Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
#425 14 - 20 November 2008 16 pages Rs 30
Weekly Internet Poll # 426. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com
Q. How would you assess the
government’s first 100 days?
Weekly Internet Poll # 425
Q. How will the Obama victory affect
Nepal and the region?
Total votes: 4,165
DEEPENDRA BAJRACHARYA
he Maoist-led governmenthas been in office for threemonths, and some of the
ex-guerrillas in governmentadmit that waging war was easier.
The Maoists inherited abattered economy, a fuel crisis, acrippling electricity shortage anda standstill in development andgovernance. Although their‘people’s war’ was largelyresponsible for some of these
problems, Nepalis still expect theMaoists can bring change.
However, the biggest challengeto the party leadership is nowfrom within. The Maoists areholding intense backroomconsultations before a conferenceof nationwide cadre opens on 20November.
“This is a very crucialmeeting,” says Sarala Regmi ofthe Maoist Tharuhat ProvincialCouncil. “The CA is just atransitional compromise; we will
not give up until all oppressedpeople are liberated.”
Party sources told
Nepali Times that there is strongcriticism from within of Maoistministers, and the hardlinerslook like they are going to bedominating the conference nextweek.
The Maoists are also facingpressure from the NC, which hasstepped up its rhetoric. TheNC’s Arjun Narsingh KC said:“It’s been three months and theMaoists still haven’t fulfilledany of their promises.”
He said the NC would notjoin a reconstituted committeeon integration unless threeconditions were met: thedefining of a ‘national party’; abalance of power in the
committee; and an agreement onthe terms of reference.
Meanwhile, Prime MinisterPushpa Kamal Dahal met seniorIndian leaders on Wednesday inNew Delhi and briefed them onthe state of the peace process. TheIndians are understood to haveurged him strongly to work withthe other parties.
Indian Foreign MinisterPranab Mukherjee is due herenext week and is expected to urgethe NC not to play oppositionalpolitics at this time because itcould undermine the peaceprocess and delay constitution-drafting. �Dewan Rai
As the honeymoon period ends, uncertainty looms
T
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: RohitKushait from Janakpur looks in at thegate of President Yadavís residenceat Dhapashi on Saturday while thepresident was meeting journalists.Kushait wanted the president to helphim with a land dispute.
Anybody home?
2 14 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #425EDITORIAL
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
INTERESTING TIMESMallika Aryal
T
PLAIN SPEAKINGPrashant Jha
DAYLIGHT ROBBERY
Nepalís revolution was supposed to lead us towards a New Nepal.A new set of elected leaders was supposed to bring us a newvision and infuse citizens with hope and a sense of nationalpurpose.
Nepalis havenít yet given up hope. They want to give thegovernment they elected a chance to prove itselfóboth inimproving their daily lives and also by charting a new future forthis country.
Any country that has suffered war suffers a hangover ofviolence. But there are other byproducts of insurgency:criminality, bribery, extortion and breakdown in law and order.Most transition states go through this phase: the former Sovietbloc was virtually ruled by the mafia for a decade after 1990.
In Nepal, a revolution that was fought at great human cost hasironically habituated people to kidnappings and corruption. Even ifthe lives of Nepalis donít improve, we need to have a perceptionthat things are on the mend: that delivery of services is happening,that jobs are being created, that wealth is being spread. Thepresent culture of impunity, the surge in crime and corruption donot give us that perception.
There is daylight robbery going on in Nepalís petroleumdistribution network resulting in massive adulteration. The guiltyare never punished. Local goondas extort 20 per cent or more fromhospitals being built by charities in remote areas. Youth groupsare on the prowl, threatening and extorting.
At this rate, it wonít take long for the euphoria that followed theelections to evaporate. Among the public there is apathy aboutcorruption, bordering on fatalism. It is seen as a given, it isaccepted and its cost is factored into all transactions.
Yet we know that there is a direct correlation betweencorruption and lives lost because hospitals arenít built, or toxicfumes from adulterated fuels that poison us.
It is argued that corruption lubricates the bureaucracy, allowsthe middle class to get things done and spreads cash. Butnumerous studies have shown that corruption hurts the poorest themost. Some say it is poverty that feeds corruption, but actually itis greed.
It is retail street-level corruption that is most visible to us, butgrand-scale corruption at the highestlevels of government is more hiddenand more destructive, deepeninginequality and deterring investment.
While we wait for this governmentto get its act together as itshoneymoon period runs out, it may aswell start working on publicaccountability.
Extortion and bribery havebecome accepted evils, and unlessthey are tackled first, this governmentwill find it impossible to meet any ofits ambitious economic goals.
he core problem in Nepalipolitics today is intra-party differences. There is a
deepening rift between theMaoist dogmatists andpragmatists. The NC’s right wingtendencies are re-emerging,
drowning out centrist voices. It isa wonder that the MJF is a partyat all, given the hatred among thetop leaders.
But the most interestingideological and leadershipstruggle is within the UML. TheUML is thriving, despite beingrejected by the people, becausethe NC and Maoists are fighting.The party is suffering from asevere existential crisis, and can’tfigure out where it has gonewrong.
Any UML leader begins hisassessment of the Maoists byclaiming that the rebels had togive up their ‘ultra-leftadventurism’ and accept theMadan Bhandari line. Accordingto this version, the ‘people’s war’was wrong. The Maoists couldrise because of the mess createdby the NC, army and then theking. The UML had little rolethrough the 90s and was thus not
to blame. This narrative lauds theparty’s ‘balanced’ policy duringthe peace process, where itadopted a policy of criticalengagement with Maoists.
With this line, and a strongorganisational base, the partythought it would be rewarded bythe electorate. Post-April, therewas disarray. Excuses werefound, Maoist intimidation washeld responsible and theleadership changed. Many in theUML still feel their line wascorrect but the tainted leadershipwas being punished forcompromises during the 1990-2005 period.
Now voices arguing for greaterproximity to the Maoists haveasserted themselves. BamdebGautam is the most activeproponent of this line. Most ofhis cadre from the ML days wenton to join the Maoists and hisstated aim is to merge the UMLand Maoists. Jhalanath Khanalmay not go that far but believesin ‘broader left unity’.
But those demanding greaterdistance from the Maoists havealso gained strength. Theconservative K P Oli school hasbeen skeptical of the peaceprocess and has viscerallyopposed the Maoists. He drawshis support from party workerswho have often been thrashed bythe Maoists and want to maintaina distinct identity.
If the UML has got the welldeserved image of a flip-flopparty, it is because of thisinternal struggle. And the manwho has reconciled thoseinterests, though personallyinclined to the Oli view, isMadhav Nepal. He is still thedecisive player in the party andwill stage a comeback during theconvention.
What has complicated theplot is that the line between the
ideological battle and personalrivalry is blurred. Oli andGautam may represent the twoextremes, but they have comecloser recently. Oli supportedGautam to head the UML team ingovernment, while Khanal wasrooting for Amrit Bohara. Oli nowexpects Gautam to reciprocate thesupport during the convention,when Khanal’s leadership will bequestioned. The result of thatpower struggle will determine theUML’s approach to the Maoists,and thus the duration of thisgovernment. Whether the UML can reviveitself will depend on theideological position it adopts, itseffectiveness in government, theway the NC and Maoists evolve,the nature of polarisation in thenext few years, and whether itcan retain its grip on the lowerlevels of the bureaucracy.
The UML has to confrontother challenges. It has dismallyfailed to deal with the Tarai’sidentity politics. The partystructure is non-inclusive. Itsleaders make prejudicedstatements. It has lost its baseamong Madhesi intermediatecastes and Dalits, and faces thedanger of being reduced to anexclusively pahadi party.
It also needs to reassess itsrelationship with NGOs run byparty sympathisers. These havebeen the UML’s proxy patronagedispensation networks. Butgetting coopted into fundingcivil society has blunted thepolitical edge of the cadre. UMLworkers and other sidekicks in‘civil society’ are derisivelydismissed as doing ‘dollar kokheti’. Nowhere do democracy,left politics, and civil societyintersect as clearly as inside theUML. Its future decisions willhave an impact in all threespheres. �
Inside the UMLThe party suffers an existential crisis
TOKYO—In a global study on governance afew years ago, it was found that the level ofpublic trust in parliament, government andstate officials in countries around theworld was overwhelmingly low.
A majority of people said they weremore comfortable forming non-governmententities and taking care of themselves thanwaiting for the government to look after
them. Japan was no exception: more than71 per cent of people said they distrustedparliament, nearly 70 per cent weresuspicious of the executive, and 60 percent distrusted public officials.
This suspicion is one of the reasonswhy in the last 20 years only two Japaneseprime ministers have lasted more than twoyears in office. A prime minister’s time inoffice has decreased from three to two to
barely one year during the past four years.There have been four since 2005.
