#423 31 October - 6 November 2008 16 pages Rs 30

Weekly Internet Poll # 424. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

Q. What is the best option for armyintegration?

Weekly Internet Poll # 423

Q. Should the CPN-M, drop the 'Maoist'tag from its name?

Total votes: 3,429

very month, one billionrupees worth of fakeIndian currency is

smuggled via Kathmanduairport to Birganj and acrossinto India.

This counterfeit currencyracket has vast tentacles withlinks to international terrorismand crime. The only reasonNepal is a transit point isbecause of the ease with whichKathmandu airport can be usedto smuggle things in and out,and the open poorly-guarded

border between Nepal and India.The irony of it is that even realIndian 500 and 1,000 rupee notesare banned in Nepal.

Our investigation shows thatevery day, some Rs 30 million isbeing taken across from Birganj toRaxaul in bicycles, rickshas andtangas. Couriers are paid IRs 500(in real money) for every bundleof fake Rs 100,000 that they takeacross. Dealers in India buy everyfake IRs 1,000 note for IRs 700and they pass them on to retailersacross the country.

Fake cash is now appearing inATMs as far afield as Bangalore

and Chennai. Indian sourcessay that at this rate, there willbe IRs 100 billion fake currencyin circulation in the next twoyears. Nepal is also affectedbecause the Indian rupee isused widely in the Tarai. Thepolitical instability in Nepaland the criminalisation ofpolitics in the Tarai haveabetted the smuggling. Theporous Indo-Nepal border,always a haven for smugglers,just has another contraband topush fake cash.

Till a few years ago, thenotes looked fake: they hadthicker paper, shoddy printingand didn’t feel right. But lately,counterfeiters are usingsophisticated presses in

Nepal has become the main conduit for the smugglingof counterfeit Indian currency

Real or fake?Thailand and Bangladesh andhave incorporated watermarks,security threads and even gotthe subtle tints in the ink right.Indian security officials sayforeign governments are out tosubvert the Indian economyand suspect terror groups withlinks to Dawood Ibrahim ‘DCompany’ are involved.

Yogewsor Romkhamidisplays some fake notes, andsays: “Even I can’t tell which isreal or which is fake. Theremust be some countries oragencies involved, but I can’tsay anything sitting inthis chair.”VK Shashikumar in Birganj

Full story p4

E

FUNNY MONEY: Birganj SPYogeswor Romkhami (above)shows fake notes seized at theborder. He holds a wad of Indian500 rupee notes (left) from aconsignment of counterfeitcurrency .

RAJESH BHARDWAJ

2 31 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423EDITORIAL

Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Editor: Kunda DixitCEO: Ashutosh Tiwari Design: Kiran MaharjanMarketing Manager: Sambhu Guragain Asst Manager: Subhash KumarSubscriptions: 5542535/5542525

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

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

DEMOB DEADLINEGovernment formation, the prime minister's foreign trips, then therewas Dasain-Tihar. Finally, there are no more excuses for thegovernment to start governing.

But there is one more potential distraction: army integration.The January deadline for UNMIN's mandate is beginning to focuseveryone's minds on dismantling cantonments and containers.Those bankrolling the UN are not in the mood for another extension.

Given the extreme posturing and grandstanding by doctrinaireMaoists led by Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and thecentre-right supporters of status quoists in the Nepal Army,integration won't be easy. Thapa's rash public pronouncements, andthe kangresis whipping up a storm over rumours they heard thatNanda Kishore Pun was being proposed as army chief hasneedlessly polarised the debate.

Back in early 2007, the whole process of interning the guerrillasand their weapons was called 'arms management' just so that itwouldn't hurt Maoist feelings by making it look like they lost.Everyone knew the hardcore guerrillas and their commanders werenot in the camps. The Maoists knew we knew. We agreed to call thecamps 'cantonments' and gave them the other key to the containersthat contained mostly .303s just to keep the ex-rebels happy.

We knew the realhardened fighterswere actually the YCLand they were in thecities, but we wentalong with it. Andwhen the YCL keptbeating up and killingpeople and running kangaroo courts, we looked away for the sake ofprotecting the peace process. Semantics mattered then because thepeace process was fragile. It’s now time to call 'arms management'what it really is: disarmament, demobilisation and rehabilitation.

And it is time to downsize our bloated military, make it moretransparent and institutionalise civilian command. The army'sargument that it can't allow politically indoctrinated cadre to join aprofessionally-trained force is a bit disingenuous. After all, it couldbe argued that the ex-royal army also has a sizeable proportion of'indoctrinated' officers and soldiers.

Some integration is necessary. You can't have peace when thereare two standing armies. There are some 19,000 verified guerrillasin the camps, if they are all integrated into the national army its sizewill grow to 120,000 at a time when it probably needs to be broughtdown to its pre-war size of 45,000.

This is a challenge: how do you add and subtract at the sametime? The only answer to that is the political will to find acompromise formula. That is what the multi-partisan committee issupposed to do, let it work independently.

INTERESTING TIMESMallika Aryal

O n Monday, as a televisionshow recording finished,Krishna Prasad Sitaula

got a call on his mobile asking ifhe was free to talk. It was fromthe prime minister's office. In afew minutes, there was a directcall again: this time from PMDahal himself.

After exchanging warmpleasantries and joking (Dahalasked about Sitaula'sdisappearing act and Sitaula saidit was impossible to get throughto the PM after he took office),Dahal got down to business. Hewanted to know what the NC hadin mind with its Biratnagar rallyand asked for support.

Sitaula responded that NCwould not hamper theconstitution writing exerciseand urged Dahal to meet GirijaKoirala again.

The same evening, at theSadbhawana Diwali get-together,all three leaders foundthemselves sharing a sofa. Dahalimmediately pointed out Sitaulato Koirala and said he hadreached out and wanted to fix ameeting. Girija said he hadreferred to his 'sentimentalattachment' with Dahal onlythat morning, and would behappy to meet.

Is this the beginning of akangres-maobadi thaw?Unfortunately not. Beneath the

PLAIN SPEAKINGPrashant Jha

surface, the trust deficit betweenthe two parties is deep andsmall talk over tea will not beenough to bridge it. The NC feelscheated.

Koirala still sees the Maoistsrefusal to give him thepresidency as a betrayal. The NCrank and file feels they haveappeased the Maoists enoughduring the peace process andwants to take an aggressive stance.

NC moderates Sitaula,Shekhar Koirala and even RamChandra Poudel are relativelyweak. They are peeved with theMaoist arrogance and claim it isridiculous to expect them towork with a party which hascategorised the NC as their‘dushman’. Yet, it is not thisschool which poses the problemto cooperation, it is the party'srightwing (Sher Bahadur Deubaand his technocrat cronies,Govinda Raj Joshi, K B Gurungand Sujata Koirala) who feel NCsuffered because of its associationwith the Maoists and that itshould distance itself.

The Maoist version isdifferent. They feel the kangresisare sore losers and can't reconcileto being just a junior partner inan alliance. Maoist politiciansclaim they have made the effortand are being flexible on allfronts, including integration. It isthe NC which is unclear and notreciprocating. Some Maoistsadmit privately that they botchedup on the presidency but say theNC insistence on the defenceministry and decision not to join

the cabinet was wrong.Like on most other things,

there is division in the Maoist topbrass on the question of engagingwith the NC. Dahal and BaburamBhattarai realise that theirpolitical survival is dependent onthe success of this process, whichcannot happen without NC. If thismeans keeping their ambitions oftotal political consolidation incheck for now, they are willing.

Not everyone in the party seesit that way. They feel the NC is aspent force and can be brushedaside.

If we want a constitution intwo or even three years, thecountry needs the NC and theMaoists to work together. Thisdoes not mean NC has to jointhe government as some aredemanding, it is their prerogativeto stay out.

Neither does it mean that theMaoists need to get hyper if theNC organises rallies and criticisesthe government, that is their job.But sections of the NC need tostop flirting with the idea ofoverthrowing the Maoists in sixmonths. The party also needs tocome up with specific demandsand constructive proposalsinstead of only ranting at rallies.

The NC moderates Maoistimpulses. The Maoists keep acheck on the right wing in the NCand forces it towards the socialjustice agenda. Both have theirclass biases and constituencies atodds with each other. Neither canprevail totally over the other. It isfine if they discreetly consolidateand cater to these biases.

Competitive politics is naturalbut confrontation needs to bepostponed for two years till wehave a stable political system.Otherwise, the NC will become therallying point of the right wing.The Maoists will veer towards anultra-left agenda. And the peoplewill be caught in the middle andcontinue to suffer.

Left, rightNC-Maoist confrontation needs tobe postponed until we have astable political system

ISLAMABAD-A month after a suicidebomber struck the Marriott here on 20September, killing 55 people, the hotel isgetting ready to reopen in the new year.

Owner Sadruddin Hashwani has madeit his goal not to be cowed down byterrorism, and is determined to bring thehotel back into operation. Bulldozers arebusy clearing the debris, workers are up in

the rooms facing Constitution Avenue,putting up new windows and repairing thecharred façade.

Shock waves from the blast and theensuing flames twisted the window frames.Every window of not just the Marriott butalso a neighbouring government building,is smashed. There is nothing left of thebedrooms, they look dark, abandoned,haunted. The truck bomb left a crater 10mdeep in front of the hotel and among thedead was the Czech ambassador.

In early October the UN approvedSecurity Phase-III, which requires thechildren and spouse of the internationalstaff to leave Pakistan and relocate for aninterim period. Various places in the cityare off limits, checkpoints are placed all

over the city and routine security alerts arecirculated.

