#478 27 November - 3 December 2009 16 pages Rs 30

SPARE A THOUGHT FOR THELIVING: A butcher waits forkilling time at the GadhimaiMela in Bariyapur, Bara.

Killing fields

NHUCHHE MAN DANGOL

2 27 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478EDITORIAL

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

I

INHUMANGadhimai Mela is nothing but a barbaricand inhuman tragedy (ëAnimal fightsí,#477). The people who carry out theslaughter are invariably drunk. What Idonít understand, why the need to drink iftheyíre so brave.

Itís time to wake up and live in acivilised manner. Just as in India, animalsacrifices should be banned here.Happiness comes from helping, nothurting. Letís hope this Gadhimai festivalwill be the last.

Chandra Gurung, www.nepalitimes.com

SOLHEIM’S PASTI was not happy that Nepali Times gavespace to Erik Solheimísinterview†(ëNepal needs a homegrownsolutioní, #477). It would have beenappropriate to have a small introductionrelated to his past controversial ëpeacenegotiatingí role in Sri Lanka. Heallegedly†helped LTTE secure arms

PLAIN SPEAKINGPrashant Jha

PARLIAMENTARY SUPREMACYIt is the curse of Nepali politics that a party boasts about itsdemocratic credentials by ëallowingí parliament to functionfor three days.

The most inclusive house ever elected in Nepali history wasblocked for five months, there is a logjam of legislation waitingfor ratification, the budget delay deadlocked development, andimportant national issues were not debated. The governingcoalition actually benefited from the parliament blockadebecause it could get controversial decisions passed withoutproper oversight.

Meanwhile, despite the drama of the NC and Maoist leadersmeeting around a hospital bed in Singapore, there is no end insight to the political deadlock. At this stage, it is difficult to saywhat NC Chairman Girija Prasad Koirala seeks to achieve byforming a ëhigh-level political mechanismí when grassrootspolitics bristles with antipathy and apathy towards the governingcoalition.

Why do you need another cabal of secretive political bossesmaking decisions behind closed doors when you already havean elected assembly? The only mechanism we need isparliament. Use that.

If and when itís formed, perhaps the main job of the high-level mechanism will be to work out a power-sharing formula.After all, that is the real reason behind the stalemate (as KrishnaKhanal argues on p7) and a consensus government would allowthe peace process and constitution writing to restart.

The importance of this canít be dismissed, but the polityfaces bigger challenges. The passage of the long-withheldbudget through the legislature is welcome, but the governmentbadly needs to make its presence felt throughout the country. Itneeds to prove that it can function normally without looking toooften towards Koiralaís residence for nods and winks. No matterwhat it is called, any mechanism outside the provisions of theinterim constitution would lack the mandate to cultivate theculture of consensus in national politics.

Few would argue with the necessity of a government ofnational consensus. But that is a political necessity that needsto be discussed in the constituent assembly by the electedrepresentatives of thepeople, not at thehospital beds or drawingrooms of politicalbosses. Koirala mustimpress upon PushpaKamal Dahal that takingthe constituent assemblyhostage to politicalbickering betweenleaders is sending all thewrong signals to theelectorate and theinternational community.Parliamentarians need tobe made to workovertime, not allowed towallow in forcedrecesses the country canill afford.

the grassroots? First of all the election of75 district governments should be held,and each should be asked which districtsthey want to join. These suggestionsshould be discussed in the CA with theparticipation of national and internationalpersons who have experience in the field.To my mind, this is the way to evolvefederalism combined with grassrootsdemocracy. Switzerland has a lot toteach us.

P.C.Joshi, www.nepalitimes.com

CORRECTIONS SN Power, not Norfund, has agreed to

jointly develop projects in Nepal and Indiawith Tata Power. Norfun owns 40 per centof SN power. (ëNepal needs a homegrownsolutioní, #477)

SN Power, and not BPC, is developingthe Tama Kosi 3 Project (ëNorwegian guruí,#477)

f you want a glimpse intothe lives of Nepali migrantworkers, fly with them.

Avoid the more expensive routes,and opt for the NAC direct flightto Kuala Lumpur, or the moretime-consuming route throughDhaka. What one gets is a crashcourse in Nepal’s ethnic diversity,economic stagnation, failedpolitics, and the survival skillsof its citizens.

As a meal was served on ourway to Dhaka, I looked across tomy co-passenger, who wasslouched in his seat, staringblankly ahead. He saw me peel offthe cover from the meal box, andget a fork out. With an eye on mytray, he cautiously did the samewith his own, then smiled. “Kegarne? This is my first time.”

Lakhandar Mukhia was from asmall village in Saptari and wasgoing to work “in a company”. Heexplained how he landed the job.“I used to hang around the villagedoing nothing. An agent waslooking for people and came tothe village. My father said Ishould go. We paid him 70,000last month and he organisedthis.” I asked him if he knew

The new proletariat

where he would be working inMalaysia or which city he wasflying to. He shook his head.“Someone will be there to takeus.” Returning to his food, hemurmured, “But I am veryscared…”

Mukhia was just one of the6335 people who left to work inMalaysia between mid-Octoberand November this year. He wasunderstandably nervous, but ifthose who return are anyindication, don’t be surprised ifthat changes soon.

A few days later, at the KualaLumpur departure lounge, I metMohammed Sadiq, fromKharchaiya in Saptari. Sadiq hadbeen working in a furniturecompany in Malaysia for fiveyears. He earned about 30 Ringgita day, and worked seven days aweek for twelve hours each. Sadiqmanaged to save between 400-500RM every month – approximatelyRs 10,000.

Was he happy?“Ke khushi, what happiness? I

spend all my time inthe factory and both myChinese owner andTamil supervisor arecold-hearted and mean.They do not even allowme to pray regularly orgo to the mosque. I havefour children, and Ihaven’t seen them forover two years. Themoney is good and Ihave paid off myfamily’s debts. Butbecause of otheremergency expenses,I have not even beenable to build a house orbuy land.”

The interesting

thing about Sadiq was hisconfidence. “I am illiterate. WhenI first left Nepal, at every step –airports, planes, roads, factories –I used to feel I would make amistake and people would abuseme. Now I just walk straight withmy head held high. And if I haveto fill in a form, I just scribblemy name, leave the rest, andnegotiate with the person at thecounter,” he said with a twinklein his eye.

Most workers had not kept intouch with Nepali politics. Butthey instinctively understoodNepal’s diversity better stayingoutside than they may have beingin Nepal itself. At Dhaka airport,as the names of passengers werescreamed out for boarding passes,each ethnicity seemed to berepresented – Shrestha to Damai,Tamang to Choudhary, Mahato toMagar. And there was a visiblefraternity that had evolved in thecourse of a plane journey, witheach helping the other.

When I asked Sadiq, andother workers, what they thoughtof Nepal now that they had seen abit of the world, there was acommon refrain to their answers.

“Nepal is totally spoilt. EvenKathmandu looks backward to usnow. There is nothing to do athome, and we cannot earn eventhis much. When we talk to ourfamilies, they only mentionthe bandhs and strikes. Theproblem is there are no factoriesin Nepal. If there were, we wouldhave jobs.”

Nepal’s political class,especially the Maoist dogmatists,should start thinking about howthey will deal with this newlyassertively ‘proletariat’, whichhas far greater exposure thanmany in the urban lower middleclass. This class will not fall forfalse promises easily. Anddespite serving as the underbellyof the capitalist machinery, itsees the benefits ofindustrialisation.Accommodating the newproletariat will have to be a partof any new political design.

The workersof our worldare unitedin-flight

KIRAN PANDAY

covertly during the period he was involvedthere. He was rightfully kicked out from SriLanka and just look at the marvellousachievementsthereafter. Need we saymore?

Armugam Ananta,email

HOORAH FOR HOFTUNI heard much aboutHoftun while workingwith a hydropowercompany in Kathmandubut did not know that hestarted Tansen Hospitaland how MartinChautari was set up.After knowing all this Imust say Hoftun is atrue friend of Nepal. It is often said that itísbetter to teach a man to fish than to givehim fish. Sir Hoftunís taken this to heart.

Pradip, www.nepalitimes.com

MILESTONEThe blogs online are a milestone. Iím notsure if theyíre ever going to be printed, but

it wouldnít matter, sinceIím sure Nepali Timesknows the majority ofits readership is online.

Aawartan Discuss,Nepal

FINDING FEDERALISMI recently visitedSwitzerland and stayedthere for three weeks(ëFinding federalismí,#476). I got the feelingthat Swiss federalismevolved bottom-up, andwasnít imposed fromthe top. I agree with

Ms Nicole Topperwein when she saysfederalism combined with democracyworked as a conflict management tool. Butthe question is how to involve people at

327 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478

STATE OF THE STATEC K Lal

OP-ED

JALESHWAR-The district headquarters ofMahottari is divided into two distinct parts. Thetemple of Jaleshwarnath, dedicated to Shiva in hisbenevolent form as the supreme lord of water, isstill the main attraction. Visitors from surroundingvillages throng the shrine every Monday. The haat –

a marketplacewhere barterused to be thedominantmeans of tradetill quite

recently – gathers twice a week on the banks of theholy tank close by. Here petty trade and idolworship coexist in harmony.

