Kathmandu l 12 Feb-18 Feb 2007 l # 3 l Price Rs. 25

ä Kiran Bhandari

As political confusion gets compounded withdeterioration in law and order situation, ElectionCommission wants major parties to be honest andserious if they at all want election on time. ‘Electionis no drama’, a soft spoken, no-nonsense ChiefElection Commissioner Bhojraj Pokharel told topleaders of eight parties sending chill down theirspines, making it clear election is not possibleunder the existing circumstances.

“If you cannot create law and order conduciveenough to hold elections, I can’t do it just for thesake of it”, Pokharel told them. The unarticulatedmessage was loud and clear - that he would nothesitate to quit if the political parties including theMaoists did not cooperate with him. All the chief ofthe parties except Prime Minister G P Koirala andMaoist chief Prachanda were present whenPokharel spoke his mind today.

When the Commission has just three monthstime left for conducting elections to the ConstituentAssembly, the deteriorating law and order situationincluding disruption in the voters registrationprocess by the Maoists, slow pace of the Govern-ment to set election related laws in place, ismaking election impossible in Mid-May. Thecommission has curtailed several normal pre-election formalities, but it sees no point inconducting election if fears of intimidation duringthe election are not totally eliminated.

Pokharel’s protest is also a sequel to attack on

Election in June

Rastriya Prajatantra party workers in Lamjung andsnatching away of the voters list in Dolakha by theMaoists. Moreover, the demand by Maoist Repre-sentative Baburam Bhattarai in the meeting thateven those with ‘temporary residency’ should beincluded in the voters’ list—something impossiblegiven the paucity of time, seems to have irked theCEC.

Along with his warning that improvement in thelaw and order situation was a pre-condition toholding election on time, Pokharel also asked theeight parties to have Constituent Assembly ElectionLaw, Election Commission Law and the ElectionLaw in place with clarity and details so that thecommission can proceed with all the legitimacy. Allthe laws related with Commission and the electionprocess cease to exist and the interim parliamenthas not legislated the new ones.

The Commission’s agony increased further withthe ambiguity in Prime Minister’s address to theNation on February 7 in which he said Terai willhave more constituencies for the ConstituentAssembly. “We appreciate Koirala’s politicalapproach, but it does not have the force of law asfar as the Commission is concerned. We do notknow yet whether those additional constituencieswould be carved out through delimitation orreshuffling of the existing constituencies, oraltogether new ones will be created,” a Commissionsource said, adding “if they are going to be newones, we do not have enough time left before theelection to the Constituent Assembly”. ä

No guarantee‘Election is no drama’, CEC Pokharel tells top leaders of eight parties

Trichen Rinpoche giving initiation to his disciple H H Dalai Lama. Rinpochepassed away on Jan 22 in Kathmandu. see obituary on last page.

Trichen Rinpoche giving initiation to his disciple H H Dalai Lama. Rinpochepassed away on Jan 22 in Kathmandu. see obituary on last page.

12 Feb-18 Feb, 20072 News

Inquiry fiasco Currencysans BuddhaimageAfter an euphoria driven announcement that thephotograph of king will be replaced with that ofLord Buddha in currency notes, the Governmentwithdrew its decision and is now contemplatingusing a photograph of Mt. Everest instead.

The sudden change of decision was precededby peaceful protests and pain expressed by certainBuddhist scholars and monks over the short-sighted declarations of the Government regarding‘misuse’ of Buddha’s picture.

The points which were relayed to FinanceMinister Ram Sharan Mahat through varioussources not only contained their polite objections,but also comments that, ‘Government needs to besensitive at times’. The points raised included -Does any country have a currency note with Gods'or Goddesses' picture? Will it be a good idea tohave Buddha’s picture for commercial purposes ?And how will the large number of lord Buddha’sfollowers react to it ?

Dr. Mahat, according to the sources, realized thefolly and announced, “Buddha’s picture will not beused in the currency notes." “The other picture thatrelates Nepal to the world outside is obviously Mt.Everest. But no formal decision has yet been takenregarding this", official sources told newsfront.

(Newsfront Report)

All for a minister IndiaproposesNepal silentClose on the heels of India amending the 1949treaty of friendship with Bhutan, its move todemonstrate similar gesture towards Nepal has notcome through mainly because of the lack ofinitiative on Nepal’s part. India and Bhutan signednew treaty on Feb 7 upgrading Bhutan’s statusfrom what it used to be an Indian protectorateunder the previous treaty.