Even a month after the bombing,restaurants and parks are empty, shoppingcentres wear a deserted look and lesspeople come out during the evenings withtheir families. There’s fear that things willget a lot worse before it gets better andexpats want to leave before it is too late.

Some have called the 20 SeptemberMarriott Hotel bombing Pakistan’s 9/11. Theattack in Islamabad was symbolic and themessage that the attackers were trying toconvey was clear–they are getting strongerand they don’t care about democracy.

Pakistan’s problem with terrorism hasits roots in the Cold War years-theirsupport for the Afghan Mujahideen, whowere assisted by the US in their fightagainst the Soviet occupiers ofAfghanistan, and later became the Taliban.In the post 9/11 world, Pakistan reluctantlylet go of its ties with the Taliban and joinedhands with the US to drive them out ofAfghanistan. The Taliban fled to Pakistan’snorthwest tribal areas where the Al-Qaedawas already operating. It shared an intensehatred towards the US that brought theTaliban and Al-Qeada together.

For those who weren’t ready to acceptit, the Marriott bombings made one thingclear– the Al-Qeada and Taliban are not

just enemies of the US and Afghanistan butalso Pakistan.

As a Nepali visiting Pakistan duringthe country’s difficult times, one wants tounderstand their struggle and drawparallels between the war we just came outof and the one that’s going on in Pakistan.Although a past American ambassadortried to represent Nepal’s anti-Maoist waras a part of the global war on terror, it wasclear that there weren’t any links.

Our war was internal, it was a domesticresponse to domestic grievances that hadpiled up over the centuries. Nepal is notgeo-strategic the way Afghanistan alwayswas ever since the Great Game, and wedon’t have oil–so we have less to fightover. Nepal’s giant neighbours both wantpolitical stability in Nepal, so there isn’t theneed for a turf war.

After almost a decade-long military-ledregime of Pervez Musharraf, like Nepal,Pakistan has a new government in place.This government has made it clear that itwants to revise the past policies and iswilling to do things differently. Taking thisapproach is not possible unless there’speace in the country, and the newgovernment is able to resolve theeconomic issues. Pakistan is nearlybankrupt because of falling investmentand exports.

Nepal has its own set of problems, butwe are not fighting a bloody war anymore,our military is not engaged in operationsaround the country, innocent civilians arenot dying or fleeing their homes every dayand there are no terrorist attacks on thescale you see here. Our differences arebeing sorted out through dialogue. Whilethere’s a sense of helplessness andhopelessness in Pakistan, overall in Nepalthere’s hope for a better future, for a NewNepal.

However, unless the Madhes issue isresolved quickly, and the various politicalgroups and crossborder quasi-criminalgangs are neutralised, it could flare up. If itdoes, the mix of ethnic volatility with socialgrievances can be a potentially deadlymixture. Pakistan and Sri Lanka areexamples of what will happen if we ignorethe Madhes.

Pakistan, pressured by the US, is stilltaking a heavy-handed military approachalong the Afghan border. Many are dead andthousands left homeless are now living inrefugee camps in Peshawar. US-ledairstrikes kill people every other day. Theone important lesson Pakistan can learnfrom Nepal is that a military-only optiondoesn’t work and it is absolutely doomed tofail if the political government doesn’trespect the aspirations of its people.

Picking up the pieces in PakistanThere’s fear that things will get a lot worse before they get better

331 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423

L E T T E R S

CORRECTIONThe picture credit in ‘Indian Idolatry’ (#422) should have gone toShubha Giri instead of Tom Owen-Smith.

WAR AND PEACEThank you for a thought-provoking editorial (‘War and peace’,#422) which provided us with a new definition of peace. Thelawlessness that we see in our streets every day is a direct resultof the war and shows us that violence once it is unleashed, isdifficult to control. That is why there was all that vandalism outsideAnnapurna Hotel and Norvic Hospital. Unless we address this, wecan’t say we are a society at peace.

Dr Umesh, Kathmandu

War at whatever level engulfs your soul and mind which takesyears to pacify. In all the wars–Vietnam, Korean, Indo-Pak and

WWII–it took many years to healthe wounds in mind and heart:physical ones disappeared muchsooner. I supported the Maoist’scall for change but not theirmethod. Now they are realisingthat slogan mongering is easy,but transforming that into realchange is an uphill task—especially when most of theinfluential members of politicalparties and CA, including thosebelonging to the Maoists, are theold guard and of the upper caste.The problem in hand now is ofarmy integration. Whatever the

outcome, outside expertise will be needed if not for integration thenfor rehabilitation of the ex-guerillas. Otherwise we will be creatinganother war.

Sarala Dixit, email

REAPING RICEOne reason why the ‘miracle’ rice growing technique (‘Growingmuch more rice’, # 422), the System of Rice Intensification (SRI),has not gained popularity could be that the decision-makers werenot consulted or involved during its introduction. This novel systemcould solve Nepal’s shortage in rice production. Launching the newrice strain into a national movement needs patience as well asprofessionalism. However, word-of-mouth publicity of successstories could induce other farmers to follow suit. The villagedevelopment councils should take the lead in promoting the newrice growing technique that would benefit the farmers as well as alarge population that depends on rice as a staple diet. Will thePrime Minister show some interest in promoting the SRI that wouldeliminate the need to import rice?

D B N Murthy, Sanepa, Lalitpur

4 31 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423

s the sun rose above themisty Tarai last week,policemen at Nepal’s

border with India at Birganjstirred awake to guard acheckpoint through which80 per cent of Nepal’s trade withthe outside world passes. By theend of the day, Rs 30 million infake Indian currency will havetraveled from Nepal to Indiaconcealed in sacks on bicycles,rickshas, tangas and even on theknapsacks of pedestrians.

This is one of the mostporous international borders inthe world, at most places it is noteven marked. Livestock go acrossto graze and people move aboutfreely to work or shop. On bothsides, people are desperatelypoor, and the lawlessness in theTarai makes the Indo-Nepalborder a haven for smugglers.

Criminal gangs here have beenferrying narcotics, fuel, timber,electronic goods and even peopleback and forth for decades. Butthese days, there is a newcontraband: counterfeit Indiancurrency. Printed in Pakistan,Bangladesh, and lately inThailand, the Rs 500 andRs 1,000 notes are flown intoKathmandu airport by couriers,transported overland to Birganjand then taken across the borderby smugglers to distributors onthe other side.

“We have confiscated morethan Rs 400,000. People fromboth sides are involved,” saysBirganj SP Yogeswor Romkhami,“this is an open border, we can’tcontrol the fake currency unlessboth sides cooperate.” Politicaluncertainty in Nepal and theMadhes crisis have helped thetrade, which thrives on aninternational criminal network

that has found the weakest link toget the fake cash into Indiathrough Nepal.

Officials in New Delhi sayNepal is the main transit pointfor most of the counterfeitcurrency entering India. Theyestimate that Rs 1 billion worthof fake Indian notes are injectedinto the Indian money circulationevery month via Nepal. At thepace it is growing, there will beRs 100 billion worth of fakecurrency in circulation in Indiain the next two years.

"It is a matter of concern forthe financial and securityestablishments and we are awarethat the note come in throughNepal, Bangkok and various othercentres,” India’s National SecurityAdviser, MK Narayanan said in aninterview in Delhi.

Indian officials have longmaintained that the racket isorganised by Pakistani

intelligence and has links to theDubai-based underworld don,Dawood Ibrahim and hisassociates in Nepal. They say theintention is to fund terror and tosubvert the Indian economy, anduse Kathmandu airport and theIndo-Nepal border because it is soeasy to smuggle contrabandthrough them.

Raxaul is regarded as the mostcorrupt customs post on theIndian border. On the Nepal side,police at the border openly extortincoming Nepalis. A consignmentof Rs 2 million fake Indiancurrency has just arrived in avillage 20km from Birganj. Acourier is getting a red bundleready to take it across in hisbicycle. He will ferry anythingacross if the price is right anddoesn’t ask questions. We watchas he casually pushes his bicycleacross, past the ShankaracharyaGate, over the bridge into India.We catch up with him on theother side, where he will hand itover to Indian fake currencydealers and collect his payment.He says hundreds of couriersbring bundles of currency likethis into India every day. Thefake currency used to be printedin Pakistan’s Multan or Quetta,officials say, but they wereshoddy and could be easilydetected. Now, the counterfeitersprint much better copies inThailand and Bangladesh. It isflown into Kathmandu airport inspecial suitcases with foil liningsso they can’t be detected. TheKathmandu end of the operationgets IRs 500 for every IRs 1,000that passes through. Bicyclecourier here in Birganj get IRs 500per bundle of IRs 100,000 theyferry across to Raxaul. Dealers inIndia buy the fake cash for Rs 700for every counterfeit IRs 1,000note. Nepali police sourcesarrange for us to meet a fakecurrency dealer in Birganj whothey say is a double agent helpingthem penetrate the racket. Hebrings with him wads of fakeIndian 500 and 1,000 notes froma fresh consignment. The cashlooks real, too real. There is awater mark, and has the right tintto the ink, feels and even smells

“Politicians and police are involved.Otherwise how can so much fakecurrency be smuggled?”

the same. For most people in Birganj, whatis surprising is not that there is acounterfeit currency racket goingon but that the authorities inIndia and Nepal are either unableor unwilling to control it. It isclear the smuggling operation hashigh-level support in Nepal withthe son of a former royal ministerreportedly one of the ring-leaderswith links to Dawood Ibrahim’s DCompany. The network runs sodeep that Indian-originbusinessmen here in Birganj don’teven bother to deny they areinvolved. “There has to be a muchmore serious effort to control thesmuggling, Birganj has become ahub for fake Indian currency,”admits Ashok Temani of theBirganj Chamber of Commerce andIndustry. The fake cash also affectsthe Nepali economy becauseIndian currency is widely usedacross the Tarai. Jitendra Sonal,elected member to the CA fromBara, has no doubt that the Nepalgovernment knows who is behindthe racket. “Of course they know,”he told us, “five lakhs worth offake currency was caught in Simraairport recently, within 22 hoursthe fake cash had become real.How do you explain that?”

