Kathmandu l 19 Feb-25 Feb 2007 l # 4 l Price Rs. 25

King speaksä Yubaraj Ghimire

King Gyanendra today owned moral responsibilityfor everything that happened during his 15-monthdirect rule beginning Feb 1, 2005 but not withoutmaking a point.

“We are also morally responsible for any failureor success during the 15th month effort”, he said,and accepted without reservation, the supremacyof the people in Nepal’s future politics. “Whileupholding the people's wish as supreme, may thisday inspire all to remain dedicated, throughmultiparty democracy, to the greater welfare ofNepal and her people by ensuring theirconcurrence and active participation”.

In a customary message to the nation on the

57th National Democracy Day, the king not onlyacknowledged the people as the source ofsovereignty, but also hoped that the changedscenario would lead the country to national unity,prosperity, peace and multi-party democracy.

“Nepal's glorious history is guided by the fact thatMonarchy has always abided by the aspirations ofthe Nepalese people, on whom sovereignty isvested”, King Gyanendra said, but put on record hisown assessment which tallies with general feeling inthe country about the political parties.

But he also came with a forward lookingagenda. “In order to consolidate multi-partydemocracy, elected representatives bodies must

be installed, taking into account the grievances,aspirations and sentiments of all the Nepalese to thesatisfaction of all”, he said, clearly hinting, but notmentioning the ongoing agitation in the country formore devolution of power.

“Nepal is a kaleidoscope of diverse peoples—bethey indigenous, Dalits or those living in villages,cities, terai , hills or mountainous regions. It will dowell to remember that Nepal’s sovereignty andintegrity remains safeguarded only because all haveaccepted and abided by this reality. The Nepalesepeople alone are the arbitrators of their own destinyand they wish to build a prosperous Nepal througha meaningful exercise in multiparty democracy. Theself respecting Nepalese people have an unshak-able belief that one’s unique identity can be upheld

only by respecting one’s history.”Giving an account of how an

elected Prime Ministerrecommended dissolution of theHouse after he failed to holdelections within the time frame that

the constitution stipulated, he said that his takeoverwas under a compelling situation as even thesuccessive governments failed to complete the taskof holding elections.

“Various obstacles thwarted our resolve to installelected representative bodies”, the address said,and added, “ as our sole wish is that the peopleshould govern themselves through their own electedrepresentatives, it is well known that we reinstatedthe House of Representatives on April 24, 2006 withthe confidence that the nation would forge ahead onthe path to national unity and prosperity, whileensuring permanent peace and safeguardingmultiparty democracy”. ä

Accepts moral responsibility and people's supremacy

“Various obstacles thwarted ourresolve to install elected representativebodies”, King Gyanendra said

Security personnel offer a protec-tive umbrella to King Gyanendra

after his motorcade was attacked.He was on his way back after

offering Pooja at PashupatinathTemple on the Maha Shivaratri day.

See report on Page 2

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19 Feb-25 Feb, 20072 News

ä Newsfront Correspondent

Interim Government will be formed only after the processof the arms management is over, Prime Minister G PKoirala told a visiting German parliamentary delegation onSunday. If Koirala sticks to what he said, that almostcertainly delays formation of the interim Government withina week, the latest pre-condition set by the Maoist ChiefPrachanda to holding election to the Constituent Assemblyscheduled in Mid-June.

Koirala told the delegation that while he was eager towelcome Maoists in the interim Government at the earliest,Maoists' arms management process alone will qualify themto be the part of the Government. "Yes, that’s what thePrime Minister said", confirmed Dr Suresh Chalise, ForeignAffairs Advisor to the Prime Minister.

Koirala’s latest assertion contradicted what his twoministers—K P Sitaula (Home) and Dilendra Prasad

Management of arms is the pre-condition - PM Koirala

As Nepal becoming ‘secular’ hasnot gone down well with asizeable section of the populace,state’s behavior and managementtowards ‘Hindu devotees andpilgrims’ coming to Pashupatinathseems likely to trigger a debate onwhat secularism means—a statethat is anti-religion or one whichtreats all faith and religionsequally.

Strict control on the movementof the Sadhus and devotees fromIndia and the state’s failure toprevent the attack on KingGyanendra in the temple areahave drawn condemnation of theGovernment. A Senior Policeofficial told newsfront that PoliceHeadquarter had informationabout the possible attack on theking, “but there was no serious-ness regarding its prevention”.

The faceless ‘Home Ministry’expressed ‘regret’ in a routinemanner over the attack on the king

Axe falls ondefaulters

and announced a three memberinquiry committee headed by its JointSecretary which has been asked tosubmit its report within a week. “Wehad the information that Maoist cadreshad been living in a forcibly occupiedhouse in the temple area for the pastseveral days and that some youthsmight cause trouble during the king'svisit, there was no political instruction tofoil it,” police sources said.

“Prachanda-Girija Zindabad andGyanendra leave Nepal’, were theslogans that demonstrators raised asthey continued pelting stones on theking’s motorcade. His securityrescued the king who drove the carhimself. Security of the king and theroyal family are the full responsibilityof the Government especially after itchanged the previous arrangementof the palace handling the securityaffairs.

The Vishwa Hindu Mahasanghwhich protested against the incident,mobilized its supporters the following

day and took out a rally demand-ing that Nepal should continue toremain a "Hindu state" and that"cow slaughter should not beallowed" and "call for referendumif necessary", they challenged.

The attack on the king inPashupati came in the wake ofthe Government’s expressed fearthat "Hindu fundamentalists fromIndia" in alliance with the pro-kingelements in Nepal would be usingthe occasion of the Shivaratrifestival to create problems for theGovernment. The daylongKathmandu Bandh called by theFederation of the IndigenousNationalities on the eve ofShivaratri also obstructed thedevotees coming to Kathmandu.

According to the officialsources, around 250,000devotees offered their prayer atthe Pashupatinath temple thisyear.

ä Newsfront correspondent

Hitch over InterimGovernment

Badu (Communication) stated publicly. “Interim Govern-ment with Maoists in it will be in place within a week,”they said.

The U N team headed by Ian Martin has completedthe process of registration of arms and armies of theMaoists lodged in seven cantonments, but the process ofarms management, experts say, has much widerimplication. It includes other phases like verification of thecombatants and arms, and installation of monitoring,alarm and CCTV devices in the cantonment and sub-cantonment as stated in the agreementbetween the United Nations, Government and theMaoists. This is expected to take some time, althoughthe U N has not yet said how long it is going to take.Besides, the Nepal army is also to deposit matching

number of arms under the U N supervision.Maoists' victim groups and some coalition partners

are now insisting for management of arms as theprecondition for Maoists joining the Governmentespecially after two of its cadres entered Parliamentwith arms last week.

Prime Minister's assertion for arms managementcoming close to series of statements from senior Maoistleaders including Prachanda put the two sides at logger-heads. Although the formation of the interim Governmenthas already been delayed almost by two months, thelatest hitch, especially because of the Maoists wanting tojoin the Government without ‘arms management’ hascreated a situation of confrontation.

“Despite all these hitches, the Prime Minister andPrachanda have discussed cabinet formation and theportfolios that the Maoist ministers will be getting”, a seniorcabinet minister told newsfront. ä

The U N team has completedthe process of registration ofarms and armies of theMaoists, but the process ofarms management, experts say,has much wider implication

In a belated act that wasapparently taken under pressurefrom the World Bank, theGovernment has seized pass-ports of 80 bank defaultersrepresenting 17 business houses.

The move meets the conditionsset by World Bank for Nepal toqualify more assistance which themeeting of the Board of Direc-tors, scheduled to take place onFebruary 22 in Washington D Cis to finalise.

World Bank Managing Director,Graeme Wheeler, who visitedKathmandu last week made itvery clear to Prime Minister G PKoirala and Finance MinisterRam Sharan Mahat that actionagainst the defaulters was one ofthe main conditions for WorldBank’s continued support toNepal. The 17 business houses

account for 12 billion Rupees outof the total default of 30 billionRupees. The people againstwhom action has been taken inthe first phase include people whohave borrowed more than 50million Rupees each from thebank.

Other conditions which theGovernment at the highest levelhas promised to fulfill is toincrease petroleum price,amendment to the labour law tocreate conducive climate forindustrial and economic activitiesand good governance.

Apart from seizure of thepassport, the action under theBank and Financial Institutions Actdisqualify them for holding publicposts, receiving any honour,decoration from the State, andalso puts a blanket ban on sale ofany property without the State’sconsent.

