Weekly Internet Poll # 32Q. Will the bombings and attacks on developmentinfrastructure help or harm the Maoist cause?

#92 3 - 9 May 2002 16 pages Rs 20

Q. Should the government have announced rewards forthe capture of the Maoist leadership?

Weekly Internet Poll # 33. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

Total votes: 1349

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KEDAR SHARMA in POKHARA

hen Hari Prasad Pandey cameclean last week to declare thathe was corrupt and should face

legal prosecution, many people thoughtthe former UML hydropower ministerand industrialist had finally gone mad.

At a four-hour press conference inPokhara 23 April,Pandey admitted tobribing officials to enrichhimself, evading incometax, and covering up hismisdeeds to project aclean image. “Now, I amwilling to subject myself to whateverpunishment the state deems fit,” Pandeysaid. At a dramatic press conference inKathmandu Wednesday, he blind-folded himself and said he was ready togo to prison. But 55-year-old HariPrasad says he isn’t trying to dare thegovernment to come after him, oraiming for cheap publicity. “I am doingit to ease my own consicence,” he said.

Pandey has even done the legalhomework for the government, and

MEA CULPAIs Hari Prasad Pandey just too honest for Nepal?

Go to p3

assigned himself a fine of Rs 15 million,which he said he had already set aside to behanded over if the government couldconvince him it would be usedproductively. He added for goodmeasure: “However, if the govern-ment should decide that it willconfiscate the said amount from

me at any point, Iwill abide by thedecision.”

It was inevita-ble that such adramatic confessionwould hit the headlines

the next day. And so Pandey became thebutt of jokes, the subject of cartoons, andderisive public reaction came thick andfast. Some said the UML ex-minister hadfinally “gone off his rocker”. Othersthought it was smart of him to whitewashhimself. Some were certain he was areligious fanatic of some sort.

But when we met him in Pokhara, wefound a simple man who friends call a“Gandhian communist”.

W

n a fresh bid to resolve a continued deadlock over the future of the 100,000Bhutanese refugees in camps in eastern Nepal, Thimpu is on a charm offensivetargeted at Nepali politicians.

Latest to get red carpet treatment were Chakra Prasad Bastola, former foreignminister and one of the architects of the verificationagreement for refugees last year, and opposition leaderMadhav Kumar Nepal of the UML.

“The Bhutanese leadership probably reckons thatboth Bastola and Nepal are prime ministers-in-waiting,and they want to cover both bases,” explained one seniorNepali academic. The two met Bhutanese king JigmeSingye Wangchuk, chit-chatted with other officials,including Foreign Minister Jigme Thinley, the point manheading bilateral talks on refugees, and packed in somesight-seeing of the dzongs. The two also stopped by atBhutan’s Chuka hydroelectric project to get a few tips onselling power to India. Madhav Nepal, for his part,brainstormed with the Bhutanese on drafting their newconstitution, which could benefit from Nepal’s experienceof the past 12 years.

“It was my first real opportunity to meet the Bhutaneseinformally,” Bastola told us. “I sense there is willingness in Bhutan to get the refugeeproblem resolved.” Bastola asked the king why Bhutan was insisting on going back to the1994 agreement to classify refugees into four groups: Bhutanese who have beenevicted, those who voluntarily emigrated, those who have criminal records, and non-

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

PRESS FREEDOM DAYToday, 3 May, is World Press FreedomDay. Democracy and a free press aretwo sides of the same coin, and yetNepal is now the country with thelargest number of journalists behindbars. Rulers can’t afford to squanderthe credibility of their nation’s media.As we saw in the past 12 months inNepal, a government needs citizens totrust it, but that can only happenwhen the independence of the mediais safeguarded. It could well be thatdemocracy is not working properlybecause the media is not functioningas it should. But that is no reason toput away the messenger. Thechallenge for democracies is toprotect press freedom during aconflict, not curb it. Freedom is ouronly defence against destruction andhatred. We are witnessing the politicalevolution of our nation, and it is themedia that has, in large part, helpedsteer it towards progress. The mediadoesn’t just hold a mirror to society, itis the mirror. Democracy and freepress must safeguard each other.You can’t have one by underminingthe other.

Red carpets in ThimpuBhutanese. The king’s reply: “Sometimes you have to.” Bastola said the king appearedconcerned that Nepalis residing in India may have infiltrated the refugee camps at thepeak of the influx in the early 1990s. It is this attempt to categorise them that is holdingup repatriation of an initial batch of refugees.

Nepali officials have been trying to fix a date for the next round ofministerial talks to decide on repatriating those who have been verified.But Bhutan is sticking to its four-group category, which goes by thebuzzword “harmonisation”. Nepal maintains that there are only twocategories of refugees: Bhutanese or non-Bhutanese.

Nepal and Bhutan completed the joint verification of about 12,000refugees living in the Khudunabari camp in December, a process thattook a year. At this rate it will take at least five years to screen theremaining 88,000 refugees.

“On our side we’re ready to meet given a week’s notice. We areready,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Gyan Chandra Acharya told us. Theproblem seems to be that there is no timeframe for either talks, orrepatriation. Journalist Surya Thapa asked Foreign Minister Thinley inThimpu why Bhutan was dragging its feet. Thinley replied: “We are alsosick of this problem, but it is a complicated issue. Separating realBhutanese from illegal migrants is no easy task. The reason for thedelay is that it is being needlessly politicised.”

For Bhutanese human rights activist Ratan Gazmere, the Bhutan government isjust trying to buy time. He concludes: “The Nepal government by itself is not capable ofresolving this deadlock, it needs to get the international community to pressure Bhutanthe way it did to get it to agree on verification.”

Pandey leafs through a 42-pageconfession of his own misdeedsbefore blindfolding himself.

BOOKSTOBUY

Bhutanese refugees lining up for lunch packs duringverification in the Khudunabari camp last year.

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22222 EDITORIAL 3 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMESNepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd,Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Editor: Anagha NeelakantanDesign: Kiran Maharjaneditors@nepalitimes.com, www.nepalitimes.comAdvertising: Sunaina Shah advertising@himalmedia.comSubscription: Anil Karki subscription@himalmedia.comSales: Sudan Bista sales@himalmedia.comSanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, LalitpurGPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, NepalTel: 01-543333-7, Fax: 01-521013Printed at Jagadamba Press: 01-521393

STATE OF THE STATE by CK LAL

L E T T E R SL E T T E R SL E T T E R SL E T T E R SL E T T E R SSTATE OF THE NATIONThe situation in our country willcontinue as long as cleverpoliticians keep on luring adisillusioned and frustratedgeneration of people with falsepromises. It is no wonder thatthese people are venting theiranger, and what better way thanjoining the so-called Maoistrevolution. People are beingmanipulated to fight not forprinciples, but just because itgives some kind of purpose tolife. Where is all this leading us?Since when did we become sobitter that we take pride in killingour fellow citizens for politicalreasons? We need revolution inour country but not the kindMaoists want: we need a revolu-tion in the calibre of leaders, arevolution in patriotism.

Ashok SrivastavNorth Platte, Nebraska

Why do poor Nepalis have todie because big people disa-gree? The Maoists are taking usback 1,000 years. While othercountries are moving forward, weare destroying our own propertyand killing our own people.

BS KamalNew York

Raghu Mainali’s blow-by-blowaccount (“Another post-mortem”,#90) was good, but I missed a realpost-mortem of why 112 paramili-tary forces were stationed inSatbaria to guard the HomeMinister’s farmhouse, and onlynine civil police were at the

strategic Lamahi post. In attackafter attack, our security forces haveseen the modus operandi of theMaoists, and yet there doesn’t seemto be any real attempt to reinforcethe safety of the police under fire.It is almost as if the Home Ministerfeels the rest of the country can eatcake. The IGP as head of thepolice force is directly responsiblefor the security of his force. AfterSatbaria, even if it means breakingprotocol, he must tell us the truthabout why the police base waslocated in such a vulnerableposition.

Kabindra PradhanButwal

I am one of those staunchfollowers of the estai ho (go with theflow) path of ennui and noncha-lance. But even that is not helpingme maintain my sanity. Explain thisto me:

1. An ex-state minister con-fessed to his corrupt ways andadmitted that he had embezzledheavily from the exchequer, hewanted to make amends, be fined,and sent to jail. He even offered topay for his upkeep in jail. But theadministration refused to registerhis confession, as there was noprovision for such bursts of honesty.

2. Why is there an additionalservice charge on public utilitieslike water, electricity and phones?Aren’t they providing a service theywere set up to provide? And a“value added” tax? And why do I, asa Nepali, have to pay a touristservice charge when I eat at a

restaurant?3. The hike in electricity tariff is

blamed on the World Bank, whichjustifiably insists that lossesincurred due to non-payment ofbills and leakage must be re-couped. (Why do we need outsidersto tell us we are being cheated?)So, as a conscientious consumer, Irush to pay my bills on time. Thehonest consumer gets shafted andcarries the burden of those whocheat.

4. The NTC is going toincrease local phone rates andlower ISD rates. Why? Becausepeople are using the Internet tocall long distance from cybercafes.Would it not be more practical tolevy a monthly per-computer permitfee to the cybercafes and generaterevenue? Ah-ha! But that’s thepoint I have probably missed allalong: being practical? In Nepal?

ìGoru Budhimanîby email

Even if democracy is not whatthe Maoists accept as a system forsocial change and development, itis absurd to hope to achievechange by arson, killing, extortion,destruction of water supply, bridgesetc. Do the Maoists hope to cometo power by destroying the littledevelopment that has improved thelife of some of the poorest in ruralareas? Do they hope to get rid ofthe establishment in this way? Whatdoes the fear and paralysis of thepeople during the five-day bandhprove to the Maoists? Are bandhs

called to convince people thattheir future would be better in theMaoist’s hands? Does their politicalwork, their concern about thepeople start only when they havedestroyed everything? If there everwas a sensible Maoist policy, wherehas it gone?

The impression prevails thatwhat might have been a necessaryrevolutionary movement has nowturned into an uncontrolled mob,members of which have no clearorders, no objective anymore otherthan to kill, plunder, and destroy.One has to draw the conclusion thatif they came to power the Maoistswould not be different from theother political parties, and thepeople of Nepal would continue tobe victims of exploitation andrepression.

If last week was a “generalstrike”—a clear demonstration ofthe people demanding speedy andeffective improvement of educa-tion, health, water supply, garbagedisposal, and a fight againstcorruption and sleaze—then thegovernment would have to react.With, or without the Maoists.

C GroteKathmandu

TEASING TOURISTSThis letter refers to the article“Teasing tourists” (#90) written byPatricia Lustig. I am not sure thatall the examples of sexual harass-ment mentioned in your articlereally belong to that category. But

the photo shows that some touristsdon’t pay much attention to thecultural values of this country:sitting along the road in thisposture might provoke some men tojust a little bit more than trying tosell a flute...

Antoinette SchulerDhobighat

Nepali women are finallybreaking out of the confines of thefour walls of their homes, only tosuffer harassment at the workplace.I hope women start speaking outmore. Keeping quiet will onlyencourage the criminals.

Dr Arati Thapa HamalUK

A good look at the photoaccompanying the article “Teasingtourists” can explain a lot about theproblem:

1. Unheeded warning.Read any good guidebook onNepal and the female touristis cautioned against travel-ling alone or without a malecompanion.

2. Dress code. Again,travellers are advised toobserve a decent dress code.

3. Adverse image—sextourism (soft to hard) hascome to Nepal. News ofwestern men and womenexploiting even minors arenot rare. For the soft side, justread any message board inThamel or the Internet andyou will be aware of thedemands (both implicit andexplicit) for trekking guides of

the opposite sex.4. Opposites attract. The

attraction for the opposite imagesis eternal. A Nepali man is trusting,simple and helping, attributes nowrare in the west. A western girl isrich, independent and “fair” game.Besides, in these 20 years oftourism, we have deepened ourmutual acquaintance. Nepali menare normally shy but some refuse totake a “no” for an answer from awestern girl. Surely, as Ms Lustigsuggests, the media should start anoverall awareness campaign. At thesame time, tourists should be moreaware of Nepali culture, tradition,psychology, travelling manners andabove all, trekking norms.

Kumar R ShresthaMunich

Patricia Lustig sounds like yetanother westerner who likes togeneralise. I am not defendingthe harassers, but this sort of thinghappens all over the world, Nepalbeing no exception. Sexualharassment at the workplace is aneveryday phenomenon in thewestern world. Tailhook is not thename of a Nepali town. It is thename of a place where “civilised”American sailors fondled a bunchof young women. Most femaletourists who complain aboutharassment don’t seem to give ahoot about our customs. Take awalk in Thamel. The bra-lessyoung female tourist in ultra smallshorts and transparent top, walkingaround, jiggling her mammaries,is most likely the one who isgetting the cat calls. The samething would happen if she waswalking on the streets of Boston. Iguess it would be more “accept-able” to Lustig if a white guy washarassing these female tourists.How dare these dark skinnednatives?

Anis BaniaBoston

VISA FEESI wonder if Nepal really wantsvisitors ? If tourism is, in fact, adriving force of the Nepalieconomy, may I suggest that thevisa process be changed so that,at least a six month-double entryvisa can be obtained at areasonable price. Also the “fee” towalk through Darbar Square, for

those of us who, like myself, bringhumanitarian aid, or are justordinary tourists, should beeliminated. If tourism is to berevived, and integrated into theeveryday fabric of Nepali life,make it easier, not harder, to cometo Nepal and move around.Namaste, aloha.

D Michael Van De VeerKauai, Hawaii

STATE OF THE STATECK Lal blaming the “US insistenceon market liberalisation” (“Do ourbanners yet wave?”) for all evils ofNepali politics and our societymay be a bit far-fetched. But factremains that disadvantages mayoutweigh benefits of our market-driven economic concepts. Theobvious question is who drivesmarket in countries like Nepal,where vast majority of the popula-tion remain in the poorest of thepoor category. A good example ofevil side effect of market liberali-sation is in the telecom sector. Our205 elected law-makers unani-mously passed a bill liberalisingtelecom (probably brain-washed bythe “the mantra of macroeconomicreform” and constantly educatedby two famous M’s of the NepaliCongress: Mahat & Mahesh), notrealising that direct implication ofthe new Telecom Act is that thecost of calling Humla fromHetauda will now equal thatcalling Kansas from Kathmandu. Ihappened to talk with a few MPsabout this and they confessed that

they had not studied andanalysed the new act beforepassing it.

SR KansakarKamaladi

CK Lal writes well, like a poet.On occasion, his pieces are well-informed. But isn’t there a limit tostretching this license to passingjudgement on absolutelyeverything? Mr Lal thinks thatpost-1947 the US retracted itstraditional warmth to Nepal. Thatthis retreat is due to the growth of“free market ideology andprivatisation” have not only“devastated” the politicaleconomy of poor countries, butalso allowed a Madam Chang tomeddle in Nepal’s corridors ofpower. That “precise” empiricismwas needed to establish certain“correspondences”, but theseclearly existed among “structuraladjustment”, “privatisation ofnational economies” and “the riseof insurgency” among otherunfortunate consequences. Thatthe “fortress in Panipokhari” hasnow re-fashioned itself from abeacon of hope for Nepal thathelped “modernise Nepali society”to being a patron that “insists onmarket liberalisation” whichincidentally has “failed” to “purify”Nepali politics, but “succeededexceedingly” in “ruining oursociety”. And oh, MichaelMalinowski is probably a nice guy,by the way. So, to all literatepeople of the world, let’s unite tothrow away the “unholy triumvirate”

333333 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMESNATION

of...get ready for the wisdom of thecentury: “liberalisation, privatisa-tion, globalisation.”

Never have I yawned sopainfully. How reckless can one bein one’s choice of words? You can’tquantify qualitative variables todraw causal inferences because thedegree of association is scientifi-cally indeterminate. There is nosuch thing as “correspondence”between two ambiguous variables.And most importantly, correlation isnot causality. As a person who ispaid to write, Mr Lal owes it to us todo better than this. The least hecould have done is thrown a fewnumbers around, and pretendedthat he knew what he was talkingabout.

ìPaschimîby email

FAIR AND SQUAREThis is in response to Sunita Singh(Letters, #89), itself a response toJoyce Sliverstein’s (Letters, #87)critique of the fairness cream adpublished next to the Under My Hatcolumn in previous issues. Since“Joyce Silverstein” is an Anglo-Saxon name, Ms Singh automati-cally assumes her to be of white-Caucasian race stock. But for all MsSingh knows, Ms Silverstein couldbe...an Afro-American? A WestIndian? An Australian Aborigine?You name it. In her myopia, MsSingh makes a stand for the“virtues” of fairer skin, thereforedenying parity of value to thoseraces, numbering in the billions,

(Black Africans, Melanesians,Dravidians, and more) who willnever possibly have, and hopefullynever wish for, fairer skins onthemselves. The issue is ultimatelyabout accepting people for whatthey are, and not through the biasof their external appearance.

Elisabetta PiomartaKathmandu

MR ESTABLISHMENTI applaud the initiatives taken byMayor Sthapith (“Mr Establishment,”#90) and various civil societyorganisations and donors torenovate and preserve key parts ofKathmandu, but their efforts,encouraging as they may be, arenot enough to stem the culturallosses occurring daily. While IndraChowk’s Aakaash Bhairab temple isbeing renovated, the homes andshops surrounding it are being lost.I took advantage of the bandh lastweek to ride my bicycle throughAsan and Indra Chowk, something Ihadn’t done since the 1980s.Absent the usual crowd, thechanges in the old bazaar werestartling. One by one, traditionalNewar houses and shops have beentransformed from brick and wood todrab concrete. The heart ofKathmandu—a cultural icon andimportant tourist attraction—islosing its soul.