The eastern section of Jaleshwar is the seat oftemporal authority. Almost all government officesare located along a north-south road that connectsthe army barracks with the CDO office. The districthospital and schools too are in this area for theconvenience of the families of public servants.Increasingly, however, government officials are to befound in Janakpur, from where they commuteeveryday.

The bajar area links these two parts and is thebelly of the town, almost literally, as it houses allthe main eateries, mithai shops, beer bars and arrackoutlets. This is where journalists gather in theevening, politicians hold court in front of paanshops and manpower agents try to lureunsuspecting villagers into low-paying jobs inAfghanistan and Iraq. But the Chowk no longerglitters. With the en masse departure of the Marwarishopkeepers, shopping is not the attraction it usedto be.

There are economic reasons behind the out-migration of this vibrant business community.Janakpur has emerged as a bigger commercial centreand attracts traders from smaller towns in thevicinity. Enterprising traders have moved as far as

JadedJaleshwar

Birganj and Lahan, and some have even moved tothe capital to make their fortunes. But the mostimportant factor behind the flight of Jaleshwar’sMarwaris is psychological.

A half-dismantled shopping centre in the bajar(see box) stands as a monument to the humiliationof the most respected Marwari trader in town at thehands of an arriviste UML politico. Perhaps toremind locals of their complicity in the crime asbemused bystanders, the owners of the once-magnificent house have left the skeleton intact.

When it was built in the late eighties, SiriyaMarwari’s house looked too imposing to be in atown as sleepy as Jaleshwar. But the venerable Sethwanted to impress local government officers withhis wealth, taste and power. Engineers andbuilders were brought in from Mujaffarpur andconstruction material was procured fromKathmandu and Patna. The top floor of thebuilding was to house his family while businesseswere to operate from shuttered fronts on theground floor. For the first few years, it appeared asif the town finally had a commercial landmark.But jealousy is the evil twin of success.

After the political changes of 1990, the oldSeth found it hard to learn new tricks to dobusiness with the UML upstarts in town. MayorBalkrishna Dhakal used his proximity to KhadgaOli and Madhav Nepal to push throughdemolition orders, ostensibly to widen a roadwhere few buses ply even today. The building wasdefaced and rendered unusable. Unable to bear thehumiliation, the most well-known Marwari familyof Mahottari left Jaleshwar for good.

With the big businesses gone, the town wears asomewhat dehydrated look. Other thangovernment vehicles, there are few cars to use therecently widened and freshly paved roads. Unsureof the variety and quality of locally availablegoods, shoppers prefer to go to Janakpur for biggerpurchases. Local temples have few patrons andschools and colleges routinely fail to raise fundsfor additional infrastructure. The Maoists are thenew UML around town, with formerrevolutionaries such as Mayor Dhakal settled intocomfortable bourgeois life.

For politicians looking for cheap popularity,eminent domain (the right of the state to takeprivate property for public use) is a useful tool,and one that makes the rich quaver. The right toproperty, however, is the sine qua non of economicdevelopment. Jaleshwar’s sad story bears testamentto a clash in which the state won the battle, buteveryone lost the war.

Over-zealousplanners woulddo well toaccommodatebusinesses

4 27 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478NATION

id has been in the newsagain in the past week forthe wrong reasons. A

consortium of Nepal-baseddonors held a press conferenceand plastered ads in the papers towarn against continued extortionof their development partners.They said this violated the BasicOperating Guidelines, but they

did not dare name the politicalparty to which the organisationsthat were doing the extortingbelonged to.

But what of the donors’violation of Nepali regulationsand their own internationalcommitments to directlyimplement projects and createparallel in-country aidstructures? These rules strictlyrestrict direct implementation ofprojects by donors andinternational aid organisations.But in Nepal, donor agencies andINGOs have been setting upoffices in district headquartersand sometimes even at thelocal level.

This appears to be not onlyagainst the domestic laws ofNepal but also contradicts the2005 Paris Declaration on AidEffectiveness and the 2008 AccraAgenda for Action, which set theagenda for donor governmentsand agencies and recipient

anti Childrenís Hospital is the onlygovernment hospital for childrenin Nepal, and it will soon have 500

beds for the children who come from allover the country. Most patients are fromthe poorest families. But Kanti lacks eventhe most basic equipment, so those whocan afford it head elsewhere.

In Nepal, there is not enoughgovernment support for healthcare. Mostpeople have to pay for their medicaltreatment. Nurses administer injections,but friends and families of patients takecare of the sick, bringing food, and runningout to the pharmacy for medicines. Whilstthere are many trained nurses inKathmandu, there are not enough nursesin the wards, especially in governmenthospitals like Kanti. Doctors ingovernment hospitals have to survive ona salary of around Rs 15,000. Itís nowonder that some doctors spend a fewhours at the hospital then slip off to privatepractices to make ends meet.

Many of the health problems of thechildren at Kanti are hardly ever seen inthe west, where they are detected early or

governments. Donors agreed tomake assistance more effective byharmonising aid and channellingit through central government indeveloping countries. But localdonor offices in Nepal areincreasingly subcontractingdevelopment through aninterconnected web of INGOs thatundermine donors’ statedcommitment to ‘countryownership’ and ‘use of countrysystem’.

The international legal statusof INGOs is being changed to

Nepali legal status by registeringthem with CDO offices, blurringthe differences between INGOsand NGOs. The real intentionhere appears to be not‘localisation’ and‘decentralisation’ per se, butcapturing funding both at thenational and international levels.

Most INGOs have set up theirNepal offices to tap the ‘yearmarked’ monies of bilateraldonors. This has not just madeaid less sustainable and increaseddependency, it has also resulted

in wastage, duplication and aidfailure and ineffectiveness. Aidpolicies promoted and practicedby some of the self-described‘democratic and credible donors’in Nepal have therefore ignoredand undermined Nepaliownership, which past donorcompacts have committed to.

INGOs should be raisingfunds and tapping resources fromtheir home countries, not fromthe Kathmandu country offices ofdonors. For their part, bilateraldonors are required to use in-

Donors violate their owninternational commitments

GUEST COLUMNRabin Subedi

are no longer prevalent. In Nepal, with itslimited number of often inaccessible,understaffed health posts, conditions such asrheumatic heart disease are regularlymisdiagnosed and left too late. Many of thesehealth problems are avoidable, but whennearly half the population is illiterate, thenbasic knowledge about healthcare is as muchthe problem as anything. In Kanti, the burnsward is full of children who strayed too nearthe open fire that is used for cooking in themajority of village homes, and burn cases fromkerosene stoves. Malnourished children arealso a common sight.

There is little equipment in evidence. Inthe Cardiac ward, up to half a dozen childrenare treated for various heart conditions,mostly rheumatic heart disease. When ten-year-old Padma Tamangís heart ëcrashedí

(it stopped beating, though she continuedbreathing) there was nothing anyone coulddo besides watch her die. There was nodefibrillator, no ECG, no child-sized masksand 10 precious minutes were wastedchanging an empty oxygen tank. A little boy inthe opposite bed, Gopal Chaudhary, watchedquietly. The look of fear in his face spokevolumes.

About three kilometres north of Kanti is a

new heart hospital, the Shahid GangalalNational Heart Hospital. Under agovernment assistance program, poorfamilies who cannot afford the cost ofsurgery can seek free treatment forchildren under the age of 15. ìWhy canítthe children with heart problems gothere?î I asked. The answer is that theheart hospital can only admit cardiacpediatric patients requiringcatheterisation procedures or surgery, sountil the child is diagnosed and anyexisting infections are dealt with, he orshe has to wait. Depending on theseriousness of the problem, this could befrom one or two months to a year or more.

Kanti Childrenís Hospital needs somany things. Face masks that fit children,basic life-saving equipment and evenblood, as well as well-trained nurses tomonitor and perform observations. Helpis also urgently needed for poor familiesto afford what can be expensive coursesof treatment. Even giving priority to simplebut essential things like clean wards isvital, which in the case of the leukaemiapatients can be a matter of life or death.

Nepali charities such as Social ActionVolunteers (SAV) have been working fortwenty years at Kanti to help the poorestfamilies with the costs of medicine andother expenses, including travelexpenses for those from outside thevalley. SAV is trying to help the poorestfamilies, but with limited resources canonly scratch at the surface of a far biggerproblem.

Rural Assistance Nepal (RAN) is a UKcharity providing support to SAV at Kanti.For further details, go to www.pa-nepal.org/ran/kanti, or contact MarianneHeredge, m_heredge@yahoo.co.uk.

