Weekly Internet Poll # 447. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

Q. Should the army have pulled out ofthe National Games?

Weekly Internet Poll # 446

Q. How would you describe the primeminister’s visit to Europe?

Total votes: 4,245

#446 10 - 16 April 2009 16 pages Rs 30

hen the results ofFriday’s by-electionsin six constituencies

come out next week, they willoffer an indication of the supportbase for the Maoists, whothemselves admit that after eightmonths in power they haven’tbeen able show tangible progress.

The current session ofparliament has been disrupted fortwo weeks in a row after the UML,partners with the Maoists in thecoalition, demanded action over

RUNNING OUT OF TIME:Prime Minister Pushpa KamalDahal at the Khula Manch onSunday before delivering aspeech in which he lashed outat the political parties forslowing him down.

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

the killing of its supporter inButwal last month. Time is alsorunning out on integrating thearmies before UNMIN’s mandateexpires in June, and in writingthe new constitution by Aprilnext year.

The run-up to the by-elections have been marred byviolence with even a gun battlebreaking out between supportersof the Maoists and a break-awayfaction led by Matrika Yadav inBiratnagar on Thursday.

Prime Minister Pushpa KamalDahal appears to be increasinglyfrustrated with the delays andhas been trying to use his deftnegotiating skills to try toconvince the leaders of the UMLand NC to smooth things along.Analysts say that a lot is ridingon the outcome of the by-elections, and the resultswill determine whetheror not the coalitionremains intact, and ifthe NC will join the government.

The prime minister has beenbarely able to hide hisfrustration. A day after returningfrom a week-long visit to Norwayand Finland during which heassured leaders there that he wasserious about protecting

democracy and the free press, helashed out publicly usingabusive language at hiscolleagues in the NC and UML.The next day, he turned his aimat the media, accusingpublishers of being “smugglers”and under the control of“feudalists, capitalists and

reactionary forces”.The Nepal Media

Society, TelevisionBroadcasters Nepal,

Community Radio BroadcastersAssociation, BroadcastingAssociation of Nepal andKathmandu Valley BroadcastingAssociation deplored the primeminister’s remarks, callingthem “uncalled for andirresponsible”.

Hurry upW

EDITORIAL p2Voice of the violent

2 10 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446EDITORIAL

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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

B

GUEST COLUMNRaju Sitaula

anks in Nepal seem to bethriving. According toNepal Rastra Bank, Nepali

commercial banks hold close toRs 470 billion in deposits, butfor banks to be profitable theyhave to put this deposit to work.

Given the poor businessclimate and soaring property

prices, it is a fair guess– this cashis feeding the real estate bubble.Such a bubble driven by excesscredit fueled liquidity is exactlywhat brought many US banks totheir knees, and there is a goodlesson there for us.

As property prices went up,banks in the US found increasingtheir real estate loan portfolio aneasy way to boost earnings. Theynot only kept loans in their ownbalance sheet, but packaged theminto securities which were soldto investors worldwide, furtherincreasing the demand formortgage loans. Borrowers were

30 YEARSCK Lal says that the NSU has ‘lost thewill to compete’ in student elections(State of the State, ‘Thirty years ofstruggle’, #445). The NSU is willing tocompete in an ideological battle but notwith violence. The Nepal Student Unionis a democratic institution of energeticyouth who time and again have showntheir readiness to sacrifice themselvesfor the cause of democracy. The NSUhas won a significant victory in therecently held FSU elections, and this isa blow against totalitarianism andfascism. Despite the terror and violenceled by YCL and YF, the NSU iscommitted to non-violent struggle anddemocracy. These are values that youngNepali students that NSU representsaspire to.

Sandesh Adhikari, Joint SecretaryNepal Students’ Union

PARASWhile I found Eric Ellis’ piece in youronline edition (www.nepalitimes.com)very analytical the quick jab at thedownfall of Nepal monarchy wasunwarranted. True, former prince Paraswas the focus of hate factor for many butEllis’ assertion that this led to thedysfunction in governance duringabsolute monarchy borders onhyperbole. It was former king

VOICE OF THE VIOLENTMaoist ideologue Baburam Bhattarai supposedly heads thecleanest and most efficient ministry. Which is why his recenttantrums are so unbecoming.

But for the dubious distinction of worst managed ministries,competition is keen between Home, Water Resources and LocalDevelopment—all headed by the UML. That says more about thepolitics of Messrs Madhav, Jhalnath and Oli than all theirgrandstanding since the recent killing of a Youth Force memberin Butwal. Despite their threats of quitting the government, thetruth is that the UML needs the Maoists more than the Maoistsneed the UML.

The results of the by-elections in Morang, Dhanusa, Kaski,Rolpa and Kanchanpur this weekend will probably lead to areassessment of the UML-Maoist coalition. The arrangement hascertainly helped UML recruit, train and expand its militant YouthForce under the benign neglect of the home ministry that itcontrols. But by copying the Maoist YCL, the UML has fallen intothe same trap of unleashing a criminalised militant force that isgoing out of control.

In all the confusion of name-calling in Nepal’s day-to-daypolitics, it helps to divide political forces into two types: thosethat believe in legitimate non-violent politics and those that useviolence and intimidation as a political tool. By not renouncingviolence and behaving like bullies even though they were electedto power, the Maoists have undermined themselves. Byunleashing the YF, the UML has lost the moral authority to lectureabout non-violence.

It would be naïve to assume that prolonged power cuts, thecomplete collapse of local governance and a worsening law andorder situation will only harm the prime minister and his party.The UML will also be tainted by eight months of governmentalparalysis.

The UML wants it both ways: benefit from being a ruling partyand criticise thegovernment as if it is theopposition. But there is nofree lunch in the universe,and this is an illusoryadvantage. The UMLneeds to decide whether itwants to be an appendageof the Maoists or chart itsown course as a party thatstands for non-violenceand democracy.

The rest is easy: ifyou can’t stand the heat,get out of the kitchen.

When the real estate bubble bursts, itshouldn’t take banks down with it

Banking on real estateapproved for loans they were notcapable of paying and manyjumped on the bandwagonassuming that real estate pricescould only go up.

What initially started as aproblem in the subprime loansor loans made to risky borrowers,has spread to prime loans asdecreasing real estate prices andincreasing unemployment rateare putting even credit worthyborrowers at risk. As a result,banks are now stuck withhundreds of billions of dollarsin real estate loans, some ofwhich are practically worthless,and are thus forced to bookbillions of dollars in losses. Themassive loans are threatening thesolvency of some US banks. TheFDIC has seized more than21 failing banks so far in2009 alone.

We are inside a real estatebubble in Nepal, and this bubblecould burst. Among other things,the excess cash available to driveprices higher may not be there inthe future. The global economicslowdown is already impactingon the remittance flow intoNepal which will reduce theliquidity in the banking sectorand the money chasing realestate assets.

When the bubble bursts, notonly will many Nepalis feelmuch poorer from reducedproperty prices, but theirdeposits in banks could also beat risk if banks that areoverexposed to real estatelending face defaults, threateningtheir ability to meet obligationsto depositors. The margin of errorfor Nepali financial institutions,

and the public, is very small.Unlike most other countries,there is no established depositinsurance program in Nepal andit is questionable that NepalRastra Bank has the ability tomanage a run on the banks.

Outstanding loans ofcommercial banks to the realestate sector grew at a staggeringrate to Rs 17.9 billion in Februaryfrom Rs 6.6 billion just a yearearlier. The questions to ask thebanks are: what percentage ofoutstanding loans is real estaterelated, including both direct andindirect loans where real estateasset is kept as collateral? Howwill the real estate pricereduction affect the performanceand recovery of these loans? Havethe banks done a sensitivity testfor the worst case scenario and arethey adequately capitalised ifthat scenario materialises?

The government and NepalRastra Bank should also look intothe feasibility of instituting adeposit insurance program up toa certain threshold. Such aprogram can be funded from thepremium paid by the deposit-taking institutions and thepremium should be based on therisk assessment of eachparticipating institution.

It is not too late for Nepal, butit is time to ask tough questionsto the banks and the regulatorand focus on risk managementso that when this real estatebubble ultimately bursts, itdoesn’t take the banking sectordown with it.

