Total votes: 1367

Weekly Internet Poll # 28Q. Should the government accept the Maoist offer toresume talks?

EXCLUSIVE

#88 5 - 11 April 2002 16 pages Rs 20

Q. Do you believe the Nepali media’s reportingof the Maoist insurgency?

Weekly Internet Poll # 29. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

Countdown to Year Zeron 8 March, Bhagawati Gautam of Shoba village in Rukum was heading toKhalanga for a Women’s Day rally. She stepped on an anti-personnel mine nearthe military camp in Saankh and lost her right leg (see picture). The security

forces and the Maoists are both using landmines in this increasingly costly war. This isworrying because of the danger to civilians and the long-term impact landmines have onpopulations long after the conflict is over.

In districts like Rolpa, Rukum, Sallyan, Jajarkot and Kalikot the sound of bombsgoing off and gunfire are so commonplace, people take little notice. Ordinarypeople are trapped between the government’s sankatkaal (emergency) and theMaoists’ mahakaal (showdown). Walking across these districts, there are check-points everywhere: army sentries and Maoist sentries. Many district levelpoliticians are immobilised. Almost every VDC building in Rukum hasbeen demolished. Most local politicians have sought refuge inMusikot, or further afield. Those who dared stay back are harassed.

Bane Kami, the VDC chairman of Maikot was held captive for fivemonths, and the Maoists tried to bury him alive. They raided the houseof Pashupati Thapa, VDC chair of Gotamkot, looted Rs 800,000 worthof property and are still holding him captive. They abducted andtortured Karna Bahadur Gurung, Kewal Sharma, and DevilalKhadka. The Maoists are preventing students travelling to thedistrict headquarters to take their SLC exams.

The security forces are based in the headquartersringed by barbed wire and minefields, and the Maoistsrule the countryside. There is an undeclared curfew

after 6 pm. Rukum’s CDO went on a five-day leave, and arranged his own transfer. Therehas been no CDO here for months. Flights to Chaurjhari have stopped after theMaoists destroyed the airport tower two months ago. Everyone expects the next attack atMusikot’s Salle airfield, the last remaining lifeline to the outside world.

The Maoists are now on a rampage: destroying bridges, stopping highway construc-tion. The government is controlling transport of food and medicine into the hinterlandof Karnali, Bheri and Rapti zones so it does not get into rebel hands. And the Maoistsare looting whatever provisions villagers still have left. The locals are running out offood, and there is a real danger of starvation. Farmers are not growing food because

they have to pay a cut to the Maoists even for the vegetables they grow.The Maoists are now picking on the weak and helpless. Those with money

and connections are no longer in the district or have bought their safety bygiving the Maoists food, donations and shelter. Those who remain nowhave little choice but to run away, leave everything and head to India in

search of work.Some who survived Maoist excesses have been caught in the security

forces dragnet. Many civilians have been killed and wounded in armyaction. Kotwara in Kalikot has seen casualties: construction workers at anairfield, political cadre of the Nepali Congress and UML shot because theywere mistaken for Maoists. Villagers in Rolpa going to the forests to collectfirewood were wounded during helicopter attacks.

(Prakash Jwala is the UML MP from Sallyan, and visited Rukum 23-25March.)

by PRAKASH JWALACOMMENT

8-9

Annapurnamarathon

RAMPAGEMaoists are now targeting infrastructure. Is thisdesperation, or is the conflict entering a new phase?

few days earlier, rebels strode into PatanBazar in Baitadi, snatched kerosene fromshops and torched eight governmentoffices looking after district irrigation,roads and soil conservation, women’swelfare, agriculture development, familyplanning office, forestry building, thelocal post office.

There is so much destruction, one officialin Kathmandu admits, he can’t even begin toassess the damage. But he estimates that thetoll on public infrastructure since Novemberalone may have surpassed Rs 2 billion.

The most grievous damage has been tothe 12 megawatt Jhimruk hydroelectricproject, which was built at a cost of $ 20million. This was a rare project by Nepalistandards: it served one of the poorestregions in Nepal and was designed for ruralelectrification. It had its own distributionnetwork and was selling directly toconsumers in Pyuthan, Rolpa and parts ofArghakhanchi.

On 30 March a group of Maoistswalked in and blew up the main controlroom, destroying the main switching station.Water then flooded the turbines and inun-dated the powerhouse. The water could not bedrained because the rebels had also blown upthe staircase leading to the gates.

Because it was so easy, the Maoistsreturned the next day looting offices andstores and carting away everything:computers, fax machines, wall clocks,curtains, sleeping bags and whatever foodsupplies that were left. Still, no sign ofsecurity forces. So the Maoists took theirtime attacking nearby governmentbuildings, ransacking the offices of theJhimruk Industrial Development Corpo-ration which used to train locals in

I

entrepreneurial skills and incomegenerating activities.

“We have estimates but no formalassessment of damage,” says Bimal Koirala,Finance Secretary. “A team will be going toJhimruk to do a proper assessment next week.”This may in fact be the first specific assessmentof Maoist damage so far, and it has beennecessitated because of the on-going effortto privatise Butwal Power Company whichowns the project.

The army contingent at Chernata

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BINOD BHATTARAIt’s more than piles of dead bodies now.Ever since their latest campaign ofdestruction began in mid-March,

Maoists have struck unguarded bridges,hydropower projects, water supply,irrigation offices, horticulture farms,forestry projects, telecommunications andgovernment buildings. They have destroyedinfrastructure that took decades to build,and it has already cost the Nepali nationtens of millions of dollars.

It is hard to see the rationale for suchwanton destruction other than an indica-tion that the Maoists are now desperate toforce the government back to the negotia-tion table. Or is this an attempt to bringthe government down to its knees?

“Theoretically the attacks on infrastruc-ture could be a trial-run for their finalarmed revolt,” says Puskar Gautam, aformer Maoist commander. “Or, it could bethat anarchy is spreading in the ranks. Attackson drinking water systems and small ruralhydros just don’t make sense to me.”

The latest attacks have hit the one areawhere democracy had taken root and wasbeginning to deliver development: local self-government. Hundreds of VDC and DDCbuildings have been destroyed in the pastmonth. Not a single VDC office is intact indistricts like Rukum, Rolpa, Jajarkot,Kalikot and Sallyan, says Prakash Jwala,MP from Sallyan (see: Countdown to YearZero, below). In Dang, only two of 39VDC offices are still there. Projects thatwere helping local elected officials to planand implement decentralisation have beensystematically demolished.

On 28 March, armed Maoists torchedthree government offices in Okhaldhunga. A

The $ 20 million Jhimruk hydroelectric plant which was put out of action by Maoistattacks on 30-31 March.

SLRs at SLCMore than 250,000 students all overNepal are sitting for SLC exams thismonth under unprecedented security.Children were frisked, sniffer dogs wentthrough classrooms, and troops stoodguard outside schools like this one inKathmandu (below). But uncertainty overthe bandh meant that the exams were

still disrupted in some of the 683 centres,which were reduced from the normal833. In Maoist areas, rebels preventedchildren from travelling for tests. Despitethe bandh being called off, long-distancebuses kept off the roads and business inthe tarai was disrupted all week. Is itlingering fear of Maoist retaliation, or is thisan anti-bandh bandh?

Dr Gurung’s NepalConsolidating the country’s 75 districtsinto 25 is the only way to make themeconomically viable and more governable,argues Harka Gurung. (see p3)

RA to restart DubaiRoyal Nepal Airlines is dumping its loss-making Bangalore flights, launched withmuch fanfare last year, to resume flyingto Dubai. The ailing airline is underpressure to increase revenue, and a topofficial told us flights to the Emirates willhave better load factors. Meanwhile, theairline’s international flights, badly disruptedlast week by the grounding of one of its757s in Bangkok, is now back to normal.

overlooking thepower plant hadrecently beenmoved elsewhere.Locally hired guards were no match for therebels, who rounded up all 300 employees andheld them hostage while they razed the powerstation. “We don’t have a complete picture ofthe damages yet because we have not been ableto go there,” Kiran Malla, general manager ofBPC told us on Wednesday.

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333335 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMES

L E T T E R SL E T T E R SL E T T E R SL E T T E R SL E T T E R S

NATION

by HARKA GURUNGCOMMENTARY

ecentralisation has been an incessant theme inNepal over the past five decades. The Ranasused it for cosmetic purposes, during the

Panchayat period it was used to sustain the elitepower base, and for good governance in the presentdemocratic setup.

These past initiatives all floundered on thebedrock of the centralised governance system. Evennow, there is no evidence that the central govern-ment and entrenched bureaucracy are becomingamenable to some form of local autonomy.

There is a need for conceptual clarity on the formsand functions in the decentralisation process. Delega-tion and deconcentration are basically related to theexercise of administrative authority in which the lowerhierarchies are allowed tenancy. Devolution, on theother hand, is related to political authority includingautonomy in local governance. Unlike delegation,whereby functions are assigned, devolution involvesexercise and sharing of power. This is contingent on therelative strength of the contending parties. In Nepal, thecentre is too pervasive and the districts too weakwithout economic viability.

The economic status of districts is the basis oftheir capacity to bear the cost of administration.Presently, most districts are dependent on the grantsfrom the centre even for their regular budget because oftheir fragile financial base. Only eleven of 75 districtsare in surplus: seven in the tarai, three in the hills andone in the inner tarai. Their high revenue is mainly dueto customs receipts, except for Chitwan, which has a

national park, and Lalitpur, whichdepends on excise.

There is a wide income variation among DistrictDevelopment Committees according to their geographiclocation. The higher the elevation zone, lower theirincome. On average, a tarai district is ten times moreresourceful than a mountain district.

The major item of expenditure in most districts ispublic works and manpower. Most of the expenses weresupported by grants from the central government. Thisdependence on grants from Kathmandu ranges from 84percent in Bardiya to 99 percent for Bajura. Mostdistricts are generally more dependent on Kathmandufor support, depending on the centre even to run theirDistrict Development Committees. The decentralisa-

RAM MANI GYAWALIThe Nepali Times stands out for its sharpand to-the-point coverage of Nepal thatgives us a good idea of the goings on backhome. But even by your superlative stand-ards, the piece by Sagar Pandit on themurder of Ram Mani Gyawali by Maoists(“The murderous middle ground”, #86)stood out. It is one of the most poignantpieces of reporting ever done on the

current crisis that has befallen our mother-land. Reading the story of the brutal murderof this good man, I was moved to tears.And from this far away, all I could do wasmourn for Ram Mani, for the country andpeople that he stood for. If the Maoists thinkthey can come to power through suchbarbaric acts, then they are badly mistaken.They are accumulating the curse of thou-sands of their victims. One day the ghostsof people like Ram Mani will come back tohaunt them.

J N ChaudharyBoston, USA

CORRUPTIONArtha Beed’s column on graft (“Wordscome easily”, #85) raised some interest-ing points. Nepalis are confused aboutgraft and corruption. A lot of what goes bythe name of corruption describes takinga shortcut, or giving tea-money—notactual graft. Like a decomposing fish,corruption rots the head, and that iswhere one must begin to tackle graft.Unfortunately, the newly set up judicialcommission is not clear in its function.Possessing assets is not illegal. Onehas to prove it that it was bought with ill-gotten wealth. If the allegations cannotstand up in court, we have made amockery of the rule of law, and theensuing chaos would do more harmthan good. It is time to be cool-headedand calculating about genuinely curbingcorruption, not just playing to the galler-ies and chasing shadows.

Govinda SharmaThapathali

SOMEONE TO TALK TOCongratulations to Hemlata Rai for thevery interesting article on the radioprogramme Sathi Sanga Man Ka Kura(“Someone I can talk to…”, #87). We areregular listeners of the programme onFM and I and my friends find the broad-casts entertaining and informative. Also,I like the way the presenters give usstraight answers, without lecturing orbeing judgemental. Thank you for print-ing a picture of Sushma, Toya andBhaskar. Now we know what they looklike!

Anita Shresthaby email

THANK YOUThank you, Nepali Times for providing uswith your outstanding service in this time ofdeep crisis in our country. You excel whereother sources simply lack the wisdom anddepth of analysis. I’m a regular of yourinternet site (www.nepalitimes.com) eversince I discovered it. It is comprehensive,coherent and very informative.It is also lively, and tries to keep a positiveoutlook against all odds.

Amit Jung ThapaSydney

tion of authority to such entities withoutfiscal autonomy has been an exercise in futility.

The paraphernalia of government agencieshave also grown by leaps and bounds over the years. In1963, 35 districts were expanded to 75 with anadditional tier of 14 zones. In 1972 four, and later five,regional centres were established with directorates ofvarious ministries. Then development projects estab-lished more offices at the district level. Consequently,there has been a massive increase in regular expenditurefor administration in the districts.

It is clear that the problem of decentralisation hasless to do with a legal framework than with economicviability. As a consultant to the Constitution ReformRecommendation Commission in 1975, I had proposedthe re-organisation of the 75 districts into 40. Theproposal was based on an economic rationale, but wasrejected for political reasons. Since then, there has beenmuch extension in roads, airports and telecommunica-tions. These have narrowed the geographic spaceenabling the administration of a much larger area. Thereduction in the number of districts also seems a logicaloption to economise administrative cost.

The present district consolidation proposal is toreduce the number of administrative districts to 25 from75. The new districts are based on regrouping two tofour current geographically contiguous districts. Theheadquarters of the most centrally located current

district would be the new headquarter of theenlarged district. Elsewhere, it would be a newtownship with a highway or airport. The present 75districts could be relegated to ilaka, or sub-districtlevel with their headquarters converted to servicecentres.

This rationalisation of districts should also beextended to Village Development Committees. Ofthe Rs 630 million total budget allocated in 1999 tothe districts, 30 percent was for VDC secretaries. Ifthe number of VDCs was slashed by half, therewould be a saving of Rs 95 million annually. Largerdistricts would also mean a larger revenue base.Resource mobilisation in the re-consolidation ofdistricts would require delegation of functions to localbodies instead of the expansion of the central adminis-tration that has stunted local initiative and capability.

Districts can function as autonomous bodiesonly if they have an adequate resource base. Thiswould mean curtailing the present highly centralisedbudgetary allocation system and empoweringdistricts with more taxation authority. Districtincome could also be enhanced by allocating acertain percent of revenue from the district’s naturalresource exploitation.

One innovative scheme to mobilise districtrevenue would be to replicate the buffer zoneprogramme around the Royal Chitwan NationalPark (RCNP). VDCs in the buffer zone received 20percent of the tourism revenue from the nationalpark for community and conservation activities.

Mountain districts are considered the poorest interms of revenue sources. Yet much of the revenuethey generate is diverted to the central exchequer. Ifthe Chitwan model for revenue sharing is adopted,tourism-dominated districts would be much betteroff. For instance, the Everest area generated tourismrevenues of nearly $900,000 through climbingroyalties, trekking and park entrance fees. This was2.6 times the district’s total revenue. If only half thetourism receipts were to be retained in Solu-Khumbu, the amount would be nearly eight timesthe central government grant to the district.

Similarly, Upper Mustang yielded $737,000 fromtrekking fees in 1998. Of this income, 3.3 percent wentto the Annapurna Area Conservation Project and therest to the central exchequer. If this amount were to beshared, Mustang would have eight times more revenuethan the current central grant to the district.

There has been much discussion on the legalframework of the Local Self-governance Act 1999,which endorses the concept of devolution. A realisticapproach towards decentralisation needs to first clarifythe confusion between delegation of central functionsand devolution of authority to local entities. Thisimplies a drastic change in the relationship between thecentral government and the district hierarchy. Thedecentralisation effort in Nepal has failed due to thecommand system and economic fragility of the districts.And district autonomy is feasible only through theconsolidation of their economic base with a wider tax baseand revenue sharing of income from local resource use.

