Leaving home

p4

#470 25 September - 1 October 2009 16 pages Rs 30

he Goddess Durga for sale? Hardly a surprise. We’ve beenpurchasing take-home idols of all persuasions, dimensionsand materials since we created god in our own image. The

market for new (never mind old) idols is booming, and never more sothan in the run-up to Dasain. Still, seeing Durga ensconced in thewindow display of a boutique catering to Nepal’s expats was somethingof a surprise. The goddess is sitting pretty, as is the diminutive Ganeshin the corner. Here’s to beginnings, prosperity and good over evil.

God GoodsT

NAYANTARA GURUNG KAKSHAPATI

Nepali Times wishes all its readers and partners a happy Dasain, Chhat, Eid. Becauseof the holidays, there will be no issue of Nepali Times on 2 October. The next hardcopyedition of this paper will come out on 9 October. Log on to www.nepalitimes.com forregular news updates.

Going home

p8-9

2 25 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470EDITORIAL

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

PLAIN SPEAKINGPrashant Jha

T

HOMEWARD BOUNDI’m glad someone’s doing somethingto fix this country (‘Homeward bound’,#469). And the help’s coming from themost unexpected of places: villagers,not our snooty, college-degree totingcity people. It’s an ironic twist on theold ‘Back to the Village Campaign’.

Prakash Rai, Dhankuta

It’s heartening to note that thereare women who are not enamoured ofurban living but choose to return hometo serve their village folks (‘Homewardbound’, #469). The initiativedescribed is laudable as it is helpingpeople to help themselves. Trainedmidwives would go a long way inpreventing maternal deaths duringdelivery. Moreover, they would be in abetter position to advise the motherabout baby care and see thatnecessary immunisation shotsare administered without fail. WhatNepal needs is to provide primary

his country borders on thebizarre. Sample a fewrecent events.

For years now, no official PMdelegation has left the countrywithout journalist RishiDhamala. The fact that he hadbeen charged of abetting a Taraiarmed group was a minor irritantthis time round. His minister-patrons in the government,particularly Sujata Koirala, got

into the act and pressurised theHome Ministry to withdraw thecase so that he could travel.Madhesi ministers insisted thatif Dhamala could get awaywithout the conclusion of hisjudicial process, why should thetwo Madhesi journalists involvedin the case languish in jail? Theywere freed too. The executiveused its discretionary powerswilly-nilly, just to get MrDhamala to accompany Mr Nepalto Uncle Sam.

The Federation of NepaleseJournalists organised a meetingin Janakpur. The FNJ president,

Umesh Sah,published astory in hispaper callingthe meeting‘historic’.Another paper,Janakpur Today,criticized Sah’sclaim, accusedFNJ ofspreadingrumours, andargued bettermeetings wereorganised in thepast. FNJ – theorganisationmeant to protectfreedom of

expression and defendnewspapers against politicalvandalism – reacted by burningcopies of Janakpur Today.

Bijay Gachhadar (ex-NC, didnot want either CA elections orrepublic till early last year) andSanjay Sah (contractor fromJanakpur with a dubiousreputation) are in charge of thecountry’s infrastructure asministers of physical works.Mrigendra Yadav (active royalist,among the biggest feudal lords ofthe eastern Tarai) is the ministerresponsible for Nepal’sagriculture. Ram ChandraKushahawa (former NC, joinedMadhesi politics only in late2007, lost elections) runs theeducation system. The ‘Madhes’has unprecedented access topower in this government – butthis cast of characters illustrateshow little that means.

Every few weeks, the Ministryof Peace and Reconstruction goesthrough a ritual. It invites adozen or so donor and embassyrepresentatives, desperate tospend money and carve a nichefor themselves, to discuss the‘discharge’ question. A fewMaoist representatives usuallystroll in and face the rest, as theychat about rehabilitation of thedisqualified. Noone knows whois supposed to be negotiatingwhat. Peace Ministry officialslook at the donors, the donorslook at the Maoists, and theMaoists keep nodding. Either thegovernment or the Maoists thenconveniently shifts the goalposts.The donors – as if on cue – scurryoff to prepare yet another‘package’ that will be mutuallyacceptable. Everyone goes roundand round the peace tree untilthey all fall down.

Dhamala’s case reflects howthe state encourages impunity,makes a mockery of the rule oflaw, and the penchant of theexecutive for acting arbitrarily in

favour of the powerful. TheJanakpur case illustrates thedegeneration and pettiness of‘civil society’, and the insistenceon one’s own truth as the onlytruth. The background ofMadhesi ministers highlightshow a movement for rights anddignity has been co-opted by oldelites who had nothing to dowith the movement but are adeptat navigating Kathmandu’s powerpolitics. And the farcicalnegotiations on the peace processare representative of how actorssee it as a tool to derive politicaladvantage, with noone reallyinterested in ending thetransition.

It also shows howassumptions that are often madein liberal democracies do notquite work in practice.

In Nepal, institutions do notfollow the rules but the whimsand fancies of those in power.Civil society and media, for alltheir self-righteousness, are notindependent actors occupyingpublic space, but thoroughlycompromised forces replicatingthe behavioural traits of politicalactors. The spirit of the electoralmandate need not be respected. Itcan in fact be subverted to suitexisting elites. And perhaps thatis why they are at the forefront ofdefending ‘democracy’ as it existsnow, as it existed in the 1990s –it allows them to use itsloopholes to maintain theirhegemony.

The big challenge for the CAwas to take systemic flaws andindividual frailties into account,devise a system that wouldchange the incentive structure ofpolitical actors, and makedemocracy more meaningful forthose on the margins. If currentevents are any indication, thatdoes not seem likely anymore.

Enjoy Dasain, ruminate, anddrink to the absurd times welive in.

Bizarre but banalEverything changes, everything stays the same

TIME OUTAnd so the blessed break for blessings is finally here. As foretoldby all and sundry, nothing extraordinary has transpired these lastcouple of weeks, and we heave a sigh of relief as we tramp backhigh on the heady fumes of traffic, having braved the New Roadmasses, to singularly reticent news bulletins.

Despite the endless speculation, the UML-led government isstill intact, the UML itself is still intact, and there are signs Girijababu has accepted these realities for now. Even the historicpeople’s revolt appears to be on the backburner, but if it catches usby surprise, rest assured it will be televised.

Dasain is here! So much has changed these past two decades– we’ve moved from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchyto state-at-war to republic to absolute chaos and we’re still not done– but for Dasain, the song remains the same. Perhaps not quite thesame. Commercialism is rife, but the festival itself is a way awayfrom being reduced to High Street Christmas. Come Dasain, theValley itself will empty of thousands of johnny-come-latelys, whowill make their joyful way back to home and hearth, mirroring asimilar stream of holidayers from India, Malaysia, the Gulf and theWest.

Whatever the naysayers bang on about, Dasain remains aquintessentially Nepali festival. Whether you choose to celebrate itor not, when you see the kites flutter in the vigorous seasonalwinds, when you see determined-looking family units troopingaround your neighbourhood with huge plasters of tika on theirforeheads, when you hear the shouts of ‘maarra!’ from the kaudaparlours, for an instant at least, one hopes we’ll all remember ourconnections with this great festival, Bada Dasain, forget ourdifferences and think of them as the diversity that could still makeus a great nation.

Dasain is here. Enjoy the eye of the storm while it swirls aroundus. Who knows, we may even bring something out of it to sustain usthrough the rest of the year and beyond, if we are wise enough andbrave enough to withstand those winds of change that threaten toblow us off course.

It’s been a long year. You (and we) deserve a break. Season’sgreets to all.

LETTERSNepali Times welcomes feedback. Lettersshould be brief and may be edited for space.While pseudonyms are accepted, writerswho provide their real names and contactdetails will be given preference. Email lettersshould be in text format without attachmentswith ‘letter to the editor’ in the subject line.

Email: letters(at)nepalitimes.comFax: 977-1-5521013Mail: Letters, Nepali Times,GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal.

and Kangresis, Maoists and MJFmembers, have put aside theirdifferences and really taken a big stepforward by drafting a charter of women’srights. Men in the same position wouldstill be squabbling over committeememberships and we’d be hit by a wholenew set of protests about the supremacyof this or that.

Laxmi Shrestha, email

KIRAN PANDAY

health care in each and every village sothat minor ailments as well as preventiveaspects of health care can be provided atthe local level. A largenumber of trained‘bare-foot’ doctors atthe village level wouldbe highly desirable.One hopes thegovernment, NGOs andthe corporates willwork towards creatingsuch a force that couldminimise the burden onthe already sorelytested governmenthospitals, where theseexist.