While they may be skeptical about theirnational government, the Japanese arefiercely proud of the work their localgovernments do. Japan’s decentralisationmodel is unique and innovative. As wewait patiently for a Nepali constitution tobe written, there are several lessons toabsorb here.
Japan is divided into 47 differentprefectures, which are further divided intocities, where 80 per cent of the populationlives. The 1946 constitution recogniseslocal government as an important part ofdemocracy, and it is strongly focussed onthe communities it serves. This hashelped control corruption because ofgreater accountability.
The communities directly electgovernors, mayors and members of localassemblies. The Local Autonomy Law,amended in 1999, also empowers localauthorities. While the central government
is responsible for national projects, localgovernment looks after welfare, socialinsurance, security and healthcare, andtakes responsibility for looking after theelderly.
In recent years, Japan’s localgovernments have been burdened with theincreasing demands placed on them by thecountry’s ageing population. More than 7.2million Japanese are starting to leave theworkforce and move back to theircommunities. At the same time, morewomen are going back to work aftermarriage and bearing children, and aredemanding that local government providesfacilities for family support.
Judging by the pride people hold inlocal government, it is clear thisautonomous model, with locallyempowered populations, has been asuccess. To deal with the increasingpressures on local government, Japanregularly calls on communities for help. Itis now looking at the idea of giving the
ageing population responsibility for localsurveillance and security.
In Nepal, our post-1990 experience inlocal development proves that community-managed projects—whether forests, roads,irrigation or radio—can be hugelysuccessful. Nepal’s Local Self-GovernmentAct of 1998 was revolutionary not justbecause the decision-making wastransferred to the people, but because thecommunities were also given rights to electlocal officials. The act has been in a limbonow for more than five years.
However, in the next 18 months, asNepal rebuilds its damaged structures andsociety, it will also be writing theconstitution of the new republic with afederal structure. To avoid making themistakes we made about local governmentafter 1990, it is important that thosewriting the constitution do not forget thepower of the people and learn from goodpractices—such as those in Japan and ourown past successes. �
We can learn from the Japanese about successful local government
Made in Japan
KIRAN PANDAY
314 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #425
L E T T E R S
LETTERS
Nepali Times welcomes feedback. Letters should bebrief and may be edited for space. While pseudonymscan be accepted, writers who provide their real namesand contact details will be given preference. Emailletters should be in text format without attachmentswith ëletter to the editorí in the subject line.
Email: letters(at)nepalitimes.comFax: 977-1-5521013Mail: Letters, Nepali Times,GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal.
TIMBER
The report ëTimber to Tibetí (#424) made sadreading. How the local authorities are turning ablind eye to such destruction of forests andillegal cross-border trade in timber is notunderstood. They have to wake up and stop suchblatant misuse of natural resources which arecommunity property. The government has toensure adequate supply of food, fuel and otheressential items to the people ofthe remote district so that theydo not have to cut the valuableforests to get a pittance inreturn. In fact, planting treesand hence renewal of forestsshould be encouraged by freeor subsidised supply ofseedlings.
D B N Murthy, Peace Lane,Sanepa
REMITTANCE ECONOMY
I would like to commendMr Ganesh Gurung for hisinsightful comment in favour ofopening up the migrant workermarket for women (ëAt what cost the remittanceeconomy?í, #423). It doesnít make sense to banwomen from working in the Gulf since they aresmuggled there anyway by unscrupulousmanpower agencies. As Mr Gurung argues, thismakes them more vulnerable to exploitation.What should be done is to learn from theexperience of Sri Lanka and the Philippines sothat labour rights of the women are safeguarded,and embassies should be set up in countrieswhich have a high proportion of Nepali womenworking.
P Kumar, Kathmandu
� Your special coverage of the plight of Nepaliworkers abroad, especially women, should beread by every official at the Department of
Labour and in the recruiting agencies so action istaken to protect Nepalis from exploitation andcheating by fellow-Nepalis. It is a shame that thevery people we rely on to prop up our economyare so shabbily treated. While Dewan Raiexposes abuse, Ganesh Gurung says womenshould be allowed to go abroad to work. Unlesssafeguards are in place, it would be criminal toallow Nepali women to be sent to places like
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia wherethey will face abuse.
Renu Sah, email
BACKSIDE
Many people, including myself,read your paper from thebackside. I have been followingthe exploits of your asininecolumnist for more than a yearand must say that ëAss for saleí(#423) really took the cake. Notto spoil the fun, but for the sakeof us expats in Kathmanduwould the Ass give us hintsabout who the following are:Cloudy, Doc, Laldhoj,
Bhayankar, Bhayanak, Yummy and all thoseacronyms like WB/IMF DSA? Thanks.
Sara C, email
4 14 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #425NATION
hen Sonam Wangchukfirst came to thiswestern Tarai district
to look at schools last winter, hewas surprised to see theclassrooms half empty.
When he entered the schools,it was clear why: the rooms werejust too cold. He was determinedto do something about it.
Wangchuk is from Ladakh andhas been working to improve thecurriculum and classroominfrastructure in the harsh climateof the trans-Himalayan region ofIndia where the temperature inwinter often drops to 10 degreesbelow zero. But the classroomsstay a toasty 17 degrees in thedaytime.
“The problem in the NepalTarai is a bit different,” Wangchuksays. “You have a temperaturevariation of 44 degrees in summer
Better climate for education
New school design could
revolutionise classrooms
KUNDA DIXIT in BARDIYA “This building shows that ifwe work together we can do it,”says Hasina Banu Sheikh of thegroup BASE which supported theconstruction. Banu says thegovernment should use designsspecific to theTarai andmountains in the 15,000 newclassrooms it wants to build inthe next five years under an ADB/World Bank-funded program.
The Maoist-led governmentwants to achieve 100 per centliteracy in the next two years, forwhich it needs classrooms for7.8 million children. Many areskeptical that this can be done,but Mahasharan Sharma, Directorat the Department of Educationsays it can. “The money has beenset aside for 9,000 classrooms thisyear alone, and if we launch thison a war-footing it is possible,”he told Nepali Times.
The prototype school inBardiya was built in 20 days and
was inaugurated this week byDanish Ambassador FinnThilsted. The building is part of aprogram to improve the quality ofeducation for the children of ex-Kamaiyas as well as to upgradeclassrooms in schools in thedistrict.
The Education for Freedomcampaign is supported by theDanish group, MS, with its localpartner, BASE. It is partly fundedby high school children inDenmark who set aside a singleday’s earning every November andhave so far collected more thanRs85 million.
The Janatanagar school wasbuilt using earth blocks made of94 per cent mud and 6 per centcement compressed with a manualcompactor. Wangchuk conductedworkshops for Department ofEducation engineers on theprocess, but says many peoplehave a mental block against mud
and nearly zero in winter. Thisposes a much bigger challenge.”
As an engineer, Wangchukcame up with a new design thatoriented the classroom to face thesun in winter, and with awningsthat shade the windows insummer. The walls are made ofcompressed mud blocks that retainheat and insulate the rooms.
“Design, orientation andconstruction materials make a lotof difference,” says Wangchuk.Three more two-room school-buildings with this design arebeing built in Bardiya.
The advantages of the newdesign are: the building is ready inless than three weeks; the roomsare climate responsive; theclassroom is earthquake safe; themud blocks have good insulatingproperties; local materials andlabour are used; and theconstruction process empowers thecommunity.
Mud saves time and moneys concrete and glass become thesymbols of progress, proponents ofadobe and mud architecture are
fighting a losing battle.However, research in mud technology
has shown that sun-baked adobe bricks canbe superior to kiln bricks both in strengthand insulation properties. Our ancestorsunderstood this and used mud, which is whyold buildings are cool in summer and warmin winter. In stark contrast, concrete andcement structures have poor thermalqualities, making their interiors baking hotin summer and bitterly cold in winter.
Research at the Auroville Earth Institutein India has proved that the bias againstmud will need to change if society wants tograduate to energy-efficient, appropriatebuilding practices.
The technology used to build theBardiya school used CompressedStabilised Earth Blocks (CSEB). Mud ismixed with cement in a ratio of 96:4 andcompressed with 15 tons of pressure with amanual compactor (see picture). Theresulting bricks are even stronger than kiln-baked bricks.
In addition, they use much less energyand the kiln chimneys do not pollute theenvironment. The mud blocks emit eighttimes less carbon dioxide into theatmosphere than kiln-baked bricks andeach school building saves 15 tons offirewood.
The lightness of the blocks alsomakes the buildings earthquake safe andthe walls are reinforced with sixhorizontal RCC ties and a vertical tieevery 1.5 metres.
Mud has its down sides: it takestraining to use properly, needsmaintenance and is generally notwaterproof or insect proof. However, mostof these disadvantages can be addressedwith CSEBs which use six per centcement to stabilise the mud. Thecompression technique makes strong,durable blocks as strong as baked bricks.