India after decades of reluctance is said to be infavour of reviewing the 1950 treaty with Nepal butit has not made any headway as there has been nointerest shown on Nepal’s part. The issue ofmodification in the treaty to take into considerationmodern challenges and realities is howeverpending before the bilateral committee at theforeign secretary level. This is said to be anindicator of India’s seriousness to embark on arelationship with its neighbours which will not beguided by the principle of reciprocity; which it hopeswill help India to shed its image of big brother.

South Block sources told newsfront that Indiawas willing to consider various options – review,modifications or replacement – of the treaty ifsuch a proposal came from Nepal. India’sconsistent stance earlier was that there is noprovision of the treaty being modified but it waswilling to go into no treaty regime if Nepal gave ayear’s notice for scrapping it as mentioned in thetreaty. Various quarters including politicalleadership and intelligentsia in Nepal have ondifferent occasions demanded treaty’s review onthe ground that not only its provisions wereunequal, loaded in India’s favour, but it wassigned by two authorities not par with each other.The treaty was signed by Mohan Shumsher Ranawho was Prime Minister then while CPN Sinha,ambassador to Nepal had signed it on India’sbehalf.

Maoists at the moment have been demandingthat the treaty be scrapped as it is unequal in letterand spirit.

(Newsfront report)

Prime Minister G P Koirala’s reluctance toaxe his Home Minister K P Sitaula is holdingthe Madheshi Janadhikar forum (MJF) fromapproaching the negotiation table. ForumChief Upendra Yadav has set a ten-daydeadline, beginning February 7 for Koirala tofulfill the precondition failing which “agitationwill be resumed” with added vigour.

A letter sent to the Government by theforum on Saturday not only asked forSitaula’s resignation, but also insisted for theconstitution of a Commission of Inquiry intodeaths of 38 people including the killing of astudent in Lahan on January 19, in course ofthe movement for more political rights, state-hood and representation in proportion withthe Terai population.

Yadav set the conditions formally after hewas conveyed by an insider that PrimeMinister did not feel quite comfortable withhis pre-condition. Madhav KumarNepal,General Secretary of the Communistparty of Nepal—United Marxisit Leninist(CPN-UML) did suggest Koirala in a feeblevoice, "why not sacrifice him if that bringspeace in the country?" But Koirala cut himshort and said, “I am prepared to resignmyself."

The MJF suspended its movement for tendays in the hope that Prime Minister wouldquietly agree to the pre-conditions without ithaving to go public. But instead, “Koiralaseems to have solicited India’s help to shutus down”, a MJF source said, adding “we felt

forced to state our conditions. I do notthink India should have objections to anyprobe as well as for resignation ofKoirala”.

Yadav reinforced those demandsthrough the letter on Saturday. “Wehave only suspended our movement forten days to create talks in a conduciveatmosphere. But we also expect theGovernment to reciprocate our gestureby removing the Home Minister”.

It however, made it clear that it had noobjection to the National Federation ofIndigenous Nationalities (NFIM) holdingtalks with the Government as announcedby its Chief - Pasang Sherpa.

(Newsfront Report)

In what appears to be a half hearted measure the governmenthas decided to ask the truncated Commission of Inquiry intoAbuse of Authority (CIAA) to look into the findings of the twoinvestigating Commissions and take necessary measures. TheCIAA will proceed with the report of the Rayamajhi Commissionas well as that of the Ojha Commission, which together cost morethan 18 million rupees to the State exchequer.

While the Rayamajhi Commission which was formed toinvestigate cases involving misuse of the State power and moneyto suppress the movement for democracy, the Ojha Commissionwas meant to investigate into the conduct and abuse of power ofthe Bhakta Bahadur Koirala Commission to look into corruption inhigh places during the Royal regime.

The Koirala Commission which had arrested among others,former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba and Congress Democraticleader, Prakash Man Singh, had been declared unconstitutionalby the supreme court. It has recommended action against themembers of the Koirala Commission which most likely will lead totheir arrest. The Ojha commission has recommended that anAppellate court judge who acted as the secretary of the commis-sion be terminated from the service while in other members’ caseit has held them indulging in ‘corruption’ and defaming pro-democracy leaders.

The Rayamajhi Commission on the other hand has recom-mended action against 202 people including politicians, civil andsecurity officials besides some political appointees. Given thecontroversial manner in which the commission was formedand the way it conducted its proceedings,cabinet task force headed bydeputy PM K P

Oli is believed to have recommended that CIAA go into chargesagainst the members of the Royal cabinet only.