Raju Sitaula is a bankingprofessional based in New York.

Gyanendra and his senile cronies who wererunning the show. What about the revelationthat the People’s Movement Part II wasfunded externally? Paras is definitely not anice man and he doesn’t deserve to be aroyal, but Ellis shouldn’t be inciting thepublic with innuendo.

Rishav Shrestha, Kathmandu UniversityTeaching Hospital

TASHICongratulations to Nepali Times and toTashi Tsering Sherpa on a brilliant article(‘I did some calculations and took acalculated risk’, #445). About timesomething positive came out of Nepal.Please, give my ‘Tujeche’ and a handshake to Tashi Sherpa. One can tell hestrives for perfection in all aspects. Nepalcould benefit a lot from visionary peoplelike him, especially at a time when Nepalisare giving up and moving away, here is aman who could have easily stayed away butdecided to come home and generateemployment. Any time someone doessomething for the benefit of others, it scoreshim some good Karma points, whether itwas his original intention or not.

Luba Svrcina, Canada

OBJECTIVEWho is the brilliant mind masterminding thearticle ‘Objective situation’ (Guest Column,#445)? Which century does Mr Sigdel live

in? The international importance tocommunism may have been there 50 yearsago, but it is totally obsolete now. MrObjective is completely subjective and outof touch to boot. The writer convenientlyomits the fact that in the name ofcommunism 60-80 million people diedworldwide in the 20th century. The numberstill has a plus-minus margin of 20 millionbecause we don’t have accurate reportsfrom China’s Maoist Cultural Revolution.Sigdel also overlooks the fact that mostformerly-communist countries fell apart andditched the system as non-functioning sometime ago. And ‘democratic revolution’? Those two words can’t even exist side byside in the same sentence.

Subarna Karki, Shanghai

ETHNIC WOMENReading the translation ‘Non-indigenous’ and the list of the Maoist headsof various indigenous groups right downfrom indigenous-in-chief Deb Gurung, Inoticed that the fifth item from the bottom is‘Women’. Since when did women becomean ethnic group? Is it because we comefrom Venus? In that case they should listmen as coming from Mars and Dr Spock asa Vulcan.

Tara G, email

BASANTAPURI appreciate Roma Aryal’s attempt to

CORRECTION: Due to an editingerror, the village of Palchok wherethe constitution interaction tookplace (‘We are all Nepalis first’,#445) was given as being locatedin Kabhre. The village is actuallyin Sindupalchok.

romanticise Kathmandu’s centralsquare (‘Basantapur by night’,#445) but there can be no doubtthat this once pristine place hasturned into a hideous neighbourhood.Activities by drug peddlers, unrulyyoungsters, hawkers, and a largelyineffective state security apparatushave rendered the Hanuman DhokaDarbar Square and its vicinity acitizen’snightmare. Heritage conservationhas received a setback due to heavytraffic and a flea market. I wonderwhat Nepal Tourism Board does withthe fees it collects since there is novisible attempt to provide a facelift tothe area in terms of either soundinfrastructure (good roads, toiletfacilities) or check congestion. Thegovernment’s callousnessfor heritage conservation is there forall to see.

Ram Chaudhary, Basantapur

KIRAN PANDAY

310 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446OP-ED

STATE OF THE STATEC K Lal

C ircumstances sometimespropel weak personalitiesto the top. Nagendra Prasad

Rijal became prime minister ofthe country twice duringPanchayat regime, but fewoutside the Marwari communityof Biratnagar remember him.Other than his role as a reluctant

midwife of multiparty democracyin 1990, it’s difficult to pinpointcontributions of LokendraBahadur Chand even thoughhe served four stints atSingha Darbar.

Rijal and Chand wereproducts of Panchayat, but SherBahadur Deuba became primeminister of the country afterdemocracy. During his first term,he had to resort to pork barrelpolitics to save his governmentfrom collapsing under the weightof its own contradictions.

When Deuba went intoBaluwatar as the leader of amajority government in 2001,within a few months of theNarayanhiti massacre, vastuexperts, feng sui consultants,siddha sanyasis, itinerant yogis,indigenous dhamis andrenowned tantriks were engaged

Leadership deficitPKD should behave like the prime ministerof the country, not just a party supremo

to placate the stars.Apparently, the heavenly

bodies weren’t amused. Deubabecame the first premier inmodern history to be sacked notonce but twice by the king. Heserved his third term as a loyalhenchman of the royal CEO andwas put under house arrest evenbefore being served with adismissal order.

But despite his spectacularfailures, Deuba isn’t consideredthe weakest prime minister of thecountry. The choice for thedubious distinction has to bemade between Padma Shamsher(1945-1948) and RanganathPoudel (1837-1838).

Padma’s predicaments werereal. The Ranas lost their patronsas the British went home fromIndia, leaving native potentates totheir own devices. To his credit,Padma did try to modernisestatecraft, but had no courage toimplement the constitution hepromulgated in the face ofopposition from his restivecousins. He chose honourable exitand went into self-exile.

Ranganath Poudel wasfortunate. He was the guru ofRajendra Bikram Shah and didn’texpect to be a mukhtiyar—the jobusually went to Chhetri noblesfrom Gorkha or to Kathmandu’smilitary aristocrats. But in the

conspiracy-ridden politics of1830s, he was the only personacceptable to everyone in the all-powerful coterie of the Darbar. Heput the condition that he wouldaccept mukhtiyari only ifBhimsen Thapa was released.Rajendra complied but harbouredthe suspicion that RanganathGuru was probably more loyal tothe British Resident BrianHodgson than to the king.

The shifty monarch once saidRangnath was a man of first-ratetalent but second-rate honesty.So the first Bahun premier of thecountry couldn’t do much andhad to bow out in disgrace.Rangnath was probably a victimand not a failure, but he isconsidered to be the weakestprime minister in Nepal’shistory. It seems now he hassome competition.

Just as all competing groupsof the palace had acceptedRangnath’s nomination 170 yearsago, Pushpa Kamal Dahal becameprime minister with the supportof 25 political parties in theconstituent assembly. The NCcould have accepted a supportiverole in the government had Dahaloffered it in a proper manner, butthe NC was so demoralised itopted out . Buoyed by theprospect of leftwing unity, theMaoist Supremo forgot that UMLwould not carry him on itsshoulders for nothing. Ascost-benefit analysts, theschemers of Balkhu palace aresome of the best in the business.

It’s understandable that theMaoists want a presidentialsystem of government. Its partychief can then reign, rule, androll unchallenged all over thedomain. But consensus is thehallmark of a parliamentarysystem. When the prime ministeris merely first among equals, hehas to be a leader that commandsthe respect of all his colleaguesand competitors alike.

An ideal leader is the one whorules with the consent of theruled, guides by being at the headof the group, and inspires allothers by setting an example.Dahal needs to ask himself: “AmI just a party supremo, or am I theprime minister of this country?”

The soul of Ranganath Gurucan now rest in peace. In thelineup of weak prime ministers,the most recent entrant is alsoperhaps the least efficient, hislegendary craftinessnotwithstanding.

KIRAN PANDAY

4 10 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446NATION

PLAIN SPEAKINGPrashant Jha

he CA’s ‘Committee to Protect and Preserve the NationalInterest’ has suggested that a passport regime beintroduced at the Nepal-India border. Committee Chair Amik

Sherchan has said this is necessary to “protect waning Nepalinationalism and to treat both China and India equally”. Sherchanclaimed that the “majority of the Nepali people share this view”.

The demand for passport control on the India border comesfrom three quarters of the Kathmandu (yes, it is confined to thecapital) political spectrum. The first is the nationalists who borrowthe Westphalian notion of absolutely sovereign nation states. Theyargue that one reason the Nepali state has never been totallyindependent is because it has not controlled the movement ofpeople across its boundaries.

The second is the school of economic protectionists,especially on the left, who believe that Nepal has a ‘semi-colonial’

relationship with Indiabecause the open bordermakes the country a cheapsource of labour and rawmaterials and a recipient offinished goods.

The third includes hill chauvinists who oppose the openborder. They see the Madhes movement as solely a result of theopen border and India’s covert attempt to destabilise Nepal.Proponents argue that closing the border will defuse the Madhesunrest and solve the most important challenge to the Nepali state.