(Dr Harka Gurung is a geographer and formerTourism Minister. He is currently with the researchorganisation, New Era. This article was adapted fromhis paper delivered at a Society for InternationalDevelopment seminar in Kathmandu on 24 March.)

Thecentrecannothold

Consolidating thecountry’s 75 districtsinto 25 is the only way

to make themeconomically viable

and trulydecentralised.

There are 146 administrative districts in the Himalayabetween the Indus and Bramhaputra rivers. These include 75 inNepal, 49 in Indian states, 20 in Bhutan and four in Pakistan. The averagearea of a district is 2,350 sq km in Bhutan, 4,979 sq km in Pakistan and 6,065 sq kmin India. The average for Nepal: 1,962 sq km. The proposed 25 district-Nepal (see topmap) will mean an average area of 5,887 sq km.

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Kathmandu

22222 EDITORIAL 5 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMESNepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd,Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Editor: Anagha NeelakantanDesign: Kiran Maharjaneditors@nepalitimes.com, www.nepalitimes.comAdvertising: Sunaina Shah advertising@himalmedia.comSubscription: Anil Karki subscription@himalmedia.comSales: Sudan Bista sales@himalmedia.comSanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, LalitpurGPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, NepalTel: 01-543333-7, Fax: 01-521013Printed at Jagadamba Press: 01-521393

STATE OF THE STATE by CK LAL

hat is surprising about the hoo-hahthat followed Chief S’ab GenPrajwala SJB Rana’s speech last week

is that it died down so quickly. Pushing theenvelope seems to be the Chief’s forte, and hegets away with it.

Remember his comments after theNaryanhiti Massacre last year, when heasserted that protecting the life of theSupreme Commander was not the responsibil-ity of the Royal Nepal Army, thereby refutinghis own argument by making it. Soon after, hesaid an all-party consensus was necessary tomobilise the army to fight the insurgency. Thisriled the politicians again because according tothe laws of the land, the army is not aconstitutionally-mandated institution butmerely an instrument of the executive. TheCommander-in-Chief does have direct accessto the decision-making process by virtue of hismembership in the National Defence Council,but other than that the constitution gives himthe primary function of “not to question why”.

But we all know things are not as clear-cutas all that, and the chain-of-command hassome hangovers from the past. Gen Rana’slatest salvo from Tokha on 27 March was aseries of well-aimed mortar rounds directed atthe political leadership of the country (see“Who brought the nation to its presentcondition?”, #87). The remarks werecouched in a series of rhetorical questions,the most inflammatory of them being: “Is itright to blame the Royal Nepal Army, theprotector of national security, for asituation which is the result of 12 years ofpolitical factors?”

It must have been a lawyer who wrote thatspeech. And the chief appeared to be givingvent to his own frustration that the insurgencyis proving to be more difficult to fight thanexpected. But it is tragic that the questions(and their corresponding answers) had to comefrom the chief of a force that has been fightingto protect the political gains of the past 12years. Rather than a slap on his wrist fromparliament, maybe Gen Rana needed anunderstanding of the difficulties of the job hehas at hand. Nevertheless, the general showedhe is every bit of a politician as the people hewas berating. His “the Royal Nepalese Armywill never engage in double talk” would havebeen funny if it wasn’t so serious.

For an army chief, Gen Rana is a colourful

Gen Rana got a well-deserved tweak in parliament, and pretended to wince.

Yes sir, yes sir,three bags full

personality. He sports a bright-red tika on hisforehead even while in uniform, indulgeshimself in extended religious ceremonies, andhas no hesitation in coming up with trademark sound-bites to catch the headlines. Butthe reason his recent outbursts have created astir in political circles has nothing to do withRana’s popularity with the press. It is not whathe says, but how and when he says it that raisesthe hackles of politicians.

Nepal’s traditional elite doesn’t seem tohave come to terms with the realities ofdemocracy. The bahunistic privilengtsia ofNepal refuses to realise that every time itthumbs its nose at “gutter politics”, itinadvertently ends up manufacturing onemore apology for those who want to subvertthe system at the point of a gun.

The mantra of good governance ismusic to the ears of donors, but anelaboration of the concept to meet the twinchallenges of strengthening democracy andbuilding a strong state is yet to emerge.Democracy confers legitimacy to power, butit is of no use if the authority to exerciseit is not there. As a former cabinetsecretary put it: it’s pointless talkingabout good governance when there is nogovernance at all.

Part of the problem faced by the politycan be attributed to the reluctance of theinstruments of the state, including theRoyal Nepal Army, to carrying out the

decisions of successive elected governments.The bourgeois blames the political leader-ship of the country for being thoroughlycorrupt. And most of them are indeed guiltyof plunder and squandering public trust.However, it is unrealistic to expect to beled by socialist angels when the wholesociety is in the process of jumping from thefrying pan of feudalism directly into theraging fire of unbridled capitalism.

Is Samuel Huntington right, then, whenhe points out that corruption is inevitable,even necessary, in order to co-opt anemerging political elite into the system ofgovernance? Democracy develops itsantidotes as it matures, and the circulationof elite through elections is institutional-ised. To question this evolutionary processis to abet those who want to short-circuitthe system.

Sociologist Arvinda Das notes thatcorruption is a way of making space foritself used by the emerging elite in tradi-tional societies. Former bureaucrats caneasily wrangle lucrative consultancies on thebasis of donor contacts and bash thegovernment that they served so well for thebetter part of their lives. But there is no wayfor ministers to survive in a market-ledeconomy other than the way they are doing.The intelligentsia slams the political classno matter what—Pradip Giri is slammedfor being principled and losing the election,while Khum Bahadur Khadka is damned forbeing unprincipled and winning electionswith increasing margins. Heads you win,tails they lose.

Sanctimonious sermons and wishfulthinking notwithstanding, there is no waycorruption is going to disappear overnight.Neither can the genie of “good governance”materialise out of thin air. Meanwhile, agreasy palm that is instrumental in buildingpower stations is still preferable to thebloody hands that blow them up in thename of a revolution. Kathmandu’schatterati better get that straight and learnto spend more time denouncing terrorismthan deriding politicians. And as for ChiefS’ab, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deubahas already given him a well-deserved publictweak. And the Commander in Chiefpretended to wince. But my question is: willKathmandu’s power elite ever learn?

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FEAR AND LOATHINGt was Machiavelli, with that devious brain of his, who gave the princethis famous advice: “It’s better to be feared than loved.” Mao under-stood the power of fear and used it ruthlessly, but he also preached

love, believe it or not.Mass base support, Mao wrote, was crucial for the success of the

revolution. Squander that support, and you are a fish out of water. Maounderstood the power of the mass base. Even revolutionaries can’t affordto ignore public opinion. Mao’s revolution was no picnic. Millions died ofstarvation in his failed agrarian and rural industrialisation experiments,and millions more were killed during the cultural revolution—that fearfulprecursor to the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge.

For Mao, an armed struggle to dislodge entrenched feudal interestsand a self-perpetuating, and corrupt oligarchy was not only justifiable butalso necessary. Mao felt violence was needed because there was noother way to dislodge despots. The only thing that will make unyieldingand soulless elites take notice is when resistance uses the force ofarms. The rigid, centralised power that they struggle against is brittle. Itdoesn’t take much to shatter such structures when they are ridden withcorruption and factionalism.

But revolutions pass through their own cycles. After their initialpopulism, the violence they unleash breeds counter-violence, theydescend into anarchy and spin out of control. Internal rifts surface, war-lords take control, psychopathic purges begin. The revolution devours itsown children.

It will be fair to say that except for the election violence against theUnited Peoples’ Front in the mid-western districts in the 1995 polls, therewas ample political elbow-room within the post-1990 constitution for ourcomrades to manoeuvre, gain support on a genuine socialist platformand deliver their promises through parliamentary politics. But they wereimpatient. Parliament was too messy, and it meant they had to usuallyshare power. They wanted a shortcut to total power, and it came throughthe barrel of a gun.

The phenomenal spread of Prachanda’s path through Nepal in thepast seven years shows just how deep the public frustration is, how ripefor the picking the country had become. And the gathering revolution inturn fed the frustration by wrecking the economy and throwing morepeople out of jobs. When the momentum of revolution takes over, there isno room for dissent. It is the inexorable logic of totalitarianism that sup-port must be total. You agree with us, or else. If you don’t agree with thegoals of the revolution and the path chosen by the leadership to get there,then you take the ultimate punishment of being banished into afterlife.

The only way to command such unquestioning allegiance is throughthe power of fear. And that fear will only work if it is the fear of grievousbodily harm. If your entire support base is derived from fear, then theviolence has to be of the fiercest and most barbaric kind. Which meansas an individual, you harden yourself to witness and implement unspeak-able and savage acts. You shed your humanity, your compassion and yourability to be moved by human suffering—those are all signs of weakness.

“ANTI-GOVERNMENT FORCES”Our comrades are convinced that they have mass support, that their goalis so pure it must have the unquestioning support for the aim andmethod. But you don’t have the mass with you if you rely on the support ofpeople who are too afraid to oppose you. Deserted streets do not signifythe success of a “bandh”, it shows that a fear psychosis is rife. We knowfrom other revolutions that support borne out of fear never lasts. Espe-cially when revolutions go the way of most revolutions and implode froman internalised culture of violence and elimination of opponents.

Ignoring mass support and public opinion, therefore, is the easiestway for Nepal’s Maoists to lose their early populist base. And the bestindication of a political force that doesn’t care for public opinion is one thatwants to shut down the country for five days, the one that destroys ahydropower plant that electrifies its own “base area”, destroys telecom-

munication towers, blowsup highwaybridges,burns downan agricul-tural exten-

sion trainingcentre, closes

down schools.This revolution

has drifted a longway away from what

Mao Zedong thoughtwould work. That isprobably why Chinesestate media, RadioBeijing, or Xinhua neversay “Maoists” to describeour comrades in newsbulletins. The Chinesecall them simply: “anti-government forces”.

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555555 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMESNATION

1. Trachomatous Inflammation – FollicularThe presence of five or more follicles in theupper eye lashes. Follicles are roundswellings appearing white, grey or yellow.Follicles must be at least 0.5 mm indiameter. At this stage, a treatment oftetracycline cream is sufficient to preventmore serious problems.

2. Trachomatous Inflammation – IntensePronounced inflammatory thickening of thebase of the lashes that obscures more thanhalf of the vessels. The area appears red,rough and thickened. There are usuallynumerous follicles. At this stage, doctorsrecommend giving topical treatment andconsidering systematic treatment.

3. Trachomatous ScarringScars are easily visible as white lines,bands, or sheets in the tarsal conjunctiva.They are glistening and fibrous in appear-ance. Blood vessels obscured.

4. Trachomatous TrichiarsisAt least one eyelash rubs on the eyeball.Patients should be referred for eyelidsurgery.

5. Corneal OpacityEasily visible corneal opacity over thepupil. Such corneal opacities causesignificant visual impairment. Immediatetreatment is required.

Five stages of Trachoma

complete eradication by 2019.Effort of NNJS and its

collaborating partners havealready seen some success. Mobilesurgery camps, eye hospitaltreatment centres and communitytrachoma control programmes inhigh-prevalence areas like Bankeand Bardiya have brought about adrop in the disease. “Witheducation, awareness andmedication, the situation hasimproved in areas like Bardiya,where prevalence has dropped from30 to five percent,” says ShailShrestha, the Swiss Red CrossRepresentative in Kathmandu.

A community-based trachomacontrol programme run since1989 by the Nepal Red Cross incollaboration with the Swiss RedCross and NNJS has mobilisedlocal volunteers to promoteawareness about trachomainfections and relatively simplecleanliness and hygiene preven-tion measures. Makuni Tharu isone of 200 active eye care RedCross volunteers in Bardiya. Shewith 15 other volunteers hasreceived a bicycle for referring 50cases for surgery to the Fateh BalEye Hospital in Nepalgunj, andwith it she is now able to reach awider community.

The most recent prevalencestudy in children under 10 yearsindicates that 16 percent of thepopulation in Kanchanpur andmore than 12 percent of thepopulation in Kailali suffer fromthe disease. A population-basedsurvey conducted by the HellenKeller International in May 2001indicated that 19.9 percent ofChitwan’s population suffers fromthe condition, as well as 16percent in Nawalparasi. Preva-lence is even higher in Surkhet(19.5 percent), Dailekh (27percent), and Jajarkot (36 percent).

Nepal is one of 16 countriesthat the World Health Organisa-tion (WHO) has put on itspriority list for trachoma elimina-tion. In 1997, the WHO estab-lished the Global Elimination ofTrachoma (GET 2020) alliancewhich falls under the umbrella of“Vision 2020 -The Right toSight”. The alliance aims todrastically reduce the globalburden of blindness, whichcurrently affects an estimated 146million people. Trachoma is oneof five vision diseases that Vision2020 has placed a priority on,along with cataracts, onchocercia-sis, childhood blindness, refrac-tive errors and low vision.

Nepal is the first country inSouth Asia to prepare a NationalPlan of Action which combinesthe forces of government agenciesand institutions working in eyecare, and sets up trachomacentres to be established at eyehospitals located in endemiczones. While projects underwayso far have had a positive impact,officials acknowledge that greateraction is required. “What’sextremely urgent is a large scaleawareness program aimed atchanging behaviour,” says Poudyal.

To raise public awarenessabout trachoma, the BBC WorldService Trust, working inpartnership with Radio Nepal,NNJS, and the Ministry ofHealth, launched an innovativemedia campaign in late March todisseminate information about thedisease. Comprised of music andradio spots and posters, thecampaign focuses on face and eyewashing and a clean environment—two key behaviour changes thatcan reduce trachoma prevalence. Inaddition to Nepali languageprogramming, radio spots are alsobeing produced in Tharu.

“Our campaign’s aim is tofamilarise the population with theword trachoma,” says MadhuAcharya a radio producer with theBBC Trust. “They must make thelink between trachoma andblindness, inform people that itcan be prevented by simplywashing one’s face well and bymaintaining a clean environmentfree of flies.”

Trachoma is endemic in 49countries, primarily in Africa theeastern Mediterranean, SoutheastAsia and the western Pacific. Itremains the most commonpreventable cause of blindness inthe world with an estimated 5.6million blind, visually impaired orat immediate risk of blindnessfrom the disease and another 146million cases of active trachomain need of treatment.

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CIAA statsThe Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is making moves. In the past 18 months theCIAA has charged more than Rs. 210 million as fines for irregularities by public office holders. It has investi-gated and filed cases against 87 individuals at the Patan Appellate Court. Out of the 72 cases heard at thecourt, 36 cases were decided in favour of the commission while a dozen were annulled. In the same periodCIAA investigated 442 academic certificates and found 69 to be fake. It has filed cases of misrepresentationof academic qualifications against 28 employees, of which 13 are government employees and 15 are fromdifferent public corporation employees who has used fake certificates for securing recruitment and promo-tion.

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Adventure NepalAs the world of adventure travel asserts itself as Feature Product during the 25th

PATA Travel Mart in Singapore, 9-12 April, Nepal will be in the spotlight as theFeature Country. Plagued by an insurgency, an emergency, and recession, itmight be the much-needed boost Nepal’s flagging tourism needs. For some years,adventure travel has become the most dynamic and fast–growing sector ofinternational tourism with adventure related activities accounting for as much as20 percent of the revenue turnover of the tourism industry. “Adventure travelremains an aspect of the industry that is dominated by small operators with limited budgets,” says ActionAsia magazine Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Robert Houston. “Being Feature Product at PATA Travel Mart willencourage operators to lift their standards and offer a greater variety of new and interesting packages.” AreNepali operators listening?