The Commission has also recommended that law should beenacted with retrospective effect to try the King for excessive useof State power and money against forces of democracy. But thetask force left it to the constituent assembly to decide.

(Newsfront report)

Home Minister K P Sitaula

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RayamajhiCommission hasrecommendedaction against 202people

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312 Feb-18 Feb, 2007Interview

ä Interview by Sankarshan Thakur

Q: What is your understanding of whatis happening in Nepal today?

A: At the moment there are two aspectsof the political process. There are therevolutionary forces, which would like topush things along and take them to theirlogical political conclusion. Somethingremarkable has happened in Nepal. Wehave a situation in which probably for thefirst time a despotic monarchy is going to beformally overthrown by the ballot. Monar-chies have always been overthrown throughviolent revolution, but in Nepal, because ofthe ten-year people's war and the 19-daystreet rebellion last year, we have a situationwhere it is going to be dismantled bypeaceful means. That is what we are tryingto accelerate. And the struggle that theMaoists waged has meant that even the so-called mainstream political parties are nowpushing for removal of the monarchy. And itappears to me that India is also supportive ofthat, although India seems to want thatMaoists should not get the majority.

Q: Why do you think India does notwant the Maoists to win?

A: Because once Maoists get the majority,India thinks that a genuine peoples republicwill be created and that India would not like.

Q: Are you saying this based onsomething concrete?

A: I do not have any concrete proof of theIndian thinking but the line of the Indianpolitical establishment—both in the Govern-ment and the opposition. Indians have cometo recognise that Nepal has to be a republicnow. Initially, India also supported themonarchy because there was a thinking thatonly the monarchy can suppress theMaoists, but the people of Nepal havechanged all that and India has to recognisethe new reality. But even then, India will wanta convenient sort of republic.

Q: What do you mean by that?A: I mean a republic that Indians are

comfortable with, like their own parliamen-tary type of republic.

Q: So what sort of republic do youwant?

A: We want a people's republic.

Q: Which means not a parliamentaryrepublic.

A: You can say that. There will be aparliament, of course, but not of the sort thatexists today. Essentially it will have to be apeoples republic which can solve the basicproblems of the people of Nepal. An anti-imperialist and anti-feudal republic.

Q: You are saying that the biggestroadblock in your struggle was themonarchy. That has practically beendisabled and is in the process of beingtotally dismantled. And that done, yournext battle will be with what we know tobe the mainstream political parties, theNepali Congress etc. Those are the

forces you will fight your next battle with.A: We cannot say this at this moment

because our main target still is the monarchy. Ithas lost support among the masses but themonarchy still has its backers. For example, theUS is backing them, there are also some politicalforces within Nepal that are for the monarchy.With the help of these forces, the monarchy isstill trying very hard to survive. So in terms ofstrategy, we want to target only one force at atime and now it is the monarchy. Once weoverthrow the monarchy, we will think about themainstream political parties.

Q: Looking back, do you think thatdecade long armed struggle was wrong orwould you say it was an inevitable processNepal had to go through to arrive at thisstage?

A: First of all, we have not given up either ourarms or the armed struggle. We have onlysuspended that strategy. Armed struggle was aninevitable process, we could not have comehere without waging the peoples war. And whatwe are trying to do now is also part of thatprocess through which we want to achieve apeoples republic. This is the continuation of thepeoples war in a different form, but we have notgiven up the armed struggle. If we think it isrequired, we will resume it.

Q: Do you have a timeframe inmind for this ?

A: Yes definitely. If the processmoves smoothly, elections (Mid-May) will be held and the firstmeeting of the electedconstituent assembly willdecide the fate of themonarchy and thecharacter of the futureNepali state. Of coursewe will win that electionso we are hopeful we willbe able to implement theroadmap we have. Wewill have a people’srepublic after thatelection.

Q: What isthe basis ofyour confi-dence aboutwinning theelection. Youhave nevercontestedelections, we haveno idea of your realstrength.

A: We have got thesupport of the overwhelm-ing majority of the Nepalipeople, we have beencontrolling more than eightypercent of the country's area,we were virtuallyrunning ourgovern-

ment in those areas. We have been workingamong the people, so we have a fair idea ofwhat our strength is.

Q: A lot of people say that the hold youhad in large parts of Nepal was because ofthe fear you created with the gun and theatrocities your cadres committed atrocitieson the people ?