There are successful examplesin Nepal and other countries of howto preserve traditional architecturein busy commercial and residentialareas. Over time, property values in

many such neighbourhoodsactually increase. I’m afraid that ifaction is not taken immediately aunique part of Kathmandu’sheritage will disappear forever,causing cultural and economicdamage that Nepal can ill afford.

Nick LangtonKathmandu

The Kathmandu MetropolitanCouncil under Mayor Sthapith hasdone a lot, but it has lots more todo. I think the KMC should beginto issue a community tax systemto finance its infrastructure andservices.

N Malakarby email

THE PEACE PRIZEEveryone is talking about the rewards on the heads of the Maoists. But there is a greaterreward no one talks about: the reward of peace. The Nepali peoples’ prize for anyonewho brings an end to the conflict.

But is it going to be the deathly peace of a ruined land, or a peace that salvageswhat is still left? Yes, talks. But talk about what? You can’t really blame Prime MinisterSher Bahadur Deuba for flatly refusing to negotiate with the Maoists. Being a plain-speaking, straight forward guy, he takes betrayals personally. And he is not likely to forgethow the Maoists used the three months of the last truce to upgrade their fightingmachinery and set up a “Peoples’ Liberation Army” to take on the Royal Nepal Army.

And even if only half of the people the security forces say they have killed are actualhardcore Maoists (as opposed to mercenaries, or those forcibly enlisted into the militia),then the comrades must be feeling the heat. The army did not need the Americans totell them that they need a larger force, much better logistics and much more reliableintelligence to fight a guerrilla war in this terrain. But since the Americans are footingthe bill for much of the new hardware, our generals dutifully nodded their heads. Withthe new equipment, the army is confident it can squeeze the Maoists tighter so that whentalks do finally happen, the government can negotiate from a position of strength.

Unfortunately, that is also the Maoists’ game plan: to improve their bargaining powerby destroying, intimidating and spreading panic. They have been forced to goafter soft targets: burning down Deuba’s house in Dadeldhura, destroyinghydropower plants, wrecking airport towers, and blowing up telecom stations oneafter another. These are sitting duck targets, but they give the psychologicalimpression of a tightening noose.

In the short term, these tactics are aimed at forcing the government to agreeto talks, thus buying time once more to regroup. The Maoists’ military wing needstime to rearm, restore discipline to the fold, and weed out informers. If they get asix month respite, the senior comrades seem confident that they can launchanother series of spectacular raids over military garrisons, and unleash the finalstage of their urban guerrilla warfare to propel themselves into Kathmandu.

Our fractious parliamentary parties have finally agreed on an all-partycampaign to counter the Maoists with a rally on 2 June. About time. But themyopic infighting within the Congress still threatens to ruin all. If they can't unitewhen the country is in this state, then they really don't deserve to be in office.

All this bickering is, of course, useful to the Maoists who depend on the chaosand disunity to create the right conditions for revolution. It is even more helpfulfor the rebels that the parliamentary parties can't even agree on negotiations orthe reward on the Maoist heads.

Those favouring talks are right about one thing, though. There is no pointinsisting that the Maoists disarm before talks: that is like asking them to surrender.Why should they? They thrive on this disaray. However, it is also true that if bothsides are truly serious about peace, there can be secret talks even without aceasefire. It is much more important for all political forces to be united andsingle-minded. The talks can’t be the public circus we had the last time, theyhave to be serious, secret and sincere. This impasse needs to be broken with adramatic new initiative that allows the government to look strong, and under avisionary leadership.

That's a tall order. We don’t see any signs of a visionary leadership in theranks of any of the parliamentary parties. But it is now readily apparent that theNepali people are fed up with the deaths and devastation. They are ready toreward anyone who can restore peace.

ow many forced closures are necessaryto prove the utter futility of all bandhs?In any case, what difference does it

make stopping vehicles from plying thenational highways, when the normal life ofthe entire population—save the Maoistsand the security forces—is, for all intentsand purposes, shut down anyway?

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba isno less tactless than the Maobadi leadership.The declaration “Wanted, dead or alive”, witha price on the head of the fugitives, is a signof desperation, not confidence. Perhaps takinghis cue from Sheriff Bush in the unfoldingsaga against terror in the Afghan desert, PrimeMinister Deuba has committed the cardinalsin of democratic politics—adopting patently

unconstitutional means to achieve what couldbe justifiable ends.

There is little doubt that ComradePrachanda and his cohorts can be charged withbreaking almost every law of this land, but thatcan’t possibly justify the government donningthe judge’s mantle. Even if the governmentwere to be prosecutor, judge and executioner allrolled into one, capital punishment is not aprovision of the constitution that Deuba isoath-bound to protect. There could be asomewhat more charitable interpretation, thatit is all a part of the psy-war against theinsurgents. If that is the case, perhaps anannouncement that the bounty could beclaimed from Royal Nepal Embassies abroadmight be an added inducement.

Either way, this running around in circlesis ruining Nepali society and the country.Sometimes it is the Maobadi doing the chasing,at other times the government forces, spreadingtheir security net. But the territory remains thesame, no matter who is on the run—it is usordinary Nepalis being run over. Most of us inKathmandu would probably respond in thenegative if asked whether there is a way out ofthis quagmire. And then we’d quietly go ondoing whatever we are doing at that moment,safe in the belief that the danger will disappearall by itself. Fatalism is a facile explanation forthis collective sense of worthlessness, but it willhave to do for the lack of a more appropriate term.

But there are some Nepalis abroad whothink otherwise. Writing in Nepal, RabindraMishra of the BBC Nepali Service outlines fouroptions for Nepali society:(1) Apply pressure on our leadership to mendits ways;(2) Submit to the direct rule of the king;(3) Continue with the current apathy and lackof commitment; or(4) Abjectly surrender to the demonic forces ofPrachanda.

Like a good democrat, Mishra insists thathis preference would be the first one. Sure,distance gives perspective, but it also makes itharder to notice details. Creating publicpressure in the fond hope that the present

political leadership of the country will mend itsways looks increasingly like chasing a mirage.The possibility of direct rule by the king underpresent circumstances—so soon after 1 Juneand the incendiary rumours that spread in itsaftermath—is fraught with grave dangers.Allowing the current apathy to continue is likequietly awaiting your turn at the gallows.Sooner or later, every one who does not opposetyranny is sure to end up there.

Mishra’s last option is no option either. Itimplies the end of common Nepalis’ quest foran independent identity, democratic rule andsocial justice. None of these suggestions arechoices we can make of our own accord. Theyare the eventualities that we have to prepare forif the “fight-to-the-finish” between the securityforces and the insurgents does not end in aworkable compromise.

Sadly, the possibility of a compromise hasbeen further reduced after the Americanpromise of $20 million worth of militaryhardware on the one hand, and a clear divisionin the ranks of Maoists on the other. Even if theNepal Communist Party (Maoist) was to sitdown for talks with the government, it’s farfrom clear whether the more militant NepalMaoist Centre would also agree to lay downarms and play fair. It’s not a comfortablethought, but the fact is, there is simply noeasy way out of the present impasse. Ourpolitical leaders of all hues and the Maobadiboth know that. Nepal is trapped in aMahabharata-type no-win internecine war.

There might, however, be one politicalexperiment left to be tried—the formation ofa high-level Royal Commission by the kingupon the recommendation of the council ofministers, with nominees from politicalparties as well as “intellectuals” sympatheticto the Maoist cause as members. May besuch a high-level political instrument willbe able to convince the insurgents to laydown arms and settle for something alittle less than what they desire, but a lotmore acceptable than what is presentlyavailable.

We will quietly go on doing whatever we are doing at the moment,hoping that the danger will somehow disappear.

What next?

H

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The cynicism was to beexpected, and Pandey soondiscovered that the media hadgot his story all wrong. But hedoesn’t seem to mind. In fact, heisn’t in any particular hurry tocorrect the story, and he agreedto speak to us reluctantly with aoh-no-not-another-reporter toneto his voice. And when we didmeet him in his Kathmandu home,he had the serene demeanour of anidealist at peace with himself.

One thing the papers gotwrong, he says, is that he tookbribes as a minister. “I nevermisused my position in thehydropower ministry in any way,in fact I am not even a memberof the UML or any party,”Pandey told us. He was mademinister by the party for hishonesty, and it was during histenure in 1993 that the $400million Arun III project wascancelled by the World Bank.

UML leaders haven’t yetcommented on Pandey’s disclo-sures, and say they are stillstudying his report. The partybrass is in a bind. After all, itscentral committee "disciplined"senior UML members of theparliamentary Public AccountsCommittee for investigating ofthe leasing of a China SouthwestAirlines jet for Royal NepalAirlines three years ago.

Pandey has a long list of hisown transgressions: “As a minister,I was distracted and didn’t payenough attention to the country’sindustrial development, as amember of parliament I didn’tcontribute as much as I shouldhave, I negligently allowed theArun III project to be cancelledwithout lining up any alternatives,and I was made a peoples’representative and minister even

though I had given bribes, sinnedagainst the motherland and triedto cover-up my misdeeds.”

It is not surprising that anyonereading this confession wouldthink that this was a rash act of anunstable person. But meeting HariPrasad Pandey a visitor gets theimpression of someone who isgenuinely troubled by his past,and not a person given toimpulsive self-publicity.

Hari lives with his wifeTulasa, five daughters and a sonin Pokhara. Tulasa was 14 whenshe got married to Hari Prasad,and says her husband always hadthis intense love for his mother-land. “I don’t think anyone elsehas a husband like him. Henever does things on his own,we discuss everything in thefamily first,” she told us. In fact,Hari Prasad read all 42 pages ofhis confession to his familybefore going public, and familymembers reviewed it for sixhours. Says Tulasa: “I had oneobjection: I didn’t want him tocall himself a criminal.” But HariPrasad tried to convince them thatany wilful wrongdoing while inoffice was a crime.

Four of the Pandeys’ fivedaughters are studying medicine inPokhara. Tulasa (below) looksafter the family’s biscuit manufac-

turing unit and Hari Prasadmanages his instant noodle factory.From accounts of his friends andrelatives, Pandey started showingsigns of a spiritual transformation in1988. Those were the days of theIndian trade blockade and itopened Hari Prasad’s eyes to justhow much Nepal is dependent onthe outside world for basic necessi-ties. After that he wanted to show

by example that it was possible tobe self-reliant by living frugally andreducing consumption.

He was also inspired after achance meeting on the street witha desperately poor woman intattered clothes who taught himthe meaning of responsibility andthe importance of the mother-land. Writes Pandey: “Your life,body, knowledge, history, future

EDITOR’S NOTENepali Times reserves the rightto edit letters for length, clarityand language. All letters to theeditor must be accompaniedby a full name, which can bewithheld on request.

must necessarily be a part andparcel of your motherland. Youcannot achieve fulfilment untilyou overcome subservience,misconduct and indebtedness.”It is not hard to imagine that thewoman in tattered clothes forPandey is Mother Nepal herself.

After this, not only did HariPrasad turn vegetarian, but heeven reduced his intake of salt,sugar and rice. He carried hisown food (roasted corn, radishand tsampa) when he travelledaborad. Earlier, he overdid thisfrugality and he fell sick becauseof under-nourishment. He wasprescribed fruits, but toldhimself that rather than eatimported oranges and bananas,he would consume domestically-produced meat, and give upvegetarianism.

But isn’t all this a bitextreme, we ask. “No, it’s beingpragmatic,” answers Pandey.Expelled from the ButwalTechnical Instutute for being a“bad student”, he idolises Marxand Lenin. But those who knowhim well call Hari Prasad moreof a “Gandhian communist”.Does that make him an atheist?Pandey answers the questionobliquely: “Gandhi puts god atthe centre of things, but I thinkunless human beings struggleagainst all forms of injustice, viceand dependence here on earth,they don’t have even theminimum qualification toapproach god.” So that means heis not an atheist.

He first approached theCommission on Investigation ofAbuse of Authority (CIAA) as farback as 1995 after confessing tomismanagement, negligence andincompetence that led to lossesduring the sale of stock options in

the Biratnager Jute Mills, andasked that he be prosecuted. Lastweek’s self-disclosure is just anextension of Pandey’s 1995confession. But both times,nothing happened. A country inwhich corruption is endemicdoesn’t seem to have the legalmechanism to deal with someonewho voluntarily confesses to givingbribes.

As a businessman in Pokhara,Hari Prasad has had visits fromMaoists demanding “donations”.Sick of threats and intimidation,he wrote an open letter titled“Take My Donation, But AnswerMy Questions First”. He has setaside Rs 100,000 for the Maoists ifthey can answer these questions:

1. World opinion and theNepali public are against your war.So why should it succeed?

2. Neither of Nepal’s giantneighbours agrees with yourpolicies. Even if you grab power,what makes you think you canhold on to it?

3. After decades, the Chinesehave admitted that Mao’s eco-nomic polices were counterproduc-tive and have abandoned them.Why should it work with you?

4. Why should it be a crimeeven to ask you these questions?

Pandey denies that he is tryingto gain prestige and fame, andabsolve himself from future blame.He denies trying to preach or tellanyone to follow in his footsteps.“I am saving my soul. To do that Ihave to give back to society what Itook from it. And I am willing toundergo any physical incarceration,pay any fine, and sacrifice what isleft of my personal integrity,” hetold us, adding: “And if thegovernment does not comeforward, I will inflict the punish-ment on myself.”

from p1 A Gandhian communist

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by DANIEL LAKHERE AND THERE

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PRAKASH JWALA in LIBANGhere are winds of changeblowing in Rolpa. For thefirst time in four years,

political workers under theprotection of security forces havereturned to parts of Rolpa thatwere under Maoist control.

Reading about this in thefaraway capital, it may not seemlike much. But it is an indication ofthe changing circumstances of theinsurgency that the Maolands of themid-west aren’t as impregnable asthey used to be.

To be sure, this does not meanthat the Maoists are on the run.But it is the first sign that the tidemay be turning, and it is also anopening for the government and allparliamentary parties to restorehope to the villages that they have

abandoned. Their presence isimportant to show the people thatthey care for their welfare, and to getthem to participate with their electedleaders to rebuild ruined villages.

Around the time that politicalparties in Kathmandu were sittingdown three weeks ago in jointefforts to take their activism torural areas, political workers herewere already doing just that. Theymoved into areas of Rolpa that thesecurity forces have managed toliberate: the villages of Thabang,Gam, Mase, Satdobato andMadichaur. The presence of thearmy has brought new hope to thepeople who have only one wish:that peace is restored that they canstart rebuilding their shattered lives.

Two weeks ago, some 1,000people had gathered in Gam for a

public meeting. Local politicalleaders, the Chief District Officerfrom Libang, and local elders allspoke about the effort to bring lifeback to normal. Some days beforethat, a local voluntary grouporganised a seminar in Libang todiscuss what the people of Rolpacould do in the current politicalenvironment.

Representatives of differentpolitical parties made commitmentsto form an alliance against Maoistviolence, and agreed to spread theword on the Maoists’ doublestandards and hypocrisy. Especiallythe fact that after destroying theeducation system, Maoist leadershad their children in private schoolsin Kathmandu, India and London.

What was surprising was notwhat was said at the meetings, but

where the meetings were held: inthe heartland of Maoist activity.This isn’t the first time thatpoliticians have tried to re-startpolitical activity. Last year, theUML organised a Rapti PeaceMarch that passed through Dang,Sallyan, Rukum and Pyuthan beforevisiting several villages in Rolpa.

At that time, this was seen as adirect challenge to the Maoists,who had begun to fill the politicalvacuum they’d created in thevillages by killing or chasing awaylocal political workers. Even so,thousands of people from the fivedistricts gathered for the public rallyin Rolpa. This time, it is not just theUML, but all political parties holdingjoint public meetings.

Rolpa plunges into darknessafter dusk. There is no power, since

the Maoists destroyed the Jhimrukpower station last month. Thepeople of Rolpa, who had got usedto electricity, are now back toburning pine resin dhupi, askerosene is too expensive. Mostordinary people cannot understandwhat the Maoists have gained bydestroying Jhimruk, and pushingRolpa’s development back by decades.

Rolpa has many problems, butthe most pressing is the lack ofhealth care. The district hospitalwas built many years ago, butbecause of government ineptitude,never treated a single patient. Abrand new building is in ruins.Every time they see the hospital,the people of Rolpa curse thegovernment. And this is the districtheadquarters. We can only guesshow much worse the situation must

be in the villages. To add to thefeeling of hopelessness and isola-tion, Rolpa has been cut off fromthe rest of Nepal since the Maoistsdestroyed the telephone repeatertower at Ratmate in December.

The only link to the outsideworld is the Bhaluwang-Libangroad, which is actually a dirt track.The road has been repeatedlyattacked by Maoists, who stopbuses, block roads and also blow upparts of it every once in a while.These days, passengers have toendure frisking by security forces.“It’s just not worth the riskanymore,” says a transport opera-tor. “We face too many hassles,sometimes we are extorted,threatened, and our buses are set onfire.” It would not be an exaggera-tion to say that the buses here can

operate only with the blessings ofthe Maoists. There has been talk ofoperating a helicopter service toLibang, but that is just talk.