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Kapil visits GovindaMember of National Commission on Human Rights, Kapil Shrestha, says the case of Govinda Mainali who isserving a life-sentence in a Japanese jail for allegedly killing a Japanese woman in 1997 is a “blot” on thecordial realtions between Japan and Nepal. Shrestha was adressing a press conference in Tokyo last weekorganised by the activist group, “Justice for Govinda”. He had earlier visited Govinda in a Tokyo detentioncentre, and said he found him in “reasonably good spirits”. Some 80 people, including three lawyers defend-ing Govinda and Japanese-Nepali Rajan Pradhanang, participated in the talk programme at the Catholic Centrein Tokyo.

Lawyers defending Govinda also took part, saying that the way the appellate court decided in 2000 toconvict him without serious investigation or carefully analysing discrepancies in the police investigation“raised some serious questions on the impartiality, fairness and efficacy” of the process.

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Bangkok TimesThe Bumrungrad Hospital in Thailand, has become the first hospital in the world to offer its patients andvisitors the latest international edition of their hometown papers. That has been possible with the installationof an interactive newspaper kiosk on its premises. The PRESSPOiNT™, PEPC’s self-contained interactivekiosk, currently prints the latest editions of 69 national and international newspapers from 37 countries -including the Nepali Times published from Kathmandu. Asia’s only internationally accredited hospital,Bumrungrad accommodates over 750,000 patients a year of which over 215,000 patients are from outsideThailand. “We are excited that we can now offer our patients and visitors the latest edition of their favouritenewspaper in their native language while staying at our hospital”, says Curtis J. Schroeder, Bumrungrad’sAmerican CEO. “Bringing our patients a daily touch of home will surely make their stay more pleasant.” Thatincludes Nepali patients.

A trachoma awareness camp in progress in Bardiya.

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You should:

• have a bachelor’s degree (any discipline)

• possess a good command of Nepali and English (oral and written)

• be computer literate (MS Word, Excel, Access, e-mail, etc)

• have at least 2 years work experience in a busy office environment,preferably in customer services

• possess a high awareness of customer expectation and service

• be an energetic and enthusiastic self-starter with the presence andinter-personal skills to make an immediate positive impact in a busy andchallenging working environment

After successful completion of a probationary period, you will be entitled toparticipate in a Staff provident fund. In addition, you and your immediatedependants will be entitled to the reimbursement of medical charges.

The starting salary, on an incremental scale, will be Nrs. 13,675

THE BRITISH EMBASSY, KATHMANDUHas a vacancy for an assistant in the Consular and Immigration Section.

The Head, Consular & Immigration ServicesThe British EmbassyPO. Box 106Lainchaur, Kathmandu

Applications must be received no later than 9:00 am on Thursday 18 April 2002and should be sealed and clearly marked “Application for Immigration As-sistant”. Applications received after this date will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and called for an interview .

Applications, with CV, stating details of previous work experience, qualifica-tions and referees should be sent to:

44444 5 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMESNATION

by DANIEL LAKHERE AND THERE

hat is it about the sport of cricket thatinspires such self-deception among itsfans? The recent cover story in Himal

South Asia magazine about cricket, caste and theBollywood movie Lagaan has

become a hot topic of conversa-tion and letter writing, withopinions starkly divided. Notjust divided, but at near violent

loggerheads. And a good thingthat excellent magazine is read

only by a well-informedminority of opinion makersin the region. Even cricketcan be fodder for the“divide and rule mob”,some of whom are stillrampaging in Gujarat. Letme state first of all that Iam no fan of the game ofcricket, that I find ittedious, tendentious andanachronistic.

My last foray intothese troubled waters was

during the Hansie Cronjeaffair in Delhi. My first was

several years earlier inPakistan, during a

controversy aboutcertain members ofthe Pakistan cricketteam caught drunk

The sport is a sport like any other, not a metaphor for life.Not cricket, old boyand with illegal substances on a beach in Barbados. On both occa-sions, and many times in between, I fell afoul of the British sportingmedia by laughing at the stories in question and adopting the attitude“well, they would, wouldn’t they.” Now we reporters tend to regard mostthings with cynicism, a sense that nothing is as it seems and the public facebeing put on events is not to be trusted. For an explanation of most things, lookto human nature, greed, lust, an overestimate of one’s own competence.

That’s certainly how I interpreted the tale of poor Cronje, SouthAfrica’s cricket captain, caught by the Delhi police with a pocket fullof bookmakers’ money. He was, it seems, offering advice on pitchconditions and such—at ten thousand dollars a pop. Not bad for aweather report. To me, he was obeying one of my natural laws, givingway to greed, salting away filthy lucre for that not too distant day when hiscricketing skills no longer earned him big bucks. Wrong, perhaps, but in thepantheon of human sins, venal, not virulent, not harming anyone save perhapsthe poor suckers who bet with uninformed bookies.

But the British (and South Asian) sporting press saw thingsdifferently. Words like “tragedy’, “outrage” and “criminal” popped upregularly. The phrases were even more overwrought. “A stain on theface of the sport,” according to one BBC commentator, “a body blowto cricket,” said a writer on the game. Excuse me? What are wetalking about here? An international enterprise that earns vast sums ofmoney for a panoply of people, not least bookmakers, or a pristine,pure pastime of gentlemen on a village green in Victorian England.Respectfully, I say the former. Sport is big business, among thebiggest. Content, entertainment, closely linked with the marketing oflucrative and luxurious consumer items, and its players deserve to getwhat chunk of action that they can. If, like Hansie Cronje and allsorts of others, they cross a legal line and are caught, they must bepunished. But they must not be vilified by Talebanesque supporters

and media types, people who’ve deceived themselves into thinkingprofessional cricket is a religion and not a big business masqueradingas a sport.

So too with the Himal analysis of cricket’s casteism, its uniquelySouth Asian twisting of British imperial elitism in the selection process,its subtle symbolism in support of the status quo, its ability to seemmore than the venal enterprise I’m talking about here. The article wasa good read. It made certain points, and we should all favourdeconstruction of anything we hold dear, if only to strengthen it, makeit more sustainable. But no, keep your hands off cricket, it’s doingrather nicely without grubby journalists prying around and getting inkstains all over bat, ball and those nifty pullovers worn on even thehottest days.

I’m no great fan of any other sport, although I have a soft spot forfootball—dead simple, a great leveller, a platform for the poor to shinein many countries. But also a pursuit that drips money from its seams,that tempts wrongdoing and match fixing and the misuse of fame bysimple souls exploited by the bookies, agents and other profiteers. Sotoo America’s sports of baseball, basketball etc. But Americans—atleast—see their sporting heroes as professional athletes, not angels orguardians of tradition.

Cricket needs to loosen up, to drop the holier than thou attitude,to accept that it’s part of the entertainment business, and not ametaphor for life. Control match fixing if you can, but don’t putHansie Cronje or anyone else who defies your perceptions of the gamein a pit with Jack the Ripper. Besides, a sport that excepts the role oflegal money, marketing and profit-maximisation might just be moreegalitarian and even successful. As we saw in Lagaan, no caste, class orethnic group has the market cornered on hitting sixes, fast bowling orsharp fielding. Howzzat?

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RAMYATA LIMBUn infection so serious it canlead to blindness, and aremedy so simple that all it

takes is a habit of washing theface and some pills. Such is theparadox of medical problems indeveloping countries.

One such infection is tra-choma which is endemic inwestern Nepal, where it afflictsnearly one in every ten people,and it is the leading cause ofpreventable blindness in thecountry. But a new preventionand cure campaign launched by aNepali NGO which will distrib-ute antibiotics donated by the USpharmaceutical company, Pfizer,is expected to eradicate trachomain the next two decades.

In two weeks, the NepalNetra Jyoti Sangh (NationalSociety for Comprehensive EyeCare – NNJS) will administerZithromax pills to patients inKailali, Kanchanpur, Nawalparasiand Chitwan districts. Theantibiotic is the key componentof a national strategy to eliminatetrachoma. It is part of a strategycalled SAFE – Surgery, Antibiotic,Facial Cleanliness and Environ-mental Improvement. “WithSAFE, we hope to eliminatetrachoma as a blinding disease bythe year 2020,” says BimalPoudyal of NNJS.

Trachoma is a type of chronicconjunctivitis caused by a microorganism which leads to acute

inflammation and scarring of theinner lining of the eye. In extremecases, the eyelashes turn inward,rubbing on the cornea andcausing blindness by turning thelens opaque. The key to treat-ment is Zithromax which cancontrol infection by bacteria inthe tissue of the eyelids. But,explains eye specialist NNSJchairman, Ram Prasad Pokhrel:“It has to be accompanied by awidespread awareness campaignabout personal hygiene and aclean environment.”

Trachoma, known locally askhasre, is prevalent in 6.9 percentof the population and in the far-western regions of Nepal. The1981 National Blindness Surveyshowed that trachoma wasendemic in Banke, Bardiya,Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dang, andSurkhet and largely prevalentamong the Tharu, Magar, andThakuri communities. Pocketsalso exist in hilly and mountainregions like Jajarkot with its poorpersonal hygiene and lack ofcommunity sanitation.

Cataract blindness strikesboth the rich and the poor – andmost people seek a cure once theylose their sight. But trachoma, adisease of poverty, is common inareas deprived of basic needs inhousing, health, water andsanitation, and debilitates familiesand communities.

Studies show that Tharucommunities are three times more

Many Nepalis suffer from trachoma, an eyeinfection that leads to blindness. Now there ishope of better vision for tomorrow.

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likely to contract the disease.Likewise, women who are in closecontact with children are morelikely to suffer from trachomablindness because infants andyoung children are reservoirs ofthe disease, primarily becausethey do not wash their faces.

The highly contagiousbacteria that spreads trachoma ismost active during the hotmonths, so NNJS and its networkof collaborating communitygroups have their work cut outfor them this summer. “We haveto get the antibiotics into thefield for this cycle if we want tomeet national targets,” saysDiwash S Rijal, NNJS ProgramDirector. That target is part ofthe National Plan of Action forEye Care Services in Nepalprepared last September. TheGlobal Initiative for the Preven-tion of Avoidable Blindness(called ‘Vision 2020: The Rightto Sight’) set the objective ofreducing trachoma in Nepal by 30percent by 2004, 50 percent by2009, 80 percent by 2014 and

Seeing tomorrowA

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77777NEPALI ECONOMY 5 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMES

BIZ NEWS

INTERVIEW

We are investors in this country,make it easier to invest.

Singapore Airlines, one of the world’smost successful international carriers,was also one of the earliest airlines tobegin flights to Nepal in the mid-eighties. Nepali Times spoke withLawrence Liew, general manager ofSingapore Airlines in Kathmandu.

How was business last year?Last year was very challenging, particularly after 11 September. In Nepalit was the royal massacre of 1 June that sent a message that things arenot running well here. That kept many tourists away. Look at newspa-pers, arrivals are still dropping.

Do you see signs of a recovery in travel?There are signs of a recovery, but elsewhere. For instance we had theNational Air Travel Agents Fair of Singapore to sell special packages,particularly to the US, and passengers are now travelling to the USAagain. We’ve resumed flights, where there were five daily services toLos Angeles, we’re at two. Flights to New York had been cut down fromfive each week, but are now going back to original levels. There aresigns that travel is recovering.

What about Nepal, are tourists coming?We have small indications here and there. Good Friday was good,people came from Singapore for the long weekend. We were over-booked from Singapore, it was a refreshing change. I just hope nothingelse happens here.

How is the competition after Royal Nepal has discontinuedcompetition, how has Thai been?

Thai has always been a strong competitor. We also have Qatar,Transavia, Gulf Air.

Does Singapore Airlines promote Nepal, how?If you recall, about a year-and-a-half ago we did a USA-

Nepal tour where we flew travel trade industry people to nine UScities. We did that twice to make sure the Americans were coming. Ifnothing else, with such trips we can assuage their concerns or fearsabout coming to Nepal. It is good to tell people there about the situationfirst hand and invite them to visit. You have to have a presence inmarkets, otherwise it is easy for people with money to go elsewhere.We are doing other things. For example, during the jazz festival, webrought over Don Borrows, and bands from other places too. Thesethings are needed to pacify people, make them think Kathmandu is quitesafe. We hope the word gets around. We distributed close to over 100posters on the festival in the US, Australia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan…almost all over the world.

You seem to be doing what Royal Nepal should beÖGiven their constraints, it is quite difficult for them. They have beenclosing their stations one by one. Somebody has to fill their shoes, dotheir bit for the sake of tourism.

What can Royal Nepal learn from Singapore Airlines?If I were at Royal Nepal I would concentrate only on routes that aremaking money. It is time to put aside your national pride and focus on thebusiness. Let’s make the profitable routes work first and then as you getmore confidence and revenue, you can expand to other routes. Somedestinations that Royal Nepal flies to are a little suspicious, why wouldanybody want to fly to stations that are like white elephants. Last yearwe cut off two stations because they were not making money. It has tobe run like a business.

How has the in-bound traffic of Nepalis to Singapore been? Whyshould Nepalis go there?Singapore is a very convenient place for Nepalis. You don’t need visas,everybody in Singapore speaks English. All you need to go there is areturn ticket and you can spend a few days there. There is a fairly largeNepali community there. Singapore is safe, almost crime free.

Do you also have a new package?The package is for all travellers visiting Singapore. We realise tourism is

our major revenue earner, like for Nepal. Hence the package, whichgives you a night in Singapore for $32. It is an extremely good deal, butyou need a ticket from Singapore Airlines. That is part of the dealbecause it is subsidised by the airline, the Singapore Tourism Board andthe concerned hotels.

You used to fly Airbus 340s to Kathmandu on occasion, nowyouíre back to A310s. Do you plan to increase frequency or goback to A340s?We intend to increase frequency, we’ve been doing that in the winter,when demand outstrips supply. That’s when we bring in A340s. Latelywe’ve stopped, because the bigger aircraft are required for long hauls.If the loads justify it, we will go back to them.

There are pricing issues. It is cheaper to fly to Singapore fromNew Delhi than from Kathmandu, why?I guess it is a marketing strategy. There are more airlines flying fromDelhi to Singapore than from Kathmandu and vice-versa. Also there aremore passengers there.

Have you also had an increase in Indian tourists?There was an increase but everything slowed down after 11 September.We are now focussing on growth areas like China. Japan has alsoslowed down, but there are signs that the traffic is picking up again.

Are you happy about the money you pay for the services you gethere?Nepal is not a cheap place to operate to, taxes are quite high and youare taxed on the gross revenue, not the net. For example, we sell aticket and give a certain percentage as commission to agents, but thegovernment chooses to tax on the gross. It is a double whammy for us,we have to give commissions and also pay from the gross. These areareas that I hope the government will take note of and make it a little lessexpensive for people who want to invest in this country. Simple thingslike airport passes also make a difference. Now they tell me thatbecause I work in the town office I cannot get a pass. Things like thesemake it very challenging. There is no facilitation committee or anythinglike that to take care of important but small things. We are investors inthis country, make it easier for us to invest. Parking/ landing charges areone thing, they just raised the rental for airport offices by 100 percent,without prior consultation. They should have at least checked. That isnot a way to do business.

