#481 18 - 24 December 2009 16 pages Rs 30

ey ministers in the cabinetare in Copenhagen, theMaoist opposition is

gearing up for a total nationalshutdown from next week, andefforts to find a way to bring theMaoists back into governmenthave failed so far. The Maoiststhemselves are spending theirtime flying around the countrydeclaring ethnic autonomouscouncils and have threatened a‘parallel government’.

In all these fun and games,none of the national players havegiven any thought to a loomingeconomic emergency. Thebanking sector is facing aliquidity crisis the likes of whichthis country hasn’t seen,remittance growth is down, thetrade deficit with India isgrowing, domestic production isdown and consumer spending isup. Everything is pointing to aneconomic crisis stemming fromprolonged political uncertaintyand instability.

Meanwhile, the economy..Nepal’s trade deficit with

India is now a whopping Rs100billion and growing every quarter.While the balance of paymentswas still healthy, Nepal paid forgoods imported from India inremittance and tourism dollars.But money transfers from Nepalisworking abroad have plateaued.Overall exports are down, and thefuel import bill is up by 90 percent from last year. There hasbeen a three-fold increase invehicle imports this year, whichwill mean another spike in fuelimports in 2010. All this willput further pressure on rupeeparity with India.

“The economy is a soapbubble, it can go any moment,”said one senior governmentadviser who is worried that theministers have no time to thinkabout medium and long-terminterventions to rescue the

economy.Banks are heavily exposed

with unproductive consumerlending and real estate with long-term gestation, exacerbating thecash crunch. Interest rates haverecently climbed up to 16 percent, dampening business.

On 1 January, Nepal will haveto open up its services sectorincluding banking to foreigninvestors under WTO rules. Thiswill mean that smaller banks andfinance companies will find iteven harder to survive.

Special HolidaySupplement

MAN FOR ALL ‘TREASONS’:Maoist Chairman PushpaKamal Dahal has shown ushow versatile he is, but whathas he really done for thecommon people?

K

EAT DRINK ANDMAKE MERRY

p8-9

KIRAN PANDAY/GANESH PANDEY

2 18 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481EDITORIAL

Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Editor: Kunda DixitDesk Editor: Rabi ThapaCEO: Ashutosh Tiwari Design: Kiran MaharjanDGM Sales and Marketing: Sambhu Guragain marketing@himalmedia.comMarketing Manager: Subhash Kumar Asst. Manager: Arjun Karki

Hatiban, Godavari Road, LalitpurFax: 5251013GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu 5250333/845Printed at Jagadamba Press 5250017-19

edi tors@nepal i t imes.comwww.nepal i t imes.com

LLLLL E T T E R SE T T E R SE T T E R SE T T E R SE T T E R S

FRIENDS LIKE THESEFor better or for worse, the Nepali Army(NA) has been the only institution in thecountry that has remained intact andfunctional throughout Nepali history. In myview, it has been able to achieve such afeat because it has allied with and co-opted the prevailing powers – first theShah kings, then the Rana oligarchs, andthen the Shah kings again. Indeed, the NAis the weathervane of Nepali politics. Thefact that the NA refused to co-opt theMaoists and instead turned to foreignpowers shows the sheer influence thosepowers have. So much then for Mr. CKLal’s wish that Nepali democracy must behome-grown (‘Friends like these’, #480).

Gaule hero

MAN IN A HURRYDr. Bhattarai has it right (‘Man in a hurry’,#480). It’s embarrassing that Nepal’s

LETTERSNepali Times welcomes feedback.Letters should be brief and may beedited for space. While pseudonymsare accepted, writers who provide theirreal names and contact details will begiven preference. Email letters shouldbe in text format without attachmentswith ‘letter to the editor’ in the subjectline.Email: letters(at)nepalitimes.comFax: 977-1-5521013Mail: Letters, Nepali Times,GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal.

ruled by the same leaders we threw outof power not so long ago. My blood boilsto think that I flew here all the way fromthe US to vote in the CA elections.

Yanpras

PLAIN SPEAKINGPrashant Jha

New Delhi – At a reception hostedby General Chhatraman SinghGurung in the lawns of theexpansive Nepal embassy groundshere on Tuesday, the who’s whoof the Indian defenceestablishment made anappearance. Indian Army chiefGeneral Deepak Kapoor; GeneralGurung’s batch mates from the

Indian Military Academy, now inthe top echelons of the military;PM’s special envoy Shyam Saran;defence attaches from foreignembassies; and retired and servingdiplomats queued up to greet theNepal Army chief.

The bonhomie was palpable.The old tradition of honouringthe army chief of a neighbour hadjust been given continuity.General Kapoor’s Nepal visit itselfis in the pipeline. Theconversation hovered around‘traditional and historic’ army-to-army ties. The Indian army brass

was impressedwith GeneralGurung’s‘sober andapolitical’outlook. “Heis focused andknows wherethe army’s jobends and thegovernment’sjob begins.And he is averyintelligentman,” said atop Indianofficer. And amember of theNepalidelegationobserved,“They arereally givinghim the royal

D elhi appears to be throw ingits w eight behind the N epal Arm y

We’re with you treatment. Their support to theNepali state and the Nepal Armyhas been conveyed in clearterms.”

Both sides insisted that itwas a conventional goodwillvisit. But the underlyingpolitical message and concernswere hard to miss. There was asense that the Nepal Army hadjust passed through a difficultpolitical challenge, and may facetesting times again, during whichit will have India’s fullsupport.

In informal conversations, theIndian defence brass conveyed itsdesire to see a ‘democratic,professional, and apolitical’army. The argument was that theNepal Army is the only stableinstitution in the Nepali state,and the only force capable ofstanding up to the Maoists.Former Maoist combatants willbe welcome to join as individualNepali citizens after meeting theestablished criteria. But thereshould be no integration in amanner that would ‘politicise’the army and harm its‘institutional integrity’. TheMaoists were ‘untrustworthy andhad to compromise’. When theMaoist argument about howintegration was necessary tochange the army’s ‘feudalcharacter’ was pointed out, a topIndian general responded, “Isyour present army chief a feudal?Don’t fall for Maoist rhetoric.”

Across the Indianestablishment, there is aconsensus that the Maoistsintend to capture the Nepali stateand establish a form oftotalitarian rule. The non-MaoistNepali political class hasconveyed the same impression toDelhi. The sense is that too manyconcessions have been made tothe Maoists in the past and thistime, the ‘Nepali state and thedemocratic political class’ cannotblink in the face of Maoistaggression if they want tosurvive.

The bottom line is that untilthe Maoists reform themselves;accept multi-party democracy inprinciple and practice; entirelysettle the PLA question anddisband the YCL; return seizedproperty; and agree to be aconstructive opposition, insteadof the ‘irresponsible’ one theyhave been, their participation inthe government – far fromleading it – is out of thequestion.

But there is also a recognitionthat this is not happening. TheMaoists are seen to have uppedthe ante and become even more‘obstructionist’. Earlier, therewas a feeling that this was meantto boost their bargainingstrength. More recently, Maoistactivities have given Delhi theimpression that the situationmay spiral out of control. Thenext few months are seen ascrucial and if there is no broadagreement soon, Delhi believesthe country may slide into aviolent confrontation.

Noone here believes that theconstitution will be written byMay or knows with anyprecision what will happen afterthat. Any kind of presidentialtakeover is not a preferredoutcome, for Delhi understandsthat it would not be asustainable politicalarrangement. But if the Maoists‘push the country into conflict’,then anything may happen.

India is now deeply worriedabout the unfolding events inNepal. It recognises that theprocess it initiated may be in itsdeath throes. But the consensusis that the onus rests entirely onthe Maoists to reform,compromise, and cooperate. Ifthat does not happen, Delhi feelsNepal will head into a ‘conflictbetween multiparty system andone party rule, betweendemocracy and communistdictatorship’. If that happens,India is prepared to back theNepali state with all its might.

THE GOLDEN MIDDLEFor those who are having a tough time deciding which politicalparty is the least of all evils, there is a simple test. Just figure outwhich one uses violence as a political tool and which one doesn’t.

For the Maoists, despite having won an election and enteredthe political mainstream, the standard operating procedure is stillviolence, intimidation and terror. In fact, it is their unique sellingpoint.