Official information said thosewhose passports have beenseized include seven members ofAmatya Group accounting fordefault of Rs 3 billion. Othersinclude Sahani Group, MangatuRam Group, Sarraf Group,NECON Air, Mittal Group, RohitGroup, Annapurna Textile,Pashupati Textile, Cross CountryHotels and Mahalakshmi Sugarmills. Birendra Kumar Kanaudia,a member of the Ruling Congressparty, is the lone politician on thelist.

ä Madhusudan Poudyal

World Bank Managing Director made itvery clear that action against the defaulterswas one of the main conditions for WorldBank’s continued support to Nepal.

Flexing secular muscles?The faceless ‘Home Ministry’ expressed ‘regret’ in a routinemanner over the attack on the king

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World Bank's Nepal office

319 Feb-25 Feb, 2007Environment

ä Kiran Bhandari

Garbage has become an issue of politics insteadof a subject of public health concern Kathmandustinking with mountains of garbage all aroundhas given rise to fear that hepatitis might take anepidemic form. It has already taken it's toll onthe 84-year old Prime Minister G P Koirala andmore than half a dozen of his cabinetcolleagues, and the number of similarly affectednon-VIPs is expected to be larger.

Doctors say garbage leaking into watersupply pipe is a possible cause behind this.Despite the repelling stink spreadingeverywhere, the Government's move to disposegarbage has been facing resistance one afteranother.

Besides causing pollution, the ugly sight issure to have an adverse impact on the flow oftourists, hampering the positive indicators afterthe end of decade long conflict in the country.

The people of the landfill site located atNuwakot’s Sisdole area under the Okharpauwavillage Development Council are reacting to thepollution caused by the dumping site and havestopped garbage from coming in fromKathmandu for the past one month. “The localpeople are agitated because the Governmenthas not fulfilled what it promised in lieu of ourproviding them the site for dumping garbage,”Arjun Neupane, a Congress Democratic activistwho belongs to Okharpauwa village toldnewsfront. Health of residents of six VDCsaround the dumping site is believed to beadversely affected.

The Government had assured them that itwould consider local demands for providing ahospital, drinking water facilities, irrigationprojects, schools, ambulance and provisions foragriculture and livestock in the area once theyagreed to allow the dumping there.

The Government says it has alreadypumped a huge sum of money in the area.“We promised to fulfill all these demandsduring a meeting with the locals on February5, but they breached the understanding anddid not let the work continue,” Surya Silwal,Joint Secretary in the Ministry of LocalDevelopment told newsfront. Now even theresidents of Dhading, the adjoining district,are up in arms to stop the transfer of garbagefrom Kathmandu to Nuwakot. They said thatcrows, vultures and rats which come to thedumping site have caused a menace to “ourcrops and so we want compensation from theGovernment,” said people of ChhatreDeuralia area of Dhading who enjoy Maoists'backing.

Maoists have their eyes on future politics andwant to embarrass Rajendra Pandey, currentlythe Minister for Local Development. Pandeyincidentally belongs to Nuwakot and if Maoists

succeed in mobilizing the people of Nuwakotand adjacent Dhading to block the garbagemovement, it will be a victory for the Maoists.

Data available from the Government alsoexpose the intent of the local resistance. TheGovernment and the KMC have spent nearly350 million rupees in garbage management, outof which eight million Rupees was given toSisdole area at the beginning of the currentfiscal year but local body could not utilize theamount for any agreed project during the first

six months. Non-implementation of the projectshas created more headaches for theGovernment. Kathmandu Muncipal Corporationwith it's office filled with increasing number ofcomplaints daily about garbage and theepidemic it might cause, seems more frustratedwith the political parties. “We have solicitedsupport from the political parties to solve thisproblem immediately after the people of Sisdolestarted resisting, but to no avail”, says Dinesh

Thapaliya, Chief Excecutive Officer of the KMC.This is the second occasion that the locals

have resisted and violated the agreementabout garbage disposal, first in Gokarna andnow in Nuwakot. On all such occasions, ad hocformula adopted to meet resistance seems tohave only encouraged repeated violations.Those who vocally resist it are being rewardedwith jobs or some other benefits to silencethem and ‘that’s killing us’ a KMC source toldnewsfront.

The capital valley consisting of Kathmandu,Bhaktapur and Lalitpur districts began lookingfor garbage disposal sites after mid 70s. TheGokarna landfill site was built in 1980 withdonors' assistance, the German project GTZtaking the lead role. Local protests after 15years forced the Government to look for analternate site. Sisdole was developed as thesite with assistance of JICA once theGovernment and the local people finalized theterms and conditions for its operation andmanagement. In little less than three years,the site has been closed for about a yearbecause of the local resistance for somereason or the other.

While the current crisis in Sisdole is in the

process of being resolved, there are seriousproblems looming large, mainly contributed bythe quantity and nature of the wastes that thecapital produces every day. It accounts for 400tonnes of solid wastes a day, with no culture ofrecycling industries being initiated. ä

Besides causingpollution, theugly sight is sureto have anadverse impacton the flow oftourists,hampering thepositiveindicators afterthe end of decadelong conflict inthe country.

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Landfill site atSisdole, Nuwakot

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Cityof filthCityof filth

INSIGHT

Editor & Publisher : Yubaraj GhimireAssociate Editor : Sushma AmatyaDesign: Sunil Khadgi, Kishor Raj Panta & Ramkrishna RanaAddress : PO Box: 8830, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, NepalTel : 4443888, Fax : 4421147 (Edt.), 4411912 (Mkt.), Email: newsfront@bhrikuti.comPrinted by: Express Color, Buddhanagar, Tel.: 4783007, Distribution: Kasthamandap, Tel.: 2010821

19 Feb-25 Feb, 20074 Editorial

Letters

What lawsshall you fear?

Poet, philosopher and artist Gibran (1883-1931) was born in Lebanon. His poetry hasbeen translated into more than twentylanguages. He lived in the US during the lasttwenty years of his life where he began towrite in English. The Prophet and his otherbooks of poetry, illustrated with his mysticaldrawings, are known and loved by thosewho find in them an expression of thedeepest impulses of man's heart and mind.An extract from the book:

On LawsThen a lawyer said, "But what of our

Laws, master?"

And he answered:You delight in laying down laws,Yet you delight more in breaking them.Like children playing by the ocean who build

sand-towers with constancy and then destroythem with laughter.

But while you build your sand-towers theocean brings more sand to the shore,

And when you destroy them, the oceanlaughs with you.

Verily the ocean laughs always with theinnocent.

But what of those to whom life is not anocean, and man-made laws are not sand-towers,

But to whom life is a rock, and the law a chiselwith which they would carve it in their ownlikeness?

What of the cripple who hates dancers?

But you who walkfacing the sun, whatimages drawn on theearth can hold you?

You who travel withthe wind, whatweathervane shalldirect your course?

What man's law shall bind you if you breakyour yoke but upon no man's prison door?

What laws shall you fear if you dance butstumble against no man's iron chains?

And who is he that shall bring you tojudgment if you tear off your garment yetleave it in no man's path?

People of Orphalese, you can muffle the drum,and you can loosen the strings of the lyre, butwho shall command the skylark not to sing?

ä Khalil Gibran

Spiritual Corner

Save riversDear Editor,Public apathy and utter civic irresponsiblity are the main

causes forBagmati's degradation. As a resident of Asia's'most polluted city', it is hideous to live amidst uncollectedgarbage, sewage-laden rivers, and encroachment on publicspace.

The costs to health, civic order and tourism are incalculable.Air and water pollution will raise mortality rates amongchildren, congestion will lead to conflicts and visitors will avoidNepal like the plague. Kathmandu's natural heritage willdisappear if the trend continues.

Citizens have a right to live in a clean and safeenvironment. I urge the Kathmandu MetropolitanCorporation, Ministry of Local Development, Ministry ofTourism, Ministry of Health, Department of Roads, and civilsociety groups to act urgently to resolve the situation. I cannotenvisage political actors buidling a 'new Nepal' when theycannot revive a dying city.

Please continue to raise such issues so as to influencepublic opinion.

Shyamal ShresthaJhochhen Tole

Kathmandu

Science & technologyNewsfront would be a great achievement of Samay team

in journalism if it can raise issuses concerning democracy,New Nepal, bakcward society & grassroot people.Newsfront has to provide space for different sectors likescience, technology, agriculture, sports which I have rarelyseen in the Newspaper.