Sherchan, a pahadi Maoist, represents the synthesis of allthese three views. The nationalists forget that an absolutelysovereign state is a myth. There is also an element of hypocrisybecause it is the same people who have at different points usedthe open border against the Nepali state (like the Maoists did) ordo not care about it because they usually fly across to India (thecapital elite).

The left economists forget that the open border, along withdisadvantages, also empowers Nepali labour by allowing them tomove out in search of opportunities when there is little to offer athome. It helps national capital by giving it an opportunity to piggy-back on India’s market economy.

And those who blame the border for the Madhes mess refuseto look within at the internal discrimination that gave rise to it inthe first place.

Kathmandu politicians are also mistaken in thinking that theIndian establishment prefers an open border and that India takesadvantage from it. Even if it benefits a few petty border traders,Nepal and the open border is the least of priorities for big Indianbusiness like the Tatas and Ambanis who exercise real influenceon policy making. For the Delhi security establishment, the openborder is a liability given their concerns about fake currency,narcotics, ISI influence and now the possibility of the Chinesegetting right into the Tarai. Unlike what our netas think, they willfind a fairly receptive audience to such a proposal in Delhi’spower corridors.

But while regulating the border and improving administrationon both sides is necessary, any attempt to introduce passports orclose the border will be deeply unfortunate and politically counter-productive for us Nepalis.

The poorest segments of the population who cross the borderto earn their livelihoods will suffer the most. It will deprive theNepali macroeconomy of a safety valve and prevent ourentrepreneurs from making the best of growing opportunities onthe other side.

Most importantly, it will devastate the lives of the economicallyinter-dependent local borderland population on both sides. It willinvite a ferocious Madhesi backlash which will see the move asan attempt to kill off their links with their families on the other side.It may even encourage a stronger secessionist movement.

But most of all, it will not work. If fencing on the Indian-Bangladesh border or millions of troops on the India-Pakistanborder cannot prevent mobility, there is no way that thegovernments can control movement across the fields and riverson the 1,751km India-Nepal border.

Nepali nationalism is not under threat from open borders. It isunder threat because politicians are not getting on with their job ofwriting a constitution. The same insecure bunch is now coming upwith wild schemes to block the natural flow across borders. If theydo go ahead, they must be prepared for some nastyconsequences.

As a pioneer of borders studies, Willem Van Schendel puts it,“No matter how clearly borders are drawn on national maps, howmany custom officials are appointed, or how many watchtowersare built, people will ignore borders when it suits them.”

Closed mindsT

Introducing passports atthe India-Nepal borderwill hurt us Nepalis more

orn into a family oftraditional metal artistsin Kathmandu, Raj

Kumar Shakya says he can’tremember a time when hewasn’t working with metal,hammering it to create figures ofdeities.

At an age when otherchildren would be playing, RajKumar would be etchingdesigns on copper plates andthen hammering them into bassreliefs. “My home was myschool,” he recalls. Today, RajKumar is a specialist inembossing metal sheets, using amethod known as repoussé.Unlike the more popularmethod of lost-wax casting, therepoussé technique involvesbeating the metal to give it thedesired shape.

“Even as a child I wasfascinated with large repousséstatues and dreamt of creatinglarger-than-life designs,” saysRaj Kumar.

Raj Kumar’s work has cometo the notice of monasteries inJapan, Korea and most recently

Giant exportA Nepali sculptor has been commissioned

to build a 113ft statue in BhutanPAAVAN MATHEMA in Bhutan. He has been invited to

Bhutan to build a 113ft tall statueof Guru Rimpoche, orPadmasambhav. Next month, RajKumar will lead a team of 14 ofhis craftsmen to Bhutan toconstruct the statue atop TakelaHill, situated in Lhuentse ofeastern Bhutan.

The concrete base for thestatue and the steel frame are nowalmost complete. Although theground-work of sketching anddesigning the statue wascompleted three years ago, thework could not start because theBhutanis were waiting for anauspicious time.

“The statue will be one of thelargest in South Asia, possiblythe biggest made from therepoussé technique,” says RajKumar. The metal alone willweigh 80 tonnes with the gold-plated face and hands, and theentire structure will take threeyears to complete.

Ram Kumar runs his familyworkshop, On Metal, inKathmandu with a team of 30skilled artists. Using traditionalmethods they produce copperfigures, masks, stupas, mandalas,

preserving the ancient artistictechniques of the Newar people.Ram Kumar’s works havedecorated various monasteries inNepal and Tibet and have alsoreached Japan, Australia, Germanyand the US.

“This work needs a lot ofpatience and concentration,”explains Ram Kumar, “it isimportant to give attention to thesmallest details and get the correctexpression on the face.”

Although the demand forNepali artwork has increased, RamKumar, who is also a teacher ofmetal art, is a bit worried that thenext generation is not as interestedin learning this valuable skill andin preserving the heritage.“However, the positive aspect isthat this occupation is not castebound anymore. Traditionallyonly Shakya families wereinvolved in it,” he adds.

When asked about his futureplans, Shakya replies: “I want toconstruct a gigantic statue ofBuddha in Nepal, possibly atopone of the hills that surroundKathmandu. After all, what peopleremember you for eventually iswhat you leave behind.”

B

KIRAN PANDAY

510 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446BUSINESS

L

ECONOMIC SENSEArtha Beed

ast Monday morningeveryone I spoke withasked the same two

questions. One: was it a bandathat day or not. And two: whowas calling it.

It seems no one really knew,but everyone loves a goodnationwide strike and one more

day off. Students are happy tohave no class and to have examspostponed. It’s a good excuse togo to the office an hour late andleave an hour early, citing theneed to walk there and back. Andfor those who love big bonfires, itis another great chance to burn avehicle.

In Dharan and other parts ofeastern Nepal, the generaldiscussion is about who willorganise the next banda. Thestandard operating procedure issimple: choose a date, outsourceactivists, do something that willattract media attention and thenwait for your turn to organise thenext one.

Observers point out that thepeople who stage the demos,participate in the masal julus,

torch vehicles, deflate or burntyres are all one and the same. Ona course titled NepaliManagement 101, perhaps thiswould be a good example ofoutsourcing.

Why should we complain ifall political parties outsource theservices of the same people tobroker their business deals? Isn’tit good to have the same set ofpeople honing theirexpertise and offeringtheir services to a varietyof clients? Perhaps Nepalcould become theworld’s greatest source ofoutsourced protestortalent.

Nepalis haveaccepted bandas as a wayof life when they shouldbe rallying against them.The business of bandas is gettingout of hand. Soon entrepreneursrunning tanker business will becalling a banda to change laws sothey can vandalize vehiclesbelonging to their competitorsand parents will block traffic toprotest against their children notbeing allowed to cheat inexaminations or because theywant job guarantees for graduateswith poor degrees. (Wait, that'salready happening.) Why should

business organizations feel itacceptable to threaten shut downrather than debate a policy issuewith the government?

This Beed always refers toKathmandu as a sister city ofKolkata because if someone visitseither city and returns withoutencountering a politicalshowdown in the streets he or shewill feel something is missing.

Surely this is not the kind ofexperience we are packaging forVisit Nepal Year 2011. Somethingserious needs to be done.

Perhaps, a citizen’s campaign,in which we resist and not co-operate with the banda organizers,can only bring this to an end. Anydonor willing to sponsor such aprogram or should we get someparachute consultants in first toassess and write a report? www.arthabeed.com

Banda businessEverybody loves a good hartal

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Better serviceSpice Nepal is investing US$ 250 millionover the next two years to improvecoverage and services with the aim ofboosting its customers by 1.2 million this year and maintaining its1.7 million subscribers.

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Going greenChaudhary Group is workingwith WWF to become the first‘green company’ in Nepal.WWF will assess the way the company operates witha view to reducing its carbon footprint in the sameway that the international NGO has worked with othercompanies throughout the world.

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Win a homeSamsung is marking Nepali New Year with aprize draw that gives those who buy a SamsungTV or fridge the chance of winning an apartmentat Suncity Apartment, Manohara or a microwaveoven. The lucky draw is aired daily on the Music

of Your Choice show on Image Channel.