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High-flying feesAirline tickets could cost more pretty soon. The government on 29 March revised several fees relating to theaviation sector, which airlines will doubtless need to pass on to the consumer. The decision raises theregistration, renewal and ownership fees for airlines and also reduces fees relating to Air OperatingCertificates (AOC). Registration fees for aircraft (including helicopters) up to 7,500 kg flight weight is Rs22,950 ($300), almost double the existing rate, that for gliders is Rs 7,600, up from Rs 4,000. The AOC feefor international airlines, which was based on flight type, has been fixed at Rs 95,600 ($12,500), a signifi-cant reduction from the Rs 500,000 payable earlier (for charters it was Rs 300, 000). However—as if tobalance the revenue losses—the government has raised the AOC fees for domestic operators to Rs382,500 up from Rs 100,000 (and Rs 60,000 for irregular operators). The domestic industry, which wasdeclared as “sick” some weeks ago and allowed to raise fares is perplexed, because the decision wastaken without consulting the industry.

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Bidding for teaThe Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board (NTCDB) has begun auctioning tea in Birtamod, the firstorganised effort to market domestic tea produce. Six producers participated in the auction on 27 Marchthough the sale was not very brisk as the bidders were largely Nepali companies. Nepali tea producers saythey produce some of the best quality teas in the world but have not been able to sell because of the lack ofmarketing arrangements. Nepali orthodox tea, produced in the hills of Nepal, is said to be of better qualitythan Indian teas, largely because the plants are young and grown using relatively smaller quantities ofpesticides and chemical fertilisers. Nepal produced 6.6 million kg of tea in fiscal 2000/01, up from the roughly5 million kg produced the year before.

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More ADB loansThe Asian Development Bank (ADB) says it is willing to give Nepal up to $300 million in loans between 2003-2005 to support 13 proposed projects. However, Nepal will see the money only if it is able to perform inaccordance with criteria set to assess its macroeconomic performance, policy reforms in different sectorsand ability to use the money. By ADB standards Nepal’s performance is a “base case,” which makes iteligible to borrow between $90-100 million annually from the bank’s concessional lending window, the AsianDevelopment Fund. The bank has also said yes to about 24 non-loan grants as technical assistance, whichadd up to about $4 million each year. Sector-wise, there are to be six loans in agriculture and naturalresources, two in finance and industry, three in social infrastructure, one in energy and one in transport andcommunications.

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Cheaper, greener flooringHere’s a choice for less expensive and possibly more-environmentfriendly flooring. The Himalayan Bamboo P. Ltd. has begun marketingits bamboo-flooring parquet as an alternative to using wood, marbleetc. The flooring resembles wood but retains the texture and coloursof bamboo. Company sources add that its anti-moth, anti-mildew,waterproof, heat resistant and deformity proof.

from p1

Earlier in the week, theMaoists blew up the Chandautasub-station in Kapilvastu, causingdamage worth Rs 5 million, andattacked another electricitystation at Ataria. They have alsoattacked and damaged smallhydros in Khandbari, Bhojpurand Okhaldhunga. The NepalElectricity Authority had notassessed the damages inOkhaldhunga, but the loss in thetwo other plants was estimated atRs 12 million. Besides NEA-owned plants, the Maoists havealso destroyed numerous commu-nity-run hydro plants, which noone even seems to be counting.

So far the Maoists haveattacked and damaged 37telecommunications substations,including some major repeaters,each one of which will cost overRs 40 million to rebuild. Phoneshave been dead in 12 districtsfor months.

There could be some ration-ale to attacking highways andhydropower, but what is harderto fathom is what the rebels gainby destroying a training centre foragricultural extension in Kavre,the remote Juphal airstirp and theDolpa’sonly lifeline, the forestryproject centre in Sindhupalchok,or small hydro projects built withlocal initiative all over thecountry or the only smallhydroplant in Panchthar. Or,how does it help the revolutionto destroy water supply of

Narayan Nagar Palika in Dailekhand Okhaldhunga’s water supply?

The attacks after 20 Marchappear to have been part of theterror campaign in the build-upfor the strike the Maoists hadproposed for 2-6 April. Maoistscaught trying to plant bombs inKathmandu in the past weekreportedly admitted just that.

Then there are all the otherlosses. The counter-insurgencyoperation has already cost thegovernment Rs 1 billion sinceNovember. The crippling lossescaused by the collapse of thetourism industry and manufactur-ing and its knock-on effect on theeconomy cannot even be esti-mated. Add to that the cost ofdestroyed infrastructure and itshows that the Maoists are notjust fighting an insurgency,

they are systematically disman-tling a nation.

By now, the rebels havedropped all pretences of trying tobe populist by not attackingprojects that benefited the poor.Now, anyone is fair game, andthere is a frightening element oflooting and plunder that accom-panies the attacks.

It could be that the Maoistsare responding to militarypressure on their activities, andhave turned to soft targets tospread maximum panic. Could it,then, be a sign of desperation?Explains Gautam: “The despera-tion does not explain thismindless violence. The leadershiphas no reason to be desperatesince the leadership is safe inIndia and is confident therevolution is on course.”

Towards total destruction

The telecommunication tower was blown up by Maoists on 29 March,now the tourist town of Sauraha is without phones.

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66666 NATION 5 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMES

by PUSKAR BHUSALSOMEWHERE IN NEPAL

We are turning into a nation of cynical, frustrated misanthropes.

Hostile territory

palpable sense of bitternesspervades our biosphere.Try unburdening your heart

with anyone these days and youare likely to be weighed down bya volley of soul-destroyinglamentations from your interlocu-

tor. A lot of peopledon’t seem to like whateverybody else is doing.Others complain theyaren’t getting credit forwhat they are doing. Addthe cumulative stressinduced by apathy,bloodshed, corruption

and drift to this grumpi-ness and you get a real

feeling of the cynicism thathas set in. We’ve been

carrying so many chips on ourshoulders for so long that the

blades of hostility have becomethe hallmark of our defensemechanism.

The beats of agitated heartsand the heat of distraught mindscan be felt almost everywhere.Politicians can’t understand whythe people are so fixated withcorruption when everybody

knows how expensive a career inpublic service has become. Thepeople can’t figure out how theirleaders can be so insensitive totheir concerns and still have theimpudence to come knocking atelection time. The security forcescomplain how the people’srepresentatives’ reluctance tocamp in their constituencies isundercutting the campaign todraw rebels away from their guns.The insurgents can’t understandwhy the country is losing sight oftheir ultimate cause just becausethe armed wing of the partyhappens to have gained su-premacy over the politicalcommissars now. Bureaucratsdon’t know how many mastersthey are expected to serve. Civilsociety worries about how fastcourtesy is disappearing from thenational discourse.

Nattering nabobs ofnegativism have pushed thenation to new depths of despair.We’ve spent the last 12 yearssquabbling over the source of oursickness and reaching out for aremedy within our rifts. Those inpower have prospered bypointing to the perennial infancyof Nepali democracy. Remnantsof the ancien regime takesatisfaction in the endlessstumbles the new political elitehave made a habit of taking.

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by KANAK MANI DIXITCOMMENT

Those in the sidelines havebeen forced to witness aspectacle they clearly didn’texpect and certainly don’t like.

Sure, things could have beena whole lot better. Singaporewas too ambitious a goal ourinexperienced leaders tried toimpress us with. But, remember,we did start out with moreopposition MPs than denizens ofLee Kwan Yew’s city-state couldever dream of. Talk of the sunrising from the west was aninsidious symptom of thecompulsions of our hungparliament. But we could havetried to complete the Mahakalidetailed project report beforethat part of Uttar Pradeshturned into Uttaranchal. Theruling party has consistentlyfailed to act on its pledge toprovide a stable government. Butour eternally bickering Kangresiscould have ensured that theopposition did not end uphaving the final word on who theprime minister should be.

It probably doesn’t hurt to hitrock bottom once in a while toreflect on missed opportunitiesand to reach out to our possibili-ties. One time-tested therapy fordespondency is to think of howmuch worse things could havebeen. (Exercise No. 1: Make a listof three things we might have been

worrying about today if we didn’thave a Maoist insurgency, endlesscorruption allegations or sickeningpower plays.)

Does this approach smack ofescapism? Not when there aren’ttoo many refuges around. Is itfatalism? Our life is too heavilyinfluenced by predestination foranother few twists of fate tomake much of a difference. Do Ihave a roadmap for renewal afterall this carping? No. Especiallynot when those who are paid toprepare one have hardly spreadout their drawing boards. Butthat doesn’t mean I’m about togive up my right to rant.

But here’s my two paisasanyway. Since we have to makethe best with what we have, wemust confront our quest forfreedom and dignity with brutalcandour. Perhaps a good placeto start would be the rapidlydiminishing space betweennostalgia for the predictabilityof the partyless decades and thepromise of a one-party paradise.Discussions on panchayatiatrocities would serve littlepurpose anymore withoutacknowledging that opponentsof the status quo used murderand sabotage as politicalweapons long before the Maoistsrose up against the state. HowKangresi hijackers and commu-

nist head-hunters pitted againstthe putrid panchas in the 1970seventually recognised the needto build a common platform twodecades later is crucial to under-standing the undercurrents of ourpolitical flow.

To be sure, this catharsiswill reopen old wounds. Peoplewhom we’ve spent a lifetimedeifying may come downcrashing from their pedestals inno time. In the wisdom time sograciously bestows on us, somesullied personalities may succeedin redeeming part of theirreputation. In any case, we haveto stop playing this blame gameif we want to avoid becoming anation of misanthropes. Thedeconstruction of the myth thata few have a monopoly onpolitical virtue would eventuallyhave a therapeutic effect on thenation’s conscience. (ExerciseNo.2: Let’s try to find out if wehave the compassion to absolveeach other—and ourselves—ofcrimes we may or may not havecommitted.)

You know what? Maybe weshould set up a truth andreconciliation commission wherewe can sob, wail, moan and bangour fists for as long as we feellike. Once we run out ofgrudges, we just might startliking each other.

athmandu’s armchair analysts feellittle reason to express theiropinion on international affairs.

They ignore even the ones that have abearing on Nepal. We are content withnews provided by the internationalsatellite channels, the discussions heldon Star TV or Aaj Tak, and op-edanalyses in the New Delhi papers thatarrive every evening on IC 813.

There is little need felt to passcomment (or judgement) on internationaland South Asian issues. For example,to take something close at hand, youwill be hard put to find a columnist whomaintains a position on the politicaldevelopments or economic trendswithin the Tibetan Autonomous Region.We keep mum when we should beprotesting when the Nepal Policeinterdicts Tibetans coming over the highpasses on their way to Dharamshala aspilgrim-refugees. Our analysts do not

Why do Nepali commentators not feel the need to express their opinion on thePalestinian intifada, Govinda Mainali in a Japanese jail, or the Uttar Pradesh elections?

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ask why the Dalai Lama cannot visit thebirthplace of Siddhartha Gautam.

When it comes to India, the panditsmouth the identical ‘nationalist’ viewsheard from the political party pulpits.You would be hard-pressed to locatean India-watcher in Nepali academe,even though our economy and polity isdominated by the southern neighbour.Do not expect the Kathmandu analyst towrite on the results of the recent UttarPradesh Assembly elections, or thepossible impact of Ayodhya violence onthe Nepal tarai.

We are fixated on New Delhi as asupposed equal, but do little to chal-lenge the so-called Nepal-experts inNew Delhi, mostly self-importantacademics who do not keep up-to-datewith the country’s wildly changingpolitical landscape. Nepali academicsprofess to loathe these talking heads,but then they do precious little to makethemselves heard by the Indian opinion-making classes. When was the last timea Nepali professor published in a NewDelhi weekly or daily?

The homework is just not there. Fordecades, the opinon-makers roared onthe need to rescind or renegotiate the1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendshipwith India. But the moment the Indiangovernment (under I.K. Gujral) agreedto discuss the treaty, all our resolvedisappeared and we ran for cover.After all, it is unclear whether wewould indeed benefit – under presentconditions of underdevelopment – if theequal treatment clause and the open

border were to be tampered with.(“Okay, tell me what you want to do

with it,” Gujral asked the diggaj gath-ered at the Nepal Council of WorldAffairs, when challenged on the treaty.He was greeted with pin drop silence.)

On geo-political discourse, we arestill at the stage of valourising Nalapani,claiming that Lumbini is ours (eventhough no one is really taking it awayfrom us), taking pride in being the landof Buddha (even though peace is hereno more), and pointing to Mount Everestas our own (forgetting, conveniently,that half of it is owned by Tibet/China).Inconvenient facts, we prefer to pushunder the mind’s carpet, such as Nepalbeing the one country in SAARC thatallows its citizens to fight in anothermember country’s army against a thirdmember country.

If there is so little being said onNepal-India issues, there are evenfewer grey cells being exercised onother trends in India or elsewhere inSouth Asia. The opinion of others isconsidered sufficient, for example, onthe peace-building in progress in SriLanka, on post-Godhra Gujarat, or onKashmir violence. The Nepali intelligent-sia has not developed an anti-nuclearproliferation agenda even though wewould be the first to be irradiated byeven a limited nuclear exchangebetween Islamabad and New Delhi.

To move on to Bhutan, there is noKathmandu academic who has special-ised on the Lhotshampa issue since itflared. Ten years of continuing crisis,

and not one scholarproduced – that isa poor record. Neither have we devel-oped expertise on any of our highlandneighbours: the Indian Northeast,Sikkim, Darjeeling, Uttaranchal, orHimachal Pradesh.

What is the impact of the lifting ofthe US garment quotas under WTO forNepal, and how will we fare vis-à-vis,say, Bangladesh? How much of theSouth Asian seminar business hasbeen siphoned off to Bangkok fromKathmandu, after the mutual banning ofover-flights by India and Paksitan? Whatare the trends on the labour markets inthe Gulf and Southeast and East Asia?Come to think of it, there is no intellec-tual curiosity even to identify issuesabroad that should concern us?

Nepal has been a long-time friend ofIsrael, with which it has maintaineddiplomatic relations since the dayswhen Tel Aviv was considered a pariahin much of the Third World. We there-fore may have the right to upbraid theIsraeli government for its ongoinginhumanity against the Palestinians, andthe incredible television footage ofYasser Arafat’s person under seige.But do not hold your breath. We whomake up Kathmandu’s pontificatingclasses do not feel up to expressingopinions on world affairs.

Turning then to Japan, where one ofour own, Govinda Mainali, languishes ina Tokyo detention centre sufferingmiscarriage of justice. The matter of hisinnocence is such an open-and-shutcase that activists in Japan and

America—not related in any way toNepal and Nepalis—have rallied to hiscause. But in Kathmandu, there is onlysilence, and no attempt to make this adiplomatic incident as it should be.

Kathmandu’s opinion-makers areasleep, and most of them will not bewoken from the slumber, for then theywould have to express an opinion.When we have produced true ‘intellec-tuals’ from among today’s young adults,perhaps then we can finally read in ourpapers about Bihar as well as Tibet, onthe Kashmiris and the Lhotshampa, onYasser Arafat and Govinda Mainali.

(Kanak Mani Dixit is theeditor of Himal South Asianmagazine.)

5 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMES 99999

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88888 5 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMESADVENTURE

They ran up another mountain, and what do you think they saw?They ran up another mountain, and what do you think they saw?They ran up another mountain, and what do you think they saw?They ran up another mountain, and what do you think they saw?They ran up another mountain, and what do you think they saw?

I

Back in Kathmandu this weekfrom the run, Poirier is alreadyplanning for the 2003 marathon.He intends to make it even longerby starting the race at Karputarnear Begnas Lake instead of BesiSahar, the trail will then join theexisting Manang route nearBhulbhule. “Maybe next year wewill get even more runners from allover the world,” says Poirer.

All runners have to be regis-tered, they carry a mandatorychecklist of items includingprovisions and equipment up toten kg. They can carry extramaterial, but that will weigh themdown. The beginning of every runis flagged off, and there is a mid-point control check along the way,and then it is all the way to thenight halt. The daily timingsare added up for the totals foreach runner.