I liked the news story by Kiran Bhandari (#4) in which hehas clearly mentioned that It is not possible to conduct theelection of constituent assembly in June. It has been clear that

the main disturbance for the election is political partiesincluding Maoists as they are not making the situation toconduct the election.

Dilli AcharyaDang

Miracle stepsNewsfront is proving itself frontrier among the english

weeklied in Nepal, in a short span of time. It is amazing tohave lots of stuffs on politics, society, art and celebrities in a12- pages tabloid and Newsfront is doing the miracle.

For an instance, your obituary on Chogye TrichenRinpoche on 12 Feb-18 feb issue of Newsfront wasawesome as I have never heard about such Mahatmaliving in our neighbourhood. The piece on him delightedme and I couldn't stop myself paying tribute to that greatpersonality.

Mamta RawalChabahil

Interesting itemI was interested in your item in the 5-11 February edition of

Newsfront, about the international conference on monitoringchild adoption in Nepal, in March.

I am currently doing volunteer work with VSO Nepal, but inmy home country (UK), one of my jobs was involved withoverseas adoptions. I have a lot of experience & expertise inthat area. So I would be very interested in attending.

Roz RobertsVSO Nepal

RulingGarbageNepal’s transition to peace and Democracy is not an easy task. Itrequires a clarity in policy, action and a Government under aneffective leadership to implement it. Unfortunately, there areominous signs visible already. Despite G P Koirala’s bestintentions, his failing health and total indifference even when thestate apparatus is fast falling apart, the country’s journey towardsthe promised path now looks difficult, if not impossible.

Transfer of power by the king to the eight parties in May andMaoists' pledge to join the parliamentary system has made theGovernment so complacent that its' movement forward has cometo a halt. Breakdown of constitutional machinery, daily eight hourpower cuts badly affecting industrial and economic activities andgarbage piled across the roads, making Kathmandu perhaps theworld’s only capital of filth are not the only instances of growingpessimism.

There has been a fast erosion in parliamentary norms andvalues. We have private security guards of the parliamentarianswho enter the House with arms, and the matter is settled througha secret deal between the Home Minister and certain MPs withoutthe Speaker or parliament secretariat informing the House ornation anything about it.

We have a Home Minister who one day justifies killing of morethan 30 people in Terai by the State and apologises the next dayin the House. He owns moral responsibility for it but makes it clearthat he has mortgaged his conscience to the Prime Minister.Challenging parliamentary norms and rules of accountability, theminister simply declared he will quit only if the Prime Minister askshim. And worst of all, the parliament keeps mum thereby failing toenforce that norm of accountability without which parliamentarysystem is reduced to a farce.

Koirala’s relevance for nation at the moment does not lie in hispast. It lies in his ability, honesty and efforts in proving throughaction that success of the parliamentary system lies in providingeffective, transparent and fully accountable governance. Despitethe eight parties' determined effort to have an apex court asservile as the parliament, it recently defeated Government’sagenda of political vendetta when a former Home Minister and apolitical opponent was arrested thrice after this Government cameto power, and all for no valid reasons.

A Government cannot be called a democratic one if itpersecutes its rivals, out of vendetta and selectively. A Head of theGovernment can not be absolved of the blame. He will bedefeating and disappointing the country if he allows all thesedeliberate drifts and aberrations. There are honourable ways forhim to opt for than presiding over the rot.

What of the ox who loves his yoke and deemsthe elk and deer of the forest stray and vagrantthings?

What of the old serpent who cannot shed hisskin, and calls all others naked and shameless?

And of him who comes early to the wedding-feast, and when over-fed and tired goes his waysaying that all feasts are violation and allfeasters law-breakers?

What shall I say of these save that they toostand in the sunlight, but with their backs to thesun?

They see only their shadows, and theirshadows are their laws.

And what is the sun to them but a caster ofshadows?

And what is it to acknowledge the laws but tostoop down and trace their shadows upon theearth?

Letters to the Editor should be addressed to:newsfront@bhrikuti.com

News

Maoists will soon be part of the InterimGovernment now that arms registration processis over. That will also be the commitment on thepart of the Maoists to accpet parliamentarysystem-- a synonym of collective responsibilityand individual accountability. It will also meanthat they accept the principle that law and order,taxation will be solely under the Governmentdomain and that judiciary, kangaroo or commit-ted types have no legal existence.

During the past eight months, Maoists havenot only behaved like tough bargainers but havegot away with a share larger than what theydeserved at this stage. G P Koirala was quitegenerous, although very unfair towards theCommunist party of Nepal—United MarxistLeninist (CPN-UML), in granting 83 seats to theMaoists in parliament, exactly at par with theUML.

That will also ensure that Maoists' number inthe cabinet will match with that of the UML, theformer already promised number two position.In the event of Koirala’s health failing him,Maoists will have natural claim over thesuccession, both as Head of the Government aswell as Head of the state. This will be a strangething to happen in the name of Democracywithout the ‘sovereign’ people involved at anystage of the creation of the Government. It's apossibility that cannot be ruled out in Nepal'scontext.

But will that model of ‘Democracy’ beacceptable to Nepali as well as the worldoutside? As election is the expression ofpeople’s will through ballot, and the most crucial

ingredient of a functioning democracy, thatprocess cannot be circumvented at any cost.And such an exercise should take place in asituation free from intimidation.

Prachanda’s public address on February 13clearly was ‘intimidation’ of the masses and anendorsement of the extortion drive that hiscadres have not yet stopped. His insistence forelection to the Constituent Assembly by mid-June, under the prevailing conditions andwithout any pledge that the code of conductwould be followed is only an extension of thepolitics of coercion and terror, an anti-thesis ofdemocracy. An election without democratizedMaoists in a spirit of ‘agree to disagree’ will

only be a sham.Next couple of months will also bring Maoists

under close scrutiny of the internationalcommunity as a whole, and not just the UnitedStates of America alone. Indian official sourcesare once again investigating suspected linksbetween Maoists and Lashkar-E-Toiba followingarrest of Pasang Sherpa, allegedly a Maoistrepresentative. Sherpa was allegedly trying toprocure arms for ‘Nepal’s revolution’ from

IntimidationVs DemocracyElection should take place in a situation free from intimidation

Lashkar-E-Toiba in Kashmir. And this arrestread with C P Gajurel’s clear announcementthat Maoists have only suspended the 'armedevolution and can be resumed any time' soundsominous for the peace process.

On the other hand, if proven, the nexuswould also thoroughly discredit Maoistleadership, especially Prachanda. In Novem-ber, he not only claimed in Delhi that he hadturned down ISI offer to help Maoists move-ment, but he also assured India that Maoistswould not go against the southern neighbour’ssecurity interest. The Kashmir episode now willraise serious concern—whether Maoistassurance to India is as tactical as its declara-

tion that suspension of armed struggle is only‘tactical’. In politics, every party or leader has aright to formulate its ‘political tactics' but inparliamentary democracy, rule of accountabilityis the cardinal principle.

The British Embassy in Kathmandu haslodged a protest with the Government after aBritish Council employee was threatened by oneof the Maoist parliamentarians of ‘physicalharm’. But the Home Minister has not even tried

to ascertain facts despite the Prime Ministerhaving asked him to seriously look into thematter. Series of lapses might have element ofinnocence and absence of deliberate attitude.But too many exceptions will be seen andanalysed with the language of intimidation thatMaoists, its senior leaders included, neverstopped using.

All these instances, make the job of IanMartin team more formidable. Registration ofarms and cadres have to be certified, but ifmanagement of arms and armies andformation of the Interim Government withMaoists in it are meant to facilitate credibleelections, then the process of verification needsto be accurate. Maoists have already increasedthe number of their combatants in thecantonment to 37,000, against the officiallyestimated number of 10,000.

A senior minister even claimed recently thatthe additional guerrillas are being trained atthe cost of the State expense. Presence ofchild soldiers in the cantonment and segre-gating those who do not qualify to becombatants is a responsibility that Martin’steam has to carry for two very crucialreasons: One for retaining people’s faith inthe UN system, and two for the purpose ofcreating minimum conditions for a credibleelection to the Constituent Assembly.

Maoists sincerity to the peace process willnot be judged by how soon they join theGovernment, but how they contribute tocreating an atmosphere conducive enough forthe election. ä

During the past eight months, Maoists have not onlybehaved like tough bargainers but have got away with ashare larger than what they deserved at this stage. G PKoirala was quite generous in granting 83 seats to theMaoists in parliament

ä Yubaraj Ghimire

Prachanda’s publicaddress on February13 clearly was ‘intimi-dation’ of the massesand an endorsementof the extortion drivethat his cadres havenot yet stopped.