The technology could be easily usedto mass produce cheaper andenvironment-friendly bricks even for theKathmandu Valley. For aesthetes, thebricks could easily be dyed red to makethem look like kiln-baked bricks.
INSTANT CLASSROOMS: Thisschool building with two classroomswas completed in 20 days using thenew earth design perfected byLadakh-based engineer, SonamWangchuk (above).
HOSTE HAINSE: Villagers in Janatanagar use a manual compressor that delivers15 tons of pressure needed to forge stabilised earth blocks for the construction ofthe school.
W
architecture.He says: “They think it is for
poor people, but this technologyis appropriate not just forschools but also for residentialbuildings.” �
A
514 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #425BUSINESS
I
magine no school and noexams either. Imagine thegovernment gives you a
degree anyway.Last week, Minister of Finance
Baburam Bhattarai, PhD, said thegovernment was preparing tohand out academic certificates tothose who could not pursueformal education due to theirinvolvement in the 10-year-longpeople’s war—a war that left morethan 13,000 Nepalis dead andthousands more injured anddisplaced.
Bhattarai further stated thatthose without academiccredentials would also receive thecertificates. Why? Apparentlybecause they possess sufficientskillls and knowledge but couldnot go to school because offinancial or other problems.
Put another way, when thisdegree-for-experience (D4E) planis carried out, the path to earninga degree will not be the old-fashioned way of studying hardto fulfill the requirements, but ofhaving a political leader vouchthat you were in the jungles ofRolpa toting a gun at a time whenyou should have been at school inTulsipur.
Assuming that the D4E is not
STRICTLY BUSINESSAshutosh Tiwari
a new rung placed on the careerladder of ambitious youngMaoists, it is destined to be acorruption-ridden plan. It won’thelp anyone in the job market.And there is a better way to teachthe former rebels how to fish forthemselves.
Corrupt process: Supposethe plan goes forward. How willthe government verify the factsconcerning a D4E aspirant? Willit ask for letters of verificationfrom senior political leaders whowere also engaged in the war?
And this act of providingcertification letters will expandthe discretionary decision-making power of seniorpoliticians, some of whom arelikely to use their new-foundauthority to please not Mao butMammon by selling favours onthe side.
Failed the SLC five times? Noproblem. Pay a senior politicianto vouch that because you spentyour teenage years hidingpamphlets in Kirtipur, you arenow eligible for something akinto a Bachelor of People’s War(BPW) degree.
Confused signals: Showna BPW certificate, how is the jobmarket to evaluate its worth?Since full-time jobs that payregular salaries do not requireemployees to engage in even minipeople’s wars in the workplace,how relevant will the experience
‘recognised’ by the certificate be toobtain a job?
Or is Bhattarai giving outcertificates now to mollifydisgruntled cadres and putpressure on the private and thestate sectors later to accept theBPWs as new hires?
If so, when those withdubious degrees are seen to bepaid salaries, others with genuinedegrees will have little incentiveto work in Nepal. The counterfeitin effect drives out the genuine.
Concrete action: In hisbudget speech, Bhattaraiannounced that the next year willbe the Year of Construction, while2011 will be the Year of Tourism.These sectors require skilledworkers. Why not find money topay for short-term, skill-basedtraining programs that help formerrebels master skills that they cansell to the construction andtourism markets? The sooner theformer rebels acquire skills to earntheir own money in and out ofNepal, the less of a burden theywill be on the government.
Many Nepalis gave up theirstudent years to take part in thewar. In these relatively peacefultimes, we must find ways toeconomically rehabilitate thoseNepalis. But the way to do that isnot by ‘recognising’ the ex-rebelsas, say, fishermen, when in realitythey do not know what a fishis—much less how to catch one. �
Bhattarai’s D4E plan
will doom this countryImagine
BACHELORS OF WAR?Guerrillas at a camp in Chitwan will
be entitled to university degreesunder the finance minister's plan.
SAM KANG LI
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
New Standard
Standard Chartered Bank Nepalinaugurated its new branch atAdarshanagar, Birganj. The branch will offer a full range ofpersonal and business banking services. Standard Charterednow has 16 branches in Nepal.
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Money machine
Bank of Kathmandu has installed anew ATM at Chabahil, Chuchepati.The bank now has 14 ATMs.
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Smooth talkers
The two winners of the HorlicksWizTeam 2008 Nepal left forBangalore to participate in theìHorlicks WizTeam South AsianFinals 2008î. The winner of thecompetition will represent SouthAsia at a conference in Britain.
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Cold touch
Dabur Nepal has launched a new range ofskincare products under its Gulabari brandname. The new range includes moisturising coldcream, moisturising lotion and premium facefreshener.
6 14 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #425FROM THE NEPALI PRESS
Yubraj Ghimire in Samaya,November 7-13
Recently the cabinet issued aseven-point directive regardingcivil servants, especially abouttheir meetings and interactionswith foreigners. The directive,issued at the initiation of ForeignMinister Upendra Yadav, indirectlyrequests foreign diplomats inNepal to respect diplomatic ethicsand norms while meetingpoliticians, ministers orgovernment employees.
Minister Yadav must have hisreasons but it would be foolish toexpect a substantial result byimplementing such a code ofconduct only at the civil servants’level and not at the political level.Nepal’s ministers have a history ofrushing abroad at the drop of a hat,often jeopardising nationalprestige. Neither the governmentnor the ministers make any effortto formally notify the public oftheir junkets. This slapdash
Saraswati Karki in Kantipur, 12 November
Santi Devi Rajbhangsi, a Maoist CA member, didn’t even know howto dial a number on her mobile, but now she uses it a lot. “Now I canmake my own calls. When we don’t have meetings, I call my friendsup for a chat,” says Rajbhangsi.
Her ‘chats’ are at times complaints about not being able to learnEnglish because she is illiterate: “I can speak everything but can’twrite. Right now I have learnt to write my name in Nepali.”
Other female CA members like Rajbhangsi are trying to adjust tothe city life by training to use a computer and ride a scooter, andlearning English. There are 197 women in the CA from 19 parties.
CA member Asha Kumari Sardar of the MJF feels that to adapt tocity life it is necessary to learn all three—computer, scooter andEnglish. At present she is learning English and how to usecomputers, but is determined to learn all three by the end of theyear.
An NGO is aiding 19 other women like her to learn English andcomputer skills. Jubba Suren of the Santhal ethnic group gives ahigh priority to learning English. Every morning she spends an hourin a language class.
“I can’t understand when the other CA members speak inEnglish during our meetings,” says Suren, who is educated up tograde six. “That is why I feel it is extremely important to learn thelanguage.” She is also planning to buy a scooter because she has toattend a number of programs.
NC’s Kabita Sardar, who used to be a teacher, says: “While I wasin the village, I thought I knew something. But I’ve realised nowthat there is a lot more to learn.”
Interview with Govinda Raj Joshi (NC),Nepal, 16 November
Why is the NC resentful towardsUNMIN?Govinda Raj Joshi: Webelieved that UNMIN wouldplay an important role inbringing the peace process to afair conclusion and having anindependent election.However UNMIN has failed inboth these tasks.
What wrongs didUNMIN commit duringthe elections?They made the people goagainst the candidates ofother parties who were beingtargeted by the Maoists. Thenthey didn’t go to all theconstituencies. Shouldn’tthey have monitored all theplaces?
Can you give us anyexamples?They used to attend mypublic meeting all day long and instigatedpeople to go against me. They even said that theywould cancel my candidacy.
Why do you think UNMIN did this?The main chief of UNMIN, Ian Martin, seems to
Dhristi, 11 November
Bara— A warehouse near the Nepal National Secondary School inAmlekhganj is packed with toxic chemicals causing serious healthproblems for the students. The smell of the chemicals that areleaking from their containers is overpowering, and the studentsare having dizzy spells and even vomiting. Besides the students,residents of nearby houses are also affected. The warehouse storespesticides and agrochemicals that were imported 32 years ago,found to be hazardous and put into storage before being destroyed.There are 140 tons of toxic chemicals like organophosphates andmercury-based chemicals, DDT and other carcinogenic chemicalshere. Both the school and the residents have requested thegovernment on numerous occasions to remove this toxic store andrelocate it. Students even blocked the Tribhuvan Highway twice topress their demand. VDC chairman Bharat Ghale says locals havegiven up hope that the government will do anything.
“Ian Martin is a
communist”
be a leftist. Being a communist himself, he forgothe worked for the UN, set out to help thecommunists, and helped the Maoists in everyway he could. Plus, he doesn’t seem to be able totolerate the NC. Martin acted unethically. The
election for the constituentassembly was notconducted fairly.
And NC found outabout this only now?We knew about this before,but our party as a wholejust found out now.
So you must be bedispleased aboutUNMIN’s term beingextended.We are. This is about ethics.Girijababu even told the UNsecretary-general thatUNMIN did not behavecorrectly. Yet thegovernment is getting readyto ask UNMIN to extend itsterm again.
