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Artificial making upbetween PM & Prachanda

on page 2

Army says, nocompromise

on page 3

ä nf correspondent

After the possibility of an army coup became asubject of intense fear and discussion in thepolitical circles; Prime Minister G P Koirala had along and fruitful discussion with the Chief ofArmy Rukmangat Katawal, recently.

A key aide to the PM told newsfront thatKatawal pledged that the Nepal army wouldalways back the forces of nationalism anddemocracy, and that the fear of army coup wasfalse and baseless. The meeting which tookplace last week at the PM’s residence attachessignificance in the light of the stand off betweenthe Maoists and the Nepal army with Prachandapublicly stating that Katawal was still guided bythe palace.

Koirala, on his part is believed to have toldGen. Katawal that the government trusted thearmy, and that he would tell Maoists and otherconstituents of the government not to bring thearmy into unnecessary controversies.

Total deterioration of the law and ordersituation, near collapse of the police forces andcriticism of the Young Communist League athome and by the international community fortaking law into its hands, has fuelled further fear

that army is going to step in any time soon.The fear of army coup does not seem

confined to the local political circles alone. A bi-annual get together of the Oberoi Hotel group’sexecutives (called 1974 group) debated thepossibility of such a coup taking place whileconsidering Kathmandu as the venue for themeeting sometimes in the middle of August. Ithowever decided to hold the meeting here,come what may.

While there have been many occasions in thepast in which the army and the Maoists havecome into open confrontation, this is the firsttime that a possible coup by the army is beingwidely debated. The first tussle came whenMaoists obstructed the movement of the armyvehicles meant for repairs in Kathmandu lastyear on false allegations that they were carryingarms and ammunitions. The second incidentwas in early June when the army turned downMaoists’ demand to remove their camp fromBirpur in Kapilvastu.

In fact, in his first press conference at PM’sresidence in Baluwatar, Prachanda haddeclared army as the institution of ‘corrupt andrapists,’ a comment which he withdrew laterfaced with wider criticisms of his remarks. ä

Katawal says army is for democracy

No coup!

Celebrating the fourth Asar Festival on15th of Asar at a village close to Begnash

Lake, Lekhnath, Kaski. Ashar 15 iscelebrated by planting paddy. Farmers

have fun eating 'Dahi-Chiura' andsplashing mud at each other on this day.

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2 2-8 July, 2007 News

…An unprecedented high demand from the election commission…

ä nf correspondent

Nepal peace time budget will havethe highest allocation for defensethanks to the spiraling demands fromthe security agencies and forces,mainly the police and the armedpolice force. As per the indication, thedemand if conceded, together withthe allocation for army with the sameamount as that of last year; will haveat least 35 per cent of the totalbudget earmarked for defense,according to the finance ministrysources. The ministry also faces anunprecedented high demand fromthe election commission, to the tuneof two billion Rupees.

Finance Minister, Ram SharanMahat gears up to prepare thebudget but will have to depend moreon outside assistance to keep thecountry going. The increase in thepolice and armed police forcedemands along with that of theNepal army despite it being confinedto the barracks; and the governmenthaving to pay for the Maoistguerrillas in the designatedcantonments have contributed to this

increase in the budget.There are growing concerns

among the donor communities sincethe government is depending moreheavily on them for regulardevelopmental assistance and peaceinitiatives. Lack of transparency andaccountability regarding theexpenditure of more than 100 CroreRupees that the government haspaid to the Maoists - more than 60percent of which was routed throughinformation and communicationminister, K B Mahara; without theamount being subjected to normalauditing is creating another problemin soliciting external assistance.

While the number of the NepalArmy, police and the armed policeforce together constitute around170,000; it now touches on 200, 000with the Maoist guerrillas gettingregular salary in the form ofallowances.

Despite monarchy being an issueof debate among the political parties,the budget which is due to beannounced around mid July is likelyto have 20.97 Crores earmarked forpalace affairs, according to available

indications. The PM is believed tohave instructed the finance ministernot to get into fresh controversy andmaintain the level of last year’sallocation of the same amount,which is to be reviewed after theadministrative downsizing isimplemented as proposed. Mahathas already come under pressure

from UML and the Maoists not to begenerous to the palace.

In absence of a clear policy by thecabinet or the government, Mahat inall likelihood would go by what thePM has told him although K BMahara, in his capacity as the Maoistminister has suggested that thereshould be no allocation in the name

of royal palace as in the past. Anyamount meant for the palace shouldbe put under the ‘Bhaipari Aune’which means under the contingencyfund of the government.

Speaker Subhash Nemwang, onthe other hand, has asked the Kingto keep mum regarding the budgetallocation for the palace.

Mahat struggles with strained coffer

ä nf correspondent

It came as a rude shock once again tomany senior Congress leaders whowere waiting for the removal of HomeMinister K P Sitaula as PM G P Koiralahad assured them that he would oustthe minister. But the deadline passedand Sitaula still remains more powerfulthan even Koirala.

Of all the leaders and some seniorofficials of the security agency thatKoirala consulted with, the PM was themost convinced that Situala had nowoutlived his utility, and that he should notbe continuing in the government anymore. The only person who opposedKoirala saying that he should be clearabout what he expects of his new homeminister before Sitaula is removed atthis stage was the PM’s nephew, DrShekhar Koirala. Senior Koiralaobviously decided to go by what hisnephew said but it has left his daughterSujata fuming.

According to the party sources,Koirala has no love lost for Sitaula butwhat has delayed the decision to firehim is the PM’s inability to decide who tochoose from within the family. “He doesnot want the home portfolio go outsidethe family,” a senior office bearer of theparty told newsfront, revealing that thethree people in his mind are ShekharKoirala, Sujata Koirala and AmodUpadhyay. Names of Chakra Bastolaand Arjun Narsingh KC are also doingits rounds as probable successors.

There are many theories doingrounds about why Koirala agreed tohave Sitaula removed by end June.Firstly, he was increasingly becomingmore of a liability than an asset andsecondly, some party leaders even toldKoirala that Sitaula is guided more by

another country than by the PM; andlastly, he was also taking an uncalled foranti-American stance to appease someother country, something a ministershould not be doing.

S D Muni, a well known Indian lobbyistwhose views are taken into account inDelhi on regional security matters, isbelieved to have spoken out twice aboutwhy Sitaula should continue to beretained in the post. Baluwatar sourcesreveal that even ambassador ShivShanker Mukherjee casually told Koiralathat it may be about time that Sitaula isshifted to some other ministry now thatthe law and order situation is so bad.

Koirala is left torn between contradic-tory choices, but he feels most embar-rassed about how to respond to theparty leaders to whom he said that hewould be removing Sitaula soon.Appearing to ignore the moves againsthim, Sitaula recently announced that thelaw and order situation will improve onlyafter the constituent assembly elections,thus indicating that he has no intention ofvacating the post anytime soon.

Who will remove Situala?

ä nf correspondent

As Prachanda’s announcement to withdraw fromthe government created a mini-political earthquake,Prime Minister G P Koirala once again went headover heels to appease the Maoist chief promising toaddress his demands soon. And what Koirala got inreturn was Prachanda’s promise to participate inthe joint election rally in five regions soon, the datefor which has not yet been announced.

Prachanda and Koirala’s agreement on the rallyfollowed Koirala’s assurance that Maoist nomineesfor the ambassadorial appointment would seriouslybe considered, although the PM flatly deniedPrachanda’s suggestion that one of the four majorcountries, India, US, China and UK should have aMaoist ambassador. According to the sources in thePM’s office, Prachanda however did not insist on itand simply told Koirala that he was only conveyingwhat his senior party colleagues suggested.

Most likely, Denmark, which Maoists considerfriendlier than other countries, will have a Maoistambassador designate announced soon. But allthese agreements followed Koirala’s clear messageto Maoists that with YCL activities on, there will beserious doubts about election taking place in free

and fair manner, especially because the interna-tional community has been raising this issue.

Only India so far is officially believed to have toldKoirala that the election and YCL activities shouldnot be linked at all, as that will create grounds forpostponing elections once again. But that issomething which is not acceptable to many Nepaliactors including UML and Congress-D. UMLGeneral Secretary Madhav Nepal said publicly inDolakha last week that YCL atrocities are muchmore gruesome than reported in the media, andSher Bahadur Deuba made it clear that electionscannot take place with these kinds of activitiescontinuing to take place.

The election commission has also asked thegovernment to ensure that law and order situationshould be maintained so that electioneering takesplace in an atmosphere free from fear andintimidation.

Despite the agreement between Koirala andPrachanda, Koirala continues to be targeted bothby the Maoists and the UML, with the latter callinghim a dictator. There are indications that the eightparties, mainly the four major ones, will chart out acommon approach so that at least in the joint rallythey will not be criticising one another.

Koirala and Prachanda agree on a joint election rally

Artificial making -up

Pix

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Minister Mahat

G P Koirala and Prachanda

Home Minister K P Sitaula

32-8 July, 2007News

King’s partyAfter a prolonged discussion it was decided

that King Gyanendra will be celebrating his60th birthday with a royal touch but sans theusual pomp and gaiety. A list of invitees hasbeen drawn by the palace with the initialnumber of 1800 slashed down by half.