What we fail to grasp is why governments that would nottolerate the use of violence and terror in their own countries aresympathetic to those who refuse to renounce violence here. Themoral double standards are most glaring in the way the nationalarmy is being hauled over the coals for atrocities committed duringthe war while murder and mayhem after the war by the Maoistsdoesn’t elicit commensurate opprobrium.

Journalists have been killed and beaten up, it’s open seasonon citizens, there is an epidemic of extortion and seizure ofpersonal property nationwide, and there have been murders insidecamps ostensibly under UNMIN supervision.

The army’s culpability in disappearances, summary executionand torture during the war years needs to be addressed in a courtof law, just as Maoist atrocities. But the one-sided hounding of thestate army is provoking a dangerous rightwing backlash that couldpush the country back to war.

Only the naïve still believe that the land-grabbers across thecountry this week are poor landless peasants, or that this is anymore about the liberation of the downtrodden. The revolution mayhave been genuinely for the emancipation of the marginalised atone time, but a recent swing through the heartland convinces us ithas now largely degenerated into a nationwide crime syndicate.

Land-grabbing, smuggling, trafficking, contraband, extortion,kidnappings, illegal boulder and sand mining, the decimation ofcommunity forests, district construction contracts: you name it andthe comrades have their paws in the cookie jar. And any districtjournalist exposing this is immediately threatened.

To be sure, there are criminal mafias also involved, and the NCand UML are no saints, but theMaoists have taken politicisationand crime and the criminalisationof politics to new heights. The partyis always right, and the party neverhas to say sorry in this Orwellianworld. And those who call it like itis are conveniently labelled classenemies and status quoists out toprotect privileges. Pushpa KamalDahal’s chilling warning that onemillion Nepalis may have to “swimin blood” is a sign that theChairman is trapped by his ownpopulist rhetoric and the promiseshe made to his cadre which he nowcan’t fulfill.

Nepal’s tragedy is that thedemocratic parties that don’t havea violent ideology and which shouldhave been real alternatives to theMaoists are so weak, fractured andfeckless. It is the media’s job, andthe job of Nepal’s true friendsabroad, to protect the peacefulmiddle ground of democracy.

FORGET-ME-NOTPrashant Jha is right (‘Forget-me-not’,#480). He has correctly pointed out theKathmandu mindset and attitude towardsthe emerging generation in the Madhes.I think the coming year2010 will be very toughfor the country as awhole, the disputeswithin the CA and theMadhes in particular.Despite the weakening ofMJF and TMDP, theMadhesi middle classand local-level opinionmakers are still hostiletowards Kathmandu, thebig three parties, and theconservativebureaucracy andsecurity sectors. While they are dividedon the issue of federalism, they are

unanimous in the appeal for greaterinclusiveness within the state mechanismand security sectors. Yet nobody seemswilling to give them anything.

Tula Narayan Shah

BEING MUGALIShe is working hardfor her family,instead of retiringfrom work altogether(‘Being Mugali’,#480). Nepal’selderly really dohave it bad. Don’tthey deserve thesame rights aselderly peoplearound the world?Why isn’t the

government doing anything?Saroj Gurung

318 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481NATION

t is getting a bit too much, the attempt by politically correct moralpolice these days to judge the inclusivity of functions by tallyingtoken representation based on surname or gender.

If they find one surname representing a Dalit, Janajati ormarginalised group, they heave a sigh of relief. But I wonder if they aretrying to be more inclusive, or more exclusive. Are our intellectuals,analysts, politicians and journalists so mentally constricted that theycannot think beyond their own caste?

To be sure, there are manygroups in Nepal that have notbeen given a say in decision-making. This gross violation ofhuman rights and dignity was

perpetrated by Bahuns and Chhetris, and other groups have genuinegrievances that have to be addressed. But let’s not go to the otherextreme by insisting that participation in every function be reckonedby the proportions of caste, ethnicity, religion, language, gender andso on.

What is going on in the name of redressing past wrongs is aggravatingdivisions in Nepali society. This has the potential to seriously disturbcommunal harmony and trigger violence.

Futile donor-driven efforts to make Nepali society just and inclusiveare fake, a mere facade. If we consciously involve all castes, creeds and

religions in all aspects of lifesuperficially it will lookquite inclusive, but it willnot solve the deep-rootedproblems of marginalisationand poverty in this country.You can already see thatreservation is creating a crèmede la crème of neo-elites inbeneficiary groups. Themajority within these groups,however, is still deprived anddiscriminated against. Theneo-elite skims off thebenefits, and nothingpercolates down to the lowerlevels.

Pretend inclusivity isseriously abusing the humanrights of many in thiscountry. Deprivation crossescaste and ethnic lines.Brahmins and Chhetristogether constitute nearly 30per cent of the population,many of them are not rich,

don’t have civil service jobs and in parts of the country are actually atthe bottom of the economic ladder. If you really want to look at numbers,there are more ‘high’ caste people living below the poverty line than‘low’ caste people.

Now, with affirmative action, even if the children of very poorBrahmin or Chhetri families excel academically and come into the jobmarket, they risk being excluded from government or INGO jobs. So intrying to correct one wrong, you make another mistake. These pooryoungsters whose parents have spent their lives in absolute povertyshould not be penalised for the misdeeds of those with whom theyonly share surnames.

Many Nepalis raise issues when there is a possibility of funding.These flavour of the month fashionable causes are having a detrimentaleffect on the progressive evolution of our society. Interestingly, it isthe higher castes themselves who have been championing the cause ofthe downtrodden by promising to include them.

There is no issue with some European donors being more aggressivein trying to uplift the really marginalised. But inclusivity must lookbeyond the token presence of people with certain surnames. An emptystomach is an empty stomach, whether it is a Brahmin or a Dalit one.

The state should strive for economic and social balance, removeinequities and give everyone equal opportunities. But if it really wantsto do poor people a favour, it has to be on an economic basis, not on thebasis of caste. This country will progress only if we adopt meritocracyin all walks of life. If not, we will be forever stuck in a politicallycorrect morass. No NGO or activist is thinking about this potentiallydivisive issue because there are no donor funds earmarked for it.

Normally, following a successful revolution, people and societyare eager to embrace new ideas and changes. But even if they feel suchchanges will have a negative impact on society, many will prefer tokeep mum so as not to be labelled anti-national, counter-revolutionaryor status-quoist.

This could be the reason otherwise sane, rational critical thinkersare keeping quiet about token inclusivity.

Prateek Pradhan is the editor of Karobar, a new Nepali languagebusiness weekly.

Includingthe excludedI

GUEST COLUMNPrateek Pradhan

As affirm ativeaction real, orjust a facade?

KIRAN PANDAY

4 18 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481OP-ED

n the euphoric aftermath of the AprilUprising in 2006, the formulation of aninterim constitution was a hugely

challenging task. The restoration ofparliament was certainly historic. But whilethe old guard of the Nepali Congress andUML wanted to maintain the status quo, theMaoists were unlikely to be satisfied withanything less than the outright declarationof a People’s Republic.

Justice Laxman Aryal, more of an organicintellectual than a constitutionalist,succeeded in finalising a ‘least unacceptabledocument’ in the absence of a politicalconsensus over the system of governance. Buthe passed away in September 2009 adisillusioned man, his draft for the interimconstitution mutilated almost beyondrecognition.

Despite the reservations of the Maoists,the framers of the interim constitution choseto retain the parliamentary system ofgovernance. The anomaly of that preferencebecame apparent when the reconstitutedparliament decided to keep the monarchyunder suspension. Girija Prasad Koiralafunctioned as head of state as well as thegovernment when ethnic eruptionsthreatened the constituent assemblyelections. Had Koirala not been a‘constitutional dictator’ in those trying times,

The regal rubber stamp

STATE OF THE STATEC K Lal

I

The constituentassembly is stillaround, but itsrelevance israpidly fading

it’s unlikely the CA elections would havetaken place at all.

The successful completion of the CAelections validated the concept of thepolitics of consultations, the fundamentalpremise of the interim constitution. But theMaoists challenged this principle ofharmony by insisting upon the declarationof a republic at the very first meeting of theconstituent assembly. The CA lived to seeanother day, but the seeds of discord hadbeen sown.