But the governmentprobably needs UNMIN.It’s the Maoists who need UNMIN, not thegovernment. UNMIN provides the legality thatthe Maoists need to be in government. That’s whyeven if the government asks UNMIN to stay on,the NC will not accept it.
Learning fast
Toxic school
Direct the undirected
attitude of the governmentmakes us question their so-called commitment to the rightto information.
How effective can such adirective be when the ministersthemselves act irresponsiblywith regard to foreign visits anddon’t even care to inform thestate? The most recent incidentwas that of Information MinisterKrishna Bahadur Mahara andDefence Minister Ram BahadurThapa conveniently cruisinginto Tibet in a government SUVescorted by a car from the
Chinese embassy. Along withthem were Maoist leaders NetraBikram Chand and JayapuriGharti.
This isn’t the first time thatsuch an embarrassing incidenthas occurred. It used to happenall the time during the tenure ofGirija Prasad Koirala. KrishnaPrasad Sitaula, who was thenhome minister, made severalsecretive trips to Jharkhand tomeet a ‘guru’— an easy excuse.
Under these conditions, howmeaningful will Yadav’sdirective be?
SELECTED MATERIAL TRANSLATED EVERY WEEK FROM THE NEPALI PRESS
KIRAN PANDAY
MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA
MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA
714 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #425
CONSTITUTION 2010
Himal: What is a federalsystem?Krishna Khanal: Federalism isa system of government in whichthe power to govern isconstitutionally divided betweena central governing authority andconstituent political units. Theseunits are called states orprovinces, but I prefer to callthem provinces as this term isfrequently used in the Nepalicontext.
Each province has its ownorgans—legislative, executive and
Why do we need federalism?Federalism is required in ourcountry due to the structure ofsociety. The previous systemcould not address the ethnic,lingual and cultural diversity ofour society. People’s aspirationsgradually started rising and therewas no other way to address them.Federalism is a means to addressall sorts of aspirations.
Is federalism the only way toaddress ethnic, lingual andcultural diversity?Federalism recognises individualidentity. But this identity is notnecessarily ethnic or linguistic.Switzerland is a small country butthere is ethnic and linguisitcdiversity which is addressedthrough a federal system. India is abig country with wide diversity.Therefore, it adopted federalism.
Are there other reasons forNepal to become a federalstate?It is also necessary for thecountry’s development.Decentralisation could not bringdevelopment. Thoserepresentatives elected from thevillages settle in Kathmandu andlive a life of luxury.Decentralisation cannot bemeaningful as long as theleadership is centralised.Therefore, federalism is necessaryto expedite development activitiesand ensure the participation ofthe people.
The development andutilisation of existing naturalresources is not possible in aunitary state. Take Karnali forinstance—rich in natural resourcesbut reliant on food sent fromKathmandu. In a federal structure,there will be internal competitionwithin the provinces. Someprovinces have potential fortourism and others for waterresources. It is federalism whichopens avenues for competition.
There are 101 ethnic groupsin Nepal. Should we have asmany provinces?This is not logical. It is theargument of those againstfederalism. It is not possible togive each ethnic group a state orprovince. We can create provincesin a manner to include majorethnic groups.
Then what do we do with thesmaller groups?We always have alternatives. Forthem, we can create ‘cultural
Rationale for federalism
Aasha Kumari Sardar (MJF)
Himal: Aren’t we getting late to write theconstitution?Shardar: We have promised people a new Nepalthrough writing a newconstitution. Six months havealready passed but the process ofwriting the constitution has noteven started. It’s a shame. We cannot show our face to them.
What is delaying theprocess?Political parties, be it coalitionpartners-including mine-oropposition, are not at all seriousabout writing the newconstitution. People elected themto write a new constitution butthey are engaged in a power play.
The process of writing the CA rules ofprocedure is said to be delayed by smallparties raising the issue of the whipsystem?It’s true that the process of writing theconstitution was delayed by the absence of CAregulations. At the same time, it is theresponsibility of the CA to decide on the state
“It’s a shame”
Many Nepalis, even CA members
and political leaders, do not fully
understand the concept of
federalism. Himal Khabarpatrika
talked to Krishna Khanal, political
science professor at Tribhuvan
University, about how federalism
might work in Nepal.
structure. Therefore, parties should not guide themembers but instead allow them the vote usingtheir conscience. Take as an example: if the draftconstitution overlooks women’s rights, we wouldnever obey the party whip.
Do you believe theconstitution will be writtenwithin the stipulated time?It is not possible at this pace.There is a possibility that the newconstitution would never bewritten in this way. Everyonewants power, not a newconstitution.
What in your view should bethe priorities of the newconstitution?Women account for 51 per cent ofthe total population but they are
given only 33 per cent of the seats in the CA. Thestate should ensure 51 per cent participation inall levels of the state and half of this should beallocated for Madhesi women. Then, within thewomen there are elite women, Madhesi women,Janajati women and Dalit women. The stateshould identify their different problems. LikePahadi women get leave on Tij, Madhesi womenshould get leave on Jitiya.
KIRAN PANDAY
CORRECTION: The interview in this space (For equity, #424)was with Sita Gurung (NC)
judiciary. These provinces canfunction independently and arealso autonomous. They don’thave to wait for the centralgovernment to pass acts andregulations. In short, there are twogovernments—central andprovincial—under a federalsystem.
Can you clarify thedifferences betweendecentralisation andfederalism?They might sound similar to
most people, which is naturalbecause discussions have not yetstarted in this regard. But theyare completely different inphilosophy and concept.Federalism delegates power tothe people of a province,whereas the central governmentgets power from the people. In away, the federal set-up isbottom-up approach, which isquite the opposite ofdecentralisation where power isdelegated from the centre to theperiphery.
councils’ within a province,which is widely practised incountries that have adoptedfederalism. Some even talk aboutsub-provinces. But it isimpractical to create anautonomous sub-province foreach ethnic group.
Decentralisation to someextent can address this issue atVDC level. Nepal cannot sustaintoo many provinces.
Doesn’t the breakup ofYugoslavia show thatfederalism is not always theanswer?The federal system of Yugoslaviawas not based on democraticnorms, values and systems but ona communist system andprinciples. It was the same case inthe Soviet Union. The party wasrun centrally while the state wasfederal. These are examples ofhow a politburo-controlledfederalism fails. Democracy is thefirst condition in federalism.
Is federalism not necessaryin relatively homogeneouscountries like China?In principle, China is runningunder a unitary system, not afederal one. By the time HongKong was returned, it adopted a‘one country, two systems’ policy.Now we can say it has adopted a‘one country, three systems’policy as there are separatepolicies for Hong Kong, Macauand mainland China. There areautonomous regions forminorities within mainlandChina, for instance in Tibet andinner Mongolia.
Most countries becomerepublics either afterindependence fromcolonialism or after winninga war. Are there countrieswhere federalism wasdiscussed as we are doingnow?Federal states have beenestablished in two ways:sovereign states which had tounite for some reason, forexample the USA, where therewere 13 separate states underBritish colonial rule.
The previously unitary stateof Belgium went federal in 1993.Voices were raised over ethnic,lingual and cultural issues in1970, which continued to escalateand there was fear of the countrybreaking up in 1980. They createda new constitution in 1993 with afederal republic.
SANTA GAHA MAGAR
8 NATION
ollowing war in 1814-16with the East IndiaCompany, concluded by the
Treaty of Sugauli, Nepal wasobliged to accept a BritishResident at Kathmandu.
Edward Gardner presentedhis credentials to King GirvanYudhha at the royal palace ofNuwakot in 1816 and theResidency was established onland gifted by the king—butbelieved locally to be 'ill-omened'.
The 50-acre site in Lainchaur(named from the English 'lines',the usual name for Britishenclaves throughout India),included a church, a greenhouse,a miniature zoo and a birdsanctuary. But the 1934earthquake caused severe damageto the residence, which waseventually demolished in late1940. Work began the followingyear on a new building.
The Maharaja of Nepal laidthe foundation stone on 1 May1941, but a confidential despatchsent to London in February 1942noted that construction work hadbeen “sorely retarded owing to
the difficulty of getting thematerial of the required standardthrough the NepaleseGovernment”.
Eventually His BritannicMajesty’s Minister, Lt ColGeoffrey Betham, moved in withhis wife, reporting in a secretdespatch: “It is a magnificenttwo-storied building constructedon the most up to dateearthquake-proof plan and isfitted with electricity andmodern sanitation.”
But within six years, thebuilding’s shortcomings hadbecome apparent, with a Britishgovernment official complainingthat the house was “built in theNew Delhi style which isunsuitable to the climatic andgeneral conditions inKathmandu”.