According to the sources, the inviteesinclude people from different walks of life suchas politicians, social workers, media and of course royal relatives. PrimeMinister Koirala, the head of the constitutional bodies also figure as oneof the invitees, sources said.

Cheap demandThat the former Deputy Prime Minister, Bharat Mohan Adhikary who

handled the finance portfolio a couple of occasions can easily somersaultpolitically is not new. But that he will sometimes act in a childish manner issomething that seems to have baffled Ram Sharan Mahat, the currentfinance minister.

Someone who was responsible for hiking the royal palace budget asdeputy PM under Sher Bahadur Deuba, Adhikary said recently thatthere was no need to release any big amount to the palace; and some30 to 40 million rupees should do, he said.

But it was not that which annoyed Finance Minister Mahat. As per thedemocratic and parliamentary norms, Dr Mahat consulted all the formerfinance ministers separately to share his thoughts and plans about theimpending budget. Adhikary, in that capacity, had the honour ofsuperficially knowing what Mahat was toying with.

But soon after he came out of the meeting, he called a pressconference and demanded that Mahat incorporate issues in the budgetwhich finance minister had told him that there were already there. It wasindeed a political but a cheap way of making demands.

His master’s voiceKeeping police out of politics is something that security experts and

donors working in the security reforms sector in Nepal have beensuggesting; as they believe that the best way to secure support and cutacross party lines for the security agency is its apolitical character.

But the Chief of Police, Om Bikram Rana, handpicked by the homeminister does not seem to believe in it. In what appeared like speakingfor his, ‘master,’ Rana recently instructed his officials that they should notspare those who are posing a threat to law and order. But guess whothe villains of the law and order were in his mind? Those who have notadjusted and accepted the great political change of the last year are hisreal culprits.

There was no mention of rising crime or the activities of YCL. Manybelieve that it was a message to his brother officials that YCL or thosewho belong to the eight party alliance, even if they pose a direct threat tolaw and order should not be touched. Rana’s statement of appeasementcomes in the wake of home minister trying to sacrifice Rana, if saving hisown chair demanded that.

Confirmed US AmbassadorThe US Senate has confirmed Nancy Powell’s appointment as the US

Ambassador to Nepal on June 28, 07. Powell, a Career Member of theSenior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, is now all set toreplace James Moriarty whose three year term, marked by firm anti-Maoist public stance and equally firm pro-democracy stance comes to anend next week.

Ms. Powell, who has most recently served as the National IntelligenceOfficer for South Asia at the National Intelligence Council, has earlierserved as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau ofInternational Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the Departmentof State. She also has the experience of having served in South Asiaearlier as an ambassador to Pakistan.

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Newsbrief

ä nf correspondent

Nepal army came out with a veiled threat that it wasnot bound to carry out all orders of the government ifthat meant supporting anarchism, terrorism andextremism. This is for the first time that the Army Chiefhas openly laid down the institutional support to thegovernment.

Chief of the Army staff, Gen. Rukmangat Katawalsaid that Nepal Army will never compromise withterrorism, extremism and anarchy, and that it will besolely guided by democracy, people’s right and humanrights. “In course of carrying out orders given by thestate, the NA will never compromise with terrorism,anarchism and extremism that hijacks people’s rights,attacks human rights and believes in violence and wantto threaten democratic system or attack the systempreferred by the Nepali people,” Gen Katawal saidaddressing his soldiers and officers at No. 7 Brigade inKulekhani on Saturday. He added that army wascommitted fully to national integrity, sovereignty anddemocratic system and it would not make anycompromise on these.

There are indications that what Katawal said hadbeen cleared by Prime Minister G P Koirala who alsoholds the defense portfolio, and comes in the wake ofIndia lobbyist, S D Muni openly, “guiding some politicalparties in Nepal which even the votaries of pro republicsystem did not quite appreciate.”

Katawal’s unusual outburst follows Home Minister

ä nf correspondent

Vishwabandhu Thapa, a veteranroyalist insists that abdication by KingGyanendra and his son Paras will goa long way in giving a fresh life andcontinuity to the institution ofmonarchy. He has been the author ofthe theory of baby King that suggestsPrince Hridayendra should beenthroned.

He did not quite cherish the wayPrime Minister Koirala raised theissue in Delhi a couple of months ago,and recently with Pakistani journalists.“What the King did after Feb 1, 2005did not quite go with the interest ofthe nation and the people. But assomeone who took all executive

ä nf correspondent

The UNMIN team acted tough andoverruled Maoist objections in theprocess of second round of verifica-tion of the ‘combatants’ lodged inChulachuli cantonment in Ilam. As aresult, around 400 of them will haveto leave the camp.

According to the official sources,the rejected 400 are either below 18years or were recruited after thepeace process began, and alsoinclude nursing mothers, disabled andaged people who could not haveworked as combatants.

While these people will be allowedto remain in the camps till alternative

KP Sitaula’s announcement that armed police force,and not the army, will be used in the elections; amessage that army did not receive well. As anger,frustration as well as a sense of dejection rose high inthe institution, Koirala rushed to the army headquar-ters on Sunday to assuage their feeling.

According to the sources, the army top brass raisedthe issue of what Sitaula had said and complained thatthe minister was systematically provoking the securityinstitution. Koirala, the sources said, gave a clear hintthat he would take necessary measures to dispel thatimpression, but gave no definite hint of what he meantby that.

No compromise..Nepal Army will never compromise with terrorism,

extremism and anarchy..

powers, it is for him to own moralresponsibility and act accordingly,”Thapa said, adding, “the King shouldavoid a situation of being penalised byothers.”

Thapa feels strongly about theneed for the monarchy as aninstitution continuing in the country. Assomeone who keenly studies thetrends of politics and developmentworldwide, Thapa feels that thepolitical alliance between thedemocratic forces and the Maoists isnot at all a natural phenomenon andwill only be a temporary one. “Look atwhat happened in the Soviet Unionand Eastern Europe. Democracy hasfollowed the demise of communism,”he said. “Nepal’s case will not be

different,” he added.“Either the communists will prevail

or democracy,” he said, stronglyadvocating for ‘pro-democracy forces’coming together with G P Koirala asits leader. Thapa also warned that theconsequence of this kind of alliancenot taking shape soon will bedisastrous. He feels that Nepal isbeing dictated by external forcesmore than ever. “It has alreadybecome like something in betweenBhutan and Sikkim,” he said withoutelaborating, but was definitelyconcerned with the number ofmeetings Indian ambassador has hadwith the PM in recent days withoutthe country knowing what transpiredbetween them.

Baby King Theory

arrangements are made for theirshelter, Maoists seem to be having ahad hard time explaining theirposition. Maoists have also beenaccused by many in the seven partiesof having recruited people underduress or temptation that they wouldbe paid money at par with the Nepalarmy.

It is not yet clear whether thesepeople found unqualified as thePeople’s Liberation Army (PLA) willbe entitled to get the payment whichgovernment has already released atthe rate of Rs. 3,000 per month.According to the news circulated bythe government news agency RSS,around 3,221 PLA living in one main

camp and three satellite camps havequalified the second phase ofverification, but their names have notbeen made public yet.

The Spokesperson of UNMIN,Kieran Dwyer’s latest update on thematter said, “UNMIN Chief ArmsMonitor General Jan Erik Wilhelmsenand senior political officer John Norristoday met with Maoist chairmanPrachanda and delivered a reportdetailing the results of the process ofverification of Maoist army personnelin the first cantonment site in Ilam.Commencement of the verificationprocess in the second site, in Sindhuli,is pending further discussion of theseresults and the next steps forward.”

Verification struggle

Chief of the Army staff, Gen. Rukmangat Katawal

Editor & Publisher : Yubaraj GhimireExecutive Editor : Sushma AmatyaNews Coordinator : Manoj DahalDesign: Sunil Khadgi, Kishor Raj Panta & Ramkrishna RanaAddress : PO Box: 8830, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, NepalTel : 4443888, Fax : 4421147 (Edt.), 4411912 (Mkt.)Email: newsfront@bhrikuti.com, marketing@bhrikuti.com (Mkt.)Printed by: Express Color Press, Buddhanagar, Tel.: 4781810, Distribution: Kasthamandap, Tel.: 2010821

2-8 July, 20074 Editorial

Letters

Protect journalistsIn a short span of time newsfront

weekly is progressing fast along with itsparent magazine Samay Saptahik. Iwish success to both. I wish to say thatafter the April uprising, the situation ofNepali journalists is not good. Theyhave to face various problems fromvarious uncivilised as well as respon-sible people.

India, the world’s greatest demo-cratic country is also causing problemsto Nepali journalists. For instance, thejournalist, Dayaram Dahal (Sulav),related with CPN Maoist, was arrestedby Indian police for collecting news ofBhutani refugee’s long march in Mechibridge, Jhapa. During his 21 daysspent in an Indian jail, Dahal sufferedbeatings and trauma at the hands ofIndian police. This should be highlycondemned by journalists all around the world.