Rolpa has always been a food-deficit district. Rolpalis migrate forwork when the food runs out, ordepend on grain flown in. Now eventhat is difficult, since the army isenforcing a food embargo to starveout the Maoists. And the Maoistshave plundered whatever food thereis left. No one is planting any grainfor fear that the harvest will belooted. This has put the price ofgrain out of reach—rice costs Rs150 per pathi. Those who suffer themost are the children, who fall sickbecause there isn’t enough to eat.And when they fall sick, there is nohealth care. The people of Rolpajust try to survive from day to day.

Thousands have fled the Maoistviolence in the hinterland to therelative safety of Libang. Many morehave already left to work in India. Thebetter-off are living in Kathmandu,Dang and other parts of Nepal. Buteven if they are away, it doesn’t meanthey are safe. The Maoists attack theirhouses and their relatives.

A teacher from Korchebang,Mahendra Pun, fled his village twoyears ago and had been living at theGhartigaon police outpost. Hecame to the district headquartersafter that police station was razedby the Maoists. Some weeks ago,the Maoists ransacked his home,and now his mother, wife and fivechildren have all moved down toLibang. Pun’s wife Purna Kumarisaid 250 armed Maoists came totheir house on 2 April, and forcedthem out. “They told us: yourhusband lives in the district headquar-ters so you cannot continue livinghere,” she recalls tearfully.

Tham Bahadur Sunuwar ofGhartigaon had been forced to fleebecause the Maoists accused him ofbeing an informant. After he hadfled they ransacked his house andbelongings and chased the 11remaining members of his familyout of the village. Tham Bahadurhas no idea of how he is going tomake ends meet, and joins hundredsof other refugees in Libang whohave no home, no farm, no food,and no work.

Despite Maoist warnings not togo ahead, Rolpa was able toorganise its DDC meeting, andattendance was more than 90percent. There are indications that

many are fed up with Maoistexcesses. Everyone at the meetingagreed that the violence had to stopso the district could get back toimproving the lives of the Rolpalis.

In Libang large numbers ofpeople crowd around the CDOoffice every day. Most have comefor citizenship papers and passports.Since November, more than 6,000citizenship certificates have beenmade, mostly for young men fleeingthe Maoists. Many intend tomigrate to work.

Others are in Libang to pay landtaxes to the VDC secretaries, nowcamping here because the Maoistsdon’t allow the collection of landtaxes in the villages. In late Marchthey killed Amrit Bahadur Khatri, apeon of Bhabang VDC. His crime:reminding people in the village to paytheir land taxes. Khatri had a physicaldisability. He also came from a familythat did not have enough to eat formore than three months of a year.Maoists had already killed thechairman and vice-chairman ofBhabang VDC.

Libang has now been fenced offwith barbed wire. The villagers mustpass through security checks beforeentering and leaving the town. It lookslike a garrison town, but residents andgovernment employees say they feelmore secure. Kumar Dasaudi,secretary of the UML in Rolpa says,“The country has had a state ofemergency for six months. Here inLibang we’ve had a crisis for six years.”There is an unofficial curfew everyevening, and there are reports ofpeople being killed every day.

After the battle at Lamahi andSatbaria a helicopter delivering deadpolicemen stopped in Rolpa andpulled out a body. It was PurnaBahadur BK, a 25-year-old constable

from Libang. He had joined the policeto earn money to support his family.He leaves behind his widow, child andfather, Mohan Lal, a sweeper inLibang.

There are thousands of PurnaBahadurs all over Nepal. It’s apeople’s war all right—ordinarypeople like Purna Bahadur and AmritBahadur die. It is the 12 people whowere burned to death in Harjang. It isTilak Nepali and Bishnu Prasad KC,two teachers killed recently, or theretired policeman in Pakhapani whowas hacked to death.

Then there are the killings bythe other side. Shibe KC, a teacher,was killed because the securityforces were misinformed that hewas a Maoist. Earlier this month,five innocent locals were gunneddown after a Maoist booby trapwent off in Seuri. The real Maoistswho planted the explosives fled, butDil Bahadur Buda, a NepaliCongress supporter, his daughter-in-laws Seti and Sahali and twoothers were killed in the shootout.

Rolpa is now synonymous withviolence. Murder, terror and mayhemhappen every day. Many innocentpeople are dying. The survivorsstruggle to survive from day to day.Thousands are homeless. There is asevere shortage of food.

But there are also signs that thepeople are fed up with the violenceand they are no longer afraid ofsaying so. If the unity of thepolitical parties can be maintained,the brave resistance of the people ofRolpa may yet inspire the rest ofthe nation.

(Prakash Jwala isthe UML MP fromSallyan, andvisited Rolpa9-15 April)

This is a “peoples’ war” in which ordinary people like Purna Bahadur Khatri, Amrit Bahadur BK, Tilak Nepali andBishnu Prasad KC and Seti Buda are being killed.

Reaping the whirlwind in Rolpa

T

epal is not alone. There is a gloom and doom settling over westerncountries that is every bit as pervasive and challenging as the fog of fearover in the Himalayan kingdom. It’s a kind of post-11 September

traumatic stress syndrome, a sense of burnout, frustration with violence and thefailure of the political elite to deliver the goods. Whether it’s the American-leadcoalition being unable—so far—to really track down anyone directly involved inthe destruction of the World Trade Centre, or the fact that the certainties of the1990s were mistaken and arrogant, people are becoming genuinely worried thatthe future holds even worse in store.

Consider the events that have been in the news lately. In France, neo-Nazislurk close to power. Le Pen’s men polish their jackboots as a restive populationprepares for confrontation. The rallying around by mainstream politicians againstthe fascists is window-dressing. The French will be fighting this fight for years tocome. Next door, a German high school is awash with blood. A humanitarian andjust society forged in the aftermath of the 20th century’s worst racist outrages isquestioning its underpinnings. There has been also the relentless drip-drip ofpessimism and mayhem from the Middle East. A region considered sacred bythree of the world’s main religions is now a no-go area for all but the ideologicalfringe or the heavily armed.

Not all the bad news is about bloodshed. Look at economic collapse inArgentina, Turkey and possibly even Japan. A globalised economy links us infailure as well as success and wealthy westerners may soon share the pain of theArgentines. Certainly they will suffer if Japan implodes financially. Not that Ithink it will do so spectacularly but the loss of Japanese financial exuberanceis troubling everywhere. The media has never seemed more disconnectedfrom reality, even as it touts “reality programs” as the Next New Thing thatwe cannot do without. An institution of society that’s supposed to inform,

Global Kaliyug

enlighten and entertain seems capable only of the latter, and only then oncestandards have been so gravely lowered that any old dreck will do. So long aswe can close our minds and escape into the dreary oblivion of junk culture.Even the BBC has to defend itself against accusations of “dumbing down” itsusually world-beating programming.

I wonder if what’s happened—in Nepal and around the world—isn’t just a

general collapse of certainties. In the 1990s, we believed in perpetual good timeswith all the fervour of the self-deceiving convert to a religion that we now feelexists only to take our money. We build up our hopes and aspirations, begin tosee them as certainties and then lapse into gloom and doom when they aren’t met.Self evidently, that’s been the case in Nepal.

The democracy that came from so much sacrifice hasn’t lived up to expecta-tions. Similarly, the vision of Clinton and Blair in the last decade of the 20th

century, that you could have a humane society and unbridled free market capital,now seems unrealistic. Throw in the horrors of 11 September and you have aheady mixture that’s beginning to resemble the foaming hemlock in Socrates’ cup.Kaliyug is upon us and the convulsive unpredictability of events has banishedour once beloved certainties. Woe is us. Sell up, move out, get away, escape, getdrunk, depressed and give up. Is that all there is?

Well, no, if I may be so bold. I truly believe that the gloom which shadowsour every move is misplaced and more harmful than the deadly events thatinspire it. It may be a truism, but the vast majority of us, within Nepal’s bordersand beyond, are people of goodwill who only want things to work properly so ourchildren can prosper. Losing our grip right at the time when our kids need us is acrime against the future of far more impact than any terrorist act. It’s time welearned to stop worrying and love the bomb as they used to say in the 60s when aUS-USSR nuclear war was everyone’s favourite fear.

It’s time to connect with reality and take up our responsibilities to simply geton with it, and learn to laugh. Black humour sustained the people of EasternEurope through the soul-destroying Communist era. Bring on the comedians topoint the way out of our current crisis. One step at a time, we can tear up thecalendar of Kaliyug if we use our goodwill—rather than our fear—to bind us. Ihave seen the enemy, and he looks a lot like me. And you.

If you are depressed about Nepal, justlook at the rest of the world.N

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Nepal’s food crisisNepal is emerging as the country with one of the most serious food crises in Asia, according to the UN’s Foodand Agriculture Organisation (FAO). According to FAO’s latest global food insecurity survey, South Asia, with303 million of the 497.1 million hungry people in Asia and the Pacific, is the main hunger hotspot. And Nepalis the hottest spot in South Asia.

It is the only country in South Asia where the number of hungry people increased in the past decade--upfrom 3.5 million to 5 million and the proportion of Nepalis who are chronically hungry has increased from 19 to23 percent. An average Nepali had a per capita intake of 2,380 kcal/day in 1990, and by 1999 it had gonedown to 2,290 kcal. “Poverty and slow growth in food productivity, which is currently lagging behind thenational population growth rate, are the main reasons for the increase in hunger in Nepal,” says the FAO report.

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Women and drugsA qualitative study on women substance users in and around Kathmandu has revealed some alarming findings.The research, conducted among 200 respondents by The Richmond Fellowship Nepal, Women ResearchProject, indicated that the majority of women substance users were between the ages of 20-29. They startedusing substances as young as 12-19 years old, and many use multiple substances. What’s more, 74 percenthave never been treated for substance abuse, 59 percent are involved in commercial sex work, and 38.68percent said they had tested HIV-positive. As women and drug users, they face greater discrimination andsocial exclusion, the study points out. Many have been abandoned by their families, as a result of which theirchildren have been neglected, they are ill-treated by health care providers, and they face harassment andviolence.

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Peaceful citizensPeace for all, Peace forever—that’s the motto of Hami Nepali Nagarik (WeNepali Citizens), a group of concerned, proactive professionals seeking arespite amidst all the violence, terror and killings that the country has seenin recent times. The pressure group’s agenda includes creating awarenessand developing promotional materials stressing the need for peace, andthe right of every citizen to live freely and peacefully. Their list of do’sincludes creating an environment to encourage peace talks and activatingvolunteers to establish a peace coordination centre.

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Human rights watchA week after the government put a price on the heads of the Maoist top brass, reactions and sharp criticismcontinue to pour in. The National Human Rights Commission is the latest to join the chorus of voices denounc-ing the government’s announcement that it would give out cash prizes for the Maoists, dead or alive. Thecommission says that this increases the possibility of violating the basic right citizens have to life, and under-mines the principles of a lawful state. Left leaders have also been vocal in their disagreement with the govern-ment. Leaders of Masal and Ekata Kendra issued a press release Tuesday saying that the government’s movedoesn’t seek to solve the Maoist problem through political means, but by force.

BARBED WIRE TOWN: People in Libang say they feel more secureafter this barbed wire fence was put up.

REFUGEES IN THEIR OWN LAND: Teacher Mahendra Bahadur Pun,his wife and five children had to flee their home village of Korchabang dueto Maoist threats.

FATHER’S GRIEF: Mohan Lal BK, a sweeper in Libang, grieveswith his family over the body of his son, Purna Bahadur BK, whowas killed during the attack on Satbaria.

PEOPLE POWER: Citizens of Libang gather in the main square for an all-party rally.

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Within the framework of the Health Sector Support Programme (HSSP), GTZ providestechnical assistance to the MoH / Department of Health Services in four areas: PrimaryHealth Care, Reproductive Health, Physical Assets Management and Community BasedDrug Management. For HSSP’s Office in Kathmandu, qualified applicants are invited for thefollowing immediate openings:

(1) Deputy Team Leader, Reproductive Health Component

Major responsibilities of the post:••••• Assist the team in conceptual planning, implementation and follow up of programme

activities• Support the Team Leader in day to day management of the project• Represent HSSP at stakeholders meetings and working groupsRequired qualification and experience:••••• Medical/Nursing or Social Science degree with a Masters Degree in Public Health (MPH)• Understanding of Nepal’s health care system, especially reproductive health• Experience with project planning and management• Relevant research experience• Clinical teaching / training experienceApplicants must be at least 30 years of age and have a minimum of five years workingexperience in a similar position, preferably with an international organisation. They must befluent in English and possess good analytical and problem solving skills.In addition, they must have the following:• Ability to lead teams and act on individual initiative• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills• Documentation skills• Willingness to frequently travel to the districts

(2) Reproductive Health Advisor

Major responsibilities of the post:••••• Provide technical advice to the HSSP team in the field of reproductive health,

particularly adolescent health, Safe Motherhood, HIV/AIDS• Support the technical team in preparing and editing technical reportsRequired qualification and experience:Have a degree in nursing/midwifery, medicine or public healthHave an understanding of Nepal’s health care systemExperience in reproductive health/ women’s healthBe a native English speaker with excellent writing skillsHave a working knowledge of Nepali

Position (1) is open to Nepalese citizens, position (2) to local expatriates. The vacancy is acontract position for initially 12 months offering salary and other benefits as per GTZregulations. Interested candidates should apply with a detailed CV, references, passportsize photograph and contact telephone number to:

The Programme Manager, Health Sector Support Programmec/o GTZ Office, P.O. Box 1457 Kathmandu.

The closing date for applications is 15th May, 2002. Only short-listed candidates will beinvited for an interview. No telephone calls, written or personal enquiries will be entertainedin this regard.

Women are particularly encouraged to apply

German Technical CooperationHealth Sector Support Programme

66666 NATION 3 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMES

by PUSKAR BHUSALSOMEWHERE IN NEPAL

Personality occultwisdom with artificial intelligencecould provide us a providentialescape from our worldly woes. Moreimportantly, though, it wouldconform to official policy asenunciated by Minister for Indus-try, Commerce and Supplies PurnaBahadur Khadka in his WorldIntellectual Property Day messagelast week. “Our traditional knowl-edge and folk culture, too, are theproducts of the creativity of ourancestors [and] it is indispensable tocontinually encourage the creativityfor future generations,” Khadkaexhorted us. Nepal’s successes inintellectual property protectionwould help us not only gainmembership of the World TradeOrganisation but also bear theresponsibilities that come with it,the honourable minister added.

In the true spirit ofglobalisation, we should strive toharness the accumulated wisdom ofthe wider world. Let’s invite theworld’s best tarot card readers,gypsy clairvoyants, hieroglyphistsand TV psychics to offer purposefulthoughts on ways of expanding ourrevenue base. The savant fromTurkey who said all those wonderfulthings about our prime minister afew weeks ago could be asked tohelp us recruit fortune-tellers fromall civilisations.

Instead of blaming one anotherfor the plunge in tourist arrivals, weshould start road shows specificallypromoting Nepal as the primedestination for all futuristic voyagersand their fellow travellers. Toprotect Nepalis and foreigners fromthe possible depredations ofconfidence tricksters, a strictlicensing procedure should beimposed. We should then ask thefolks at the Bureau of Standards andMetrology to work out a ratingssystem based on annual audits ofprediction hits and misses.

Since almost everything inNepal revolves around politics, wemight stand to benefit the most if weused the stars more extensively inthis firmament. Political partiesshould ensure mandatory screeningof birth charts before grantingelection tickets. Those who clear thathurdle should be tested for anypossible mismatches with othernominees. That way, losers won’t beable to complain of conspiracies andstart scheming against partycolleagues. Winners, for their part,would be humbled by the knowl-edge that their success rests oncelestial forces and might learn to bea little patient with signaturecampaigns regardless of the sidethey’re on. Once our leaders acquireoccult following, they would be ableto guide us to national salvation inall its splendour. Those of usinspired by Churchillian commen-taries will realise that never in thefield of Nepali civilisation would somuch be owed by so many to so few.The precise moment we accept thatblood, toil, tears and sweat would nolonger determine our commonfuture could prove to be ourfinest hour.

Make no mistake, we will haveother onerous responsibilities, suchas watching for the next spell ofperspiration that grips the deity inDolakha. If you want to rate yourchances of making an eternalcontribution to this astrologicalendeavour, set up an appointmentwith the gentleman in Bhaktapur toget an egg smashed on yourforehead. If you get it on your face,well, tough luck.

Chandra’s storyI

aving endured the most spine-chilling 12 months in Nepalihistory, our 23 million souls

deserved to enter 2059 Bikram Sambatwith some heart-warming thoughts.But before we could sketch ourresolutions for the new year, astrolo-gers belonging to almost every schoolof thought concluded that planetarypositions would take a turn for theworse. Seismic upheavals, freakdownpours, mid-term elections andthe ascendancy of political sidekicksare some of the more benignforecasts for the year. The times andeffects may vary, but the soothsayingconsensus is that the country isneck-deep in trouble and may sinkanother couple of centimetres beforeit can hope to get a lifeline. Themain culprits are Mars and Saturn,which are sitting eerily close to eachother. Going by some accounts, weare already in the worst phase of the

year, which will last until May 20.If you consider the first two weeks

of the year, 2059 has hardly had apredictable start. A state of emergencyhasn’t stopped the ruling partypresident from censuring the primeminister on Star TV. The leader of theopposition returns from Bhutan withsuggestions on resolving the refugeerow before Nepalis realised he’ssubcontracted that part of Nepal’sforeign policy. And our idol-desecrating Maoists have provided apreponderance of evidence that they arethe most ardent international support-ers of the Ram Mandir constructionproject in Ayodhya. If you can’tunderstand what all this means for acountry that may already havebecome the next front of the globalwar on terrorism while the rest ofworld is looking at Saddam Hussein,blame the stars.