The embassy site had passedin 1858 from the East IndiaCompany to the government ofBritish India, but with theindependence of Pakistan andIndia in August 1947, propertiesformerly belonging to BritishIndia were apportioned betweenthe new successor states.
India, as the only one of themrepresented in Nepal, appeared to
have a reasonable claim toassume title over the old Britishembassy, but when negotiationsbecame deadlocked over thedesire of both India and Pakistanto acquire the Kabul embassy,India opened an embassy in1948 at the small palace of ShitalNiwas, further north onMaharajganj (today the officialresidence of Nepal’s president).
The Maharaja offered Britaina new embassy site adjoining theold. Rough plans were drawn up,but a political crisis intervened,with the departure of KingTribhuvan and most of hisfamily to India.
Tribhuvan returned toKathmandu to assume fullpower on 18 February 1951,promising his people ademocratic constitution framedby an elected ConstituentAssembly (a promise finallydelivered 57 years later, when anelected Constituent Assemblyratified the abolition of themonarchy in May 2008).Inevitably, amid such turmoil,plans to relocate the Britishembassy were not a high priority.
Finally, in December 1951,the British Foreign Office
Minister, Herbert Morrison, wroteto the Indian and Pakistaniprime ministers proposing torelinquish the Kathmanduembassy to India (while theKabul property eventually didpass to Pakistan).
Negotiations between theNepali government and the newBritish Ambassador, SirChristopher Summerhayes, soon
faced further problems. TheBritish wished to movetemporarily into Shital Niwas,effectively swapping with theIndian embassy, while theyconstructed their new embassy.Prime Minister M P Koirala wasevasive, perhaps because hewanted Shital Niwas for hisown use.
Koirala instead proposed that
BEFORE AND AFTER: The old residence (below) in 1918 before it wasdestroyed in the 1934 earthquake and the present residence of the Britishambassador.
The resident’s reside
ANDREW HALL
The saga of the British embassy in
Kathmandu reflected regional geopolitics
F
914 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #425
The new British embassy wasto be smaller than itspredecessor. A Foreign Officereport of 1948 called for anew residence “not ofgrandiose design, butsufficient to be representativeand not to look too modest incomparison with the IndianEmbassy, which will be nextdoor”.
The proposedconstruction cost was£66,000, but the initial planswere soon scaled down,presumably due to lack offunds. Now Summerhayescame up with a much cheaperoption: to adapt and refurbishthe buildings already there.He envisaged the ambassadoroccupying Forest House,which had been occupied byEvelyn Smythies, the ChiefForest Adviser to Nepal in the1940s.
When Smythies left in1947, the house reverted tothe Government of Nepal, andby 1952 was occupied byKoirala. During 'a mildrebellion' on the night of 22/23 January 1952, 'the ForestHouse with comparativelylow walls round it was easilysurrounded by the insurgentsand the Prime Minister waslucky to escape',Summerhayes reported.Koirala immediately movedto a better protected houseand the site was vacated forBritish use later that year.
In February 1953 theBritish Minister of Works andKhadgaman Singh Basnyat,Counsellor for ForeignAffairs, signed a saleagreement. The UK agreed topay £11,256 7s 6d. Thefollowing month,Summerhayes handed overthe old embassy to India.
“It is hoped that this wasdone without significant lossof prestige and the move inany case took place in afriendly atmosphere after theprevious wrangles,”Summerhayes reported toBritish Foreign Secretary SirAnthony Eden. The Indianchargé d’affaires wrote to“convey deep appreciationand thanks for the handingover of both the Embassyhouse and furnishings in itin such good condition”.
Today uncertainty hangsover the future of ForestHouse. Structural surveysindicate that the buildingwould perform extremelypoorly in the event of anothergreat earthquake, such as thatof 1934. Furtherinvestigations continue to seeif the building can bestrengthened to meet acceptedseismic standards. �
Andrew Hall is currentlyBritish ambassador inKathmandu. The viewsexpressed here are his own.
the British move temporarily toBahadur Bhaban, a large palace offKantipath (now housing theElection Commission).Summerhayes was not keen andtried to enlist the king’s support,but to no avail, and the Britishfinally decided simply torenovate the buildings alreadyavailable on the new site.
More troublesome was thequestion of Plot 4, a spur of landattached to the old embassy sitewhich projected southwards intothe new site. Its particularimportance to the British, giventheir need for accommodation,was that it was already the site ofthe Second Secretary’s bungalow.
India proved reluctant to partwith Plot 4: Summerhayes andhis Indian counterpart Sir C P NSingh exchanged numerouspolite but rather chilly letters.The Indian, not surprisingly, wasimpatient to take possession ofthe embassy to which hisgovernment was indisputablyentitled but Summerhayes,backed by instructions fromLondon, would not budge untilthe British had possession ofPlot 4. The issue was finallyresolved in 1952. �
ence
Forest
House
10 WORLD 14 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #425
tís hard to explain to our children what the Obama win means tothose of us born of an earlier generation. For many of us, the2008 election is the completion of the fatally truncated election
of 1968óthe year of our earliest political education and, tragically,our loss of innocence in the American political process.
I was all of 14 in June 1968, yet full of the enthusiasm thatyouthful ambition can bring to its inchoate hopes and dreams.Already it had been a momentous, agonised and decisive year.
From LBJís near-defeat in New Hampshire to Bobby Kennedyísannouncement he would run for the Democratic nomination against
Gene McCarthy, through thebrutal murder of Martin LutherKing in Memphis, 1968 hadalready been a year of profoundanger and agony in Americanpolitics.
Then, in June, as I slept, with a small black and white tv at thefoot of my bed, I woke with a sense of disbelief and confusion afterIíd fallen asleep waiting for the results of the Democratic primary inCalifornia.
Although RFK had won Indiana, Gene McCarthy had then won inOregon and all knew the winner of the winner-takes-all Californiaprimary (so different from this yearís Democratic primary rules)would be the 1968 Democratic Party nominee. That victor would thenmost likely win this turbulent election to hopefully lead the countryout of its devastating war in Vietnam and towards the fulfillment of acivil rights movement that had sputtered then burned on the streetsof Watts, Washington and Detroit after Kingís assassination thatspring.
As I awoke staring at the tv, I realized that something had goneterribly, terribly wrong at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles afterBobby Kennedyís victory speech. There were people weeping,crying and screaming on the screen. As I ran upstairs to my parents'
room and opened the door, one ofthem said, softly, painfully: ìSenator
Kennedy has been shot.î40 years later, that scene still
fills me with sorrow. The scars ofthat election, sundered by
assassination andparoxysms of streetviolence, still
wound. The end resultled to seven more years
of war by a presidency thatended in the resignation of both
the vice-president and thepresident, for corruption
and abuse of authorityrespectively.
We had reached the nadir of American politics in our lifetime.Now, 40 years later, Martin Luther King and Robert F Kennedy maybe looking down with pride on their beloved America.
This week, with the election of Barack Obama, a black and whiteman, a dignified, eloquent and compassionate man with a wise wifeand lovely daughters who represent the best that America can offer,the ghosts of 1968 may at last be laid to rest.
The incomplete campaign of 1968 that meant so much to ateenage American has taken a generation to fulfill its natural goal, anarc of accomplishment, an epiphany of sorts.
Through this election, we can once again believe that the UnitedStates of America is a better country than we sometimes imagine,and still hope she offers an unfulfilled promise for peopleeverywhere in this diverse, interconnected world.
For no matter how Obama governs in the coming years (and Ibelieve it will be for the best), a long shadow of hate, discriminationand intolerance is being put to rest.
Now, when our children read of racism in To Kill A Mockingbirdor hear the idealism in Martin Luther Kingís ìI Have A Dreamîspeech, they will know that, although it took the framework of an 18th
century constitution, a cruel 19th century civil war and long decadesof 20th century suffering, the fulfilment of that noble, democraticenterpriseóthat all men and women are created equalóhas comecloser in the 21st centuryís first decade.
A year ago, when my family sat in Kathmandu watching Bobby,the exquisite, Altman-esque film about RFKís assassination, I wassurprised to hear my son, Ezra, say afterwards: ìThat movie mademe proud to be an American!î
Although a film about a deadly political assassination, Iunderstood Ezra was speaking of the individual lives who found apurpose through Kennedyís inspiration and motivation. That RFKísmessage touched so many people at that time gave Ezra hope and,possibly, a greater determination to do something meaningful withhis own young life as well.
Maybe, 40 years later, Barack Obama has offered our wholenation, indeed people around the world, this renewed opportunityas well. �
he world’s biggestdevelopment andhumanitarian groups are
laying off staff or revisingprograms for 2009 as theirincome streams flatten becauseof the global financial crisis.
Fundraising experts of threeof the world’s top charities—Oxfam GB, Save the Children UKand World Vision USA—saidtheir programs will be scaledback next year.
