyweek, nepalhomepage.com is onethe main search engines forinformation on Nepal. They havethe usual stuff like travel tips,exchange rates, the weather and achat feature, but they also owndatabases of Nepali missionsabroad, addresses of ministries,trading houses, and travel andtrekking agencies. The most famousfeature of the site now is theirdiscussion forums—there are asmany as three hundred postings ona single subject sometimes.

In the news category,nepalnews.com already has a cultfollowing domestically andabroad. Many Nepali newspapersupload their content to thenepalnews domain. The site isconstantly updated and has arelatively easy-to-read design, butthe real winner here is thecontent. News. All stripes, asmuch as you can read.

Even if most Nepali sites lackvariety and content, there are alsosome really good ones, whichserve their professional purpose,and are also fun to surf.Spinybabbler.org, the website ofSpiny Babbler, a decade-oldgroup that organises activities

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www.nepalhomepage.com: Loads of information and links forNepal, discussion forums.www.spinybabbler.org: Art and poetry from Kathmandu.www.nepalnews.com: Nepal’s premier news site.www.hamro.com: The Valley’s most popular teen chat site.www.chordsnepal.com: Downloadable Nepali mp3s.www.nepalshop.com: One of Nepal’s first e-commerce sites.www.pashmarc.com: Retails pashmina shawls and scarvesonline.www.south-asia.com/babycare: Information on traditionalNepali mother- and baby-care practiceswww.south-asia/ssn: Nepal’s first online medical consultationservice, free.www.bhakundo.org.np: Nepal Football Fan Club’s official site,posts dates of matches.www.jobsnepal.com: Better positions, greater satisfaction—jobs.www.asainart.com: Great essays on traditional Asian arts,information on Patan Museum’s reconstruction.www.hbc.com.np: Nepal’s first live web-cast radio service.www.bikingnepal.com: The site for mountain bikers in Nepal.

�� 0��related to arts and literature inKathmandu is one of the best.Spinybabbler.org has five onlineart galleries with two exhibitionsevery month, and also showcasesworks by Nepal’s young Englishlanguage poets. Content is noproblem for Spiny Babbler, whichhas an established infrastructurein place. “Our physical presencehere in Kathmandu enables us tobuild up the content we want,”says Pallav Ranjan, founder of thegroup.

Arvind Rajbhandari, a long timeNet enthusiast and currently ahardware technician at Worldlink,one of the biggest ISPs here, thinksNepal’s Net Age is only beginningand that there are a lot of obstaclesto overcome. “We’re still learninghow to integrate the Net into ourdaily lives and the hurdles thatNepal’s Internet businesses have toovercome have a domino effect.There’s a whole range of them—from ISP’s with the necessarybandwidth, to Nepal

Telecommunication Corporationusing only telephone lines—theslowest delivery medium—forconnectivity, to the government’sindifference to formulating properIT policy,” he says. “But all thesame we are certainly makingprogress slowly.” The govt in factjust announced an IT policy lastweek. (See Biz Briefs for details.)

There are problems, but it’s tooearly to tell whether these areteething troubles, or more serioushurdles in establishing a greater—and more imaginative—Nepalipresence online. One thing iscertain, though, even if boom timenever hits Nepal, it won’t hurt tobe more creative on the Net. �

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SITES WORTH SURFING

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If you’re not studying at you’re missing something

20 22 - 28 DECEMBER 2000 ��

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ment is in the process of conducting trials on sixmore ten-kiloton warheads in the Miss Swimsuitcategory and four more in the Miss Photogeniccategory. What’s more, these devices are now sleekenough to be fitted into two-piece launch vehicleswith cryogenic capability so that the heavenly bodiescan be put into geopolitical orbit.