Or start believing in them.

There are about 15,000 astrologersin Nepal that follow the Indian andChinese-Tibetan traditions, we aretold. Now that’s a deep pool oftalent—one-seventh of the bureauc-racy—that we’re wasting. Instead ofgrappling with the national debtthrough arcane Keynesian theories,why don’t we convene a weeklyround table of crystal-gazers underthe auspices of the finance ministryand the central bank. We mightsucceed in maintaining high employ-ment and low inflation by varyinginterest and tax rates and publicexpenditure in keeping with interplan-etary motions. If we get our rahu andketu right, we might be able toappreciate the mercurial disposition ofsome our leaders and understand whyplutocracy is an inalienable part of ourdestiny. After that, we can move on tothe specifics of our cyber laws.

This admixture of ancient

What better, more providential, escape from ourworldly woes than star-gazing.

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LUCIA DE VRIES in CENTRAL NEPALt was a picture-perfect day. The snow mountains to the north were shining,and the Kali Gandaki flowed placidly at the bottom of the steep valley.Children, some in neat uniforms and others in tattered blue tunics were

on their way to school. The women were busy collecting water, Saraswati hada doko on her back and was on her way to her field. Then, three gunshots.

Two weeks after Chandra’s death, villagers look away when his name ismentioned. His sister Laxmi and sister-in-law Nila bury their heads andcannot speak. Nila hasn’t been able to inform her husband, who worksoverseas, about his brother’s death. “He’s got many problems of his own, thenews would only make him worry.” The security forces come by often,interrogating and sometimes beating family members of Maoists, and goingthrough their things. “We can’t even show you Chandra’s pictures,” says Nila.“We burnt them the day he died.”

Chandra was a Kami. His mother died when he was just five, at ten henursed his father on his deathbed. One of his sisters took care of him.Rajendra was his childhood friend from school, and recalls: “Chandra didn’teven have money for slippers, he always went barefoot. He couldn’t afford aschool uniform, so he stitched it himself.” Chandra and Rajendra werealways at the top of their class. After fifth grade, Chandra moved away towork his way to secondary school. He sold newspapers, and took up the job ofhis metalsmith ancestors. He paid his way through college and graduated inEnglish and sociology.

“In the twenty five years I’ve known Chandra I never saw him angry,”recalls Rajendra, still using the present tense. “He had a passionate nature,but would always convey his thoughts in a gentle way.” Chandra said hewanted to be a teacher, or a singer. But the odds were against him.Rajendra, a bahun, got a job as an English teacher at a local school.Chandra decided to migrate tothe Gulf for work, and tried toput together some money, butcouldn’t raise enough. Thenext thing Rajendra heard wasthat Chandra, then 23, hadjoined the Maoists.

It is late spring in thevillage now. Time for the chaite huri storms that lash the hill-towns, swayingtrees, rattling doors and blowing roofs away. These days, with the stormscome armed men. At night, the knock on the door means they are Maoists,some strangers, some relatives. Dressed in fatigues, carrying guns, theydemand food and shelter. At times they cover the walls of the school withrevolutionary slogans. Few people have the courage to refuse the rebels’demands since they have heard enough rumours about cruel retaliation.

But the security forces are never far behind. It does not take long beforesoldiers, wearing similar fatigues, arrive on patrol. All young men aresuspect, they are interrogated and sometimes beaten up. “Here we arecaught between the Maobadi and sena,” says one of Laxmi’s neighbours.“Anytime, anything can happen to us.” The headmaster tries to get to theschool early to whitewash slogans on the walls.

The local Kamis make gagri brass pots, but since the Maoists startedusing them for their improvised explosives, the security forces are strict. Hariis an 18-year-old who failed his SLC and has joined his uncle’s smithy tolearn the ancestral craft. His face is blackened with smoke and dust. “Lastweek they came and said we were helping the Maobadi to make gagribombs,” says Hari, “but this is our only livelihood. Now we don’t know whetherwe can carry them down to the bazaar anymore.”

The women face different problems. With the young men gone, theirworkload is overwhelming: tending the fields, taking care of the children andelders. They have to fetch water, forage for fodder and fuel, and tend thefields by hand. After some encounters with the security forces, the womendon’t dare go into the forest anymore. Says Nila: “We try to tell them we’rejust women and want to live in peace. But because our boys have joined theMaobadi, for them we are the enemy.”

The son of one of Chandra’s neighbours joined the Maoists when he was13. “He had always been a strange child, always running off here andthere”, his mother, Saraswati recalls. “I always had to drag him back afterschool.” The security forces interrogate her from time to time, but Saraswatidoesn’t care anymore. Her face hardens when she talks about her son: “Mylove for him died when he joined the Maobadi. My big fear is that he willcome and take his youngest brother to the jungle.”

Night falls fast in the village these days. Rajendra talks quietly, and triesto articulate his anger. “Our leaders still don’t know what drove people likeChandra to become Maoists.” Rajendra hates the Maoists, but says he lovedhis friend. He is quiet for a moment, then says: “People change all thetime, Chandra may have changed his political views, he could have been aleader and one day done something great for this country. On the day theykilled him, I felt I had died.”

Chandra was 27 when he was shot by undercover security forces appar-ently posing as Maoists. They met him a day earlier in a distant town andbrought him to his home village. Walking the trail that he remembered fromhis boyhood, Chandra must have looked up at the familiar row of mudhouses along the ridge. He may have seen the flowering fruit trees, andnoticed the freshly ploughed fields, rich golden brown, waiting for new life.

At the chautara below the village Saraswati had sat down, a doko onher back. That was when she saw Chandra walking up the trail, lookinghandsome in grey pants and a colourful shirt. Four men suddenly sprang upon him, kicking him. Chandra tried to stand up, but could not. The mendrew their guns, and pulled the trigger.

(Names and some of details have been changed to protect theidentity of the villagers.)

“He could have been aleader and one day, and

done something greatfor this country.”

77777ECONOMY 3 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMES

by ARTHA BEEDECONOMIC SENSEBIZ NEWS

INTERVIEW

NT: How has business been since the emergency?Ang Tshering Sherpa: The emergency has had a negative impact—touristsare down by 60 percent. There many factors—the palace incident, 11September, the security situation and the emergency. Of course, thosetourists who have come know it’s quite safe here. But those who haven’tthink the situation must be extraordinary for an emergency to be declared.

How have you been coping?From time to time, we go abroad and meet our clients directly and briefthem on the current situation. That helps lessen their fears. We tell themthat though there is a problem, no tourists have been attacked so far.Some are convinced, they come. We have to send out a strong messagethrough the government, the travel trade. The government should tryharder with the embassies—many embassies don’t update their websites, sothey have six-month-old news up. Tourists look at this and hesitate to come.

“We need to talk directly with potential tourists.”you don’t, the commission agents will kill you. The agents should dependon the airlines, not the other way round. Otherwise, you might have to flyempty once you reduce the commissions. Most of Skyline’s promoters arefrom the travel trade, so there is enough business to sustain it.

What do you think of the governmentís recent move to hike the feespayable by private airlines?The aviation industry is in dire straits. The government expressessympathy, but adopts stringent measures, doubling and tripling its fees. Inthe current situation, parking, landing and navigation fees should bereduced, but they’ve been increased. This makes it difficult for us tofunction. All airlines have requested that fees be reduced in this criticalsituation and have asked the Nepal Oil Corporation to be a bit lenientabout dues.

What about the proposed subsidies for flights to remote airfields? (SeeBiz briefs, #91)It is a good idea, but hasn’t been implemented yet. The rural areas willhave the facility. Since there’s no subsidy now, we suffer losses. We can’teven raise money for the cost of fuel, and so airlines don’t want to flythere.

How is your helicopter division doing?We were the first to bring in heavy helicopters in the early 90s. The MI-17revolutionised the rural economy, enabling equipment for developmentprojects and goods to be transported. We carry out rescue flights andtransport expedition equipment. They’ve stopped flying in food suppliesand there aren’t many places to fly to owing to the security situation. Ourjob is providing relief to the people, but we can’t just land anywhere.Insurance companies get jittery. It’s difficult to fly even if we want to.

You have a chain of hotels in Khumbu. How is the situation there?It’s the safest place now, so most tourists coming to Nepal are going there.Hotel occupancy is good compared to other places, though of course notas good as in previous seasons. Prior to the slump in tourism, industrialistsfelt they were running the country, businessmen said the economy wasbased on them. Now everyone’s sitting up and taking note that tourism isalso an important sector. The government is feeling it, industry is feelingit, commerce is feeling it. The impact is being felt everywhere.

You actually studied to be a doctor, what made you change yourmind?I did for three years, and was all set to be a doctor. But the climate didn’tagree with me. I grew up at 4,000 m, my college was at sea level. I wasalways falling sick. The doctor suggested I go to a medical school in thehills. I didn’t want to be a doctor who was always sick. I thought I’d rather dobusiness and joined the travel industry. For some time I worked as anassistant to Mike Cheney, a pioneer of Nepal’s travel industry. Then I setout on my own.

Has your agency had any cancellations following the recent cases ofextortion by Maoists?There have been inquiries. International agencies are concerned, mainlythose in the English-speaking countries, who tend to react quickly to news.In cases of extortion, the money should be returned to the tourists.

Youíve often highlighted the need for more airline seatsÖA country’s tourism depends a lot on its national carrier. Ours isn’t strong,which makes the long-term development of tourism difficult. Royal Nepalis so weak, it is now reduced to flying in the regional sector. When it flewEurope, it brought in about 2,500 tourists a month—roughly 30,000 ayear. If we want long-lasting tourism, we need another international airlinerun by Nepalis. As long as there’s no competition, I don’t think RA will becompetent. I remember, when there were no other domestic airlines, RoyalNepal had a box outside its marketing office, where we had to drop ourreservation requests. We didn’t have direct access. If the staff felt like it,they would check the box. Even when we called by phone, they neverresponded, marketing heads never gave appointments. Today, they seekus out. Monopoly never improved anything. RNAC needs a strongcompetitor.

What about other international airlines?We can’t just depend on those. Quite a few came, such as Lufthansa andDragon Air. But they withdrew after seeing no profit. Even Aeroflot, whichhas been looking to more profitable sectors, has withdrawn flights. Not onlyhave the airlines disappeared, travel agencies have stopped promotingNepal. Can we afford to sell Nepal on the basis of international airlinesthat might pull out any time? If an airline is run by Nepalis, as a jointventure or solely with Nepali resources, they’ll be obliged to make it run.

Is anything happening in that direction?The realisation is dawning on the travel trade sector. There are about 400trekking agencies in Nepal, about 450 travel agencies, and numeroushotels—many empty. If a big hotel like the Hyatt invested Rs 50 millionand got guests, it could earn that amount in five days. If a trekking agencyput in Rs 500,000, and brought in tourists, it could get that amount backas profit from five groups. But whether it is local investment or a jointventure, the management should be handed over to outsiders.

Would people invest, given the history of the domestic airline indus-try?There has to be a trustworthy, honest team. In Nepal, we’ve seen numerousexamples where people have raised money, invested, but pulled a fastone. We need an efficient, honest management team. I’m ready to investwhatever resources I have.

How come Skyline hasnít had to implement cost-cutting measures asother airlines haveóno staff lay-offs, no salary cuts?When you run a business, you have to have a certain market in hand. If

Ang Tshering Sherpa has been a tourismentrepreneur for close to 30 years, and inthe airline business since 1993. He ischairman of Asian Airlines Helicopter,Skyline Airways and Asian Trekking. AngTshering spoke to Nepali Times aboutmarketing Nepal directly to overseas clientsand the domestic aviation industry.

f one examines the array of items ingrocery stores, as is this Beed’swont, there are many things that

bring smiles to the face. For instance, atfirst glance it appears that two leadingIndian brands of vegetable oil—Dharaand Sweekar—are also made in Nepal.But appearances are misleading, andthis is simply an instance of a Nepalimanufacturer “borrowing” a success-ful brandname.

It’s a lesson any would-bebusinessperson learns fast in Nepal.It’s easy to ride on the successfulmarketing strategies of good brands.Bluntly put, steal their name, steal theirlogo, whatever it is that makes theminstantly recognisable. So if someoneadds a ‘Smile’ to ‘Aqua’, don’t cry foul.They’re simply following a basic rule oftrade in this country.

Nepal is a haven for importedgoods, if only because there are no rulesfor disclosure—you don’t have to tellanyone where your import wasmanufactured, and no one even seemsto care to know what’s in it. Think ofall those tins of Belgian ghiu that comehere via the Middle East. You can betthat if we had customs officials whocould read the Arabic on the packagingmaterials, we’d be consuming a lot lessghiu past its Best Before date. Youknow those Malaysian crackers you likeso much? Ever wonder what the Bahasawrapper notes say? We perhaps believethat less comprehensible the names, thebetter the products.

I realised with a cold thrill thismorning that none of us really knowsabout our rights as consumers, about

Who’s thinking about consumer rights?Food for thought

what protection we have. Whathappens if one falls ill after consuminga product that has been importedwithout any declaration? I, personally,and most people I know have no ideawhat legal recourse we have and withwhom—the retailer, the importer orthe manufacturer? We don’t even

know who determines whetherimported perishables are safe forhuman consumption and how. Wehave no standards to determine thequality of these products

It must be obvious by now thatthe Beed believes it is important toensure an open economy. But thatdoes not mean we ignore indis-criminate importing or smuggling.We need to create non-tariff barriersand we need to have mechanisms tomonitor our market. For instance, amultinational that has Nepal as itsauthorised territory spends millionson advertising and marketing. But animporter operating out of the tax

havens of Indrachowk reaps moreimmediate, direct benefits by simplyimporting the same product fromThailand or Indonesia.

It’s time we thought of how wecan make the Consumer Protection Act(yes, it does exist) more effective, inwords and in deed. It should allow forserious punishment to manufacturerswho lift brandnames or importers whodon’t disclose all the details of theirproducts. In the case of food items, thename of the manufacturer and theiraddress should be clearly visible, alongwith the expiration details. The retailprice should be clearly spelt out. Asfor imports, the system should onlyallow for authorised dealers, so if thereis a problem, there is an indentifiablepoint of responsibility from whichaction is initiated.

Legislation should be followed byaction and here it isn’t just thegovernment. The business commu-nity also needs to get its act together.All our chambers and other businessassociations should actively ask thegovernment to draft and implementbetter consumer protection laws. Andthen there are the consumer forums—they need to get moving.

Plenty of other issues relate topatents, trademarks and disclosure inNepal. But you can tell we have along way to go when the FinanceMinister appears on national TVsporting a shirt that proclaimsloudly Compaq.

Readers can post their views atarthabeed@yahoo.com.

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Budget militarisationGovernment has come out and announced its worst fears. Defence spending is expected to almostdouble, government may have to borrow to pay for salaries and other recurrent expenses, rev-enues will remain low and development expenditure will shrink.

Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat, who has been keeping a pretty tight hold on the purse toldthe State Affairs Committee he is worried about being able to manage the treasury in the comingyears. The security agencies’ wish list is long—14 helicopters (nine for the military), three for thepolice and two for the armed police, in addition to new armaments, recruitment drives and otherlogistics. Last year the government allotted Rs 10.28 billion for the army, police and armed policecombined. It has spent roughly Rs 3 billion over that to meet the security spending after 26 Novem-ber. The military has already spent Rs 2.1 billion and has a request for Rs 700 million awaitingapproval at the Finance Ministry. The Home Ministry, for its part, has spent Rs 908 million over itsbudgetary allocation. For the next fiscal year (2002/03), the defence and home ministries want acombined increase of Rs 9.85 billion.

These figures are especially worrying in light of the massive slowdown in revenue collection,which is growing by about 4.5 percent, compared with the 19 percent target that had been set forthis year. In terms of rupees, this translates into Rs 7 billion less than the roughly Rs 60 billion thegovernment had hoped to collect this year. The numbers include the collection after the imposition ofwar taxes and duties announced earlier this year. The increased expenses and low revenuecollection mean that government will need to begin borrowing heavily to meet spending, even if itwere to remain at last year’s level. The slowdown in development spending due to the securityproblem has temporarily eased pressures on the treasury, but the impact of lower spending nowwill be felt in the future.

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Wooing FDIThe Ministry of Industries, Commerce and Supplies has decided to allow the Department of Industries toapprove foreign investment worth over a billion rupees in fixed assets. The decision was taken at arecent meeting of the Industrial Promotion Board. Prior to this, the department was authorised to approveinvestments only up to Rs 900 million. In a separate decision last week, the government also announced itwould begin issuing 90-day multiple entry business visas valid for five years. The visa fee for busi-nesses and people coming to research possible investments will be lower than that for ordinary visas.Business associations welcomed the decisions, but say they are waiting to see if and how they will beimplemented.

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RA & Y&YHotel Yak & Yeti has come up with a unique scheme to help prop up thenational airline. Anyone flying Royal Nepal Airlines to Kathmandu will get30 percent off their lodging and food bills at the hotel, and tourism sectorentrepreneurs who get more tourists to fly RA will get free casinocoupons. The government two months ago commissioned a study onhow to rescue the ailing national carrier, but a decision on the recommen-dations is pending. The government has two choices—inject a hugeamount of cash into the corporation and run it directly, or look for apartner to run it under joint ownership and privatisation.

Kathmandu Valley’s famous pottery has to change with the times.Kathmandu Valley’s famous pottery has to change with the times.