There is a strong competitionamong the marathoners, but also afeeling of camaraderie. There iscode of conduct for runners whohave to help those in need alongthe way. For instance, not helpingan injured or incapacitated fellow-runner gets you a punishment of10 hours added to your final time.A French runner this year waspenalised for not helping a fellow-Frenchman. There are also strictdo’s and don’ts about not actingarrogant, or pushing locals or othertrekkers out of the way. Runners arealso encouraged to pick trash, andnot be generally obtrusive.

Many marathoners stop alongthe way at local tea houses forrest, but the more competitiveones race straight through the traileating their high-calorie bars anddrinking water while on the run.

This year, locals along the waygathered in large numbers to cheerthe runners along. Nepali partici-pants got loud cheers and shoutsof encouragement. And the Nepalirunners did the country proud. Ofthe seven Nepali participants, the

first five winners were Nepali.Dacchiri from Takshindu was

number one with a time of 30hours 43 minutes and 54seconds. He overtook last year’swinner, Nar Bahadur Shah, onthe downhill after Thorung.Shah, who is with the Royal NepalArmy, timed 32 hours 43 minutesand 54 seconds. Sumba Sherpa alsofrom Thaksindu came third with33 hours 31 minutes and 40seconds. In fourth place was BabuRaja Shrestha, a poultry farmerfrom Thankot who has been anathlete all his life.

The first among the Euro-pean runners was Poirier himself,who came sixth clocking 36hours 30 minutes and 41seconds. With the runs, and thestellar performance of theNepalis, the marathon isregistering a lot of interestamong locals along the Manangtrail. Local tea shops areencouraged by the addedbusiness during times of atrekking slump. In Manang, therunners got a rousing send off anda cultural performance with musicand dance before they headed offfor Thorung La. Village youthclubs had inquiries about joining innext year’s marathon.

At this rate, it would not besurprising if Nepalis start baggingmedals in Olympic and othermarathon venues. After all, withthe Annapurna Mandala Mara-thon behind them, 42.5 horizon-tal km at sea level should be apiece of cake!

(Padam Ghaley is co-director ofMandala Treks and was incharge of the local logistics ofthe 2002 Annapurna MandalaMarathon. He was assisted byBhim Tamang and Jerome Eudu.To join the 2003 Marathon sendbiodata to Mandala Treks,phone 977-1-412 438 email:mandala@mos.com.np)

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RAMYATA LIMBUhe’s run the AtlantaOlympics, theKathmandu Marathon,

the SAF games and done therun in Hong Kong. Butrunning in the AnnapurnaMandala Marathon was atotally different experience forBimala Rana Magar whosays she is not using torunning uphill. “Before this,the only uphill I’d done wasrun up Swyambhu,” shelaughs. Also, she is used torunning in a sando vest andshorts, not with 10 kg onher back.

Back now in KathmanduBimala, 28, is sore buthappy. “I’m so glad I com-pleted the marathon withoutsuccumbing to high alti-tude.” Bimala finished 18th

out of 31 runners.Bimala has run from

Kathmandu to Hetauda, theold route, from Kathmandu toMelamchi as part of her longdistance training. Fivemonths back she and abunch of long distancerunners ran from Kathmanduto Muktinath. They werecelebrating the 50th birthday ofNepal’s most famousmarathoner, BaikunthaManandhar. “That was thefirst time I had been at areasonably high altitude,”says Bimala. “The route wasmuch easier than theAnnapurna Mandala Trail.”

At Thorung Phedi, therunners were roused at 3 am

before they made their wayupwards to the 5400m snow-bound Thorung La, and downto Marpha in Mustang.Bimala’s preparation for themarathon consisted of herregular 90-minute run alongKathmandu’s Ring Road, andher diet of dal-bhat. “If I’d beentraining for the 3,000m or1,500m events, which I usedto run, and was in a specialtraining camp, I’d probablybe getting coached and extradiet. But marathon running inNepal usually means you’reon your own.”

She considers herselffortunate to have a family,especially an elder brother,who encouraged her to run. “Istarted running late, aftercompleting high school. Iused to watch runnersfrom the parapet and getthe urge to join them.”But she doesn’t see anincreasing number ofwomen join the sport.

Bimala began training formarathons in 1993, and camethird among women in the42km Kathmandu Marathonin 1994, her first event. Thefollowing year, she camesecond. In the 7th SAF gamesin Madras she came fourth,and she came 11th in the1999 Hong Kong Marathon.

In between running,Bimala is busy at her jobwhich is preparing voter’sidentity cards. “While attendingcollege, I took some computercourses which helped me get

a job. One does have to work.”Of course it would be ideal

if she got a company tosponsor her for what shedoes best. “My dream is tobecome a coach. I can teachother young people what Ihave learnt. One has torecognise, train, and nurturetalent. Despite the odds,she’s keen to go the distance.“If I get a sponsor and some-one to train me, I’m keen to dothe Annapurna to Everestmarathon this autumn.”

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PADAM GHALEYt’s not called the “mother of allmarathons” just for fun. Alongwith the shorter Everest

Marathon, this is one of the mostgruelling races on earth, and isrecommended only for the mostphysically-fit, endurance-testedand acclimatised of atheletes.Normal marathons are 42.5 kmruns through flat city streets.Now take that race, multiply it bynine days and add verticalsegments. And you have the

Annapurna Mandala Marathon.The race is organised every year

by the Himalayan Racers Associa-tion in France in collaboration withMandala Treks in Kathmandu. Thisyear’s just-concluded third annualrace had 31 participants of whichnine were Nepalis, one runner fromGreece, one British, one German,and the rest from France.

The race starts at the road-headin Besi Sahar, and follows theMarsyangdi River up to Manang,over the Thorung La to Muktinath,

Jomsom and down the KaliGandaki, up again to Ghorepaniand down to Dhampus nearPokhara. It is a horizontal distanceof 325 km, but add the ups anddowns and you have a marathondesigned by a masochist to inflictmaximum punishment on a runner.

The Annapurna marathon haseverything: altitude variation,stupendous scenery (althoughrunners don’t have time to sitaround and admire the view), and ageographic diversity of going from

the steep southern slopes of theHimalaya to the arid rainshadow oftrans-Himalayan Manang andMustang. Besi Sahar is at thebottom of the semi-tropical valleyat barely 800 m above sea level,and Thorung La is at 5,416 m.Competitors had a day to acclimatisein Manang, and this year a side-run toTilicho lake was also added beforethe runner made a dash for the passover the hump.

Unlike the Everest Marathon,which is shorter, the Annapurnarun is a circuit and doesn’t gothrough the same area twice. Therace also passes some of the bignames in Himalayan peaks: theAnnapurnas, Himalchuli-Manasluand Dhaulagiri.

Says Bruno Poirier of theHimalayan Racers Association,who is organiser and a runnerhimself: “To run the Annapurnaswith only a backpack and localhospitality is the fun part. Andit’s been going very smoothly, thelogistics are great, and this year itwas one of the best organised.”The French have a special placein their hearts for Annapurna,after all it was in 1952 that aFrench expedition led by MauriceHerzog scaled Annapurna I andthe mountain became the firsteight thousander ever to beclimbed. Everest was climbedtwo years later.

From left to right: A marathoner on a rare level stretch in Manang, passing under a gate inBraga, Bruno Poirier huffs and puffs up Ghorepani with majestic Dhaulagiri in the back-ground, and Mandala’s logistics team poses after the trek in Pokhara.

TTTTTakakakakake a nore a nore a nore a nore a normal marathon, multiply it by nine days. And add the highesmal marathon, multiply it by nine days. And add the highesmal marathon, multiply it by nine days. And add the highesmal marathon, multiply it by nine days. And add the highesmal marathon, multiply it by nine days. And add the highestttttmountains in the wormountains in the wormountains in the wormountains in the wormountains in the world. Yld. Yld. Yld. Yld. You have the Annual Annapurou have the Annual Annapurou have the Annual Annapurou have the Annual Annapurou have the Annual Annapurna Mandala Marathon.na Mandala Marathon.na Mandala Marathon.na Mandala Marathon.na Mandala Marathon.

1111111111WORLD 5 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMES

ypocrisy and trade-talk go together, as America’s decision to imposetariffs on imported steel shows. Although that action is expected to bejudged illegal by the World Trade Organization (WTO), developing

countries remain wary. Historically, they argued that the WTO is a tool of richcountries and so resisted much of what it sought to do. Indeed, before theWTO ministerial meeting in Doha earlier this year, India’s line was to opposethe launch of a new trade round, resist further trade liberalization in industrialgoods, and oppose the use of trade sanctions to punish countries that fail tomeet minimal labor standards.

The perception that the WTO is largely an instrument of the powerful,industrialized nations is broadly correct. To oppose it on all fronts,however, is wrong. A more sophisticated approach towards the WTO (andthe North in general) is needed.

The WTO says that it is a democratic organization run on the principle ofone country, one vote. Anybody who follows the WTO knows that richcountries get around this ‘nuisance’ democratic formality by lobbying behindthe scenes to fix the agenda in advance. Despite this, constant opposition to theWTO is self-defeating. As the dispute about America’s new steel tariffsillustrates, in today’s globalized world a centralized trade ombudsman is vital.Eliminating the WTO would be like trying to run a modern society without alaw court. While law courts are typically more lenient towards the rich andpowerful, it is still better to have them than not.

Chronic opposition also reveals a lack of self-confidence of the sort whenyou cannot decide what is good for yourself but, instead, demand the oppositeof what your trading partnerswant in the belief that what isgood for them must be bad foryou. This implies a zero-sumview of global economics that isfalse. In economic transactionsthere are many instances whereeveryone gains or everyone loses.

So consider in this lightIndia’s three demands. It is rightfor India to have opposedinjecting international laborstandards into the WTO agenda,but it is wrong that Indiastrongly opposed a newtrade round.

India’s average tariff rate is

by JEFFREY D SACHSOPINION

obert Mugabe is an aging tyrantsingle-handedly destroyingZimbabwe’s economy and

social stability. He seems ready to doanything to extend his 22 years inpower—resorting to violence, riggingelections. His corrupt cronies andmilitary officials who benefited in hislawless regime stand by him, topreserve their corrupt incomes, andfrom fear of the retribution that mightfollow their fall from power. DespiteUS and European protests, Mugabehas had his way despite his thuggery.

Tyranny is one of the oldestpolitical stories. But in an intercon-nected world, isn’t it possible for theinternational community to do moreto restrain tyrants in order to ensure amore stable global environment? Atricky question, no doubt. No countryis ready to cede political sovereignty tooutside powers or electoral monitors.Yet the high costs of tyranny spill overto the rest of the world, in the forms ofuncontrolled disease, refugeemovements, violence, and criminality.The world has a stake in preventingthe continued misrule of Mugabe andothers like him.

One plausible idea is regionalmonitoring—that a country’sneighbours would help forestall suchtyranny, since neighbours are thebiggest direct losers when instabilityspills across borders. Yet they are also

the most fearful of challenging one oftheir own. So far, the Southern AfricanDevelopment Community (SADC) hasacquiesced to Mugabe’s abuses. If thatsilence continues, it will gravelyundermine SADC institutions, and casta deep pall over the SADC’s mostimportant leader, South AfricanPresident Thabo Mbeki.

Sanctions offer another approach.America, Europe, and other democraciesshould not continue to do “business asusual” with Zimbabwe. Mugabe andhis henchmen have stashed millions ofdollars abroad in the past year accordingto plausible press accounts. Theseaccounts should be frozen, despite thedifficulty in doing so in a world rifewith secret banking and nomineeaccounts that disguise true ownership.Mugabe’s phoney elections should gounrecognised, and Mugabe denied awelcome as a legitimate head of state ininternational gatherings.

Sanctions, however, are clumsy,costly, and often ineffective. They areinsufficient to stop abuses (after all,sanctions were threatened before theelections) and risk pushing Zimbabwe’seconomy deeper into crisis, hurtingmillions of innocent people, especiallyduring a period of intensifying hungerand drought. Sanctions are also unlikelyto secure wide acclamation. Africans willno doubt feel Africa is being singled outunfairly when such abuses existthroughout the world.

An alternative approach, givingpositive inducements to a tyrant to leaveoffice, might sometimes work. Somelong-time leaders have been coaxedfrom office through blandishments,

high-profile international positions, oreven amnesties and comfortable exilesin safe locations.

A more general, perhaps morepowerful approach, is for the world toagree on general, enforceable politicalstandards. One that might conceivablywin international consent, would be an“international term limit” on heads ofgovernment. The world communitywould agree that no individual shouldserve as the head of government(president, prime minister, or otherequivalent position) for more than Xyears. International agencies such as theWorld Bank and the IMF wouldautomatically stop making loans tocountries where the head of govern-ment exceeds that limit. Manycountries already have such limits. InAmerica, presidents are limited to twoterms in office. In other countries,there is a single presidential term,usually five to eight years. The worldmight agree on a weaker, but globallyacceptable minimum standard, say aterm limit of no more than 20 years.

Even non-democracies such asChina could accept this rule, because itwould apply to heads of government,not ruling parties. China routinelyrotates the highest executive positions,as it realises a change of power preventstyrants from gaining excessive power, alesson learned painfully during Mao’slong, often disastrous reign. Corrup-tion is limited by the frequentalternation of power, since tyrantstypically need many years to build upsystems of mega-corruption, usuallyinvolving family and businessassociates.

An international term limit couldinfringe the right of a real democracy tokeep a popular leader for more than 20years. Helmut Kohl and his 16 years inoffice in Germany approached thislimit. But even in strong democracies,the final years of a long rule aretypically the worst. Kohl’s last years, forexample, were marked by electoralcorruption. Given the incredibleadvantages incumbents have overchallengers in nearly every politicalsystem, a firm time limit wouldstrengthen the strongest existingdemocracies.

The roster of long-serving heads ofgovernment in the twentieth century—Stalin, Mao, Franco, Kim Il Sung, andCeausescu—makes it clear that anenforced international term limit wouldhave spared the world considerable griefand turmoil. In our much moredemocratic and interconnected world, itis possible a clear international normlimiting time in power could spare theworld from dictatorship anddestabilisation in the future. (Project Syndicate)

(Jeffrey D Sachs is professor ofeconomics, and director of theCenter for InternationalDevelopment, HarvardUniversity.)

by KAUSHIK BASUANALYSIS

The high costs of tyranny spill over to the rest ofthe world. What can be done?

Trade and the Third World

Dictating limits to dictators

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around 30%. While much lower than previously, it is higher than in mostindustrialized nations. But India independently decided to lower tariffs over thenext three years. A global program to lower tariffs means that India would onlybe asked to do what it planned to do anyway. As others would have to lower theirtariffs, India’s access to other markets would increase.

Nowadays, economic policy is so complex that it is not always clear whatis good for a nation and what is not. Last December, there was furor inIndia when a dispute settlement panel of the WTO ruled against India’spractice of (1) forcing automobile manufacturers in India to buy a certainproportion of parts from Indian producers, and (2) requiring automotivemanufacturers who need to import parts and kits to export goods worth thesame value.

If we reflect on these conditions, it is not at all clear that these policies aregood for India. Forcibly creating a market for Indian automobile parts easespressure on these manufacturers to improve quality. Forcing Indian cars to usesuch parts handicaps Indian cars from matching international quality.

India and other emerging economies must engage with the WTO,keeping pressure on it to give more voice to developing countries. There are,for example, 18 African countries without any representation in the WTO’soffice in Geneva. What benefit can they expect from the WTO?