D.B.N. Murthy,Lalitpur

BLACK DAYSExactly right, what will happen to ourstudents (‘Black Days’, #469)? Politiciansforget that the repercussions of their

mistakes and squabbles will be felt forgenerations, not only a couple of years.We simply can’t erase them and pretend

they neverhappened.Studentsexasperated by allthis bad politicswill either leavethe country or joinin the melee.Neither will helpus.

Name withheld,email

LEADING BYEXAMPLESometimes Iwonder whether aworld without menwould be a better

place. Our woman CA members suggest tome that it may (‘Leading by example’,#469). Women of all stripes, communists

325 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470OP-ED

STATE OF THE STATEC K Lal

T here are supposed to be 330 million deities in the Hindupantheon, but even the most learned of priests is unlikely to beable recite the names of more than a hundred. Goddesses are

easier to remember as many of them are worshipped under one oranother name during Dasain, considered by many the national festivalof Nepal. In her various forms, the Mother Goddess embodies all thequalities of the maker, the protector and the destroyer represented byBrahma, Vishnu and Mahesh of the male Hindu trinity.

The practice of mother worship is probably pre-Aryan and has co-existed with the tradition of ancestor worship since hunter-gatherer

times. In South India, Amma, themother, is the guardian of mostvillages. Jai Bhawani used to be thewar cry of Marathas just as Bengaliswent to war shouting Jai Durge, and

the ferocious Kali was worshipped by the warriors of Central India. Theenduring appeal of Sati, the mother eternal, has been the distinctivemark of Hinduism in the mountainous regions between Assam andKashmir. In Mithila, the mother is Bhairavi, the deity of decay whosets the stage for renewal.

In all her forms, the goddess is the embodiment of cosmic energy.She is Shakti, the Supreme Power. Worship of the Mother Goddess isoften laden with Tantric rituals. Considering the complexity involvedin appeasing female deities, worshipping Shiva is a lot simpler.

Shivaratri has a decentclaim to being thenational festival of thecountry, the presidingdeity being none otherthan the Lord of Animals.Indra and Vishnu, too,have been venerated in theKathmandu Valley sincethe time of the Lichhavis.Indrajatra itself marks theday when the forces ofPrithvi Narayan Shah

vanquished the unprepared warriors of the last Malla king ofKathmandu. The Gorkha court could have easily ordained that theirday of victory be marked with festivities. But somehow Dasainestablished itself as the main socio-religious festival of Nepal.

There are many stories explaining the significance of Dasain.According to Ramayan legends, Rama sought the blessing of Durga todefeat the demon-king Ravana. In another narrative of the triumph ofgood over evil, Mahisashurmardini trounces an animal demon to freethe earth from its excesses. These are interesting stories, but noteveryone who celebrates Dasain knows much about them. For mostNepalis, Dasain is the festival and that’s it.

In Bengal, the beginning of Durga Puja festivities is dated to theearly seventeenth century. The Mysore Dushera too is believed to havebegun around the time the Mughal Empire was disintegrating but theEast India Company was yet to establish itself. Dasain ensconsceditself as the festival of choice of warrior kings in different regions ofsouth Asia, including in many mountain principalities that were tolater become parts of Nepal.

Present forms of Dasain festivities in the country are probably ofmore recent origin. They may have evolved in the barracks of Gorkharegiments where Brahmin priests simplified complex rituals of Shaktiworship to suit the temperament of Matwali soldiers. They sanctifiedeating, drinking, gambling and making merry, all in the name of theMother Goddess. Shah and Rana rulers merely institutionalised thesystem back home.

Ironically, those who gave Dasain pan-Nepal acceptability - theJanjatis of the mid-mountains from the east and west - have begun tocall for its boycott. In keeping with the Urdu-laden Gorkha Bhasha andthe lack of official caste hierarchy within the British and IndianGurkhas, the lahures kept the faith through their own secularcelebrations of religious festivities such as Dasain and Tihar. Thus theykept in touch with the idea of Nepal and Nepalis rather than their ownethnic particularities. As long as these indefatigable fighters continueto serve abroad, Dasain celebrations there will retain their secularcharacter. It may not be politically correct to say so in these times, butDasain is indeed the ‘national’ festival of Nepal, and it has aninternational face.

Enduringrelevanceof DasainIronically, those who gave Dasainpan-Nepal acceptability havebegun to call for its boycott

4 25 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470BUSINESS

abina Rai (name changed),27, has not had enoughfood or sleep since she

landed in Dubai in July this year.She starts at 6AM every morningand often works until 4AM thenext morning. The work is back-breaking dusting, washing,scrubbing and cooking for a 24-member joint family. As if thatweren’t enough, she also has towork for the family’s relativestime and again.

“It seems I won’t be able tocome home except cramped in acoffin,” she writes to Pourakhi, anNGO working for women migrant

workers. Sabina is essentially amodern day slave.

Interestingly, she is one of thefew women migrant workers tohave used Kathmandu as a transitpoint. The Government of Nepalhas banned the migration ofwomen as domestic help. SoSabina submitted fake documentsclaiming she would be working ina hotel. The ban, in isolation, hasdone little to help women whoare willing to risk all to join theGulf rush. “Sabina writes to usand even calls asking for us torescue her but there is no way wecan help her,” says NirjalaBhattarai, director of Pourakhi.

Most Nepali women whobecome domestic workers in theGulf use Delhi and Mumbai astransit points. They obtainpassports from local agents whodeliver them to prospectiveemployers. Because of restrictiveimmigration-sponsorshippolicies that link their visas totheir employers, these women

have little freedom, even toreturn home. Employerssometimes withhold payment formonths, even years, andconfiscate their passports in anapparent effort to prevent themrunning away.

Mankumari Rawat (namechanged) of Banke district flew toSaudi Arabia after returning toNepal from a failed three-weekstint in Kuwait. Things did notlook good from the outset. Shewas picked up in Mumbai by hernew Saudi employer, who toldher outright, “You are not beinghired just as domestic help.” Butthe illiterate Rawat, whoPourakhi surmises had a historyof mental illness and alcohol

abuse, went ahead with the deal,hoping for the best.

Mankumari sufferedpsychological, physical andsexual abuse at the hands of heremployer until she was dumpedin the streets one day. Nepaliworkers who found her took herto the Nepali embassy. She wastransferred to jail for a monthpending preparation of traveldocuments, then deported toNepal. She recalls having felt“safe” in jail.

Over 90 per cent of theestimated 2.6 million Nepalimigrant workers in the Gulf andMalaysia are unskilled. TheDepartment of ForeignEmployment Promotion recordsshow 232,965 people left lastyear, of which 4,642 werewomen. Government recordsshow there are 20,000 Nepaliwomen migrant workers abroad,but a report by the NepalInstitute for DevelopmentStudies (NIDS) claims the figure

is closer to 70,000. They bring inover Rs 20 billion in remittanceannually, 11 per cent of the total.

“Migrant worker remittancesrepresent money the country isgetting without investing in themat all,” says Ganesh Gurung,foreign employment expert andPresident of the National Networkfor Safe Migration. “Thegovernment should invest inproducing skilled manpower tocompete in the world labourmarket.”

The government has set up aForeign Employment PromotionBoard for the wellbeing of thosemigrant workers who have officialpermission to migrate for labour.A subsidised orientation course is

available to provide informationon the destination, workplacesafety and labour rights.

The board has also come upwith a rescue package for migrantworkers who have lost their jobsto the recession. Of the paltry 224workers who have claimedcompensation, none were women.“It might be that women migrantworkers work as domestic help, sothey are the least affected,” saysSthaneshwar Devkota, ExecutiveDirector of the board.

But to claim the package, adismissal notice, a governmentlabour permit and the recruitmentagency’s receipts are required.“Most of the women migrantworkers sought illegal meansbecause of the government’s banon domestic workers,” saysBhattarai. “How can thegovernment be so apathetictowards this problem whenwomen make such a significantcontribution to the nationaleconomy?”

s the holidays begin, some Nepalis are packing their bagsto go abroad. These days, some are headed to Egypt. Lastyear alone, about three hundred Nepalis toured the land

of the Pharaoahs. Jeevan Shrestha of the Egyptian embassy inKathmandu says, “This is the figure for Nepali residents; thefigure for non-resident Nepalis is even higher.” Moreconventional holiday destinations for Nepalis are Goa,Mauritius, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Egypt is the newhot spot. And it’s no surprise – about 11 million internationaltourists visit Egypt annually.