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Socially responsibleNMB Bank has launched a social responsibility campaign whichincludes helping renovate and maintain temples. The bank recentlyput marble flooring in the Hanuman Mandir and has introduced ascheme to clean it frequently. The bank is also providing schools,such as one at Balkumari, with computers.

INDIAN MODEL: Just fourmonths after their launchin India, car dealer AgniIncorporated is todistribute Indian –madeMahindra XYLO cars inNepal. Two models areavailable – a luxury sevenseater priced at Rs 3.39million and an eight seater which costs Rs 2.85 million.

6 10 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

Demagougeryand the

psychologyof fear

Khem Bhandary in Kantipur,6 April

Following the murder of YouthForce activist Prachanda Thaibain Butwal, the UML threatened toquit the coalition. The thunderingresponse of Finance MinisterBaburam Bhattarai was: “If thereis an attempt to topple thegovernment, the Maoists will onceagain resort to a revolt.” Eventhough he has made such threatsbefore, the meaning and intent ofthe latest pronouncement point tograve danger.

It would be wrong to term thisthreat of ‘revolt’ from a top leaderof the party in government asbased on momentary emotion.Bhattarai is in fact giving us theindication of an extremely wellthought-out plan, and there is anintent to blackmail the otherpolitical parties as well as thepeople. It reflects the presence ofa totalitarian mindset within theMaoist party.

The Maoists are today usingonly slightly modified version ofthe psychological methods ofinfluence and control that theyperfected during their armedinsurgency. The goal is toprogressively extend full controlover the state and the society.

While the widely-heldimpression is that Bhattarai is themoderate and the democrat amongthe Maoists, when he does openhis mouth there is the clear odourof extremism. He was the firstMaoist leader to threaten revolt ifthere was an attempt to topple thegovernment, and he is the onlyone who continuously repeats thatwarning.

The Maoists seem to beutilising one of the psychologicaltools of military science, ofdirecting one’s fire at where theopponent is most vulnerable. Thepublic seeks peace before allelse, the NC and UML seek toproceed through sustainable,peaceful politics, and so theMaoists use ‘peace’ as abargaining chip. In return for long-

term peace the people will givethem the vote, while the UML andNC will submit to the Maoistsremaining in power to preventviolence and anarchy.

The oft-repeated threats ofrevolt are but one way ofreminding the public

continuously of its yearning forpeace, and to force the otherpolitical parties to buckle. Thepeople are made to believethat the right to revolt and to

destroy the peace is abirthright of the Maoists,while it is the job of the other

parties to work for peace. Theimpression being created is thatthe Maoists have the right andprivilege to create anarchy, incase they are made to leavegovernment.

The existing state of impunityis not the residue of thetransitional phase we are in, nor isit the result of governmentalineffectiveness. It is a deliberateweapon being used by the Maoiststo spread fear.

Attacks on the press,businesses, schools, interferencewith the civil service, the military,demonstrations against thejudiciary, the behaviour towardsNGOs, and the vicious responseto anyone who criticises are allproofs of the planned Maoistexercise to extend command overall the facets of society.

This sort of fear-mongering onthe part of a party which hasalready accepted the system ofperiodic elections is nothing but acorrupt output of wartime hubris.Regardless of what they mayknow of conflict and socialprogress, the Maoists say theyabandoned the ‘people’s war’ andembraced multiparty democracybecause of geopolitics. They aremyopic: they underestimate thepeople’s rejection of violence asthe real reason.

The Maoists also seem tooquick to ridicule the supportamong the people for the UML andNC. They have not even been ableto understand why they got thevotes they did in the elections.The people wanted not only arepublic and a new constitution,they also voted for peace. TheMaoists are showing extremereluctance to accept this reading.

Even though they have hadcontrol of state power for a fullyear, there is no evidence ofconcern among the Maoistleadership as to how their attitudeis being perceived. There isdisenchantment, sloganeering andattacks against the Maoists are onthe rise.

With this loss of trust,participation in Maoist rallies andmarches is thinning. With itsreluctance to read the meaning ofthe recent student elections, theMaoist party seems unwilling toconfront the need to reform itsways. If it remains stubborn in itsworldview and indisciplined in itsactivities, it is certainthey will not experience muchtranquility in the days ahead.

Debendra Bhattarai in Kantipur, 5 April Last week, the news that the prime minister’s sonPrakash Dahal got drunk and passed out atDhulikhel Resort made the headlines,overshadowing what PM Puspha Kamal Dahaland Finance Minister Baburam Bhattarai werereally doing there. They were visiting Dhulikhel tofind out about how that town has become a modelfor education and health. For three hours, theleaders discussed the exemplary KathmanduUniversity and Dhulikhel Hospital with the peoplewho run them.

Kathmandu University’s Vice-chancellorSuresh Raj Sharma was there, and says: “Weoffered suggestions about education and health.One shouldn’t separate private and public.Kathmandu University and Dhulikhel Hospitalmay be private but they are non-profit publicservice oriented. The government shouldn’tdismiss private organisations just because theyare private. We should work together to moveahead.”

Dhulikhel hospital’s Ram Makaju andRajendra Koju noted that the leaders hadn’t, untilthen, grasped the concept of community-based

Replicating Dhulikhelactivities. Koju said: “The hospital is neitherprivate nor government run. We are community-run and we work for them.” He pointed out how a13-year-old hospital and a 17-year-old universityin Dhulikhel have contributed to nation-building.

When the PM questioned which activities thegovernment should give priority to, Sharmaadvised improving agriculture and setting uppolytechnics. “We can’t just generateemployment,” Sharma recalls telling the primeminister, “it needs to be effective and tailored tothe needs of the market.”

The leaders also heard how Dhulikhelhospital has been treating patients at a minimalcost while students at Kathmandu University alsopay a lot less than they would at other colleges.

Finance Minister Baburam Bhattarai thenasked how Dhulikhel’s exemplary community-based education and health system could bereplicated. Koju replied that government-runhospitals don’t function well and private ones areexpensive. “So, we have to implement theconcept of community-managed health andeducation.”

Sharma said it made him happy and optimisticto see the leaders in Dhulikhel.

710 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446CONSTITUTION 2010

nstead of debating about ethnicity onthe basis of demography, majority andminority, it is important that we

understand whether the state has createdan environment for groups to participate,be represented and provided equalopportunities.

There’s an ongoing debate over whetherthe country should follow a unitary-centralised, decentralised structure, orwhether the power should be distributed

among federal provinces. However, if wecontinue to believe that power comes fromthe central state, it makes no differencewhether or not Nepal becomes a federalrepublic. The group that believes thatpower comes from the barrel of a gun isalso eyeing to capture state power. Theydon’t understand that they are justcaretakers of state power and that the realpower lies with the people. And there arethose from the old regime who still seesocial diversity and its management as anobstacle.

Instead of trying to change the identitygroups are born with, it is useful torecognise them and develop them as a partof the state structure. It is indeed scientificto classify the provinces on the basis oflanguage, ethnicity, or region.

Federalism is when sovereignty andpower are divided between central andfederal units. In a federal state there isautonomy at the regional level whilecooperation must exist at the federal level.Federalism supports decentralisation andcelebrates and protects the diversity of thecountry.

According to the 2001 census of the100 Janajatis in Nepal (which make up 37per cent of the total population) there are18 ethnicities that each make up more thanone per cent of the total population. 81 percent of the Janajatis are comprised of the18 groups while the remaining 19 per cent

ince 1945, ethnic violencehas played a major role inhalf of all wars, turned

more than 12 million peopleinto refugees, and caused at least11 million deaths. Preciselybecause today’s wars are so oftenbetween peoples rather thanstates, civilian casualties haverisen dramatically. Fewer thanhalf of the casualties in WorldWar II were non-combatants,while today some three-quartersof all war casualties are civilian.

Is adopting federalism thebest way to cope withterritorially based diversity? Asurprising and expanding rangeof polities seem to be leaning ina federal direction.

As an increasing number of

COMMENTBalkrishnaMabuhang

Who’s afraid of ethnicity?consists of 82 different castes andethnicities. 11 ethnicities have majoritiesin more than 30 VDCs.