When there is a WTO legal tussle and big countries bring in expensivelawyers to argue their case, what chance do poor countries have? As a democraticcountry with considerable expertise in economics and law, India should fight forbetter representation throughout the WTO. Once that is achieved, it will be

easier to entrust the WTO withtasks, such as assuringminimal labor standards thatappear contentious today. But arule to remember is that even ifthis is not achieved, India andcountries like it will gain moreby being active participants inWTO deliberations than bywithdrawing or being habitualnaysayers. (Project Syndicate)

Kaushik Basu is professorof economics at CornellUniversity andcurrently Visitingprofessor at MIT.

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Sri Lanka talks in BangkokBANGKOK- Thailand’s reputation as a neutral player on theglobal stage strengthens its case as an ideal venue for the first roundof imminent peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and theTamil Tiger rebels. On March 26, a ranking member of the LiberationTigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), as the Tamil rebels are formally known,virtually confirmed the story doing the rounds in Colombo’s diplomaticand government circles — that the South-east Asian kingdom was thechosen venue. There has been no official announcement of the venuefor the talks as yet.

But the statement by Anton Balasingham, the LTTE’s chief negotia-tor, that Thailand is the preferred venue for peace talks put to restspeculation that Sri Lanka’s closest neighbours—India and theMaldives—would host discussions to end the over two decades ofethnic conflict in the South Asian island nation. Balasingham returnedto Sri Lanka in the last week of March from Britain, where he hadbeen living in self-imposed exile for three years. His arrival is ex-pected to spur the groundwork being prepared by the recently electedUnited National Front (UNF) government in Colombo and the Tamil Tigerleadership for the talks, which may begin early May. (IPS)

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Post-Enron NarmadaNEW DELHI- India can teach more lessons in the financing ofpower projects than learn them, says a report released this week,which uses Enron’s discredited megaproject in the country and thecontroversial Narmada Valley project to expose the murky workings ofindirect funding for such schemes.

The report, ‘Power Finance: Financial Institutions in India’s PowerSector,’ banks on the Indian experience to examine the latest trends inthe financing of development projects and in the process untangleswhat its publishers call ‘’the complicated web’’ through which largedam projects are funded through financial intermediaries. ‘PowerFinance’, published by International Rivers Network, Urgewald and theSouth Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, also documentsresistance to uneconomical and destructive projects in India. “Finally, we have a single document that outlines all our strugglesover all these years,’’ Vimal Bhai, campaigner for the umbrella NationalAlliance of People’s Movements, says of the report, authored by PeterBosshard, former secretary of the Berne Declaration. (IPS)

Might is right in the WTO.

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A SPECIAL LOOK AT NEPAL’S MAOIST WARWhat are theMaoists up to?What is the Armyup to?What is India'srole?Where do we gofrom here?Get your copybefore it sells out.

MAOBAADI QUAGMIREMAOBAADI QUAGMIRE

1010101010 5 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMESWORLD

by ROBERT FISKOPINION

ow much longer can ArielSharon pretend that he’sfighting in the “war against

terror”? How much longer are wesupposed to believe this nonsense?

How much longer can theAmericans remain so gutlessly silent inthe face of a vicious conflict which iscoming close to obscuring the crimesagainst humanity of 11 September?

Terror, terror, terror. Like a

punctuation mark, the word infectsevery Israeli speech, every Americanspeech, almost every newspaperarticle. When will someone admit thetruth: that the Israelis and Palestin-ians are engaged in a dirty colonialwar which will leave both sidesshamed and humiliated?

Just listen to what Sharon hasbeen saying in the past 24 hours.“Arafat is an enemy. He decided on a

strategy of terror and formed acoalition of terror.” That’s prettymuch what President Bush said aboutOsama bin Laden. But what onearth does it mean? That Arafat isactually sending off the suicidebombers, choosing the target, theamount of explosives?

If he was, then surely Sharonwould have sent his death squads afterthe Palestinian leader months ago.

After all, his killers have managed tomurder dozens of Palestinian gunmenalready, including occasional womenand children who get in the way. Thereal problem with Arafat is that he hasa lot in common with Sharon: old,ruthless and cynical; both men havecome to despise each other. Sharonbelieves that the Palestinians can bebroken by military power.

He doesn’t realise what the restof the world learned duringSharon’s own 1982 siege of Beirut:that the Arabs are no longer afraid.Once a people lose their fear, theycannot be re-inoculated with fear.Once the suicide bomber is loose,the war cannot be won. AndArafat knows this.

No, of course he doesn’t send thebombers off on their wicked missionsto restaurants and supermarkets. Buthe does know that every suicidebombing destroys Sharon’s credibilityand proves that the Israeli leader’spromises of security are false. Arafat iswell aware that the ferocious bombersare serving his purpose—howevermuch he may condemn them inpublic. But he—like Sharon—alsobelieves his enemies can be brokenby fire.

He thinks that the Israelis can befrightened into withdrawing from theWest Bank and Gaza and EastJerusalem. Ultimately, the Israelis

probably will have to give up theiroccupation. But the Jews of Israel arenot going to run or submit to anendless war of attrition. Even ifSharon is voted out of power—aprospect for which many Israelispray—the next Israeli prime ministeris not going to negotiate out of fear ofthe suicide bomber. Thus therhetoric becomes ever more cruel,ever more revolting.

Hamas calls its Jewish enemies“the sons of pigs and monkeys”, whileIsraeli leaders have variouslybestialised their enemies as “ser-pents”, “crocodiles”, “beasts” and“cockroaches”. Now we have anIsraeli officer— according to theIsraeli daily Ma’ariv—advising hismen to study the tactics adopted bythe Nazis in the Second World War.“If our job is to seize a denselypacked refugee camp or take over theNablus casbah, and if this job is givento an (Israeli) officer to carry outwithout casualties on both sides, hemust before all else analyse and bringtogether the lessons of past battles,even - shocking though this mightappear - to analyse how the Germanarmy operated in the Warsawghetto.” Pardon? What on earth doesthis mean? Does this account for thenumbers marked by the Israelis onthe hands and foreheads of Palestin-ian prisoners earlier this month?

Does this mean that an Israelisoldier is now to regard the Palestin-ians as sub-humans—which is exactlyhow the Nazis regarded the trappedand desperate Jews of the Warsawghetto in 1944? Yet from Washing-ton comes only silence. And silence,in law, gives consent. Should we besurprised? After all, the US is nowmaking the rules as it goes along.

Prisoners can be called “illegalcombatants” and brought to

Guantanamo Bay with their mouthstaped for semi-secret trials. TheAfghan war is declared a victory—andthen suddenly explodes again. Nowwe are told there will be other“fronts” in Afghanistan, a springoffensive by “terrorists”. Washingtonhas also said that its intelligenceagencies—the heroes who failed todiscover the 11 September plot—have proof (undisclosed, of course)that Arafat has “a new alliance” withIran, which brings the Palestiniansinto the “axis of evil.”

Is there no one to challengethis stuff? Just over a week ago,CIA director George Tenetannounced that Iraq had linkswith al-Qaeda. “Contacts andlinkages”, have been established,he told us. And that’s what theheadlines said. But then Tenetcontinued by saying that themutual antipathy of al-Qaeda andIraq towards America and SaudiArabia “suggests that tacticalcooperation between them ispossible?” “Suggests?” “Possible?”is that what Mr Tenet callsproof?

But now everyone is cashingin on the “war against terror”.When Macedonian cops gundown seven Arabs, they announcethat they are participating in theglobal “war on terror”. WhenRussians massacre Chechens, theyare now prosecuting the “war onterror”. When Israel fires atArafat’s headquarters, it says it isparticipating in the “war onterror”. Must we all be hijackedinto America’s dangerous self-absorption with the crimes of 11September? Must this vile warbetween Palestinians and Israelisbe distorted in so dishonest away? (The Independent)

Private Sector Promotion (PSP) is a Nepalese-German technical cooperation projectimplemented by German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the Industrial EnterpriseDevelopment Institute (IEDI). The project is in its first implementation phase, which runs from1 May 2001 to 30 April 2004. The project aims to create jobs through enhancing the capacitiesof selected enterprises in the small and medium-size enterprise sector.

Core Tasks:Actively participating in the conceptual design of the project and its programsPreparing, in consultation with other staff members, annual plans and budgetsDeveloping and implementing a monitoring and evaluation system for the projectRepresenting the project at key public functions

Project Components:Supporting business development service providers to innovative servicestargeted at the enterprise levelEnhancing the access of Nepalese enterprises to German and European markets,andImproving the performance of Business Membership Organisations to providesustainable services to their members

GTZ is seeking applicants for this Senior Position with the following profile:A professional with a strong business orientation (women are encouraged to apply)Minimum age: 30At least 5 years experience in small enterprise promotion or a related fieldAbility to lead teams and act on individual initiativesAbility to work in a flexible organisational environment with flat hierarchiesExcellent English comprehension and expressionFamiliarity with the most recent trends in small enterprise promotion

Of added advantage would be:Work experience in the private sectorProject management experience in a project supported by an international agency

PSP offers, for this post starting on 1 June 2002 and based in Kathmandu, a competitivesalary and other facilities commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the

applicant according to GTZ regulations.Interested applicants should send their CV, 2 references and a passport size photograph to

the following address by 19 April 2002. Telephone enquiries will not be entertained. Onlyshort listed candidates will be contacted.

VacancyPrivate Sector Promotion Project/GTZP.O. Box 1457, KathmanduNepal

German Technical Cooperation

VacancyPosition of Deputy Team Leader - PSP

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Nepal Britain Chamber of

Commerce and Industry is

deeply saddened at the

demise of Her Majesty the

Queen Elizabeth, The

Queen Mother of the United

Kingdom.

Through the good office of

Her Majesty’s Ambassador

to Nepal, (NBCCI) would

like to convey its heartfelt

condolences. We pray to

the Almighty that her

departed soul rests in

peace.

Rajendra K Khetan (President),the Executive Committee Members

& the Chamber family.

“Terror,The real problem with Arafat is that he has a lot incommon with Sharon: old, ruthless and cynical. Both menhave come to despise each other.

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13131313135 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMESHISTORY AND CULTURE

12 January, 1977GM (Ganesh Man Singh) reminds me that we have returned toNepal as captains of the ship (that is Nepal). The ship, according toour calculation and for everybody to see, is sinking. We have rushedto its rescue, and in case it has to sink, we will not have our placeand run for safety, but will go down with it. If the other party, (ie theKing who is captain today and whose piloting is responsible for theship being in the present stormy sea and predicament) doesn’t inits senses yield to our piloting, and doesn’t permit us in its calcula-tion then Nepal as a state and nation will be obliterated from themap and we patriots will also perish in this national obliteration.Therefore we should not unnecessarily brood over as to whetherKing (King Mahendra) will see us and discuss things with us orwhether this thing would happen or that; If he doesn’t, everything islost. We shouldn’t calculate the loss because the loss is total andcataclysmic. We should rather think over the points that may comeup for discussion with the King and what steps, immediate and longrange. We should take to affect remedial and permanent results, incase the talk with the King is successful. GM prepares tea, both inthe early morning and afternoon, and during these hours wediscuss politics.

We again asked for a doctor and a dentist, the Major also feelshelpless. He says that he has repeatedly sent word to the army HQthat we are asking for a doctor everyday in the morning. He himselfdoesn’t know why this delay. He has asked us to speak to thegeneral who would be coming to the camp to supervise the inter-views on Saturday (is 2nd of Magh). We think that it is in keeping withthe policy of keeping us incommunicado that the doctors are notsent. But if the interviews are granted then our analyses with regardto our solitary confinement proves wrong.

I did some washing, took a bath— my second bath after I arrivedhere. I rub oil, stay in the sun for some time and when I am suffi-ciently warm I rush to the bath room, stand under the running tap,rub my body briskly, stand under the running tap once again before Irub off with the wet and rough towel and return to the room with thetingling sensation of health. The water is so cold that it beats like ahammer on the back of the head unless you know how quickly toremove your head from the running water. Even after that for sometime the head aches. Perhaps it is nature warning that enough isenough.

Back at Sundarijal >8

“The ship is sinking.”13th January, 1977Having nothing better to do I started leafing Rishikesh Shah’s “AnIntroduction to Nepal” which GM had bought. It is not a substantialbook, and Shah himself was a little apologetic about it, saying thatit was written for one who had no idea about Nepal—for someforeigner who wouldn’t know facts about it—in a hurry. I read thechapter dealing with the Shah period, Prithvi N Shah and thecoming of Jangabahadur. The story is replete with court intrigues,murders, chicanery, betrayals and machination of our ambitiousqueens, the most numerous of the protagonists. Shah has notwritten a word about how they administered the country. In a countrythat has a monarchy of such tradition the unbridled royal power is amenace. I don’t know how far culture and modern political spirit isimbibed by present incumbent whose ancestral legacy is drippingwith horror. Will the modern prevail over the medieval in the palaceatmosphere? Will the modern prevail over the medieval in theformulation of state policy? Royal vs the People; the Palace vs thecountry? That is the question whose answer one way or the otherwill divide the fate of Nepal one way or the other.

When my father died in prison in 1945, he was most probably66 years old, my mother was probably 48 years. I was 30 years andsomething— Bunu, our youngest sister was 13. I am now 62 yearsand a half. Sushila, 10 years my junior is 52, Prakash 30 years and4 months, and my youngest Chetna is 17 years and a half. Thisidea of death, a macabre imagination induced perhaps by jailcondition where one doesn’t know when and if one would berelieved sometimes crosses my mind and that father had died inthe Rana prison puts into me the idea of my own death in prison.After that a chain reaction starts in my mind – Mother, Sushila,myself, Prakash, Bunu and Chetna. I also know that time is on ourside. Therefore I have to live. If father had survived even for a year,he would was witnessed the tremendous transformation in thepolitical scene of the Indian Sub-Continent. Judha SS would haveabdicated, Padma SS would have been the PM. In India, the Britishwould have been gone. Did father have the slightest inkling of thecoming events of such earthshaking dimensions? I have to live. Idon’t have to be told by astrologers, some of whom have predicteda bright future for me provided my health doesn’t betray me thatultimately I will triumph, our cause will win, the people will prevail, -I will see myself all this happening.

BP at Sundarijal turns awayfrom more mundane matters

and begins to analyse thepolitical situation outside thewalls, will King Mahendra seehim? What is the monarchy’srole? He reads the history ofintrigue and betrayals, and

wonders if that will ever change.

It’s never been easier to subscribe toNepali Times.

Just dial this number and leave your address.

EASY TIMESEASY TIMESEASY TIMESEASY TIMESEASY TIMES 5 4 3 3 3 7

BP’s father, Krishna Prasad Koirala

1212121212 5 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMESFROM THE NEPALI PRESS THIS PAGE CONTAINS MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

Rock: Nepal BandhBoard: SLC examination centre

Spacetime Dainik, 31 March

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

We come from a tradition where citizens are treated as “subjects”, our tradition of centralised rule still holdsthe concept that rulers are ‘more equal’ and people are insignificant. Or we’re still a feudal, centralised state.

— Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani, Vice President of Rastriya Prajatantra Party in Budhabar, 3 April.

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United we passSamacharpatra, 31 March

The five-day Nepal bandhcalled by the undergroundMaoist party is going to affect250,000 students who are toappear in this year’s annualSchool Leaving Certificateexamination. The bandh iscalled from 2 April, which isthe day the exams start. Still,the student unions are silentabout the bandh and theeffect it will have on thestudents and their exams.

The Nepali Congress andits youth wings, namely theTarun Dal and the NepalStudents’ Union have notspoken out strongly againstthe Maoist call for a nation-wide shutdown. Similarly, themain opposition CPN-UMLand its youth wings areequally passive. Other partiesin the opposition are alsoinert—they have issuedstatements, but none hasinitiated a joint action againstthe call for the bandh, whichwill affect the nation veryadversely.