In Raxaul, assistant customscommissioner Shaukat Ali, sayshis officers keep a round-the-clockvigil for counterfeit currency.“There is smuggling, it’s a toughjob, but we are controlling it,” hetell us. In Birganj, ShivnathYadav, of Nepal Police says thesheer length open the border is thebiggest challenge, and adds: “Wework with our Indian colleagues,but there is no doubt thecriminals stake advantage of theopen bnorder.” Bhaban Singh is anelected CA member who wasaccused in a series of bombs inKathmandu last year that killedthree students. He now lives mostof the time in Raxaul and slips inand out of Nepal to attendassembly sessions in Kathmandu.

He puts it very simply:“Politicians and policemen areinvolved in the fake currencyracket. Otherwise how can somuch cash come in throughKathmandu?”

Ko Kamyunist? Who's the RealCommunist?Opinions by Pradip Gyawali, Surendra KC,plus report by Subash Devkota.

Sambidhan Yatra - ConstitutionalJourneyThe writing of the constitution has notbegun six months after the elections. Himalbegins its dedicated journey, reporting andanalysing the workings of the ConstituentAssembly, featuring Krishna Khanal,Radheshyam Adhikari, and others.

Gurkha Remittance - The London HighCourt visa ruling on Nepali pensioners couldmean the annual loss of NRs 6 billion inremittances. Report by Dambar KrishnaShrestha.

Tarai Militancy - No one believes that thegovernment is ready or that the militants areserious about talks. The blood-letting is setto continue.

... And so much more

On the stands now!

Cover Feature: The Weapon of'People's Republic'J B Pun Magar reports on how ChairmanPushpa Kamal Dahal uses the'janaganatantra' slogan to beat hisopponents and stay at the head of theline. He will drop it the day it loses utility.Opinion by Mohan Bikram Singh.

HIMAL KHABARPATRIKA - There Is No Alternative

V K SASHIKUMAR in BIRGANJ

INVESTIGATION

HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE1. The Gandhi watermark on thewhite part of the fake note looks likea caricature and is not accurate,especially the expression onGandhi’s face.2. Running your finger over the inkof the real note gives a raised 3-Deffect which is not as pronounced inthe fake note.

CHANGING HANDS: Adriver openly bribes a

Nepali border policemanto allow him to get through

last week in Birganjcustoms.

A

ALL PIC: RAJESH BHARDWAJ

531 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423BUSINESS

I

ver got home drenched in your bike tofind your mobile dripping wet, butstill working? Has your cell phone

fallen down the staircase and yet stillrings? These two real miraculous mobilesurvival stories show that phones are sosturdily built these days that they arevirtually indestructible. Still, Nokia hasdecided to set up a cell phone care centre

in Kathmandu. “It’s not just a repairstore, it’s a care centre,” explained PremChand, managing director of NokiaEmerging Asia while opening the centrein Kathmandu last week. This is the firstauthorised showroom in Nepal forrepairing mobile phones a sort of hospitalfor phones.

Chand says the care centre is a way for

Does your mobile need a health checkup?Phone care centre

Nokia to extend its brand to customer careand maintenance. With a broad range ofmobile phones catering to both the highand the low end, Nokia wants to showthat it doesn’t forget its customers afterselling a device to them.

Although the hardware may be sturdy,with phones getting more and morecomplicated there are more softwareglitches. This is why Nokia is openingsimilar care centers around the region,including Pakistan, Maldives and all overIndia. The one in Kathmandu will befollowed by similar care centres inPokahara, Narayanghat, Jankapur,Biratnagar and Birtamode.

What’s the big deal right, there is arepair centre in every corner street, Newroad is cluttered with more repair shopsfor phones than anything else? But asPrem Chand says, “With so many greyareas, its hard to figure out which isgenuine and which has been imported byunofficial means.

Also, in a use-and-throw society,you’d think that it’s easier to buy a newphone than get involved in the hassle offixing and repairing. Those who can

afford it usually take this option but othersusually take it to small repair centreswhich charge a lot and usually put infaulty spares.

Promising international standardservice, Chand says the care center willprovide proper diagnosis of whateverproblem there is, using genuine importedspare parts to fix faults. Another service thecentre will provide is to swap a faultymobile under warranty with a new one.

Nokia’s future plans in Nepal includeusers being able to send Nepali SMS soon.Moutushi Kabir, communication specialistat Nokia says his company will work withregulators, government and serviceproviders to improve accessibility andmobility. “Tax rates and heavy duty onphones need to be reduced,” he says,“mobile penetration can help growth inGDP.”

But with the global economic recessionlooming, it’s a wonder that people aren’tgetting more cautious about investing intechnological products. But Prem Chandsays: “People are so dependent on phoneswe don’t see a drop in sales.”Shradha Basnyat

STRICTLY BUSINESSAshutosh Tiwari

n the next months, two newmedia houses will soon bringout four broadsheets in

Kathmandu. Never mind thatthere are already 84 dailynewspapers (broadsheets andtabloids) all across Nepal, with 23of them based in the KathmanduValley alone. Given that,according to Advertising

Association of Nepal, the printmedia advertising revenue standsat about Rs 710 million per year.The question on everyone’s mindis: Will the new media houses befinancially viable?

The answer is: maybe. ITdepends on the owners’understanding that they are in afor-profit industry, and not in afor-charity one. What this meansis that the way Nepali mediacompanies are viewed, managedand run need to be rethought.Beware of superstars: It’s temptingfor a new company to get a headstart by recruiting journalistsworking at other publications.Though this can be monetarilyexciting for journalists, it’s hardlyin the long-term interests of theowners. Ultimately, the expensesof keeping a team of superstars,and making sure that their egos arenot easily bruised, exceed therevenues, especially when therevenue pie is not growing fast.Indeed, borrowing a page from theNepali music industry, theexecutive may glumly concedethat the superstars are known onlyfor being, well, superstars, and not

Excellence in journalism can be competitivelypaid for only if papers are financially viable

Media manianecessarily for scoops andground-breaking stories that makethe readers and the advertisersregularly sit up and take notice.As such, it’s well worth thinkingwhether it’s better to hire freshrecruits who have the stamina,the focus, and the raw talent tosucceed. After all, in journalism,as in music, you are only as goodas the quality of what you lastdelivered.

Cash is king: One irony is thatmost journalists want strongermanagement in the companiesthey write about, but notnecessarily in the ones in whichthey work. Then again, managinga mainstream media company isnot easy. The executive has tobalance the budget withoutforgetting the media’s civicmission, and without interferingtoo much with the kind ofcreativity and editorial freedomthat the business demands. Buttoo much of a focus on eitherfreedom or the civic mission mayresult in poor cash flow whichleads to employees not being paidon time. One way to address thisis to make all employees take themanagement seriously by creatingan environment of open and frankconversation. Once it’s clear to allthat it’s the availability of cashthat runs the business, theconversation can then be aboutways to raise and save cash so thatexcellence in journalism can becompetitively paid for.

Media service company:Thanks to Internet connectionsthat are becoming affordable, moreand more readers are used togetting their news almost for free.This is not good news fornewspapers that generate revenue

by selling dead-tree products.True, excellent journalism willalways be in demand. But ifdistribution platforms are suchthat most consumers end uppaying next to nothing for thecontent, then, where will theadditional revenue come from?

One way to envision thefuture is to see the mediacompany not as a traditionalmedia company that puts outnewspapers, but to recast it as amedia service company. Thismeans that the company mayreformat its content to offertraining programs, engage inadvisory and consulting services,and undertake other media-related activities.

In this age of rising expensesand competition, adhering to thediscipline of raising revenues andcutting costs is the only way for aNepali media company to have along-term future.

EKIRAN PANDAY

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Sleep safeA Swiss company known for its technologically advancedinnovations for the prevention of diseases, Vestergaard Frendsen,has introduced two of its products in Nepal with the help of KalikaEnterprises. The new products are long-lasting insecticide treated

mosquito bed nets andcurtains, which last for over20 washes and remaineffective for up to four years,and water purifiers in

individual and family designs. The nets help shield users from anumber of diseases including encephalitis, kala azar and othermosquito related diseases, and are safe to use for infants andpregnant women as well. The family design purifies wateraccording to US EPA standards and doesn’t run on electricity.

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Golf itTashi Ghale won the McDowell Signature Club GolfChampionship held on 25 October in Kathmandu. He andrunner up Wanchen Dhondup will compete in the EasternZone regional finals in India on 17 November. Otherwinners were Pushpa Rai in the ladies category andJoseph Nathan in the handicap category.

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Big heartNabil bank donated a sum of Rs135, 000 to the Prime Minister’sDisaster Relief fund for the

victims of the Kosi floods on 22 October.