Suffer the children

SILENT WITNESS: Gopal Chaudharysuffers from similar heart problems asPadma Tamang, who he watched die.Gopalís condition has improved morerecently, and he is scheduled for anoperation at the Shahid Gangalal HeartHospital.

“A good mopwould be useful,”says KantiHospital staff

MARIANNE HEREDGE

Politics of aid

K

country systems to channeldevelopment funds. Politicalinstability in Nepal, the lack ofgovernment oversight and weakimplementation of agreedguidelines have led to thissituation, which must becorrected to make aid moreeffective.

More than 60 per cent ofNepal’s development budgetcomes from foreign aid, but aFinance Ministry officialadmitted recently that there hadbeen no progress in enforcinginternational aid guidelines.Donors are also reluctant tofollow their own commitments inParis and Accra for use of countrysystems. The Foreign Division ofthe Ministry of Finance, theNational PlanningCommission, parliament andcivil society (including theNGO Federation of Nepal) arealso apathetic or ignorant aboutthe trend.

The international agreementsmade by donors were aimed atmaking foreign aid more efficient,coordinated and effective throughincreased donor engagement withgovernment agencies, parliamentand civil society. It is unfortunatethat what we see in Nepal todayis a trend in the oppositedirection.

Rabin Subedi is a campaignerwith the Nepal Policy Institute, amember of the Reality of AidGlobal Network.

A

BADRI PAUDYAL

527 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478BUSINESS

he leadership of Nepal’s banking fraternity faces many challenges.Here are two challenges for which it needs to have collectiveplans that it can execute in the next two years.

Macroeconomic research: Nepal is probably among a handful ofcountries that lets some bankers and accountants play the role ofthoughtful-sounding macroeconomists in public.

The reason is simple. Most trained macroeconomists, that is, a fewwho returned to Nepal after earning higher degrees abroad, are either busy

consulting for donor agencies orthey haven’t kept up with thechanges in the discipline,especially in the light of the recentGreat Recession.

Since the public does confusefinance (a slice) with macroeconomics (the whole), this makes it easierfor some articulate finance professionals to mouth off on the broaderissues of employment, inflation, national income and productivity, evenwhen what they say amounts to nothing more than platitudes.

But this ignorance reduces the substance of conversations that bankershave with their regulator, the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), which is filledwith professionals with degrees in economics. As such, apart from makingsure that they are not on the wrong side of the NRB, most bankers are notable to deal with NRB staff as intellectual equals who can honestlycounter-cite evidence from other economies as to what will or won’twork in Nepal’s banking sector.

When NRB proposes pay cuts forbank’s CEOs, for instance, most have nochoice but to agree, even when theyprivately bristle at the suggestion.Likewise, when NRB turns down arequest to allow a new financial productto enter the market, bankers’ privatecriticisms signal that they are quick toattribute the reasons to personalities andattitudes rather than to economicreasoning.

One way bankers can beef up their institutional expertise onmacroeconomics is to hire research-oriented economists, set up researchdepartments and start producing papers and briefings that can bedistributed to the media. Some individual banks have already done so.

But there’s a need for collective effort: to pool resources to strengthenthe research output of, say, the economists that are to be hired at theNepal Bankers Association (NBA). Else, a surrender of the industry’sintellectual leadership to isolated accountants and some degree-smugeconomists at the NRB does not help banks to collectively take a pro-active stance for the industry’s growth. If that’s the case, then they’llalways be reacting to others’ views and criticisms, and not be able to setthe agenda themselves to take the conversation forward.

Creating effective boards: As the number of banks goes up, theNRB will have to extend its supervisory duties. One way it does so is byinstituting higher standards of corporate governance. As governancestandards go up, there will be a greater demand for qualified independentboard directors.

The ugly truths in the market are two: there is a severe shortage ofsuch board directors, and those who do get invited or are elected tobecome directors have little knowledge and training as to how they canbe effective in discharging their responsibilities on behalf of theshareholders.

As such, again, institutions such as NBA have to step in, and offertraining programs and counseling sessions to board directors. If banksthese days require their entry-level staff to go through certified trainingprograms, why wouldn’t they want their board directors, the veryrepresentatives of the owners of banks, to go through appropriate trainingprograms too? After all, having a diverse pool of effective, qualifiedtrained and duty-focused board directors is in the larger interest of thefinancial community, and of Nepal.

STRICTLY BUSINESSAshutosh Tiwari

Bankingbasics

T

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Golf playersSurya Nepal Khelparyatan and Nepal GolfAssociation as per the Surya Nepal NGA YouthGolf Coaching Programme selected DineshPrajapati, Sanjiv C.K. and Sonam Lama as the‘Camp of Excellence’. They will now be playingin the prestigious Surya Nepal Golf Tour.

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Branching outKumari Bank opened its 20th and 21st branch inKoteshwor and Budhanilkantha. The bank plansto open more branches outside the KathmanduValley and reach a total of 30 branches by theend of the year.

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Soaring highMoneyGram International and Samsara openedtwo new agent locations in Nepal; one atEverest Base Camp (5365m) and the other inNamche Bajar (3440m). The former is now thehighest money transfer agent location in theworld.

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ForefrontNepal Investment Bank has become the firstbank in Nepal’s history to receive aninvestment grade rating of A, from the IndianCredit Rating Agency. The rating ranges fromAAA to D.

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Prevent AIDSArun Beverages and PepsiCo Internationallaunched its CSR initiative. The program isaimed at HIV/AIDS awareness and will bedriven across the country by VBNPL andPepsiCo International with the help of MitraSamaj, an NGO working with USAID whichwill also be distributing free condoms to all theparticipants.

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Seeing is believingStandard Chartered Bank conducted a fund-raising walkathon on 21 November, ‘A Walk for aBrighter Tomorrow’. The funds raised will go tothe bank’s ‘Seeing is Believing’ initiative, whichseeks to increase awareness amongst the publicabout blindness to reduce the stigma associatedwith visually impaired people.

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Finger lickin’ goodKentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Pizza Huthave finally opened in Kathmandu. The twoAmerican food chains were brought to Kathmanduby Devyani International in partnership with NMBBank and are located in Annapurna Complex,Darbar Marg.

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Steps forwardCity Development Bank presented its annualprogress report at its 3rd annual general meetingheld last week. The bank has been able to make anet profit of Rs 6.5 million with an investment ofRs 960 million. It has collected deposits worth Rs1.19 billion this year. The bank has a total of fivebranches and preparing to open a new branch inDamauli in the near future.

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Spreading wingsBiswa Bikash Bank has extended its branches inKushma, Parbat, marking its third anniversary.The bank is also preparing to open a branch inRupandehi, Butwal.

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Share the wealthKamana Development Bank will be floating publicshares to add to its authorised capital. The bankis planning to reach 10 districts and open newbranches, with SMS and Internet bankingservices.

Banks needto be savvyto researchand self-development

6 27 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

Kiran Nepal and Rameshwor Bohara inHimal Khabarpatrika, 16-30 November

Hari Bahadur Rokaya is a three-time nationalmarathon gold medallist. He’s achieved anotherhat-trick by winning the Everest marathonthrice. He has qualified for the Seoul andBarcelona Olympics marathon and won a silverin the South Asian Games marathon. The 45-year-old Rokaya now lives in Jumla and isworking to set up a high Altitude AthleticTraining Centre in this remote corner of theKarnali. When we met him, he was trainingmore than 20 long-distance runners at2,400 m above sea levelalong the banks of theTila River. One of histrainees, 13-year-oldUmesh Rokaya, istraining to takepart in the

Letters to the editor in Nagarik, 24 November

Apparently Sujata had the desireto ride the most expensive car inthe world. Maybe her fatherunderstood this while forcing theprime minister to promote her todeputy prime minister. Maybe shedid not want to return to Nepalwhile spending Rs 300,000 tosleep in the presidential suite ofthe best hotel in Singapore. Whatwould she do here? There arehardly any places to spend thecountryís budget. After all, itís oneof the least developed countries.

- Khem Gaire, Palpa

Sujata is the princess of the Federal Republic of Nepal. What canwe do? We can only defeat her during elections. Which we did.Although she lost the elections, she became a minister anyway.Now she is ruling us all.

- Ren Kumar, email

Sujataís expenses in Singapore should not be covered by thestate. She should return the money. Then she can do whatevershe wants.

- Sagar, London

Where did Sujata get the courage to spend so recklessly? Thereis a limit to nepotism. She can be a minister without winningelections. She can spend the stateís money whenever andhowever she wants. Arenít there any laws to control her?

- Tapas Magar, Lalitpur

Amrit Kharel in Janadisha, 25 November

UML and its allies hastily passed the budget during a farcical parliamentarysession after the Maoist party suspended House obstructions.