Amendments in the interim constitutionthen created the posts of president and vice-president, to be chosen through elections.Majoritarianism became the basis ofgovernment formation. The consensual CA’stransformation into a parliamentary site ofpolitical contestations was now complete.

The drafting of the new constitution bythis supreme elected body has since recededinto the background of intensifying politicalbickering, to the extent that the CA is almostdefunct. The Maoists continue to obstructits sittings and anti-Maoist forces do nothingto clear the logjam. At this rate, not manytears will be shed if the CA ceases to existwithout drafting a new constitution.

The possibility of a political vacuumafter May 28, 2010 has energised extremistsof the left and right alike. The Maoists havebegun to plan for a ‘fusion’ of ethnic unrestand urban uprising to capture the state.Radicals of the right insist that the presidentcan continue to function with the residualauthority of the CA even after the body thatcreated his post ceases to exist. No matter

which side prevails in this contest of radicalconvictions, the middle ground willdisintegrate.

It’s the responsibility of the governmentto initiate a reconciliation. But PremierMadhav Kumar Nepal is too busy preparingfor his next overseas jaunt to pay attention toissues of governance. His deputies in thecabinet are political lightweights. So theideologues of Shital Niwas have taken theopportunity to mount a frontal attack on thevery essence of the parliamentary system.

In a parliamentary system, the head of

state is purely ceremonial. It appears somewould prefer to adopt the German model ofthe Weimar constitution, wherein thepresident was considered to be “the pivot ofthe constitutional scheme, as a ‘neutral,mediating, regulating, and conserving’ powerset above all other branches to defend theconstitution and maintain the state.” Whatthis ultimately led to needs no elaboration.

Parliamentary decisions areexcruciatingly slow, sometimes confusing,often frustrating and almost alwayscontestable. But like democracy itself, it isthe worst form of government except for allthe others that have been tried. The CA hasevery right to extend its term if drafting ofthe constitution can’t be completed in time.If the president has any authority, it’s purelymoral. He should not be advised to thinkthat he can exercise residual powers withoutinviting political uncertainty, a collapse ofgovernance and social calamity.

KIRAN PANDAY

518 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481BUSINESS

How did Nepal fare at Copenhagen? Our readers said:

Six hundred people flying out from Kathmandu, staying in hotelsin Copenhagen, wining and dining on food and beveragespresumably transported over long distances, sight-seeing bytaking cabs and buses around the city and some possibly alsovisit friends in nearby places before heading home – somebodyplease measure the carbon footprint of our delegation!

-MD

The fact that so many Nepalis have managed to get onto thisgravy train is a positive sign. I am assuming that not manyother countries have done better than this. I think thegovernment should hold a special seminar to teach people howto milk this to the fullest extent possible.

-Jange

For failed states like Nepal, there are more urgent prioritiesthan a carbon-neutral economy. But then I thought Nepal wasalready a carbon-neutral country. Its total emissions are probablycomparable to a mid-sized city in the west. Then why invent aproblem?

-Gaule Hero

These people already spent a lot of money arranging trips toKala Patthar and Copenhagen. If our politicians were soconcerned about climate change, they could utilise this fundto save our environment. Our politicians did that meeting inEverest just for a show, and we’ve nothing to gain from thissummit. Just a waste of our money.

-Karla

(Comments have been edited for clarity.)

The decade in picturesFrom the royal massacre to the new republic, from the bankingboom to the explosion of remix-music bands, we look back atthe most dramatic decade of our history in photos.

East-West with Kunda Dixit: Sharing nostalgia and heartachein Nepalganj with singer Amber Gurung.

My City: A photo blog of interesting visual portraits of Nepal.

On the web|www.nepalitimes.com

On the blogs|www.nepalitimes.com/blogs

ECONOMIC SENSEArtha Beed

hen the Prime Ministerand his jumboCopenhagen entourage

ensured that the Kathmanduairport was blocked for two hours,one imagines wasn't mulling howhe was about to contribute to thenation’s carbon footprint. Whilewe love slogans on sustainability,our actions show that we are yetto give up the practices of themonarchs, and perhaps outdothem as well.

Nepalis love junkets andconsultations and every new wordcreates new opportunities.Hundreds made it to Rio in 1992,other hundreds made to Jo’burg in2002 and hundreds more havemade it to Copenhagen. Crowdingthe bars in Copenhagen anddiscussing politics till the weehours, however, is not going to getus solutions. We don’t even knowhow many Nepalis are actuallypresenting papers, how manypeople are writing forinternational audiences, and howmany are willing to practice whatthey preach.

Buzzwords such as sustainabledevelopment, climate change andcarbon footprint need to beunderstood in the context they arebeing used in. In the recentlyreleasedSuperfreakonomics, theauthors cite examples of how,back in the day, New York’s horsecarriages were considered anenvironmental menace because of

Sustainabledevelopment

Of words and actionsthe dung, disease and noise theyproduced. When fuel-firedautomobiles were introduced,they were considered saviours.Today, this role has been usurpedby electric and natural gas-firedvehicles.

So when we use these wordsin a Nepali context, we need tolook at how we understand andinternalise them. For instance,the green stickers we use to certifythat our vehicles meet pollutionstandards are basically an over-the-counter purchase of acertification, like manygovernment approvals. But as theidea was conceived and pushedby donors, we take it assomething imported and have notinternalised the rationale. How tomake our drivers understand thatthey are responsible for ensuringthat their vehicles pollute less isperhaps more important thanfilling seminar halls at five-starhotels.

Similarly, how do we ensurethat the parents who look on idlyas their kids litter the streets withempty noodle packets teach themthat this is wrong? Look at thecivic conduct of those who givelectures on environment andsustainability. How many of themknow what is happening to thetrash that is being generated athome, how many of them tosscigarette butts everywhere after afew drinks, and how many ofthem are aware of the carbonfootprint of all their junkets?

Nepal’s economic growthtrajectory has been punctured bythose who adopt words but don’t

internalise their meaning. Likethe slogans that we used to chantfor the kings not knowing why,we keep on adopting newerslogans to chant. The fact that wehave not been able to internalisethe words ‘conflict resolution’means we have a societytraumatised by violence. The factthat we have not been able tointernalise the words ‘labourrights’ means both employees andemployers are busy destroyingenterprises. The fact that we havenot been able to internalise‘inclusion’ means we are limitedto ticking boxes whenever wewant participants fromsupposedly excluded classes.Hopefully, we will learn from ourpast mistakes and explore ways toactually internalise sustainabledevelopment and climate changeissues, or we will simplyabandon these concepts once newslogans and new junkets makethemselves available.www.arthabeed.com

W

KIRAN PANDAY

6 18 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481EDUCATION

t was December 2008 and theSLC exams were right aroundthe corner. The students at

Koshi Higher Secondary Schoolin Sunsari, however, had onlycovered 25 per cent of thesyllabus.

They were massively unlucky.After their coursebooks arrivedthree months late, floodsswamped the school. As a result,only a handful of the 110students were expected to pass.

In short, they needed help.The parent-teacher association

at Rato Bangala got busy straightaway, initiating a project called‘Prayas’. A group of A-levelstudents from the Kathmanduschool were sent to Sunsari toprepare the students there for theupcoming SLC send-up exams.But with only 17 days at hand,the plan seemed absurd.

One month later came thenews that that seventy per cent ofthe students had passed theexaminations. For students whohad hardly attended school thatyear or even flipped through acoursebook prior to the ‘Prayas’project, it was a miracle.

Volunteers like SaugatGhimire were so thrilled by the

results, they immediately settheir sights on otherimpoverished parts of thecountry. “I literally went up tothe principal’s office onemorning and said, ‘Miss, let’s goto Dailekh,’” says Saugat.

Just like that, the ‘Youth toYouth to Child’ project was

born, with the aim of trainingyoung people in Dailekh toteach children in schools acrossthe district. When I first heardabout it, I knew I wantedin. For three weeks, we studiededucation philosophy andchild-centred learning inKathmandu. We then set off to

Teaching teaching

train 1800-odd youthparticipants in Dailekh.