A: Of course, there are people who willcomplain about it. They are the class enemies,they are the enemies of the people, and we diddrive them out. We cannot work to please orappease them. That class will definitely workand talk against us. But as far as the massesare concerned, they are happy because theyfeel liberated from the feudal system.\

Q: What happens to the King once themonarchy is gone? His immense proper-ties, his business interests, his privileges.

A: No privileges. He will have to remain justas another citizen. And a lot of his property isreally the property of the state which he hasbeen using as his own. That the state will takeback from him. As far as everything else isconcerned, the law will apply to Gyanendra as itapplies to everyone.

Q: Do you think Gyanendra's political

WE HAVE NOTGIVEN UPARMED STRUGGLE

ambition accelerated the process ofmonarchy’s downfall? from beingtreated as an avatar of Vishnu to being acommon man?

A: Those are all myths, this avatar ofVishnu business. The reality of the peopleof Nepal is that they have been suffering atthe hands of an exploitative system. It is ourscientific ideology that changed the temper ofthe people. Maybe a long long time ago, theking was worshipped as a god, but thestruggle against monarchy has been goingon for a long time. People have beenwanting democratic rights, that began in theearly 1960s. But there was no goodleadership. It is the success of the Maoistleadership that has brought victory to thedemocratic and republican sentiments of thepeople of Nepal. And, of course,Gyanendra's behaviour in power forced topeople to oppose him more determinedly.

Q: But some of the parties that youare in alliance with are themselvesfeudal and status quoist in nature. Howlong is this partnership going to last?

A: It is not going to be smooth. And thealliance is there because it was theircompulsion, not ours. Earlier these sameparties were allying with the king to fight us.They have killed thousands of our cadres,they have put rewards on our heads. They

tried to physically finish the Maoistmovement, But now they have come

to realize that it was not going towork because the will of theNepali people was behind theMaoists, we have forced themto change and ally with us. Ialso think they realised that

they cannot work with aman like Gyanendra whowas an autocrat andwanted all the powersonly for himself.

Q: Do you thinkIndia's suspicion ofthe Nepali Maoists has

something to do withthe Maoist movement inIndia?

A: Definitely, they do. Wehave clarified our relationshipwith the Indian Maoists.

Q: But a lot of the NepaliMaoist activity has been

based out of India.A: Yes, we have seven million

Nepali people in India, don't forget.We have our own network of

organizations. We don't need to takeanybody's help, we can do that in our own

way, with the help of our people. There hasbeen enough shelter here, there has

never been cause for us to worryon that count. ä

With the help of a fewforces, the monarchy isstill trying very hard tosurvive. So in terms of

strategy, we want to targetonly one force at a time

and now it is the monarchy

– CP Gajurel 'Gaurav'

Gajurel spoke to Thakur, Tehelka'sExecutive Editor, in Delhi recently. The

interview will be published in Tehelka onSaturday, Feb 17.

Editor & Publisher : Yubaraj GhimireAssociate Editor : Sushma AmatyaDesign: Sunil Khadgi, Kishor Raj Panta & Ramkrishna RanaAddress : PO Box: 8830, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, NepalTel : 4443888, Fax : 4421147 (Edt.), 4411912 (Mkt.), Email: newsfront@bhrikuti.comPrinted by: Express Color, Buddhanagar, Tel.: 4783007, Distribution: Kasthamandap, Tel.: 2010821

12 Feb.-18 Feb., 20074 Editorial

Letters

Peacebegins athomeEach individual in a family and communityshould strive to live peacefully with others.Peace must begin in the home and in theschools. In the classrooms we must teachinternational patriotism — to love the world asJesus, Krishna, and the great masters havetaught, and not to do anything that would lead

to international discomfort. It is not our nationalityor our color that we should be proud of, but ourunderstanding. We should cultivate our under-standing and use it to determine what is truly bestfor family happiness, national happiness, andinternational happiness. International happinessshould include the well-being of the nation, thecommunity, and the family. The standard oflegislation should be merit, not color of skin or anyother class distinction. These are the ideals to betaught to children.

So long as God’s children differentiate, "We areIndians and you are Americans; we are Germans,you are English," so long will they be bound by

delusion and the world divided. Much war andsuffering and destruction will be prevented if wecease to emphasize differences and learn to loveall without distinction or prejudice. Be more proudthat you are made in the image of God than thatyou are of a certain nationality; for "American" and"Indian" and all the other nationalities are just outercoats, which in time will be discarded. But you are achild of God throughout eternity. Isn’t it better toteach that ideal to your children? It is the only wayto peace: Establish the true ideals of peace in theschools, and live peace in your own life.