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Looking eastLaxmi Bank has opened a branch in Itahari in a bid to meet growingdemand in Eastern Nepal. The bank already has branches inBiratnagar and Damak and12 others across thecountry. The branch atItahari will offer the fullrange of services including a credit card and a savings accountoffering 6.5 per cent interest. The bank expects to attractremittances coming from the Middle East, and will offer small loansthrough its micro-credit facility.

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Conservation supportArzu Rana Deuba was elected regionalcouncilor at the fourth congress of theWorld Conservation Union (IUCN) inSpain, attracting strong support fromNGOs and 118 countries. She waselected with two others to represent the

region of South and South-East Asia, and is the first Nepali to win aplace in the IUCN’s highest decision-making body.

6 31 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

Santosh Baraili inHimal Khabarpatrika,1-15 November

The government has begun anunusual method to look formediators with Tarai parties.Peace minister, andcoordinator of thegovernment’s talks committee,Janardan Sharma says thegovernment will offer a cashreward of Rs 50,000 to anyonewho can successfully bringthe Tarai groups to thenegotiation table. And PrimeMinister Dahal says he isready to provide the post ofassistant or state minister fora mediator who proveshimself able to fix talks witha significant party in theTarai.

Chairman of the DalitJanajati Party and member ofthe constituent assemblyBishwendra Paswan disclosedthe ‘offer’ after a meeting withthe prime minister, “I don’tknow about other parties, butJwala Singh will be present inthe talks.” Paswan is an uncleof Jwala Singh of the JTMMfaction. “He’s not just going tosit at the talks just for thesake of it, the talks will be

successful,” Paswan said.The government doesn’t

know how many militant groupsthere are in the Tarai, what theirdemands are and where they arebased. There is difficulty inreaching them, sending letters,and even figuring out theirlocation. Moreover, the partieswho have been sent letters havebegun to raise the bar and areincreasing their preconditionsand demands. All of this isheavily weighing on anypossibility for the talks, andthinning chances that they willbe held at all.

Parties such as the RajanLiberation Party who havereceived the letter are demandingthat the government’s talkscommittee itself should bedismantled. But the talkscommittee is persistent thatdemands and pre-conditionsshould only be discussed on thetalks table, and not beforehand.

The government has agreednot to arrest members andpoliticians of any of the armedTarai groups, and has even agreedto ensure security during thetalks to create an enrironmentconducise for the talks.

The three-member talks teamwhich was formed under the

coordination of Minister Sharma,decided that armed forces shouldnot be arrested prior to talks, andthat members who attend thetalks be guaranteed of their fullsafety. They will try to reach andinform other parties about the

Talk to whom?talks and fix a location and datefor the talks to be held.

However, the government isn’tclear about which parties itconsiders as criminal and whichas political. While Sharma saysthat the talks will only be startedafter this is sorted out, othermembers of the talks group havebeen saying that they are ready totalk with everyone fromRamchandra Rai to Renu Yadav.This shows that the government

isn’t prepared for the talks andalso clearly reveals that there isconfusion even on the rules andprinciples level. Politicalanalyst Nilambar Acharya saysthat the government shouldhold separate talks with thecriminal and political groups.Says Acharya: “Holding talkswithout being aware of acriminal group’s character,could result in criminalitygaining legitimacy.”

Ajit Tiwari in Himal Khabarpatrika, 1-15 November

A joint front of 15 armed groups in the Tarai put a condition for talks withthe government that the PM should head the talks team, the front’scoordinator Manejar Mahato told the press in Bihar last week. He saidthe government devalued the Terai armed groups by forming a talksteam comprising of low level ministers.

“This government did not realise that the real power of Tarai is withus,” he said. He demanded that the talks team should be headed by thePM and its members should include MJF president Upendra Yadav,TMLP president Mahanta Thakur, Sadbhavana president RajendraMahato. The front has already formed a five member talks team led byBibas Bidroha. The front comprises of four small outfits of People’sLiberation Front, Madhesi Tigers, Terai-Madhes Liberation Tigers,Madhes-Tarai Liberation Front, Tarai Cobra, Tarai Liberation Force andMadhesi Virus Killers.

People’s Tarai Liberation Front, Rajan Liberation group shot at aUML cadre Utimalal Mahato the very next day the government formallywrote to Tarai armed groups. Police arrested Chandra Kumar Yadav inconnection to the murder and he died the following day in custody. Thereis no decline in incidents of violence in the Tarai and the governmentmechanism does not seem to be acting responsibly.

The internal conflict within the armed outfits seems to be anotherhurdle in peace talks. When the most influential leader Jwala Singh wasshowing his willingness to sit for talks, his party spokesperson SuryaDeb Singh said that there is no meaning to sit for talks with thegovernment they do not trust. Each group has its own demands, which isanother obstacle. Responding to the government call for talks, RajanLiberation group has demanded the government talks team should bedissolved while Jwala Singh group has put a condition of ceasefirebefore talks. The Goit group has completely ignored the government calland demanded UN mediation.

Nine armed groups in a meeting held in Katihar, India had declared aceasefire unilaterally and showed interest for talks with the governmentbefore Dasain. But the Front could not take a decision as Goit walkedout of the meeting when he found that he would not get the leadership.

Although some of the groups are positive about talks, the chance islow that they will come to the table because they have a lucrativeextortion racket going. They are far from the reach of state security.However, they have been demanding that security should be limited todistrict headquarter. Supply Minister Rajendra Mahato said in Janakpurthis wasn’t possible.

Talks withPM only

SHRAWAN DEB

731 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

Samaya, 6 November

The radio industry in Rupendehi is buzzing withactivity. At present, seven FM stations are beingaired from Rupendehi alone, and there are sevenmore from outside the district that the radioscatch. The latest addition to the FM dial inRupendehi is Mukti FM. The station has beeninitiated by a group of women as a communityproject and made its debut only last week. Muktiis all-female: the investors, the management andthe staff are all women. With a capacity of 100W,the station can be tuned into not just by people in

Letter to the Editor in Rajdhani,26 October

Although Nepal became a republic not long ago, some people areout to turn the clock back. The Maoists were seen as a force ofchange, but since coming to power, their thoughts and actionsseem to have dramatically changed. Has the lure of powerintoxicated them as well?

It is important that the result of any revolution or election isfruitful. The people’s mandate has to be respected. Nepal’spolitics has been limited to forming excellent roadmaps, notimplementing any of them. Development is extended to only aselected group of people. Are the Maoists following this trend aswell? What has the Maoist government done for the relief of thepoor, the voiceless? Instead, road-side vendors have been harassed.Only the salaries of civil servants has been raised. There must be areason why we still have protests, even though the peace processin underway, monarchy has been abolished and we have become arepublic.

It is most unfortunate when the rights won after a revolutionor the people’s mandate and freedom achieved after an election arenot reflected in actual actions. The Maoists are biased and onlymake decisions benefiting a few. The main task to drafting theconstitution hasn’t even begun. Are the politicians again playinggames to ensure that their chairs are not shaken? Such a situationcan only result in what we can terms as a ’political cancer’. Thepolitical parties have to respect the people’s mandate and worksincerely for the country’s benefit. Past agreements should not bedisregarded.

Basudeb Debkota, Nepal Manbiki Campus, Kathmandu

Kantipur, 26 October

Krishna Dulal of Maitidebi gotready to leave for Chitwan onSaturday on his motorbike. Hisnew Pulsar motorbike had justcome back from the shop afterservicing, but it just wouldn’tstart. He took it to the Pulsarshowroom where he was told thatthe engine has ceased to work.

Shiva Ram Shrestha startedexperiencing the same problemwith his bike which is less thanthree weeks old. When he tookhis bike to the showroom he wastold that there are 80 bikes in linebefore him with similarproblems. The company told bothDulal and Shrestha that theirengine died because they havebeen using petrol adulteratedwith turpentine.

Over 150 motobikes breakdown in the Valley every week

Adulterated fuelwith this problem. When thefuel in the tanks of the bikeswere tested they were all foundto be adulterated. Workshopowners say that in the last 15days the number of bikes withbad valves, start-up problems,engine ceasing to work haveincreased.

When there was scarcity offuel in Kathmandu, theworkshops used to see manymotorbikes with similarproblems. Authorised dealers ofHero Honda, Suzuki, Yamahaand Bajaj say that 95 percent ofthe motorbikes sold duringDasain have come back to themwith the problem.

The colourless turpentine iseasy to mix with petrol and isonly Rs 30 per litre, muchcheaper than the Rs 95 per litrepetrol. The owners of themotorbikes have sent letters to

various ministries. They havedemanded that the supply ofadulterated oil be stoppedimmediately. Although thegovernment has tightened thesupply of turpentine motorcycledealers say that many tankers arestill coming in.

Hero Honda dealer LaxmanRatna Tuladhar says if the engineis damaged due to adulterated oil,it is not covered by the companyunder warranty repairs so it coststhe customer over Rs 12,000 tofix. Supplies Minister RajendraMahato has requested allconsumers to ask for a receiptfrom the petrol station when theyput gasoline, “If there’s a receipt,it is easier to track the petrolstation down and penalise them,”says Mahato. Similarly,motorcycle dealers are requestingtheir customers to only refill ingas stations they trust

Female FMButwal but also from Kapilbastu and Nawalparasi.

The group that operates this FM station isassociated with an organization called MediaCampaign for Gender Equality. These motivatedwomen are actively involved in fields of politics,social, media, law, education, health and humanrights. A radio station by the women and for thewomen, Mukti FM focuses on issues related to thefairer sex. However, programs covering subject likehealth, education, employment, Dalit and ethnicgroups are also aired. Mukti FM follows theexample of an all-female FM in Biratnagar startedlast year.