5Maoist law makers in the interim parliament

Tej B

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19 Feb-25 Feb, 2007

6 19 Feb.-25 Feb., 2007 Debating Development

äääää Dev Raj Dahal

Nepalese civil society reflects not only diverse andasymmetric life-forms of the nation’s class, caste,gender, region and religion but also an essentialaspect of a democratic society

Create spaceThe social change brought by civil societygroups in thousands of villages and towns ofNepal has provided the political parties and thegeneral citizens’ vital social energy for them toexpress and re-shape the power relationships insociety. The ongoing discourse in Nepalbetween popular sovereignty embedded inindividual liberty and representative democracylegitimized by majority rule has caught theimagination of various civil society groups.

This discourse has divided the Nepali publicinto those who defend absolute popularsovereignty rooted in human rights and theaccountability of power to those affected by itsexercise and those who accord primacy to theessence of representative democracy. Can civilsociety represent a unifying symbol of popularwill and be capable of bridging two camps

Can the civil society help satisfy the aspirationsof multiple social eruptions against the politicalclass they themselves have fanned? In this criticaljuncture of the nation’s history, Nepalese civilsociety groups need to redefine what is possiblefor them to do, what is legitimate for them to doand what they should not do. Given their anti-state disposition, they should definitely not excitewidespread distrust against democratic institutionsof the state. The political challenges for Nepalesecivil society groups, however, are varied andcomplex. To put them into proper perspectiverequires one to see their relationships with otheractors of governance.

Nepalese civil society reflects not only diverseand asymmetric life-forms of the nation’s class,caste, gender, region and religion but also anessential aspect of a democratic society. Thesegroups draw sustenance from a mixture ofsocial contexts and historical spirit of citizens’community-mindedness and public-spiritednessentrenched into the political culture of duty-bound behavior and its liberating ideal ofemancipation of all.

A decade-long insurgency and counter-

insurgency operations have eroded the state’sauthority and capacity to perform basic statefunctions and release the potential for systemintegration. It is the duty-based civil societygroups which are complementing the develop-ment functions of the state and providing theresiliency to citizens’ initiatives to cope with theirproblems at the grassroots level. The vision ofcivil society groups based on freedom, socialjustice, solidarity and peace-building will continueto hold relevance for Nepal as universalreference points to improve the condition ofNepalese citizens caught in structural injustice.

The task ahead for political parties is toestablish a synergy between the sectoral socialaction of civil society groups and national actionof the state and make both sets of actorsinclusive, visible, representative and account-able to larger public action. The peace accordhas offered an opportunity to political parties tobuild strong networks of association andreengage with the bottom of society. This canlead to enhanced faith of ordinary citizens in thepossibilities of modern politics.

Real democratization can occur if Nepalesecivil society groups can overcome their partisancharacter, develop autonomy from the interestgroups, build coalitions across the various civicgroups and enable socially legitimate collective

action on matters of public good. Participatorydemocracy driven by information revolutiondoes not become functional if civil societygroups do not generate the habits of debateand offer political leadership effective oppositionand competition on matters of public andnational importance. It is imperative for theNepalese civil society to ensure that thequestions of common good such as security,peace, democracy, livelihood and identity arenot neglected even for the marginalized. Theseare preconditions for the evolution of a rule-governed conception of public order.

Globalization has also expanded civil society’sreach into the regional and global discourse andignited fresh hope from a sort of global politicalrenaissance articulated through the emergingsocial movements and world social forums. But,political sovereignty would be meaningless ifthere is no policy sovereignty, to enable theNepalese decide the type of political, economicand social system they prefer for themselves andtheir children. The competitive spirit of theNepalese citizens, civil society groups, marketsand the political parties equally requires a strongcoordinating role of the state to beef up theeconomic and social foundation of politics.

Nepalese civil society groups can help theleadership to articulate the policy sovereignty of

politics in economic matters and help to definenational priorities for action, seek the support ofinternational community and achieve theeconomy of scale through market efficiency andsocial integration. There is also an imperative tobuild trust and seek the synergy of civil society-private sector partnership to enable the tornstate to assume basic governance functions—security, rule of law, voice and participation,delivery of public goods and conflict resolution.

In a phase of difficult democratic transition theresponsibilities of Nepalese civil society groupsare monumental in scope. First, democracybuilding in Nepal requires a political consensuson social contract and establishing the legitimacyof the state action. Second, modernization of theinfrastructure of democracy---political parties,NGOs, CBOs, public interest groups, media,educational institutions and the other agenciesof socialization-- is a precondition to democracyconsolidation and developing their compliance tothe rule of law. Third, capturing the sovereigntyof policy domain is another area to enforce theaccountability of governance to public and pushfor conflict-sensitive programs.

In a governance regime, however, a soundmechanism of mutual accountability of internaland external stakeholders must be built so thatscarce resources can be concerted into civic andvoters’ education for broadening awareness ofthe citizens as well as multi-track peace-buildingefforts. The suffering of the losers can easilypose risks to the order of society. Fourth,development of the linkages of micro and macroinstitutions of civil society is essential to enabletheir efficacy in the realization of the vision ofgood governance based on human rationality. Apositive peace requires the framework of socialjustice where civil society groups with otherstakeholders can enter into cooperative actionfor a sustainable democratic peace. ä

(Dahal is a political commetator)

Inclusion with visionäääää Hari Bansha Dulal

The only option that remains is the private sector. Is the privatesector capable of investing almost nine billion rupees a year sothat the rising

Prime Minister Girija PrasadKoirala's commitment that “Allmarginalized groups would beincluded in all the organs of statemachinery on a proportionalbasis.” However, translating apolitical speech into viableaffirmative action programs thatwill ensure the actual empower-ment of marginalized groupsthrough proper representationmay not be as easy as it seems.The challenge ahead is toconstruct just affirmative actionpolicies that can adequately andefficiently administer compensa-tory and distributive justice, but atthe same time have very littleroom for abuse by free riders.

One of the most important rolesof a state that strives towardsinclusive democracy is to reach outto marginalized groups that havebeen bypassed either by choice orby default. This will ensure thatpublic service system is inclusiveand representative.

We, as a nation, will be betteroff by ensuring inclusion ofmarginalized groups rather thanexclusion, which in itself isundemocratic. Thus, inclusion ofall marginalized groups bypassedso far, in all of the organs of statemachinery on a proportionalbasis, is necessary to inculcate afeeling of belonging and to makestate machineries more respon-sive to the needs of everyone'sneed.

One of the ways adopted tocorrect past mistakes is throughaffirmative action policies to ensureempowerment of the marginalizedgroups. However, there is a fineline between effective administra-

tion of compensatory and distributivejustice through affirmative actionpolicies that ensures empowerment ofmarginalized groups and the reversediscrimination.

In South Africa, after the AfricanNational Congress took power in theearly 1990s, they tried correcting pastindecencies by offering a severancepackage to white civil servants did notserve as a good omen as a majorityof the experienced white civil servantsleft government service. This had atremendous negative affect onbureaucracy and the overalldevelopment of the nation.

Thus, the burden lies on thegovernment to ensure that the groupthat was privileged in the past doesnot become a victim of reversediscrimination and withdraw itscontribution to the society. An abruptwithdrawal and flight of this section ofsociety that is well-educated, relativelywealthy, and politically enlightenedcould prove to be disastrous fordevelopment of the nation.

For empowerment of members ofa marginalized group to take place, itis important to identify the individualswithin the marginalized groups thatare actually deprived and in need ofthe state’s intervention. Thus,preference should be given to onlythose castes within the officially

declared marginalized groups fortheir upliftment, enhancement, andsubsequently empowerment.

For example, the members ofbackward caste Madhesis andMadhesi Dalits such as Lohar, Sonar,Dom, Chamars, Musahars and otherswho actually face discrimination on adaily basis, are at the bottom of theeconomic ladder and do not haveaccess to social goods and opportunityshould be the ones to benefit from theaffirmative action policies, but not tothe whole “Madhesi group” which theyare part of.

This is mainly so because somemembers of the “Madhesi group”such as those belonging to uppercastes- Brahmins, Rajputs, andBhumiyars- are actually moresuccessful and financially well off thanthe lower caste Madhesis, DalitMadhesis and even lower caste andDalit Pahades. If they, along withlower caste and Dalit Madhesis, aremade entitled to affirmative actions,the well-educated upper casteMadhesis that are better educatedand financially well-off will quicklylearn to hop opportunities and reduceaffirmative action policies to “affirma-tive auction.”