Egypt’s rich history not only makes it a favourite amongtourists, but researchers and historians too. Tourist attractions inthe country include the Great Pyramids of Giza, along with theNile and the Khan Ali Khalil Bajar of Cairo.

A trip to Egypt is never complete without a cruise on theNile. A train trip of about 15 to 16 hours from Cairo gets you toAswan Bandargah, where cruise packages are available. The three-day package on the five-star rated SS Karim is the most popular.

Nili Shah, sales executive for Marcopolo Travels, explainsthat an 8-day trip to Egypt is available for $700-800, inclusive ofa plane ticket and a tour around Cairo, Giza, Luxor and othercities as well as a Nile cruise. It seems the offer is a tempting one.According to Kalpana Shrestha of Gulf Air Nepal, which flies tomore than 40 countries, there has been a surge in the number ofNepalis booking tickets to Egypt.

Here’s to a future in which Nepalis leave home for the MiddleEast not just to work, but to play. Sambhu Guragain and Ram Krishna Banjara

A cruise fitfor Pharaohs

The Middle East canbe fun for Nepalis too

A

The ban on domestic workers has not improvedthe situation of women workers abroad

Modern day slaves

SDEWAN RAI

RAMYATA LIMBU

525 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470BUSINESS

arly one morning last week a group ofsix men stood by the roadside inBhairahawa, sipping anxiously at

cups of hot tea. Ten days previously theirvillages had been visited by Shailaja C.M.and Dilu Tamang of Kathmandu-based NGOThe Esther Benjamins Memorial Foundation(EBMF). They’d brought the astonishingnews that the men’s sons, nephews andbrothers, who had been given up for dead,had been found in children’s homes inDelhi. The men were now waiting withnervous anticipation to join Shailaja andDilu on the 24-hour bus journey to Delhi tobring the boys home.

The plight of Nepali children in Indianchildren’s homes first came to EBMF’sattention earlier this year. According topress reports, 500 displaced Nepalichildren are living in conditions that caterfor only the most basic of needs. Theirunwilling residents can expect to bedischarged onto the streets, homeless andwithout prospects, once they reach 18.

EBMF research currently underwayseeks to get to the bottom of the situation.What are these children doing in Indianchildren’s homes, and what can be doneabout it? The initial impression is that manyare child-trafficking victims who end upwashed up on these desert islands thatmasquerade as childcare centres. EBMF’ssolution is direct action.

Last week’s trip was the final chapter ina trial run to repatriate a group of theseincarcerated children. Visits to two Delhihomes earlier this year uncovered six

extremely wary Nepali children. A needle-in-a-haystack search around Nepalganjtraced all six families. News of theirchildren’s whereabouts was met with bothelation and suspicion. Hardly surprising.The uncle of one of the boys told of rumoursof children being kidnapped and burnt alive.

After the successful rescue of three ofthe boys shortly after their arrival in Delhi,the hopes of the EBMF team were high asthey departed for the Philwari Children’sHome to retrieve the other three boys. Thenecessary paperwork was in place and

significantly, family members were on handto claim the boys. In spite of this, the father of13-year-old Raju Chhetri (name changed)maintained he would not believe his son wasalive until he saw him with his own eyes.

The party’s confidence was somewhatshaken upon arrival at the home, where thefamilies were greeted by ominous barbedwire topped walls and patrolling guards.Entry to the premises was denied for twohours until a local NGO interceded. In themeantime even photographs outside theperimeter wall were banned by overzealous

FRAN LITTMANN

For Nepali boys rescued from south ofthe border, this Dasain really couldmean the victory of good over evil

security staff.Forty-five minutes after finally gaining

access, Akash Malla, brother of twelve-year-old Suraj Malla (name changed),reappeared ashen-faced. He had beeninformed that his brother had run away. Thehome insisted that Suraj had somehow‘disappeared’ after being taken to hospitalfor treatment for a minor wound. Akash wasdoubtful, as there was a medical centre on-site and the details of precisely when Surajran away were sketchy. He had not beenpermitted to see his brother’s file.

But there was respite for others. Afterbattling seemingly insurmountableobstacles related to apparent identityinconsistencies in the paperwork, as wellas the inexplicable absence of a keydecision-maker from the home, the casewent to Court. When the judge demanded aletter of authority from the Nepal Embassy,Raju’s father announced his refusal to leavethe court that day without his son. EBMF’slocal partner, ChildLine India Foundation,was summoned. Soon afterwards, followingdiscussion of the provisions of the IndianJuvenile Justice Act, the judge relented.

Five days after their journey began, fivefreed children reached Nepalganj with theirfamilies. Our sense of achievement wassoured by Akash having to return empty-handed. His only consolation can be thathis brother, one of Nepal’s many lost andtrapped children in India, remains firmly onEBMF’s ‘missing’ list. More trips south ofthe border will follow in an effort to bringNepal’s children back to their rightfulhome.

For further information www.ebtrust.org.uk

CastawaysE

ROCKY PRAJAPATI

STRICTLY BUSINESSAshutosh Tiwari

uality of growth was in the mindsof policymakers, developmentpractitioners and academics at the

Asia Regional Conference held in NewDelhi last week. The conclusion of themeeting was that when economic growthtakes place, benefits do not always go tothe poor.

By encouraging participants to sharewhat has worked in different parts of Asia,the conference sought to look at ways to

make growth inclusive of the leastempowered and the most vulnerable. Thestage was set when growth was described asa situation in which, ideally, “there arehigher real wages, lower real food prices,and labour market opportunities forthe poor”.

A session in which I took partexamined how the private sector, thepublic sector and civil societyorganisations can forge alliances to providesocial protection measures to the poor.

Civil society: Most development-oriented NGOs work to give a voice to thevoiceless so that the concerns of themarginalised are represented in publicforums and are addressed. The poor oftendo not have access to healthcare, childcare,pension funds, shelter and basic amenitiessuch as toilets and water. But as we haveseen again and again in Nepal, whencalamity strikes, political representativesare not the fastest providers of relief.

Given the range of services that the poorneed, well-intentioned NGOs face twochoices: forever approach donors for

funding for various activities, or look forways to organise the poor. The latter, ifdone well, gives the poor a chance to formcooperatives and alliances that can createpartnerships or bargain with the publicand the private sectors for the delivery ofservices and goods. The NGOs’ value-addition work consists of organising thepoor, giving them know-how andconnecting them to opportunities thatmatch their needs.

One example that came up was that ofSewa Bank, an NGO-run institution inIndia that collects deposits from the poorand provides basic money-related servicesto those not yet included in the financialsector. Likewise, once the poor areorganised, NGOs can help them set uphealth cooperatives that bring doctors andmedicines to the villages.

The public sector: An enlightenedgovernment can design frameworks andregulations that ensure the poor have accessto growth opportunities. Vouchers and

subsidies, for instance, have helped poorchildren attend good schools. Similarly,microfinance, job market training programsand public works such as road-buildinghave helped the poor access opportunitiesto participate in the formal economy.

In Indonesia, the poor have notsuffered as much due to the present globalfinancial crisis as they did ten years ago.This is because the government learntlessons and proactively set up copingmechanisms such as employment creationprograms and health insurance schemes soworkers who lost their jobs were not left tofend for themselves.

The private sector: NGOs andcommunities have been providing someform of insurance to the poor. In recenttimes, however, various governments havestipulated that private insurance providersserve the poor. As a result, micro-insurancehas come up as a commercially viableproduct. The aim is to help the poorprotect themselves financially fromcalamities and economic shocks.

Even in the face of limiteddocumentation, commercial providers,working in tandem with NGOs, haveventured to provide insurance. In doing so,they have provided better systems ofdelivering benefits, the marketing muscleto scale up the number of risk-poolinghouseholds, and ideas for productinnovation.

In Nepal, there is often a sense thatcivil society, the private sector and thepublic sector work at cross purposes. Thelesson of the conference was that if theywork together with the goal of uplifting thepoor, they will do much to reduce thevulnerability experienced daily bymillions in Nepal.

Working better togetherWe have toensure growthincludes the poor

Q

KIRAN PANDAY

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Lucky two NeotericNepal andParamountElectronics, distributors ofNokia,

announced the first lucky draw winnersof ‘Nokia yaspaliko Dasain Tihardouble babal offer’. The winners BijayaLal Dangol and Rakesh Harlalka eachwon Bajaj bikes.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Climate changeAs part of its Corporate SocialResponsibility program, WorldLink hasjoined hands with WWF’s Climate forLife to spread awareness about thechanging climate in the Himalaya.WorldLink will be supporting the onlinecommunications and outreachactivities for the campaign.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Winner‘Signature Golf Challenge’ wasorganised at Gokarna Golf Club lastweek. The winner of the tournamentwas Jung Chul Pyo with 39 stable fordpoints out of a total of 81 golfers.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

CelebrationFOSS Nepal Community celebratedthe sixth International SoftwareFreedom Day on 19 September at Yala

MayaKendra,Lalitpur.Also,MinisterforInformation

and Communication Shankar Pokharelunveiled ‘Nirvikalpa 2.0’, acompilation of free/open sourcesoftware.