Sulav DahalSurunga-5, Jhapa

Save KathmanduI am a UK citizen who is in love with the mountains of Nepal

and come here at least once a year for trekking and to enjoylife in Kathmandu valley where I have good friends. But Iregret to say that in the past ten years, the situation of thisvalley has been deteriorating rapidly. Every time I come, I seemore air and noise pollution, dirtier rivers and streets (plusthe stench), unruly traffic and a sense of growing insecurity.Where once I could go for long undisturbed walks, now is jampacked with people, vendors and of course traffic. There is noplace for a peaceful walk within the valley now.

The much acclaimed friendly andtrustworthy Nepali people are also adying species as far as my experiencestell me. I have faced many a hostileand irritable situations, especially in thepast one year. Now I think twice beforeI decide to go out after 9 PM or to walkthrough the dark streets. With tourismas one of its main sources of income, Iwonder how long tourists would wantto put up with all these negativequalities that are plaguing Kathmanduand make it their travel destination.

I love this place and continue tocome back despite it all, but every timeI go back, I tell myself perhaps this willbe my last time here. I feel extremelysad to see what once was such abeautiful place getting destroyed sofast! How could the government andthe people allow this to happen! Now

this city has begun to look and feel just like any other crowdedcity in Bihar. Sorry, but this is the truth as I and my friends seeit. Please do not let this city die.

Chris WhittingtonLondon, UK

Stop not writingAs usual with anticipation, I looked at the second last page

to see what is it this time that features in the Insight column ofMs. Amatya; only to be disappointed by a small picture, whichthough interesting had lost its impact due to its small size. Iwould like to request the writer to continue with her remark-able columns?

Suresh BasnetBudanilkantha, Kathmandu

Genuine elections,true democracyThe date for the polls to Constituent Assembly (CA) has beenfinally decided upon as per the demands of the political parties andthe international community. The announcement comes as awelcome step as it somehow dispels growing fear that thegovernment is not serious about holding election even in Novem-ber. And the fears were not unjustified.

Prime Minister G P Koirala and Maoist chief Prachanda wereresponsible for not creating necessary laws and conducive lawand order situation required for the mid June elections as pledgedby them through the interim constitution. By setting the newdeadline, these two leaders have ensured that the failure to holdelections by mid June would not perhaps be an issue at this stage.

Having CA elected in a free and fair manner without any kind offear in the general public is something that the last year’s people’smovement envisaged. Not respecting that would totally be anegation of the movement’s mandate as is apparent today by theway the ruling coalition partners including the Maoists arebehaving today.

Citizens have the sole right to frame a constitution and to elector dump a government as they see fit. Elections that are fair andrepresentative demand certain preconditions. From Carter toSundh, dissatisfactions have been expressed over the prevailinglaw and order situation and they have warned that elections thatare free and fair may not be possible in the existing condition.

The State’s authority has totally collapsed and the PM hasmiserably failed to bring order back into the country. The extent ofdemoralisation is visible in the police force; and the compulsion ofthe army to remain in the barracks has injected fears that anyinterested group that wants to manipulate the outcome of theelection can easily cause bloodshed without the governmentmachinery being able to take any preventive or punitive action.Announcing a new poll date is no doubt a welcome step but thatalone is not sufficient in the given scenario.

The eight party government also has to ensure that people’s rightto elect or reject their representative falls solely under their domainand any move by political parties in power to debar certain politicalparties from contesting polls by merely amending laws amount totampering with fundamental principles of democracy. Election just forthe sake of it and legitimising all forms of legislated discrimination willnot help in establishing peace and democracy in the country.

Laws control the lesser man... Right conduct con-trols the greater one. - Mark Twain

Point to Ponder

Unborn, unchangingJetsun Milarepa, (1052-1135), one of Tibet’smost famous yogis and poets was a student ofMarpa Lotsawa, and a major figure in thehistory of Tibetan Buddhism. After practicingvery diligently for twelve years Milarepa attainedthe state of Vajradhara (complete enlighten-ment). Milarepa is famous for many of hissongs and poems, in which he expresses theprofundity of his realisation of the Dharma withextraordinary clarity and beauty. The ‘hundredthousand songs’ of Milarepa is an importantspiritual scripture for Tibetan Buddhism.

Milarepa’s poem:

I have forgottenMay I be far removed from contending creedsand dogmas.Ever since my Lord’s grace entered my mind,

My mind has never strayed to seek suchdistractions.Accustomed long to contemplating love andcompassion,I have forgotten all difference between myselfand others.Accustomed long to meditating on my Guru asenhaloed over my head,I have forgotten all those who rule by powerand prestige.Accustomed long to meditating on myguardian deities as inseparable from myself,I have forgotten the lowly fleshly form.Accustomed long to meditating on the secretwhispered truths,I have forgotten all that is said in written orprinted books.Accustomed, as I have been, to the study ofthe eternal truth,I’ve lost all knowledge of ignorance.

Accustomed long to meditating on the unborn,the indestructible, the unchanging,I have forgotten all definitions of this or thatparticular goal.Accustomed long to meditating on all visiblephenomena as the Dharmakaya,I have forgotten all meditations on what isproduced by the mind.Accustomed long to keeping my mind in theuncreated state of freedom,I have forgotten all conventions and artificiali-ties.Accustomed long to humbleness, of body andmind,I have forgotten the pride and haughtymanner of the mighty.Accustomed long to regarding my fleshly bodyas my hermitage,I have forgotten the ease and comfort ofretreats and monasteries…

Accustomed, asI’ve been, tocontemplatingboth nirvana andsamsara asinherent inmyself,I have forgottento think of hope and fear.Accustomed, as I’ve been, to meditating onthis life and the next as one,I have forgotten the dread of birth anddeath.Accustomed long to studying, by myself, myown experiences,I have forgotten the need to seek theopinions of friends and brethren.Accustomed long to applying each newexperience to my own spiritual growth,I have forgotten all creeds and dogmas.

Spiritual Corner

2-8 July, 2007 5Debating Development

ä Ambassador James F. Moriarty

I am ending my assignment at a pivotal momentin Nepali history. Democracy and peace arewithin view but hinge on a Constituent Assemblyelection on November 22 that is free and fair. My hopes that the current peace process willlead to a democratic Nepal are great but myconcerns about that process are equallygreat. The prospect of a better future for thepeople of Nepal faces two increasingly seriousthreats: the worsening security situation andthreats to free and independent media.

Worsening security situationBasic law and order are key factors in establish-

ing a stable democracy. Individuals and institutionsmust feel secure in their lives and missions, or thesociety will stop moving forward and risk collapsinginto a failed state. For over a decade, Nepalstagnated during the Maoist insurgency. Suppos-edly, peace is now here and the fighting hasstopped – but only on paper. Killings, kidnapping,and intimidation are on the rise.

The Terai is awash with political violence,carried out by extremist Madhesi groups that aretearing the region apart with horrific fighting andheightened ethnic tension. Threats and violenceby the Maoist YoungCommunist League(YCL) are affectingcitizens at all levels ofsociety. The UN Office ofthe High Commissionerfor Human Rightsunderscored YCL abusesin a report released in June. The report pointsout that these criminal acts appear to haveincreased since April 1, when the Maoists joinedthe Interim Government.

While everyone from the Prime Minister toformer President Carter and, I might add, evenPushpa Dahal, has spoken out about theintolerable security situation, action is missing. First and foremost, Dahal must keep his manypromises and stop his cadre, young or old, fromcontinuing their reign of lawlessness. He mustshow the people of Nepal whether his wordscarry any value.

Secondly, the government of Nepal mustfollow through on its basic duty to its people toenforce law and order, effectively using theenforcement agencies and resources at itscommand. And third, the extremist groups inthe Terai must come into the political main-stream - or be treated as common criminals.

When law and order is respected by all, thenthe hard work of building a democratic federalstate can proceed freely for the benefit of all. Fiery speeches, such as C.P. Gajurel’s June 25outburst in Bhairahawa that threatened a returnto arms by the Maoists, are irresponsible andcall into question the Maoist commitment topeace. The Maoists are in the government andclaim to support the democratic process. As oftoday, however, their words are hollow andeveryone knows it.

Threats to the free mediaNow, more than ever, the media have a

weighty role to play in establishing a democraticsystem in Nepal. In an environment of constantchange, Nepali citizens desperately needunbiased information to make informeddecisions. Nepali media have flourished sincethe overthrow of royal rule in April 2006.

In the last few weeks, however, private mediahave faced sustained intimidation, includingthreats to individual publishers’ and journalists’lives. Just two weeks ago, a Maoist-affiliatedunion shut down the daily newspaper NepalSamacharpatra and its smaller evening sisterpublication for several days. Attacks onjournalists in the Terai are occurring at analarming rate, causing some journalists to gointo hiding.

Democracy in Nepal will not survive without afree media. Certainly the media will play a keyrole in the Constituent Assembly election. Independent news and free public debate arekey components in any successful, developedcountry, whether the model is Switzerland,South Africa or the United States. For a nationthat aspires to democracy and prosperity, freemedia is the key. Nepalis must demand an endto Maoists’ aggression against the media andthreats from any corner.