In the west and far west there is adominance of Chettris, Magars are in themid-west and west, southern Tarai andnorthern hills. Similarly, Gurungs aredominant in the northern hills and highmountainous regions. Kathmandu isdominated by Newars and Tamangs are innorthern hills, southern Tarai, Chureregion, Budi Gandaki in the west andDudh Kosi in the east. The region betweenDudh Kosi and Arun River is called theKhambu region and north of that region isdominated by the Limbus.

Tharus dominate Kanchanpur toNawalparasi. Those who speak Maithili arespread between Saptari to Sarlahi. Maithililanguage is considered the mother tongueof more than three dozen ethnicities butthere’s still dispute regarding the name.

Those who speak Bhojpuri are found inBara, Parsa and Rautahat. Awadi languagepopulations dominate Kapilabastu andsouthern Banke. Rajbansis, Taajpuria, Majhiand Gangai are in the northern Tarai, butthere’s a dispute there also on what thecommon language should be. Sunsari,Morang and Jhapa may be claimed byTharuhat, Limbuwan, Kochila, Morangiyaand Birat but historically they are in theLimbuwan area. It is clear that languageand ethnicity are the simplest basis forclassification of regions. Autonomy can bearranged for the 82 remaining ethnicitiesvia the federal unit or at the local level.Integration of other ethnicities around thecountry can be arranged via reservations ornon-provincial organisations.

Making a federal unit according toethnicity doesn’t mean that the otherethnicities are forcefully driven away. Forinstance, Tharus are the originalinhabitants of the Tarai, but many otherethnicities also live there. MJF has also

been positive towards the Tharuhat’sproposal.

If any particular ethnicgroups are the original

inhabitants of the

region and have a majority, it is in thespirit of democracy to name the provinceaccording to their name. Similarly, if thereare certain ethnicities that are on the vergeof extinction, it is acceptable to name thatprovince after them.

The demands of Tharuhat, Limbuwan,Tamuwan have been denied by otherethnicities in the areas that respect thePanchayat regime. It is not because theLimbus didn’t struggle enough for theirrights that their names were not includedbut because of the Hindu royalist regimethat didn’t consider the grievances of theLimbuwans to begin with.

The Limbuwan province will nottolerate discrimination. However, theLimbuwans should welcome otherdiscriminated ethnicities under theirumbrella and provide them with social,economic, political and educationalreservations.

The struggles between the majority andminority are not about who has the upperhand. It is about dealing with the issues ofidentity and addressing years ofdiscrimination via constitutional statemechanisms. Assurances and co-optionwill not work anymore.

Balkrishna Mabuhang is professor at theCentral Department of Populationof Tribhuvan University.

Federalisation is not a panaceaBut it’s historically inaccurate to argue that it causes separatism

Federalism is about ethnic autonomy and endingyears of discrimination by the central administration

NANCY BOROMEO poorer countries debate themerits of federalism, othercountries that have long beenfederal have expanded thenumber of subunits within theirboundaries. India has creatednine new states since the 1970s,three of which came into beingas recently as November 2000.The case against federalism hasbeen made most eloquently bythose studying post-communistregimes.

Federal systems providemore layers of government andthus more settings for peacefulbargaining. They also give atleast some regional elites agreater stake in existing politicalinstitutions.

With these incentives wewould expect fewer armedrebellions in federal states. In

fact, the mean armed-rebellionscore for federal states is less thanhalf that for unitary states. Whenfederal and unitary dictatorshipsare compared, federal systemslook even better: The incidence ofminority rebellion is more thanfour times greater in unitarydictatorships than in federaldictatorships.

Although elites at the centreoften fear that granting evenpartial autonomy will encourageviolence and secession, such fearsare rarely justified. Historically,when central leaders grantincreased autonomy to disaffectedregions, they are usually rewardedwith peace rather than instability.When Tamil nationalists in Indiamobilised in the early 1950s,many political actors in NewDelhi feared separatism and

argued for repression. WhenJawaharlal Nehru gave theTamils a separate state instead,the drive for separatism dieddown.

In the Punjab, a Sikhseparatist rebellion dragged onfor years as Indira Gandhirefused concessions and tried totriumph through armed force.When a new central governmentallowed a series of elections, themajor Sikh political party cameto power, and Sikh separatismwas forced “off-stage.”

Hard-liners should rememberthat separatist movements aremore often the stepchildren ofthreats than of concessions. Theforced imposition of a singlestate language boosted separatistmovements in Sri Lanka. Often,it is the refusal to federalise,

I

Srather than federalism itself thatstimulates secession. In Pakistan,it was federal borders rather thanfederal institutions that wereimposed.

Federalisation is not apanacea and federalism is noguarantee of peace or of anythingelse. There are undoubtedlysituations in which such optionsshould be spurned. Yet it isimportant not to reject federalismfor spurious reasons, and it ishistorically inaccurate to arguethat it brings on separatism.

Nancy Bermeo is the professor ofpolitics at Princeton University.This article is excerpted from TheImport Of Institutions, whichappeared in the Journal ofDemocracy (Volume 13, Number2, April 2002).

Ethnicities according to demography

Languages

unita Bujhel wakes up beforedawn every other day to join thequeue up at the public tap inSatdobato. After waiting all day

she (pictured) returns home at around3.30 PM carrying two jerrycans of water tolast her family for the next two days.

The recent rainfall that broke the sixmonth drought has provided no relief, andthe decrease in power cuts has only madethings worse. As soon as the power comeson in the morning, shops and houses thathave electric pumps quickly draw up thewater, leaving no water for those waiting atthe taps.

“It’s difficult,” sighs Sunita, “even

WATER! though we try to save as much as we can.”The desperation is boiling into anger

on the streets. Two weeks ago, locals held astrike in Basantapur and women fromBhaktapur had a sit-in in front of theKathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limitedoffice. Fights often erupt at the waterqueues. Last week, there was a clash inSatdobato at 1AM when a neighbourhoodhouse drew most of the water those inline had been waiting for since theprevious day.

Buying water is expensive. One 5,000litre tanker costs up to Rs 2,000. Familiesload up on small plastic jars, costingRs 300 initially, and Rs 60 per refill. Anaverage four-member family usuallyconsumes up to 15 jars a month. The ownerof a gas cylinder shop has recentlydiversified into selling water jars. “Peopleare getting frantic,” says the shopkeeper,“most families use the jars for almosteverything: washing dishes, bathing,drinking water.”

Khanepani Limited has increased thenumber of trucks supplying water, andeven injects water into the mains. But thismakes little difference. The valley demandis currently 280 million litres per day, butsupply is less than 90 million litres.

In Mangal Bajar, though, thecommunity has got together to managewater. In Kumbeswor, local committeesregulate water queues and store well waterand mains supply in 10,000 litre tanks. Atthe public spout in Imukhel there are ruleson water use. At Patan Darbar Square,committee members raise money tomaintain the sunken spouts.

Another solution is rainwaterharvesting, but most rain storage has gonedry because of the prolonged drought. Asystem to store rainwater for four monthsafter the monsoon costs Rs 30,000 for a7,500 litre system. But for that, householdswould still have to wait for the monsoon,and that is three months away.

ROMA ARYAL There is no end in sight to theS

ROMA ARYAL CHONG ZI LIANG

WATER! Melamchi mirageFor the parched and thirsty capital, theonly hope on the horizon is theMelamchi project that aims to bringglacier melt from the Langtang NationalPark to Sundarijal via a 16km tunnel.The project has been planned for 15years, but it still seems like a mirage.

The project was delayed by politicalinstability and the conflict, but thingsstarted moving two years ago. It is nowslated for completion by 2013 after thesigning of a Rs 4.28 billion contract witha joint venture between a Chinesecompany and a local company.

There are still critics who say thereare cheaper alternatives to Melamchi,but their voices have gone hoarse.Experts say just fixing the capital’sRana-era water mains would increasewater supply by 40 per cent becausethat is the proportion that is lost to leakypipes. Another alternative to Melamchiwould be to build a series of reservoirson the Valley rim to store water from theBagmati’s tributaries.

e capital’s water emergency

CHONG ZI LIANG

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

10 NATION 10 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446

eing illiterate, seamstressKhima Nepali used tomemorise all her

customers’ orders by heart. Butwhen business started to pick up,the 37-year-old realised shecouldn’t remember it all. Khimafelt the urge to learn to read evenmore when she attended atraining program and found herliterate classmates having a headstart.