HOME FOR DASAIN: The boysarrive safe and sound in Nepalganj

6 25 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

Editorial in Annapurna Post, 20 September

Public transport, including Tata sumos and microbuses on the highwayroute connecting Birganj, Hetauda and Kathmandu have suddenlyincreased their fares. Unsurprisingly, they’ve taken advantage of theholiday season, when demand for public transport rises. It’s obvious thatthere’s collusion between the owners of these vehicles and governmentbureaucrats. Businessmen especially are behaving unethically. But thepeople who are supposed to stop these crimes aren’t doing much aboutit. “They may be illegally hiking prices, but we can’t pursue them. Thevehicles we have at our disposal are all out of order,” says a government

official.Whether it’s Dasain or

Eid, Chhat or Tihar, peoplewill pay a little extra whenthey have to. Businessmenare fully aware of this. Andit’s not just happening on theaforementioned routes.Customers are often toldthere is no transportavailable. But wait, if you paya little extra, perhaps

something can be arranged? Once the customer is resigned to this,suddenly the missing transport turns up. Such is the psychological holdthe swindlers have over their customers that the latter actually feel as ifthey have scored a victory when paying double the price. Sometimesthey don’t even get a valid ticket for their trouble.

If the government is to save its citizens from such scams, itseriously needs to strengthen its follow-up mechanisms. Businessmen,too, need to understand that cheating and lying is no way to do businessin the long term.

Byakul Pathak in Nepal Samacharpatra, 18 September

Nepal Samacharpatra caught up withParmanand Jha this week and asked him aboutlife after the Hindi oath row. Translatedexcerpts:

Nepal Samacharpatra: Now that the SupremeCourt has said you’re no longer vice presidentand the government has withdrawn yourofficial security, how are you spending thedays?

Parmanand Jha: I haven’t been outside my housesince 30 August. Like at Bahadur Bhawan earlier, I stillmeet various people, but at my house. I feel like I’m ina state of house arrest somewhat like the democraticleader of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi. People are evenbombing my house now. I’d be beaten up if I left myhouse.

How does it feel being holed up at home likethis?I am very relaxed. I’ve no worries and nocomplications. I haven’t felt the need to go out but inany case I haven’t been forbidden from doing so. Andmy pension as a judge has been enough for two meals aday.

Why aren’t you leaving home? Are youhumiliated that the government has removedthe flag and security from your home?Not at all. It’s better not to have a flag that’s a matter ofdebate waving uselessly atop your home and car. Even

though the government has removed the national flag,the same flag will honour my dead body as the firstNepali vice president. And as far as my post isconcerned, I am still the vice president. I was electedby six hundred and one CA members, until andunless those members decide otherwise, noone canexpel me from the post.

If you were not retaking the oath in Nepali,why did you make the President and thePrime Minister wait for hours on 30 August?I had met President Ram Baran Yadav twice andPrime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal thrice to makemy stance about retaking the oath clear. Even whenthe Madhesi parties suggested I retake the oath inMaithili, I’d flatly refused, fearing anothercontroversy. And on 30 August itself, I called a pressconference at 1:30PM to announce that I was notretaking the oath. After all this, I see absolutely noreason for them to have waited. It was just a ploy toput the blame on me.

“I’m very relaxed”

KIRAN PANDAY

Boat: Constitution writingSignpost: Beware, fall ahead

Batsayan in Kantiput, 13 September

Transport thugs

Thakur Singh Tharu in Nayapatrika, 20 September

On Friday evening, Madanand Mahendra Tamang werediscovered with 5 kg ofdried deer meat at a securitycheckpoint as they were ontheir way to Kathmandu.Similarly, Anil Thapa ofthe Armed Police Force wasfound with a kilo of drieddeer meat at the Kailaliborder. Thapa had handed acarton of the meat to a busdriver going to Kathmanduand told him that someoneat Kohlapur would receiveit. All three have beencharged.

Bhola Paswan in Naya Patrika, 20 September

Loggers have beenbribing office-holders ofCommunity Forest UserGroups in Saptaridistrict to help themaccess timber in thenational forests of theregion. The loggers agreeto leave the communityforests alone, but paycommissions to post-holders of the user groups. Illegally loggedtimber from national forests is smuggled to theIndian market with the connivance of said post-

Illegal loggingholders. Although the district boasts 218community forests, only 12 are operating

lawfully, according to theDistrict ForestAdministration.

But illegal logging istaking place incommunity forests aswell. Says Nasiblal Yadavof Bhimphedicommunity forest,“Corruption has ruinedthe entire forest user’sgroup.”

Only this year, 17 bicycles belonging to loggersand 178 lots of timber were discovered in variousforests in Saptari.

Poaching

725 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470CONSTITUTION 2010

The industrial town of Hetaudais dominated by workers from amix of ethnicities and languages.This heterogenous society in themiddle of the country desiresequality above all in therestructuring of the state. HimalKhabarpatrika spoke to residentson the challenges of constitutionwriting and federalism.

Himal Khabarpatrika: Whyhas constitution-writing notbeen able to gainmomentum?

Sobin Thing (Secretary,Tamsaling Volunteer Front):There is a conspiracy underwayto make the ConstituentAssembly meaningless byobstructing the constitution-writing process.

Surya Chandra Neupane(Nepal Red Cross Society):The Maoists think that they havethe right to all the power and that“the losers should run away”while the other parties say, “sowhat if they are the biggest partyin the CA, they didn’t get amajority”. This has affected theconstitution-writing process.

Pratap Bista (CentralMember, Federation ofNepalese Journalists): Theparties don’t understand thepolitical realities. They are stillthinking in terms of who lostand who won. Each group isthinking of a constitution thatsuits their interests rather than agood constitution.

Are the political partiesincapable of writing theconstitution or is it just thatthey haven’t been able tofocus on it?

Rita Khanal (Nepal TradeUnion Congress): Not all theparties act according to thecommitments they have made.Civil society has not only beenunable to raise its voice but hasalso been influenced by political

interests. Why hasn’t the mediabeen able to expose the Maoists’lack of interest in writing theconstitution?

Rajan Mainali (HumanRights and Peace Society):It’s not fair to say that all civilsociety is politicised. Thepolitical parties themselves tendto call on civil society when theyneed to but neglect themotherwise. They are dishonest.

Kumar Tamang (TamsalingFreedom Front): Ethnicity-based political parties havemushroomed, and the mainstreamparties fear they will have to grantethnic autonomy. There is asuspicion that this is why theparties haven’t given priority toconstitution-writing.

Bhagwati Pudasaini (VillageWomen Service Centre): Thepessimism of the leadership haskilled the hopes of the peoplethat the constitution will bewritten. The people have topressurise the parties.

P.B. Gole Tamang (NepalDemocratic Tamang SocietyFront): There is no doubt thatthe parties are committed towriting the constitution. Theymanaged to write the interimconstitution, hold ConstituentAssembly elections, and declare arepublic. And recently theyelected the chair of theConstitutional Committee andthe army integration committee.This gives us hope.

Everyone is committed torestructuring the state. Butthey haven’t been able tocome to an agreement. Whyis this?

Shiva Prasad Koirala(Civilian Support Front): Weonly have 7-8 months to completethe constitution but the partiesare not clear on what kind offederalism they want. The peopleunderstood that cross-party

agreement was necessary – this iswhy they didn’t give any ofthem an absolute majority.Federalism should also be basedon a similar division of power.

Sobin Thing: The Maoistsused ethnic and regional slogansbut once they were in power theyresigned rather than fulfill theirpromises. The song speaks of agarland of a hundred flowers butsome are still trying to ensurethe garland is made up of asingle kind of flower.

Mukunda Prasad Adhikari(Bar Court, Hetauda):History shows that haste makes ahash of things. We should learnthis from the interimconstitution. The other thing israther than the political partiesdirecting the ethnic groups, thereis a risk the ethnic groups maycontrol the parties. This couldlead to conflict.