Every morning we wrote up alesson plan for the day beforeheading to the training centres at10AM. It was arduous work,since we had to plan enoughactivities – math and vocabactivities, or shared reading and

book-based activities – to keepour trainees occupied untilclasses ended at 4PM. But itwas engrossing work. Althoughmany of us were away fromhome for the first time, callshome were rare and rushed.

It did take time to settleinto our roles however, and wenever really got used to beingcalled ‘Miss’ or ‘Sir’. Indeed, weran the sessions like a typicalclassroom, hoping to give theyouth-in-training a model toreplicate back home. Forinstance, we were constantlyreminding them to raise theirhands before they addressed usor the rest of the class.

After work, we would meetup for tea at the bajar and shareour experiences, complainingabout how difficult it was tostay on our toes all day. But forall our griping, we wouldeagerly begin making lessonplans for the next day.

Our key message to ourtraineeswas that they needn’tcome to Kathmandu for thegood life; they were talentedenough to create such a liferight where they were, inDailekh. Volunteer BibhushaDangol put it best: “If we can goall the way to Dailekh to help,why can’t they stay right wherethey are and do good things?”

In that sense, the experiencetaught us all something,trainees and teachers alike. Youdon’t need a PhD to changeNepal. All you need is initiativeand a little bit of patience.

All you need is a little initiative to change NepalSABHYATA TIMSINA

I

SABHYATA TIMSINA

718 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481HOLIDAY SPECIAL

Kailash from the north, south and west.

MANAS

he holy lake Manasarovarand the mountain thatlooms over it, Kailash,

have been revered by Hindus,Buddhists and Tibetan animistsfor millennia.

Myth, spirituality, history andeven geology come together inmany of the world’s holy sites. Butaside from the striking scenicbeauty and spiritual energy of theplace, Manasarovar is truly a lakeon the roof of the world: some ofAsia’s mightiest rivers originatewithin 100km of this lake on thetri-junction of the borders ofNepal, India and China.

In Hindu mythology, Kailashwas regarded as Meru, the Earth’sspinal cord, the centre of the

universe. It is where Shiva isbelieved to reside with his consortParbati. It is Kang Rinpoche andTise to the Buddhists andfollowers of Bon Po. LakeManasarovar, on the other hand,has a deep spiritual influence onthe minds of people of the region.The mountain and the lake are theultimate pilgrimage for manyacross the region.

Deb Mukharji, Indian diplomatand former ambassador to Nepal,is a Manasarovar expert, havingvisited the site three times since1981 accompanying Indianpilgrims. Researching,photographing and exploring theKailash region has beenMukharji’s life work. His picturebook, Visions of the Infinite, isbeing launched by nepa-laya onSaturday, and weaves together themythology, history and theprofound spiritual meaning of theplace.

Mukharji has been walkingand taking photos in the Himalayafor five decades. His first book,The Magic of Nepal, featuredphotographs and accounts of hiswalks in the Nepal Himalaya. InVisions of the Infinite, Mukharji’sphotography, brings out inexquisite frames the deepmeaning that Manasarovar has onthe minds of millions. Many of the200 pictures were taken beforecameras went digital and this iswhere Mukharji’s versatility in the

A new book on Kailashgives us a glimpse ofthe infinite

medium shines through. The text complements the

pictures, giving us not just factsand figures, but what thepilgrimage means to those whohave been there. Mukharji’s lastlines in the book sum it all up:“Kailash is where convictionremains suspended, mythsendure, and sparks ofunderstanding illuminatereason.”Kunda Dixit

ALL PICS: DEB MUKHARJI

Kailash and MansarovarVisions of the Infiniteby Deb Mukharjinepa-laya, 2009pages: 246ISBN: 978-9937-8021-9-2Price: Rs 2500 1

See also: ‘Two Himalayantravelogues’, #245

T

Looking south acrossManasarovar with Gurla Mandatatowering over the mountains ofHumla in Nepal in 1993.

8 HOLIDAY SPECIAL

EAT,DRINK

ANDBE

MERRYfor their Christmas brunch themorning after.

The Radission Hotel ishosting a retro flower power galadinner on the 31st with aperformance by Jyoti Ghimire &The Band along with Dj B Man.But if you fancy turkey, pies andpudding, head over to HotelShangri-La for their ChristmasEve dinner. For New Year’s,they’ve invited Sabin Rai,Cobweb Band, 8848 Band, a DJ,and celebrity dancers.

For the more adventurous,Hotel Soaltee will have a hip-notising performance by threebelly dancers from Ukraine.Indian Idol finalist CharuSemwal is all set to croon to thecrowds on New Year’s Eve in theMegha Malhar Hall. An Arabiantheme, an exotic buffet, and doorprizes including tickets tointernational destinations, you’ll

nce again, it’s thattime of year, nopoints for guessingwhat. From

delectable buffets to inexpensivetrips to Dubai, here’s a list tohelp you spread the holidaycheer in style.

For those foodies out there(and who isn’t this time of theyear?), The Café at the Hyatt isoffering a traditional ChristmasEve dinner with Christmas carolsand mulled wine. RoxRestaurant, Hyatt has a five-course New Year’s Eve dinnerwith champagne lined up. And ifyou’re there already, why not ringin the New Year at Rox Bar?

Hotel Himalaya, too, has aChristmas Eve five-course menu,including drinks, with aninstrumental performance byCreation Band. If you feel likegoing all the way, stick around

fancy you’re not in Kathmanduat all!

Head to Toran, Dwarika’sHotel for a delicious four-courseXmas dinner with a glass ofeggnog or gluhwein. On NewYear’s Eve they will have a liveband performance withchampagne. Or soak in thetranquilising ambience at theKaiser Café for Christmas Evewith a four-course dinner menu.

This Christmas and NewYear’s Eve, Chez Caroline at BaberMahal Revisited is treatingFrench cuisine aficionados to asmorgasbord of dishes, from foiegras maison totartare and an arrayof vegetarian dishes. Those whoprefer heartier fare should headover to the Irish Pub toexperience the German FoodFestival from the 18th ofDecember to the 1st of January.The menu includes

O

918 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481

schweineroulade(pork rolledwith bacon) and other disheseasier to taste than to pronounce.

And why not a seafood buffetfor Christmas Eve? Head toLobsters, whose New Year’s Eveitinerary includes a buffet, a Djsession, and special handmadecandle souvenirs.

Thamel, as always, is not tobe outdone. New Orleans Café’scosy Thamel courtyard is hostinga turkey dinner with drinks andChristmas gifts. Aqua Java Zinghas Christmas punch on offer, apizza shaped like a jingle bell,surprise gifts, and live music.

Not far away, the BourbonRoom will feature Neva Band,followed by a Dj from 7 PMonwards on Christmas Eve. J Bar,Cube, Club Platinum, Insomnia,Absolute Bar and various otherclubs around town are alsoringing in the New Year withtheir own special events andcountdowns.

But if you really want to markthe end of the year in style,sawasdee khap, escape the winterchill with Marco Polo Travels’3-night Thailand package deal for

Rs 29000 pp on a twin sharingbasis. Lalit Mandap Tours is alsoorganising holidays to Singapore,Thailand, and Malaysia. With thecommencement of flights toDubai via Flydubai, passengerscan make their way to the Gulf forjust Rs 14000!

Of course, there are plenty ofgetaways closer to home.Dhulikhel Mountain Resort offersone night’s accommodation, aChristmas gala dinner, culturalshows, Christmas lunch anddrinks, while Dwarika’sHimalayan Shangri-La VillageResort is offering a New Year’spackage deal that includesovernight accommodation,BBQ dinner with live music, andchampagne to toast the New Year.The Godavari Village Resort,meanwhile, is offering a NewYear’s Eve package includingaccommodation, a lavish galadinner, door prizes and a liveperformance by The HeartBreakers.

Happy holidays!Check our About Town listings(p14) for details and prices

PICS: KIRAN PANDAY

10 HOLIDAY SPECIAL 18 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481

ou’d be forgiven if youapproachedTakingWoodstock with some

trepidation. Ang Lee, perhapsunfairly, has had in recent times achequered record with critics andaudiences. It’s just a few secondsinto the credits and you arealready put in mind of hisprevious films – that score

reminiscent of BrokebackMountain, and those panelswithin the screen that screamHulk. But you are treated to hislush images, his affectingcomposition and his knack forseemingly effortless cinematiccharacterisation, and there’s astirring of recognition of hisgenius. Could this be anoverlooked masterpiece?