Violence in refugee campsWhile not a Nepal-wide concern, another

security challenge greatly concerns mygovernment and other friends of Nepal as well. I refer to recent violent outbreaks in theBhutanese refugee camps. The refugees havelived 16 years in primitive conditions with littlehope of creating better lives for their children. They cannot own property or start businesses,and the prospect of returning to Bhutan is asdim now as it was when they were forced out.

And yet, elements inside the camps areincreasingly using violence in an attempt to keepthese poor refugees in a continuing state ofhelplessness for political aims. This is blatantpolitical manipulation of a population that hasalready suffered too much. For the first time in 16years, thanks to an offer of resettlement from theUnited States and other nations, the refugees willhave a choice regarding their futures. Eachrefugee family has a right to decide its own bestfuture based on the choices available. No groupor individual should be allowed to take away thisright through violence or threats.

Nepal has taken commendable and significantsteps in its nascent democracy. As the earlyhistory of the United States confirms, youngdemocracies face many challenges. Now is thetime for leadership, national unity, and a clearvision. All Nepalis deserve to live in a safe placewith free access to independent information andno threats to their families or livelihoods. Asdiplomats say, these conditions are non-negotiable. ä

Facingchallengesfor a betterfuture

All Nepalis deserve to live in a safeplace with free access to independentinformation and no threats to theirfamilies or livelihoods.

Bhas

wor O

jha

6 2-8 July 2007 Debating Development

People of Nepal and particularly those livingin Western Terai would be forced to bearthe disastrous consequences if the WestSeti Dam Project is implemented withoutresolving the downstream benefit issues andthe worsening flood problems in theWestern Terai associated with the SaryuCanal (that includes Laxmanpur Barrage)which is in realty a further extension of theWest Seti Dam Project.

Any decision to implement West SetiProject, which is clearly a multipurposeproject, without the approval of theparliament might be in violation of thepresent interim constitution since this projecthas the potential to provide our country anopportunity to share with India a very largeproportion of the downstream benefits.Apart from these issues, there is a need toconduct a thorough checking of theengineering design of West Seti dam, whichappears to be riddled with a great deal ofuncertainties.

The total net discounted power benefit ofthe project could be 456 million US Dollarsaccording to a study. Similarly, based on thefeasibility study of the Karnali High DamProject the total net discounted irrigationbenefit of West Seti Project at 1989 pricelevel for the reference year 2003 could beas high as 720 million US Dollars. It impliesthat the net irrigation benefit of West SetiProject could be greater than the net powerbenefit.

India must be approached to share withNepal a certain percentage of the down-stream benefits to accrue to that countryfrom the use of the regulated flow of WestSeti. It is a practice followed by the US andCanada while implementing the ColumbiaRiver dam in Canada. At present Canada isreceiving 50% of the net downstream

benefits from the US in perpetuity for the use ofthe regulated flow of the Columbia River in theUS. It should be noted that Canada haddeclined to take a decision to implement theColumbia River project until the US agreed tosign a treaty on downstream benefits sharing.

A few years back it was reported that thegovernment of India had appointed a three-member task force headed by the former PowerMinister, Suresh Prabhu. The task force wasexpected to address the issue to obtain theconsent of Nepal (also Bhutan ) through arevenue sharing pact to divert water of themajor rivers for irrigation across India. Until thattime India was seen to be hesitating to acceptthe idea of buying water stored in the reservoirsproposed to be built in Nepal.

The year round operation of Saryu Canal,that starts from the Girjapur Barrage in Indiaand ends near Indo-Nepal border after crossingthe Banganga River, depends on availability ofthe regulated flow from the proposed storage

Disastrous

West Seti

reservoirs in Nepal. The construction of SaryuCanal, that started a long time ago, is stillcontinuing at a snail's pace perhaps due touncertainty about the date when West SetiProject would be ready for operation. Neverthe-less, it appears that Saryu Canal could be madefully operational at a short notice after thecompletion of the West Seti Storage Projectbecause most of the structures of Saryu Canalmight be already ready. After that our peoplenear the border area would be forced to livevirtually in swamps throughout the year.

The total length of Saryu Canal running almostparallel to Indo-Nepal border is about 230 km. In

the original design the barrage across SaryuRiver was at a location about 328 meters tothe south of the railway bridge at Nanpara.Later, the design was modified and thelocation of the barrage was shifted 10 km tothe north from the original site.

Saryu Canal crosses three main rivers -Saryu (Babai), West Rapti and Rohini(Banganga). Normally siphons are providedto deliver canal water across the river. Analtogether a different type of structure hasbeen devised for reducing the average slopeof Saryu Canal that would allow the canalalignment to be pushed as far as possiblenorth close to Indo-Nepal border. Barrageshave been built across the rivers to elevatethe river water to such a level that wouldallow free passage of canal water across theriver into the canal taking off from the otherside of the river. The contentious LaxmanpurBarrage is one of such structures devised todeliver the water from Girjapur Barrageacross West Rapti.

It would be necessary to maintain thepond water upstream of the barrage abovecertain fixed level all the time, to keep SaryuCanal running at desired capacity. Thus thepond would always be full, with the resultthat a sizeable area of lands in Nepaleseterritory could remain perpetually sub-merged. When the river is in flood, the waterwould be spreading out onto lands that werenever before regarded prone to flooding. Itwas recommended that a panel of re-nowned foreign experts be formed and theiropinion sought on this matter. It was alsoproposed that any further action in thedirection of taking the decision to implementthe project should be deferred until thepanel gives its absolutely positive opinion.

(A.B.Thapa, Ph.D is former member andexecutive secretary, Water and Energy

Commission.)

Our people near the border area would be forcedto live virtually in swamps throughout the year.

ä Anand B. Thapa

A farmer affected by Laxmanpur Barrage

Rudr

a Kh

adka

2-8 July, 2007 7Interview

Shaphalya Amatya, Ph.D., a distin-guished historian and cultural heritageexpert worked in various positions inthe archaeology department andministry of culture and tourism for 30years. He has written extensively on theissues of cultural conservation andpreservation of Nepali art. He talkedwith newsfront about his work andexperiences recently.

What occupies you after yourretirement?

I love writing and spend most of my timewriting. My biggest wish is to disseminate theknowledge that I have gained. I do not wantto die with it. Sharing knowledge is mymotto. Although a historian, I write based onmy experiences of work in various sectors –museum, excavation, monumental restora-tion and diplomatic activities. I have writtenaround 17 books and my latest book,Monument Conservation in Nepal, myExperience with World Heritage Site inKathmandu Valley, will be published inOctober this year.

What inspired you to take up writingdespite your busy working schedule?

As a student of history, I used to guidetourists in Kathmandu. One such tourist, anelderly professor, Schophil from Wisconsinadvised me to start writing about myheritage and that is what inspired me. I mustadd that writing and getting published here isa big challenge and for the common people,buying a book is a big proposition. It isdifficult to buy a book with limited resources.Sadly, there is also a lack of good librarieshere, since most that we have are propa-ganda libraries. So, it is difficult for peoplewho want to study and research.

How were the seven sites inKathmandu declared as World HeritageSites?

After Nepal opened its doors to visitors in1951, Kathmandu art and culture was muchappreciated and admired by all who visitedthis valley. They were all impressed by theconcentration of so much cultural heritage insuch a small valley; and especially becausethey are living heritage. The seven sites ofthe valley – Pashupati and Changu Narayantemple; Swoyambhu and Boudha Stupas;Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan DurbarSquare and Bhaktapur Durbar Square,were enlisted as the world heritage site in1979.

In 1975 UNESCO helped Nepal toprepare a protective inventory of themonuments in the valley. That inventoryactually helped create awareness aboutNepal’s heritage around the world. At thebehest of UNESCO, support was gatheredfrom many donor countries for the restora-tion and preservation of monuments whichwere in dilapidated condition. This also actedas a gateway for many missions fromUNESCO to come and start working here.

Campaigns by the organisation resulted ina lot of assistance that resulted in a lot ofwork in survey and restoration and alsoholding exhibitions on our heritage aroundthe world. This naturally increased the flowof tourists. A review committee was alsoformed here to monitor the activities andstrategise future plans for preservation ofphysical environment of the sites and culture.

What does physical environmentmean?

When we talk about preservation, mostthink it means only the monuments. But it isequally important to preserve the sitesaround the monuments. Preservation of builtheritage site is something we have not beenable to accomplish. Due to our ignorance,we have destroyed many old houses aroundthe heritage sites and continue to do so.

When from 1994 onwards, internationalvoices started getting vocal about preserving it,a lot of damage had already been done. Justlook at Hanuman Dhoka where there are somany concrete tall structures. The public havenot understood the importance of preservingour heritage. Rapidly growing urbanisation anddestruction of ancient urban fabric pose hugechallenges. There are a set of laws to ensurethat people do not distort the façade or buildover a certain height but they are frequentlyignored.

What kind of challenges did you face inyour work?

The department of archaeology is a verysmall department which has no policing power. Itrequires help from police and the municipality.Our major problem was that municipal officialswould never go against any locals for fear oflosing votes in elections.