So, with support from herfamily, the feisty mother enrolledin Grade 1 of a local school inKarjahi in Dang, where shestudies in the same classroom asher seven-year-old daughter.

Khima’s pioneering efforts tohit the books have been aninspiration to other illiteratewomen in Karjahi, and 30 otherwomen have enrolled in Grade 1and 2. They share a commondesire to be empowered byeducation. “My parents are deadbut now my own children are likemy parents- they educate me,”says Khima.

Three years after the end ofthe People’s War, Dang is seeingan increase in female enrolmentin schools. Educators attributethis to a rising awareness aboutthe importance of educationamong parents.

“Before the restoration ofmultiparty democracy, mostwomen were confined withintheir homes and hesitant tospeak in public,” says Englishteacher Ram Hari Rijal,” nowthey are more outspoken andexpressive of their rights,especially in education. Tothem, this is like opening up athird eye.”

This is the case for AsharamiChaudhari whose parents werebrought up as illiterate kamaiyasand kamalaris. For the mother offive, literacy holds the promiseof a brighter future. Mostspouses have also beensupportive of their wives’decision.

“My husband and I came to aconsensus that he would earnmoney while I go to school,”says Krishni Chaudhari, “and hewants me to teach him what I’velearnt at home!”

Headmaster Hokum Subedi isenthusiastic about his 32 newadult students who sit withtheir children in the sameclasses. He says: “Theirparticipation has been a positiveexample for the community,motivating and encouragingmore women to seek formaleducation.”

Despite being adults, allschool rules apply for the

KONG YEN LIN in DANG

“Ama ko iskul”B

ixteen-year old Ermy Prajapati hadbeen preparing conscientiously forher SLC exams last month. One

day, while trying to light candles at homeduring a power cut she got severely burnt.The 16-year-old was rushed to hospitalwith serious burns below her waist. Therewas only a month to go for the exam andErmy was worried.

But last week at the Burns Unit of BirHospital, there was Ermy her legsbandaged and in considerable pain, taking

her SLC accounts paper in the wards withan invigilator and security official inattendance (pictured left). Alwayssomeone to look at the bright side, Ermysays it was easier to study in the hospitalbecause there was no load-shedding.

She thinks she’d have performedbetter if it hadn’t been for the accident, butadds she has done well in all her papers.“I hope to get above 70 per cent,” shesays confidently.

Megh Raj Bajagai, Ermy’s science

Fire hazard teacher said: “Ermy is among our mostdiligent students, we were hoping she’dget a distinction, so we couldn’t let theaccident discourage her.”

Bir Hospital has registered anincrease in the number of burn casesafter the 16-hour daily power cuts wentinto effect this winter. Says the BurnsUnit in-charge Nara Devi Bariya: “Thereis a burn case very other day, andalthough not all the cases are becauseof load shedding, it has certainlyincreased the risk factor.”

Bariya recalls the case of a youngman last month who died of 90 per centburns over his body. He had storedpetrol in his house because of the fuelshortage. With no electricity, he hadbeen checking up on his fuel stash witha candle. The Kathmandu Fire Brigadealso says that fire incidents havesignificantly increased since loadshedding started.

For most families who can’t affordinvertors and generators, candles andoil lamps are the only alternative.Combined with the exams, thisincreased the risk of burns as manystudents fell asleep while studyingat night.

See also: 'A burning issue', #382

PAAVAN MATHEMA

mothers as well. They can’t beabsent, they have to finish theirhomework, and they sit for thesame tests as their children.Subedi says the mothers are doingwell, with more than 60 per centattaining first division passes inthe term exams.

However, the presence ofparents in the classroom can be adouble-edged sword. On onehand, the parent-teacherpartnership can be strengthenedwith mothers working togetherwith teachers in solvingproblems. But classroomdynamics become challenging forteachers as the pace of learning isso different.

“It’s hard to manage aclassroom where age gaps andnatures are so different,” saysteacher Sita Sharma, “somemothers felt it was hard toconcentrate and wanted to be in aseparate room.”

Despite the enrolment ofmothers picking up, Subedi saysthere just isn’t space to have aseparate classroom for them. Mostmothers have below-subsistenceincome, so can’t afford stationeryand school material.

Says Subedi: “It’s a pity, wejust don’t have the resources.There is so much enthusiasm thatmore mothers want to joinschools.”

Hospitals registerrise in patientsburnt duringpower cuts

S

KONG YEN LIN

KIRAN PANDAY

1110 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446NATION

12 NATION 10 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446

Suomen Kuvalehti: How would you describeyour past seven months in power?Pushpa Kamal Dahal: Everybody knowsthat we are going through a very delicateand sensitive transition period. We havemany challenges, but altogether I canconclude that things are going ahead stepby step, facing many twists and turns, in theprocess of drafting a new democraticconstitution.

What would be your three main challenges?Peace, until and unless this unique andhomegrown peace process is not concludedthere is always the danger of instability andanarchy. We need to take this historicpeace process to its logical conclusion. Thesecond challenge is to build a consensusbetween all the political parties. We havebroad areas of agreement on the form ofdemocracy, human rights, rule of law,independent judiciary and freedom of press,but there are some issues where we stillneed to agree: what kind of federalism weneed, how power will be shared betweenautonomous regions, differences on theissue of form of governance. The thirdchallenge is that the people have very highexpectations from the change and we haveto meet them.

In some aspects fighting the war waseasier than handling the democraticgovernance process. But both have theirown characteristics, and you can’t reallycompare. I am fully confident that we willtake the peace process forward and draftthe constitution in the stipulated timeframe.

There are reports of continued intimidation,and violence is on the increase. Some of

this is being blamed on your party.I cannot agree with this statement. This ishighly exaggerated. It is correct that we arehaving a very delicate transition period –there are so many remnants from theprevious conflict and we cannot eradicate itovernight. If you look at peace processeselsewhere in the world our peace processis much smoother. There are someunwanted activities and we are committedto punish the guilty and end impunity. Insome media problems have been highlyexaggerated.

What about the tensions within your ownparty?To lead the revolution into a peacefulprocess and to hold elections and then tolead the government within a very shortspan of time is miraculous. But we havetransformed not just our party but the wholesociety. Naturally there are differenttendencies within my party extreme left,extreme right, vacillation tendency butoverall the pragmatic more dialectic andrealistic tendency is now dominant. Theextremist tendency has been defeated.

If you look at the future which kind ofgovernance model would you prefer: Korea,China or India?I don’t want to compare ourselves withanyone, but we have to learn from thenegative and positive aspects of otherrevolutions during the 20th century. It is ourconclusion that without multipartydemocracy we can’t serve the people andhumanity. For now we have to cooperatethat with other parliamentary parties. Thereshould be no serious doubt about out

In this interview with Prime MinisterPushpa Kamal Dahal printed in theWednesday edition of the Finnishnewsmagazine, Suomen Kuvalehti,Katri Merikallio asks him about hiscommitment to democracy, the freepress and the future of the peaceprocess. Excerpts:commitment to multiparty democracy,freedom of press and rule of law. Duringthe insurgency, I have praised the mediaand spoken out against the feudalautocracy trying to suppress the media.

But the Committee to Protect Journalistssays Nepal is still one of the mostdangerous places in the world forjournalists and no one has been arrested.It is unfortunate that even during the peaceprocess a number of journalists have beenkilled, but it is not correct that no one hasbeen arrested or punished. In some casesI, myself, took the initiative to capturesome people to be handed over to policecustody, and the case is going in the court.In one case, in the Tarai of Birendra Sahthe killing was not related to our party.Recently, there was the case of UmaSingh, and here also the accused are injail or some are underground, they werenot related to any party. It was proved thatthis was related to property, a familydispute. It is wrong to say that nothing hasbeen done. It is an exaggeration. Thegovernment is fully committed to endimpunity.

Yourself, how Maoist are you?(Laughs) Very interesting question. Ialways understood Marxism, Leninism,Maoism as a social struggle, and thatconflict analysis is the soul of socialscience. All the great leaders of theproletariat, Marx, Engels, Lenin and Maosaid that nothing should be mechanicallycopied from one revolution or one country.We have to analyse the situation andunderstand the dynamics of change. If youmechanically copy what Mao did in Chinathen you’re not a real Maoist. There aresome who want to dogmatically apply whatMao did, but China itself has changed.