Krishna Prasad Dahal(UML): The confusion of theparties regarding federalism hasslowed the constitution-writingprocess. Truth be told, they areafraid of destroying their votebanks.

If federalism leads totrouble is there a possibilityof a return to a unitarystate?

Keshab Prasad Kafle(Principal, HetaudaCampus): The nation hasalready decided to go forfederalism, there is no goingback.

Amrit Kumar Lama(Lawyer): We cannot turn ourbacks on federalism anddemocracy. It is because the statedid not consider the peoples ofMagarant, Tamsaling, Limbuwanand the Madhes first andforemost Nepalis that thisproblem arose. But these peopleshould also think of themselvesas Nepali.

“They are afraidof destroyingtheir vote banks”

Kiran Gurung, UML CA member,Tanahun-3

How did you spend the last year in theCA?A lot of time passes just meeting in ourcommittees. Sometimes, we have toattend meetings outside our committees.When meetings are delayed, we spendtime doing party business and meetingfriends.

Unicameral or bicameral system?A bicameral system is best, because inNepali society a unicameral system can’tcapture the majority of people’s views.That’s why the Form of Legislative Body Committee is headingtowards instituting a bicameral system.

Is there a solution to the deadlock on the language issue?Yes, but only if we first separate Nepali languages from foreignones. We should make the predominant language the officialstate language, otherwise the language problems will return.

The problems are adding up. Will the constitution be done ontime?Only if our leaders stop being so selfish and put aside theirdifferences. Otherwise, we’ll never pull ourselves out of thismess.

Should the Parliament or the Supreme Court interpret theconstitution?The Supreme Court, definitely. This way, we can preserve theseparation of powers and equilibrium between branches ofgovernment. Right now the parties are being very selfish.Leaders need to bring about an agreement soon.

People are complaining that the CA isn’t able to work. What doyou think?Everyone needs to work together to get the constitution done ontime, including the big parties, the thematic committees, thegovernment, and everyone else involved. The big parties haveequally big responsibilities. After all, the CA is comprised ofparty members. The leaders have to put aside their differences.

Mohammad Istiyak Rai, MJFCA member, Banke-2

How have you spent the last year inthe CA?The CA hasn’t been able to workproperly because the parties havebeen stubborn. There’s a lot ofdisagreement in the assembly. Theyhaven’t been able to advance people’sinterests and the cause of basichuman equality.

In that case, will the constitution everbe done?We can make it even in two days. But

it’s taken so long because our selfish leaders get in the way,instead of working for the country’s progress. This is why itlooks increasingly improbable that the constitution will bewritten on time.

Unicameral or bicameral system?A bicameral system would be best but the president should havefull executive authority.

What should be the official state language?Both Nepali and Hindi. Hindi is understood by Maithili, Bhojpuri,Urdu speakers, and people in the hills and the Himalaya.

You have a Muslim first name but your last name is Rai. Howcome?I’m Muslim, but in my community, many of those who deal invegetables are given ‘Rai’ as a last name.

Do you think the country will splinter under ethnic federalism?No. On the contrary, it will be more cohesive. If oppressed andmarginalised groups can lay claim to some province, they willbe more likely to call Nepal their own too.

“A strong CAisn’t enough”

“Big leadersare hurdles”

KIRAN PANDAY

8 NATION

n ‘Empty, Stately Thapagaun’ (#330), Himali Dixitwondered if modernisation would draw the MugaliThapas back to their ancestral homes in the hillybackwaters of Muga. The seasonal road from Pakhribas,

an hour by bus northwest from Dhankuta, is a significantadvance on the days of horses, palanquins and good old-fashioned walking. But if today’s professional, metropolitanThapas are too preoccupied with life in Dharan, Biratnagarand Kathmandu to consider getting back to their roots, whatof their children, to whom Muga may seem as remote aprospect as Mugu?

On the face of it, Muga is simply another sparselyinhabited VDC spread across barren, reddish hills…but thetwo-hour stroll from Pakhribas gives me an idea why myparents are so pleased I’m visiting my ancestral village. Thegrand brick and mortar edifices the baby boomer generationof Mugali Thapas was born in are visible from hills away.Testament to the imagination and determination of theprosperous men who commissioned them, the Thapa housesare quite outlandish in their scale, relative to the mundanelycharming cottages they tower over. In such a way must theMugali Thapas themselves have dominated the Ghimires,Rais and Kamis they drew unto themselves as they settled

far east of their Pokhreli origins in the wake of the Gorkhaliconquest of Nepal 250 years ago.

But what remains of the feudal legacy of the MugaliThapas? It’s not to be found in the shell of former PrimeMinister Surya Bahadur Thapa’s 40-room mansion,firebombed by the Maoists in 2004, down the hill (above left,bottom). Nor is it in the half-dozen mostly abandonedresidences that make up Muga’s skyline. Close up you seewhat damage time and neglect have wrought. But traditiondies harder. This year, Thapas gathered by the hundreds forthe triennial clan Dewali to honour their clan gods Seto Baraand Bindabasini. The living culture of the Mugali Thapasstands in utter contrast to the dilapidated houses of Muga.

The day before the Dewali, we wend our slow way toMuga. Scores of Thapas and 400-odd rather bewilderedsacrificial goats, or boka, disembark as a steady drizzleobscures the hills. Long-lost cousins step forward to welcomeus. The Thapa men – doctors, engineers, bankers, bureaucrats,farmers and the odd writer – introduce themselves by thenames of their fathers and grandfathers, to polite rounds ofapplause. Then we scatter, glancing up from under ourumbrellas at the grey firmament.

We awake on the clearest day imaginable to the

The land ofThe livingculture of theMugali Thapasstands in uttercontrast to thedilapidatedhouses of Muga

TEXT AND PICTURES BY RABI THAPA I

CONTRASTING LEGACIES: Some houses have fared better than others

COMING HOME:TheMugali Thapas taketheir gods for a spin

925 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470

f my fathersdelightfully unfamiliar panorama of the Makalu range. Byseven, the clan has converged on the simple cottage housingtheir gods. To the melodic racket of a panchebaja, the Thapadhamis (priests) whoop and holler, clashing their cymbalsas they hop around the house. As the urn representingBindabasini emerges from the dark interior, festooned withlong strips of red, white, blue and yellow, the womenfolkjostle each other for a holy touch. The men then bring outa veiled hammock, under which a silver basin filled withlighted oil lamps is concealed. Following the stream ofjoyous devotion, I take turns to shoulder the hammock.

A drawn out puja later, the killing begins. With thegods installed in an enclosure of bamboo and leaves, thebokas are led to the slaughter. And what a slaughter! Aboka barely has the time to stare uncomprehendingly atthe gory pyramid of heads in front of him before he’s seizedby the front legs, made to straddle a bloodied choppingblock and chhyaakk! Down flashes the blade and theanimal’s head, open eyes unseeing, tongue curling, joinsthe rest. Its torso, spurting blood, is raised to the lips ofthe dhami, then flung up and out to land where it mightin the dust outside, to the exclamations of a sea of villagers.The pagan imagery of the dhami, cymbals raised to welcome

each offering, face and white robes drenched withbright gouts of the reddest blood, is the enduring imageof the Dewali.

It’s late when we finish feeding the several hundredvillagers present. The hillside is covered in paper andleaf plates, bones and beaten rice. The Thapas haultheir offerings home, leaving just as abruptly as theyhave showed up. Muga is emptied of its festive vitality,once again, just another Nepali village. And what do Ifeel? Rooted? Muga was hardly even a place of imaginedmyth for me. What does it mean to me now I have seensomething of my past?

In the dimming evening, the empty windows ofthe Thapa mansions glare at me accusingly. The simpleloveliness of the hills gives air to my pastoral longings.Could I, like my uncle Ajit Narayan Singh Thapa, joinin the endeavour to educate the local children andnurse one of the Thapa houses back to life (above left,top)? Could I also tolerate joining to the age-old systemof patronage? Perhaps I will choose to step back intomy past, and find some part of my future in it. Fornow, discovering the land of my fathers is rewardenough.

BOKA, BANISHED:One of 400 goats exitsthe corporeal world

10 NATION 25 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470

n outbreak of the H1N1 virus, orswine flu, could dampen theholiday cheer this Dasain as Nepalis

flock home from flu hotspots abroad andfan out into the countryside. The danger isclear and present, but the governmenthasn’t stepped up measures to keep out thedeadly virus.

Nepal has remained largely untouchedby swine flu despite the heavy toll it hastaken in India, where close to 200 peoplehave already died. So far, only 35 peoplehave contracted the virus here, and therehave been no deaths. Of these, two wereforeign tourists and 28 were Nepali workersreturning from abroad. The remaining fivecaught it from recently returned familymembers and friends.