“The growth we had assumedwhen putting plans together ayear ago is not materialising,”said John Shaw of Oxfam GB.Oxfam had envisaged five to sixper cent growth over 2009-10,but has now revised this to zero.
Some of the biggestreductions are coming fromcorporate donors in the financialsector. “Growth fromcorporations won’t be as muchso we won’t be scaling up ourprograms as we’d want to do,”said Robert Zachritz of WorldVision in Washington, DC. Thethree agencies have an annualincome of $1.8 billion.
Aid groups say they aredoing all they can to prevent thecuts from affecting beneficiaries.“We are trying to cut back onsupport, rather than programcosts,” Oxfam’s Shaw said,estimating cutbacks of up to 15per cent of staff at headquartersand regional centres to createmore cost-effective operations.
While all agreed new moneycould be found should a crisisbreak out in the upcomingmonths, some worry that
The Obama
inheritance
The 2008 US election is the
completion of the fatally
truncated election of 1968
I
COMMENTKeith Leslie
neglected, chronic crises, suchas that in southern Sudan, maysuffer. World Vision fears thatrecipients of microcreditprograms, such as poor farmerswho receive loans to buy tools,seeds and fertilisers, could beparticularly hard hit. WorldVision is the world’s biggestinternational humanitariancharity, with $2.4 billion inannual funds across all itsbranches.
About 30 per cent of WorldVision USA’s funding comesfrom the US government,30 per cent from foundations,and 40 per cent from individualsupporters and corporations.
Agencies are trying toinnovate their way out of thefinancial squeeze. Some likeOxfam aim to increase fundingfrom institutional donorswhich they see as being steadierin the long term. Save theChildren is trying to carve outmore funds from wealthyindividuals.
While corporate funding isdropping off, lay-offs providean opportunity for redundantstaff from the corporate sector tovolunteer for charities, puttingtheir skills to good use. Manyhumanitarian and developmentNGOs are revising theirfundraising plans.
There are some encouragingsigns amid the uncertainty. Majorinstitutional donors such asUSAID and Britain's DFID aretaking a long-term view and notpulling back.
US government funding isgoing to stay at the same level as2008 according to World Vision’sZachritz, partly because thefunding cycle runs from October2008 to the end of September 2009,and it being an election year,Congress has passed a continuingresolution keeping US governmentfunding steady.
But it is too early to say if thisstrategy will endure. According toShaw: “At the end of the day,
government funding is down togovernments balancing their books,and politics comes into it so it istoo early to tell, but thecommitments made so far areencouraging.”
Zachritz said World Vision islargely protected from corporatecuts because the bulk of the NGO’scorporate donations are ‘gifts-in-kind’, in other words, medicine,building supplies and clothing,rather than money.
But while financial expertshave not yet seen substantialreductions in individual giving,they anticipate potential dips asthey approach the holidayfundraising season. � IRIN
Downsizing
development
T
The global recession has
hit the aid community
MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA
1114 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #425SPORTS
herpas are knownworldwide for theirmountaineering skills, but
now one of their number, KarmaTsering Sherpa, is carving out adifferent path to lead hiscommunity to the top of theNepali soccer league.
He set up the HimalayanSherpa Club as a ‘C’ Divisionteam of rookies three years ago,and promptly won the divisiontitle in the club's first season togain immediate promotion tothe ‘B’ Division. Here they againwon several tournaments, andfinished second—a performancewhich has earned them furtherpromotion to the Martyrs’Memorial ‘A’ Division for nextseason.
“Next year the league will bea test for us—but we areoptimistic,” Karma says. Butthere is more than just the
Swapping crampons for studsDEWAN RAI
S
competition from other soccerteams for the HSC to overcomeif they are to top the league.
For the past two years, asquabble between the All NepalFootball Association and theNational Sports Council hasleft the ‘A’ Division teamswithout a competition as bothbodies tried to run the league.
However, Karma isoptimistic that the argumentswill be resolved by the start ofnext season, which wouldallow the teams to battle it outonce more for the top divisiontitle. “It doesn’t make anydifference whether ANFA or theNSC organise the league, but itshould be held,” he says. “We
are depriving players of theirright to play.”
Karma has been into sportssince childhood. He learntmartial arts at school, andwhile at college establishedthe Kamal Pokhari SportsClub. Now he is vice presidentof ANFA. He was also involvedin student politics as a central
committee member of theNepal Student Union and latera member of Tarun Dal. “I amnot active these days but Ihave not given up yet,” hesays.
His football club haselected him president for afour-year term, and he hopesin that time to make HSC the
best team in Nepal. His aim isalso to develop the club’sfootball ground andsupporters’ network. “Wecannot run a club ondonations and aid from well-wishers all the time,” he says.
Sherpas from across theworld support the club, andits success on the pitch hasattracted growing numbers ofsupporters from outside theSherpa community. The clubhas provided scholarships for12 college students and twoschool pupils at TrungramInternational Academy.
“Our players are from allethnicities,” Karma says. “Itwould be better if we coulddiscover a few more Sherpaplayers.” Karma says he set upthe club to prove that Sherpasare also good in management:“Though our old identity isnot bad, we need to look fornew identities.” �
Football team seeks to
prove that Sherpas can do
more than climb mountains
MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA
12 14 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #425SHOWS
Quick on the Editorial cartoonists from across
the region gather in Kathmandu
CRITICAL CINEMAA Angelo DíSilva
A more sombre, tortured Bond
is no longer playing for laughs
Seriously
wicked
ranscending language, editorialcartoons are able to convey hard-hitting, poignant socio-political
messages, often through laugh-out-loudhumour. Not only do cartoons humblepompous politicians, they also play acrucial¯often unnoticed¯role in nurturing thepublic space for social and political dissentand commentary.
To salute this under-appreciated genre,Himal Southasian is organising the region’sfirst cartoon congress, a gathering of 36editorial cartoonists from Bangladesh, India,Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to discusscensorship, the challenges unique tocartooning in South Asia and of doing so inlocal languages, cartooning's status withinjournalism, and much more.
The three winning cartoons of theSouthasia Cartoon Competition on the theme‘Dramatic Divide: The distance between thepowerful and the powerless’ will also be ondisplay. (Winner :top and runner-ups:middle, bottom)The response to thecompetition, launched by Himal in June, wasoverwhelming, with 376 cartoons submittedfrom across South Asia, as well asneighbouring Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Chinaand the Philippines, and from as far afield asBrazil, the US and Russia.
The three-member jury of senior journalistsSadanand Menon, Madhuker Upadhyay andKunda Dixit, awarded the first prize to HusejinHanusic (‘Hule’), from Bosnia and Herzegovina.Tied for second place were Oktay Bingöl fromTurkey and Jamal Rahmati from Iran.
Subina and Nargis
T
Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond film, is DanielCraigís second round as Agent 007, a role which he hasinfused with much gravitas and sombreness. With Marc
Forster at the helm, that seriousness doesnít let up; if anything itis amplified. Like Christopher Nolanís reinvention of Batman inDark Knight, the trend seems to be grittierógrizzly, evenówithcharacters sacrificing their humanity for their quest, blurring theline between hero and monster.
Just as Nolan jettisoned the suave playboy for the obsessivedark knight, Forster hasopted for a humorless Bond.Quantum of Solace is aretooled Bond movie, itsconventions altered todepict a world of shifting
global politics that serves as a tableau for a crackling, violenttale of revenge and obsession.
Bringing in Dan Bradley from the latter Bourne films assecond unit director smartly updates the action, granting a morelethal kind of cinema than its predecessors. And Quantum ofSolace puts you straight into the thick of things, literally in mid-car chase, with harsh edits and tight camera work.
You have scarcely recovered from the adrenaline rush beforeBond is giving chase to a double agent who has taken a shot athis boss (Judi Dench as M) and is escaping through (and over)the streets of some picturesque Italian city. Itís breathless,frightening stuff. You can be pretty sure of the outcome, butsomehow the direction lends Bond, bounding along like a junglecat, a paradoxical vulnerability, as if he could be killed in the first20 minutes of the film.
Quantum of Solace could be described as an unrulyoutgrowth of its prequelóand not simply with the violence anoctave higher and Bond wound a turn tighter. Immediatelyfollowing the events of the previous movie, Quantum of Solace
(unfairly) depends onyour powers ofrecollection to makesense of some major plotlines. James is still rawfrom the death of VesperLynd, the previous Bondgirl, for whom he hadmomentarily hung up hiscufflinks and quit theagency; and revenge forher death is the uglyundercurrent runningbeneath his almostpsychotic pursuit of thesecretive cabal,
Quantum, that hadblackmailed her.
Yet theslickness and
glamouróstill a featurein Casino Royaleóareall but left behind here.This isnít a Bond whoseems at home in atuxedo.