How about the Maoist movement in India?Revolutions can’t be exported or imported.What they do in India is solely theirresponsibility. There are some communistparties in India – some are extremely leftand some extremely right. When I took thepath of multiparty democracy andembarked on the peace process there wasserious debate within the Maoists in Indiaabout whether they should follow theMaoists in Nepal or not. There are somepeople in the Maoist movement in Indiawho oppose us and say we haveabandoned revolution, but there are thosewho say that what Prachanda is doing iscorrect and that we should learn from hisexperience.

“We are committed to multiparty democracy,freedom of press and rule of law...”

What are your expectations with the visit toFinland?I am fully satisfied with the trend ofcooperation. There is tremendous and bigchange going on in Nepal and the peoplehave high expectations. I hope thatcooperation can be enhanced particularly ineducation and forestry, not just inconservation but also the commercial use offorests. We also expect more help andcooperation in the constitution draftingprocess. We would also like to encourageinvestment in the IT sector.

After returning from his visit to Norwayand Finland, Prime Minsiter PushpaKamal Dahal lashed out at politicalparties, the judiciary and the media.Some sound bites from the past week: “Those trying to obstruct the peace

process under the Maoist Governmentare criminals and murderers…theymust be chased away like bhyakur.” “The media are under the control

of feudalists, capitalists and reactionaryforces.” “Big media houses are run by

smugglers…they are misleading themajority of the country’s population withwrong information. Since smugglersand capitalists are very active in themedia sector, it will be very tough towin the war over the control of thecountry’s media but if we move aheadwith a pro-people media that fight caneasily be won.”

Meanwhile, backin Kathmandu

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

1310 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446NATION

irjala Tamrakar, 28, started bicycling out of necessity whenshe used to go to AVM School in her native Patan. Then,bicycling became a hobby. Now it is a passion.

Especially after she came a commendable second in thegruelling 405km Kanchenjunga Mountain Bike Expedition held inSikkim last month, Tamrakar is determined to do better ininternational bicycling tournaments. Nepal’s most noted womanmountain biker has been taking part in championships since 2001coming either first or second in most. “It was a great feeling, Ibecame someone in place of no one,” says Nirjala, describing themoment when she received her prize in Sikkim. Despite hermotivation, it hasn’t been easy for Nirjala. A proper mountain bikecan cost up to Rs 300,000 and the bike suit can be expensive. Acoach, specialised diet and lots of time to train are also needed.

“The male bikers are very supportive because I am the onlywoman,” says Nirjala, who has worked as a medical transcriptionistand even taught yoga to earn money.

Nirjala takes encouragement not just from her successes, butalso her failures. She says coming last in the Annapurna MountainBike race in 2006 goaded her work harder. “It was snowing and thebike was 18kg and I just ran out of stamina,” she recalls, “but afterthat I decided I was going to practise and improve my endurance.”

She went on to complete the 1,150km Lhasa-KathmanduMountain Bike race in 17 days and hopes now to take part ininternational tournaments. Nirjala sometimes regrets not havingtime for studies, family and friends. Yet, she feels proud of beingable to represent Nepal in many national and international races asthe only female participant.

Nirjala's other hobby is painting and she has won the first prizein the Mandala Art Competition two years in a row in 2003-4. Shehopes to have a solo art exhibition soon. Binita Dahal

orget trekking in themajestic Himalaya. There aregreat hiking routes in this

country that thus far have beenneglected by tourists: Nepal’shighways. And I chanced uponthis discovery quiteserendipitously on arecent reporting assignment.

I was trying to get fromChinchu to Kohalpur by bus, butas luck would have it there was achukka jam called because of thedeath of a UML cadre 300 km tothe west from Kathmandu inButwal. I had managed to catch amicro willing to break the banda,but after a lunch stop the driverdecided he was going to respectthe strike after all and disgorgedus all together with our luggage.

Now there’s nothing like beingabandoned in the middle ofnowhere along a mountainhighway to forge solidarity amongcomplete strangers. Adiscussion promptly took placeand it was quickly decided wewould walk the remainder of theway to Kohalpur: all 25 km of it.The trouble was we all hadbaggage and I had two packsweighing 15 kg.

After walking for a bit, Irealised just how beautiful Nepal

is, the bus is simply too fast andall the scenery zips by thewindow before registering in theretina. An immediate uphill route(pictured, above) of eight km rightat the start virtually ensured wewere going so slow every plantcould be admired in its entirety.

But if I thought the uphillwalk was tough, going down wasa nightmare. The Nepalis I washiking with decided to take ashortcut through a steepdownhill stretch. My clumsy cityfeet were slipping on everypebble, root or stretch of dirt.

A highway hike also revealsthe legendary Nepali hospitality.Sensing I was in trouble, twoNepalis slowed down during mydownhill tumble and walkedwith me as the rest of themdisappeared out of sight. One ofthem even carried one of my bags.A long march along Nepal’shighways is the only way to bondwith the locals and get up closeand personal with Nepalis.

By mid-afternoon, we hadcome off the hilly portion of ourforced march. The final 10kmstretch of straight road toKohalpur now was a gentledescent through forest. I haveheard that on the establishedmountain hiking circuits, foodand other essentials are sold at an

The long marchCHONG ZI LIANG

Pedal powerN

Funusually high price. In thisaspect, the highway route will notdisappoint. Shops along the last10km stretch were nice enough toprovide us with an authentichiking experience as well byjacking up their prices. It’s alldemand and supply—how muchyou pay in Nepal dependsentirely on how desperate you areto buy what is on offer.

By the time we stumbled intoKohalpur, we probably lookedlike a posse of hombres walkinginto a wild west town after beinglost in the desert. My legs hadstopped feeling any pain and hadbeen on autopilot during thefinal five km.

So, to all you tourists outthere: why pay for a hiking permitthat is obviously overpricedbecause you are a foreigner? Whyshell out for thatdown jacket and waterproofboots? If ‘Naturally Nepal’ is whatyou seek, just board any bus outof Kathmandu and pray for abanda. Experience the trek of alifetime.

CHONG ZI LIANG

MICHEL HUNEULT

14 10 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446CITY

KATHMANDU VALLEY

ABOUT TOWN

WEEKEND WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL

There is good news for those praying for rains. This satellite picturetaken on Thursday at noon shows a cloud front stretching from thePersian Gulf right up to western Nepal. A low pressure area hangingover northern India is favourable to bringing rain along the midhills.There is some doubt about how much moisture this system contains,but it could revive the afternoon showers that stopped after someintermittent showers last week. The sunny intervals this weekendwill be hot, and summer-like temperatures with the minimumtemperatures crossing into the double digits.

KATHMANDU

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

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker re-team for the ultimate chapter ofFast & Furious where they head back to the streets where it allbegan. When a crime brings them back to LA, fugitive ex-conDom Toretto (Diesel) reignites his feud with agent Brian O’Conner(Walker). But as they are forced to confront a shared enemy,Dom and Brian must give into an uncertain new trust if they hopeto outmaneuver him. And, from convoy heists to precision tunnelcrawls across international lines, the two men will find thebest way to get revenge: push the limits of what’s possiblebehind the wheel.