They completed discussions on budgetary allocations to the 27ministries and the Prime Minister’s office on Tuesday alone.

The Maoist party didn’t participate in the discussions. Analysts say that by passing the budget without the participation of

the opposition, the government has set a bad precedent.This is the first time in Nepali history that the budget has been passed

with the leading opposition party absent from the legislature. However,this is not the first time the budget has passed without support from theleading opposition party. When NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel was Housespeaker, the budget was passed despite the total opposition of the UML.

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal claimed the budget is pro-peopleand thanked the Maoists for suspending House obstructions. He said itwould improve all sectors of the economy, even as people face highercosts of living.

WhateverSujata wants

Long-distance runner2010 Everest marathon. He is also training 12army runners for next month’s Army CrossCountry Race. Rokaya is working to raise theRs 10 million necessary to start his centre, butmeanwhile is trying to at least finish building a200m race track in Jumla, which has nostadium. Unfortunately, the athlete selectionprocess is dominated by big people inKathmandu and Jumla is always left out, as it

was for the South Asian Games selectionsand the Asian Athletics juniorChampionships in Singapore. Still,Rokaya is not deterred from his dream,he is still running, and he has got his

son to hook him up to theInternet so he cantake on the task offundraising. Andthat is an even more

difficultmarathon.

Staged affairKantipur, 25 November

ITAHARI ñ Maoist cadre here onTuesday disrupted the photoexhibition, People After War,saying it showed their activities ina poor light. They threatened thehead of the municipality that hadlet out its cultural centre for theexhibit and tried to preventvisitors from going in. However,25,000 people from all walks oflife waited hours in line to see theexhibition, which depicts how therelatives of the victims of theconflict are getting on with theirlives. ìThis exhibition is one-sided,î Maoist Itahari in-charge

Show disruptedRAMESHWOR BOHARA

Car: ëConstitution writingíBee hive: ëPowerí

Batsayan in Kantipur, 22 November

Mukti Rijal told local organiserGanesh Niraula of the YouthMedia Centre, ìyou better stop thisprogram or else.î The Maoistssaid the pictures in the exhibitwould ìcontaminate the minds of

innocent school-childrenî.However, Maoist regional in-charge of Sunsari-4 ManojShrestha said it was not hispartyís intention to stop theexhibition.

727 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478CONSTITUTION 2010

here have been some positiveachievements in the ConstituentAssembly in the past year and a

half, but things could have gone muchfaster and smoother. There are nowmisgivings that the new constitution willnot be written in the next six months.

The reason is not that the CA is unableto write it in time. It is because we arestuck in a political quagmire of deep

ideological divisions between the mainpolitical parties on issues like federalism.The UML and the Maoists want provincesbased on ethnic, linguistic andgeographical identity while the NC, RPPand others reject ethnic provinces.

There is also disagreement over statestructure. Earlier they couldn’t agree onhaving a presidential or parliamentarysystem but all wanted a pluralistic multi-party democracy. Now the Maoists want a‘unicameral people’s assembly’ and astanding committee within it, whichwill run the government. They also wantthe judiciary to come under the legislature,and there are differences over the electoralprocess.

These are not just procedural issues,there are now fundamental differences inthe political value systems of the parties.Normally, post-conflict countries chart outtheir political future only after thedemobilisation of fighters. Here, even theMaoist government did little to move theprocess of integration forward, raisingsuspicions that it wants to keep its armyat least until the first elections under thenew constitution.

However, the biggest weakness of theconstitution-writing process has beenthat we sat down to write it without firstlaying down the basic principles. Therewas a constitution court, but all it did wasoversee elections. So there is no ideologicalfoundation to build the constitutionon, and it has become an open-ended free-for-all. Suggestions were collected, but nowthey are arguing over every word.

Kushiram Pakhrin, Maoist CAmember, Gorkha

What are you doing thesedays?I am busy with the protestscarried out by my party. Besidesthat I am also participating in theboycott of the parliamentarymeeting.

How is the constitution-writing process going?There has been some progress inthat area. The CA is discussingsix out of ten committees’ drafts.The other committees are alsopreparing their drafts.

At this rate will theconstitution be framed intime?Unlikely, given the current

politicalclimate.That beingsaid, if theparties canreach aconsensusthere is apossibilitythat it can bewritten insevenmonths.

Who is delaying theconstitution-writingprocess?Presently, the political partieswho are in power are the onesobstructing the progress.

What kind of staterestructuring would yousuggest?We have to opt for a federaliststate that is demarcated by caste,language etc.

Your party has proposedthat the Lamas who do notbelong to any caste be givena region. But that way someother castes are neglected.We are not neglecting them. Theywill be categorised not justaccording to caste and ethnicity,but more on the basis ofgeography, language, andtradition.

What is your experience ofthe CA?Because of the Maoists, the CA isrepresentative and inclusive.There are now discussions aboutbackward and disadvantagedgroups. But oppressed andmarginalised groups are stillbeing ignored because some of thegroups within the CA are stillopposed to this inclusion.

A CA member that gheraos the rostrumis, a few minutes later, sitting down to leada committee discussion. Committee draftsreflect the views of their chairs with theothers registering pro forma dissent. Amajor flaw in the process was notseparating the function and roles of theconstituent assembly and parliament fromthe very beginning.

So, most party representatives want allor nothing. Constitution writing is not azero-sum game. And there is now also adangerous tilt to the right, with somearguing that it was a mistake to give awayso much to the Maoists. There is a dangerthat these forces will use the excuse of adelayed constitution to come out intothe streets.

The disagreements in the draftingcommittees all stem from the basicpolitical differences between the partiesover power sharing. Whenever the politicalleaders meet, it is to discuss who shouldbe in power, not the constitution. In factcivil society organisations funded by donoragencies seem more preoccupied with theconstitutional process than our politicalleadership. A sovereign nation cannot writea new constitution solely on the basis ofoutside support and money.

The Maoists are bogged down byinternal rifts. They say one thing to theircadre, another thing at the Khula Manchand quite another thing to theinternational community. The otherparties, by not giving space to the moderateline within the Maoists, are making themmore aggressive.

Then, there are our southern andnorthern neighbours. Both India and Chinaare following the identity-led constitution-writing process with some degree of alarmbecause of the effect this could have ontheir own domestic security concerns. TheUN, on the other hand, doesn’t wantNepal’s peace process to be a failure justbecause our politicians can’t get along. TheUN may therefore lobby and even exertpressure, but there is no reason to get worked up about this.

Further delays in constitution writingwill not only invite a dangerous politicalcrisis, but also increase externalinterference. If we can finish the newconstitution and set democraticinstitutions in place India’s role, for one,will automatically be reduced.

So, what do we do? Four things:1. Bring the politics back on track2. Don’t argue over form, but substance3. Enforce the rule of law4. Leave space for constitutionalamendments

Clearly, the most urgent need is to setup a power-sharing coalition basedon the proportionality of members inparliament. Then, agree on basicpolitical principles of democracy andpluralism and leave the details forthe committees to work out. After that therest will fall into place.

Krishna Khanal is a professor of politicalscience at Tribhuvan University.

Arzu Rana-Deuba, NC CAmember, Dadeldhura

What are you doing these days?When the CA and parliamentwere suspended, I spent alot of time on official tripsabroad. I attended programs ondevelopment, environment andsocial service in Delhi andGermany between Dasain andTihar. Since then, I haveattended two meetings of theState Restructuring Committee.

Whatís happening in the CA?CA meetings are going on and the discussions have been good,but thereís still a lot of work left to do.

Will the constitution be written on time?Because of the current political impasse, it doesnít seem likelythat the constitution will be written on time.

Is there a lot of discord in committee meetings?The Maoists, and an assortment of ethnic political parties alliedwith them, want ethnic federalism, while the other parties want

COMMENTKrishna Khanal

Substance, not form “Maoistsmade CAinclusive”

Constitution-writing is not a zero-sum game

federalism to be based on geographic, ethnic and economicviability. Thereís also disagreement on how to regulate and sharepower amongst the executive, judiciary and the legislature.

How much of the constitution-writing process is complete?The constitution hasnít been drafted yet, so about 25 per cent iscomplete.

Why has the constitution-writing process been delayed?A big reason is the unhelpfulness the Maoists showed after leavinggovernment. Their unwillingness to disband the violent YCL,return land taken during the war and advance the integration ofcombatants have also delayed the constitution-writing process.

What are the positive and negative aspects of the CA?Itís good that those on opposing sides of the civil war are nowsitting down in one place. The CA membership reflects the make-up of our society. However, the harsh language used by theMaoists is a negative aspect.

How different is the mood among CA members now compared tohow it was when the CA was first established?At first, people were generally upbeat and committed to writing agood constitution. But now, many are disenchanted by Maoistideological stubbornness and their greed for power. Everyoneísdespairing.