In our modern, cynical age, the labyrinthine plotting andclandestine politicking of the global players seems perfectlyridiculous, yet somewhat plausible. Dominic Greene, the Bondvillain with the maniacal look (Mathieu Amalric has said he fusedthe smile of Tony Blair with the craziness of Nicolas Sarkozy),pretends to be an environmentalist CEO but orchestrates a coupin Bolivia for a former military dictator at the behest of Quantumand with the approval of CIA. It is an age of compromisedprinciples and unscrupulous pragmatism, which finds BondísBritain floundering amidst the sea change in global powerdynamics.
There will undoubtedly be complaints that Bond is no longerthe camp and amusing agent of old. Even the requisite Bond girl,the hard-edged Camille (played by the sultry Olga Kurylenko), nolonger plays the paramour, but is a confidante Bond can identifywith over their respective vendettas of revenge. Maybe DanielCraig's Bond will mellow after his grieving (the action disguiseshow much the character has evolved in the space of the past twofilms), but for now, and after a score of Bond films, thisambiguous yet earnest Bond is a perfect fit. �
Quantum of SolaceDirector: Marc ForsterCast: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, JudiDench2008. PG-13 106 mins.
HUSEJIN HANUSIC (HULE) (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA)
OKTAY BING÷L (TURKEY)
JAMAL RAHMATI (IRAN)
14 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #42513
SHOWS
draw
Toons in Trying Times:The Best of Nepali Satire14-22 NovemberYala Maya Kendra, Patan
Durga Baral (Batsayan), Abin Shrestha, Basu Kshitij, RabinSayami and Rajesh K C explore a wealth of issues through theircartoons, including the astounding show of people power inrestoring democracy to Nepal; the tumultuous peace process,culminating in the Maoists joining mainstream politics; theholding of polls to elect a Constituent Assembly, and thesubsequent abolition of the monarchy.
Batsayan will open the session with a brief overview ofNepali cartooning.
Both exhibitions are open to the public for free. After a weekin Kathmandu, the Abu Retrospective and the NepaliExhibition will travel around South Asia, with the next stopin Dhaka
Southasia Cartoon Congress14-15 NovemberYala Maya Kendra, PatanDhokawww.himalmag.com01- 5547279
Friday, 14 November17.00 ñ 19.15� Congress opening, public
lecture by ManjulaPadmanabhan
� Talk on Abu Abraham byMark Bryant
� Introduction to Nepalicartoonist exhibition byDurga Baral ëBatsayaní.
� South Asian CartoonCompetition awardceremony.
Saturday, 15 November9.00 ñ 17.00� History of political and
editorial cartooning� Censors of humour� Editorial cartooning: step-
child of journalism� Divided through words� Does Southasian
cartooning lack subtlety?� Evolving with an evolving
media
epali tv journalist Subina Shrestha is one ofthree finalists for the prestigious Rory PeckAwards for her Al Jazeera reportage of the
aftermath of the devastating cyclone on BurmaísIrrawady Delta in May.
Subina posed as a Buddhist from Nepaldelivering food aid and was the first journalist toreach the area. She spoke to shocked survivors invillages along the river as the victims lay unattendedon the riverbanks. The survivors had no food, wateror government help and a week after CycloneNargis, were becoming desperate. Subina produced,filmed, edited and voiced the report herself.
Subinaís report is among three finalists in thenews category that also includes an ITNdocumentary on Somalia and another Al Jazeerareport on a Kenyan slum. One of the judges praisedSubinaís ëenterprising news gatheringí, adding: ëThisis a powerful piece with some extraordinary shots.But at the same time the restraint of the reportingmatches the quiet dignity with which the villagersshare their stories with an outsider.í
†Subina is based in Nepal and was trained in
journalism in the US and India. She has beenworking with documentary films since 2001. Tobypass Burmese controls, Subina had to sneak inon a tourist visa and sidetrack officials, who wereon the look out for foreign journalists, on her way tothe parts worst affected by the cyclone.
Says Subina: ìThe sun was relentless and itwas difficult to ignore the smell of the decayingbodies. And yet, the dark cloud made everythinglook so beautiful. After talking to the villagers, Icame back feeling helpless, angry and sad.Sometimes the journey down the river still hauntsme."
†The Rory Peck Awards recognises the work offreelance cameramen and camerawomen in TVnews gathering and current affairs worldwide. TheAwards ceremony on Thursday evening in Londonwas attended by senior broadcasters, freelancers,bureau chiefs, commissioning editors, diplomatsand journalists.
†Besides the news category, there is also aprize for freelance news footage on humanitarianissues and another one for in-depth features. �
Nepali tv journalist is finalist
for the Rory Peck Award
N
he audience gasped as streams of carefully choreographedgolden, red and green fireworks illuminated the darkKathmandu sky on 7 November. This was unlike anything
most of those gathered at the Khula Manch had ever seen—and itwas unlike anything Khula Manch had ever hosted.
A magnificent concoction of various forms of art, Divinity ofCommon Life was a multidisciplinary, artistic performance byNepali and French artists collaborating to bring to life the beautypresent in each human and every moment of life. The unique useof light, sound, colours and dramatisation guided the viewers tothe spellbinding climax of the evening.
Creating their personal magic at the event organised by theAlliance Française were French pyrotechnician Pierre-AlainHubert, American installation artist Karl Knapp, actors fromGurkul, the folk music ensemble Kutumba with DJ Sharad,thanka painter Tenzin Norbu and the narrator, Salil Subedi. Theirpassion for life made a deep impression on the audience.
The second instalment of the event opens at Siddhartha ArtGallery from 14 November and will go on till 30 November.Though the magic of Hubert's fireworks will be absent, don’t missthe chance to see Knapp's art or NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati’spictures, Norbu will complete his massive thanka as Kutumbaperforms. �Shitu Rajbhandari
The Pea under the Mattress:An Abu Retrospective14-22 NovemberYala Maya Kendra, Patan
Selections from the work of Indian cartoonist Abu Abrahamduring the turbulent years 1966-1988 will be on show at thecartoon congress. The sketches are a testament to Abu’sfearlessness, perceptiveness and mastery of critical humour.
They reflect crucial political events that were taking placenot only in India but throughout South Asia, including the1971 Bangladesh War of Liberation, the 1975-77 Emergency inIndia, the 1979 hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the 1984assassination of Indira Gandhi, the mysterious death of GeneralZia ul-Haq in a plane crash in 1988, and the controversialIndian involvement in the Sri Lankan war in 1987.
Throughout this period, Abu saw himself as a socialist. TheGuardian once described him as “the conscience of the left andthe pea under the princess’s mattress”.
Fireworks at
the Manch
KIRAN PANDAY
T
14 14 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #425CITY
KATHMANDU VALLEY
ABOUT TOWN
†
WEEKEND WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL
The weather situation is likely to change this week due to fallingbarometric pressure over the eastern Himalaya coinciding with apowerful circulation that is building up in the Bay. A high pressuresitting over Central Tibet will counter its advance. This satellitepicture taken on Thursday shows a moderate westerly front advancinginto western Nepal, but it will just graze the north slope of theHimalaya. Conclusion: central and eastern Nepal are likely getpatches of clouds and some drizzles over the weekend with snowflurries higher up. The thick smog haze from India will persist overwestern Nepal. Night temperature in the Valley can climb back intothe double digit while maximum will dip by at least 1 degree.
KATHMANDU
sfd ;fgf] 7"nf] eGg] x'Fb}g . kl;gfsf] s'g} /ª / hft klg x'Fb}g . sfdu/]/ vfg nhfpg' klg x'Fb}g . rf]/]/, 9fF6]/, 5n]/, n'6]/ vfg kf]nhfpg'k5{ . hf] hxfF /x]/ h'g sfd u5{ pm To;}df /dfpg'k5{ uf}/aug'{k5{ / ;dlk{t eP/ ug'{k5{ . sfd g} zlQm xf], elQm xf] / d'lQmxf] . sfdsf] OHht u/f}+, kl;gfsf] ;Ddfg u/f}+ .
g]kfn ;/sf/
;"rgf tyf ;~rf/ dGqfno
;"rgf ljefu
Qu
es
t E
nte
rta
in
me
nt
Call 4442220 for show timings at Jai Nepalwww.jainepal.com
When Sameer (Abhishek Bachchan) and Kunal (JohnAbraham) are turned down for an apartment becausethe landlady doesnít want two young men to corrupther sexy young niece Neha (Priyanka Chopra), theypretend to be gay to secure the apartment. Everythingis fine, until they meet the sexy siren Neha. Theythen begin on a journey of fun, frolic and a test offriendship like never before. To add to the mix, isNehaís boss- Abhimanyu (Bobby Deol), anothercontender for Nehaís heart.