Fri Sat Sun

30-12 29-13 28-13

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

EXHIBITIONSUnexpressed Expressions by Sangee Shrestha, 20 April,11AM-6PM, Siddhartha Art gallery. 4218048Birds, Butterflies & Wildlife of Nepal, a solo photo exhibition,14-20 April in NAFA art gallery Bal Mandir, Naxal.In Plain View by Kelly Stacey, 10-17 April at Lazimpat GalleryCafe at 11AM.Silent Witnesses, stencil artwork by Aymeric Hamon, till 24April, 6 PM, The Bakery Café, Pulchowk.Caravan art show 2009 by Narayan Shrestha at Hotel Summittill 30 April. 9851000519

EVENTSRachel Getting Married, movie starring Anne Hathaway,11 April, 5.30 PM, Lazimpat Gallery Café. 4428549Lecture Series XXXI by Mark Turin, 5 pm ,14 April, Yala MayaKendra, Patan Dhoka.36th Yala Maya Kendra, a classical music series, 15 April,5PM, Yala Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka. 5553767Call for entries for Film South Asia till 31 May, documentariesmade in and after January 2007 qualified. 5552141

MUSICKathmandu International Music Society, 18 April, 2.15-4.10PM, British School hall. 9803680509Rock Classics by return of Bob Manes along DesmondO’Flattery and Anthony Correll, 5.30- 8 PM. Lazimpat GalleryCafe. 4428549Sunday Jazz brunch barbecue and live jazz music at theTerrace, Hyatt Regency from 12-3.30 PM. 4491234Jazz evening at Delices de France Restaurant everyWednesday, 11AM-2PM. 4260326Strings Band live every Tuesday at G’s Terrace Restaurantand Bar, Thamel.Wednesday Melody at Jazzabell Café, Happy hour 6-8PM andTGIF party with live band Epic every Friday at 8PM. 2114075Some like it hot every Friday BBQ and live music by DineshRai and the Sound Minds, 7PM onwards, Rs 899 at Fusion,Dwarika’s Hotel. 4479488Happy cocktail hour, 5-7PM, ladies night on Wednesday withlive unplugged music at Jatra Café & Bar.Live Sensation, performance by Yankey every Saturday, 9PM,Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu. 4491234.Fusion and Looza Band every Friday night, Bhumi RestoLounge, Lazimpat. 4412193Fusion and Classical Music by Anil Shahi every Wednesday,rock with Rashmi Singh every Friday, sufi & raga with HemantRana every Saturday, 8PM onwards, Absolute Bar. 5521408

DININGEaster celebration, 12 April atKilroy, Thamel. 4250440Dhaba, Indian food festival, till 11April, Garden terrace, SoalteeCrowne Plaza, 7-11.45 PM, Rs 1200Australian Food Promotion, till 12April, from 6PM onwards. Hyattregency. 4489362Gourmet trout at Olive Garden, 6PM onwards at Rs 850+,Radisson Hotel, Lazimpat. 4411818Chez Caroline for French and Mediterranean cuisine, BabarMahal Revisited. 4263070High tea with scones and sandwiches everyday at the Loungefrom 4.30-6.30 PM, Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu. 4491234Mediterranean cuisine every Friday from Greece, Italy and theMiddle-East at The Café, Hyatt Regency. 4491234Nhuchhe goes Thai at Nhuchhe’s Thai Kitchen, Baluwatar.4429903Fusion of Marcela Ragan’s new menu and Mannie’s new bar atDhokaima Café. 5522113Plat Du Jour at Hotel Shangri La, Kathmandu, Rs 600.4412999Pasta pesto passion at La Dolce Vita, Thamel. 4700612Home made pasta at Alfresco, Soaltee Crowne Plaza.4273999Reality Bites, The Kaiser Café, Garden of Dreams, operatedby Dwarika’s Group of Hotels, 9AM-10PM. 4425341Cocktails, mocktails and liqueurs at the Asahi Lounge,opening hours 1-10PM, above Himalayan Java, Thamel.Starry night barbecue at Hotel Shangri-la withlive performance by Ciney Gurung, Rs 999, at the ShambalaGarden, every Friday 7PM onwards. 4412999

10 - 16 APRIL 2009 #446 15HAPPENINGS

PUMP UP THE POWER: Judges at the body building contest of the FifthNational Games resort to battery-powered lamps during loadsheddingon Tuesday.

KIRAN PANDAY

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

DIGGING A DREAM: Caterpillar trucks flatten a five hectare site inKabhresthali, near Nagarjun, in preparation for the construction of anapartment complex.

POLITICAL GAMES: Following an 11-year lapse, the Fifth NationalGames opened on Monday. PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal directed theSports Council to include the PLA team, prompting the Nepal ArmyClub to withdraw from the games.

SAYING GRACE: Australian Ambassador Susan Grace inaugurates theAustralian Food Promotion at the Hyatt Regency on 3 April. The festivalwill go on till 12 April.

KIRAN PANDAY

KIRAN PANDAY

LITTLE VOICES: UNICEF executive board members, representing theBahamas, China, Ethiopia, Germany, Russia and Switzerland, visit theVishwakarma Community Organisation at the early childhooddevelopment centre in Kalika VDC, Kaski.

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

10 - 16 APRIL 2009 #44616 BACKSIDE

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t was bound to happen sooneror later: RIM and CCOMPOSAhave finally said they want to

have nothing to do with ourBuddies and have starteddivorce proceedings. This canonly mean one of two things: thatour own Revolutionary Left Wingand its youth vanguard (called‘Red Guards’, for old times sake)will be seen by internationalcommies as the genu-wine article. Or, being unshackled fromthe doctrinaire comrades at theRevolutionary InternationalMovement will allow the UCPN-M to turn into Euro-communists.Either way, it just goes to provethat one can always be muchmore fashionably hardline aboutsomeone else’s revolution thanone’s own.

Another RIM and CCOMPOSAmember is the Communists Partyof Afghanistan-Maoists (yes, eventhere), and it has just fired asalvo at our own Maobaddies fornot stopping Gurkha recruitment.Shola Jawid, the mouth organ ofAfghan Maoists, reported in arecent issue that Gurkhamercanaries are working underdirect command of US SpecialForces in Shindand Airport andwith the Canadian NATOcontingent in Kandahar and thePolish unit in Ghazni.

The Afghan comrades have

The answer is blowing in the windwritten a snarling letter to ourcomrades warning: ‘The newgovernment of Nepal includingits leading body the CPN-M notonly have not opposed thepresence of Nepalese armedlackeys in Afghanistan but theyhave ... allowed it to happen.’

Why did Bhusan Dahal have togo all the way to Oslo tointerview Comrade Stupendific?Dahal began with the icebreaker:“What a coincidence that weshould meet here in Oslo.”Whereupon Dahal replied: “It’snot a coincidence, haven’t webeen together here for three daysalready?” Oops. Then Dahal tired to cornerDahal by asking him how it feltto come from a country ofdarkness to a country of light tomeet a king. After praising HisMajesty Harald V’s grasp ofclimate change, Dahal went on todisclose that he actually tried“till the last moment” in 2006 toconvince Kingji to be aconstitutional monarch. Wait aminute, wasn’t Awesomesupposed to be batting for arepublic then?

Two days after waxing eloquentin Helsinki about his comitmentto the free press, Awesomereturned to Kathmandu to come

out guns blazing again against“feudal owners of media houses”and this time accused them ofbeing “smugglers”. Whoa. Then he went on to add: “Ifthe media doesn’t behave itselfand provide correct information,the people will deal with them.”We can understand why he’sangry: the media had splashedacross the front pages the candidcamera shot of sonny boy in adrunken stupour in Dhulikhel.And then evening news on tvbroadcast over and over again hisspeech in Khula Much where hethundered against just about everypolitician in this country, andthen promptly broke downand cried.

Things have got bad enough for aradio station to call in two expertsto the studio this week topsychoanalyse the primordialminister. Their conclusion:delusions of grandeur,megalomania, paranoia and anattempt to mask failures. Thelatest criticism concerns hisjunket. After spending ten daysabroad, Terrifico told the press onarrival his main achievementswere:a) Figuring out that windmills aretoo heavy to lug up mountains b) Getting the Norwegians to gift apolytechnicc) Getting the Finns to repair the

multi-fuel plant in Duhabi thatthey donated 15 years ago

Fittingly symbolic, whoever hadthe brainwave to make the nearly-extinct Habray the mascot ofthe Fifth National Games. Itappears the prez attended theopening ceremony only becausehe had been assured the People’sLiberationists would not betaking part, and listened to theprime minister promising astadium in every developmentzone and to “give sports a toppriority in the new constitution”(wrestling, boxing, martialarts, sharp-shooting, etc). But the Ass thinks it was

mistake for the army to give theMaoists a walk over. The bettertrained soldiers could have easilyclobbered the ex-guerrillas.

Remember the Singaporepoliceman who was kidnappedin broad daylight last week by sixMaobuddies who wanted Rs 60million and were arrested whiletaking possession of a suitcasefull of make-believe currencynotes? Well, guess whatthe name of theirhideout in Thamelwas? Naya Nepal GuestHouse.ass(at)nepalitimes.com

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