“Everyone’s despairing”

T

KIRAN PANDAY

8 SOCIETY

Korean films areso popular DVDsales rival that ofHindi movies

SHAILEE BASNETK-W

young man reluctantly helps a drunk girlhe doesn’t know regain her senses, but, alas,is jailed for all his troubles when peoplesuspect his intentions. Hollywood’s MySassy Girl, Bollywood’s Ugly Aur

Pugli and Kollywood’s Mero Sansar all begin with this scene,copied from Korean blockbuster My Sassy Girl, which wasreleased in 2001.

This is no one-off, either. Korean films and serials havegripped audiences worldwide. My Sassy Girl was so popularin Asia people began making comparisons to Hollywood mega-blockbuster Titanic. Hollywood actors and producersimmediately took notice and a spate of successful remakes ofKorean movies hit the market. Many American theatres evenrun Korean movies with English subtitles.

The trend has caught on in Nepal as well. Thisyear’s Mero Euta Saathi Cha, for example, is a remake ofKorean movie Millionaire’s First Love, and many scenes fromSano Sansar were lifted from Korean films. Director of MeroEuta Saathi Cha Sudarshan Thapa says the movie was in partan ‘experiment’ to test local receptiveness to remakes offoreign films. It seems the movie’s success at the box officehas proven his point.

A

927 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478

WaveHowever, Korean films themselves may be more popular

than remakes, as the popularity of DVDs of Korean filmsattests. DVD shop owner Ganesh Ghimire says Korean filmshave been popular here since the emergence of Korean languageschools in 2007, particularly with Nepalis seeking work inKorea. He suspects that initially many people bought Koreanfilms to learn the language. The movies have gained a muchbroader appeal since, even though much of the audience todaydoesn’t understand Korean.

Indeed, Korean movies are now so popular DVD sales rivalthat of Hindi DVDs, the traditional heavyweights in the localmarket. Dev Chulagain, who runs a DVD shop, confirms this:“While people only buy recent Hindi films, there is demandeven for Korean movies released four to five years ago.”

People are especially keen on 2001’s My Sassy Girl, 2006’sA Millionaire’s First Love, 2008’s Ta Gutgi, and romanticmovies more generally. Inevitably, Korean language andfashion have caught on. For example, instead of saying “I loveyou” many have started using the Korean equivalent, “Saranghyo.”

Part of the reason Korean films have been so popular isthat they are easier to relate to. Bollywood films are shot inwestern locations these days and tend to have fanciful plots.It’s no surprise, then, that demand for Bollywood movies hasdiminished just as that for Korean films has grown. UshaLama knows the names of Korean actors by heart. She says,“Korean films are fun and easy to relate to.” Director Thapa isalso a fan. “Korean films are thoughtful, and commonplaceplots are presented very well.”

Romantic Korean films can also be slow and ploddingand have turned off some, like Mero Sansar director AlokNembang. But they continue to grow in popularity and areeasily accessible on TV channels like Arirang or the Internet.A couple of years ago, Nepal Television and Doordarshan beganrunning Korean TV serials. Many more TV channels air theseshows today. Businessmen add that cinema halls that showKorean movies have made a lot of money. It’s clear the K-waveis here to stay.

10 NATION 27 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478

INTERESTING TIMESMallika Aryal

HELAMBU ñ A row of two-storied concrete buildings can be seenas the local bus enters Timbu, a town after Melamchi Pul inSindhupalchok. This is the starting or ending point of the Helambutrail. Tea houses and lodges are sparse here, and those comingdown from Sermathang or Gosainkunda stop over in Timbu.

This row of buildings is one of the most popular lodges inTimbu. It has several rooms, separated by corrugated sheets,and it backs directly onto the Melamchi River. Everyone in thevillage knows the lodge as Roshani Didiís. The kitchen startsbuzzing with people from 6am, by which time Roshani Didi(pictured below) will have been up for more than two hours. Littleboys and girls stop on their way to school to buy candy, workers

stop by for a cup of tea,teenage boys come to buyrice on their way back fromschool, farmers stop byfor a drink of raksi,Melamchi engineers for

lunch. Itís as busy as you can imagine.Roshani Didi grew up in Sindhupalchok, but moved to

Kathmandu for higher studies. Later, she got involved with a localNGO that works to rescue trafficked women. She was sent toTimbu for work, as Helambu was, and still is, plagued by girltrafficking. It was here that Roshani Didi met her future husband,a local Sherpa. They fell in love and decided to get married,despite their familiesí objections to the union of a Chettri womanand a Sherpa man.

Roshani Didi left everything behind to build a new life in Timbu,but had to live apart from her husband for many years, with threechildren to raise, due to misunderstandings with his family. Thatwas when she built the lodge. ìI carried sand, bricks, helped theworkers, did whatever I could ñ with him gone I was all alone butI donít give up so easily.î

Today Roshani Didi and her husband are back together runningthe place. They have regular trekking guides bringing in groups,but Roshani Didiís cooking is so popular that bankers andMelamchi managers drive all the way from Kabhre and Kathmanduon weekends to spend the day in Timbu at her place.

Running the hotel is not the only thing Roshani Didi does. Shenever gave up her work as an activist, even during the difficultyears of separation from her husband. She has worked relentlesslyto rescue trafficked women, organise awareness programs, andcounsel girls from the village. Recently, she went all the way toSunauli to rescue a couple of village girls who had been stoppedat the border. ìI didnít have to think twice, I just packed and left toget there before the girls crossed the border,î she says.

Helambu is just six bumpy hours by bus away from Kathmandu,but it is one of the most impoverished areas in Nepal. ìThereís somuch poverty here that people have no remorse about selling offtheir own daughters or sisters,î she says. The ones who arerescued at the border are the luckiest, as most never make itback from cities such as Mumbai. The handful who do arephysically and psychologically damaged and commonly haveHIV.

Roshani Didi is a silent soldier in the fight against girltrafficking. Her untiring efforts are a key reason why trafficking inHelambu, though still significant, has gone down so dramatically.And there are so many like Roshani Didi, in every village inNepal, fighting alone and relentlessly for such big causes. Footdoctors, female community health workers, legal activists andjournalists expect nothing in return for the work they do becausethey care deeply about the issues. In a true sense, those whowork at ground level are the ones who are bringing the real changewe need in our society, not those who come out on the streets,disrupt normal life to chant slogans, or limit themselves toworkshopping. As we leap forward towards a new Nepal, spare athought for all the Roshani Didis working to make it possible, stepby step.

Those who make the littlechanges are the ones whoactually transform our society

Silentsoldiers

t’s not such aninconceivable task toimagine being treated like a

god when you are a guest in aNepali home! It is our traditionto treat guests in the best waypossible and in keeping with thistradition, the National Trust forNature Conservation (NTNC) andthe Annapurna Conservation AreaProject (ACAP) have introducedthe concept of home-stay villagetourism in Ghalegaun and itssurrounds that takes in morethan just mountains.

The ‘Gurung Heritage Trail’,starting from Besisahar, includesseveral villages of Lamjungdistrict within the AnnapurnaConservation Area, such asGhalegaun, Ghanpokhara,Bhujung and Pasgaun. Located atan altitude of 2070 metres,Ghalegaun attracts many trekkersand tourists for home stays.Visitors are exposed to thesimple life of their hosts and eat

the same food – dal, rice,vegetables, roti and so on. In theevenings, the womenfolk performsong and dance routinesdepicting Ghantu (celebratingLord Buddha’s birthday), Sorathi,and Krishna Charitra. The guestsreceive a big reception on arrivalas well as when they leave. ButGhalegaun also offers stunningmountain views of the Manaslurange in the east, Lamjung Himaland Annapurna II in the north,and Machapuchhare in the west.

Half an hour north ofGhalegaun lie two other beautifulGurung settlements – Nayu andGhanpokhara. Ghanpokhara isknown for its honey extracted

from the hives of giant wild blackbees. A nice way to pass time is toseek out the ‘honey hunters’ sofamously depicted by Eric Valliand Diane Summers in 1988.After listening to stories of theirperilous adventures in the cliffswhere the bees are found, you cantake a two and a half hour walk toreach Bhujung.

Bhujung contains the largestGurung population in the area,with over 400 households thatpride themselves on their richcultural heritage. They have evengenerated their own electricitysupply, and are consideredpioneers in conservation anddevelopment in the area.

After a five hour up and downhike from Bhujung you will reacha pristine village of over 200houses called Pasgaun.Untouched by modernity, thisvillage has retained its traditionalfeel, evident in its architecture(e.g. slant-roofed houses), culture,and food. With no electricity,except for those provided by solarpanels, the villagers express theirneed for it through their eveningperformances.