So, instead of blindly allocatingopportunities to the people within thecertain group, a combination of

factors like wealth, education level,income, occupation, and geographicaldisparities should be used to identifytruly needy people among theofficially classified marginalizedgroups. The resources and opportu-nities thus saved can be distributedamong those who are that are needybut are born in the upper castes bydefault, not by choice.

The government should learn fromthe Indian experience. Despite havingthe public policy of affirmative action inIndia in some form or the other formore than five decades now,approximately 25 percent of totalpopulation is still languishing below thepoverty line. The people that make upthis 25 percent are mostly backwardcastes and Dalits. So, merely havingpolicies in place does not ensureempowerment and emancipation. Forreal empowerment and emancipationto occur, policies should be able todeliver to those who need the most. Inaddition, affirmative action policiesshould be auditable. It should beaudited from time to time to see if it isreally addressing the issue that it issuppose to address or just enhancingdependency and the sense ofentitlement among the recipients.

Our success lies in devisingaffirmative action policies that areunique, workable in the sociocultural

context of Nepal and which reachthose who deserve it the most.The policies should be time-boundrather than open ended. Failure todo so would result in a situationlike in India, whereby the hope thatreservation would be abolishedafter the catching-up by themarginalized groups, has not yetbeen realised.

In the absence of a strict timeframe, the very notion of catch-upwill be defined to suit the politicalneeds and will be subjected topolitical manipulation. As in India,there will be a consistent andconcerted effort to extendreservation to cover more andmore groups. It will be impossibleto get rid of politically expedientpolicies of reservation in theabsence of a time frame, even if itis a generation or two later.

Thus, having a timeline in placeis extremely important to preventpreference from turning out to bean entitlement. Failure to do sowill eventually constrict opportuni-ties for upper castes and ignitesocial tension. The formation ofupper-class militia such as RanvirSena in Bihar in future cannot beruled out altogether.

The overall goal of affirmativeaction policies that are to beimplemented in Nepal should beto make discriminated andbypassed members ofmarginalized group become morecompetent and help them toemerge as natural competitorsrather than enhanceintergenerational dependency.

(Dulal is a lecturer of EnvironmentalScience and Public Policy at GeorgeMason University, Verginia, US)

719 Feb-25 Feb, 2007Opinion

The Madheshi rebellion and simultaneousLimbuwan Bandh recently forced the PrimeMinister to make two statements conceding totheir demand of amending article 63 of theinterim constitution, related to the formation ofthe Constituent Assembly. This has not satisfiedthe aspirations and sentiments of themarginalized communities which comprises ofJanajatis, Madhesis and Dalits . The dialoguethat is likely to be held between the Governmentand the Movement leaders, most probably willfail to produce any workable solution to the basicissue of ensuring participation of diverse socialgroups in the Constituent Assembly.

The root cause of such violence and politicalprotests lies in the Government’s policy of notbeing articulate in the process of forming theconstituent assembly election. The policy makersfailed to realize that Maoists’ social mobilizationhas aroused a sense of mistrust in the Janajatis,Madhesis and Dalits towards the traditionalpolitical elites. The general public sees thatprocess of electing the members of the assemblyas provided in the interim constitution is nothingbut a means of retaining the traditional elites'political domination in the new constitution.

Politically, a serious conflict between themarginalised communities and the traditionalelites has begun. This has led to uncertainty ofthe CA elections taking place as scheduled inMay. If the citizens have truly become

sovereign, the constitution should be written bythe representatives belonging to all segmentsof our society. Proportional representationbased on the census could guarantee equalpolitical rights to the marginalized groups andcommunities. Even in the House ofRepresentatives, we hear support for theirjustified demand by most of the members ofthe Seven Party Alliance. Such political actionsand counter actions indicate that theGovernment stands isolated with its politicalauthority undermined.

On the other hand, CPN (Maoists) leadersmust be satisfied to see their political ideologyvindicated much before the election to the CA.The state has conceded to a federal system, apolitical agenda of the Maoists. The demand ofautonomy and the right to self-determination putforward by the Madheshi and Janajatis wouldincrease internal threats to the current regime.The Maoist leaders apparently know that theGovernment can neither positively respond tonor contain these threats. Such increasing crisisof political legitimacy must have promptedPrachanda to launch a final movement forfederal republican set-up in April. His declarationin the mass rally in Kathmandu that ifcircumstances indicate that elections to theConstituent Assembly would be postponed, theonly option would be to declare a Republic byApril was a clear expression of that intent.

The Madheshi rebellion has virtuallyexposed the Government’s policy and its'paralysed state. Janajatis and Dalits have lostfaith in the Government, and the people ofTerai are not ready to comply with theGovernment’s decisions. The Governmentfailed to enforce its authority causing highlosses in human and material terms. TheGovernment still does trust Nepal army inwhich there is a fatigue syndrome at functionallevel. And there is unease and confusion at theconcept level of management after thecommand of the army was switched over fromthe traditional supreme commander to a civilianGovernment. The general public too feelsinsecure after going through the trauma ofMaoists’ 10 years insurgency. The civilianshave lost faith in the police and the army.

If the elites still try to keep out the sidelinedcommunities in the emerging politics, expectingpeace and stability in the country will be likechasing a mirage. The fundamental problem liesin the structural rigidity of the current regime,which consists of old mindset that has so farsustained its legitimacy by appealing totraditional values and norms. And it is obviousthat the Nepali Congress party wants to keepthe ceremonial monarchy in Nepal, a symbol oftraditional values without which the currentregime would have no political influence in thecountry. Adoption of the proportional

representation system would reduce traditionalpolitical elites to minority in the CA.. The majoritycomprising almost 70 per cent of our populationrepresenting Janajatis, Madheshis and Dalitsand their values and interests will remain pro-ethnic and for regional autonomy.

There is already a beginning of New Nepal, asecular state which means the society will beliberated from the domination of Hindu religiousand cultural discrimination. The federal systemwould guarantee a shift of political power. Regionalvalues and interests would give a new nationalidentity to the state. The ideology propagated byCPN (Maoists) which is gaining more acceptabilitynow would give a new face to Nepal.

Political elites need to understand that anyeffort to contain the marginalized groups andcommunities will not work now. Only a securepolitical system that guarantees a balancedsocial structure can ensure progress in thecountry. Regional and ethnic autonomy with awider sense of identity are the best guarantees.That will be the beginning of the process to endpolitical and social discrimination practiced forcenturies. It will ensure that the sidelinedcitizens would start making their own decisions,articulate and enforce them. They would enjoyowning political power of mobilization andcontrol over natural resources. And the obviousoutcome would be permanent peace andstability in the country. ä(Author is a parliamentarian and belongs to CPN-Maoist)

New Nepalin making ä Maj Gen Kumar Fudong (Retd)

Janajatis and Dalits havelost faith in theGovernment, and thepeople of Terai are notready to comply with theGovernment’s decisions.

Bhas

wor O

jha

Janjati protesting on the street of Kathmandu

8 19 Feb-25 Feb, 2007 Variety

ä Subhash Devkota in Guangzhou

Notwithstanding China’s meteoric rise as aneconomic power, it is still considered a countrythat is not so open and one with all pervasiveculture of hero-worship of Mao-Dze-Tung.However, the founder of the Communist Chinadid not have a monopoly over the ever-expanding list of its heroes and builders. Anoutsider and a first time visitor would be highlycurious as to whose pictures and posters weredisplayed on the walls in the city. Would it beMao? Or Deng-Xiao-Ping, the person whointroduced economic liberalisation or Hu Jintao,the incumbent president, who represents theyounger aspirations of the Asian giant? Arecent visit to Guangzhou, which is fastdeveloping as a modern city in the southernChina, showed how off the mark were ourimaginations about today's China.

Guangzhou walls no doubt had posters all overit but Bruce Lee, the Kung Fu hero topped thenumber followed by Brazilian footballer Ronaldinoand that of Chinese film actors. However, somestationary shops still sold books and photographsof Mao and Deng’s hoardings adorned somecrossroads along major business centers.Former President Ziang Zemin and Hu Jintao,the most powerful youthful president found spaceonly in very few walls and roofs of buses.

This clearly indicates that today’s China isno different from the contemporary world thathas prospered with consumerism. For Chineseyouths, politics is almost a hated word. They aremore concerned about how to earn more andbuy the best consumer items. Chinese youthsare into the race of affluence, its' pace increas-ing after China’s open economic policy begandictating its developmental policies.