These numbers may understate the flu’strue prevalence since the spot checksconducted at Tribhuvan InternationalAirport, where the government has a healthdesk to scan new arrivals for symptoms ofthe flu, are inadequate.

“They simply check temperatures andhave people fill out questionnaires. Thatisn’t enough, we don’t know if we’veactually detected most cases of swine flu,”warns Sameer Dixit, Country Director of

SUVAYU DEV PANT the Center for Molecular Dynamics.Dixit has joined a chorus of people

calling on the government to allow privatelabs to test for the flu. The government hasso far refused to sanction this, out ofconcern for the costs and the reliabilityof tests.

“If they offer to do it for free, then sure,they can test. But will they?” wonders adubious JitendraMan Shrestha of theAvian InfluenzaProject at theMinistry of Health.

However, expertsare widely agreedthat the low officialfigures are fairestimates.Epidemiologist RajKumar Mahat, whocoordinates healthdesk activity at theairport, says thatfewer and fewerpeople are feverish upon arrival, even asthe number of arrivals has jumped fromabout 2200 a day to up to 3100 a day. TheWorld Health Organization says theintensity level of the flu in Nepal is ‘low’.

Yet this may only be the lull before thestorm as unknowing carriers of the flu,

which has an incubation time of 7-10 days,come home from abroad this Dasain. Manywill return from flu hotspots like Mumbaiand the state of Bihar where they work incramped and cloistered spaces likerestaurant kitchens, making themespecially vulnerable.

“There is definitely increased risk of anoutbreak during Dasain as more people

migrate back to thecountry,” warnsShrestha.

Coolertemperatures, whichare favourable to fluoutbreaks, could makematters worse.Experts at a regionalconference held inKathmandu on 7September warned ofa ‘winter resurgence’of the flu that couldsweep through muchof south and

southeast Asia, including Nepal.Ominously, the flu has shown

surprising resilience during the warmerspring and summer months. Experts worrythat if it’s this bad already, we reallyshould be prepared for the winter.

Has the Nepali government stepped up

measures to combat the flu? No. There havebeen no additions to the health desk at theairport, which hasn’t received any specialDasain directives. Dixit says he hasn’tcome across the government’s Dasaincontingency plan. And checkpoints alongthe southern and western borders remainrelaxed.

“It’s almost impossible to screeneveryone that comes across the border,”says Shrestha. There are currently 50checkpoints along the border, 18 of whichsee a lot of traffic, but seven of these are ill-equipped.

Besides these border checkpoints andthe airport health desk, Nepal’spreparations include 40 rapid responseteams across the country, a number ofsurveillance teams, and government aid toa couple of prominent hospitals to enablethem to provide special treatment and buythe necessary drugs and equipment.

So what else can we do to steer clear ofswine flu this Dasain? The age-old mode ofgreeting people with a folded-handNamaste may minimise risk oftransmission. But in the age of hugs andhandshakes this may not go down toowell, as some sociable but conscientioustypes have discovered already. In themeantime, Shrestha suggests, “Washyour hands.”

Swine flu casesmay rise this

Dasain but thegovernment

hasn’t steppedup

preparations

A

DASAIN FEVERDASAIN FEVERKIRAN PANDAY

WARM WELCOME:A TIA official goesthrough the motions

1125 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470NATION

ou know when you dressa slab of steak with someherbs and pepper, and let

it sizzle in the pan while thearoma of the marinade fusingwith the trickle of fat fills theroom? Then you cut a neat littlepiece and chew it gently,releasing a burst of meatyflavours in your mouth?

I hate that taste.Some people have an aversion

to broccoli – I dislike meat.That’s why I have been avegetarian for 15 years. Peopleseem disappointed when theyhear this, expecting a cause biggerthan myself. Should I bechannelling my culinarypreference into a philosophyfor life?

It seems I have already wasted15 years. I need a cause pronto!

How hard can it be?Dasain is around the corner:

goats are being herded for the kill

and vegetarians are up in arms.Ten days ago, the AnimalSacrifice Awareness Campaign –based out of Ram Mandir inBattisputali – organised a rally inKathmandu urging an end toanimal sacrifice. I like this.During Dasain, there seems to bemore emphasis on killing theanimal than in eating meat. Ican support a cause againstgratuitous violence.

The rally’s organisers believethat halting unnecessary violencepromotes peace in society. “Thecountry is in this state because

murder and violence is so easy.Today you slaughter a goat,tomorrow a buffalo, and whoknows, the day after, it could be aman,” says Indra Acharya ofthe campaign.

Wait! What? Was theinsurgency caused by non-vegetarians?

“Hoina, we are just trying tocreate a violence-free society.”

So, does everyone needto become a vegetarian toachieve that?

“Yes.”Was there a direct correlation

between George W. Bush’sfondness for Texas barbecue andthe wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?Do we collectively need to hearthe cry of the goats in ourstomachs like Gandhi before wecan achieve a peaceful world?

This seems a littleimplausible. I may be avegetarian, but it will take ameatier argument to convince me.Maybe I am looking in thewrong place.

I visit the Brahma Kumari RajYoga Centre in Thamel. Thefemale devotees of the centre areserene and peaceful. They wantto bring me closer to Godthrough meditation and a fewlifestyle changes.

“We don’t smoke. We don’teat meat. We also don’t eat onionsand garlic,” says Subarna Subedi,one of the devotees.

Onions and garlic?“Onions and garlic are hot

materials. They raise thetemperature of your body. A yogineeds to be cool,” she says.

But I obtain my ‘cool’ when Iinhale the delectable smell ofonions and garlic as I sauté themto my favourite tomato sauce,especially after commuting in a

INDU NEPAL

Vegetarianismfor vegetables

Y

Was the insurgency causedby non-vegetarians?

microbus with 29 other people.So I keep looking. Then I

discover the Quan Yin movement,which strives for spiritualupliftment by prescribing fiveguidelines: no meat, drugs, lying,thievery, or ‘immoral’ sex.

The movement’s contact inNepal, Amit Karki, says meatbrings ‘heavy karma’, while thegoal is lightness of body andspirit. “We have also beenconnecting this to globalwarming. Eighty per cent of globalwarming is caused by meatconsumption.”

Bingo! This is what I amlooking for: a rational, scientificargument. I visit their websiteexpecting information linkingmeat-eating to global warming.Instead, I am greeted by anepilepsy-inducing site plasteredwith photos of the movement’sSupreme Master Ching Hai. I amnot so sure I can trust a lady withbadly dyed blonde hair to adviseme on spiritual upliftment.Furthermore, despite Karki’sclaim, the United Nations Foodand Agricultural Organizationestimates that meat productionaccounts for only one fifth ofglobal greenhouse gas emissions.

Ultimately, I am not surewhether I am even qualified totell people why vegetarianism is agood choice. I am underweight,have abnormally low bloodpressure, and I feel dizzy if Iclimb more than two flights ofstairs. I am also anaemic, likeone third of the women inthis country.

While some movements maylump the consumption of meatwith vices like drug abuse androbbery, I think it’s generallyaccepted that we are, in fact,omnivores. As we cherishpeople’s choices to rally in NewRoad, or seek spiritual guidancefrom a lady with a bad hairdo,should we also not respecttheir right to choose whatthey eat?

isha was 22 years old when the Maoists killed her husbandand bombed her house. She couldn’t even perform the lastrites of her husband as she had to flee Bardia with her in-

laws and daughter.For several years now, she has been working alone to support

her family in Kathmandu. Whatever she earns goes to her family.In a country where widows are only seen in a negative light, Nishawants to live in peace with her daughter. She doesn’t expectanything from the state or from society except the right to live withdignity.

In the 2009-2010 budgetthe government announcedthat it would provide Rs50,000 to a couple wherethe man had married awidow. This is one of the

most callous, thoughtless and rash decisions the government ofNepal has taken in recent years. As if women didn’t already haveenough to struggle against. Marriage is a deeply personaldecision, and linking that decision to money demeans women.

In Nepali society, widows are considered bad luck, blamed fortheir husband’s passing and are allowed absolutely no rights.Campaigns by women’s groups have worked hard against suchdiscrimination and have been successful in many parts of Nepal.It hasn’t been easy for the movement: widows have been insulted,spit upon, beaten up and thrown out of homes. However, they havehad small successes and the attitude of people has changed inmany places. Fathers-in-law have stepped forward and given redshawls to their widowed daughters-in-law, parents haveencouraged their single daughters to go out and learn skills andmany widowed women in their villages have been exemplars ofchange.