Paramhansa Yogananda(Extracted by www.ananda.org)

Spiritual Corner

Letters to the Editor should be addressed to:newsfront@bhrikuti.com

Stop double standardsCongratulations for the first three issues; they are getting

better. I wish you all the best for the future issues with moredifferent stories.

I agree with your news story titled "Prophesizing Moriarty".That is a really bad thing to happen to the Nepalese peoplewho after many years of unrest want a lasting peace in thecountry. But the Maoists' controversial words (I wish whatGajurel said in Delhi is proved wrong!) are trying to shatterthe hopes people have.

Maoists in many situations have displayed double stan-dards. Their stance on Terai issue was a mistaken one.Although one would agree that there was invasion by theroyalists and the extremist Hindubadis, the way they actedsolve the Terai issue was far from a real political solution ofthe problem; and in no way was it justice to the Terai people.

Although Moriarty many times speaks crossing his diplomaticlimits and interferes with the internal issues of Nepalese, thestatements made by Comrade CP Gajurel provided fuel for hisprophesy. So far there have not been any remarks against thestatements made by Gajurel; the Maoist Supreme Trio havenot made any comments regarding his remarks. This showsperhaps that the statements by Garurel could be right.

Maoists' should stop having double standards. People havereal hopes towards Maoist leadership and want Maoists to actwisely and honestly. That will probably pave way towardsmaking a New Nepal.

Dr Khagendra DahalMaharajgunj

More arts and entertainmentI would like to congratulate Samaya team for venturing yet

another publication. I have read all the 3 issues you havepublished and they are all good. English readers in Nepal longneeded a tabloid which covered news of the country and beyond,opinions and analysis on the current socio-political, economic anddevelopment aspects. The Newsfront has them all.

Although the content in general is good one; you could dothe following to improvise the quality of the paper. Although

you have included 2 pages for the news related to art andentertainment, you could include a variety of short newspieces – something on music, cinema, fashion and modeling.

Health issues need to be covered more. Although you haveincluded some public health issues, genuine health relatedmatters need to be focused on. There is very little emphasison regional and international politics and affairs. Besides, youcould have more inputs from the reputed freelancers onvarious national issues.

Finally, you need to rethink on price-versus-quality equation;either, give more contents to the people or decrease the priceif that is not possible.

Parichhya AdhikarySukedhara, Kathmandu

More news researchNewsfront is a great achievement of Samay team in Nepali

journalism within a short period of time. The language issimple to read and easy to understand but the news are morecomprehensive, awesome and time consuming. The layoutshould be more attractive and cartoon more impressive andspace for children and public health, science and technology,sports and entertainment. Though it contains varieties intopics, there isn't enough researched based news.

Sashil ChapagainTrichandra Campus

Thanks for reflectionsThank you for your reflections on Nepal and our region.

We have much to be concerned about, but you give excellentexamples of hope. Whatever our differences, we can talk toone another in a spirit of compassion, really wanting the bestfor all Nepalese. Let's put people where they belong, aheadof policies and ideologies.

Bill RobinsSt. Xaviers, Jawalakhel

Fire brigadeapproachPrime Minister G P Koirala, backed by the ruling coalition andthe Maoists, have succeeded in dousing the fire in Terai, byacknowledging that any or every citizen has a right to be part ofthe country one belongs to. And Democracy alone which by itsdefinition and philosophy is inclusive and participation basedcan instill that sense of belonging among all citizens of thecountry.

Prime Minister's recent speech could deliver that sense. Butcharting out basis of polity that Nepal needs to adopt for aforeseeable future institutionalising their stake cannot beaccomplished at once. It needs much larger preparation basedon transparent process and calls for nationwide debate givingpeople a chance to have their say rather than going by whatPrime Minister said under pressure of the movement. PrimeMinister's message should of course, be treated, as the basicframework of federalism and electoral system that Nepal wouldadopt in future, but the job of working out details and suggestinginfrastructural machinery should be best left to the commis-sion of experts. Political parties, with clearly thought outelectoral and devolution model, will be able to honour the risingand natural aspirations of the people to be part of the emergingpower structure.

A devolution model also needs to take into account thetraditional, cultural, social, economic and other factors thatshould be able to promote national integration in whichdiversities will not be seen as an impediment but basicmilestones in that direction. Accommodation of diverse culture,ethnicity , caste , class , region and religion will not only injecta sense of togetherness, but will automatically make thecontext and acceptability of Nepali nationalism and nation-hood much wider.