Forgottenpromises

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

KIRAN PANDAY

8 BIRDS

ctober marks the start of the best bird-watching season in Nepal. And what a placeto watch: nine per cent of the entire world’s

bird species are found in this country.There are 863 species of birds found in Nepal,

which is more than can be found on the entirecontinent of North America. It is Nepal’s topographicdiversity, ranging from the wetlands of Kosi Tappubarely 90 metres above sea level to Himalayan peaksabove 8,000 metres, that provides the diverse habitatto make the rich birdlife possible. The hills aroundKathmandu Valley alone is home to more than 500species of birds.

Kosi Tappu Wildlife ReserveThis island in the Kosi’s delta fan as is Nepal’s (andAsia’s) richest bird sanctuary. Situated in theplains, along a river valley that is the superhighwayfor trans-Himalayan bird migration, it is a majorwinter sanctuary for migratory water fowl. More than485 species have been recorded here, including 20 orso that are globally threatened species.

The Swamp Francolin, Black-bellied Tern, LesserAdjutant and Yellow-breasted Bunting, which havebeen listed as vulnerable species globally, are fairlycommon in the area.

When the Kosi embankment was breached inSeptember, many feared for the rich wildlife that thereserve shelters. So far, the birds are still there, butbird experts say construction work to bring theKosi back to its original channel could disturb birdsthis winter.

FeathereThis autumn, take time off to wat

PAAVAN MATHEMA About 600 of the birds found in Nepal are indigenousand some 150 are migratory species that stop over in Nepalon their east-west or north-south migration from Siberia toIndonesia, Sri Lanka and even Africa. New species are stillbeing spotted, with 13 new species recorded in the pastfive years.

But not all is rosy in the bird world. “About 80 per centof the birds in Nepal are threatened because their habitatsare being destroyed,” says Hem Sagar Baral of BirdConservation Nepal. Nationally, 134 species of birds havebeen identified as threatened, including 33 that areglobally considered under threat .

The main threats are from human encroachment offorests, filling in of wetlands, river and lake pollution andthe use of pesticides in fields. Vultures throughout South

Asia, for example, are on the verge of extinction because ofthe use of steroids to treat livestock. This poisons thebirds that feed on carrion.

Although nearly 20 per cent of Nepal’s land area isprotected, a high proportion for a developing country,critically important areas like Phulchoki, the Dharanforests, Mai Valley and Tamur Valley and their watershedsremain unprotected. Some birds with special habitats—such as the Golden-breasted Fulvetta, which live only inbamboo forests— are now struggling to survive as thebamboo groves are cleared.

As the monsoon clouds clear and the northern winterapproaches, keen birders should get out their binocularsand be strategically located to look out for birds headingsouth.

Chitwan National ParkThe Chitwan National Park has a combination of Siwalikhills and pristine tropical forests. Its location on theflood plains of the Gandaki and Rapti rivers makes it anideal place for bird-watching. There is a combination ofindigenous and migratory species, and some 480 speciesof birds have been identified in Chitwan.

Bardia National ParkWith similar terrain to Chitwan, the Bardia National Parkis rich in western lowland species. It is also on themigratory routes up and down the Karnali and has manyspecies from western Tibet. There are several resorts thatwill bring you within binocular distance of Hawk-eaglesand Bengal Floricans. Further west is Sukla Phanta,which has hundreds of migratory species wintering inthe Mahakali floodplain.

Other national parksMost birds have migrate down from the high mountainnational parks like Langtang, Annapurna, Sagarmatha andMakalu-Barun in winter. So it isn't the best season forbird watching as most birds have already headed downthe mountain or flown south. But Alpine Choughs canstill be observed soaring up the valley winds and Nepal’snational bird, the Danfe, stays behind to forage among thedwarf juniper slopes. There are also plenty of CakorPartridges, Himalayan Snowcocks, Cheer and Koklapheasants to be seen.

Where to bird-watchKathmandu ValleyOne doesn’t need to go too far afield for birdwatching.Shivapuri, Pulchoki and Nagarjun are so rich in birdlifethat ornithologists come all the way from Europe and theUnited States to visit the forests on the valley rim.

With its 1,500m vertical altitude range, Phulchoki is abirders’ paradise with more than 250 species on just onemountain. Pulchoki’s restricted-range species include theHoary-throated Barwing, and threatened species like theWhite-rumped Vulture and Slender-billed Vulture.

Across the valley, Shivapuri has seen a remarkableresurgence after being declared a national park and hasmore than 180 species waiting to be ticked off, includingthe Spiny Babbler.

Taudaha may just be a pond on the Pharping road, butis a stopover for many migratory birds on their way fromthe Tiebtan plateau to the Tarai. Local youth have cleanedit up and there are good vantage points from which towatch the waterfowls.

O

MIN BAJRACHARYA

931 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423

ed friends

NepalicolaAn important addition to Nepal’s huge bird family is asub-species of the Rufous-vented Prinia, Prinia burnesiinepalicola, which brings the number of species and sub-species recorded in Nepal to 863. This olive-grey bird,14.6cm long is a new discovery not just for Nepal but forthe world. It was first recorded at Koshi Tappu WildlifeReserve by a team from Bird Conservation Nepal in 2005.

Other subspecies of Prinia burnesii are alreadyknown. Prinia burnesii burnesii is found in parts ofPakistan and adjacent areas of Punjab in India. Prinia

burnesii cinerascens isfound in Assam.Perhaps it was only amatter of time beforeone sub-species wouldalso appear in Nepal.

The birds werespotted on patches ofgrassland on smallislands in the Kosiriver. Similar grasslandsare also present inChitwan, Bardia andSukla Phanta, andexperts believe that thisprinia may be present inthose areas as well.Based on the Kosi studyand the availability ofsuitable habitat, it isestimated that thecurrent population ofthe Rufous-vented

Prinia in Nepal could be as large as 500.In January 2008, another new species– Sykes's

NightjarCaprimulgus mahrattensis– was spotted in thesandy banks of Kosi. This Nightjar breeds in Pakistan andNorth West India and flies to the south of centre China inwinter. However, this is the first time that the bird hasbeen seen in Nepal. Experts believe that this species issimply a visitor bird and that its population is probablylow. This new discovery has increased the number ofspecies of Nightjars recorded in Nepal to five.

ch Nepal’s amazingly rich bird life

Flying highBird migration routesare older than theHimalayas. As themountains rose, birdsadapted to flyinghigher and higher.

Migratory birdscrossing the Tibetanplateau from India toSiberia have setamazing altituderecords. AcclimatisedHimalayan choughssoar at nearly 8,000m

above the South Col of Chomolungma. Tibet-bound terns and ducks refueling atGokyo Lake at 4,400m in early April before flying back over the “hump” to Tibet.

Mountaineers catch plenty of regular sightings of geese honking their way pastDhaulagiri at 7,300m .

Satellites have tracked a wired bar-headed goose’s flight path as ittook off from the Bharatpur bird sanctuary in north India, across

western Nepal up to the Tibetan plateau, crossing three countries.The bird rode the jetstream, flying over 500km at an altitude of

5,000m in 16 hours and 30 minutes to lakes north of Mustangin Tibet.

ALL OTHER PICS: FRIENDS OF BIRDS

WILDLIFE INSTITUTE OF INDIA/ US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

BIRD CONSERVATION NEPAL

10 NATION 31 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423

T

Baglung women work

he gender and ethnic composition of Nepal’s overseas labourmigration is a subject that hasn’t been analysed properly.

Of the total number of women officially migrating for workevery year to third world countries other than India, women make up11 percent. Newspaper reports of women flying to Kuwait and otherGulf destinations via India may mean that the numbers may bemuch higher.

Nevertheless, remittances by female workers probably make up15 percent of the total $1.5 billion that are sent home by Nepal’soverseas workers. Adding the figures for India as well as theevidence that women tend to save more than male co-workerssuggests that the money Nepali women send home is even higher.

Most women going forforeign employment are fromrural areas, they have less than10 years of schooling, they arein the 20-40 age bracket andthey are mostly from

marginalised ethnic groups. Most work as domestics, but there isalso an increasing number of women who are going as care-giversto destinations like Israel.

In September, the government imposed a ban on Nepali womenintending to migrate to work in Malaysia and the Gulf. The banswere in response to the requests from Nepali ambassadors in SaudiArabia and Malaysia who said the women have been vulnerable toexploitation in the hands of employers in the past. Tens ofthousands of potential women workers have had to cancel theirplans, or are trying to find ways to get around the law.

The ban is problematic for several reasons. The first is that itviolates the fundamental right of Nepali women to move freelyregardless of gender. The second question is: is the ban a solutionat all?

Past experience shows that despite bans, Nepali migrantworkers have been flying to Iraq and Afghanistan via India andBangladesh. Many are in trouble or have either been deported,rescued and flown back home by our embassies. Kuwait has been amajor destination for Nepali women who are mostly flown out viaNew Delhi airport where many are detained every week for havingimproper passports or forged visas.

A ban would only raise the fees for illegal entry for women tothose countries and increase their vulnerability to exploitation bymiddlemen. The ban was first imposed in 1998 after the death ofKani Sherpa in Saudi Arabia. The ban was lifted in 2007, but hasbeen reimposed now for Malaysia and the Gulf countries.