After Pasgaun, travellers canstop at Nanghidhar or Pakhrikot,make a last stop at Thumsikot,and take a bus to Pokhara, beforeending the experience of the‘Gurung Heritage Trail’. Thosewilling to postpone the end oftheir trip can go off road and hiketo Begnas and Rupatal lakes, thentake a car to Pokhara.

The best time to visit thesevillages is from September toNovember, or from March to May,when the bloomingrhododendrons are a sight tobehold. The Tourism ManagementSub Committee (TMsC) handlesall the home stays in the region.Houses are solar lit, and boasttoilets and bathroom facilities.Food is also provided for by theTMsC. Five per cent of the guest’spayments goes towards thecommittee’s fund for conservationand community development,and there is also an entry fee toenter the Annapurna ConservationArea (ACA). This under-promotedtourist trail is indeed a welcomechange from the Poon Hill circuitand its cousins; why not get offthe beaten path and getcomfortable?

More thanmountains

BADRI PAUDYAL

Home staysin Ghalegaunwill makeyou forgethome

I

(top) Ghalegaun,2070m, is the

centrepiece of theGurung Heritage Trail

(above) A traditionalGurung 'ghumaune'

round-house(right) Typical kitchen

interior

PICS: BADRI PAUDYAL

MALLIKA ARYAL

1127 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478NATION

alaise oozed through my pores as I lay bedridden with acold and a persistent fever. But my housemates were notgoing to let me slip away. Home-made remedies kept

cropping up – prayers, hot ginger water with honey, steam inhalation, acloth around my head, the works! What I then realised, afterentertaining them and subsequently recovering, was this – you are notreally Nepali if you are not a self-prescribing doctor. Which made mewonder…how powerful is this ‘jhankri science’?

Jhankris and other practitioners have been an integral part ofNepali society, even if the practice is not as widespread in our cities asit is in the rural areas. They are believed to possess supernaturalpowers and the knowledge of mastering spirits. Shamans take on therole of priests and doctors to heal patients and ward off evilspirits. Matas are a relatively new concept: these are individuals whoperiodically become possessed by a god, and they diagnose problems,suggest remedies, and predict the future. Despite the advent of modernmedicine, some still find solace in having a jhankri slaughter a goatand beat them with a broom to rid them of spirits!

Intrigued by the idea of a mata who could possibly predict myfuture and save me a lot of time deciding on a career or whom I wouldmarry, I made my way to Baluwatar last week. When I was admitted, Isaw before me a young woman with eyes closed, apparently in a trance.Right off the bat she asked me whether I had a younger sister. I wasimpressed but was it just a good guess? Curious to find out more, I told

her that I had a nagging leg ache and poor eyesight. She advised me tomake offerings to Bangalamukhi and pray for a speedy recovery. I askedher about my future, and she said that I would live close to my parentsand settle down happily. Pleased enough, I made my obeisances andleft – though unsure where I should go next, the temple or thepharmacist.

A couple of days later, my grand-aunt narrated to me a bizarreincident. She’d been on her way back fromthe Budhanilkantha market, and was drawn to a large crowd. A manhad fallen to the ground and was writhing, as if in an epileptic fit.People tried sprinkling water on his face to resuscitate him, but it onlyaggravated his convulsions. Then through the crowds a man came up,promptly removed his shoes and began urging the sick man to partakeof the fumes of his socks. Miraculously, the man regainedconsciousness and thanked him profusely for his kind gesture. Astrange genre of smelling salts!

I have encountered a fair number of superstitious people in Nepal,including myself. Some blow on their fingers if they happen to touchtheir necks, refrain from crossing the road if a black cat crosses theirpath, and abstain from stepping on brooms. Psychologists maintainthat superstition is the result of ‘adventitious reinforcement’.B.F. Skinner demonstrated that you can create superstitious behaviourin animals, too. When an animal is placed in a box with a device toautomatically dispense food every five minutes, the animal willtypically develop superstitious behaviour. For instance, if the animalhappens to lift up its right foot just as the food is dispensed, it willthen repeat this behaviour, which will be intermittently reinforced.Soon enough, its superstitious behaviour will become well established,just like in humans. If politicians believe that feigning illness canwork in their favour when the going gets tough, perhaps ‘jhankriscience’ can beat out this superstition so we can get on with buildingNew Nepal?

Why get surgery when youcan have a tumour beatenout of you?

Jhankriscience

DEREK MA

M

KIRAN PANDAY

12 INTERNATIONAL 27 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478

DENALI NATIONAL PARK ñ PhuNuruSherpa does not climb the worldís highestmountain for thrills. Itís his job.

The job is dangerous, often deadly. Thatísbecause many of the sherpas working forexpedition climbing groups on the more than29,000-foot-tall Mount Everest donít havebasic skills necessary to do the job safely.PhuNuru wants to change that.

ìWe have a big problem on Everest,îhe said.

The 29-year-old married father of two girlsspent a month this summer in Alaska gettingjob training on 20,320-foot Mount McKinley,the highest peak in North America. He was ona scholarship from the Alex Lowe CharitableFoundation, named after the famedmountaineer who died in an avalanche in theHimalayas in 1999, where his body remains.

It turned out to be the perfect classroom.PhuNuru joined McKinleyís high mountain

ranger patrol on June 3, and has participatedin half-dozen rescues. He had barely settledin when rangers at the 14,200-foot camp gotan emergency call. Two men who were ropedtogether had fallen a couple of thousand feet.

ìMe and two friends go running up there,take some oxygen, some medical kits andeverything we can carry,î he said. ìWe gothere and they both already dead.î

PhuNuru helped recover the bodies, whichwere flown off the mountain.

Four people died on McKinley this year.Since 1932, 106 people have been killed onthe mountain ó about half as many as on

Everest. Thirty-nine bodies remain onMcKinley. As many as 150 bodies remain onEverest.

In 2004, the Alex Lowe CharitableFoundation established the Khumbu ClimbingSchool in PhuNuruís village in Nepal. About30 students were in the first class and aboutone-third had already summitted Everest, butnot one of them knew how to tie a figure-eightknot used in rock climbing to secure climbersto their harnesses, President Jennifer Lowe-Anker said.

PhuNuru, who has summitted Everest fourtimes, is an instructor at the school. When hereturns to Nepal at the end of October, he willshare what he learned and plans to establisha professional rescue team on Everest.

The knowledge will save lives, he said.Even though more than 200 people have

been killed on Everest, the mountain has norescue team. If a climber needs help, it is upto expedition guides to decide if a rescueshould be attempted. Sometimes that meanstelling clients who have paid tens of thousandsof dollars to summit Everest that their dreamwill have to wait. Sometimes it means thathelp comes too late.

That was the case with British climberDavid Sharp in 2006. Dozens of climbers whowere headed to the summit walked past Sharplying in a rock alcove on Everest as he frozeto death.

By the time the decision was made to senda sherpa to help Sharp, it was too late. The

sherpa pulled Sharp from a rock alcove andplaced him in the sun and gave him oxygen,but his limbs were frozen in place. He couldnítwalk, even with assistance. Sharp was placedback in the alcove where he was found deadthe next day.

A week later, sherpas rescued anotherclimber who was left for dead near the samespot.

Author Nick Heil wrote about the infamous2006 climbing season on Everest in which 11people died in his book Dark Summit.

ìIt is an extremely risky proposition to tryand stage a body removal up high,î Heil said.ìNowadays people are kind of prepared whenthey go up to a place like Everest to seecorpses.î

Some of the bodies of people who havedied on Everest are within sight of the climbingroutes, remarkably preserved in the extremecold. PhuNuru said it would be better to getthe bodies off the mountain, but Heil saidremoval is not always possible.

ìAfter a season or two these bodies areeffectively welded into the landscape,î hesaid. ìYou literally have to chisel them out.î

PhuNuru said body removal pays betterthan other jobs on Everest but many sherpasfind the work distasteful. For those who wantto do it, the rescue and roping techniques helearned this summer will be useful, he said.

ìWe donít want to leave any body on themountain,î PhuNuru said. Mary Pemberton, The Associated Press

Sherpain Alaska

PhuNuru wantsto bringmountainrescue to theKhumbu

BRANDON LATHAM/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

13REVIEW 27 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478

009 will end with a bang as an eclipsed blue moon and theGememid meteor shower grace the December skies. But before

that, letís talk about the stars.Orion, with his ever-ready hunting bow, will appear on the

eastern horizon and herald the winter season. Along it, you will seethe constellations Gemini, Taurus, Aries, Pisces, Aquarius and

Capricornus. The latter threeconstellations are faint, andyou might need a darklocation to view them.

The Great Square(Pegasus) still holds ground

overhead during dusk. Perseus, the savior of Andromeda, flieshigh in the northern skies. Look for the double cluster that marksthe handle of his sword, an easy binocular target. Andromeda herselfis due south and home to the great galaxy M31, the furthest objectvisible with the naked eye. Taurus is host to two fine open clusters,the Pleiades (Seven Sisters) and the Hyades that mark the V-shaped head of the Bull. The mighty Orion dominates the southeast.Planet observingJupiter and four of its moons will be visible low in the southwest,within the constellation Capricornus, around 9pm. Jupiterís fourmajor moons will appear as tiny specks of light arrayed along astraight line to either side of the planet.