India has gone ballistic, the question is what therest of the world is going to do about it. There arethree answers: “Practise, practise, and practise.” Ourgirls need to go through rigorous training, re-kittingand streamlining to be able compete with the bestdesigns India has on offer. The schematic diagrambelow was secretly obtained by our intelligenceagents and depicts a state-of-the-art bimbette whowas crowned last week at a Military Air Show in theMillennium Dome. The arrows point to soft spotswhere we need to get to work without much ado:

arents feel for theirchildren—a sneeze or acough is enough to set in a

panic. It was just such a collectivepanic that led to the formation of theSave the Environment Foundation(SEF), after Chanda Rana and herfriends concluded that Kathmandu’spollution was responsible for theirchildren’s chronic respiratoryillnesses and decided to dosomething about it.

From cleaning out the mounds ofrotting garbage near theRatnamukeswore vegetable marketto campaigning against Vikramtempos, SEF has achieved a lot. Thebeautiful garden in front of theBirendra International ConventionCentre in Naya Baneswor is an SEFundertaking. Earlier, the space gaveno hint of the world-class conventionfacilities that lay beyond what hadessentially become a public toilet.

Now the landscaped garden lookslike the work of real pros, but isn’t.“All the designing was done by us!The flowers were provided byStandard Nursery for a nominalamount,” says Rana, laughing withpleasure. The park boasts out-of-season flowers, sculptures dedicatedto Mother Nature by leading Nepaliartist Thakur Prasad Mainali, artistic-looking tree stumps, green poemscarved in marble, and walkways.Maintaining the garden doesn’t takemuch—two gardeners, and themunicipality trucks that water thetraffic islands. All in all it’s afantastic job.

SEF also plants trees—thebarrelled trees on the stretch of road infront of Singha Durbar is their doing. Inaddition, SEF awards environment-friendly industries (with the Ministry ofPopulation and Environment),propagates energy-saving techniquesin factories, and is leading anawareness campaign against polluting

the Bis Hajari Tal area of Chitwan.SEF is a group of 15 women,

most of them housewives concernedabout the environment. There’s nobig budget and the Foundation isn’tdonor-driven. “There are donors whowill be more than happy to supportus, but SEF is not interested,” saysa defiant Rana.��

��: This is the brain of the weapon. Itshould be quick and agile. No matter what thequestion, your answers have to be: “I am anincarnation of Mother Teresa”, “I want to be a marinebiologist/clinical psychologist”, “I want to be the firstwoman to climb Mt Everest in a strapless peachgown”.��: For in-flight stability, give yourself anaerodynamic nose job.�� : As long as you areat it, get a tooth job as well. Titanium alloy ivories willprovide the tactical edge in a tight race, especiallywhen you set it on auto-pilot smile mode.��: Need to be fully deployed during landing.��: Remember beauty is skin-deep. Toreduce drag, the outer coating needs to be sleek andbulimic.��: This is the most vulnerablepart of the weapon system, needs to be guarded againstfatigue and sagging.��: Never underestimate thepower of a nice pair of these to get a leg up on theopposition.��: It is the high heels that willgive you the strategic advantage in this struggle forultimate world hegemony. �

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Chanda Rana stands proud ly in front of the SEF’s hallmark effort, theBirendra Green Garden. (top) The Garden, outside the BirendraInternational Convention Centre, has walkways, poetry, sculptures andflowers. (above)

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ow that a certain Large Neighbour to our southwith a population of two billion has once morebeen officially

declared the mostbeautiful country in theknown universe, thisleaves many of us smaller neighbours insecure and on

the horns of a conundrum. As far asbeauty is concerned, we are nowliving in a dangerously unipolarworld, and this could sow theseeds of instability in the regionand the solar system as a whole. Torestore the balance of power, smallernations in the periphery need toget together and begin secretlydeveloping their own nuclearbimbo deterrents in order tocatch up with India’s mightymilitary-entertainmentcomplex.

No other country inthe world now comeseven close tomatching India’sarsenal of beautyqueens. So far as weknow, India hassuccessfully testedsix bombshells inrecent pageants.Intelligence sourcesand satellitesurveillance showthat it has astockpile of afurther sixdevices whichare ready fordeployment,and thecountry’sdefensiveestablish-

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