But all this will require state's visionary, honest and positiveintervention and cooperation. State's fairness in this campaignwill be the most crucial factor for the success of campaign.Despite fire having been brought under control in Terai, thenegotiations have not yet begun. The issue of whether a HomeMinister whose mishandling of the situation has cost at least 30lives should resign or continue in the post should not beallowed to linger. The state, in this case the Prime Minister,should be able to set certain standards—political, administra-tive as well as moral for who should not be in the Government.

What the Government in principle conceded after themartyrdom of 30 people in Terai is that the era of dictate, by theking, or eight parties from the capital is over, and that peoplewill want their say in Governance from the top to the villagelevel. A fire brigade approach no doubt has contained the fire atthe moment in Terai, but that definitely is not enough. The leastthe Government should do at the moment is to constitute anexperts team to lay the principles and details for such gover-nance across the length and breadth of the country within areasonable time frame.

512 Feb.-18 Feb., 2007Debating Development

As we are passing through a severe powercrisis- three hours of blackout a day for everyconsumer connected to the national grid, whichis going to increase shortly to six hours a dayand may be more a little further down the road -the question that comes up to the mind is wheredid we go wrong?

Being one of the poorest of the poorcountries in the world one would naturallyassume that resource mobilization in the sectorhas not historically been adequate to meet therising demand. The demand for power as wellas energy has been rising at a rate of 8.5%annually for the last one and a half decade. Onewould, therefore, presume that the investmentrequired for meeting this huge surge in demandis naturally beyond the capacity of a small and apoor country like Nepal.

Do facts support this assumption? No, it tellsa different story. Since almost all investments

are financed through loans either domestic orexternal, long term loan of Nepal ElectricityAuthority ( NEA) could be a good indicator forthe quantum of investment in the sector. In 1992the long term loan of NEA stood at a level of alittle less than 11,000 million Rupees whereas in2006 it was almost 52,000 million Rupees.

In this period the investment in generationside of the utility business has substantially goneto the private sector and therefore the invest-ment by NEA is so much less. Even in such asituation an annual growth in investment by NEAhas been to the tune of 11.5%, three percentmore than the growth in demand for electricity.

Despite all this the fact remains that neitherare new power stations being built noradequate transmission facilities being added tothe system. We have to find money to financethe new projects. One good source of financecould be NEA itself since it charges its consum-

ers a high rate of Rs.6.50 (9 US cents) perkilowatt-hour; it ought to have a surplus for therequired investment. But for last half a decadeNEA has been continuously in the red.

Let us look at the precarious financial situationof NEA during the last fiscal year, 2005/2006.Total revenue during this year was Rs 14,012.6million. Total operating expenses wereRs.12,750.2 million including a hefty sum ofRs.6,575 million on power purchase alone.Therefore the operating surplus was Rs.1,262.4 million. But whatever little the operatingsurplus, it was eaten away by interest on longterm loans which was 3,281 million and otherexpenses which were Rs. 453.5 million thusbringing the situation to a dismal net loss of Rs.2,472.6 million.

Next source of finances could be thegovernment of Nepal but this picture too is notencouraging. All of us know that the civil war like

Switch on! situation of the last decade has wrought havocin government finances and almost all revenuegoes to meet regular expenditure and hardlyany money is left for development works.Moreover hydro power being a very capitalintensive proposition, budget outlay for theproject has to be concentrated during two orthree years of its construction and therefore theessential outlays in social sectors would beadversely effected by it during those years. Nopopular government would like that.

The only option that remains is the privatesector. Is the private sector capable of investingalmost nine billion rupees a year so that therising demand of sixty megawatt of power peryear could be met? Does our banking systemhave this kind of money to invest in an industrywhere the return on investment starts trickling inonly after a gap of minimum five years? Do theregulations by Nepal Rastra Bank allow this kindof investment by commercial banks of Nepal?These are some of the questions which need tobe seriously debated upon.

Even if the answers to these questions arefound to be in affirmative many more questionswould spring up like who purchases the powerproduced by private developers or would theybe encouraged to engage themselves indistribution side of the business too, a messybusiness to say the least. Questions of unbun-dling the elephantine NEA would have to beaddressed. There are difficulties in the road,whatever road we decide to travel on.