Mars will rise in the northeast around 10pm, and will be high inthe southern sky in the early hours of the morning. Mars is aboveRegulus, the brightest star in Leo, and well to the left of the brightstar Procyon, in Canis Minor. Mars is significantly brighter thaneither of these two stars and is much more orange in colour.

Mercury is at its greatest distance east of the sun on 18December. You can catch a glimpse of it on nights when it sets twohours after sunset. Look southwest immediately after sunset withina couple days before and after 22 December.

Venus will rise in the southeast just an hour before sunrise, sofor the most part will be obscured by the sunís glare. It may, however,be visible very low in the dawn sky.

Saturn will rise in the east around 1am, and will be high up inthe southern sky by dawn. It will be to the upper right of Spica, thebrightest star in Virgo, and to the lower left of Regulus. It will alsobe moving very slowly south-eastwards in Virgo.

MeteorsThe Gememid shower appears on 7-16 December regularly eachyear. It will peak around the night of 13 December, when you shouldsee one meteor every couple of minutes. You can rest assured thatvisibility will be clear since there wonít be any interfering moonlightthis year. Watch out for the Quadrantids showers at Decemberísend too.

Eclipsed Blue MoonThere will be a full moon within Taurus on 2 December and a ëBlueMooní ñ essentially an irregularly timed full moon ñ within Geminion 31 December. The Blue Moon will be partly obscured by a lunareclipse from 12:36:26am to 1:38:37am, all of which will be visiblefrom Nepal. The eclipse will peak at 1:07:28am at which point 8 percent of the moonís disc will be hidden.

Wishing you all clear skies and a very Happy New Year 2010!

kedarbadu@gmail.com

Celebrate the New Year withthe eclipsed blue moon

here’s something of a baitand switch involved indirector Ruben Fleischer’s

debut, Zombieland. With an R-rating that seems justified in thefirst few minutes of the movie –graphic violence with the zombieapocalypse in full swing, a glib

narrator with a vulgar and coarsemanner – would you believewhat you have in store issomething akin to an indieromantic comedy instead, simplywith the dross of blood and guts?It’s true, Zombieland really doeshave a warm and gooey heart, andno, not in the organ-eating sense.

Exhibit A: the social misfitwith a quip at the ready in JesseEisenberg (who was in theexcellent Squid and the Whale bydirector Noah Baumbach).Exhibit B: the sexy, sardonic,smoky-eyed and tough-as-nailsEmma Stone and unlikely loveinterest to the lead. Add a roadtrip, a message about preciouschildhood in a harsh world, acameo by a well-loved Hollywoodactor who frequently dabbles inalternative film, mix indeadpanned topical jokes, andyou’ll quickly realise to yourhorror, that what you have here isthe Juno territory of saccharineindie comedies. And make nomistake; Zombieland is assaccharine as a pint of fake blood.

Eisenberg’s character, by

CRITICAL CINEMAA Angelo DíSilva

December sky2

virtue of his social aloofness, failsto take note of the zombieapocalypse taking place outsidethe world of his apartment,cooped up as he is playing videogames. When his neighbourcomes knocking, she is a damselin distress one minute, theravenous undead the next. Hetakes to the road on his way toreconnect with his folks when hehooks up with Woody Harrelson’scharacter, a wild man who

particularly relishes offingzombies. Along the way, they pickup a pair of con artist sisters, theaforementioned Stone and theyounger Abigail Breslin, whosechildhood is truncated by theapocalypse and the hard life thatpreceded it. Each member of thisquartet is assigned a monikeraccording to where they areheading, and it’s one rollickingescapade after another fromthere on.

But how does Zombieland fareas comedy? It is surprisinglyeffective, thankfully. Fortunately,it distinguishes itself from reallythe only comparable zombiecomedy, Edgar Wright’s Shaun ofthe Dead (2005), with a snarkier

Love in the time ofMad Zombie DiseaseT

They don'tmake

zombies likethey used to

sense of humour coupled with abroad and violent slapstickelement. But as a zombie movie,it’s another matter. While thezombies, when we see them, are asbloody, hungry, leaky and pus-yas those in the best of the genre,there is a levity that spoils themix. One component of zombiemovies, perhaps counter-intuitively, is the pleasure ofvicarious wish-fulfillment. Withsocietal collapse, you don’t haveto behave, or pay for what youwant, or repress your violenttendencies (in the face ofzombies). This license has givenus some of the most celebratoryscenes of gleeful abandon incinema, perhaps most powerfullyin recent times in Danny Boyle’s28 Days Later. But in the absenceof consequence or commentary onhuman society, anarchist orconservative, it becomes an emptypleasure. In Zombieland, in placeof commentary, we are given indiesappiness. When Romero, thegrandfather of the zombie movie,mixes political commentary withhis mayhem, it may have been anecessary formula rather thansimply an attempt to besubversive. Though in all fairness,Romero never had WoodyHarrelson bashing inthe head of a zombie with abanjo.

ZombielandDirected by Ruben FleischerCast: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone,Abigail Breslin, Woody Harrelson.2009. R. 87mins.

STARGAZINGKedar S Badu

14 27 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478CITY

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Nitin Bankar (Akshay Kumar) is a personal butler, cook, driver, watchmanand gardener to a wealthy female industrialist (Archana Puran Singh) inSingapore. He desperately wants to become rich and marry the love ofhis life, Anjali Kakkad (Katrina Kaif). Nitinís best friend, Ram Mishra(Suneil Shetty), also comes to Singapore with the dream of striking itrich, but ends up as a delivery man. He falls for Manpreet Oberoi (SameeraReddy), but her high society parents do not approve of their marriage. Inthe midst of all this is Harbans Chadda (Paresh Rawal), a shrewdbusinessman. He decides the best way to double his money would be tomarry his son off to a girl whose parents can give him a large dowry, andis introduced to Manpreetís parents. But misfortune is around the corner.

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

KATHMANDU VALLEY

WEEKEND WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL

Temperatures have fallen an average of 3 degrees this past weekbecause of cold winds from Siberia. Breezy afternoons will ensurethat temperatures stay low this weekend. Satellite pictures alsosuggest that the skies will remain clear. Expect cold, foggy morningsin the low-lying parts of the valley. Those on hilltops, however, canlook forward to clear sunrises.

KATHMANDU

RECIPES

Bread & Butter Pudding

by GRAHAM SYDNEY

This classic, simple recipe is great for the colder months.You can also vary the recipe by replacing the raisinswith sultanas or candied citrus peel, or by adding yourfavourite nuts.(Serves 4-6)

Q. Are you relieved the budget has beenpassed?

Weekly Internet Poll # 478

Q. What did Girija and Prachanda find inSingapore?

Total votes: 1,937

EXHIB IT IONSExhibition 2009 of Nepalese Buddhism and Hinduism ArtPainting by Sudarshan Suwal at Summit Hotel, Kupondole, till30 November

E V E N T SSpanish Fiesta, at the Mirabel Resort Hotel in Dhulikhel, 28November, 12PM onwards, 4439584, reservations requiredNepali Art: In Present Scenario, documentary screening,28 November, 2.30-3.30PM and 5-6PM, Yala Maya Kendra,Patan Dhoka, 5553767Buddhist Walks in Ancient Kathmandu, breakfast and afternoontea, 29 November, HBMC, Keshar Mahal Marg, Thamel,4410402WALLïE, movie screening at Lazimpat Gallery CafÈ,3 December, 6PM, 4428549AWON Christmas Bazaar with locally produced arts and crafts,5 Dec, 10AM-3.30 PM, Hyatt Hotel,†awoncom@gmail.comKathmandu Chorale, a winter concert at The British School,Jhamsikhel, 12 December, 3.30PM and 6PMBenefit concert for Street Dog Care, at Hyatt RegencyBallroom, by Ani Choying Dolma, 19 December, 5-7PMPatan Press Club meets every Thursday at Dhokaima CafÈ,6PM, 5522113Himalayan Buddhist Meditation Centre, Tai Chi 10-11.30 AMSaturday, Yoga 8.30-9.30 AM and Meditation 5-6PM weekdays,Keshar Mahal Marg, Thamel, 4410402