This is a small society where everybodyknows everybody and someone is connected tosomebody. And so somewhere or the other, aprocess of taking action is disrupted. Illegalconstructions got built overnight and roofs built.After a roof is built, a building cannot be broughtdown according to our rules; and that was/istaken full advantage of. There are more than1000 illegal houses in these seven heritage sitestoday. The common trend is to show onebuilding plan, get it passed and make somethingentirely different in reality.

When I took action as the director general ofthe department to bring down an illegally madehouse within the Patan heritage site, it was onlywith media support that I could prevent thehouse from being built. I also preventedKathmandu University from being built close toChangu Narayan. It was a long struggle but Itook a firm stance and did it. A university wouldhave destroyed the forest area and distorted theenvironment.

And when we brought down one storey of ahouse in Boudha that was built against theregulations the local chased the police away, myeffigy was burnt, demonstrations took place andfinally, we could not do anything about it. That is

how difficult it is to implement rules here.Frequent changes of chiefs in the depart-

ment, lack of accurate reporting by people whoare sent abroad to interact with world heritageexperts and of course political interventionsposed/pose as huge obstacles in this line ofwork.

How does being declared in or out ofWorld Heritage Site affect the monumentsor the Nepali public?

Monuments remain the same but I think ittarnishes the image of Nepal for not being ableto look after its own heritage. Some foreignconsultants who tried to make a base here toget work as consultants worked to get the siteson the endangered list. When for the first time Iparticipated in the world heritage conference in2000 in Cairns, I requested all my allies not tovote for it. We then were given three years toimprove the conditions of the sites. I drafted anIntegrated Management Plan as per their adviceimmediately and informed the prime ministerand the rest.

I retired soon after, in 2001 and not surpris-ingly, nothing was done after that. In 27th

TREASURESsession, in Paris they put Nepal on theendangered list. It was an impetus toimprove and to encourage donor’s support,many voices said. But soon with the politicalupheavals in Nepal, a lobby thatsympathised with Nepal’s problemsadvocated against putting Nepal on theendangered list and it was taken off finally.The fact remains that we cannot justcontinue to do whatever we want andexpect our monuments to be declared asworld heritage sites.

What imminent dangers do you seefacing the sites today?

Unruly and uncontrolled growth ofbuildings is number one problem. Anotherdangerous trend is the public gatheringsthat have been taking place in the heritagesites. If something goes wrong during themass meetings the sites will be easilydestroyed. Mass gatherings in such areasare illegal.

The vendors too harass tourists so muchthat any tourist would hesitate to come backhere again. There are no facilities and notoilets in heritage sites for the visitors. Iremember escorting a visiting dignitary whowas taken straight to Swoyambhu from theairport and he desperately wanted to visit atoilet. Luckily I could send him to a toilet in amonastery nearby.

What can be done to improve thesituation?

The locals need to understand that it istheir house in world heritage site and theyshould be proud of. It does not belong toany ministry or official. They may be moreworried about economic returns but theyneed to understand that even by retainingits authentic form they can get sameeconomic benefits. They should not takemaintaining an old structure as a burden.The government also has given subsidiesfor buying the traditional building materials.

Lack of public support is a big problemand that is because lack of awareness andknowledge. This can be dealt with byspreading messages to the public from aneconomic point of view. That will surelywork here. We Nepalis have to understandthat it is our own heritage, responsibility andonly we can protect it. ä

Protect our

If somethinggoes wrongduring the massmeetings theheritage siteswill be easilydestroyed.

Pix

by N

iraj S

apko

ta

2-8 July, 20078 Opinion

According to the report made by a mediamission sponsored by South Asians forHuman Rights (SHAR) that visited Nepal toassess the miserable plight of Bhutaneserefugees living in Nepal, they do not considerthemselves anything but Bhutanesenationals, with a right to return to theirhomeland. They are victims of politicalapathy on the part of the totalitariangovernment of Bhutan led by despot King,who does not consider them Bhutanesenationals, and is not interested in ensuringtheir repatriation.

The report says that Nepal governmenthas “erroneously” stepped in as a bilateralplayer and has held 15 rounds of talks withthe Bhutanese establishment. Nepal is not ina position to assimilate them into the countryand has now made it quite clear that theproblem is between the Bhutanese govern-ment and the refugees. India has the mostinfluence on Bhutan to push for a solution thatmight be amenable to the refugees but hassteadfastly refused to get involved. Therefugees entered Nepal through India andoriginally it should have been the problem ofIndia. Strangely, India says they are Nepalispeaking people but millions of Indians arealso Nepali speaking people.

To tackle the 16 year old problem, the UShas come up with a resettlement proposal inthe US, Australia, Canada and some Nordiccountries, which according to respectiveambassadors to Nepal is acceptable only by asegment of the refugees. However, theproposal has sparked off a controversy andseveral refugees say that it has createdconfusion amongst them. What they want is a

lasting solution to the crisis which sees theirdignified and safe return to Bhutan and nowhereelse. Another issue of concern is the fear thatcamps could become a fertile breeding groundfor violence and terrorism and the US is moreconcerned about a possible Maoist insurgency.

The report concludes that the US proposal isonly a temporary solution while recognising thatthe humanitarian solution proposed by the USand other countries are welcomed. In fact, thereare two issues: one related to ushering indemocracy in Bhutan, and the second related tothe situation of the refugees. It needs to bealways borne in mind that it is the democracydeficit in Bhutan that has resulted in the refugeeissue in the first place.

The report emphasises on India’s role as

Ever since the YCL, Young Communist League,came into existence in December 2006 it hasmade headline news in Nepal. Notwithstandingthe objectives that it has taken to eliminatecorruption from the political, economic and socialareas in Nepal, its style of operation hasremained a serious concern to the authoritiesand the public as well. Not a single day goes bywithout a direct or indirect reference to YCL andthe possible implications that it could have on theCA elections.

This organisation, formed by the Maoistspolitical party, has recently announced that it willstart a door-to-door campaign in Kathmanduvalley for gathering the ‘views, suggestions andproblems’ of the general public. At a recentinterview given by the YCL valley coordinator,Sagar, a former member of PLA and valleybrigade commander; additional information canbe obtained if one were to go by the publishedinformation in one of the weekly Nepali newspa-pers. YCL seems to be working for the workersand daily wage earners of Nepal, which it takesas one of the major mandates of Jana Andolan II.

Of the so called structural decisions made infour areas, one is solely concerned with theexpansion of the strength of YCL from itspresent 50,000 members to about 150,000within a month in Kathmandu valley. The otherobjectives are certainly noteworthy and they are:finding suitable employment means to theunemployed youth; protecting Nepal’s national

instances of abductions and hooliganism bycounter force can only lead to further incidencesof violence and conflict in the society. As twowrongs do not make it right, YCL’s forceful andillegal actions can hardly attain the goal that ithas set for itself.

The central objective of YCL for unemployedyouth of Nepal is a praiseworthy goal if appropri-ate means are employed. Unemployment isdirectly related to lack of economic growth in allcountries including Nepal. Short term relief can begiven to unemployed youth by creating additionaljobs by a partnership between the governmentand business community.

However, the problem many a time is the lackof meritocracy in recruitment of qualified youth.This can be corrected only with transparencyand rule based policies that must be adopted byall organisations in the government as well asprivate sector. YCL can act as a watchdog forcorrecting the existing problems.

However, YCL needs to redefine its centralobjective which can make a lasting impact in theNepali society. If it is playing the role of aMarshal, such as the system practiced in theUS, for apprehending a person wanted by law,then it needs to obtain the authority from adesignated court and act lawfully. For YCL’sacceptability at large, revamping its workingmechanism is a must. ä

(Bista is a development economist, works withBoao Forum for Asia in China.)

interest and ending foreigners’ intervention inNepal’s internal affairs; and eliminating social illssuch as corruption, hooliganism, smuggling,criminal acts and abductions in Nepal.

In the eyes of Commander Sagar, forcefulconfiscation of red sandalwood and capture of theso called criminals and corrupt persons withoutlegal sanction does not constitute ‘taking law into

own hands’ as according to him, the end justifiesthe means. By handing over to the police thepersons wanted by law and correcting tax evasionand illegal trade on red sandalwood matter, in spiteof necessary force applied, YCL believes that it hasdone a great service to the nation.

Every Nepali knows that institutionalisedcorruption has set firm roots in Nepal. Thenexus between the politicians, bureaucrats andbusinessmen is so entrenched that it might bevirtually improbable to eliminate corruption in theconventional manner. It is one of the exceptionalareas that require exceptional ways to make itwork. However, exceptional ways cannot beexecuted outside of law in a civilised society.Taking the anti-corruption objective of YCL atface value, it would be up to the party andlawmakers (CPN-Maoists in the parliament) totransform the working style of YCL to anacceptable degree so that its performance canbe commended by all in Nepal and abroad.

Political corruption and related issues ofprotecting andpreserving nationalinterests are better leftwith the political partiesand the Nepaligovernment of whichMaoists are an integralpart. By acting as a rolemodel in all areas ofinvolvement, the

Maoists can bring a desirable change to theculture of political corruption with impunity.However, YCL can always make its casepeacefully, similar to all other members of thecivil society, against foreign intervention.