China’s politics is still under the control of theCommunist Party, but Chinese seem to have leftpolitics exclusively to the politicians. Politicalrallies are some thing very uncommon but there

will almost always be crowds on the streets andbusiness centers to advertise and promote newcommercial products. “Openness” is the wordChinese often mention while talking about theircountry’s progress, but its' Architect Deng’sname does not figure as frequently. Theirnames are mentioned only during discussionson politics. Surprisingly, their opinion on Chineseleaders San Yat Sen, Mao, Deng and Hu Jintaoare similar. They call San Yat Sen, the Father ofmodern China and Mao the founder of modernChina as well as the leader of the Revolution.Hu Jintao is simply called the president and thecredit to economic liberalization and moderniza-tion is given to Deng.

It is hard for a first time visitor to notice any kindof political discontent as often stated by thewestern world. The Chinese adore the commit-ment for development that their Government hasbeen able to realize. Despite facts proving thatthere is growing attraction to the West among theChinese, common responses we met with were,"What does U S have that we do not have, whyshould one go there?"

Wide roads, high-rise buildings in plannedcities and fast changing life style make a senseto the Chinese claim. The Asian giant withdouble-digit economic growth rate is expected tobe the biggest economic power in the comingcouple of years, and the west has acknowl-

ä Neeva M. Pradhan

The big day had finally arrived. The parkinglot of the DC Nepali School in ViennaVirginia filled up as cars pulled into thecompound. The students walked withpizzazz escorted by their parents into theauditorium. Some students were already intheir Pahari, Tamang and Newari costumesready for the year-end cultural perfor-mance. Sahara, a seven year old ran up toher mother in excitement and asked inbroken Nepali, “Maile kun song gaunchu?”In her Level II class at the school she wasstill learning how to pronounce words.

The suburban neighborhood with typicalAmerican rambler homes along the mainstreet provided no hint of ethnic programssignifying cultural phenomena occurringright in its backyard. The DC Nepali Schoolin Washington Metro area, catering to theNepali Diaspora population of twenty fivethousand Nepali immigrants, is a volunteerrun organization that holds classes forcouple hours on weekends. Now threeyears later and after six successful semes-ters, the school attendance had increased to45 students, starting from four year olds toadults, fifteen core volunteers, and fourclass sections focusing on basic reading,writing, communication and verbal skills.

The volunteers were required to stretchbeyond their comfort zone, assume a new role asteachers, trainers, and coordinators and make acommitment to create a haven for the youth tolearn their heritage. They learned to overcomepersonal anxieties treading on new territory ofteaching Nepali grammar, vocabulary and diction.Managing individual time constraints to fulfill thedemands of volunteer hours meant forgoingcertain weekend respite whether it be going tothe movie theatres, visiting friends, preparingNepali cuisine for their family for the entire weekor watching the Super Bowl game on TV. Thiswas the turning point where the volunteersreshuffled their priorities and values to embracean alien concept to make a paradigm shift.

They learned that the prime challenge was tocreate a curriculum appropriate and exciting foran American born Nepalese youth in order tocapture their enthusiasm and interest. Apartfrom ensuring a facility for language, theschool’s objective was also to help studentsunderstand cultural values and find a balancebetween the eastern and western cultures.They aimed at helping youth cultivate roots andmake them multifaceted. However this feat wasweighed against several conflicting realities ofbalancing a fast paced life and demands of workand home and lack of extended family support.For the volunteers, communicating this effortand selling the idea was equally exigent.

Considering all the odds, it was then nothingshort of a miracle to see the school flourish andgrow in a short time span. Apart from teachinglanguage skills the school had a vision to providea forum for the Nepali American youth to sharethe challenges they faced of growing up in dualcultures. Parents were not always aware thattheir children growing up in a new culture wouldnot absorb their ethnic values naturally. Rather ittook partnership, proficiency and special effort toinculcate the right set of values in the children.The year- end school program provided onesuch platform for communicating theseconflicting values and a means to comprehendthis complexity.

The skit “Asian Parenting” aimed at address-ing subtleties of cultural orientation, its ambigu-ities and contradictions through a discoursebetween a Nepali father and his Americanizedteenage son. The typical Asian father was overzealous about his son’s school grades andinsisted on him pulling his B+ to an A in thefinals. The teenage son retorted back, “Dad doyou realize how ridiculous you sound and thattoo on a Friday evening when kids are sup-posed to hang out? Any American parent woulddo hand stands to see a B+ on a report cardand all you can do is lecture me about studyingmore?” At that point all the youth in theaudience nodded in complete approval andflashed a cathartic grin at their own parents.

One of the biggest lessons that Nepaleseyouth have learned to accept is Asianparents can be banal about education andcan display a fixation for A’s in all subjectsand nothing less. While imparting weightymessages, the skit provided a good dose ofhumor and relief through cross culturalinnuendo interspersed with thick American-ized accents from the young performers.

The message from the skit provided asense of how the dichotomy betweencultural upbringings may make it hard forparents to understand children and vice-versa. Parents are most effective inpreserving their children’s allegiance to theirown values if they negotiate compromises,which acknowledge and respect bothcultures. We have to reconcile to the factthat children will acquire some degree of“mainstream” U.S. culture that is notnecessarily evil since this skill is essential forthem to succeed. The school’s philosophyincorporated these dual values to mitigatethe conflicts already prevalent in amulticultural set up.

The applause from the audience after theperformance could not drown the popularslogan that the younger students hadconcocted as they shouted in unison,‘Nepali School is cool’.

(Neeva is the chairperson of DC Nepali school)

The Turning PointNepali Diaspora The DC Nepali School holds classes for couple hours on weekends.

No time for politics

edged it. With modernization and west’s arrivalin industries, Chinese are feeling a bit uncom-fortable with their language constraints. Chineselanguage no more seems sufficient and Chineseyouths are now fascinated to learn English.

All this openness has also contributed to‘westernisation’ of the lifestyle in China. Dating inpublic places, abundance of pubs are examplesof it. Owning and visiting discotheques andmassage parlors is no more considered ‘indecent’and subjected to punishment as it did in the pre-80s. Prostitution is an accepted part of theliberalised China. Perhaps openness in all sectorsmakes political control a much easier job. That isthe impression the short trip gave us. ä

For Chineseyouths, politicsis almost ahated word.They are moreconcerned abouthow to earnmore and buythe best con-sumer items

Chinese youth

919 Feb-25 Feb, 2007Profile

Raj Bhai Shakya, 30 and his brother RabinShakya, 25 are artisans with a difference in thatthey are striving to keep the spirit of love fortheir work above the fast encroaching trend ofmass production and mediocre standards ofwork.

Raj Bhai has devoted his life to carving andadding details to statues of Buddha and deities ofall kinds. His foray into chiseling began when hewas ten. "My father, Juju Bhai Shakya, used tomake Karuwas (water vessels). I think thatsparked my interest." He apprenticed for twoyears under the well-known artisan, Siddhi RajShakya, a friend of his grandfather, and did acourse from Hasta Kala training institute in Patan.

"It may sound idealistic but I really do not dothis for money only. I am happiest when I createa perfectly crafted piece. I am content with whatI have been earning and would not trade this foranything else. I would never want to gocommercial. We mostly get orders but also keepa few pieces for sale," he said, pointing at deitiesof Green Tara, Aparamita, Ganesh andShakyamuni Buddha.

Reluctance and often refusal to teach bythose versed in the art was a major hurdle hefaced. Relatives engaged in similar trade wereunwilling to teach for fear of competition.However, he now expressed his readiness toteach if anybody would want to learn from him."I'd be happy to share what I know", said RajBhai. Despite increasing competition, he said hehas been faring well and attributed it to theirextra attention to quality and details.

Rabin began working when he was 12. Todayhe is a full time artist and holds a BBS degree.He said he has seen a marked difference in howhis father used to work and how they worktoday. "My father used to stick to old designsonly and was satisfied with what he knew but weexplored and picked up new patterns, new toolsto work with and also learned the tradition inwhich particular deities are made."

Rabin expressed his dissatisfaction with theway the business was going and said mostbuyers these days only look at the price and notthe quality or the finishing of a statue. "Somedon't seem to notice if an eye is smaller than theother or if one hand is thicker than the other.They just come with a fixed idea of the size ofthe statue and the price. They seem to have noappreciation for details. Only a few seem to careabout quality."