What to make of Woodstock,the now-legendary hippie eventthat drew half a million topartake of peace, love, musicand…what exactly? The counter-culturel movement of the 1960swas extraordinarily influential,and resonates still in the critiquesof KFC openings in places such asKathmandu as well as thegrowing popularity of the slowfood movement in the press.When we feel trussed by theglobal economy and itsconsumerist lifestyle, wecontinue to look to what thehippies represented. But itappears America and to an extentthe rest of us remain ambivalentto the counter-culturelmovement, even if capitalism hasnot quite delivered. Think of thehippies, and some of us feel

CRITICAL CINEMAA Angelo D’Silva

embarassment, if not outrighthostility. Lee’s approach to thissubject takes on a certain qualityof naïveté, with the admiring,even longing, gaze of an outsider.

Taking Woodstock is basedon a memoir, and has for itsprotagonist Elliot, a young manwho returns from New York Cityto help his folks run theirrundown motel in a ruralcommunity. When he invitesthe Woodstock organisers downto his place after they are drivenout of the festival’s proposedlocation in a neighbouring town,Elliot becomes suddenly andaccidentally instrumental inbringing in Woodstock andhundreds of thousands of

hippies. The burgeoningmadness of the festival elicitsmeek and harried panic followedby mild fascination. We, likeLee’s protagonist, are along forthe ride. Like docile tourists, wesample a little of the wild side –even Elliot’s acid trip is aplacid, if interesting, exercise infilmic montage (though itconcludes with a gorgeousorgiastic climax of undulatingmasses on a hill to thesoundtrack of a sitar). Sure, itmay not be the ‘genuine’Woodstock, but it’s a pleasanttrip all the same.

Lee populates TakingWoodstock with a brace of actorswhose talents elevate theirthinly written parts – Live

Schreiber as the crossdressing ex-marine who provides security atthe motel, and Imelda Stauntonas Elliot’s mother, for instance.Granted there are problems,especially the inexplicablywooden performances in someparts of the film with charactersthat go nowhere. But even lulledby the cosy warmth and endearinghelplessness of its lead, onewould have to be pretty set ondisliking the film to miss thethoughtfulness that Ang Lee andhis screenwriting partner JamesSchamus have infused into thisproduct. It has themes that areostensibly counterintuitiveagainst the backdrop ofWoodstock, and that is precisely

both its crime and its genius –taking this bacchanalianexplosion, the iconic event of thecounter-culture movement, andmaking it a mere backdrop to ayoung man’s story of being tornbetween his desire to break freeand the responsibility he feelstowards his family. Of course,that tussle between repressionand freedom is par for the coursein an Ang Lee movie, but thisentry might well belong in theupper echelons of his fascinatingoeuvre.

Taking WoodstockDirected by: Ang LeeCast: Demetri Martin, Dan Fogler,Henry Goodman, Jonathan Groff121 min. R

Trip to freedom

Another Ang Lee tusslewith freedom andrepression hits the spot

Y

Rememberingour grandmothersPRANAB MAN SINGH

M uch of Nepal’s documented history lies within the scope of afew. In the feudal caste-based system that underlies Nepalisociety, this is no surprise. The educated were those in

power, those in power wrote about themselves and what was writtenthen is what history is today.

Alternative accounts of this history are slowly emerging butmuch has already been lost and is fading even as we seek to explorefurther. This is because the powerless, the poor and the illiterate –the forgotten generations of Nepali men and women, have only thespoken word. The most remarkable and highly commendable aspectof a new photobook, Hamra Hajurama: Our Grandmothers, is that itcaptures not only this oral tradition, but also the history of an oft-neglected generation.

‘Photobook’, however, is a misnomer. Hamra Hajurama: OurGrandmothers features 12 eloquently crafted stories to go with thepictures of its subjects. The spoken word is thus preserved. Whilethe pictures give us a view into their world in the present, the texttells you who they are. More pictures would have been an excellentaddition, but what is presented does justice to a generation of Nepalimothers and grandmothers that has suffered through a tradition ofgender-based discrimination, andsurvived the radical changes ofmodernity.

Some of the stories are absolutelyfabulous. They ground the readerwithin the fundamental core of Nepalisociety – the family. It is the familythat lends Nepali society some of itsgreatest strengths but also some ofits gravest weaknesses. One of thebest is Nusrat Banu’s tale and itsaccompanying set of photographs.The story of a Muslim grandmother isenthralling, the prose unobtrusive, butit evokes it all – the comfort and loveof family and friends, the oppressions a woman has to endure, thereality of living as part of a minority, and the balancing act of traditionand modernity. The pictures complement the text vividly, and revealto us not just the present but also the past. The understanding herebetween writer and photographer on their medium-specificinterpretations of one hajurama is sublime.

While only a few of the other stories reach these heights ofsynergy, the book remains a visionary production. Not all the picturescomplement the text and not all the texts seem to have captured thesoul of the woman being interviewed. This is forgivable, given thechallenge of synergising two mediums while simultaneouslypresenting the life of someone two generations in the past. One ofthe writers best expresses this intrinsic challenge of the book itself:“She knows that to allow me to tell her story is to let me decide whather life is about, to let me fix her and wield control over her. To let meknow her is to allow me to exploit her, do whatever I want with her.To her, I am not an author, I am the authority – oppressing her withmy narrative structures and greed for knowledge. What she hasperceived is the unfairness of my intrusion, the inequality thatseparates me from her, storyteller from the subject.”

Hamra Hajurama: Our Grandmothers is a photo.circle project. Abook launch and exhibition will take place at the Nepal Art Council,Babar Mahal, at 11AM on 18th December. The exhibition will rununtil 25th December.

1118 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481NATION

KALAMRabi Thapa

t’s that time of the year again. IfKathmandu doesn’t see Christmasshopping on the scale of London’s

Oxford Street, where 200,000 people crammedthe thoroughfare last Saturday morningdespite the economic downturn, there’ll beparties galore. Like elsewhere in the West,this will then segue into the New Yearcelebrations. All this, though there is littleto celebrate in Nepal these days, or perhapsbecause of it. Read: don’t worry, make merry.

Christmas Day is itself a public holidaynow, and well we might wonder why. In theerstwhile Hindu kingdom of Nepal, we nowcelebrate – or are given license to celebrate –everything from the more conventionallyHindu and Buddhist specials to Id, a clutchof Lhosars and more secular attractions suchas Republic Day, Labor Day and Martyrs’ Day.And Christmas. In the Kathmandu Valley, itmay seem that the spirit of inclusion thathas gripped Naya Nepal may even have theexpat community in its drunken embrace, forwhat else but the latter’s patronage and theeconomic imperative could give momentumto this particular season of making merry?

Delve a little further, however, and youwill understand that in Nepal, Christmas isn’tjust about the glitzy ballrooms of the Hyattand the Soaltee. Even recent tragedies pointto the changing demographics of this country.In May, a bomb killed two in a church inDhobighat. In September, at least 23 peoplegathered for a Christian conference of 1500were killed when a makeshift churchdormitory collapsed in Dharan. Walk pastPatan Darbar Square these days and you areas likely to catch a riveting performance ofthe Kartik Nach, the re-enactment ofNarasimha’s disembowelment of the demonHiranyakashyap, as a re-enactment of thePassion of the Christ. Walk into Ekta Bookslooking for some godly inspiration, and

you’re more likely to come across rack uponrack of Christian Lit than anything else. This,in a nation where Christian proselytisationis still frowned upon despite the 1990Constitution’s provisions for religiousfreedom, and where the 1971 censusdetermined a Christian population ofjust 2541.

Today, these numbers have mushroomedto upwards of half a million, by someaccounts. According to the Nepal Researchand Resource Network, there were 2799churches in Nepal in 2007, 309 in theKathmandu Valley alone. We may not quitebe making the Great Leap Forward, butChristianity has made great strides in Nepal,and we have one of the fastest growingChristian populations in the world.