MUSICHyJazz every Friday evening by Inner Groove at the Rox Bar,4489362Live band every Friday and rooftop bbq everyday at KausiKitchen, Darbar Marg, 4227288Sunday Jazz brunch, at The Terrace, Hyatt Regency withbarbeque and live jazz by Inner Groove from 12-3.30 PM,4491234Live Band Sensation every Saturday till late with Aprilrush atRox Bar, 4489362Jazz evening at Delices de France Restaurant everyWednesday, 11AM-2PM, 4260326Some like it hot, every Friday BBQ and live music by DineshRai and the Sound Minds, Rs 899 at Fusion, Dwarikaís Hotel,7PM onwards, 4479488Happy cocktail hour, ladies night on Wednesday with liveunplugged music at Jatra CafÈ & Bar, Thamel, 5-7PMNepali Ghajals and songs at DíLounge Beijing DuckRestaurant, every Thursday 6.30 PM onwards, 4468589Rudra Night live fusion music by Shyam Nepali every Friday,7PM at Gokarna Forest Resort, 4451212

DININGChristmas Cake shop,christmas pudding, chocolateSanta Claus, hampers and moreat The Lounge, 30 November-31December, 4491234Strawberry …tagËre, strawberryflavours at The Lounge,4.30PM- 6.30PM, HyattRegency Kathmandu, 4491234Oriental Nights, all flavours andspecialities of Asia every Wednesday at The CafÈ, 6.30PM,Hyatt Regency Kathmandu, 4491234Thanksgiving Celebration, at K-Too Beer & Steakhouse,Thamel, till 28 November, 4700043Live continental BBQ Fiesta, exclusive BBQ Dinner†at SplashBar & Grill, Radisson Hotel, from 6.30-10.30PM everydayGlobal flavours†at the casual table for thin-crust pizzas, fruityhookahs,†brewed coffees†& desserts, 4254809Chocolate, Coffee and Caramel, every evening at The Lounge,4.30-6.30PM, 4491234A cafeís cafÈ, Dhokaima CafÈ, Patan Dhoka, 5522113Jazzabell CafÈ, relaunched at Jhamsikhel, TGIF, 10% discountall day, happy hour 6-8PM, 2114075The Corner Bar, 5-7PM, 3-11PM, Radisson Hotel Kathmandu,4411818Al Fresco, for homemade pasta, steak and freshwater trout,Soaltee Crown Plaza, 4273999Kakori, for biryanis, curries and kebabs, Soaltee CrownePlaza, 7-10.45PMChez Caroline for French and Mediterranean cuisine, BabarMahal Revisited, 4263070Mediterranean cuisine every Friday from Greece, Italy and theMiddle East at The CafÈ, Hyatt Regency, 4491234Teppanyaki meat items and garlic rice at Le Restaurant,Gairidhara, 4436318Plat Du Jour at Hotel Shangri-La, Lazimpat, Rs 600, 4412999Reality Bites, The Kaiser CafÈ, Garden of Dreams, operated byDwarikaís Group of Hotels, 9AM-10PM, 4425341Starry night barbecue at Hotel Shangri-La withlive†performance by Ciney Gurung, Rs 999, at the ShambalaGarden, every Friday 7PM onwards, 4412999Himalayan Rainbow Trout at Hotel Yak and Yeti, Darbar Marg,4248999Tiger for Breakfast, breakfast everyday at 1905, Kantipath,4215068Stupa View Restaurant, for vegetarian creations & clay ovenpizza at Boudha Stupa, 4480262Gokarna Forest Resort for a variety of sizzlers at Tripti bar,4451212

Weekly Internet Poll # 479. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

Pre-heat the oven to 170C. Butter a large baking dishand line with the buttered bread. Mix the eggs, sugar,vanilla, cinnamon, salt and raisins together and pourthe mixture over the bread. Allow to stand for 20-30minutes so that the bread can soak up most of the liquid.Cover with a piece of aluminium foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until it turns a golden brown. Serve withcustard or your favourite ice cream.

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

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

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

awareness about the impact of climatechange in the Himalaya.

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

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

determine the future of hundreds ofmillions of people who depend on

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

WWF Nepal and the Nepalgovernment, its development partners

and many non-profit and privateorganizations.

www.climate4life.org

8 slices white bread,buttered on oneside only

3 cups milk4 eggs, beaten120g sugar120g raisins1 teaspoon vanilla essence½ teaspoon cinnamon½ teaspoon saltsome extra butter

Sat Sun

22-4 21-3

Fri

22-5

27 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #478 15HAPPENINGS

DIVERSITY: Women don traditional clothes from various districts duringthe Third National Tourist Fair 2066 in Bhrikutimandap on Tuesday.

KIRAN PANDAY

TRIBUTE: Wilda Campbell hands over an oil painting entitled 'FruitSeller' by the late Rama Nanda Joshi to his wife Nirmala Joshi. Thepainting will be exhibited at the R.N. Joshi Museum.

NAVIN JOSHI

THE FUTURE: Children perform at a program marking International ChildRights Day and four decades of UNICEF's presence in Nepal atPulchowk on Friday.

SUMMITEER: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal congratulates MinBahadur Sherchan, who climbed Mount Everest at the age of 76 yearsand 340 days. The Guinness Book of World Records recently recognisedhim as the oldest man to have achieved the feat.

KIRAN PANDAY

STOP THE ABUSE: Actors perform a play depicting domestic abuseagainst women during the launch of the National Plan of Action for theYear Against Gender Based Violence 2010 at the Everest Hotel,Wednesday.

KIRAN PANDAY

KIRAN PANDAY

ISSN

181

4-26

13

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

27 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2009 #47816

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BACKSIDE

S o they’re going to set upanother high-levelpolitical mechanism to

sort out the political deadlock.Great idea. Maybe the previoushigh-level mechanisms werejust not high enough to do thetrick. Or perhaps there wassomething wrong within themother of all mechanisms.

But at the rate we are going,our New Nepal is going to be anation of mechanics who don’tknow how to fix thismechanism. The Ass’s twocents is that even this newthingie is not going to workbecause it is too high level.The leaders who are currently apart of this mechanism eitherneed supplemental oxygen toclimb up to their bedrooms, orare civilian supremacists whocan’t utter a sentence withoutthreatening to take the countryback to kingdom come.

So the best way out of thedeadlock is to set up a not-so-high-level politicalmechanism with advisers tothe senior leaders likeAmaresh Bhai, Raghu Jee andKamred Prakash in it. Theadvisers all get along like ahouse on fire, so it’s time toset up a High-Level AdvisoryMechanism.

High-level political mechanicsExpect Senior Leader GirijaPrasad Koirala to be airliftedout any day again, because thedocs in Singapore apparentlyfound out the reason hisremaining lung had stoppedfunctioning altogether wasbecause the onset of winterworsens the pollution in KTMValley and made his haemocount plummet. Trouble is,even Biratnagar is polluted inwinter, so the doctors haverecommended moving him fromMaharajganj to Tokha. Now, thatshould take the politicalmechanism to an even ‘higher’level.

The reason the Baddies arelately looking like chickens thathave inadvertently had theirheads separated from theirthoraxes is not just that theymanaged at the nick of time tosave themselves from splittingright down the middle bypostponing the partyconvention till next year, butalso because they mysteriouslyfailed to get an invite to aninternational convention ofcommies in New Delhi lastweek. The Red World

Conference had delegates andobservers from 90 of the world’sfraternal communist partiesattending. Representing Nepalwas our very own fire-breathingComrade Oli, who waspersonally invitedby India’s CPM. Conspicuous intheir absence were the NepaliBaddies, which is surprising fora party that regards itself as thevanguard of world revolution. Itlooks like Comrade Awesomehas not just fallen foul of theInjun govt but also of MessrsYechury, Karat & Co, Pvt Ltd.

As reported last week, theBaddies have stepped upextortion nationwide.Businesses across the countryhave received letters demandinganything between Rs 50,000-100,000 for “supporting the on-going agitation for civiliansupremacy”. That’s a great salespitch because it’s like saying:“You are hereby required todonate money to us, orelse…but if you do fork out therequired sum, you can beassured your money will be putto good use to shut the countrydown for three days inDecember.” Donors sent word tothe donkey this week to deny

they’d ever asked their partners togive in to baddie extortion.However, employees of donor-funded projects admit theyregularly make office collectionsof percentages of salaries to keeplocal comrades happy withouttelling HQ, for fear they may beshut down.

They’re really catching ‘em youngthese days. Baburam Bhattarai onWednesday gave away prizes tothose who stood first, second andthird in the All-NepalNational Speech-givingCompetition. With tv news fullof netas giving bhasans, the kidsobviously had a lot of practice.

Maybe next should be a NepalIdol, not for singing but forspeechifying. Showing the worldwhat we do best.

Now that Kathmandu FriedChicken has just opened thereshould be a slogan contest to getNepalis hooked on theColonel’s drumsticks. TheAss already has a couple ofpotential winning entries:‘Karsapko Kukhuro’, ‘Rato BhaleyKwayn Kwayn!’,‘Noon KhwayekoKukhuro’, or even‘Khukuri Kaan…’

ass(at)nepalitimes.com