Rabin added, "I'm very attached to this work.I am proud to be an artist and feel happy whenothers praise my work but sometimes, practicalproblems overshadow everything." He said hewas willing to explore other options of working inother fields since his brother could handle thisbusiness on his own. Asked if he would continueto work as an artist if the returns were better, he

said, "Of course, then I'd have no reason toleave what I enjoy doing. After our fatherpassed away, we have been managing fine butsometimes it gets difficult. Our younger brotherAmit is learning wax technology and that wouldadd a new dimension to our work." His eyeswandered away dreaming of new possibilities.

Making sure they give nothing but the best totheir customers, both the brothers spendanywhere between three weeks to two monthsbefore they complete an image. They do not geta stream of customers since they are not intomass production but as Rabin explained, "Ourclients, especially from France and Germany areconnoisseurs of art. They know what they wantand are not willing to settle for second best. So,though our rates are slightly higher than the

market, our customers remain faithful to us".When a metal statue comes to them, it is only

a rough representation of it's final form. Theywork on details like muscular structure, shape ofbody and expression on the face. Both agreedthat carving a face is the most difficult part andthe challenge was always to get the rightexpression. Learning through experience, theyhave only their hands and memory to guidethem; and when they receive orders for aparticular deity, they use photos to guide them.

Working six to seven days a week in thebackbreaking occupation, these artists' story isa representation of the problems and chal-lenges being faced by a large section of thoseinvolved in sculpting, carving trade inKathmandu valley. ä

Joyin creatingperfectionä Sushma Amatya

Working sixto seven daysa week in thebackbreakingoccupation,these artists'story is arepresentationof the prob-lems andchallengesbeing faced bya large sectionof those in-volved insculpting,carving tradein Kathmanduvalley.

Shakya brothers busy carving. Attachedto their work, they are concerned more

about quality than quantity

Raj Bhai Shakyashows his finished work

Pix

by B

hasw

or O

jha

10 19 Feb-25 Feb, 2007 From the Region

straddling both truth and speculation.On one hand, both journalists and

political activists are treading a fineline between caution and irreverencefor authority. Many refused to comeon record on the matter of the mediastories, though all of Dhaka ostensibly“knows” exactly what happened.

On the other, even a short walkaround the city centre brings you faceto face with another incredible truth.The people, among the poorest in theworld, with first-hand experience ofmartial law even in independentBangladesh, seem to be rooting forthe emergency imposed by armychief Lt. Gen. Moyeen U. Ahmed.

For a start, the army is wielding adetermined broom to cleanse publiclife from the criminalised cesspool ofpolitics, into which Bangladesh hadalmost been willing itself for the lastfew years.

Dhaka: When Dhaka’s combativemedia recently ran reports about armyexcesses in both Bengali and English —soon after emergency was declared inBangladesh on January 11 — newlyinstalled chief adviser FakhruddinAhmed’s advisory council reportedlydebated what kind of preventive actionshould be taken to still the democraticclamour from other, copycat journalists.

Soon, though, the US and Britishembassies in Dhaka had issued sternstatements in favour of freedom ofthe press.

The new government, sensitive towhat the international communitywould have to say about overtcensorship, let the matter go.

So when Indian foreign ministerPranab Mukherjee comes visiting onMonday to invite President Iajuddin tothe Saarc summit in Delhi in April, hewill find this robust city on a knife-edge,

At last count, 19 ministers from themajor parties, the BNP and theAwami League, have been arrestedon charges of massive corruption.

Another 60,000 people have alsobeen detained so far, among thembureaucrats, tax evaders, smalleractivists, and it is said even doctorsand teachers, all because they werestealing public funds.

Soldiers are all over Bangladeshthese days, inspecting factories andgodowns for such evidence. Reliefmaterial donated by foreigngovernments, such as blankets, tin forconstruction roofs and sheds, medicines— and even sports goods — havebeen forcibly removed by these soldiersfrom homes of the rich and powerful.

So far, the people are applaudingwith both hands.

“The army performed a minormiracle in January when it dismissed

No groomsThe wait for marriageable womento find suitable grooms in theKashmir Valley is getting longer,with the 17-year-old insurgency inthe region creating a dearth ofbachelors.

Until some years ago, mostparents ensured their daughterswere married off by 25. Now, thishas stretched to as late as 35years and the women, who arealso usually the breadwinners oftheir families, are becoming anincreasingly visible group.

Aneesa Shafi, head of thedepartment of sociology at theUniversity of Kashmir, says, "Thevalley has lost thousands of itsyoung men, all of marriageableage, in the last 17 years. This hascreated a dearth of suitablegrooms. The institutions of family

and marriage are the worst hit."With many youth getting involved

in militancy and their future becominguncertain, it is difficult for parents tomarry their daughters to them," shepoints out.

What was earlier a social stigma,having an unmarried girl at home,seems to have become a norm in thevalley.

With traditional society seeing rapidchanges, not just in its politics, butalso its social and cultural fabric,these women have learnt to accepttheir new roles.

Ghazala Gul, a postgraduatestudent at University of Kashmir,says, "For girls in the valley, 30 to 35is the normal age of marriage. I willmarry only after my future issecure."

(The Times of India)

Wait for marriageable women to find suitable groomsin Kashmir is getting longer, with the 17-year-oldinsurgency creating a dearth of bachelors.

On a knife's edgethe Khaleda Zia government and tookmatters in hand,’’ said a salesman ina big Dhaka store.

For example, when the all-powerfulTariq Zia, son and heir of formerPrime Minister Khaleda, was recentlyput under house arrest because hewas ostensibly planning not one butthree coups against the army in theshort month since his mother wasdivested from power, even Dhaka’sintelligentsia was fully on board.

So far, the clamour against humanrights abuses hasn’t begun. Majorcountries like the US, Britain, India,Pakistan and China have largely heldtheir peace because the army haspreferred to work behind the scenes.

There is an emergency inBangladesh today, but there is noarmy rule. And at least for the timebeing, that is worth all the difference.

(The Telegraph)

There is anemergency inBangladeshtoday, butthere is noarmy rule. Andat least for thetime being,that is worthall thedifference. VHP's

vision

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP) said it would constructten lakh Ram Temples in thecountry in a year's time to checkalleged conversion.

The work of construction ofthe temples would begin fromRam Navmi, VHP mediaincharge Sharad Sharma said.

In the first phase, one lakhtemples would be built in onelakh villages, he said adddingthat similarly more templeswould be constructed in ninelakh villages in a phasedmanner.

VHP would launch a Hindu'ekta yatra' for setting up of'Hindu Rashtra' from November20 and prepare a votebank ofthe community, he said.

(Expressindia)

Constructionof 10 lakh RamTempleswithin a year

Kashmiri girls

Bangladeshi living on the streets of Dhaka

A Ram Temple

1119 Feb-25 Feb, 2007Art & Society

ä Sushma Amatya

Revelation

CrushingfaithA place of worship in any faith, inany country is a sacred area. Thereare unspoken rules of conductingoneself with discipline, dignity andrespect for others to be followedscrupulously. Be it a Gurudwara,temple, mosque, church,monastery or anything else, oncewe choose to enter the premises, itbecomes imperative that we abideby its norms and not desecrate thesanctity of the place by conductingunwholesome acts of aggression.Disgraceful acts committed in a holyplace, violence against devotees ofany particular faith reflects on thewhole society and casts a shadowof shame on all.

It was with a sense ofpremonition that I approached thecremation area of Pashupati Nathtemple on the Shiva Ratri evening.Shiva Ratri, one of the major Hindufestivals held in the hallowedgrounds of Pashupati Nath templefor centuries, is awaited eagerlyby devotees of Lord Shiva to payhomage to the deity. Over theyears, it had been a familiar sightto see crowds of devotees fromIndia and ascetics of all kinds travelto Nepal for this event. This year,however, the number of pilgrimswas visibly less. The insecurityarising out of fear of unknown,questions regarding the issue oftolerance to others' faith, in acountry recently declared secularappeared to have deterred manyprospective travelers from India.

The gaiety and festivitywitnessed in earlier years wasmissing this year. It was a prettytoned down affair, perhapscompounded by the chilliest winter.

As we walked over the bridgeacross the river, watching peoplelined up on the left side towardsthe temple and the burning Ghatson the left, our senses were joltedby sudden shrill loud criesshouting, Bam Bhole (Hail to theLord). Suddenly out of the crowd,a huge group of young menappeared, reeking with smell ofmarijuana smoke, their eyes bloodshot, arms flaying in all directions,shouting hysterically, some out tograb whatever they fancied. Theypushed their way down the stepsfrom the forest above and mergedin with the crowd moving towardsthem. It was a sudden,uncontrolled onslaught. Sensesnumbed, I just focused on movingaway from the centre of the bridgetowards the side, hoping I wouldn'tbe pushed down the river. Thestampede was such.