The paradox is that it was when the ban was in place between1998-2007 that the highest number of Nepali women went to work asdomestics in the Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia alone has 40,000Nepali women, and nearly all of them flew out via Dhaka or NewDelhi. Their departure through Kathmandu airport wouldn’t havebeen possible without an under-the-counter ‘facilitation fee’.

Instead of trying to curb this, the government has taken the easyway out and announced a ban—knowing fully well that it will notwork. The only people who suffer from the ban will be the womenthemselves who will now have to pay bigger bribes through theirrecruiting agents. And when they suffer, they can’t even report it tothe authorities because they are breaking the law.

The ban on Nepali women migrating to work is ill-conceived,unworkable and will put the women in much more danger. Whydoesn’t the government just ban poverty, too, so that the womendon’t have to migrate at all?

Ganesh Gurung is a sociologist and chairperson of NationalNetwork for Safe Migration

aglung is called the‘District of Lahures’. It hasmore migrant workers in

proportion to the populationthan any other district in Nepal.

In villages after villagesbetween Baglung and Beni,houses are shuttered up, andthere are only women, the elderlyand children to be seen.

The Baglung districtadministration estimates that 65

TAKES COURAGE: SitaPathak, her daughter and DeviPathak with fellow activist SitaramThapa. Sita and Devi are both HIVpositive, and have overcomesocial stigma to spread awarenessamong Baglung’s women aboutAIDS prevention.

KISHOR RIMAL

alpana Giri was agovernment schoolteacher in Bajura and her

husband was a policeman. Duringthe conflict, he was forced by theMaoists to leave the police andthey had to leave their villagebecause of threats. After failing tofind a job, Kalpana decided to goabroad. She spent Rs 30,000 tolearn Hebrew and paid Rs 450,000

At what cost theremittance economy?

to a recruiter to find her acaregiver job in Israel. In 2006, sheleft her five-year-old daughter andthree-year-old son with herparents, and went to Israel.

She was contracted to work forfive years, but she could not workmore than five months. Althoughshe earned $550 a month, herwork to take care of a 82-year-oldblind man was too demanding.He abused her verbally and triedto abuse her physically. “He

would go mad when I said no andhe even started torturing mephysically,” she recalls. He wouldbeat her up and would not giveher food.

She complained to his son,but he said the family had paidfor her so she had to doeverything he asked her to do. “Ijust couldn’t continue, I feelnauseated even telling you allthis,” Kalpana said, relating howshe became sick after she was

KISHOR RIMAL in BAGLUNG

B

Internationaldomestics

The renewed ban onNepali women to work inthe Gulf is ill-conceivedand unworkable

DEWAN RAI

K

COMMENTGanesh Gurung

ALOK TUMBAHANGPHEY

LINING UP: Women stand on a longqueue as they wait for their turn to submitapplications for employment in Korea.

1131 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423NATION

I t is now acknowledged that poverty and inequality have a greatimpact on health, and the world’s leading experts recentlycalled for this gap to be closed within a generation.

Nepal is trying to do just that by introducing policies to makeaccess to essential health care services more equitable. The goal isfor essential services to be as available to the poor andmarginalised as services are to advantaged castes and ethnicgroups. At present, free health care is targeted to the poor and otherdisadvantaged groups at district hospitals and primary health carecentres.

Treatment is free at health and sub-health posts, and thegovernment will introduce free maternal care at all health institutions

and expand universal free careto all district facilities in thenear future.

The number of clients usinggovernment health facilities has

increased since fees for services were abolished, especially in theTarai. But Nepal faces challenges to ensure equitable access toessential health care services for all citizens.

Inequalities between castes and ethnic groups persist in the useof government health services and in the health of Nepal’s people,just as inequities linger between the poor and those who are betteroff. But the results of surveys conducted in 1996, 2001, and 2006show that significant progress has been made in reducing thesedifferences.

Over the 10-year period, more poor families and people frommarginalised castes or ethnic groups have benefited from familyplanning services, diarrhoeal disease control, treatment for acuterespiratory infection, and childhood immunizations. At the sametime, differences in the size of babies at birth, and infant and under-five mortality have decreased markedly. The equity gap hasnarrowed.

Use of modern contraception is much more evenly distributednow among castes and ethnic groups. The incidence of diarrhoeahas decreased sharply among Dalits, from 30 per cent in 1996 toonly 9 per cent in 2006. In 1996 ‘high caste’ children were morelikely to benefit from treatment of acute respiratory infection thanDalits. Ten years later, more Dalits than the ‘high castes’ werebenefiting from the treatment. Treatment of acute respiratoryinfection among Muslims has also risen.

Inequalities in rates of childhood immunisations have decreasedbetween castes and ethnic groups over the last decade, as theyhave between the richest and the poorest, but children fromwealthier families are still more likely to benefit from immunisations.

Regrettably, disparities in antenatal care between castes andethnicities have increased. Antenatal visits by the wealthiest womenfrom more advantaged castes or ethnic groups have increased muchmore rapidly than visits by the poorest. We need to close this gap tohelp ensure safe pregnancies and healthy newborns.

The number of babies born smaller than average is decreasingfaster among the poorest than the richest, and the new policy of freedelivery care at government health care institutions aims to reducematernal and neonatal mortality, especially among the poor andwomen and children of marginalised castes and ethnic groups.Disparities in rates of neonatal mortality, however, have increasedslightly over the decade.

Under-five and infant mortality rates are still higher than thenational average among marginalised castes and ethnic groups, butthey have declined sharply since 1996. The gap in child survival isclosing.

Remarkable gains have been made in reducing inequalities inaccess to and differences in utilisation of health care servicesbetween castes and ethnic groups, as well as between poor andwealthier citizens in Nepal since 1996. Health outcomes have alsoimproved for the poor and marginalised.

However, inequalities in access and use persist and areincreasing for some services. The government is addressing theseinequalities in the delivery of health care and actively working tolower the number of deaths of the newborns, infants, and youngchildren of poor and marginalised families.

Robert Timmons is team leader of the Health Sector Reform SupportProgram, Ministry of Health and Population

Narrowingthe gap

on AIDS prevention

percent of the young men in thedistrict live and work in Qataror Malaysia. They send home anestimated Rs140 million a yearin remittances. If the moneyfrom Baglung migrant workersin India and soldiers in theIndian Army are added, thetotal is much more.

But there is more than justcash coming back to Nepal,workers are also bringing homeHIV and infecting their wives.Although the Midwestern hilldistricts of Achham and Dotiare worse off because of thehigher proportion of unskilledworkers in India, the epidemicis spreading in Baglung as well.

Sita Pathak of Balewa inBaglung was happy when herhusband moved to India. Hecame home for holidays andbrought back his earnings, butshe only realised later that hehad also infected her with HIV.

Besides remittances, migrantworkers are also bringing back HIV

attacked. His daughter admittedher to a hospital and with thehelp of a social worker, shecontacted her agency. But therecruiter refused to send her homeand instead locked her up in aroom. One day, she climbed thewall and ran away. She went to apolice station and explained hersituation.

The police summoned theagency and had it pay damagesand her trip home. Kalpana says

By the time she got her test, itwas too late.

Her husband died three yearsago, and despite the stigma Sitahas now turned into an activistto help spread awareness toother women like her whosehusbands work abroad. “I onlyhave my daughter and othersisters like me, I will live forthem,” Sita says.

Devi Pathak is also fromBalewa and was also infected byher husband who works inIndia. When she found out, shecontemplated suicide. But likeSita she has dedicated herself tohelping others like her.

Sita and Devi work with alocal AIDS awareness group thathas 70 members, of whom 50were infected by husbandsworking in India. At least five ofthe women were infected byhusbands who worked inthe Gulf.

“Stigma and ostracisationmeans that it takes a lot ofcourage to come out openly toadmit they have HIV,” saysSitaram Thapa, who works withthe AIDS awareness group whichworks with prospective migrantworkers, with their families backhome in Nepal and with thegeneral population.

On the main street ofBurtibang village there are onlyold men and women andchildren on the streets. “If therewere jobs here, they wouldn’thave left,” says 70-year-oldSantosh Pun, whose only sonwhen to India to work as a porterand never returned. He wasdiagnosed as HIV positive anddied last year.

Pun’s eyes glisten as he tellsus: “I have lost my son, butwhose duty is it to protect theother sons and daughters ofNepal?”

Female migrantworkers areespeciallyvulnerable toexploitationand abuse

COMMENTRobert Timmons

the situation hasn’t changed, andhundreds of Nepali women aregoing through the same problemsshe had. There is a Nepaliembassy in Israel now, but Nepalicaregivers who have problems atwork still have no redress, shesays, quoting friends in Israel.Kopila Rai worked as cleaner anddomestic help in Kuwait for twoyears.

Born in Bhojpur, she hadcome to Kathmandu to go tocollege. She met a Kuwaitreturnee who told her about avacancy for salesgirl there. Shecould not resist the temptation tovisiting a new place, earningmoney and living an independentlife.

When she got to Kuwait, shefound her job was to be a janitorin a bank. It paid her Rs10,000 permonth, but after six months shealso started working as a part-timedomestic to augment her income.Unlike many other horror storiesof Nepali women in Kuwait,Kopila was never abused. “Noteveryone is as fortunate as me,”she says, “female migrant workersare often vulnerable to abuses andviolations.”