Countering criminals by force, checking

Exceptional ways of YCL cannot be executed outside of law in a civilised society.

Revamping YCL for greater good

crucial. As the biggest democratic nation in theregion, it certainly is in a position to correct theatrocities done to the refugees. The issue of therefugees in Nepal is ultimately an issue of justicewhich demands that Bhutan not only does notget away with the expulsion of its citizens, butalso makes sure that the refugees get back totheir country and their right to live a normal life.The Bhutanese King is humming the gospel ofGross National Happiness (GNH) repeatedly.According to the King, the four pillars of his GNHare the promotion of equitable and sustainablesocio-economic development, preservation andpromotion of cultural values, conservation of thenatural environment, and establishment of goodgovernance.

During mid 1980s there was peace, equality

and justice in Bhutan. In mid 1980s thepresent monarch introduced 'one nation,one people' policy and enacted newcitizenship act under which Lhotsampas(Southern Bhutanese) were persecuted. Italso mandated dress codes, cultural andsocial etiquettes demanding ethnic homoge-neity. Lhotsampas held public demonstra-tions to resist the implementation of thispolicy but the dissenting voices were dealtwith iron hands. They were branded as anti-nationals, illegal immigrants and wereimprisoned or evicted.

To examine, 'Gross National Happiness' -whose happiness is it? How can there behappiness when one-sixth of the country’spopulation are refugees demanding safereturn to their home country; when theLhotsampas inside Bhutan are secretly andsystematically persecuted, their lands areexpropriated, their language withdrawn fromschool curriculum, text books burnt in thepublic and when their children are selectivelydenied citizenship and education?

How can there be gross nationalhappiness when the Lhotsampas and otherminority groups are discriminated anddenied equal education, employment,business opportunities and are excludedfrom equal participation in nation buildingprocess? Bhutan is not committed toresolving its refugee problem. For how longshould the refugees wait? What does thisGNH mean to over one hundred thousandBhutanese living in exile and to thoseLhotsampas living inside Bhutan? In myopinion, it is equivalent to Gross NationalSilliness of the Bhutanese King. ä

Gross national sillinessBhutanese want a lasting solution to the crisis which sees their dignified and safe returnto Bhutan and nowhere else.

ä Binod P. Bista

Political corruption and related issuesof protecting and preserving nationalinterests are better left with the politicalparties and the Nepali government ofwhich Maoists are an integral part.

ä Bhim Prasad Bhurtel

2-8 July, 2007 9From the Region

Pakistani troops and rescuers struggledSaturday to help 1.3 million victims ofmonsoon-triggered floods in the country'ssouthwest, officials said, a day aftervillagers rioted over the slow response. Thedeath toll from the floods in worst-affectedBaluchistan province rose to 17, an officialsaid, with local media reporting that morethan 200 people have died across thecountry after about four days of rains andflooding.

At least four people were injured Fridaywhen police fired tear gas and bullets intothe air to disperse villagers who ransackedthe mayor's office in the flooded southwest-ern city of Turbat, driven by anger over alack of relief aid. It was the first such protestsince Tuesday, when floods triggered byrains from Cyclone Yemyin began causinghavoc in Baluchistan province, whichincludes the coastal town of Turbat, about400 miles southeast of Quetta.

However, Khudah Bakhsh, the reliefcommissioner for Baluchistan, said Saturdaythat the situation was now under control inTurbat and that officials were trying theirbest to get food to victims. "Pakistan's armyis using transport planes and helicopters to

1.3 million affected by floods in Pakistanferry aid" to the flood-hit areas in Baluchistan, hesaid, adding the storm and floods had affected1.3 million people in the province.

The comments by Bakhsh came afterprotesters said they had waded through chest-deep water from outlying areas to voice theiranger about the shortage of relief aid. They saidthey received only packets of biscuits and bottlesof water. "Every family is looking for one or twomembers. They are all missing," said ChakerBaloth, who walked more than 25 miles throughthe night to reach Turbat, a town of 150,000.Bakhsh said the official death toll in Baluchistanwas 17, with an unspecified number of peoplemissing.

But, Farqooq Ahmed Khan, head of theNational Disaster Management Authority, saidFriday accurate figures were unavailable due topoor communications in stricken areas. Khantold reporters in Islamabad that the military hadrescued about 1,600 people. The floods alsokilled more than two dozen people in anorthwestern tribal region, forcing the tempo-rary suspension of the voluntary repatriation ofAfghan refugees, the U.N. High Commissionerfor Refugees said Friday.

More than 2 million Afghans still live in campsalong the border. Floods also have ravaged four

eastern provinces of neighboring Afghanistan,causing at least four deaths, a NATO statementsaid. Monsoon storms have claimed more than120 lives in neighboring India. Bakhsh estimatedthat 500,000 houses were destroyed or

damaged in Baluchistan, and many peopleneeded more aid. "Despite bad weather,we are trying to ensure the supply of reliefaid to the needy people," he said.

(cbnews)

In 10 years, Hong Kong seemsto have changed less than itsowner, China.

On the day this longtimeBritish colony returned toChinese rule 10 years ago,even the sky seemed to becrying over the territory'suncertain future.

The heavens opened as thecolonial masters waved theirfarewells and sailed away onthe ship Britannia. At day-break, another downpourdrenched the soldiers of thePeople's Liberation Army asthey crossed the border.

By that wet summer, half amillion people had fled HongKong in search of saferharbors and foreign passports.But a decade after the five-starChinese red flag replaced theUnion Jack on July 1, 1997,much of the worry about HongKong's demise has dissipated.

Mostly left alone by a giantCommunist motherland busyundergoing its own metamor-phosis, Hong Kong is thriving

as a beacon of capitalism. The"one-country, two-systems"formula designed to preserveHong Kong's freedoms and wayof life for 50 years appears to beworking, give or take a bit ofmuscle-flexing by Beijing.

In many ways, the past 10 yearshave shown how much China haschanged and Hong Kong hasstayed the same.

"The concept of isolating HongKong's capitalist ways fromChina's socialism did not work inthe way people thought it wouldwork," said Michael DeGolyer ofHong Kong Baptist University,who has conducted opinion pollsin the territory. "China has utterlyfailed to change Hong Kong intheir direction."

Instead, China has becomemore like Hong Kong - economi-cally speaking, at least.

When the late Chinese leaderDeng Xiaoping was plotting thereturn of the colony in the early1980s, Hong Kongers, with theirbusiness savvy and materialisticsensibilities, were considered

spiritual contaminants.In China today, money is the

new religion, and communism inmany ways is just a name. Thecountry has joined the WorldTrade Organization, modified itsconstitution to protect privateproperty and accepted entrepre-neurs into the Communist Party.

Hong Kong, on the other hand,is not nearly as transformed. Butresidents of this open interna-tional city prefer the status quo.

"I am still free to talk, free toread newspapers, free to makemoney," said Ping Lam Mak, 58,who runs a tiny stone-carvingstall in the heart of Hong Kong'sbusiness district.

Contrary to the doomsayers,Beijing did not shut down theterritory's free media, arrestdissidents or patrol the streetswith PLA troops. But neither hasBeijing been willing to grantHong Kong full democracy.

Hong Kong's top leader iselected by a committee of 800mostly pro-Beijingbusinesspeople. Only half of the

60-member legislature is chosenby a popular vote. The timetablefor universal suffrage guaranteedunder the territory's mini-constitution, has been pushedback indefinitely, leading criticsto say that Beijing has not heldup its end of the bargain to leaveHong Kong alone.

The issue of who is in chargewas made obvious in June byChina's top legislator, whodeclared that Beijing woulddictate Hong Kong's politicalfuture.

"Hong Kong's administrativeautonomy is not intrinsic. It isgranted by the central govern-ment," Wu Gangguo, chairman ofthe National People's Congress,said in a speech in the Chinesecapital marking the 10th anniver-sary of the transfer.

On the surface, Hong Kong,which has a population of 7million, has retained much of thelook and feel of a British colony.Double-decker buses drive on theleft. English is spoken with aCantonese-British accent.

Street protesters wavinganti-government slogansremain a way of life in HongKong. But even as they striveto keep a distance, the peopleof Hong Kong also have cometo embrace the motherland.

When the territory'seconomy hit the rocks in 2003,Beijing came to the rescue byopening the borders andmaking it easier for mainlandvisitors to spend their moneyhere.

The flow of people goesboth ways. About 500,000Hong Kong residents now liveand work outside the territory.Hong Kong investment aloneis responsible for employingmore than 13 million people insouthern China's Guangdongprovince.