When a government makes decision as big as this withoutunderstanding the repercussions it proves how short-sightedthose at the policymaking level are. By attaching marriage tomoney the government is making women dependent on men onceagain. “A man marries me and we get Rs 50,000. Why do I have tobe dependent on any man to feel secure?” asks Nisha. Further, themajority of widowed women have kids. In a society where abuse ofchildren is rampant, what happens to the children of these womenwhen they marry? Will the government guarantee that theirchildren will be safe from abuse and exploitation?

The conflict left many women widowed. Government data islimited, but Women for Human Rights (WHR), an organisation thatworks with single women, says that there are 44,000 widows in the225 villages of Nepal where it works. If they all decided toremarry, it would cost the government over Rs 1 billion. Whatabout the 3600 other villages in Nepal? Where is the governmentgoing to get the money to fund its largesse? And is remarriage theonly option for widows? What about those who do not want toremarry?

This is a country where girls are trafficked for Rs 5,000,sometimes by their family members, and by sometimes men whopromise to marry them and give them a better life. Rs 50,000 is abig jump from Rs 5,000. What the government doesn’t realise isthat by attaching money to women, it is indirectly encouragingtrafficking.

In other countries widows are respected, providedcompensation, health facilities, education for their children andeven housing. When the husband of a Nepali woman dies, thegovernment does nothing. Only those single women who are 60years old receive a pension of Rs 500 a month. Most women don’teven know about this, and with an average life expectancy of 66,can hardly count on the pension as old-age support.

Providing monetary compensation has its limitations,especially if the widow has children. The government should bethinking about long-term goals – providing skills training so thatsingle women can go out, look for a job and bring home incomeevery month. It should also provide access to education for thechildren of widows.

Due to pressure from groups such as WHR the implementationof the marriage bonus hasn’t started. WHR is in dialogue withpolicymakers but if push comes to shove they say they will comeout into the streets to protest. The government may have lost itsway, but thankfully our women’s movement is right on track.

IndecentproposalN

INTERESTING TIMESMallika Aryal

The government hasn’tthought through itscallous decision to putprice tags on women

VEGGIE PEACE: Hindu devoteesurge people to go vegetarian andrespect animal rights at a rally inKathmandu

RAM HUMAGAI

12 REVIEW 25 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470

hat Nepal is a landlockedcountry is a truism taughtto every school-going

child. What the child is nottaught is to conclude thattherefore Nepal has no ships,no sailors, no whales and, alas,no lobsters.

Thankfully, the shortage oflobsters is now up forreconsideration. Three monthsago, the eponymous restaurantopened at Kathmandu’s coolestnew address – the Sherpa Mallon Darbar Marg.

What one first notices uponentering Lobsters is that it isspacious. Spread over 8,000square feet, and with more than50 smartly dressed and eager-to-serve hotel management graduatesas staff, Lobsters can seat up to250 guests at any one time.

All that space, plus the twoprivate rooms where one can alsosmoke the hookah, seems perfectfor corporate heads or familypatriarchs looking to a rent arestaurant for their Dasain-Tiharparties. The terrace, whichoverlooks the goings-on down thestreet, is usually filled withyoung professionals chilling outafter work. And the outdoor patiois an ideal venue for barbecuegatherings.

Lobsters’ indoor décor is

The sea reaches us inmore ways than one

soothing and contemporary yeteye-pleasingly understated. Infact, it could be anywhere inSydney, London or New York.The menu is extensive, butseafood is the obvious draw.

Jumbo prawns, mussels,squid, oysters, crab, red snapperand lobsters go well with thewine and the cocktails availableat the bar. Seafood is brought in

Lobsters on land

from Singapore and Thailand,where it is packed andtransported to Nepal in the mosthygienic conditions. Right next tothe open-display kitchen atLobsters, there’s a cold storageroom where the seafood is keptfresh, and new supplies arebrought in on a regular basis.

Despite its rapid popularity –the place was full both times we

surprised that Thai, Chinese,Indian and Continental dishescould be ordered and enjoyed. Infact, the butter naan andvegetables were superb. Themanagement told us that plansare afoot to serve Mexican food.

The second myth is thatLobsters is expensive. But thatdepends on what you eat. Sure,ordering the signature dish to beshared at your table can set youback by a little more than Rs4,000, which seems steep evenwhen you are told that’s the ‘costprice’ of the lobster.

But you can have a fillinglunch for just Rs 199. OnWednesday nights, the seafoodbuffet can be had for Rs 750. Theprice of a non-seafood platterwith noodles, for instance, iscomparable to that at any othertop-flight Kathmandu restaurant,making Lobsters a delight forthose who know what food anddrinks to order.

The entrepreneurs behindLobsters must be applauded fortheir determination to go throughwith an ambitious concept. Theyhave succeeded with a multi-cuisine restaurant that offers anew dining experience for Nepalis– salt-water offerings in a fresh-water country. For reservations call 4231323

T

were there – Lobsters appears tohave cultivated two myths in theshort span of its existence.

First, that it serves onlyseafood. Not true. Yes, therestaurant’s name gives it adistinctive identity in the sea oflook-alike Kathmandurestaurants. But this reviewer,who visited the restaurant withtwo vegetarians, was pleasantly

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

1325 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470REVIEW

n recent years, horror films have taken a turn for the grotesqueand the sadistic, demanding firm constitutions of their audiences.Fans are now more proud of their capacity to tough out the gore

on offer than concerned about whether they’re scared witless or not.The humour, fun and the DYI delight, if you excuse the pun, has beenbled out of the horror genre.

This is all a preamble to howwelcome this critic (whose gutsflip at the sight of, well, guts)finds the return of Sam Raimi(of Evil Dead fame) to the horrorgenre, following his tenure at the

helm of the Spider Man franchise. Guts stay safely on the inside, butthrills, chills and laughs abound in Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell.

The one-time ultra-low budget filmmaker now has a much biggerpurse, allowing him to add polish even as he relies on insinuationand almost slap-stick action for most of the scares and laughs. Aftershe denies a gypsy woman an extension on her home loan, loanofficer Christine Browne (Lohman) falls victim to a curse thatdecrees that after being tormented by a demonic spirit for three days,it will literally, as the title suggests, drag her to hell.

Drag Me to Hell is a sequence of entertaining, deliciously wicked,funny and often gross set-pieces, (including the now-famous,incongruous smackdown between the toothless old lady hell-bent onrevenge and poor Christine attempting to stave her off with a seriesof stationery implements). The plot, if you could call it that, ispropelled by Christine’s dawning realisation of her predicament –yes, a malevolent supernatural force is actually going to drag her to

hell – and her growing desperation to save herself. The meekChristine is transformed into a spunky and determined heroine readyto protect the life she has carefully planned, with its aspirations to amiddle-management position and a boyfriend above her socialstation. The success of the film pivots on the performance of its lead,and Lohman delivers wonderfully, capturing the hand-wringing guiltand insecurities of her character, the right degree of disgust at thehumiliations she has to endure, and the gritty resourcefulness sheeventually comes up with.

Horror movies are often considered modern-day morality tales,and director Raimi has clearly stated his intention to have Drag Me toHell continue in this vein. But even as it operates on the level of thetypically thin moralism of the genre (‘don’t be mean to old ladies oran old witch is going to chew on your face and a demon is going todrag you to hell’, in this case), Drag Me to Hell is amenable to adeeper interpretation. It probes the degree of suffering we tolerate,indeed cause, in our society for the sake of narrow self-interest or asense of security. Christine’s futile effort to extricate herself from herculpability points to the damning depth of her complicity – and byextension our complicity – to the suffering and anguish of others. InChristine’s case, her lack of compassion is dressed up as protocoland business interest that masks her personal ambition, but aren’twe all alienated from the suffering of our fellow humans in some wayand profiting from their misery? Luckily for viewers who aren’tinterested in asking questions of such a philosophical bent, Drag Meto Hell will prove thrilling and funny as all hell.

Drag Me to HellDirector: Sam RaimiCast: Alison Lohman, Lorna Raver, Justin Long, Dileep Rao2009. PG-13. 99 mins.