88888 99999HERITAGE 3 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMES

or three pots in about fiveminutes. “It’s incredible that thepots are so symmetrical. They’rethrown so quickly and the tyre isso unstable and unpredictable,”says Ani Kastan, an Americanpotter who studied pottingmethods in Thimi. Larger pots,such as the deodas used to storechhang, are first built up out ofclay coils and then beatensmooth with a paddle.

After the pots are completedthey are dried in the sun, thenfired in communal, makeshiftkilns, that are built and de-stroyed every four days. Potsfrom each workshop are taken tothe town square, where they arestacked up, covered with strawand ash, and then burned in akind of smoke firing. Smoke andash billow through the town’s

streets. Not surprisingly manyThimi residents have chroniclung problems. When the firesubsides and the ash is sweptaway, the pots are left to cool.It’s common for over fiftypercent of the pots to bedestroyed during the firingprocess. Those that survive thefiring are carried around todifferent villages in yokes and aresold door-to-door. “My fatherused to walk all the way fromThimi to Swoyambhu selling hispots,” Santo Kumar Prajapatiremembers. Today some pottershave resorted to vehicles, butmany still sell their wares bytravelling on foot.

Tulisi Bahadur, now in hisseventies, may have entered thefamily trade at the age of 12, butclaims he learnt the art of

pottery at a much younger age.Like many of Thimi’s children,he began making pots as atoddler, playing with clay andimitating his father. Today, heand his wife Chinimaya maintainhis father’s pottery workshop onthe first floor of their house,where they spend long hoursthrowing pots.

But of their four children,only their daughter has chosento follow the family trade. Theirthree sons have moved toKathmandu to work as tailorsand in knitting factories. Eventheir daughter now works in herhusband’s workshop, leaving thecouple with no one to bequeaththeir studio to. “I had hopedthat all my children wouldbecome potters, but I didn’twant to interfere with theirwishes,” says Tulisi Bahadur.

Nearly all of Thimi’sinhabitants, who belong to theNewar Prajapati caste of potters,say their trade extends far backin their bloodlines. But of theestimated 8,000 Prajapatis wholive in the area surroundingThimi, only 2,000 claim thatprofession today. The others,like Bahadur Prajapati’s sons,have sought more lucrative workin Kathmandu as bus drivers,waiters, or factory workers,leaving many family potteryworkshops without an heir.

The high rate of defectionfrom the potter trade is discon-certing, but by no meanssurprising. Potters all over Nepalwork extremely hard for littleeconomic compensation. Mostof the potters in Thimi adhereto the arduous traditionalmethods in which every aspect

of pottery production is com-pleted manually—from mixingand drying the clay to poweringthe wheel. Of the roughly 1,000workshops in Thimi, only four orfive use modern potting technol-ogy such as electrically poweredwheels and kerosene-fuelled kilns.

Since they don’t have enoughland to grow their own food,many potters walk to farms whenrice and wheat are being har-vested, trading storage pots forgrain. They make just enoughprofit to survive on. “I go toKathmandu to sell pots when Irun out of money,” explains TulisiBahadur. But even that is achallenge today. Few Nepalis areinterested in earthenware potswhen they can buy cheaper,longer-lasting mass-producedkitchenware made of steelor plastic.

With such impediments totheir livelihood, it’s no wonderthat so many of Thimi’s pottershave forsaken their ancestralvocation. “Pottery is a very

difficult profession now. It’shard work for little money,”says Santo Kumar Prajapati,who owns Thimi Ceramics.Santo Kumar and his brotherLaxmi Kumar realised early onthat the obstacles facing theValley’s potters in producingand marketing their wareswould only increase, and so in1985 founded Thimi Ceramics,one of the town’s first modernworkshops. Moving with thetimes has allowed Santo Kumarand Laxmi Kumar to beinnovative—and remarkablyproductive. In addition toelectric wheels and puggingmachines to mix clay, thebrothers own one of fewkerosene-fuelled kilns in thearea, which can fire up to 3,000pieces of glazed ceramics at atime. Unlike the unpredictablestraw kilns used by most ofThimi’s potters, the tempera-ture in the brick kiln is adjust-able, allowing the ceramics tofirst be fired at a low tempera-

ture and then refired at 1,000degrees after they have beenglazed. The double-firingtechnique melts the glaze andensures that the ceramics aredurable. “Nepalis don’t want topay for handmade pots thatbreak easily. Potters need tofind new methods,” believesSanto Kumar.

Retaining traditionalprocedures isn’t always a badthing—as a tourist attraction atthe Bhaktapur potters’ square,it is a definite plus. But Thimi’spotters have a lot more incen-tive to alter their archaictechniques—few tourists visitThimi, and those who do aren’tlikely to lug home an enormouswater storage vessel. But asSanto and Laxmi Kumar havediscovered, traditional andmodern potting methods can beblended to yield a product asaesthetically pleasing as it ispractical. Combining classicaldesigns with modern glazetechnology, the Kumar brothersconstantly create new models oftableware, garden ceramics, anddecorative pieces that quicklyget snapped up by hotels,restaurants, and foreigners.Their work is found at HotelYak & Yeti, Koto restaurant,and Hotel Kido, and colourfullyglazed coffee mugs from ThimiCeramics appear to be a staplein any expat’s kitchen.

Bolstered by the success oftheir own workshop, SantoKumar and Laxmi Kumardecided to bring other pottersin the area up to speed. Therehave been attempts to modern-ise Thimi’s potting techniquesin the past, most notably by JimDanish, an American potter wholived in Thimi for nine years toteach more expedient pottingmethods. Danish’s mostsignificant contribution tomodern Nepali ceramics wasglaze technology, which hetaught Thimi’s potters in 1980.More than just an aesthetictouch, glazing serves importantpractical functions, makingceramics more durable andhygienic. The red terracotta claythat Thimi potters use isextremely porous, making itunsafe as kitchenware. Food andliquids easily seep into the clayand remain there as fodder forbacteria. Glazing provides aprotective shield, and strangelyenough, was unknown inthe Valley before Danishintroduced it.

In 1984, Danish founded the

Ceramics Production Project, aGerman-sponsored organisationthat provided training work-shops and sold raw materialsrelatively cheaply. Ten yearslater, however, the project wasbought up by the private sectorand discontinued the sale ofmaterials to local potters. That’swhen Santo Kumar and LaxmiKumar started their owncollective, the Nepal CeramicsCo-operative Society, which nowsupplies materials for 14 potteryworkshops and 37 potters fromThimi and Bhaktapur. “Youcan’t get all ingredients for theglaze in Kathmandu. For flint,feldspar, potash, quartz, andchromium oxide we have to goto India. We go once a year andget enough materials foreveryone in the collective,” saysSanto Kumar. The ingredientsnecessary for glazing would beprohibitively expensive, as wellas difficult for most potters toobtain, but through the collec-tive they can procure thesematerials at a reasonable cost.

In addition to providing thechemicals and minerals necessaryfor glaze, the collective offersworkshops for potters who wantto learn new techniques. Threemonths ago, a Swiss expert cameto teach a new glaze method atthe collective. Though Nepal’sceramics are still fathoms behindthe rest of the world in mostrespects, the glazed potteryproduced here is technicallysuperior to ceramics in Europe,China, India, and America—it islead-free and non-toxic.

Even today, Nepal’s ceramicwork has been eclipsed byproducts from India and China,both of which can mass-producemore durable stoneware.Kathmandu Valley potters haveuntil now been limited to thebrittle red terracotta clay locallyavailable and found under thetopsoil of rice fields. Butmembers of the collective aredeveloping ways to introducestoneware clay to potteryworkshops here. The research isexpensive and requires importedIndian equipment. Even thekerosene kiln operated by Santo

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ALEXANDRA ALTERveryday since he was apint-sized 12-year-old,Tulisi BahadurPrajapati has collectedclay and kneaded itwith his feet. It’s tiring,but nothing compared

with what follows. Thimi’sPrajapati potter communitydoesn’t use the elegant littlewheels most of us picturepotters working with. They useold tyres filled with concretethat weigh more than 300 kg.Starting the wheels is solaborious, it is the only aspect ofpot-making that Thimi’s womendon’t participate in. The menturn these improvised wheelswith a pole at a frenzied paceuntil the tyre is spinning fastenough for them to throw two

Kumar and Laxmi Kumar isunsuitable for stoneware firing,which requires a minimumtemperature of 1,280 degrees. Atsuch a high temperature, thebrick kiln would melt, resultingin a huge gas explosion. At thecollective, however, a small highfire kiln has been constructed andis being used to experiment withstoneware clay and new glazes.

If the research at the collec-tive is successful, there is hope

that domestically producedpottery will one day supplantforeign merchandise in theceramic market. But Nepal’spotters have a long way to gobefore they’ll be equipped tocompete with Indian imports.“To rival India, we need to beable to produce longer lastingstoneware ceramics. We’ll have toreplace all our equipment, andthat’s expensive,” says SantoKumar. Such an undertaking will

require substantial capitalinvestment and time, but for themoment, the technical advancesbeing made in workshops inThimi and Bhaktapur signal thata movement to reinvigorateNepal’s ceramic work is underway.If nothing else, the Nepal CeramicsCooperative society is working toensure that Kathmandu Valley’spottery tradition won’t declinefurther.

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1010101010 3 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMESWORLD

by DANI RODRIKCOMMENT

ver recent decades a simplisticview about the fundamentalsthat govern the theory and

practice of development has taken root:that growth requires foreign technol-ogy and good institutions. Failure togrow can be attributed to either (orboth) of these, the “protection”pathology, in which governmentsstymie progress by reducing access toforeign investment and technology,and the other “corruption” pathology,where political leaders fail to respectproperty rights and the rule of law.The natural remedies are claimed to beeconomic openness and improvedgovernance, which became thecornerstones of development strategyin virtually every country during thelast fifteen years.

Experience presents an awkwardfit with this conception. ConsiderLatin America, where there has beengreater enthusiasm for the so-called“Washington Consensus” thananywhere else. Policymaking there wasbetter than ever in the 1990s, but fewcountries in the region grew faster thanin the period before 1980. Orconsider more successful countries—South Korea and Taiwan since theearly 1960s, China since the late1970s, India since the early 1980s.They have done extremely well underheterodox arrangements. All empha-

For growth, theworld needs lessconsensus, moreexperimentation.

sised exports, none grossly violatedproperty rights. Their strategies bearonly passing similarity to today’sconsensus. South Korea and Taiwanretained high levels of protection for along time, and made active use ofindustrial policies. China’s reformsare marked by partial liberalisation,two-track pricing, limited deregula-tion, financial restraint, an unorthodoxlegal regime, and the absence of clearprivate property rights. India barelyreformed its cumbersome trade andindustrial regime before its economytook off in the 1980s. These growthstrategies combine orthodoxy withunconventional institutional innova-tions that relax constraints on growthat least cost to the social and politicalfabric. Of course, heterodoxy doesn’talways pay off. Most countries withprotected economies and lax protectionof property rights languish. But someof the world’s most successfuleconomies have prospered while doingthings not in the rulebook.

To grasp the deficiencies of theconventional view, begin with theproblem of technology adoption.Learning what a country is (or can be)good at producing is a key challenge.Neither economic nor managementtheory helps entrepreneurs (or thestate) choose appropriate investmentsamong the range of modern-sector

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Fleeing from trouble, to troubleCANBERRA - Distressing scenes from a leaked video showing a guarddragging an unconscious asylum seeker across a concrete floor havesparked calls for a commission of inquiry into conditions in Australia’srefugee detention centres. At a rally outside the Department ofImmigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMIA) head office in Canberralast Wednesday, the Refugee Action Collective said that there hadbeen a protest last Friday night and this was just the culmination of aseries of incidents over the past months. The day before, a 12-yearold Iranian child attempted to commit suicide, an Afghani manjumped off a roof into razor wire and two men cut their stomachs andwrists. The protests at the Curtin detention centre in western Australiaare believed to have erupted when asylum seekers grew frustrated attheir inability to get phone access to external supporters. (IPS)

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The new crusadersWASHINGTON - Conservationists and campaigners from Guyana,Poland, Puerto Rico, Somalia, Thailand, and the Gwich’in indig-enous tribe of North America were honoured Monday by the US-basedGoldman Environmental Foundation with the $125,000 GoldmanEnvironmental Prize. Many, including Fatima Jibrell, this year’swinner from Africa, have had their lives threatened in their fight toprotect the environment against powerful corporate interests.

Jibrell worked across clan boundaries and through a civil war toestablish Horn Relief, an organisation that conducts awarenesscampaigns about the ecological damage caused by unrestrictedcharcoal production. In Guyana, Jean La Rose, an Arawak woman, hasalso been harassed for working to stop mining on land claimed byindigenous communities and helping indigenous communities fileGuyana’s first land rights lawsuit in 1998. The Gwich’in tribe havebeen fighting for years against drilling for oil in the Arctic NationalWildlife Refuge. Pisit Charnsnoh, the Asian winner, is an ecologistfrom Thailand’s southern province of Trang, on the Malay Peninsulawho works to protect coastal fisheries and mangrove swamps fromlogging, charcoal harvesting, and shrimp farming. The winner fromEurope, Jadwiga Lopata, works to preserve and promote Poland’straditional family farms. (IPS)

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May DayBERLIN - With the German economy just rising out of the doldrumsand unemployment showing signs of slowing, the decision by thepowerful metalworkers’ union IG Metall to ballot for a strike action overa 6.5 percent pay rise seems questionable to many economists,politicians and employers’ groups. A strike by the 2.6 million metal-workers, crucial to the automobile industry, which accounts for just overa fifth of total world production and one-sixth of Germany’s own totalindustrial turnover—could bring prospects for an economic recovery inthe EU’s largest economy to a grinding halt. A strike could begin asearly as 6 May, if members vote in favour. Employers are willing tooffer a two per cent wage rise to metalworkers this year.

The dispute is a problem for Germany and Chancellor GerhardSchroeder who faces elections in September, but also for the 15-nation European Union, which is looking to Germany, its largesteconomy, to attack sluggish growth. The European Central Bank sayswage pressures are a risk to growth and likely to fuel inflation. Suchbargaining in Germany affects the Euro zone, comprising Belgium,Austria, France, Finland, Luxembourg, Italy, Netherlands, Germany,Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain. High pay deals in Germany willforce the ECB to cancel thoughts of interest rate cuts to pushdemand, an official said. IG Metall insists a substantial pay hike willstimulate domestic demand in the economy. (IPS)

activities. Yet making the rightinvestment decisions is essential togrowth, because they determine thepattern of specialisation. Today’sintellectual property regime protectsinnovators in advanced countries byissuing temporary monopolies, ie,patents. But investors in developingcountries who figure out that anexisting good can be producedprofitably at home and set up a modelfor others to emulate don’t get suchprotection, though the social returnscan be high.

Laissez-faire is not the optimalsolution here, just as it isn’t in thecase of research and development ofnew products. Desirable governmentpolicy consists of encouraginginvestment and entrepreneurship inthe modern sector ex ante, but, equallyimportant, rationalising productionand driving out poor performers expost. Institutional arrangements alsohave large elements of specificity.Discovering which institutions aresuitable to local conditions requiresexperimentation. Two-track reformworked well in Deng’s China but notin Gorbachev’s Soviet Union. Import-substitution fostered competitiveindustries in Brazil, but not inArgentina. Gradualism may beappropriate to India, not Chile.Specificity helps explain why

Say no to consensus

successful countries—such as China,South Korea, Taiwan, and Chile—usually combine unorthodox elementswith orthodox policies. It may alsoaccount for why important institu-tional differences persist amongadvanced countries in areas such as therole of the public sector, the nature oflegal systems, corporate governance,financial markets, labour markets, andsocial insurance mechanisms.

The difference betweeneconomic principles and theirinstitutional embodiment is thatmost key economic principles areinstitution-free. Incentives,competition, hard-budget con-straints, sound money, fiscalsustainability, property rights arecentral to how economists think aboutpolicy and its reform, but they don’tdemand specific institutionalsolutions. Property rights can beimplemented through common law,civil law, or Chinese-style socialism.Competition can be maintained by acombination of free entry andlaissez-faire, or by a well-function-ing regulatory authority. Becausepolicymakers operate in second-bestenvironments, optimal reformtrajectories—even in apparentlystraightforward cases such as pricereform—cannot be designed withoutdue regard to prevailing conditionsand weighing the consequences formultiple distorted margins. Alladaptations require a pro-active rolefor the state and civil society, andcollaborative strategies that fosterentrepreneurship and institution-building. The world needs lessconsensus now, and more experi-mentation. (Project Syndicate)

(Dani Rodrik is professor ofpolitical economy at the KennedySchool of Government, HarvardUniversity.)

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1111111111ASIA 3 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMES

by MUSHAHID HUSSAINANALYSIS

ISLAMABAD - The opening of aEuropean Union-MediterraneanConference in Spain, this weekmarks the second majorinitiative by the EU in2002 to move closer to amore broad-based, less US-centric foreign policy. Thefirst was the EU-Organisa-tion of Islamic Conferenceforeign ministers meeting inIstanbul in February.

For the first time in threedecades, a distinct Europeanforeign policy outlook is emerging,perhaps driven by the unilateraldirection of the US ‘war onterrorism’. It suggests an independ-ent approach on relations withissues concerning Muslims and theIslamic world. European sensitivityto Muslim concerns is evidentfrom three key developments inthe last week.