What of it? I have always had a problem

Food for thought this Christmas

Xmas? Cheers!I

having religion foisted on me, be it throughthe medium of all-night megaphonedbhajans or clean-scrubbed Jehovah’switnesses a-knocking on my doorstep. Butas long as I don’t have to hear it or don’t seethe ill consequences of it, I don’t care whatreligion rocks your boat, it’s all Greek to me.What is striking, however, is the remarkablegrowth of the Gospel in a societytraditionally bound by Hindu or Buddhistconventions. This speaks volumes about thatsociety’s failure to address the spiritualneeds of its members. The cynics or diehardsamong us may allege that Christianmissionaries offer financial inducements tolure marginalised Dalits and janjatis awayfrom their ‘real’ religious roots, regardlessof how recent conversions to VedicHinduism itself might be. But the fact

remains – state and society have failed thesepeople in some way, and Christianity isoffering them something tradition has beenunable to.

So rather than perceive the growth ofChristianity as a threat (read: editorials in2011 that express surprise, no, shock, at thenew census figures), perhaps it should beseen as a wake-up call. Not to imagine thatwe can turn the clock back, that this wouldbe even desirable, but to consider how,beyond economics, we can accommodate thehundreds of thousands of Christian Nepalisand others who are so disenchanted withNepali spirituality. That, rather than a turkeydinner, might be food for thoughtthis Christmas. For those who have themeans, after all, ‘tis the season to be merry,like any other.

KIRAN PANDAY

12 18 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

Bag: Press

Batsayan in Kantipur on 13 December

Kulchandra Neupane in Kantipur, 5 December

“The declaration of federal states is a seriousconspiracy”, KP Oli, 28 November

“To protest against the declaration offederal states is a ploy to prevent the countryfrom going for federalism”, Maoist chairmanPushpa Kamal Dahal, 30 November

“There will be civil war if we integrate thePLA into the Nepal Army”, NC leader SushilKoirala, 2 December

“Wilful declaration of federal states is a bigconspiracy”, PM Madhav Kumar Nepal, 3December

“Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal istrying to become a king without a crown”, NCleader Ram Chandra Poudel, 3 December

If their speeches are anything to go by, thecountry is heading to a confrontation ratherthan a completion of the peace process and a

Bishnu Pokhrel in Nayapatrika,13 December

“This facewash suits your skin,” said a store proprietor wearing asticker on her left cheek, as Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepalentered the exhibition hall in Bhrikuti Mandap. There was no way theprime minister could refuse her supplications. “Really,” said Nepal,“Did you make this yourself?” “Yes,” she responded, “we made itourselves and it’s completely natural.” Convinced, Nepal reached forhis wallet, but the proprietor stopped him. “Don’t worry, this is a gift.”

Madhav Kumar wasvisiting the 10thCottage IndustryFestival and NationalIndustrial Expo atBhrikuti Mandap,which began onThursday. The PMspent 30 minutes thereon Saturday shopping,observing stalls andreceiving gifts. Hereceived the facewash,worth Rs 120, and otheritems as gifts from theproprietor, and boughtother things he wanted.

He later caught siteof an organic coffeestall. “How much is the coffee?” he asked. Upon receiving an answer, heasked again, “Is this made in Nepal?” He reached for his pocket but,perhaps finding no money there, instead asked an assistant to buy apacket.

Nepal may not have visited each of the 145 stalls at the exhibition,but he did visit many. He bought several things besides the coffee, likeRs 150 worth of ginger juice. All in all, he spent Rs 695.

As he left, he told media persons that he was very happy to see somany Nepali products, and assured government help to brand themand market them internationally.

“It’s not only goods that can be exported, but also the technologythat backs them,” he said.

Editorial in Himal Khabarpatrika, 16-30 December

It is obvious that journalists, rights activists, intellectuals and those whoraise their voice are facing trouble in the districts. But the physical assaulton Rukum journalist Tika Bista has only inspired us to pursue professionalexcellence in journalism.

The courage and commitment of journalists working in the districts haschallenged the reign of fear in a society already facing intimidation, threats,assaults and ‘physical action’. Even after the Maoists’ move frominsurgency to peaceful politics, they do not seem to have developed an

inclination for political normsand ideology. They areconsolidating the party byrecruiting people with brutalcriminal backgrounds whohave tarnished the party’simage. The leadershipoccasionally makes apologiesfor atrocities committed bytheir party cadres but they tendto overlook the increasingnumber of such incidents.

The Maoists’ nurturing of a culture of impunity has helped create anenvironment conducive for opportunists to take advantage. The journalistsin the district are in the frontline to discourage this trend. If their morale islow, the whole of society will have to bear the brunt of it. At this moment, weremember Uma Singh and wish Tika Bista a speedy recovery.

new constitution. If leaders sometimes appearto be reaching a consensus, they inevitablypull away.

Why? Youth leaders of the big three partiesthink power-grabbing prevails in politics. Theysay that the constituent assembly should be theprimary issue and power secondary but it is otherway round.

Besides, leaders contradict their ownspeeches. NC leader Sher BahadurDeuba stressed the need for a high-level political mechanism inBiratnagar on November 30. On thesame day in Itahari, just 20km away,he said, “The high-level mechanismwill be a place for gossip, there is noneed for it.”

Such contradictory statementshave brought internal party rifts tothe fore:

“The coalition does not becomerightist just because there are noMaoists”, PM Nepal, politburo meeting,2 December

“We have to leave the governmentif need be”, UML chairman Jhal NathKhanal, politburo meeting, 2 December

“The NC itself is going against thepeace process by opposing the idea of a high-level political mechanism”, Deputy PM SujataKoirala, 29 November

The leaders themselves are not oblivious totheir contradictions:

“Leaders have become irresponsible. Theydon’t have control over their own speech”, NCleader Purna Bahadur Khadka

“The leaders’ expressions show the forcesthat want confrontation have become strongerwithin the party”, Maoist leader Top BahadurRayamajhi

Leaders speak PM’s day out

Journalists on the frontline

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

KIRAN PANDAY

1318 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481CONSTITUTION 2010

Following the 11 December declaration of the KochilaAutonomous Province, which includes Jhapa, Morangand Sunsari, there were many allegations that theMaoists were forming a parallel government and leadingthe country towards fragmentation, or even war. TheMaoist Kochila Province is headed by CA member PurnaSingh Rajbanshi. Gopal Gartoula from the Nepali Timesasked him about his party’s intentions.

Laxman Tharu, president, Federal Democratic National Forum

Janajatis are deprived oftheir right to utilise theirwater, land and forests asguaranteed by ILOConvention 169. Thegovernment is sellingmedicinal herbs, wood,rocks and soil withouttaking permission fromthe rightful ownersbecause Janajatis don’thave access to politics.

Once the provincesare created based onethnicity and the rightsover water, forests andland are ensured, theydon’t have to look to thecentre for developmentactivities and locals will be employed.

Creating federal units without the right to self-determination isimpossible. It should be understood as the right to secession. It is aprovision to take decisions on our own but within the purview of thecountry’s interests.

The ethnic issue should be resolved before class conflict. If we wantto resolve the class issue, all should be employed, which is impossible.But the people are rendered unemployed, impoverished anddisrespected just because they are Magar, Tharu, Dalit or Muslim. Howcan this be a class issue?

“No need to panic”scientific proposal for federalism we will think about it.But we know we are the biggest party, and therefore ourproposal is naturally the strongest.

And if the other parties also start declaring their ownprovinces one by one like you have?They should understand that we have called this astrong progressive move. There is no need to panic. Ifthe other parties are responsible they should also comeup with ideas.

There are already groups that question yourboundaries, won’t this invite conflict between ethnicgroups?Only those who are against federalism or want to diluteit say that. Such thinking is completely wrong. If thedemands of marginalised ethnic groups that are on theverge of extinction are addressed that is all for thecommon good, it is not against anyone.

Nepali Times: What is the population and area of theKochila Province?Purna Singh Rajbanshi: I’m not sure.

Now that Kochila province has been declared, what will beyour job?Look, we’ve already declared this province. The otherparties should see this as our commitment and also as achallenge to them. We will now debate this in front of theparties and the people. This is our work now.

Do you mean to say that this is just a proposal? If so, who’sgoing to ratify it?We will take it to the CA and leave it to the centralleadership.