But since the evenings are dark and the darkevenings do not provide any avenues ofentertainment like reading or watching TV, let ushope, the exercise of serious introspectionbegins now. That may perhaps bring us thelight. ä

(Upadhyay is former General Director of NEA)

äääää Keshav Upadhyay

The only option that remains is the private sector. Is the private sector capableof investing almost nine billion rupees a year so that the rising demand of sixtymegawatt of power per year could be met?

Rajes

h Ghim

ire

Indrasarobar of Kulekhani

Kathmandu6 12 Feb-18 Feb, 2007

Dying liä Sushma Amatya

Water gives life. History cites development ofmajor civilisations in all parts of the world alongand around water sites. The indigenouscivilisation of Kathmandu valley that grewaround the Bagmati river was no exception. Thepeople grew to revere the river they dependedon for their survival.

Bagmati, the principal river of Kathmanduvalley that has its source in the Mahabharatrange rises at Bagdwar and drains out throughthe Chobhar gorge. Beginning its journey fromthe Shivapuri hills, 25 km north of Kathmandu,at an altitude of 2650m above sea level, itstributaries Bishnumati, Dhobikhola, Manohara,Tukucha and Nakkhu meanders through thevalley, nourishing, sustaining lives in all its forms.

Bagmati is said to have originated from thelocks of Lord Shiva. From time immemorial theBagmati has been revered as a holy river, and it'sGhats as holy sites where main transitional pointsof life are marked and festivals celebrated.

In an attempt to feel the pulse of the peopleregarding this issue, Newsfront talked with a fewwho have a special connection with the riversand possess the know-how regarding themeasures to bring it back to life.

The important feature of this valley stillpossessed it's pristine beauty about five decadesago, recalled Satya Mohan Joshi, 86, the well

known literateur and poet. He recalled, "then, thewater was fresh and was used for drinking too.Just look what we've turned it into now! When Iwent there for my mother's passing away ritesrecently, I watched human wastes floating on thedirty canal it's become. It's a painful sight for thosepeople who grew up with Bagmati and whose livesrevolved around it. Now, it's a place you visit out ofcompulsion when you have to burn your dead orwhen you have to perform the rites."

"A civilisation grew around Bagmati, agricul-ture prospered, culture evolved and a spiritualculture developed. It was a significant riverespecially for the dying and the dead for whom itprovided a holy, peaceful ambiance. The waterwas in plenty, it used to come up to the Bhakaris.But over the years, we've watched it die with allwastes getting dumped into it and irresponsiblesand mining. Now the holy aspect of the river isdisappearing. All loud political declarations havecome to a nought", he said. Citing lack of cityplanning as well as lack of love of individuals forthe river, he added sadly, "Bagmati was a sourceof beauty. The irony is that in other countries, theycreate artificial rivers and here we make ournatural resources extinct."

Huta Ram Baidya, 86, agriculture engineer,who started one man campaign to save Bagmaticivilisation 14 years ago through his articles,feels strongly about the river where he played,bathed and performed sacred rites. Bemoaninglack of reverence for the river, he said, "Bagmatihas been over exploited. If it is destroyed,

The irony is thatin other coun-tries, they createartificial riversand here we makeour natural re-sources extinct

ä Satya Mohan Joshi

The present day sce-nario couldn't getworse and is the resultof lack of governancewhere lawlessness isthe rule of the day

ä Padma Sundar Joshi

Umpteen number ofstudies regarding rivers,sewage have been madebut due to lack of politi-cal conviction it onlyremained in the papers

ä Iswor Raj Onta

Bagmati has been overexploited. If it is de-stroyed, Bagmaticivilisation will be de-stroyed

ä Huta Ram Baidya

Manhora: Sand erosion and dry river bed

712 Feb-18 Feb, 2007 Valley

ife giversBagmati civilisation will be destroyed. The oldestcivilisation of Nepal, Kathmandu valley andSwoyambhu, the oldest heritage all revolvedaround this river. Now we can see what wehave done to it. It's so dirty people have stoppedgoing to the river for their rituals for the dead.Do we have the right to pollute, do we have theright to destroy nature?"

Baidya continued, "We have to tackle theproblem as a whole. It's wrong to build roads oneither sides of the river, it's wrong to treat it as adumping site. The media should publicise thisproblem. Schools and colleges should raiseawareness regarding this issue among itsstudents and take them for field trips. It's no useonly blaming each other. Young energy shouldbe channelised to protect this civilisation."