First, the decision of EU foreignministers, meeting in Luxembourglast week, to send their highestforeign policy official, Javier Solana,next month to “ease Pakistan-Indiatensions over Kashmir”. LikePalestine, this is an unresolved disputethat affects Muslims in the disputedstate of Kashmir, in what is the firstever European diplomatic initiative ofits kind toward South Asia.

Second, in a major publicopinion poll released on 17 Aprilby the International HeraldTribune, there was a wide gap inEuropean and American perceptionsregarding the Palestine-Israeliconflict. The overwhelming majorityof French, British, German andItalian public opinion support thePalestinians against Israel, unlikethe US where support for Israelruns two times more than empathyfor Palestinians.

Third, history is also catchingup with Europe over crimescommitted against Muslims in the

Pakistan must stop putting all its eggs in the American basket.

Wanted: change of heart

Bosnian conflict. On 16 April theDutch government of PrimeMinister Wim Kok tendered itsresignation after a report of the July1995 massacre in the Bosnian townof Srebrenica, where 7,500 Muslimmen and boys were massacred bythe Serbs under the watchful eyes ofDutch UN peacekeepers who failedto protect them, despite Srebrenicabeing declared a UN ‘safe haven’.This is what is generally regarded asthe worst atrocity in Europe sinceWorld War II.

Asian countries are sensitive tothese changes in the political complex-ion of the region. Saudi Arabia, forinstance, has called for the EU to playa more active role in the Middle East,while enlisting Russian support aswell after a visit to Moscow last weekby Saudi Foreign Minister PrinceSaud al Faisal. On 20 April, during avisit to Iran by Chinese PresidentJiang Zemin, Beijing and Tehranjointly rejected efforts for “hegemonyin the region”, a reference to theUnited States.

But Pakistan prefers, as in thepast, to put all its eggs in theAmerican basket. From 1980, forthe greater part of two decades,Pakistan had an Afghan-centricpolicy highlighted by the ‘jointjihad’ with the Americans until1989, when Washington ditchedPakistan after the Red Army’sdefeat and exit from Afghanistan.From 1989 to 2001 Pakistan triedto fashion its own Afghan policy,cutting off friends and replacingfavourites, until it was stuck withthe Taleban. The consequences forthe Pakistani state, isolated from itsfriends in the region, weredisastrous Pakistan’s relations withRussia illustrate of this mindset—ground realities have changed butIslamabad still treats Russia like aCold War adversary. Russia’srelations with former enemies likeChina and Iran have grown afterthe break-up of the Soviet Union.

Instead of making foreignpolicy an appendage of Americaninterests and objectives in the

region—some at variancewith Pakistan’s owninterests—Islamabadneeds to join the growingconsensus among Europe-ans and Arabs on key

issues. These includePalestine, the Israeli govern-

ment’s atrocities, andPresident George W Bush’s

‘axis of evil’. And despite whatUN Special Envoy Terje Roed-

Larsen on 17 April denounced as a“morally repugnant ... horrific”spectacle after the Israeli operationin Jenin, Bush the next day calledSharon “a man of peace”. Nosurprise then, perhaps, that Egypt’sPresident Mubarak, a close US ally,declined to meet visiting USSecretary of State Colin Powellduring his Cairo visit earlier thismonth. The yawning chasmbetween American policy toward theMuslim world and perceptionsamong Europeans and Muslims islikely to widen as the US seeks toexpand the ‘war on terrorism’ inthe coming months, this time withpossible action against Iraq.

Pakistan needs to take cogni-sance of these developments andfocus its diplomacy in Europe andthe Arab world, to be in sync withits own interests, as well as Muslimopinion. The emergence of aEuropean foreign policy, togetherwith the increasingly activist role ofChina and an assertive Arab world,point to probable challenges to theworld view and policies of the ‘solesuperpower’, the United States, as itseeks to dictate a direction in the‘war on terrorism’. (IPS)

(Mushahid Hussain wasMinister for Information inNawaz Sharif’s government.)

by HANNA NASSEROPINION

BETHLEHEM - I am Hanna Nasser, the mayor of Bethlehem. My home isseveral hundred meters from the Church of the Nativity, which is currentlyunder siege. From my window you can see the smoke rising in Manger Square.Twice there have been fires at the Greek Orthodox Church. Burnt and crushedcars line the block. When the curfew is lifted, people leave their homes to findfood, always watching for snipers, but there is nothing to buy.

Life here has become impossible. We do not sleep because the soldiers blaregrinding noises from loudspeakers while also broadcasting messages informingthe Palestinians in the church that their families will face harm if they don’t giveup. Two weeks ago I was asked to join the negotiating team which is attempting tofind a fair and peaceful resolution to the standoff. Until last night, I kept in steadycontact with those inside the church. Unfortunately, all the phone lines are nowcut, in an attempt to achieve full isolation. It is difficult to see how good faithnegotiations can proceed under such conditions.

The situation inside the Nativity is getting worse by the hour. There are over200 Palestinians and 44 nuns, friars and priests from three religious ordersinside. Some of the Palestinians are armed. Most are civilians. Sufficient food andmedicine have been blocked. There are children who have been surviving on

An eyewitness account of the siege ofthe Church of the Nativity.

Starving in Bethlehemnothing more than one piece of bread per day. Starvation has become a veryreal possibility. The Red Cross has repeatedly and unsuccessfully pleaded todeliver basic necessities.

I have never suffered like these people, but I know what it means to seekrefuge. I am a Christian, and in 1967 my family and I fled to the Churchof the Nativity as the Israeli army invaded Bethlehem. We stayed there forthree days and probably would have lost our lives had we not been givensanctuary. Many did the same during World War II. On one matter, theclergy still in the church have been quite clear in conversations with me.They are the furthest thing from hostages. Their decision to remain is basednot simply on a concern for people in need, but also on the desire to protectthe sanctity of the holy site. As the birthplace of Jesus Christ, the 1,400-year-old Nativity is truly the mother of all churches.

Viable solutions to the stand-off exist. The innocent civilians in thechurch should be permitted to depart without detention by the military.Those for whom there is evidence of wrongdoing must stand trial in theirhome territory. Neither international law nor the Oslo accords permitarbitrary extradition, so it is not an option to transfer the accused Palestin-ians to a military tribunal in Israel. Bethlehem can not wait. I enteredmunicipal government in 1976 and I have been mayor for 5 years. This isthe worst condition in which I’ve ever seen the city. The tanks have damagedbuildings and mosaics that are over 10 centuries old. For 18 months,tourism, the lifeblood of the city, has stagnated at the checkpoints. Themunicipal economy has lost $220 million in the last year and a half.Unemployment is now over 70 percent. None of this even begins tomeasure the toll in human lives lost.

The siege of Bethlehem must end. Those inside the Church of theNativity are not the only ones at risk of starvation. (IPS)

(Hanna Nasser, mayor of Bethlehem, wrote this comment withIan Urbina, associate editor of the Washington DC-basedmagazine Middle East Report.)

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Foreign cash in Indian mediaNew Delhi - The Indian government is reviewing a five-decade ban onforeign investment in print media, having deferred a decision to allowselective foreign direct investment (FDI) in non-news journals. Informa-tion and broadcasting ministry officials said the cabinet did not take upWednesday the scheduled agenda of allowing 74 percent FDI in Indianeditions of non-news scientific and technical journals, as it wanted totake a fresh look at the comprehensive policy. Parliamentary AffairsMinister Pramod Mahajan told reporters that the government felt theissue needed to be discussed in a “comprehensive manner.” Thegovernment reportedly wants to review a 1955 cabinet resolutionbanning any foreign investment in Indian print media. At the time, it wasfelt that allowing foreign participation in the sector would be inimical toIndia’s interests. India’s print media policy was primarily this cabinetdecision, disallowing foreign investment or any role of foreign players inthis segment. Though a parliamentary standing committee recentlyupheld the resolution stating foreign participation in print media couldcompromise national security and sovereignty, a senior minister toldIANS it was not binding on the government. (IANS)

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Finally, aid for Taleban prisonersSHEBERGAN – Two hours west of Mazar-I-Sharif, is the second largestprison for Taleban fighters. Last week, the Red Cross workers put up fivegiant white tents, designed to hold 128 men each, in the prison court-yard. Right away, they started emergency feeding of almost 100prisoners who were chronically malnourished. Shebergan is the head-quarters for General Abdul Rashid Dostum, an Uzbek warlord whocontrols much of northern Afghanistan. The local prison, which is run byhis soldiers, houses more than 3,000 Taleban fighters who were capturedin the first phase of the war when the city of Kunduz fell to the jointNorthern Alliance-United States alliance last year. Some 800 are fromthe neighbouring country of Pakistan. A few alleged leaders were flown tothe American base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in January after interro-gation by the US military, while 350 were released on the Muslimholiday of Eid al-Adha in February. Those who remained have beenbadly underfed and cells are overcrowded, with 50 men or morecrammed into a room. Dozens have died while in detention. Thehumanitarian operation follows months of pleas for help by the localAfghan military doctors who work in the tiny three-room infirmary here,designed to hold about eight patients. (IPS)

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More weapons in South AsiaNEW DELHI – India’s acquisition last month of sophisticated US-mademilitary equipment symbolises the rapidly growing defence and securityties between New Delhi and Washington in the changed political climateafter 11 September. The purchases include eight US-made fire-findercounter battery radars, capable of detecting enemy artillery guns andbatteries and returning fire to neutralise them. New Delhi, reversing itsanti-US stance under the right-wing, Bharatiya Janata Party government,was among the first to offer military support for the Afghan war. ThoughWashington preferred to look to its trusted ally, Pakistan, instead, the USwas grateful for India’s support and Indo-US relations have changed fromperiodic policy reviews to an inflow of American military hardware. Whenofficials from India’s newly constituted Defence Procurement Boardsigned the deal for the AN/TPQ-37 radar system built by ThalesRaytheon Systems Corporation of California in Washington on 17 April,it was the first major Indo-US defence deal in over 40 years. It alsoreversed a policy that saw U.S. sanctions imposed following New Delhi’s1998 nuclear tests. Negotiations for the artillery-fire finding radar—theabsence of which was felt desperately by the army during the 1999border war with Pakistan in disputed Kashmir—were called off after India’snuclear tests, which were matched by tests by Pakistan within days. (IPS)

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1212121212 3 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMESFROM THE NEPALI PRESS THIS PAGE CONTAINS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

Above: Valuable headsBelow: Worthless heads

Himal Khabarpatrika, 29 April-14 May

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Maoist leader Badal misused the education he received in Russia.”

— Russian Ambassador Valery Vartanovich Nazarov in Rajdhani on 30 April.(Maoist military commander Ram Bahadur Thapa, alias Badal, obtained a bachelor’s degree from Russia.)

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More questionsKhagendra Sangraula inKantipur, 27 April

…Don’t we need appropriatemeans to achieve something?Doesn’t cruelty lead to morecruelty? Can a demonic mindsetand mass destruction lead to theformation of a sound humancivilisation?

But the Maoists don’t haveears to listen to the questions.They cannot listen to anything—the requests, suggestions andadvice of the political parties,citizens and the general public. Itis as if they can only smell thesmoke of ammunition. As if theyexperience beauty in death andmusic in screams. As if destructionautomatically means creation tothem. As if in their view, chaositself leads to organisation. As ifthe screaming is, in their view,melodious.

There are some questions forthe Maoists—haven’t we nowreached the limit to the gruesomeacts than can be carried out in thename of Mao? Even if this peak ofdestruction means victory for theMaoists, what sort of reward willthey be getting…they will have topitch their tents on the ashes ofthis destruction and rule fromthere. Is this the goal of thecurrent mass destruction andrampage?

One part of our society iswhat we know as government,which largely comprises peoplekeen to take whatever they canwhile they are there. It has turnedout to be a capable partner in theMaoist campaign of destructionand violence. The citizens seem tobe trapped in the no man’s landbetween the insurgency andcounter insurgency. On one sidethere are the Maoists, and on theother the government. Thecountry has been abducted to aplace of violence and counter-violence. And the citizens havebecome stateless. …The primeminister, the leader of the rulingparty and the main opposition aredriving their Pajeros and Prados,glance averted as US troops withguns have begun to roam acrossthe country. They went toAccham, Rolpa and Gorkha.

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What, we worry?Kishor Nepal in Gorkhapatra,26 April

…The initiative taken by theleaders of industry and commerceRabi Bhakta Shrestha and RajeshKaji Shrestha was commendable.It was the first time groupsrepresenting industry andcommerce gathered at New Roadto oppose the general strike. Still,the stores there did not open…Itis a good sign that the industryand commerce sectors, which havebeen repeatedly subject to Maoistthreats and demands for dona-tions, have begun to stand up toterrorism. But despite theseefforts, the large stores in the citydid not open, while smallerstorekeepers kept their shutterspartially open. The well-knownNanglo on Darbar Marg, theBakery Café in Basantapur, theTara Gaon restaurant on NewRoad and the Kumari Restau-rant on Putali Sadak wereamong those that were open.Besides these, many small storesand tea-stalls were open in theinner city and bylanes.

…The Maoists have severedcommunication with manydistricts. Even newspapers cannotreach districts that do not haveair transport. All types ofnewspapers, big and small, wereaffected by the last general strike.Although the transport entrepre-neurs said they would operatetheir vehicles, buses did not plyon long and short routes. Thesecurity forces had said that busesshould be run in groups of 10, butthat was not done.

…Government efforts aloneare not adequate to make societyfearless and capable of standingup to bandhs. Every citizen has tostand up for the cause. Oursociety is getting more individual-istic and narrow-minded, we arestarting to be concerned onlyabout our family interests. Civilsociety and professionals issuepress statements from cushyoffices. Whose interests are mostlikely to be hurt if the terroristswho advocate dictatorial politicscome into power? No one seemsto be thinking about this. Why isit that the same people who talkad nauseum about the skeletonsleft behind by Pol Pot are still notconcerned about what is happen-ing in our own country? Or dothey believe that the Maoistterrorists are like the CPN(UML)—vegetarian communists?

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Peace meetBudhabar, 1 May

A consortium of seven majorpolitical parties plans to organisean all-party public meeting on 10May in Kathmandu. The meetingis a symbolic move to protect theachievements made in the 1990People’s Movement, and toprotest the violence, murderand destruction carried out bythe Maoists.

The gathering will beaddressed by Girija Prasad Koiralaof the Nepali Congress, MadhavKumar Nepal of the CPN-UML,Surya Bahadur Thapa of the RPP,Badri Prasad Mandal of NepalSadbhavana Party, Narayan ManBijukchhe of the Nepal MajdoorKisan Party, Chitra Bahadur KC

Peace prescriptionof the Rastriya Jana Morcha andAmik Serchan of the UnitedPeople’s Front. For two days beforethe public meeting, the leaders ofall the political parties participatingwill tour the Valley in open-roofedvehicles to appeal to the people toparticipate on 10 May. The all-party meeting held on 30 April atthe central office of the NepaliCongress directed their workers toinitiate activities to urge thegeneral public to participate in themeeting, and all seven parties havebegun collective and individualpreparations to do so.

“Kathmandu’s public has alwaysstood up for truth, justice anddevelopment. We want to tell themthat the rights won through thesuccessful People’s Movement of1990 are being targeted and thatNepal’s sovereignty is being threat-ened. It is important to convince thepeople that the political parties whichheaded the 1990 movement are againunited to oppose the attack ondemocracy,” said Krishna GopalShrestha of the CPN-UML, after themeeting. Shrestha further added thatthe consortium of parties expects anoverwhelming response, withconscious and justice-loving membersof the public participating to opposethe conspiracy against the people’srights and democracy.

The next all-party meeting isscheduled for 4 May. A four-pointagenda has been fixed for the all-partypublic meeting on 10 May:

Protect the achievements madethrough the 1990 People’s Move-ment; protect the country from all

forms of extremism; protest the violence, murder and

terrorism; move ahead for progress and

change.

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Talking headsChatyang Master in his satire talkon Radio Sagarmatha, 26 April.

Last week all Nepalis were shown, ontelevision, the most recent pictures ofMaoist leaders, and were told thatthey were crooks. The security forcestold us: take a good look at theseguys, because we have been lookingall over for them, but we can’t find

them. Have you seen any of them?We all dutifully took a long look atthem. Baburam comes across like heis leaner and meaner without hisbeard. Comrade Prachanda hasdeveloped quite a midriff. It wasinteresting to see how the appearanceof our revolutionaries has changedover the years.

Anyway, on Tuesday we aretold that Chakra Prasad Bastola hastaken a letter from Girija PrasadKoirala and delivered it personallyto Dr Baburam in Noida outsideNew Delhi. Huh? Then onWednesday the governmentannounces a Rs 50 lakh reward forthe capture of Dr Baburam andComrade Prachanda, dead or alive.There is also half that amount foranyone that gives informationleading to the arrest of the two. So,that basically makes Chakrajieligible for Rs 25 lakhs since heknows where Dr Baburam is hiding.

Riddle: If you are asking fortheir heads, then why talk? If youare talking, then why not delivertheir heads?

That’s not all. The army is alsooffering a reward of Rs 25,000 for“factory-made revolvers and pistols”.Trouble is, factory-made pistols areavailable in Darbhanga (in Bihar) forabout Rs 5-10,000. I expect there isnow going to be a big boom in thesale of factory-made pistols acrossthe border. And why not, if you canmake a cool Rs 10,000 profit oneach pistol?