After two years, Kopila is backin Kathmandu and has completedher Masters in Sociology. Shecompleted her thesis on theissues of migrant workers and hasnow become an activist workingfor the welfare of migrant workers.Female migrant workers oftenwork as domestics or caregiverswhich makes them even morevulnerable to abuse. They suffermultiple vulnerabilities: they arefirst exploited by Nepalirecruiters and in the destinationcountry often suffer physical andmental abuse. Back home, societyattaches a stigma to femalemigrant workers. They can neitherget any compensation nor haveaccess to other facilities likeinsurance. At home, the societytends to suspect the character of

female migrant workers.Despite all the publicity

about abuse and exploitation,women are still lining to goabroad, paying for Kuwaiti visasthey know as fake, or passportsthat are not theirs. And whenthey get in trouble, they havenowhere to go.

Kalpana Giri hopes no one hasto suffer what she did, but is sadthat so many are so unpreparedfor what happens. “Unless thereis standard employment contractand bilateral agreements with thecountry of destination, they arealways vulnerable to violence,”says Kalpana, who like Kabita,helps migrant workers back inKathmandu.

Kalpana and Kopila say thegovernment needs to set upembassies in countries with largeconcentrations of Nepali women,have rescue services andcounselling, work for legalremedies in countries of originand employment, effectivemonitoring of fake documentsand pre-departure orientation.

Says Kopila: “We only talkabout how the governmentbenefits from the money migrantworkers send home. But at whatcost?”

SAM KANG LI

KIRAN PANDEY

BACK HOME: Kalpana Giri isglad to have returned after workingin Isreal for five months as acaregiver.

MIN BAJRACHARYA

12 31 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423LEISURE

hile traveling aroundKathmandu, Karland Pierre found

their answer in Darbar Square.As they watched the "socialsculpture" of Hanuman Dhokathey realised what made it asacred space was not so muchthe architecture but the people.

"One of the most beautifulthings created by humanhands," says Karl, speaking ofthe shopkeepers, beggars andsweepers. These people aremostly ignored by visitorstaking photographs of the

temples. Karl and Pierre noticedhow invisible the lives of thepeople were, but even so sawdivinity in their mundanerealities. This is where theconcept of the 'divinity of thecommon life' originated.

Organised by the AllianceFrancaise, the show at KhulaManch on 7 November willinvolve 19 artists in fivedifferent stages on theTundikhel. Karl Knapp andTenzin Norbu Gurung, a notedthanka painter, will paint largeportraits both before theperformance and on stage ofrandom people around DarbarSquare, depicting them in godlypositions. Actors from Gurukulwill portray those characters,glorifying them to the music ofKutumba, while Pierre-AlainHubert's spectacular firecrackersand Salil Subedi's narration will

Magician of lightPierre-Alain Hubert, French pyrotechnic, creates paintings in the skythrough the medium of fireworks. More than words, Pierre finds it easierto communicate with his art. In one of his performances, he hasfirecrackers sputtering out of his hat, and in another a thousand-cycle-heels alight and revolving. They are all grand, dangerous andmysterious performances, executed with the flair of a magician and askillful performer.

All his performances are an instant hit with the audience. "I don'tknow what they understand," says Pierre, "but everyone seems to pickup what they want from it."

With an entry in the Guinness World Records for his 1.6 KM longfireworks and 35 years of performing, Pierre is one of the mostrecognised pyrotechnic experts in the world. He was first trained as anarchitect, and the expertise enabled him to do the detailed sketching forthe execution of his fireworks. Pierre is influenced by both mathematicsand philosophy and finds the concept of the ephemeral appealing. Forthis reason and because he is fascinated by light, he chose theuncommon medium of fireworks.

In Kathmandu, Pierre is not only bothered by the fact that the sort of fireworks he wants aren'tavailable here and that he will have to do with 'wedding' firecrackers imported from India, he's alsoparticularly critical about the patakas and winces each time a Tihar firecracker makes a loud crackingsound. "Firecrackers aren't about shooting shells in the sky," he argues, "It's about manipulating light. It'semotional."

City of divine lightsWhere does God exist? This is a question humankindhas struggled with through the ages.

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ALL PICS: ALLIANCE FRANCAISE

KIRAN PANDAY

ROMA ARYAL ANDSHRADHA BASNYAT

31 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423 13LEISURE

his month Mars is hard to find, but Jupiterand Venus provide a brilliant display inthe evening sky and we also have a couple

of meteor showers. But before we get to them, letme tell you about the great stars of November. Onany clear evening, if you look directly overhead,you will find four bright stars that form an almostperfect square.

This isthe GreatSquare ofPegasus. Tothe north of

Pegasus, you will find the ‘W’ shapedconstellation of Cassiopeia. Just below Cassiopeiaand to the east of Pegasus you can see theAndromeda constellation, near the centre ofwhich lies the Andromeda Galaxy, M31– justvisible to the naked eye but clearly seen throughbinoculars.

Next door toCassiopeia is theconstellation ofanother mythical hero,Perseus, whichcontains the winkingstar– Algol, ‘thedemon’– whosebrightness changesevery three days.Sometimes consideredto be the evil eye ofMedusa, this is wellworth viewing throughbinoculars. BetweenPerseus and Cassiopeiais a beautiful sight forbinoculars –the famousDouble Cluster. Thesetwo closely situatedopen star clusters are well worth a look. TheSummer Triangle, made up of the three brightstars Vega, Deneb and Altair, is also fairly obviousin the western sky.

Low on the southwest horizon immediatelyafter sunset is another large and beautifulconstellation– Scorpius. Behind and just to theeast, is Sagittarius, another constellation that iseasy to see. It is supposed to be an archer but it

Festival of fusionAn artist who advocates the concept of 'fusion' in art, Karlexperiments and fuses the traditional with the contemporary,attempting to breathe new life into the art scene. Initially influencedby the ideals of graffiti art of New York, he wanted his work to go tothe streets and not be left hanging in museums. He is an installationartist using materials like videos, multimedia, performances andactions to make each of his work come to life and grab theaudience. Karl's work is definitely not main-stream, but is aneccentric outcry of expression.

Karl has been an artist for aslong as he remembers. Even hisgrandmother was an artist, andyoung Karl followed in her footstepsbut took a new direction.Graduating from an art school inPasadena, California, he worked inHollywood for a while and wasinvolved in bringing creativity tomusic videos for 2Pac and NealYoung. However, Hollywood wasn'tKarl's thing and he moved on,feeling that it wasn't "a place forcreative people." At the age of 35,he moved to France, and sevenyears ago he met Pierre inMarseille. From then on, the twohave worked to weave theircontrasting styles of art in theirseveral performances.

"Art is not just for the elite,"says Karl. He wants his art to beaccessible to the larger public,which is why he involves directinteraction with people and attemptsto take laypeople's idea of

contemporary art to a higher level. If he can't change their ideas,Karl fills his performances with motion, moving the audience, andurging them to participate in the creative process: "If I can't movethem mentally, I'll move them physically," he says. In many of hisshows, he has moved people from one setting to a completelydifferent place in order to make his point.

looks more like a teapot. On a clear, moonlessnight, look carefully at the spout of the teapotand you will see what looks like steam risingfrom it. This is in fact the Milky Way band,which extends all the way up through theSummer Triangle. Planet watchers, get ready forthe brilliant display of Jupiter and Venus in theevening sky.

Every clear evening in November, stepoutside after sunset to watch the show asJupiter sinks into the twilight while Venusrises. The grand finale comes on 30 Novemberwhen these two planets meet the crescent Moonto make a brilliant display on the westernhorizon. Mercury is at ‘superior conjunction’(behind the Sun) on 25 November and isunlikely to be seen at all this month. Mars isalmost directly behind the Sun (conjunction ison 5 December) so that too will not be visible.

Saturn is rising inthe early hours ofthe morning and iswell up in thesouth-eastern sky bydawn. It is movingvery slowly south-eastwards in Leo. Meteor watchersget ready for the Leonid meteorshower, generallyactive between 15-20November, andpeaking aroundmidnight on 17November. Theshower seems tospread from aradiant pointwithin the ‘sickle’

of Leo, about midway between the planet Saturnand the waning gibbous Moon on the17 November. Unfortunately, the light from theMoon will drown out all but the brightestmeteors.

The Taurid meteor shower reaches its peakon 3 November but like the Leonids, you’ll seefewer than 10 meteors an hour.kedarbadu(at)gmail.com

November SkyMeeting of two brilliant planets for 30 November

T

STARGAZINGKedar S Badu

direct the audience's attention.At one point, two large wheel-like structures will be lit torepresent the Kala Chakara.

With so many artistsbringing in their owninterpretations of the theme:Pierre and Karl describe theperformance as a patchworkquilt created by theamalgamation of a variety ofdifferent art mediums andapproaches of expression, afusion of ideas. The idea is toarouse a feeling of interaction inthe audience. That's why they

chose Khula Manch as it isaccessible to a variety ofaudiences from all walks of life.They hope that the commonexperience will serve even partlyto break down barriers.

Following the show will be anexhibition of the performance inthe Art Council on 14 November.The photos that will be exhibitedwill cover the entire process ofthe performance and the artcreated during the show.

Khula Manch, 6PM, 7 November.Free entry.