Is there any possibility of working with the other parties,then?I don’t think so. But if they have some better ideas for a

Sanjuhang Palungwa, president, LimbuwanState Council

We are not seeking the autonomy of Limbus inLimbuwan. Our movement is for the liberationof Limbuwan and its autonomy. Limbuwanitself is a territory, not an ethnicity. Ethnicautonomy is not possible. Once autonomy is inplace, Limbus and all those living here will beliberated.

Autonomy without the right to self-determination is meaningless. Locals shouldhave rights over their resources, as defined byILO Convention 169.

We follow all democratic norms. Multi-ethnicity, multi-language, multi-culture is ourreality. If we ignore this, there won’t be lastingpeace and security.

All castes will have equal rights inLimbuwan. There will be autonomous unitswithin the province to include everyone.Limbuwan is imagined as a colourfulTehrathume Dhaka Topi with different huesand patterns.

The province will have a two-tierparliament: a Lower Limbuwan People’sCouncil and an Upper Limbuwan IndigenousCouncil. The representatives in the people’scouncil will be elected through a proportionalrepresentation system and the indigenouscouncil will have representatives of indigenous

Santosh Budha Magar, president, MagaratNational Freedom Front

Language, culture, economy, psychologicalmake-up and territory combined make upnationality. Magarat is the nationality ofMagar but other castes live there too.

The Maoists have come up withnationalities as the basis of federal unitsbecause the ethnic basis is impossible toimplement. It won’t be practicable to makea separate province for an ethnicity thatclaims a couple of hundred members. Wecan make 13 broad provinces based onnationality. There will be sub-provinces

The right to self-determination isthe right to take decisions on our own.It should be acceptable to all to ensurethe rulers cannot betray us. It means inprinciple that if the rulers try to curtailthe rights of the people, they can secede.

Ethnicity in itself is a class. Magarsin general are poor. Ethnic issues can beresolved much earlier than class issues.In Europe, there is no discriminationbased on language and culture buteven now there are issues of class: richand poor.

Federalism alone cannot resolveethnic issues, however.

Ethnicity is classwithin the provinces. Ethnic minoritieswill be given autonomy at regional andvillage levels as required, with provisionsof reservation for marginalisedcommunities. Those without territorysuch as women and Dalits should berepresented proportionately andinclusively.

The freedom of Magarat is the freedomof the people living there at large.However, Magars should get specialpolitical rights to utilise resources in theMagarat region. The preservation oflanguage and culture too should be apriority.

Ethnicliberty first

Liberty ofLimbuwan

nationalities from Limbuwan.People can vote for non-Limbu representatives

for the centre. However, the province reserves theright to call back representatives if they are found tobe acting against the interests of Limbuwan.

TIRTHA SIGDEL

14 18 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481CITY

ABOUT TOWN

sfd ;fgf] 7"nf] eGg] x'Fb}g . kl;gfsf] s'g} /ª / hft klg x'Fb}g . sfdu/]/ vfg nhfpg' klg x'Fb}g . rf]/]/, 9fF6]/, 5n]/, n'6]/ vfg kf]nhfpg'k5{ . hf] hxfF /x]/ h'g sfd u5{ pm To;}df /dfpg'k5{ uf}/aug'{k5{ / ;dlk{t eP/ ug'{k5{ . sfd g} zlQm xf], elQm xf] / d'lQmxf] . sfdsf] OHht u/f}+, kl;gfsf] ;Ddfg u/f}+ .

g]kfn ;/sf/;"rgf tyf ;~rf/ dGqfno

;"rgf ljefu

Ques

t En

tert

ainm

ent

Call 4442220 for show timings at Jai Nepalwww.jainepal.com

Quest Entertainment brings you one of the most awaited movies of the year: JamesCameron’s Avatar. The acclaimed director of Titanic, Terminator 2 and Aliens hasnow released one of the most extravagant films ever, acclaimed as a revolution inmotion picture history. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a former Marine who waswounded in combat and is paralysed from the waist down. He is selected toparticipate in the Avatar program, which will enable him to walk again. He travelsto Pandora, a lush jungle-covered extraterrestrial moon filled with incredible lifeforms, some beautiful, many terrifying. It is also home to the Navi, a sentienthumanoid race. Jake begins to integrate into Navi society, and soon finds himselfcaught between the military-industrial forces of Earth and the Navi, forcing him tochoose sides in an epic battle that will decide the fate of an entire world

For inclusion in the listing send information to editors(at)nepalitimes.com

KATHMANDU VALLEY

WEEKEND WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL

Persistent low pressure continues to govern the weather pattern ofour region in the last one and a half weeks. The chilly wind generatedby the Siberian high pressure zone has repelled that coming in fromthe Indian Ocean, thus Nepal’s skies remained calm early thisweek. Satellite pictures of Thursday afternoon indicate more of thesame over the weekend. This means we should expect foggymornings, sunny intervals in the afternoons and clear night skies.This will lower morning temperatures by 2 degrees over theweekend.

K A T H M A N D U

RECIPES

Ham and Pea Soup

by GRAHAM SYDNEY

This wintery soup is a classic and large quantities canbe made which one can freeze and use wheneverneeded.(Serves 8-12)

Q . W ho do you think is/w as the bestprim e m inister?

Weekly Internet Poll # 481

Q . W ho is using provocations to stall thepeace process?

Total votes: 2,856

EXHIBITIONSHamra Hajurama: Our Grandmothers, book launch & exhibitionopening, 18 December, 11AM Friday, Nepal Art Council, Babar MahalMarfa to Manhattan, exhibition of photographs by Kashish DasShrestha at Siddhartha Art Gallery, Babar Mahal Revisited, till 31December 11AM-5 PM, 4438979A people war, permanent photo exhibition, Sunday-Friday at MadanPuraskar, Patan Dhoka

EVENTSChristmas Workshop at Assumption Catholic Church,24-25 December, Dhobighat, 5526732

MUSICBenefit concert for Street Dog Care, at Hyatt Regency Ballroom,with Ani Choying Dolma, 19 December, 5-7PMHyJazz every Friday evening by Inner Groove at the Rox Bar, 4489362Live band every Friday and rooftop BBQ everyday at Kausi Kitchen,Darbar Marg, 4227288Some like it hot, every Friday BBQ and live music by Dinesh Rai andthe Sound Minds, Rs 899 at Fusion, Dwarika’s Hotel, 7PM onwards,4479488Happy cocktail hour, ladies night on Wednesday with live unpluggedmusic at Jatra Café & Bar, Thamel, 5-7PMNepali Ghajals and songs at D’Lounge Beijing Duck Restaurant, everyThursday 6.30 PM onwards, 4468589Rudra Night live fusion music by Shyam Nepali every Friday, 7PM atGokarna Forest Resort, 4451212