Interview with Madhav Kumar Nepal, CPN-UML,Chalphal, 28 April

What do the government and the Maoists need to do, to bailthe country out of this crisis?First of all, the Maoists have to end their violence and murder,particularly the madness and their attacks on electricity and telecomsystems, drinking water, radio and postal infrastructures. Stop hittingbasic infrastructures like health posts, bridges, ambulances, VDCbuildings and stop looting food being taken to the people. These actsare anti-people and anti-nation. Such activities don’t increase popularsupport for the Maoists. Instead, people will begin to hate them more.Everyone has been appealing for an end to such acts, and we alsorepeatedly add our voice to the request.

The government also needs to make efforts to find a politicalsolution to the problem. It should be careful not to make anti-constitu-tional moves that violate human rights. It has to end bad governance,corruption and irresponsibility, and try to win support from all sides tofind a resolution. It must be capable of punishing those against whomcorruption is alleged, or those who are already tainted. It must beopen to take any path that could end the problems facing the country.It needs to be flexible and alert, and willing to make the changesneeded, including amending the constitution.

Youíve even said that you are ready to mediate. What hasbeen the reaction to that?We said that if the circumstances were right, and if we could help bydoing so, we were even ready to mediate. We also appealed to theMaoists to help build an environment conducive to talks. We askedthem to do two things—call off the five-day Nepal bandh and stop attackingphysical infrastructure. They didneither. It is clear that theydon’t want to come to talks.They are being veryunreasonable and uncaring.Evidently, they are unwillingto listen to the wishes andrequests of other politicalparties, the people andmembers of civil society.Government ministers havealso been very irresponsibleand gone about saying theydon’t care about talks,saying there is neitherrhyme nor reason in thatcourse of action … We havenot given up yet. Instead oflosing hope, we are trying todo our bit.

SU

BH

AS

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13131313133 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMESHISTORY AND CULTURE

Back at Sundarijal >10

“Revealing myself to myself.”

16 JanuaryThere is no day when I don’t remember Sushila. Imake sentimental journey to her in Varanasi when wewould be taking tea in the morning or in the afternoon.In vacant hours, which are many in a day, she isrecalled to my mind. I have left her unprotected. She isa weak girl, needs constant attention and care andlove, otherwise she will wilt, like a rare orchid in anunpropitious weather. She has at the same time avery high sense of honour. This combination—state ofdefenselessness combined with a sense of honour—is a most tragic situation in which she finds herself inmy absence. She will now rely upon her God moredesperately and cling to her dancing with greatertenacity. I pray, that her God and dancing will saveher till I am with her again. I will look after her properlyafter I am released. She used to tell me that I don’tlove her enough, that I only take care of her, I being aconscientious man. On the day when I was leaving

hear the hooting of the pair of owls in theevening—you feel that the rhythm of the jail life isviolently disturbed. And we start commenting, ifour food is not brought at the three appointedhours punctually—if it is delayed by a fewminutes. GM immediately gets into rhythm andyou can set your watch by the successiveactivities he does at successive hours punctu-ally to the second.

I can’t do it—I am always out of step with itsrhythm, hence is my jail life harder to bear. Apartfrom the physical world that the boundary wallscreate, they create a psychological world also—aworld inside the mind of the prisoner. Here I amtaken over by this world. The moment I step insidethe boundary walls, became moody, introspective,melancholy, sentimental, emotional, remorseful, etcetc etc. That is why in jail I am regular in writingdiaries. Since jail’s isolation doesn’t permit aprisoner to record in his diary the events happen-ing to him in the physical world, his jail diaries arerecords of his mental states—mostly they arediscovery of the self through introspectiveanalyses of his actions. By reminiscing, by relivingthe past events of his life and analysing hisreactions to them, he reveals himself to himself.Mostly, jail introspection and reminiscents [sic] arereminders of his shortcomings, ofwhere he faulted or fell short ofhis own vaulted estimation. Youstart paying in remorse for yourthoughtless actions, for yourlack of understanding of otherpeople’s ease, for your haughti-ness and arrogance. Perhaps thiscatharsis will do good ultimately tothe man in prison.

for Kathmandu she said in a low voice that if I lovedher I wouldn’t have decided to go to Kathmandu—tojail. You are wrong dear Sushila. I may not love youenough, enough to satisfy you wholly, but I love youall right. I am not merely performing my duty. I derivehappiness from caring for you, from being with you,from just holding your hand. I will not say that mydecision to return to Nepal is my way of loving you,my politics is not a reinforcement of my love, areaffirmation of it. I admit it is some kind of a rival toit. My dear, my political commitments have got to bemet. It is a question of the whole lot of Nepalis andmy personal honour. Please understand me.

I hope everybody will look after her. The newresidence is in a convenient locality. She can go toher friends and relations. Nanu with her children willenliven her. Gradually she will start facing thesituation normally. After all, time makes one get usedto everything. Her health is what is worrying me. Lether survive till I get out.

17 JanuaryJail is a private world within the public world. Thesurrounding walls not only cuts off physically thesmall area which is then made a jail, from the widerworld, they also create a tiny world out of the landthey enclose—a world with its own rhythm, styleand patterns. The most important physical aspect ofthe pattern of this world is its regularity, or almostpunctuality of its events. All important eventshappened at the appointed hours. Prisoners’ bodiesget attuned to this rhythm—regularity . If you don’tsee crows in the tree at 12:15 PM or the rat (wehave a shaggy rat here) at 6PM or the dhobini birdearly in the morning at the corner of the slanting roofor in the evening gambolling on the ground, or don’tB

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Sushila Koirala

Into his third week at SundarijalJail, BP Koirala writes lovinglyabout his wife Sushila (left). Hemisses her and worries about her.He also analyses the prison worldand the predictability of its rituals.He is introspective, asking why hewrites this diary, and decides it isa discovery of the self. Everyfortnight, Nepali Times brings youtranscripts of BP’s diary entrieshandwritten in English.

avid Lynch heads the jury at the 55th Cannes FilmFestival from 15-26 May. He follows in the footstepsof Liv Ullmann, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint

Eastwood and Martin Scorsese, whose Gangs of New Yorkhas been tipped to open this year’s event. Lynch is a Cannesfavourite—Wild At Heart won the Palme D’Or in 1990,and last year Mulholland Drive won him best director.Sharon Stone and Michelle Yeoh, of Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon fame, will sit on the jury with Indonesianactor Christine Hakim, anddirectors Claude Miller, RegisWargnier, Raoul Ruiz, WalterSalles and Bille August.

American films are the mostinteresting competition selectionsthis year. Alexander Payne, whoseElection catapulted him to thefront rank of US film-making, hasa new film, About Schmidt, incompetition. This is a noveladaptation, and provides JackNicholson with a powerhouse roleas a widower in his 60s. There’s aCannes debut for another brighthope of American cinema, PaulThomas Anderson, whose follow-up to Magnolia is Punch-DrunkLove, a romantic comedy withAdam Sandler and Emily Watson.The festival also features MichaelMoore and his anti-gun lobby documentary Bowling forColumbine.

After last year’s total shut-out of British directors fromthe main competition, this year the selectors have fitted inthree British productions (a total not seen since the four thatmade it in 1995)—Mike Leigh’s All or Nothing, KenLoach’s Sweet Sixteen. Michael Winterbottom, a previouscompetitor with Wonderland and Welcome to Sarajevo,takes his 24 Hour Party People.

Returnees from 2001 include Russian cinema’sstandard bearer Aleksandr Sokurov, who follows his Leninbiopic Taurus with a 90-minute, single-shot tribute toLeningrad’s Hermitage museum. Israeli director AmosGitai’s Kedma examines Jewish immigration into Israel onthe eve of the 1948 War of Independence. DavidCronenberg’s Spider adapts Patrick McGrath’s London-setnovel about a schizophrenic, with Ralph Fiennes in the lead.Other international cinema standbys include Iranian AbbasKiarostami (10), Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and LucDardennes (The Son), South Korean Im Kwon Taek (Strokeof Fire), and Portuguese nonagerian Manoel de Oliveira

Can’t wait for Cannes(The Uncertainty Principle). The star of the competitionis Roman Polanski, whose Warsaw Ghetto epic ThePianist looks an early favourite for the Palme d’Or.

The out-of-competition screenings look promising:Woody Allen’s Hollywood Ending makes the opening, a20-minute segment of Gangs of New York will be aired,and Robert Evans’ documentary, The Kid Stays in thePicture gets a European premiere.Films in competition:

Punch-Drunk Love,Paul Thomas Anderson, USBowling for Columbine,Michael Moore, USAbout Schmidt, AlexanderPayne, USDemonlover, Olivier Assayas,FranceIrreversible, Gaspar Noe,FranceL’adversaire, Nicole Garcia,FranceMarie-Jo et ses deuxamours, Robert Guediguian,FranceL’Ora di Religione, MarcoBellochio, ItalySpider, David Cronenberg,CanadaLe Fils, Luc and Jean-PierreDardenne, Belgium

Kedma, Amos Gitai, IsraelChihwaseon, Im Kwon-taek, South KoreaUnknown Pleasures, Jia Zhang Ke, ChinaThe Man Without a Past, Aki Kaurismaki, Finland1010101010, Abbas Kiarostami, IranAll or Nothing, Mike Leigh, BritainSweet Sixteen, Ken Loach, Britain24-Hour Party People, Michael Winterbottom, BritainO Principio da Incerteza, Manoel de Oliveira, PortugalThe Pianist, Roman Polanski, FranceRussian Ark, Alexandre Sokurov, RussiaIntervention Divine, Elia Suleiman, PalestinianFilms showing out of competition:Hollywood Ending, Woody Allen, US (opening film)And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, Claude Lelouch,France (closing film)Spirit, Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook, United StatesDevdas, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, IndiaArarat, Atom Egoyan, CanadaCidado de Deus, Fernando Meirelles, BrazilMurder by Numbers, Barbet Schroeder, France

DApplications are invited for a Researcher for a fixed term of 3 years to produce adescriptive catalogue of all documents in the Hodgson collection in the Orientaland India Office collection of the British Library, London. The postholder will beexpected to produce descriptions of each document to a standard format,establish links between the various documents in a system of cross references,work in close collaboration with research assistants employed on a short-termbasis, and prepare the completed catalogue for publication and posting on theworldwide web.

The successful candidate will hold a doctoral degree on a subject of relevanceto this project, or be in the late stages of writing up such a PhD thesis. An abilityto read and understand 19

th century Nepali, Sanskrit and/or Newari is essential,

as is a familiarity with the political history of 19th century Nepal and its

socio-cultural context. The postholder will also be expected to have excellent ITskills, and the ability to work alone and meet deadlines. Experience of librarycataloguing (particularly of manuscripts), digitisation, website posting/design,and an ability to read and understand Persian and/or Tibetan are desirable.

Membership of the USS pension scheme will be available.

An application form and full job description may be obtained from the HumanResources Department, School of Oriental and African Studies, ThornhaughStreet, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG (Tel: 020 7898 4132; Fax: 020 78984129; E-mail address: humanresources@soas.ac.uk). CVs will only beaccepted when accompanied with an application form. No agencies.

Closing date: Friday 7 June 2002

SOAS is an equal opportunities employer

SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIESUniversity of London

(Department of the Languages and Cultures of South Asia)

Researcher (Hodgson Collection cataloguing project)3 year Full-time Fixed-Term ContractCommencing £ 21,815 p.a. inclusive

Vacancy 02-59

University of LondonThornhaugh StreetRussell SquareLONDON WC1H 0XG

1414141414 CITY 3 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMES

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The wet days are nearly over, but isolated thunder-storms will still strike without warning late afternoonsnext week. Reason: the prevalent northwesterly frontis being replaced by a low pressure system bringingwinds from the southwest. This will raise daytimetemperatures, suck in the yellow dust from the Indiandesert into Kathmandu, reducing visibility. The highertemperatures will also activate mountain convectionsystems and trigger storms along the southern slopesof the Himalaya.

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Radio SagarmathaP.O. Box 6958, Bakhundole, Lalitpur, NepalTel: ++977-1-545680, 545681 Fax: ++ 977-1- 530227E-mail: radio@radiosagarmatha.orgwww.radiosagarmatha.org

Mon-Fri 0615-0645 BBC World TodaySat 0615-0645 BBC Science in ActionSun 0615-0645 BBC AgendaDaily 2045-2115 BBC g]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfDaily 2245-2300 BBC g]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jf

on FM 102.4

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BOOKWORM

Courtesy: Mandala Book Point, Kantipath, 227711, mandala@ccsl.com.np

Nagarkot special at Naked Chef Bed andbreakfast, transport both ways, three-coursegourmet dinner. Rs 1,440 or $19. For reservationsring 441494, 680006

House for rent Ground floor: living room, kitchen,dining room, one bathroom. First floor: masterbedroom with attached bath, one bedroom,bathroom, pantry. Second floor: one bedroom withattached bath, store, lobby. Third floor: terraceand laundry room. Location: Galfutar. Tel:412094.

Stupa View and Restaurant & Terrace atBaudhanath Stupa. Well-appointed restaurantand terraces with views of stupa and Himalayas.International vegetarian specialties, pizza fromclay oven, ice cream, soft guitar tunes on Fridays,Saturdays, Sundays from 5PM on. Special events

on full moon. Open daily 11AM-8.30PM. 480262.

K-Too! Beer and Steakhouse not the “longest”,“highest”, “first” or any other superlative. Just arelaxed, easy-going bar and restaurant with thecoldest beer and juiciest steaks this side of the moon.By the Kathmandu Guest House. 433043

The way to Mexico is too far. Botega Restaurant andTequila Bar is near Thamel Chowk. 266433. 15percent off season discount

Flowerlovers, don’t miss our special FUCHSIAExhibition!!! More than 60 new and very beautifulvarieties of FUCHSIA, recently imported from Europe,are on sale now, for the first time ever in Nepal. Onlyat THE BISHALNAGAR NURSERY, tel. 431797, fivemin. from Bhatbateni Supermarket, two min. fromBishalnagar Chowk (turn right and downhill).

EXH IB I T IONEXH IB I T IONEXH IB I T IONEXH IB I T IONEXH IB I T ION Paintings from Bangladesh by Khalid Mahmood Mithu and Kanak Chanpa Chakma.

Until 5 May, 11AM-6PM, except Saturdays, Siddharth Art Gallery. 411122 Paris—city of lights Exhibition of photographs. 30 April-9 May, 9AM-6PM, except

Saturday at the Alliance Française, Thapatahli, opposite Rotary Club. Organised by theFrench Embassy and Alliance Française. Synthesis of tarai art by SC Suman. 8AM-6PM, until 5 May, Indigo Gallery, Naxal. 413580

E V E N T SE V E N T SE V E N T SE V E N T SE V E N T S Mahendra Narayan Memorial Day Rastriya Sabha Griha, 3 May, 1 PM Workshop on Presentation Skills and Public Speaking at ELD, 9-10 May. Details at

www.eld.org.uk, eld@wlink.com.np. 524202 World Press Freedom Day forum on Right to Information: Constitutional Provisions and Practices.

The Everest hotel, all day, 3 May, registration starts 9AM. Organised by the Nepal Press Institute, PressCouncil/ Nepal, Federation of Nepalese Journalists and UNESCO. Endodontic Workshop by Dr Richard Mounce, USA, Hotel Yak & Yeti, 4 May, 8AM-6PM. for more

information contact Dr Neil Pande, CDE-Nepal, National Dental Hospital, www.smilenepal.com New dates - Festival of War based on episodes of the Mahabharata. Annual drama production of

Studio 7. 3/4/5/10/11/12 May at the Naga Theatre, Hotel Vajra, duration 1hr 15 min. tea and show Rs 700,reduced student tickets available. vajra@mos.com.np. 271545 Sixties and seventies night Buffet dinner and dance party. 4 May, 7PM, Rs 699, La’soon Restau-

rant and Vinotheque, Pulchowk. Nepal Education and Book Fair 2002 Discount on academic and general books, study abroad

information, on-the-spot admission to foreign universities and colleges, career guidance, contests andmore. 3-11 May, Bhrikuti Mandap exhibition hall. Planete Enfants World Peace Cup Football tournament

for street children in Kathmandu to promote child rights.Jawalakhel Grounds, 4 May, qualifiers kick-off 8AM, semi-finals1PM, finals 4PM. Planete Enfants and Saathi. 524217, 411078

MUS ICMUS ICMUS ICMUS ICMUS IC Club Rumba Latin band, salsa food until midnight. Early bird discounts between 8-9.30PM, buy one,

get one free. Hotel Shangri-La. 412999 Dinesh & Pemba Live every Friday 7PM-9PM, Himalatte Cafe, Thamel. 262526 Down Memory Lane Teesta plays tunes from the 50s to the 90s, Wednesday nights, Rox Bar, Hyatt

Regency Kathmandu. 491234 Live music by Catch 22, Friday nights at the 40,000 ½ ft Bar, Rum Doodle Restaurant, Thamel.

414336

DRINKDRINKDRINKDRINKDRINK Beer Mug Club Talk beer, drink beer. Monday nights, Rox Bar, Hyatt Regency Kathmandu. 491234 Metre of Malt Single malt Scotch exhibition. Shot on the rocks, or 12 single malts economically

packaged for Rs 999. Piano Bar, Hotel Yak & Yeti. 248999 Classic teas Thirty teas including all Dilmah Tea’s herbals, greens, blacks and Oolongs. Also Ilam,

Darjeeling, Makaibari and more. The Coffee Shop, Hotel de l’Annapurna.

FOODFOODFOODFOODFOOD Friday Night Sekuwa with live music by Himalayan Feelings. Rs 555 net per person, Rs 1,010 nett

per couple, Dwarika’s Hotel. 479488 The new Roadhouse Café Completely redesigned with separate bar seating and coffee bar.