Meanwhile, all along theChinese east coast, bustlingcities are emerging, manybacked by Hong Konginvestment. ä

(Baltimore Sun)

Small territory,GREATINFLUENCE

Small territory,GREATINFLUENCE

2-8 July, 200710 Perspective

Of the 18 to 24 Sravakayanalineages, only the Theravada(which developed out of theVibhajyyavadin which itselfdeveloped out of theSthabirvadins) remains today.However, it is still alive, dynamicand going strong. It has manylineages and there are stillenlightened masters in Laos,Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

And these masters are bothhouseholders (Upasakas /Upasikas) and monks and nuns(Bhikchhus / Bhikchhunis).However, the Bhikchhuni lineage ofthe Theravada tradition has beenbroken. But China still has anunbroken Bhikchhuni Sanga of theMahasangika Nikayas. Foranybody to become even aSrotappanna, what to speak of anArhat, one must study and practiceunder such lineage masters and beconfirmed by such a Master.

This is how the Buddhist systemworks from the time of the Shasta(Master) himself. It was theBuddha himself who declared andthus stamped the authenticity ofthe Srotappanna, Sakridagami,Anagami and Arhats of his time. Infact, there is a story that someBhikchhus who had reached thevery high state of Anagami (thosewho will not return to humanforms) claimed that they hadreached Arhathood; but when theBuddha was told about this, he

called them and told them theyhad not become Arhats yet.

This story implies that onlyArhats and Buddhas can knowwhether a person has become anArhat or not; and that theindividual himself cannot possiblyknow it and can easily be fooled.This is the raison d'etre for anunbroken enlightened lineage. Allforms of Buddhism and speciallylineages of the Mahayana placegreat importance on and value thepurity of such an authenticunbroken enlightened lineage.

No yogi / yoginis or practitioneris accepted as a genuine Masterno matter how intelligent he maybe, no matter how hard he mayhave practiced, no matter howmany years he has spent inretreat, no matter how scholarlyhe is, no matter how much of anorator he may be, until and unlesshe is authenticated by a master ormasters of such authenticunbroken enlightened lineages.This is the Buddhist culture in allBuddhist countries where theunbroken enlightened lineageshave not died out.

This issue is crucial not only tounderstand what is genuine,authentic Buddhism but also forthe existence of authenticBuddhism itself. So, forget aboutnon-Buddhists who have neverpracticed any form of genuineBuddhist practices of either theSravakayana or theBodhisattvayana even by readinggenuine, authentic books ofBuddhism; even those who havestudied and practiced for longperiods under authentic mastersdo not dare pretend to be Mastersuntil and unless, older Mastersauthenticate them as Masters.

(To be continued.)(Sridhar Rinpoche is a

Vajrayana Master.)

The announcement of elections dateis a bold step. However, it is pertinentto question whether or not electionsare possible at this point of time.Unfortunately, the ground reality isvastly different from what our leadersactually think. The law and ordersituation is appalling and as aconsequence the country is movingtowards a political crisis.

The Maoists who have supposedlyquit violence have failed to mend theirways. In the past year, they haveattempted to seize power andoverwhelm the state on threeoccasions. After the King ceded powerto the political parties last April, theytried to cash in the lawlessnesssituation by brewing further anarchyand positioned People’s LiberationArmy (PLA) around Kathmandu valleyat strategic points. But fortunately, theinternational community threw theirweight behind the Koirala governmentand intervened aggressively to foil aprobable Maoist take-over.

In tangent with their desiredobjective, the Maoists made a secondattempt to seize power early thiswinter when the Prime Minister’shealth was known to be bleak. Thelatest attempt to seize power was afterit became apparent that the govern-ment was in position to conductelections on the 20th of June. Insteadof taking collective responsibility for thefailure to conduct elections in June, theMaoists made the PM the scapegoatand concurrently created seriousdisturbances throughout the country.But, the media came against theMaoists and influenced public opinionagainst them.

The Maoists are desperate to buoythe international community in theirfavor. Although their goals are intactto nationalise private properties andstringently regulate the economy ofthe country; they have been forced to

restrain themselves. Nonetheless, themove is a tactical one that aims todeceive the international community.The rumours suggesting a change ofhearts in Maoists’ thought regardingMelamchi is nothing but a strategicmove on their part to delude theinternational community by demon-strating they are reasonable.

Yet another dangerous move thatmight have gone unnoticed is therecent posting of 43 police personnelin key positions by the home ministeron the recommendation ofPrachanda. The police personnelwho have been posted would haveundoubtedly given assurance to theMaoists demonstrating their loyalty

and vice versa. The Home Ministercontinues to keep his job and itbecomes obvious that politicianssouth of the border - Yechury, SDMuni and the Maoists in Nepal form apressure group in support of thehome minister.

The Maoist leadership keepsinsisting they have retracted fromviolent politics and commitedthemselves to multiparty politics. Onthe contrary, if for some reason theyare unhappy with other politicalparties or want to incite their cadres,the senior leaders shamelesslythreaten stir and thunder they havenot deviated from their desiredobjective of one party communistrepublic. If the leadership situation isgrim, the law and order situation isworse in the country.

The Maoists have bought time dueto the incompetence and the lethargy

of UNMIN arms managementprocess. The 27,000 new recruits inthe PLA camps have had enoughsheltered time to comprehend thebasic use of arms and combat.Although Pushpa Dahl and Bhattaraihighlight the good work the YCL aresaid to be doing, in reality however, it isa mere façade to conceal all the dirtywork they are currently involved in.

For instance, the killing of a NC –Dworker in Jumla by YCL is anelaborate example of their ‘goodwork.’ The press conference inDhading by Laxman Tharu, a formerMaoist leader, who disclosed that theMaoists have hidden arms, issymbolic; and it ties in with theincreased YCL recruitment drive thatis aimed at recruiting at ex-Gurkhasand former disgruntled retired armyand police low ranking staff.

Unfortunately, although everyoneacknowledges the political crisis istaking a turn for the worse, thegovernment fails to generate adequatepolitical will to avert a major politicalcrisis. If Koirala fails to initiate politicalmoves to counter Maoist tactics thatwill contain them within the frame workof the constitution, they will continue tooperate as an extra constitutional forceand will be tempted to consistentlyexplore alternative avenues tooverwhelm the state. Therefore, it isimperative that Koirala has a viabledeterrence strategy.

However, herein lies the contradic-tion. Koirala has gambled his politicalcareer by compromising with formerterrorists and his interest is to givespace to all political forces in thecountry. On the other hand, thedesired objective of the Maoistscontravenes with what Koirala istrying to achieve. The Maoists areusing the interim phase as a catalystto storm into power and establish oneparty communist republic that defiesthe norms of multi-party politics andconstitutional liberalism. In conclusion,it becomes a necessity for the eightparty alliance to give up personal andparty interests and create nationalconsensus in the interest of the nationto safe guard democracy byconducting free and fair elections. ä

Harboringthe incubus

Importance of authentic unbroken enlight-ened lineage.

MarshlandFlowersä Acharya Mahayogi Sridhar Rana Rinpoche

The Maoists whohave supposedlyquit violence havefailed to mendtheir ways.

ä Siddhartha Thapa

Koirala has gambled his political career bycompromising with former terrorists andhis interest is to give space to all politicalforces in the country.

112-8 July 2007Art & Society

ä Sushma Amatya

Insight

An essential feature of democracy is periodic elections where people getto freely choose their representatives to form and run the government oftheir desire. In such a system, the people are considered to be trulysovereign and the source of all state power, only when they can expresstheir opinion without fear, intimidation or favor. In this context, theconstituent assembly (CA) election to formulate the future constitutionwill be different from regular parliamentary elections because it willshape the nature of the state system and the basic political rules of thegame. Understandably, the people have high hopes that the CAelections will reflect the true will and aspirations of the people and that itwill not be influenced by money or power as in the past.

Translating people’s hopes into realities will be a long process even ifthe elections take place as per the schedule. The process of drafting andfinalising new constitution will take at least another couple of years and itwill be filled with challenges. In the meantime, the government has toensure that the people’s basic needs are fulfilled and their basic rightshonoured and that they are not taken for a ride again.

Despite this historic opportunity, the political dominance of the sameindividuals and cliques who collectively brought the country to this sorrypass is yet to reassure the public about the future prospects. What is toassure the public that there is new vision, energy and commitment goingforward if the same people are at the helm with not much sign ofremorse or reform in their policies and politics?

Many are asking: have our leaders changed their attitudes, workingstyle, and value orientation sufficiently to take the country to a differentdestination after the CA? The people who say there is not enoughenthusiasm among the masses for the CA polls should not besurprised, they should instead look at the source that is demoralisingthe nation. What is to ensure the November polls will guaranteepeople’s right to life and dignity? The CA will be as good as those whomanage andconduct it.

Experiences inother countries thathave gone throughconflict show thatelections to CA aloneis not a panacea toall problems.Reports from Bosniasuggest that inabsence of economicsecurity andpersonal liberty forthe people, any kindof election is agimmick that onlybuys questionablelegitimacy for therulers. In a truedemocracy, elections should be more than mere rituals of power for thepowerful at the cost of the people.

The recent elections in Iraq and Afghanistan are a case in point.Despite the polls and the government, the democracy there is not worththe paper it is written on if men, women and children have to be blownup every day to prove its greatness.