KIRAN PANDAY

14 31 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423CITY

KATHMANDU VALLEY

ABOUT TOWN

†

WEEKEND WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL

There is good news for all those in travel or planning to do so thisweekend and ahead. Satellite pictures of Wednesday morningclearly show that the skies over the Himalaya and Indian plainsare dominated by a high pressure system over the Tibetan plateauand a westerly that has blown off the remnants of last weekíscyclone. Light evening breeze and an open night sky will mean afurther drop in minimum temperature, although the days will remainwarm and sunny. November is the driest month of the year, it andlooks like it will stay that way.†

KATHMANDU

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

Heroes is a story of the journey that changes the outlookof two childhood friends, Sammy and Ali. Together, theytravel a thousand miles to deliver three letters as a partof their film school assignment. But little do they knowthat the journey they have embarked upon will give anew meaning to their lives. During this time they discoverthe power within themselves to change lives and events.This fun road trip now becomes an eventful experiencein which they discover feelings of patriotism. Heroesbrings out the new age meaning of patriotism - 'Youdon't have to be a soldier to love your country'

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

Fri Sat Sun

24-10 25-11 24-11

EXHIBITIONSWild- an exhibition of paintings by Wayne Edwards from 2-18November at Siddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal Revisited,Sunday-Friday 11AMñ6PM and Saturday 12AM-4PM. 4218048

EVENTSThe Big Lebowski, a film by Coen brothers, 1 November, 6.30PM, Lazimpat Gallery CafÈ. 4428549Cultural Studies Group of Nepal presents from Sherpa culture tosocial work lecture, 31 October, 9.30 PM, Shanker Hotel.Nepal Music Centerís International Folk Festival 2008: An ode tolife and culture, 4-8 November. 4256909Divinity of the common life, an artistic performance by Pierre-Alain Hubert and Karl Knapp, 7 November, 6PM, Open Theatre,Kula Manch, free event. 4241163New session of French classes, admissions till 9 November,next session starts on the 10 November-22 January at theAlliance Francaise. 4241163

MUSICTGIF at Jazzabella CafÈ, everyday happy 6-8. 2114075Poesie and Fags, a jazz vocal trio from Holland, Saturday atPatan .5522708, Sunday at Thamel.4700736. New Orleans CafÈ,7PM 74 Twister playing live every Tuesday at Moksh, Pulchowk.5526212Robin and the New Revolution playing live every Tuesday,7.10 Pm onwards at Bamboo Club restaurant, Thamel. 470157Some like it hot every Friday BBQ and live music by DineshRai and the Sound Minds, 7PM onwards, Rs 899 at Fusion,Dwarikaís Hotel. 4479488Tuesday Melody at the Jazzabell CafÈ, everyday happy hour6-8PMHappy cocktail hour, 5-7PM, Ladies night on Wednesday withlive unplugged music at Jatra CafÈ & BarHyJazz Club every Friday from 8.30 PM, Hyatt Regency,Kathmandu. 4489800Dance and Cocktails at Cube Bar, Kamaladi. 4438017Fusion and Looza Band every Friday night, Bhumi Resto Lounge,Lazimpat. 4412193Rudra night fusion and classical Nepali music by Shyam Nepaliand friends, every Friday, 7PM at Le Meridien,Gokarna. 4451212Sufi music by Hemanta Rana, every Friday at 7.30 PM at DhabaRestaurant and Bar, Thapathali.Fusion and Classical Music by Anil Shahi every Wednesday,rock with Rashmi Singh every Friday, Sufi & Raga with HemantRana every Saturday, 8 PM onwards, Absolute Bar. 5521408

DININGWok & Curry every Wednesday at Hyatt Regency. 4491234Sunday Jazz Brunch at Hyatt Regency with performances byMariano and his band from 12- 3.30PM. 4491234Organic Salad Bar and Steak at Jalan Jalan restaurant everyFriday from 6PM, Rs 650Fusion of Marcela Reganís new menu and Mannieís new bar atDhokaima Cafe. 5522113Plat Du Jour at Hotel Shangri-la, Kathmandu, Rs 600. 4412999Pizza & Pasta every Monday and Tuesday at Rox Restaurant.Hyatt Regency. 448936Pasta pesto passion†at La Dolce Vita, Thamel. 4700612Steak special with free Irish coffee at K-too! Beer & Steakhouse,Thamel. 4700043Continental and cafe item with Live band every Friday at VintageCafe and Pub, Woodland Complex, Durbarmarg.Unlimited wine offer for Rs 990 at La Maison wine and cigarlounge. 9841333628Home made pasta at Alfresco, Soaltee Crowne Plaza. 4273999Reality Bites at The Kaiser CafÈ, Garden of Dreams, operated byDwarikaís Group of Hotels, 9AM-10PM. 4425341Steak escape with Kathmanduís premier steaks at the Olive Barand Bistro, Hotel Radisson. 4411818Cocktails, mocktails and liqueurs at the Asahi Lounge, openinghours 1-10PM, above Himalayan Java, Thamel.Retro Brunch Barbeque with live acoustic music by SoundChemistry, every Saturday, 12-3PM at LeMeridien-Kathmandu,Gokarna. 4451212Starry night barbecue at Hotel Shangri-la with Live†performanceby Ciney Gurung, Rs. 666, at the Shambala Garden, everyFriday 7PM onwards. 4412999Kebabs and curries at the Dhaba, Thapathali. 9841290619lly Expression Coffee at Hotel Shangrila, Lazimpat and MandapHotel, Thamel.Socially Responsible coffee at Himalayan Java, Thamel.

31 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #423 15HAPPENINGS

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

KIRAN PANDAY

KIRAN PANDAY

BHINTUNA: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal welcomes NepalSambat 1129 by offering garlands to the statue of Sankhadhar Sakhwah,who started Nepal Sambat, at Basantapur on Tuesday.

LAY THE ODDS: Kathmanduís casino employees protest at the MaitigharMandala on Saturday against the attempted raid by Nepal Police inCasino Anna the night before.

NIGHTS OF LIGHTS:† Swoyambunath stupa glows golden as the Valleyshimmers in the background on the night of Laxmi Puja.

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

DEUSI RE: The cultural wing of Maoist-affiliated Newa Mukti Morcha holda Bhailo program near New Road on Tuesday to mark the festival of Tihar.

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31 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER 2008 #42316 BACKSIDE

Ass for salehat’s happenedsuddenly to the Nepalimedia industry? The

economy is stagnant, advertisingis sluggish, even the middle classis living hand-to-mouth but themedia is booming. Three new tvchannels and at least four newdaily newspapers are going to hitthe stands in the next fewmonths.

In this bubble, media salarieshave hit the roof. New mediahouses are scrambling to poachjournalists from each other:

columnists, reporters, marketingstaff, cartoonists, designers, evenpeons. Salary offers havequadrupled, and reporters canshop for the highest bidders. Atthe Press Club, they’re beinghired on the spot. Editors can’ttrust their bureau chiefs anymore.As long as this means betterjournalism, no complaints.The only question (hint, wink) iswhy hasn’t anyone tried to poachthe Ass?

So UNMIN is all aflutter overSecretary General-in-chief’s 22-hour visit. Wondered about thatone: people come for 24-hour or48- hour visits, butUncle Ban comes for exactly 22hours. Anyway, despite thebriefness of the visit, the Asshears all work at BICC has groundto a halt and this has nothing todo with this country of gamblersgrinding to a halt over Tihar.PKD reportedly assured BKM inNYC last month that he’d get amove-on on integration by the

time he arrived. It’s been amonth, and of course thisbeing Nepal, nothing hashappened except a lot of hot airin the Reporter’s Club. What thismeans is that Ban can’tannounce a clear exit strategycome Jan. Despite all theassurances and promises the pro-and anti-integrationists aresticking to their guns. Ban willprobably hear a lot of promises,but will come face-to-face withthe reality that Nepali leadersalways say one thing and meananother, or that they’ll tell youwhat you want to hear.

So the Sec-Gen may as welluse his time here to twist sometails, otherwise there is no sayingwhat will happen when UNMIN’smandate expires this time roundbecause most UN brass havealready sent out their resumes forjobs in other world hotspots.

Just when you think nothing isgoing to shock you anymore, theman caught on one of the Maoistreal-life battle DVDs presidingover a point-blank execution ofroyal army prisoners is now theMinister of Peace. A Maoistcommander is Defence Minister,and is pally with moanarchists.And when Comrade Cloudy,flush with a Rs 100 million cashgrant from the Chinese goesdown to Shaktikhor, guess whocomes to visit? Comrade Bibidhimself in flesh and blood.Exactly a year ago YCLs abductedbusinessman Ramhari Shresthawho used to wine and dine theparty bosses at his home (andhad pictures to prove it).Obviously Shrestha knew toomuch and was taken away to betortured to death at a UNMIN-

supervised cantonment inChitwan. One of the torturers,Comrade Bibid, helped dumpRam Hari into the Narayani from asuspension bridge. The body waslater washed up.

Anyway, the Maoists own up andname Bibid as the perpetrator andannounce a “massivemanhunt” and promise to handthe man to the police when theyfind him. Looks like the guynever went anywhere and hasbeen in Shaktikhor all along. Lastweek, Comrade Cloudy’s APFsecurity recognised Bibid meetingthe minister, but no one wantedto risk being arrested arresting aman on whom there was awarrant.

How come Girjau is suddenly sohale and hearty: last week, overa day he managed to deliver aspeech to a mass rally inBiratnagar, visit Kosi camps,attend two press conferences,attend endless tea parties. Wherewas all that energy when he hadto run the country?

It looks like just as the Maoists aregetting ready to unite with theUnity Centre and the UML, themother party itself may splitinto hardline and moderatefactions. Now that even theMaoist mouth organ, Janadesh, iscalling Prachanda ‘Prime MinisterPushpa Kamal Dahal’ isn’t it timefor our civil societybuddhujibis to do thesame?

ass(at)nepalitimes.com

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