Original Mediterranean specialities, and wood-fired pizzas coming soon. The Roadhouse Café, Thamel. Krishnarpan Restaurant Six-16 courses of ceremonial Nepali cuisine in authentic setting, Dwarika’s

Hotel. 479488 Weekend Brunch Rs 350 per head, special package available with bowling. Oriental and continental

lunch or dinner by the pond. 1905 Boardwalk, Kantipath. 225272 Saturday Live Buffet with unlimited draught beer and live music by the Rusty Nails. The Fun Café,

Radisson Hotel, 11.30AM-2.30PM, Saturdays. 411818 Authentic Thai food Everyday at Yin Yang Restaurant. 425510 Paddy Foley’s Irish Pub A wide range of drinks and food. Live music on Wednesday, Thursday and

Sunday nights. 416096.

G E T A W A Y SG E T A W A Y SG E T A W A Y SG E T A W A Y SG E T A W A Y S White rhododendron getaway at the Horseshoe Resort in Mude, three hours from Kathmandu. Two

days of rhododendron walks in forests, package tours at $30 per day, all meals and sauna included. Emailresort@horshoe.wlink.com.np The Great Godavari Getaway Special weekend packages including room with breakfast and dinner,

25 percent discount on health club facilities. Godavari Village Resort. 560675 Chiso Chiso Hawama Summer package with two days, one night with breakfast, dinner, transporta-

tion and activities. Rs 1,500 per person with twin-sharing. For Nepalis and expats only, Club HimalayaNagarkot. 414432, 680083 Overnight packages including TGIF from $99 per couple at Dwarika’s Hotel. 479488 Taste the difference Cosy Nepali-style house on an organic farm in Gamcha, south of Thimi. Up to

Rs 1,200 per person per night including meals. aaa@wlink.com.np. Shivapuri Heights Cottage 30 minutes from Kathmandu, staff guides to monastery, peak and

reserve.Rs 1850 per person with dinner and breakfast, Rs 925 per child 5-14 years, children under five free.info@escapetonepal.com

Taking the Kalachakra Initiation Alexander BerzinSnow Lion Publications, Ithaca, New York, 1997Rs 1,065Kalachakra is the highest tantric practice to overcome the limitations imposed by historical, astrologicaland biological cycles. Berzin explains in everyday language the theory, the vows, commitments and theirimplications, the factors relevant in deciding if one is ready to attend as an active participant, and themost important thoughts and feelings for participants and observers at each step of empowerment.

Secrets of the Blue Cliff Record: Zen Comments by Hakuin and Tenkei Thomas Cleary, trans.Shambhala Publications, Boston, 2000

Rs 2,465The commentaries of Hakuin and Tenkei in this volume are important not only because of the renownand historical importance of the two masters, not only because of the rare scholarship they bring to the

task, but because of their penetrating Zen perspectives. The question of Zen meaning, rather thanliterary criticism or academic analysis, is the crux of their tasks as expositors.

Changing Minds: Contributions to the Study of Buddhism and Tibet: InHonour of Jeffrey Hopkins Guy Newland, edSnow Lion Publications, Ithaca, New York, 2001Rs 2,465Hopkins’ contributions as a scholar and teacher make him an ‘opener of the way’ in the academicstudy of Tibetan Buddhism. The essays in this tribute volume deal with, among others, notions ofethics, the meaning of “foundational consciousness”, prose and poetry on the path, authorship andliterary production in classical Buddhist Tibet and perspectives on Buddhism from psychoanalyticobject relations theory.

Born in Lhasa: The Autobiography of Namgyal Lhamo TaklhaSnow Lion Publications, Ithaca, New York, 2001

Rs 1,230In this evocative narrative, the author, who is married to a brother of the Dalai Lama, recreates life inTibet before the Chinese invasion—in private households as well as public places. She describes her

education in India and under the Chinese in Tibet, her life in Europe overseeing resettlement projects,her relocation to the US and her emotional return to India, where she served in the cabinet of the

Government-in-Exile.

15151515153 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMESCULTURE

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ALOK TUMBAHANGPHEYou there in the corner with theglasses. Yes, you with yourhead stuck in a book. It’s time

to venture out. Starting today,bookworms and aspiring students ofall hue will be found prowling aroundthe annual Nepal Education andBook Fair at the Bhrikuti MandapExhibition Hall. The fair, which lastyear attracted 50,000 visitors,displayed close to one million titlesand generated some Rs 1 billion inrevenue, is one of the biggest crowd-pullers in this city where bibliophileshave few chances to indulge theirguilty pleasure on such a large scale.

When the fair was first held in1997, there were only 47 participantsfrom Nepal, India and the UK,mainly from the education sector.The organisers, Global Expositionand Management Service (GEMS),were in for a bit of a surprise—theturnout wasn’t quite what they’dexpected. In 1999, GEMS teamed upwith the National Booksellers andPublishers Association of Nepal(NBPAN) and together they managedto entice major booksellers fromNepal and India to put their goods ondisplay. There were 40,000 visitors in1998, compared with the 30,000who came the previous year, and theparticipants were pleased to beassociated with what was turning outto be a solid annual event.

Ask any regular at the fair, andthey’ll tell you the reason it works isthe combination of things on offer.There’s an enormous diversity oftextbooks, academic treatises, artbooks, children’s literature and plainold fiction. Add to that the burgeon-ing number of stalls that dispenseadvice and application forms to feedthe hunger of young Kathmanduitesto get an education, and you have awinning combination.

This year there will be 142participants—59 in the book section

The curious reader

and 83 in the education and careersection. The book section will includeinternational names such as theCambridge University Press, OrientLongman, Addison-Wesley Longman,the Krishnamurti Foundation andMacmillan India, Nepali standbys likeRatna Pustak Bhandar, Himal Books,Ekta Books and Mandala Book Point,and even INGO’s like WWF Nepal,WHO, IUCN and the KingMahendra Trust for Nature Conserva-tion. As with most events this year,the spotlight will be on mountainissues. The pavilion of the Interna-tional Centre for IntegratedMountain Development will includeparticipants from various relatedsectors from around the world.

Colleges, universities, and othereducational institutions from India,USA, Malaysia, Australia, Switzer-land, UK and Canada, and careercounselling organisations from Nepalwill be looking to lure young studentsto study abroad. There will also beplenty of IT institutions, such asSingaproe’s ATS InformationTechnology Institute, Aptech,Pentasoft, and Manipal IT Education.

The fair will be held from 3-11May, but the education and careersection will only run until 6 May.Tickets for the exhibition are Rs 10per head and students get 50percent off if they are in schooluniform or have valid ID.

The fair is not without problems.In most parts of the world, merchan-dise meant for exhibitions and fairs gettax and duty breaks. But there’s nosuch incentive in Nepal. Theeconomics of book fairs, exports andimports simply haven’t been sortedout. There isn’t a clearly definedpolicy, so publishers from overseashave to go through a time-consumingprocedure at customs where each billis verified and the part of theconsignment being returned iscounted slowly, one by one. Nepali

book exporters are also not providedany facilities to make their job easier.Under existing laws, books andhardware are in the same category.The Nepali diaspora in north-east andnorth-west India is a rich potentialmarket, but because books do notcome under the Open GeneralLicence (OGL) regulations, theforeign currency restrictions makeimports and exports tedious.

Santosh Chettri of GEMS saysthe basic point is that this fair is notjust a profit-making venture. “Visitorsmay not necessarily buy books orenrol in the colleges, but at least theyhave access to an array of informa-tion.” Says Madhav Dangol ofMandala Book Point, which has beeninvolved with the fair since 1998, “Anincrease in visitors need not necessar-ily mean monetary profit for us. Thereis hardly any profit in organising theseevents. Our concern is that we hopethis will help develop a reading habitamong Nepalis, that it will open theirminds to a whole new world.”

The NBPAN is already workingon that with six associations fromthe SAARC region. The idea, whichthey developed last year, was toorganise an annual book fair withsupport from the SAARC BookDevelopment Council in NewDelhi. The plan is that each SAARCcountry will host the book fair on arotation basis, and the other sixcountries will participate with agood selection. All publishers willbe requested to donate a displaycopy to the SAARC library. TheNBPAN also envisions promotingco-production, joint authorship,and the sale of subsidiary rights. Ifall goes according to plan, theyanticipate that the regulationsgoverning cross-border trade ofbooks will be made less cumber-some. The first SAARC book fairwill take place in September thisyear in Dhaka.

Take time out this week to see what’s happeningin the world of books.

Y

Spy on the Roof of the World SydneyWignallPenguin Books India, New Delhi, 2002Rs 472The author’s 1950s climbing expedi-tion to the Himalaya turned out to bea life-threatening adventure that

involved the Chinese and Indian governments at thehighest level. Betrayed by one of the many spiesoperating on Nepal’s border with Tibet, his group wascaptured by the People’s Liberation Army. Theirsubsequent escape over the Himalaya in mid-winteris one of mountaineering’s great epics.

Women War and Peace in South AsiaRita ManchandaSage Publications, New Delhi 2001Rs 472This volume challenges the centralityof men’s experiences and theorisationsof conflict in South Asia from Kashmir

to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts totribal conflicts in Assam and Nagaland, and Nepal’sMaoist insurgency. It focuses on women’s experiencesas representing alternative and non-violent ways ofnegotiating the construction of conflicting identitiesand on women’s conceptions that privilege the notionof a “just” peace.

Mother Sister Daughter: Nepal’sPress on WomenSancharika Samuha, Kathmandu,2002Rs 325This collection of newspaper articlesfrom English-language newspapers

and translated from the Nepali-language pressfocuses on how society sanctions inequality andcultural control, and how this affects women’s health,discrimination and violence. It also showcases storiesof women empowering themselves, and first-personaccounts and opinion pieces on gender issues.

Dangerous Wives and SacredSisters: Social and Symbolic Rolesof High-Caste Women in NepalLynn BennettMandala Book Point and ColumbiaUniversity Press, Kathmandu,1983/2002

Rs 800Bennett, a development anthropologist, examinesthe social construction of gender among Bahun andChhetri Hindus in rural Nepal. Through a detailedexamination of the social, mythic and ritual struc-tures that shape the interaction between men andwomen, this study reveals the symbolic roots ofwomen’s power and the complex social institutions,norms and beliefs that seek to contain that power anddirect it to perpetuate the patrilineal group.

Kamaiya: Slavery and Freedom inNepal Peter LoweMandala Book Point and DanishAssociation for International Coop-eration (MS Nepal), Kathmandu,2001

Rs 700Lowe captures in photographs and first-persontestimonies the development of the KamaiyaFreedom Movement, which emerged around thetenth anniversary of democracy. In three sustainedmonths of campaigning—marches, sit-ins, cases andpetitions, demonstrations, press conferences—themovement forced the Nepali government to cancelthe kamaiyas’ generation-deep debts.

Why Men Don’t Listen and WomenCant Read Maps Allan and BarbaraPearseManjul Publishing House, Bhopal,2001Rs 312The controversial book that suggests

that though of the same species, men and womenlive in different worlds, in part because their brainsperceive things in different ways and their chemicalmake-up is radically different. The authors say theyfocus on different things, talk and listen differentlyand have very varied abilities with understandingspace—all of which has an impact on love, sexualityand relationships.

“Kay Gardeko?”: The RoyalMassacre in Nepal Prakash A RajRupa & Co New Delhi 2001,Rs 200

My Quest for the Yeti: Confrontingthe Himalayas Deepest MysteryReinhold MessnerMacmillan London, 2000Rs 1,500

Staying Alive: Memories of Womenin Prison Durga GhimireJagdish Ghimire Kathmandu 2000,Rs 350

The Dreadful Night: Carnage atNepalese Royal PalaceAditya Man ShresthaKathmandu 2000,Rs 500

Books to buy NT predicts the bestsellersat this year’s book fair

The shaming of IndiaGujarat, minorities and the future of secularism

Plus:Deja Vu: Musharraf’sego & referendum

Harassed to suicidein Bangladesh

Hussaini Brahmins

On newsstands now!NOTICE

The Symposium on Nepalese Industry & the Environment : "Challenges & Opportunitiesfor Sustainable Development in Nepal" to be held on May 4 and 5 has now been postponeddue technical reasons. A new date for the symposium will be announced within a week.The organizers regret the inconvenience caused due to this postponement.

1616161616 3 - 9 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMES

CDO Regd No. 194/056/57 Lalitpur, Central Region Postal Regd. No. 04/058/59

by Kunda Dixit

Under My Hat

NEPALI SOCIETY

General dynamicT

Citizen Bharatall him Mr Daura Suruwaland he just smiles. ForBharat Basnet, Nepal’s

national dress is a tailor-mademission statement. Even thefabric says something—it isn’tsome imported synthetic mate-rial, but handspun kogati wovenby Nepali hill women. “What’s theuse of extolling the virtues ofgood old Nepal to tourists if wedon’t practice what we preach?”asks the award-winningtourism entrepreneur andenvironmentalist.

Depending on how you lookat it, Bharat Basnet is either avanishing breed, or a pioneer inthe renaissance of Nepali cultureand a new eco-consciousness. Butmost of all, he doesn’t just sitaround like so many of us,moaning about how dirty thestreets are, or how polluted the airis. He does something about it.

And it isn’t just his ExploreNepal Group’s much-imitated

eco-friendly, traditional KantipurTemple House, Bhojan Griha, orKoshi Tappu Wildlife Camp. Walkaround Tundikhel on any given dayand chances are you’ll see Bharatand his staff with surgical masks ontheir faces, brooms in hand,cleaning the green.

When he saw the mountingpiles of garbage and litter atTundikhel, Bharat took it as apersonal affront. He got theKathmandu Metropolitan City toallow his volunteer group to clean itup. After they finished with thegrunt-work on the grass, they evencleaned up the patinated oldstatues of Ranas on horses. Thereare now signs everywhere remindingpeople that Tundikhel is a litter-free zone.

Bharat would not leave evenMayor Keshav Sthapith alone untilthe KMC stoppedusing Tundikhel asa garbage dump.

“People haveto learn to beresponsiblethemselvesand stopgaping at theauthoritiesevery time something needs to bedone,” he says passionately. Allthings considered, the municipalitytook the rebuke pretty well—theyrecently awarded Explore Nepaltheir annual Environment Prize.

This isn’t Bharat’s first cam-paign. Explore Nepal helpedthrow out the diesel dinosaurscalled Vikram Tempos, cleaned upthe Valley’s parks, and launchedan anti-plastic bag campaign.

Twenty-two years ago when hecame to the capital from Khotang,Bharat had his sights set firmly ona college degree. He got that andmore. Today he’s much more thanjust a successful entrepreneur, he’s

a model citizen.

ar be it from me to cock my snook at all of youout there who think this countryhas come to a grinding halt, but

having just attended a three-daynational-level seminar-cum-workshop at the Himalayan Hotelon the theme “ParticipatoryApproaches to Figures of Speech inPost-Industrial Journalism:Retrospect and Prospect”, we nowknow that there is still hope for someof our old and tired clichés.

Many intrepid editors are rescuingsome of these hackneyed phrases and idiomsfrom their dustbins of history, restoring themto daily headlines and thereby giving them aclean chit so that we, the readers, can take upthe gauntlet and carry coals to Newcastle. Inother words, the point I am trying to make here isthat we are talking in terms of eating humble pie (or,god forbid, robbing Peter to pay Paul), even if wehave to pass the hat around while trying to tie theGordian knot betwixt Scylla and Charybdis .

For those of you who in high school never had tomemorise the textbook, The Student’s Companionby Wilfred D Best, I take the liberty of presentingbelow a sample of my favourite figurative expressions(with examples of usage). I know that it may be likelooking for a needle in a haystack after casting pearlsto swine, but this brief guide is essential to make headand/or tail of today’s newspaper headlines and I hopemy valued clients will take it in the spirit that a stitchin time will save nine. Yes, you may take notes:

“A rolling stone gathers no moss.”Never quite been able to figure that one out, but Ithink it has something to do with keeping the ballsrolling in your court.Eg: Decades after leaving the Rolling Stones, itsuddenly occurred to Mick Jagger that he hadn’t yetgathered Kate Moss.

“A bad beginning makes a good ending.”

Idiot-proof idiomsCorrect me if I am wrong, children,

but I think it means that ahomework well begun is half-done.Eg: After he jumped the gun in the100 m dash, Phanindra wasoverheard muttering to himself thatbad beginnings made good endings.

“If wishes were horsesbeggars would ride.”This is my all-time favourite,

and I use it every chance I get.Eg: After receiving a request for19 helicopters, Minister Mahat

said off the record: ‘How the hellam I going to pay for them?’

“Zeal without knowledge is arunaway horse.”

As you can see, horses are a recurring theme inEnglish proverbs.

Eg: A beggar would put his or her cart before arunaway horse with zeal if he or she had his orher wish.

“A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.”Love this one. It means the little one possesses isworth more than what one is likely to obtain.Eg: As night fell, the poacher realised that the rhinohorn in his rucksack was worth two that were stillattached to their owners.

“Too many cooks spoil the broth.”From personal experience I know that this is not true.If it were, I would be able to rustle up a mean sweetand sour apricot duck all by myself. But I can’t. I needa roomful of helpers.Eg: Fifteen heads in the kitchen are better than one.

“At wit’s end.”This one exactly describes my feeling at this verymoment.Eg: As he got ready to hang his hat, this columnist wasat his wit’s end as to how to stir a hornet’s nest with abee in his bonnet, as well as cock his snook at a bloton the escutcheon.

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