Fri Sat Sun
25-10 25-11 26-10
EXHIB IT IONS
� Divinity of the Common Life, an exhibition by Karl Knapp andNayantara Gurung Kakshapati, 14 November, 5.30 PM, NepalArt Council
� Himal Southasian magazine presents a cartoon exhibition ThePea under the Mattress: An Abu Retrospective and cartoons inthe Trying Times: The Best of Nepali Satire, 14-22 November,9AM-5PM, Yala Maya Kendra (Free Entry). 5552141
� Once Upon a Time , an art exhibition by Donato Rosella on17 November at 6.30 PM with live music, Lazimpat Gallery CafÈ.4428549
� Wild, an exhibition of paintings by Wayne Edwards till 18November at Siddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal Revisited,Sunday-Friday 11AMñ6PM and Saturday 12AM-4PM. 4218048
� Chance Encounters, a group art exhibition of artistsfrom†Bangladesh, France and Nepal till 19†November,Kathmandu Gallery, Lazimpat. 9851050493
EVENTS
� School Bullying, a talk program by Rakshya Nepal, 16 Novemberat The New Era.†4482868
� 31 st Yala Maya Classic, a classical music series, 17 November,5PM, Yala Maya Kendra. 5553767
MUSIC
� Tuesday Melody at Jazzabell CafÈ, Happy hour 6-8PM. 2114075� Possie & the Fags playing live on 14 November at Moksh. 8PM
onwards. 5526212� 74 Twister playing live every Tuesday at Moksh, Pulchowk.
5526212� Robin and the New Revolution playing live every Tuesday, 7PM
onwards at Bamboo Club restaurant, Thamel. 470157� Some like it hot every Friday BBQ and live music by Dinesh Rai
and the Sound Minds, 7PM onwards, Rs 899 at Fusion,Dwarikaís Hotel. 4479488
� Happy cocktail hour, 5-7PM, Ladies night on Wednesday withlive unplugged music at Jatra CafÈ & Bar
� HyJazz Club every Tuesday and Friday from 8.30 PM, HyattRegency, Kathmandu. 4489800
� Dance and Cocktails at Cube Bar, Kamaladi. 4438017� Fusion and Looza Band every Friday night, Bhumi Resto Lounge,
Lazimpat. 4412193� Rudra night fusion and classical Nepali music by Shyam Nepali
and friends, every Friday, 7PM at Le Meridien,Gokarna. 4451212� 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
DINING
� Thanksgiving Celebration,27-29 November, K-too! Beer &Steakhouse, Thamel. 4700043
� Thanksgiving dinner, 27-29 November,Kilroyís Restaurant. 4250440
� Coffee & Chocolate at the Lounge inHyatt Regency. 4.30-6.30 PM. 4491234
� Take away at Te Restaurant fromBluebird Food Court and WelcomeFood Plaza at Bakhundole, Sanepa.5549331
� Salmon Delicacies at the RoxRestaurant from 7PM onwards. HyattRegency. 4489361
� Organic Salad Bar and Steak at Jalan Jalan restaurant everyFriday from 6PM, Rs 650
� Plat Du Jour at Hotel Shangri-la, Kathmandu, Rs 600. 4412999� Pasta pesto passion†at La Dolce Vita, Thamel. 4700612� Steak special with free Irish coffee at K-too! Beer & Steakhouse,
Thamel. 4700043� Continental and cafe item with Live band every Friday at Vintage
Cafe and Pub, Woodland Complex, Durbarmarg.� Home made pasta at Alfresco, Soaltee Crowne Plaza. 4273999� Reality Bites, The Kaiser CafÈ, Garden of Dreams, operated by
Dwarikaís Group of Hotels, 9AM-10PM. 4425341� Steak escape with Kathmanduís premier steaks at the Olive Bar
and Bistro, Hotel Radisson. 4411818� Cocktails, mocktails and liqueurs at the Asahi Lounge, opening
hours 1-10PM, above Himalayan Java, Thamel.� Retro Brunch Barbeque with live acoustic music by Sound
Chemistry, every Saturday, 12-3PM at LeMeridien-Kathmandu,Gokarna. 4451212
� Kebabs and curries at the Dhaba, Thapathali. 9841290619� lly Expression Coffee at Hotel Shangrila, Lazimpat and Mandap
Hotel, Thamel� Socially Responsible coffee at Himalayan Java, Thamel
For inclusion in the listing send information to editors(at)nepalitimes.com
14 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #42515
HAPPENINGS
MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA
HELPING HAND: Economic journalist Gajendra Budathoki receives acheque for Rs 50,000 from Sujit Mundul (right), CEO of StandardChartered Bank Nepal, for his rehabilitation and recovery from amotorbike accident two months ago. Also seen is Kiran Nepal, presidentof the Society of Economic Journalists of Nepal (SEJON).
OFF THE RAILS: Passengers from a train that derailed on Nepal's onlyrailway between Janakpur and the Indian town of Jayanagar onTuesday make a valiant but doomed effort to push the locomotive backonto the rails.
FLYING THE FLAG: The crowd waits for the competitors to appear in theXIVth Asian Mountain Bike Championships at Chobar last weekend,which were dominated by Japanese riders.
AJIT TIWARI
KIRAN PANDAY
ww
w.n
epal
itim
es.c
omIS
SN 1
814-
2613
CDO Regd No 194/056/57 Lalitpur, Central Region Postal Regd. No 04/058/59
14 - 20 NOVEMBER 2008 #42516 BACKSIDE
E
x-king G is apparentlylooking for a good editor toget his memoir to the press
for release on the first anniversaryof his stepping down next year.But being quite a wordsmith (hewrote all his speeches himselfwhile king) it does sound like hewon’t need much rewriting.Publishers are keen because theyare sure it will outsell PKD’sbiography. A whole chunk of theforthcoming book is reportedly ablow-by-blow account of thepalace massacre of 2001, and partof an effort to clear his name oncefor all.
But guess it won’t bring usup-to-date with sonny boy’sshenanigans in S’pore with wife-battering and exceeding the speedlimit on the ECP in hisLamborghini.
Politics in Nepal always comesfull circle, so it was a given thatsooner or later the Maoists wouldtake on Mandalay advisers. Nepalis a secular democratic federalrepublic, but the new buddies ofthe baddies are all blasts from thepast: Hira Budder, Loktantra ManSingh, Ramesh Nath, etc.
So the assembly committee taskedwith making rules and procedures
Whiplash in the assemblyhas finally decided to allow allparties to whip theirrepresentatives into shape. Thereason for the delay was that thepatriarchal and conservativeparty bosses were scared stiffthat women and janjatirepresentatives would forgealliances that would cross partylines when they voted oncritical clauses in the newconstitution. The deadlock wasdelaying deliberations on theconstitution drafting process.The parties have thereforedecided to compromise, leavingout all mention of whips andleather studs from the rulesand procedures.
Next week’s nationwide cadrejamboree is making so-called‘moderate’ Maobaddies nervous.Which is why BRB has now gota fan club on Facebook, and he’strying to sound really hardlineby threatening to nationaliseprivate schools and makePasang C-in-C. Dr Babu hasalso been trying to cajole thehardliners by promising themuniversity degrees: Bachelors ofWar for the radicals, Masters ofRevolution for those whohacked off limbs of classenemies, honorary SLCs forwhole timers, and a special PhD
for Comrade Terrific. With theDoc and Gaurav sharpening theirknives, El Supremo may bepushed to chose between BRBand the hard core.
Whatever degree they get, the newpressure groups in town shouldstop calling themselves OBCs(Other Backward Classes). Howcan a downtrodden group everliberate itself if it describes itselfas ‘backward’?
The Ass hears Mahara Dai andPampha Didi are so concernedabout disenchantment within theparty about nepotism ahead oftheir cadre confab that they metChairman Terrifying specificallyto warn him that there wasgrowing talk of his offspringgetting preferential treatment,and of Mrs Parbati padding upministries and corporationsunder her command with croniesand relatives.
How will the Financial Ministerever raise revenue to fund hispopulist budget if his own cadredon’t ask for bills and don’t payVAT when they buy wintertracksuits on wholesale forguerrillas in the cantonments?
And at the rate rural hospitalsand education projects are beingextorted, forget about the privatesector: even the money that istrickling in for charity will dryup. When the YCL forced anarmy plane in Nepalganj to dumpsacks of rice destined for Humlaand forced them to takepassengers instead, it was seen asa one-off incident. But then theystarted terrorising the privateairlines, vandalising Yeti’s officein Surkhet. The airline hasstopped operating in the far westsince then. The Baddie ministryof uncivil aviation isthreatening the airline to resumeservices to remote areas or have
its license revoked; the airlinesays no way Jose.
PKD, despite his pressingschedule, just can’t seem to turndown a launch or inauguration sohe can deliver yet another sermonfrom the pulpit. At the ex-royalNational Academy of Science andTechnology (NASTY) the otherday, Terrifying gave these pearlsof wisdom: “Science is afield where cheating isnot allowed, but inpolitics cheating isallowed.” Huh?
ass(at)nepalitimes.com†
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