Respectyour elders,or go to hellI

CRITICAL CINEMAA Angelo D’Silva

14 25 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470CITY

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 Ent

erta

inm

ent

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

‘What’s your Rashee?’ is the story of Yogesh Patel, ayoung bachelor who has long dreamt of falling madly inlove with a girl and then marrying her. But all of a suddenhe is told that he must find his dream girl within ten daysto save his family from utter ruin. Finding his dream girl istough enough. Finding her in a hurry is even tougher. Tosimplify things, he plans to meet one girl from each zodiacsign. Two meetings per day gives him six days to meetthem, three days to make the final decision, which leavesthe tenth for the marriage ceremony, or so he thinks…

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

KATHMANDU VALLEY

WEEKEND WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL

We’re in the midst of a monsoon break, which means technicallythe monsoon is still here although as far as official estimates go itshould have ended on Wednesday. Monsoonal winds from theBay of Bengal are still circulating but owing to dry conditionshaven’t picked up enough moisture to cause precipitation. However,the winds will moderate daytime temperatures, so expect morecomfortable days. Good news for kite enthusiasts, but we may nothave seen the back of the monsoon quite yet.

KATHMANDU

RECIPES

Cape Malay Pickled Fish(Serves 4)

EXHIBITIONS‘Nepal Rendezvous - Nagarkot Workshop’, paintings byBangladeshi and Nepali artists at Hotel de l’Annapurna,Darbar Marg , till 31 Oct, 4218048

EVENTSPatan Press Club, meets every Thursday at Dhokaima Café,6PM, 5522113Himalayan Buddhist Meditation Centre, Tai Chi 10-11.30AM,Yoga 8.30-9.30AM and Meditation 5-6PM weekdays, KesharMahal Marg, Thamel, 4410402

MUSICBaja gaja, every Tuesday at Moksh, Pulchok, 7.30PMonwards, 5526212Live band every Friday and rooftop bbq everyday at KausiKitchen, Darbar Marg, 4227288Sunday Jazz brunch barbecue and live jazz music at theTerrace, Hyatt Regency, 12-3.30PM, 4491234Jazz evening at Delices de France Restaurant everyWednesday, 11AM-2PM, 4260326Some like it hot every Friday BBQ and live music by DineshRai and the Sound Minds, Rs 899 at Fusion, Dwarika’s Hotel,7PM onwards, 4479488Happy cocktail hour, ladies night on Wednesday with liveunplugged music at Jatra Café & Bar, Thamel, 5-7PMNepali Ghajals and songs at D’Lounge Beijing DuckRestaurant, every Thursday 6.30PM onwards, 4468589Rudra Night live fusion music by Shyam Nepali every Friday,7PM at Gokarna Forest Resort, 4451212

DININGChocolate, Coffee and Caramel, every evening at TheLounge, 4.30-6.30PM, 4491234A cafe’s café, Dhokaima Café, Patan Dhoka, 5522113Jazzabell Café, relaunched at Jhamsikhel, 2114075The Corner Bar, 5-7PM, 3-11PM, Radisson Hotel Kathmandu,4411818Al Fresco, for home made pasta, steak and freshwater trout,Soaltee Crowne Plaza, 4273999Kakori, for biryanis, curries and kebabs, Soaltee CrownePlaza, 7-10.45PMChez Caroline for French and Mediterranean cuisine, BabarMahal Revisited, 4263070Mediterranean cuisine every Friday from Greece, Italy andthe Middle East at The Café, Hyatt Regency, 4491234Teppanyaki meat items and garlic rice at Le Resturant,Gairidhara, 4436318Plat Du Jour at Hotel Shangri-La, Lazimpat, Rs 600, 4412999Reality Bites, The Kaiser Café, Garden of Dreams, operatedby Dwarika’s Group of Hotels, 9AM-10PM, 4425341Starry night barbecue at Hotel Shangri-La withlive performance by Ciney Gurung, Rs 999, at the ShambalaGarden, every Friday 7PM onwards, 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 ovenPizza at Boudha Stupa, 4480262Gokarna Forest Resort for a variety of sizzlers at Tripti bar,4451212

GETAWAYSDhulikhel Lodge Resort offers an overnight stay for Rs 1600till 30 Sep, 4222389Relax Package at Hyatt Regency Kathmandu for Rs 5555plus taxes, for a night of double occupancy with breakfast,complimentary use of spa.Offer valid for Nepalis andlocal residents only, 4489800The Fulbari Resort, offers a‘Dasain & Diwali FulbariFiesta Package’ that includesa two-night stay with BB,buffet dinner and more.4461918,resv@fulbari.com.np Tiger Mountain, offers a safariat Tiger Tops, Chitwan National Park or Karnali Lodge &Camp this Dasain, 4361500

by GRAHAM SYDNEY

This recipe has both Southern African andSouth Asian influences and one can use eithersaltwater or freshwater fish.

1 kg boneless fish fillet500g sliced onion2 tablespoons ginger paste1 tablespoon garlic paste2 tablespoons curry masala¼ cup vinegar¼ cup sugar½ teaspoon red chilli powderjuice of 2 lemonssalt & pepper to tastesome floursome oila little water

Weekly Internet Poll # 471. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

Q. Has Dasain been over-commercialised?

Weekly Internet Poll # 470

Q. Will the big three parties be ableto resolve the political deadlockbefore Dasain?

Total votes: 1,802

Fri

29-17

Sat Sun

31-17 32-18

Cut the fish into 5 cm pieces. Season well anddust in flour. In a little oil, brown the fish on bothsides and set to one side. To make the dressing

lightly fry the onion,garlic and gingeruntil soft beforeadding the chillipowder, currymasala and the

sugar. Add thevinegar, lemon

juice, a little waterand season with salt and

pepper. Place the fish in the dressing and allow tostand in the refrigerator overnight. Serve with asalad.

25 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #470 15

ISSN

181

4-26

13

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

25 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2009 #47016

ww

w.n

epal

itim

es.c

om

BACKSIDE

ince the festive season has begun, the state of emergency has beenlifted, and street protests are once more allowed to snarl traffic,

we can finally allow previously censored notices from our classifiedsection to the see the light of daytime:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERNIt is hereby notified to all concerned that this year’s Dasain Festivalhas been postponed. The festival was originally supposed to be heldin five phases starting 11 October, but has been put off because of

rowdy behaviour by our rulers. All concerned shouldwatch this space for new dates,but expect it to be held in April2003, or thereabouts. Goats andbuffalos earmarked formartyrdom will now be

allowed to carry on with their daily lives until such time as they mayagain be required to be decapitated in the epic struggle of good againstevil. For further information, contact the Department of Sacrifices.

ARTHome delivery of any antiques, religious objects, or statues of yourchoice. You tell us what to steal and we'll steal it. Pay half now, halflater. Installment schemes and bank loans on soft credit also available.Our motto: Don't be idle as long as there are idols about. Order ourcatalogue today, or visit website: www.godrobbers.gov

WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMWanted: Tourists. Take part in Unique Weight Loss Program in Nepal.We are looking for bright, enthusiastic and adventurous visitors towalk up and down incredibly steep and food-deficit mountains for 14days carrying 20 kg backpacks. Guaranteed to lose at least 10 kg in aweek, or your money back. Age, gender and caste no bar. Apply inperson, paying $30 for a three-month permit at airport.

HEALINGHypnosis. Is the world getting too much for you? Fed up with thestate of the nation? Let our registered hypnotherapists take you on atrance. Sleep through the troubles and wake up when the country hasbeen set right. Emerge from your sleeplike state a new man and/orwoman.Contact: ursleepy_verysleepy_urasleep@snore.com

POLITICSIs there a technocrat in you? Do you have what it takes to be in theNew Cabinet? Then you may be just the guy we've been looking for, butcan't find. Meet us tomorrow morning before dawn at Nag Pokhari forwalk-in interview. Bring cv with poster-size photograph. Password:Happy Days Are Here Again.

COUNTRY TO LETLovely, spacious, fully furnished, landlocked Himalayan kingdom isavailable for immediate lease on a management contract. Excellentaccess to and from all neighbourhood attractions. Walking distancefrom India. Period and price negotiable. Highly experienced primeministers, presidents and junta leaders with good financial capacitymay kindly bring their full particulars when they call us after DasainHolidays. No, wait, make that next year some time.

SPORTSImmediate job openings for at least 15 Nepali athletes in the categoryboxing, shooting and weight-lifting at South Korean sausage factory.Attractive salary, free hot dogs for lunch. Contact: Relatives in theGreater Seoul Metropolitan Area.

VACANCYChief Executive Joker required for Nepal's top newspaper. Incumbentis losing it.

The Ass is on holiday until the issue of Oct.9, so we have reprinted anUnder My Hat column by Kunda Dixit from Nepali Times #115, 11-17October 2002. For Under My Hat archives go to: www.nepalitimes.com

Recently de-classified ads

UNDER MY HATKunda Dixit

S