I could vaguely make out theform of a terrified young girlhunched up squatting on the floorin front of me, her arms protectingher head. In a blur I saw rows ofinflamed eyes and obvious ill intentin them. The air was suffused byirrationality and a kind of mobmadness. Intoxicated men ventingout their frustration supported bymasses of their kind was indeed a

risky situation to be caught in.Amidst the crazed cries, a stonedman reached out his hand as if tograb somebody and luckily I foundmyself out of its reach.

The crowd surged past andthere was some breathing spacethat I used quickly to move awayfrom the bridge and go towardsthe other side of the Ghats. Thesense of having made it throughthe momentary hell wasoverwhelming.

I learned later that never beforehad Marijuana been sold so cheapand in plentitude in the Pashupatiarea. For mere five rupees for aBhang (marijuana) laden piece ofsweet, it must have sold very fast.

Away from harm's way, I couldjust imagine the terror women,children and the elderly caught inthe darkness must have felt,surrounded by such groups ofintoxicated and irreverent men as Ihad encountered. About twentyminutes later, the news of stoningand shouts of abuse targeted atking Gyanendra came on the radio.A fellow devotee indeed he was, nomatter his status or history, whohad come to worship the deity. Thiswas no time or place to regurgitateone's animosity.

Shiva Ratri holds specialmeaning and is of significance to alarge number of population in thecountry. The shocking incidentbrings home the fact that even aplace of worship isn't safeanymore and is not spared ofviolence—a form of sacrilege. Thisspells a big change in the way oflife of women in this society.

Most women in traditionalsocieties get to go out, socialiseand feel free for a few hours onlyduring occasions like this. Will theynow be forced to stay indoors onthose days just because festivalslike this end up being exploited bythose who hold no value forothers' faith? Will lawlessnesscontinue to dominate so much thatpeople dont' feel safe anymore inany mass gathering? Who will takethe responsibility for the evening ofirresponsibility replete withaggression and ill intent?

In retrospection, whencomparing the conduct of a peopleof another faith in a similar context,there stands marked difference inattitude towards another fellowhuman being, respect showntowards the faith, discipline inconducting oneself and above allthe intention behind being presentin such a place in the first place. Aplace of worship needs to berespected, not denigrated. A radiocommentator who said that theLord Shiva may have been verysad that day, is not out of place.Anybody who supports humanvalues and dignity truly would beextremely disappointed anddisturbed by the mayhem that holynight. I came back feeling deeplyashamed. ä

Is it true when people who take drugs say theyremember better and get more creative underinfluence of drugs?

Rahin ShresthaBhimsensthan

it is absolutely false. We all possess minds that arecapable of a lot of creativity and remembering withoutusing any drugs. The fact is when people use drugs,their creativity gets stunted, they tend to remainhappy with what they have at the moment and stopstriving for better ideas, output. When addicted, theyare under the misconception that their ideas are veryunique when the reality is that they are suffering fromdrug induced illusions. When the effect of drugs wearout, so does all their so called creativity. Drugsactually numbs our minds and makes it slow andprevents us from being in the present.

A drug addict feels better under the effect of drugs butas it wears off they end up feeling worse since thetemporary 'high' wears off fast leaving a user feeling 'flat'.All that they felt when 'high' are in reality just illusions. Forreal creativity and memory power, drugs are definitelynot the solution. They are just the opposite as theycreate more problems for your mind and body.

How does smoking lead to drugs?Jaya ShahHandigaun

A person usually starts smoking trying to imitate their

Smoking sucksRagina Shah's counseling on impact of drug and smoking

parents, to 'belong' with their peers or to copy theirscreen 'heroes' or 'heroines' that could be film stars, popstars or anybody. Curiosity also leads a young person totry out smoking. Curiosity soon turns into a habit and theperson becomes unable to get rid of the habit.Cigarrette contains nicotin that reaches the brain quicklythrough the blood stream and makes a persondependent on it before he/she knows it. Now, dependenton doses of nicotine, body sends signals out to theperson as soon as it's deprived of it and the personreaches out for 'just one more ciggie'.

Usually, we've seen that children who are drawntowards smoking take their first puff when they are inclass four or five. After a few years of smoking, they getcurious about marijuana or 'Ganja' and try it out in thesame manner and find out that this too is a substitute fornicotine. The numb feeling and the temporary 'high'hooks them. Gradually their bodies get accustomed tothe daily dose and it starts to crave for larger doses ofthose substances. In this way, the dose and frequencybegins to increase. After prolonged use, when marijuanaceases to 'satisfy' them, they tend to reach out forharder drugs, such as brown sugar. This way, a persongets sucked into the dangerous cycle and most of thetime such a person doesn't know he's already courtingbig time trouble causing his mental, physical, emotionalhealth to break down rapidly.

Queries related to addiction of any kind can beaddressed to: newsfront@bhrikuti.com. Outstandingissues will be short listed and dealt with by Ragina.

Teenagers of Kathmandu werecaptivated by two-time Grammyaward winning band from LosAngeles, Ozomatli that performed inKhula Manch, Ratna Park,Kathmandu, Feb 17. It was a freeconcert held to convey socialmessages relevant to the Nepaliyouth today. The 9-memberAmerican band known for its multi-ethnic, multi-racial Latin hip-hop bandheld rapt the attention of Nepaliaudience. The trip of the 9-member-

team was sponsored by USAID/Nepaland American Centres in Kathmanduand N.Delhi.

"It is beautiful to be with Nepalipeople", vocalist Tenor Sax said tothe audience. The message of theband was, “different instruments butone rhythm, together we can make aprosperous Nepal.” "We believe thatdiversity is a strong foundation onwhich peace and understanding maybuild," Asdru Sierra, lead vocalistsaid.

Nepali rock band Robin and theNew Revolution opened the concertand sang about patriotism andcurrent social issues. Both Robin andthe New Revolution and Ozomatlibelieve that diversity is a strongfoundation on which to build peaceand understanding.

Ozomatli set a fine example ofyouth initiative channelising its energypositively and created an impact onmany young minds in the audience.

ä Jyoti Devkota

RockingKathmanduOzomatli set an example of youth initiative channelising its energypositively

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19 Feb-25 Feb, 200712 Weather

ä Bishwa Mani Pokharel

It was a romantic Valentine's Day for the youngpeople of Kathmandu whey they had theopportunity to express their love on a rainy daycomplete with a smattering of snow. 14February, became a remarkable day especiallyfor Katmanduites and those in surrounding hillyareas experiencing a snowfall after 62 longyears. An event that took place after so manyyears is in itself a history and what more couldthe lovebirds ask for!

It was an interesting phenomenon in thatinstead of the mercury rising, snow poureddown in the heart of the capital that lies almost1350 meter above the sea level. Second week

of February heralds the end of winter andbeginning of spring and definitely not afavourable condition for snowfall. This patternwas challenged by cold waves originating fromEurope, traveling through Iran, Iraq, Afghani-stan, Pakistan and North West of India andentering Nepal from the Western part. Thissnowfall in Kathmandu city is more significantcompared to the one 62 years ago since thelatter occurred on the first week of January.

According to meteorologists, the snowfalloccurred due to temperature of above theground reaching zero degree centigrade. Whenthat happens, the rainfall at the time getsconverted into ice.

This year there were disturbances observed

in the weather patterns in the Western parts ofNepal. Initially it was in December and secondlyon 11 February, when there was precipitation inNepalgunj. The third wave arrived on 13February and precipitated the whole country,which resulted in the snow in the valley. Normalrainfall in February in the valley is only 17.5millimeter but this year the rainfall recordedstood at 69.2 millimeter until the 2nd week ofFebruary.

Senior meteorologist, Krishna BhaktaManandhar said, "It is an interesting phenom-enon that snow fell up to 1400 meters above the

sea level in February." He informed that theMeteorological Department had forecastedpartial rainfall throughout the country andsnowfall in the high hills. Manandhar added,"Snowfall in Kathmandu valley is unexpected.We had forecast it only in the high mountains."Snowfall above 2500 meters from the sea levelis taken as a normal phenomenon. AnotherSenior Meteorologist, Keshab Das Shrestha,said that the snowfall in the valley was remark-able and not expected. With the unexpectedhappening, Valentine's Day took on a specialmeaning that day. ä

SNOWY

14 February, became a re-markable day especially forKatmanduites and those in

surrounding hilly areasexperiencing a snowfall after

62 long years

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