Some disturbing trends in the hills, valleys, and the Terai gives theaverage citizen the fear that we might be heading in the same directionas well. Nepal is not under occupation of any international military butthere are questions being raised about how free are we to takedecisions in a manner that we would want to. CA would be one occasionwhere the people would want to be true sovereigns. But will the variouspowers – indigenous as well as outsiders – allow us to achieve that?

Thus, the ball is in the court of the ruling eight party alliance. Theynow have the power and the opportunity to show they are different thanthe previous regime. Rhetoric matters little if there is no delivery. Whatthey do now will be history: they can choose to make it a farce or ashining New Nepal of which we all can be proud of. ä

Destinybeckons

What is Methadone?ä Prasanna Thapa, Dhapakhel

Methadone is a synthetic, narcoticanalgesic (pain reliever). Oftenused by and associated with thetreatment of heroin addicts it isalso used for other medicalpurposes such as relieving pain.This drug has characteristics ofmorphine and acts in similar waysto it and other narcotic medica-tions. However, with methadonethe gradual and mild onset of itseffect prevents the user fromgetting high and experiencingeuphoric effects.

Doses of Methadone used inheroin treatment vary based on aperson's body weight andtolerance; but proper dosage ismeasured and determined by apatient’s decline in craving ofheroin. It is dispensed primarily inoral forms, including tablets,powder, and liquid for treatment ofnarcotics addiction. Althoughmethadone is primarily used fortreating narcotics addiction, userscan still experience negativephysical effects. Careful monitor-ing and a close relationshipbetween a doctor and the patientare essential for its proper use.

Although it is intended to prevent

narcotics addiction and dependencealong with associated withdrawalsymptoms, there is still a possibility ofbecoming addicted since it is anextremely physically addictive drug.However addiction is less likely whenunder supervision of a doctor.Withdrawal symptoms occurring fromuse of methadone are not as commonas they are with heroin; therefore it ispossible to maintain an addict onmethadone without harsh side effects.

How do drugs affect our brain?ä Khusbu Karki, Pako

Our brain is made up of billions ofnerve cells. A neuron contains threeimportant parts: a central cell body thatdirects all activities of the neurons;dendrites, short fibres that receivemessages from other neurons andrelay them to the cell body; and anaxon, a long single fibre that transmitmessages from the cell body to thedendrites of other neurons or to bodytissues, such as muscles.

Transfer of a message from theaxon of one nerve cell to thedendrites of another is known asneurotransmission. Communicationbetween nerve cells occurs mainlythrough the release of chemicalsubstances into the space (synapse)between the axon and dendrites.

When neurons communicate, amessage travelling as on electricalimpulse moves down as axon andtoward the synapse. There ittriggers the release of moleculescalled neuro transmitters from theaxon into the synapse.

The neuro-transmitters thendiffuse across the synapse andbind to special molecules calledreceptors that are located withinthe cell membrane of the dendriteof the adjacent nerve cell. This inturn, stimulates or inhibits anelectrical response in the receivingneurons dendrites. Thus theneuro-transmitters act as chemicalmessengers, carrying informationfrom one neuron to another.

Pleasure, which scientists callreward, is a very powerfulbiological force for our survival. Lifesustaining activities such as eatingactivate a circuit of specialisednerve cells devoted to producingand regulating pleasure of whichone is called dopamine. Almost alldrugs change the way the brainworks by affecting chemicalneurotransmission.

Please address any queries youhave about drug addiction to:

newsfront@bhrikuti.com (Youridentity will be protected.)

Drugs change the waybrain worksCounseling by drug therapist, Ragina Shah

What is to ensure the Novemberpolls will guarantee people’s rightto life and dignity?

Translating people’shopes into realities willbe a long process evenif the elections takeplace as per the sched-ule. The process ofdrafting and finalisingnew constitution willtake at least anothercouple of years and itwill be filled with chal-lenges.

To understand the dynamics of anation's literature, a closer look at thevocation of most of the creators iscrucial. The question bothered mewhen I was editing a special Dutchissue of the magazine, Pratik withDutch poet Harry Zevenbergen asthe guest editor.

Out of the twenty-four Dutch poetsincluding legendary SimonVinkenoog, Diana Ozon, Bart FMDroog, Tjitse Hofman and HansPlomp that we decided to include inthe anthology, most of them haddiverse backgrounds and vocationsand came from different strata of life.

Some of them had held severalassorted positions as barkeeper,canvasser, chauffer, pub manager,industrial cleaner, panel beater,shipyard worker, scaffolder and civilservant. Others remained ardenttravelers, hippies, publishers,songwriters, bandleaders, pubicgardeners, telephone operators,medical couriers, dolphin keepers,beekeepers, pub proprietors andanimal protectionists.

Most of the creators in Nepaliliterature remain Kathmandu-basedteachers/ journalists or civil servants.The Nepali writers until 1950 came

from the upper class. Bal KrishnaSama, Jagadish Shumsher Rana,even Siddhi Charan Shrestha andLaxmi Devkota came from upperclass and had considerable influenceover the rulers of their times due tofamily ties and other social connec-tions. After the 1950 democraticupsurge, over the decades the middleclass writers have started slowlyappearing in Nepali literature.

However, lower middle class andthe working people, Dalits andwomen from the lower, marginalisedsection of Nepali society have yet tomake their mark in the Nepali literaryarena. Why would Nepali writerscome from upper/middle castes andclans only? Is it lack of education? Iswestern education a prerequisite tobe poets or storytellers? Has theordinary Nepali writer yet to make anentry in the literary arena? Whatwould a truck driver, sweeper, porter,carpenter, farmer, manual laborer ora blacksmith write? The questionsare intriguing. I am simply wonderingif the people involved in real lifeevents like their Dutch counterpartswill ever enter this world.

The issue is important because itoffers an answer to another serious

question - the question of authenticityof writing. For the lack of authenticdetails in Nepali literature seems tostem from this phenomenon ofteacher/journalist/civil servantdominated literary world. Since mostof the creators do not come from thelower strata of life and do not engagein real life works due to social statusand caste bias, it becomes verydifficult for them to immerse them-selves in the heat and dust of theworld they are describing.

A second hand accounts made todramatise stories and experiencesheard arbitrarily appears to be themajor cause of Nepali literature'sdeplorable state, be it fiction orcriticism.

That is why very little 'provincial'flavor appears to be available in theNepali literary works, especially fromrecent fiction. For their failures todelve deep into the content andlacking in authentic details, majorNepali novelists including DruvChandra Gautam find it fit to dabblein the murky waters of senselessexperiments in name of post-modernism and deconstruction.

The writer can be reached atwriter@yuyutsu.de

Vocationof thevisionary

Little 'provincial'flavor appears to beavailable in Nepaliliterary works.

ä Yuyutsu RD Sharma

2-8 July, 200712 Eventä Manoj Dahal

Before leaving for USA after finishinghis term as the US Ambassador inNepal, James F Moriarty wasenjoying one of his last evenings atNepalaya's newly established office atKalikasthan, Kathmandu to be a partof the musical programme, 'Palenti.'Renowned lyricist, Ratna SamasherThapa, 68, was there to describe thebackground of his songs which hewrote, some of which were almost 50years old.

A crowd of around 100 with a largenumber of renowned personalitiesand classical music lovers listened toThapa's old numbers. Palenti is aseries of classical Nepali musicprogram where an artist revisits his/her past. Thapa was there to witnessthe two new singers Suraj Thapa andShila Bista who were singing hismasterpieces. In his white shirt andgrey hair Thapa was flashing his fewwhite teeth in happiness, obviouslyrecalling his past.

Nepalya started Palenti seriesthree years ago and has beenreceiving enthusiastic response fromthe lovers of classical music. Aavas, a38 year musician, composer andsinger, and the coordinator of Palenti,ran the series for one whole year,singing and composing. Last yearrenowned Nepali singers from Indiaand Nepal mesmerised the audiencein Palenti series.

Avash said that this year, they haveplanned to bring celebrities from allthree sides that go to create a song -musician, composer and singer. In thefirst program of Palenti series this

year, last month, singer Phattemandelighted the audience with hisnumbers. In this second program,Thapa overwhelmed the people. Heremembered the famous singerNarayan Gopal who chose Thapa'swords to enter the field of musicalmost 50 years ago.

'It was the stage of TrichandaCollege where Narayan sang his firstsong, Swargki rani, mayaki khani,’recalled Thapa, fondly. Friendshipbetween Narayan Gopal and Thapawas unique since the latter alwayshas been a teetotaler and the formercould not do without it. “I never met

IrresistibleCLASS

him when he was drunk,” Thapaexplained.

Suraj and Shila, the young singerssang almost one and half dozens ofsongs created by Thapa including'Goreto tyo gaunko' orginally sung byPremdhwaj Pradhan, 'Tyo kholako'and 'Kholanala sang' by Manikratna,'Ankhai ma rat gali' by Natikaji, and'Jati hansu bhanchhu' by DeepShrestha. Nepalaya orgainses'Palenti' every last Friday of theEnglish calendar. The renownedmusician, composer and singer,Bharat Jangam will appear in Palentithe next month. ä

Musical programme, Palenti, thrillsclassical song lovers.

Renowned lyricist Ratan Samasher Thapa with new singers Shila & Suraj