Despite this, the spokesper-son at the Ministry of Educa-tion is hopeful that the politicalparties and their youth wingswill aid in ensuring that theannual examinations can beconducted smoothly. “We havemobilised all the securityagencies, and hope that all thepolitical parties, their sisterorganisations and civil societywill join in our endeavour toprovide security to thestudents,” says Yub Raj Pandey.

When the government is soopenly seeking the participationof other political parties andtheir youth wings in ensuringthe SLC exams are adminis-tered without a hitch, why arethe political parties not acting.“We are ready to support thegovernment,” Bisha PrakashSharma, President of theNepal Students’ Union said.However, he did not explainhow his organisation would goabout that. “We will discuss itwith other student unions andwork out a plan to provideprotection for students takingthe SLC examination,” Sharmasaid, without announcing anytimeframe.

Yagya Raj Sunuwar of theAll-Nepal Free Students’ Unionalso claimed that his union iswilling to offer assistance to thegovernment for security duringthe SLC exams, but he does nothave a concrete plan either.“We are holding discussionwithin our union, and withother unions too,” he said.

Nepali student unions havea history of fighting each otherphysically on various non-student political issues. Butthey seem reluctant to sharetheir zeal and strength to fightunited against this attack by theMaoists on the future of over250,000 students. “There areexamples in world history whenstudent unions have put asidetheir differences and united tofight a national crisis,” sayseducationist Dr Man PrasadWagle. “If Nepali students hadrallied around the commoncause of ensuring security, theymight have won the hearts ofthe SLC examinees and theirparents,” he added.

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Frequent fliersDeshantar, 31 March

The government has not curtailedforeign travel and associatedexpenses even during a state ofemergency. Prime Minister SherBahadur Deuba, who sent ministerson junkets to Bangkok as a strategyto cling to power [in his earlierstint], seems to be using the sameformula now. Ministers havetravelled extensively during the pastfive months, the finance, agricultureand information and communica-tions ministers are the mostfrequent fliers. Finance MinisterRam Sharan Mahat travelled to SriLanka, India, Mexico and theMaldives; Minister for AgricultureMahesh Acharya visited Pakistan,Bhutan and Bangladesh. TheMinister for Information andCommunication Jayaprakash PrasadGupta went to Pakistan, Turkeyand Bangkok. Some other ministerswho have travelled during theperiod include the Minister forWomen and Social WelfareRajendra Kharel who went toJapan; Minister for Industry andSupplies Purna Bahadur Khadka,Germany; Minister for Tourism andCivil Aviation Bal Bahadur KC,Germany; Minister for HealthSharat Singh Bhandari, Brazil;Science and Technology MinisterBhakta Bahadur Balayar, India,United States; State Minister forHealth Mohan Bahadur Basnet,Switzerland; State Minister forForeign Affairs Arjun Jang BahadurSingh, India; and State HomeMinister Devendra Raj Kandel,Indonesia.

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Talk, TalkDeshantar, 31 March

(Excerpts from an interview withDhurba Bahadur Pradhan, formerInspector General of Police)

The Maoists have been toldlaying down their weapons isa condition for a fresh roundof talks…Such a condition may not becompletely appropriate. That is,after all, something to be decidedduring the talks. You decide whento stop fighting during talks. Thefirst negotiations began after thecessation of hostilities on bothsides, and no one attacked eachother. You can even havetalks now, not necessarily by

Chalphal, 31 March(Excerpts from Madhav Kumar Nepal’s statement in parliamentdemanding an explanation from the prime minister)

“We have taken the statement made by the Chief of the Army Staffon 27 March very seriously. The statement asks why thepeople’s representatives have not supported the securityforces. Reading the full text, we found other very seriousissues in it. The allegations in the statement have raisedquestions about the authority and duties [of the CoAS] and atwhat point such statements cross the limits of decency. We areconfused…if one type of indiscipline takes root in the nation, it willbe very difficult to return to normal. We are deeply worried aboutthese things.

The prime minister and the defence minister is [are] automati-cally responsible for statements made by the CoAS. The defenceminister is responsible being the line minister, and as chair ofthe National Security Council, the prime minister is answerablefor the issues raised. We demand a satisfying explanation tothe matters raised in the statement from the prime minister.

Some may agree with the CoAS’ statement, so they may notthink it is necessary to discuss its subject matter. But the ques-tion is not about the matters raised, it is who said these things,and where. What would happen if the chief secretary were to goaround saying there is bad governance in the country? What wouldhappen if a secretary went around making political speeches? Can weaccept it if people in responsible positions in government go around op-posing or criticising the government’s performance? We are now forced toask such questions.

…We are highlighting in this house of people’s repre-sentatives the concerns raised by the people about the CoAS’statement. People have to be capable of understanding their limits and responsibilities. We must allstay within our limits. What would happen to this country if we all started crossing the line? We haveto be able to separate the good from the bad, the right from the wrong. We must be able to point outshortcomings. But what is the appropriate place to point out what is wrong, what is the appropriatemedium and audience, how should such things be said—all these things have their own definitionsand meanings, and fixed limits. We must respect those limits.

…We don’t know if Sher Bahadur Deuba’s government is a dummy, or whether it is actuallyrunning the country. If it is a dummy government, why is the Nepali Congress still supporting it… thisgovernment is helpless, just a shadow. Why has a puppet government been allowed to continue itsshow? We cannot understand why the Nepali Congress is content with watching a puppet show. Apuppet government must be overthrown. The Nepali Congress has to form a more realgovernment…We are also surprised by statements of the party president [Girija Prasad Koirala] thatthe state of emergency was declared because the army demanded it. Who will tell us what ishappening, that is unclear even though we have a majority government? Who will explain all this tous—isn’t this the responsibility of the prime minister?

…We see these kinds of contradictions in a situation where the prime minister is weak, helplessand powerless. He cannot speak in front of others, he just projects a helpless decency. He tries to lieto everyone, he is unable to understand his own status, duties and responsibilities. That is why wehave been hearing statements [from the prime minister] such as because “everyone has said…,”“you have said…” “I have talked…”, or “you said strike, so I’ve struck,” [an earlier Deuba statement inparliament]. That was why we asked whether this country has a prime minister or a robot? …If theprime minister is a robot, we have nothing to say except that the country does not need a robot as aprime minister.

…We don’t think it is a valid charge that we haven’t supported the security forces The entireparliament ratified the emergency. Would the emergency have been possible if the people’s repre-sentatives had not backed it? …There is no mention of that in the statement. …The people’s repre-sentatives [accused in the statement by the Chief of Army Staff Prajwalla Rana of refusing to go totheir constituencies] may also have their concerns. They have been told: don’t go to the villages, don’tvisit the districts. They have been told not to move around in groups of more than one or two people,they’ve been told don’t organise meetings, and don’t conduct any political activities now. On the onehand you say this, on the other you say that you don’t have the support of the people’s representa-tives. Isn’t this contradictory?

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stopping the fighting.

You are said to have firstdesigned the IntegratedSecurity and DevelopmentProgram (ISDP), but leadersdid not listen…What can I gain by blaming themnow? We made a programme basedon the problem then, and the needsthat were relevant at that time. Wecould have succeeded in resolvingthe Maoist problem, but thegovernment treated it casually, itdidn’t give it due importance.

Do you think the problemcan be resolved militarily?There could be a resolution, but itcan take time. What will thesituation of the country be by thenis more important. We need aquick solution, talks are one way toget there faster. I am not sayingthat the deployment of troopsshould stop, that is something thegovernment must decide. We coulddestroy ourselves if we do not find aquick resolution to the problem.

Are talks possible now?This government failed in theearlier talks. If it starts talkingagain, that could happen again.Others have to initiate the talks,leaders of parties not in powertoday need to take a decision.

So any talks now must be ofa different order from theearlier ones?Yes. They should be such thatthere is no need to stop thefighting for them. This is wherethere could also be a role for theking. Who will give the mandatefor the talks? Who is the author-ity to say okay, go and initiatetalks? This is not the time tocompete against each other andtalk about other unrelated things.

Is the king also needed inthe context of talks?Possibly.

What are the dangers of notfinding an immediatesolution?It could end our nationhood,destroy our nation.

Are talks really possible intimes of war?There is no relationship betweennegotiations and the securitysituation. The security forcesshould not need to worry aboutwhether or not the talks are takingplace, they shouldn’t even thinkabout it. The leadership engages intalks, there is no relationshipbetween talks and the fighting.

What about the morale ofthe fighting forces?They will continue moving ahead inorder to accomplish their task. Thearmy will not engage in talks, butkeep doing its work until the talksconclude and it is ordered to retreat.

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AHands up! You criminals, you want to become doctors and intellectuals like us?

15151515155 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMESARTS

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ALEXANDRA ALTERnown aroundKathmandu as thesinging nun, the high-

tech nun, and the driving nun,Ani Choyin Drolma is perhapsbest described as “theprogressive nun.” She’sprogressive not only in herembrace of modern technology (shedrives a car, rides rollercoasters anduses a cellular phone), but in hermagnanimous goal of fostering a bettereducated, more socially engagedcommunity of nuns.

Though the status of nuns, likethat of women in general, hasimproved since the women wereordained in India around the time ofSakyamuni Buddha, even today nunshave far fewer opportunities to studythan monks. Generally, they areexpected to engage in prayers andpujas within the nunnery, whilemonks occupy themselves with morerigorous intellectual pursuits, such asBuddhist philosophy and debate. Themore subtle and difficult aspects ofBuddhist philosophy, which mostmonks are obliged to master, are rarelytaught in nunneries in Nepal. “Oursociety’s patriarchal mindset is verystrong. Most people don’t encouragewomen to be active and educated. As aresult, monasteries get more financialsupport than nunneries, so they getbetter facilities. It’s not that nuns arestupid or that they can’t study, it’sjust that the financial support isn’tthere,” explains Ani Choyin.

In an effort to remedy the glaringdiscrepancy between monks’ andnuns’ education, in 1998 Ani Choyinestablished the Nuns’ WelfareFoundation, which aims at improvingthe education and status of nuns.Three years ago, she started thefoundation’s first major project, the

Pilgrim’s progressCan studying, performing and

being a nungo together?

Just ask Ani Choyin.

ooks like there is no end to music this season. No sooner had wegot over the hangover of the Kathmandu Jazz Festival than wehad the Sounds of Spring. And now, guess what mate, the

Australians are back!Bands like The Agents, the cabaret couple Ruby and Jade, the

aboriginal dance group The Koomari Dancers and solo performers likeSimon Russel Baker, David Lloyd and Koda Jo Berry will be performingat the Hotel Annapurna and Hotel Yak and Yeti along with a host oftalented Nepali bands next week.

The Agents, are a three piece blues, rock and soul band known fortheir energetic and dynamic shows in pubs and clubs around Australia.The drummer and vocalist Ian Farrington has toured the world asdrummer for rock stars the likes of Phil Collins, Dire Straits and eventhe Mick Jagger Band. The Agents will play popular covers includingthose of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Santana. While Farrington isthe only original member of the band the two others joining him on thistrip are Robert Kani and Steven Apirana. Steven is a Maori singer giftedvocalist and guitarist specialising in the blues. He has toured withDaddy Cool, Black Sabbath, Split Enz, and Dragon. With three CD’s tohis name Steve is a regular performer at festivals in Australia, NewZealand, the UK and Holland.

Among the solo performers David Lloyd Jones, a New Zealandercurrently living in Australia, began his musical career at the age of 19as a guitarist and support act for different bands playing covers suchas Bob Dylon, Simon and Garfunkel, Eagles etc. Australian SimonRussel Baker plays keyboard and is also a vocalist and an actorappearing in such musicals as Pippin and Into the Woods. Koda JoBery, a West Indian has had solo performances since the age of fourand sings R&B, soul and has also appeared numerous times ontelevision.

The show begins at 7PM on 10 April at Hotel De l’ Annapurna.Tickets for the shows on 10 and 11 April are priced at Rs 250 each. On12 April a special show with the artists, an Australian buffet dinner andOzzie wine will also take place. Tickets for this are priced at Rs 999nett. Special Australian buffets will also be included in the differentevents. The final performances of Aussie musicians will be on 19 Aprilto commemorate the World Earth Day (22 April) at the Hotel Yak & Yeti.

The showmust go on

K

Arya Tara School for nuns. “There are somany academic institutions for monksthat it’s difficult to even count them. It’shard to think of just one similarinstitution for nuns,” Ani Choyin said.

As a young nun at Nagi Gumba,Ani Choyin didn’t have the opportu-nity to engage in academic study, butshe managed to learn English andbasic medical skills through privateinstruction, which she claimsimproved her confidence enormously.Now, she hopes to help other nunsachieve the same degree of self-assurance. “In just a few years, I’veseen the difference an education makesfor these girls,” Ani Choyin said.And indeed, the young nuns at theArya Tara School are bright,confident, and outgoing.

Ani Choyin calls her institution aschool rather than a nunnery becauseshe’s more of an educator than aspiritual director. Nuns from anynunnery in Nepal can come to theArya Tara School to engage in seriousstudy for a maximum of eight yearsand then return to their nunneries,where they will be equipped to teachand provide basic medical services.This year, 14 nuns between the ages ofnine and twenty are studying English,Tibetan, math, biology, basic first aid,and Buddhist philosophy— a range ofsubjects impossible to find in atraditional nunnery. But howeverunconventional Ani Choyin’s schoolmay seem, her program of study hasessential Buddhist practices andteachings at its core. When they leavethe Arya Tara School, Ani Choyin’sstudents will be better prepared topractice the axial Buddhist principlesof compassion and skilful means byserving their communities as teachers,nurses, and spiritual counsellors. AniChoyin hopes that in addition toproviding practical assistance, theseaccomplished nuns will encouragemore people to educate girls.

With 14 students to provide forand plans to build a school largeenough for 100 nuns at Pharping, it’sno wonder that Ani Choyin isconstantly working to raise funds.Lucky for her and for any young nunwho wants to study, that Ani Choyinis tenacious and gregarious—and anextremely talented singer. Since 1998,Ani Choyin has been performingtraditional Buddhist chants in theUnited States, Canada, Europe, andNepal to raise money for herfoundation. Though she’s been agifted singer since her childhood, AniChoyin attributes her musical successto her teacher, Tulku Urgen Rinpoche,who encouraged her singing andtaught her the beautiful spiritual songs

that she now performs around theworld. The chants originate from apractice called Chod, or “cutting,”because engaging in the practice helpsto cut through egotistic tendencies.“Singing or listening to these songsgives rise to a mental state where thereis no negativity, no clinging, noduality,” says Ani Choyin. Peoplewho’ve heard her sing are quicklyconvinced of the salubrious effects ofher music. Her voice has a naturalclarity and organic quality thatperfectly conveys the spontaneous andecstatic nature of the songs.

With four albums out, includinga more innovative collection of dancemusic that layers traditional chantingand modern, trip-hop beats, AniChoyin has affected countless peoplethrough her music and becomesomething of a celebrity—no doubt afirst for a Buddhist nun. In the midstof it all, however, Ani Choyin remainsfocused, humble, and dedicated to thememory of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche.

Although her initial US andEuropean tours were enormouslysuccessful, Ani Choyin had reserva-tions about performing in Kathmanduat first. “I wasn’t sure how the localpeople would react,” she says. “This issomething completely new for aBuddhist nun to be doing. Peoplewant to see a nun who is secluded andquietly saying mantras, not perform-

ing and socialising.” Like anygroundbreaking performer, AniChoyin has had caustic criticism aswell as fervent praise. Conservativeswithin the Buddhist communityconsider her conduct unseemly for anun and disapprove of her reformisteducational agenda. “People veryignorantly cling to their own narrowidea of what it is to be Buddhist. I maynot follow all the conventions of beinga Buddhist nun, but my belief andvision are very clear.”