DININGChristmas Eve dinner, with christmascarols and mulled wine, The Café, Hyatt,Rs 1800 ppChristmas Eve dinner, andperformances by Sabin Rai, Cobweb Band,8848 Band, Rs 1500, Hotel Shangri-La Christmas Eve buffet, enjoy seafood atLobsters restaurantArabian Night, with bellydancers fromUkraine on New Year’s Eve, Megha MalharHall, Hotel SoalteeHead to Toran, four-course dinner with aglass of eggnog or gluhwein, Rs 2200,Dwarika’s HotelChristmas French cuisine, veg andnon-veg, Rs 2950+ and Rs 3900+, Chez Caroline, Babar Mahal Revisited,4263070Jingle bell shaped pizzas, with Christmas punch, as well as BBQ andgourmet fare, Aqua Java Zing, Thamel, 4254809Christmas Turkey Dinner, 24 December to 1 January, K-too! Beer &Steakhouse, Thamel, 4700043German Food Festival, 18 December-1 January, Irish Pub, LazimpatChristmas Cake shop, Christmas pudding, chocolate Santa Claus,hampers and more at The Lounge, till 31 December, 4491234New Year’s Eve dinner, with champagne, Rs 4500+ pp, RoxRestaurant, HyattLavazza Coffee and Baskin n’ Robbins, Blue Note Coffee Shop,LazimpatStrawberry Étagère, strawberry flavours at The Lounge, 4.30PM-6.30PM, Hyatt Regency Kathmandu, 4491234Oriental Nights, all flavours and specialities of Asia every Wednesdayat The Café, 6.30PM, Hyatt Regency Kathmandu, 4491234Live continental BBQ Fiesta, exclusive BBQ Dinner at Splash Bar &Grill, Radisson Hotel, from 6.30-10.30PM everydayChocolate, Coffee and Caramel, every evening at The Lounge,4.30-6.30PM, 4491234Wine and cheese, every Friday & Saturday at The Lounge, 5-8PM,4491234A cafe’s café, Dhokaima Café, Patan Dhoka, 5522113Jazzabell Café, relaunched at Jhamsikhel, TGIF, 10% discount all day,happy hour 6-8PM, 2114075The Corner Bar, 5-7PM, 3-11PM, Radisson Hotel Kathmandu, 4411818Al Fresco, for homemade pasta, steak and freshwater trout, SoalteeCrown Plaza, 4273999Kakori, for biryanis, curries and kebabs, Soaltee Crowne Plaza,7-10.45PMMediterranean cuisine every Friday from Greece, Italy and the MiddleEast at The Café, Hyatt Regency, 4491234Teppanyaki meat items and garlic rice at Le Restaurant, Gairidhara,4436318Plat Du Jour at Hotel Shangri-La, Lazimpat, Rs 600, 4412999Reality Bites, The Kaiser Café, Garden of Dreams, operated byDwarika’s Group of Hotels, 9AM-10PM, 4425341Starry night barbecue at Hotel Shangri-La with live performance byCiney Gurung, Rs 999, at the Shambala Garden, every Friday 7PMonwards, 4412999Himalayan Rainbow Trout at Hotel Yak and Yeti, Darbar Marg,4248999Tiger for Breakfast, breakfast everyday at 1905, Kantipath, 4215068Stupa View Restaurant, for vegetarian creations & clay oven pizza atBoudha Stupa, 4480262Gokarna Forest Resort for a variety of sizzlers at Tripti bar, 44512126

GETAWAYFly Away, Marco Polo Travels offers a 3-night package deal to Thailandfor Rs 29000 pp on a twin sharing basis, inclusive of air fare, a 4-staraccommodation.Escapade, one-night stay with Christmas gala dinner, cultural shows,Christmas lunch and drinks at Dhulikhel Mountain Resort, Rs 3000 ppNew Year’s, The Dwarika’s Himalayan Shangri-La Village Resort offersan overnight stay with BBQ dinner, live band, champagne and brunch,4412999/61-462222Godavari Village Resort, offers a New Year’s Eve package forRs 8888 per couple, inclusive of accommodation, dinner, door prizes anda live performance by The Heart Breakers, 5560675

Weekly Internet Poll # 482. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

Soak the peas in cold water overnight. Placethe pork shank, bay leaves and peppercornsin a large pot, cover with water and allow tosimmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat beginsto fall away from the bone. Remove the shanksfrom the stock and strain the remaining liquid.Set both aside to cool. In the same pot onmedium heat, lightly fry the onion, garlic, carrotand celery until soft. Add the peas and the stockfrom the pork shanks. Allow to simmer for atleast 3-4 hours adding water if necessary, untilthe peas begin to dissolve. Remove the skinfrom the pork shanks and shred the meat fromthe bones. Add the meat to the soup and seasonwith the sugar, salt and pepper. Serve with somefresh bread.

European ExpeditionLegendary mountaineer Apa Sherpaand fellow Everest summiteer DawaSteven Sherpa are embarking on an

expedition through 10 European cities –Prague, Brno, Bratislava, London, Rome,

Geneva, Chamonix, Vienna, Brusselsand finally to Copenhagen to raise

awareness about the impact of climatechange in the Himalaya.

Their European journey will reach outto high-profile politicians and celebrities

and people in the streets of theseEuropean cities whose energy needs will

determine the future of hundreds ofmillions of people who depend on

Himalayan waters. The European Expedition is part of theClimate for Life Campaign started by

WWF Nepal and the Nepalgovernment, its development partners

and many non-profit and privateorganizations.

www.climate4life.org

1 kg dried peas2 smoked pork shank3 cups diced onion1 cup finely chopped celery2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic2 cups diced carrot3 bay leaves10 black peppercorns2 tablespoons sugar¼ cup olive oil

salt and pepper to tastewater

Sat Sun

21-5 20-4

Fri

21-6

18 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #481 15HAPPENINGS

KIRAN PANDAY

KIRAN PANDAY

KIRAN PANDAY

DOWN THE HATCH: Locals dispose of illegal homemade alcohol withthe help of Lagankhel police on Saturday.

KIRAN PANDAY

WITCH HUNT: Women accused of witchcraft take part in a debate as partof a function organised by Sancharika Samuha for the 16 DaysCampaign Against Gender Violence, on Tuesday.

SEEING IS BELIEVING: Writer Kanak Mani Dixit at the launch of hisbook Dekheko Muluk at Patan's Yala Maya Kendra on Sunday.

THAT'S SORTED THEN: Pushpa Kamal Dahal with UNSG Rep forChildren and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy after signing theaction plan for the discharge of disqualified combatants.

ISSN

181

4-26

13

CDO Regd No 194/056/57 Lalitpur, Central Region Postal Regd. No 09/066/67

18 - 24 DECEMBER 2009 #48116

ww

w.n

epal

itim

es.c

om

BACKSIDE

ave to give the Ostrich Trophy to this government forburying its head in the sand on national priorities.Makunay, who is still remembered as the minister in the

short-lived UML govt of 1994 who proposed exporting electricity toChina via satellite, got noted Nepali architects together in Baluwatarlast week to call for designs to build a 70m statue of Pegasus atRotten Park. What a bai-pankhi ghoda is supposed to symbolise wedon’t know, but if we must have a 70m statue near Rani Pokharithen a winged Donkey (ahem) may be more appropriate at thepresent time.

And another prize to our rulers for being at the wrong place at thewrong time. When the Kailali forest occupation crisis was going onthe cabinet was meeting at Kala Putter. When the Maoists weredeclaring the Kachila Autonomous State Council in Basantapuron Wednesday, nine ministers were holding a cabinet meeting inCopenhagen. And it looks like the PM will leave Nepal on autopilotand jet off again on a China visit during the indefinite Maoist bannedover Xmas and New Year.

And then Chhatra man Chief Sab goes off to India to buy 50 ‘non-lethal’ T-72 tanks for the Nepal Army. Who are we going to fight withsecond-hand tanks when we have to queue for two hours to get diesel?

Awesome showed his fearsome side the other day at the inaugurationof war pictures when he got so carried away by an alleged conspiracyto bump him off that he threatened to ‘vomit out’ (exact quote) thedetails at an appropriate time. Warming up to the theme, he went onto warn that a million people would have to die and he wouldswim in their blood to achieve the goal of his revolution. Used to theChairman’s hyperbole, the Nepali media ignored the remark. And italso ignored the fact that after the speech His Fierceness choked withemotion and shed a tear or two while looking at a portrait of himself,Comrades Laldhoj and Parbati during the Chunbang Convention.Interestingly, the conjugal comrades are all smiles in the pic: could itbe they had no idea about the purge that was to befall them two dayslater?

The Ass was there among the well-wishers at Osho Ashram to greetKishunji happy budday. The PM appeared, and so did the prez,although Her Highness the DPM and Daddy were conspicuous in theirabsence. The bad blood must really run deep between GPK and KPB.One can understand Kishunji turning to religion at his age, but whatis surprising is that PKD now tries not to skip any function dealingwith the Opium of the Masses. He was at the yagya by DinabandhuPokhrel, the world’s only Maoist Hindu preacher (another one forthe Guinness book). So, Awesome shows up at the Osho Ashram, runssmack into President Ram Baron on the stairs, and is so flustered henamastays the man he is trying to unseat for unseating him.

But much more remarkable was the fact that Comrade Vicious hasgreat spin doctors: he arrived at the ceremony already wearing a dozenmarigold garlands, giving the impression that he was the Chief Guestand not KP Bhattarai.

The Big Three are supposed to be deadlocked over the wording of thesankalpa prastab, but actually it is stuck because the UML andBaddies can’t agree on who should lead a national govt.The Maoists say that being the largest party they have theright to PMship, while the UML is in no mood to let go.And that, ladies and gentlemen is why we are suffering a3-day banned next week.

ass(at)nepalitimes.com

Bannedagain

H