Irrepressibly optimistic, AniChoyin continues to defy her criticsand raise money for her foundation bysinging. On 7 April, she will performin their third annual fundraisingconcert at the Patan Museum, and afterthat, she’ll be touring the US andEurope for two months. Thoughperforming for such a long stretch isincredibly demanding, Ani Choyinnever gets tired of singing. “Singing isthe best job in the world,” she smiles.“It makes others happy, it makes mehappy.” And it might help pave theway for young nuns to practice whatthey believe.

(Tickets for Ani Choyin’s PatanMuseum concert are availablefor Rs 600 at Dragonfly inMike’s Breakfast and the PatanMuseum café. The concertbegins at 6PM on 7 April.)

LSteven Apirana

1414141414 CITY 5 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMES

ABOUT TOWN

For inclusion in the listing send information to editors@nepalitimes.com

KATHMANDU VALLEYFri Sat Sun Mon Tue

27-12 28-11 28-12 26-11 27-11

DSES-03-04-2002 03:00 GMT

by NGAMINDRA DAHALNEPALI WEATHER

by MIKUYAK YETI YAK

For insertions ring NT Marketing at 543333-36.

CLASSIFIED

All this rain just goes to show you that weatherforecasting is an inexact science. We predicted somerain last week, but not the massive hailstorms wewitnessed Monday and Tuesday. This satellite picturetaken on Wednesday morning shows the big cloudsover central Nepal dumping rain on us. These havenow moved rapidly towards Assam. But there isanother westerly front over Afghanistan and it isheaded our way. Expect more showers, more stormsinto the weekend and next week. Notice how theplains are clear, they will stay that way. Drop intemperature with increased cloud cover.

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Radio SagarmathaP.O. Box 6958, Bakhundole, Lalitpur, NepalTel: ++977-1-545680, 545681 Fax: ++ 977-1- 530227E-mail: radio@radiosagarmatha.orgwww.radiosagarmatha.org

Mon-Fri 0615-0645 BBC World TodaySat 0615-0645 BBC Science in ActionSun 0615-0645 BBC AgendaDaily 2045-2115 BBC g]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfDaily 2245-2300 BBC g]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jfg]kfnL ;]jf

on FM 102.4

/]l8of] ;u/dfyf

BOOKWORM

Courtesy: Mandala Book Point, Kantipath, 227711, mandala@ccsl.com.np

English teacher required Part-time hours.Excellent pay and conditions. Must benative speaker. Tel: 429590

Reflexology! The therapist applies alter-nating pressure to the feet. It reducesstress, promotes relaxation and goodhealth. Email buddhasfeet@yahoo.com orring 410735

Stupa View and Restaurant & Terrace atBaudhanath Stupa. Well-appointedrestaurant and terraces with views of stupaand Himalayas. International vegetarianspecialties, pizza from clay oven, icecream, soft guitar tunes on Fridays,Saturdays, Sundays from 5PM on. Specialevents on full moon. Open daily 11AM-8.30PM. 480262.

K-Too! Beer and Steakhouse not the “long-est”, “highest”, “first” or any other superlative.Just a relaxed, easy-going bar and restaurantwith the coldest beer and juiciest steaks thisside of the moon. By the Kathmandu GuestHouse. 433043

HMB Mountain Biking Have your bike serv-iced or repaired by HMB’s ProfessionalMechanics at the HMB Workshop. Ridinggear, accessories and parts available.Second hand bikes bought/sold/hired. Newand reconditioned mountain bikes for sale.Himalayan Mountain Bikes—Tours andExpeditions. 437437.

The way to Mexico is too far. Botega Restau-rant and Tequila Bar is near Thamel Chowk.266433. 15 percent off season discount

EXH IB I T IONEXH IB I T IONEXH IB I T IONEXH IB I T IONEXH IB I T ION Stupas, Stones and Space Exhibition of solo paintings on Nepali paper by

German artist Dagmar Mathes. 8—20 April, Siddartha Art Gallery. Baber MahalRevisited

E V E N T SE V E N T SE V E N T SE V E N T SE V E N T S Nepali classical dance and folk music Dances of Hindu and Buddhist gods. Tuesdays

and Fridays, 7PM onwards, the Great Pagoda Hall. Ticket and tea Rs 400. Nepali folk tunesWednesdays and Saturdays, 6.30PM onwards. Hotel Vajra. 271545 Red Ribbon Grind Celebrate Nepali New Year with a mix of Nepali performers like Ram

Shrestha, Albatross, Hybrid, Pressurized as well as the Australian band The Agents. 13April, Hotel De L’ Annapurna New Year at Rox Bar Celebrate New Year’s eve with pulsating music, exciting cocktails,

and tempting Nepali snacks. Guest performer will be singing popular Nepali numbers.Tickets single Rs 400, couple Rs 750. Rox Bar, Hyatt Regency

MUS ICMUS ICMUS ICMUS ICMUS IC 1974 AD will be playing their hit numbers in Jatra, Thamel 6 April, 6PM. Only 70 seats

available. Reserve your tickets on time. Call 433859. Tickets Rs 250 The Nuns Welfare Foundation of Nepal presents the third annual evening of Tibetan

chants and more with Ani Choyin Doma, Manose on flute and others. 7 April, 6PM, PatanMuseum Café. Tickets Rs 600 at Dragonfly at Mike’s Breakfast, and Patan Museum Café.For details email nwf@choying.com. Australyeahhh! Music festival from the land down

under organised by Eternity Music Festival 2002 withsupport from the Australian Embassy featuring artistslike The Agents, Ruby and Jade, The Koomari Dancersand solo performances by Simon Russel Baker, DavidLlyod Jones and Koda Jo Berry. 10-11 April, 7PM. TrendyThatch, Hotel de L’ Annapurna. Tickets Rs 250. All that Jazz Afro Dizzi Act performs their last gig in

Nepal. 12 April, 7.30 PM. Nepa-Dhuku Ballroom.Radisson Hotel. Tickets Rs 500 Live music by Catch 22, Friday nights at the 40,000 ½ ft Bar, Rum Doodle Restaurant,

Thamel. 414336

DRINKDRINKDRINKDRINKDRINK Meter of Malt Exhibition and tasting of Single Malts like Knockando, Cardhu,

Cragganmore, Glenkinchie, Glenlivet and more all imported from Scotland. Rs. 999/- net perpackage. Piano Bar, Hotel Yak & Yeti. 248999

FOODFOODFOODFOODFOOD Groove with the Roos Special evening of fabulous Australian buffet, free flow of wine,

with live music. 12 April, 7PM. Trendy Thatch, Hotel de L’ Annapurna. Tickets Rs 999/- net Saturday Live Buffet with unlimited draught beer and live music by the Rusty Nails. The

Fun Café, Radisson Hotel, 11.30AM-2.30PM, Saturdays. 411818 The new Roadhouse Café Completely redesigned with separate bar seating and coffee

bar. Original Mediterranean specialities and wood-fired pizzas. The Roadhouse Café,Thamel. Taste of Beijing Roast duck and other Chinese meat, fish and vegetarian delicacies.

Beijing Roast Duck Restaurant, Birendra International Convention Centre. 468589 Kebab and Biryani Nawabi delicacies straight from the tandoor – Biryanis and Kebabs

at the Café. Dum ki Raan,Murgh Tikka Nawabi and more. Mixed seafood Biryani is a must try.12-28 April. Hyatt Regency. 491234 Charcoalz Buffet with grilled delicacies from around the world, glass of lager, live music

and strawberries with cream. Non-vegetarians Rs 595 and vegetarians Rs 495, tax in-cluded. Poolside, Hotel Yak & Yeti. 248999 Lunch, tea and dinner European and American cuisine with fine wines. La’Soon Res-

taurant and Vinotheque, Pulchowk. 535290 Paddy Foley’s Irish Pub A wide range of drinks and food. Live music on Wednesday,

Thursday and Sunday nights. 416096

G E T A W A Y SG E T A W A Y SG E T A W A Y SG E T A W A Y SG E T A W A Y S Great Godavari Getaways. Special weekend packages available. Room with breakfast

and dinner with 25% discount on health club facilities. Godavari Village Resort. 560675 Bardiya’s Best Four nights and three days, jungle activities, transfers and meals

including dikhri (steamed rice dumplings) with jungle sauces and spicy coriander chutney,$120. Jungle Base Camp, Royal Bardiya National Park. 061-31961 Escape to the peace and harmony of Dwarika’s Hotel. Several packages available.

479488 Taste the difference Cosy Nepali-style house on an organic farm in Gamcha, south of

Thimi. Up to Rs 1,200 per person per night including meals. aaa@wlink.com.np.

Pilgrimage in TibetPilgrimage in TibetPilgrimage in TibetPilgrimage in TibetPilgrimage in Tibet Alex Mckay, ed.Curzon Press, LondonRs 5310Tibetans have traditionally mapped out their land in terms of sacred space, andpilgrimage throughout these areas ensured a high degree of mobility within allclasses of traditional Tibetan society. Leading scholars of Asian pilgrimagetraditions discuss historical and contemporary aspects of pilgrimage within theTibetan cultural world. Myths and legends, material conditions, textual sources,a modern pilgrim’s impressions, political and economic influence, biographies,and contemporary development are examined in this majornew work.

Luminous Lives Cyrus StearnsWisdom Publications, Boston, 2001

Rs 2860This is the first in-depth study of the literature and history of the Lam ‘bras, theTantric Buddhist tradition, practiced in Tibet for almost a thousand years, mostprominently within the Sa skya lineage. The central focus of the story is a rareTibetan history that brings alive the story of the earliest men and women practi-tioners of the Lam ‘bras.

Counsels from My Heart Dudjom RinpocheShambala Publications, Boston, 2001Rs 1620Dudjom Rincpoche (1904-1987) was a highly revered Buddhist meditation masterand the leader of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Dudjom Rinpochecalls upon us to follow Buddha’s instructions to “get a grip on our minds” pointingthe way to give up our habitual ways of behaving in order to liberate ourselves fromsuffering and also offers advice on how to view the Vajrayana teachings.

1616161616 5 - 11 APRIL 2002 NEPALI TIMES

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

by Kunda Dixit

Under My Hat NEPALI SOCIETY

aving notched up someyears of designingexperience down south in

his fatherland, Siddarth Gopalandecided it was time to add somespice to his motherland.Siddarth’s mother is a chhetrifrom Dharan and father is aSouth Indian brahmin, and at 25this architect is already makinghis mark in Kathmandu.

After getting to Kathmanduthree years ago and designing aresort-farmhouse in Chitwan,word of the simplicity andelegance of Siddarth’s workspread quickly. More assign-ments followed: Sipradi, theAustralian Embassy, and (ahem!)our very own Himalmedia. Now,the best example of this youngIndo-Nepali architect’s talent isnot swanky offices and thebedrooms of the rich andfamous, but on full display at thenewly-opened Roadhouse Caféin Thamel.

Tired of having to pay thesame old architects for designshe had to dismantle almost on anannual basis, ChandanKayastha was on the look outfor someone who could makehis diverse Roadhouse Cafécrowd feel at home. Havingalready turned off a few othereager beavers, Chandan’simagination was immediatelycaptured when he saw whatSiddarth had to offer.

“One should always respectone’s culture, but at the sametime be bold enough to use theimagination. What we have donehere is not purely Nepali but at

Siddarth’s spice and stylethe same time there is a bit ofNepal too. Tourists relate it to theCaribbean Islands, some toMexico and some to huts in Tharuvillages,” says the designer.

Sack loads of ammonitestones transported from thebanks of the Kali Gandaki stud thewalls. (“Some of them haveammonite fossils inside, but wehaven’t opened them yet.”) Thewalls have that muddy brown“lipeko” touch so familiar intraditional Nepali homes. Driedcorn and garlands of chili andgarlic hang from the walls, whilethe antique window grills give atouch of the old aristocraticKathmandu.

Siddarth has made a point ofusing material leftover fromprevious eras. Old woodenbeams (uninhabited termiteholes intact) provide ceilingsupport, water pipes arereincarnated as wine bottleholders, cement mixingplates serve as light shades(we liked the way thepinpoints of light poeticallyilluminate our cigaretteexhaust) and there is evenan antique woodendoor leading to thekitchen.

Siddarth is busy designingthe yet unfinished garden at theRoadhouse, as well as workingon plans for La Dolce Vita, theItalian restaurant owned by theKayasthas and other dreamhouses for the nouveau riche.It’s a fine balance betweenkitsch and Ikea-like minimalism,and Siddarth treads it everyday. “You can use a lot ofglitter and make a place looktacky, or you can use a littlemud and have a classy place,”he explains. Siddharth’sbalance of new and old, spiceand style has turned him intoan original fusion artist inKathmandu’s mongrel land-scape.

Handlocked Nepal has always been a pesky pebblebetween two enormous yams. But today we findourselves trapped between the devil and a hard

place. In other words, we are now firmly ensconcedbetween a rock and the deep blue sea.

Despite this predicament, it is heartening to learnfrom the main news on Radio Nepal this morning thatour leaders still have the presence of mind to rememberthat today is the National Day of the friendly nation ofGuinea Bissau, and thereforetime to shoot off yet another oneof those annual telegrams to wishthe Numero Uno of the Demo-cratic Peoples’ Republic ofGuinea Bissau best wishes for hispersonal health and happiness,and offer warmest felicitationsfor the future peace and prosper-ity of friendly Guinean Bissaus.

This is what being a proudand committed member of theinternational community ofnations is all about: exchangingtelegraphic bonhomies andwishing each other all the best onour national holidays. Withpermission from the chair, I would like to suggest thatwe move with the times and stop using telex andtelegraph for these greetings. Telepathy is a more securechannel, and it is also much cheaper.

The other cost-effective method of keeping ourrelations with friendly countries on an even keel isto employ the time-tested method of donating ourwildlife to their zoos. As a matter of fact, zoologicaldiplomacy has a glorious tradition in Nepal underwhich we gift endangered species to countries towhich we wish to offer Most-Favoured Nationtrading status.

Our latest foray into wildlife diplomacy was thearrival at Jawalakhel Zoo last month of His Excel-lency a Hippopotamus. In exchange we dispatched

His Excellency Ramesh the RhinoRamesh the One-horned Rhino as our RovingAmbassador-at-Large and Plenipotentiary to theChrysanthemum Throne. But despite his diplomaticimpunity, Ramesh had a tough time convincing thevisa officer at the Japanese embassy he was not one ofthe rhinos being translocated to Bardiya who boughthis way out and escaped en route. Good thingRamesh has a thick skin, otherwise he’d have impaleda couple of those chaps behind the glass window.

But Ramesh’s travails werenot over. Just before boarding hisflight, security refused to clearhim saying his horn could beclassified as a “sharp object” andit had to be stowed with his nailfile in this checked-in luggage.This made Ramesh very horny,but a diplomatic incident wasaverted when an alert member ofthe cabin crew agreed to allowhim on board if the horn wasblunted by sawing off the tip.

Despite these teethingproblems, zoological diplo-macy has a lot of potential.The urban crow is an endan-

gered species in many developed countries. Nepal hasa surplus. The law of supply and demand dictates thatwe export the entire cohort that lives on a treeoutside my window to a crow-deficit country likeSao Tome and Principe.

The pack of howling dingos that defend ourfriendly neighbourhood trash heap can all be sent offto South Korea in the run-up to the World Cup.Then there is the common housefly, on the verge ofextinction in Europe, but of which we have swarms ofin Shyam’s Bus Stop Tea Shop. These animals canserve as Nepal’s honorary envoys abroad and ensurethat our age-old bonds of amity and co-existence withthe president and people of Togo are furtherstrengthened in the years to come.

L