He added that destruction of the rivers woulddestroy the ecosystem too. "We don't see asmany vultures that used to clean up the carcassin the rivers now. The whole eco chain is gettingimpacted negatively." He recommended not rivercontrol but river protection. "Start small andsimple. Construct simple dams before rainyseason, raise river bed by stopping sand erosion.There are many poor man's technologies thatwork. It's joint effort that's needed, not just talk."

Buddhi Raj Bajracharya, 70, ex-mayor andex-minister, who has been working as a socialworker for the past 50 years said the seriousenvironmental and ecological challenges therivers in the valley are facing today is solely dueto the discharge of sewers, household wastes,hazardous wastes from nursing homes andprivate hospitals without primary treatment."Due to the sharp rise in population and lack of

foresight on the government's part, we haveturned our rivers into open sewers. Thegovernment has to undertake this massiveproject. Ordinary people cannot do it",Bajracharya said.

Actively involved in self created projects aimedat preservation of Sankhamul river and itssurroundings, Bajracharya opined that construc-tion of dams, filtering sewage and constructinglarge drainage pipes parallel to the rivers wouldhelp control the pollution.

Iswor Raj Onta, director of East Consult andchairperson of Nepal engineering council, saidlack of sense of ownership and integratedperspective is to be blamed for the dismalsituation of the rivers. "The mistaken notion thatriver purifies everything has proven to be it'sdownfall. A river can only take so much." He saidthat despite the sufficient rainfall of 2000 ml ayear, drinking water and waste water manage-ment is a problem that has grown ominously. "Inthe past six years, population has risen steeplybut planning, implementation of technicalaspects is lacking severely. Water is everybody'sbusiness. Flora and fauna depend on it. Wedont' really seem to love nature, water. Thereinlies the root problem."

Onta stated stakeholders' inability to worktogether and lack of concerted effort as reasonsbehind lack of proactive steps towards address-ing the issue. "Umpteen number of studies

regarding rivers, sewage have been made butdue to lack of political conviction it only remainedin the papers. Major stakeholders must sit downwith the government and make it a priority; theymust invest, participation of stakeholdersencouraged and the plan implemented." Headded that community spirit is lacking in oursociety and individual do not get motivatedunless their vested interests figure in it.

Onta prescribed strengthening alreadyexisiting structures, get individuals to bearresponsibility and find alternative ways todispose of one's wastes. "Nature continues togive but our ground water level is drying up dueto shallow tube wells dug everywhere. And wealso need to reuse water around 40 percent ofwhich is discarded after household use, as inother countries."

Citing examples of severe health repercus-sions arising from water polluted by hospitalwastes and sqatters settlements on the riverbanks that eventually affects every individualliving in the city through the food chain, he saidthe only hope we have now is decisions andimplementation at the policy level.

Padma Sundar Joshi, engineer, director ofCIUD, center for integrated urban development,said, "the present day scenario couldn't get worseand is the result of lack of governance wherelawlessness is the rule of the day. We do have the

technical know-how, resources and capabilitybut the political commitment is lacking. I'm atechnician, I can show technical alternativesbut the decision makers have to take thedecision. Just one single decision can get thewhole wheel moving."

Joshi termed the present situation of therivers as the tragedy of commons and saidwe all have contributed to the situation and soit's no use pointing fingers. "We need torethink technically and begin investing indecentralised waste water managementsystem." He explained alarming risks to healthdue to leakage of sewage water into groundwater and drinking water due to broken pipesand shift septic tanks in homes that mostly donot confirm to prescribed design and quality.He also recommended control in visualwastes of the plastics by declaring this zoneplastic free area or charging more for wastedisposal and less taxes on organic products.

The dismal scenario gets further cloudedby the helplessness of the squatters whohave created slum areas on either sides ofthe rivers. A resident in Bishnumati riversaid, "We are poor. This is the only place wecan find to live in. Yes, we throw our wastesinto the river. Where else can we throw it?"

Sensitivities deadened by poverty andresulting frustration, they are worried moreabout their own survival than the fate of therivers. The question loom large, when willwe begin to resuscitate life into the dyingand dead rivers? ä

Sensitivities deadened bypoverty and resulting frustration,

they are worried more abouttheir own survival than the fate

of the rivers

Pix

by B

hasw

or O

jha

Bagmati: Swallows all insults thrown into her Tukucha: which has almost become a synonymous of filth

8 12Feb-18 Feb, 2007 Counseling

Is alcohol a drug?ä Bhawana Basnet, Banewsar

Today alcohol is one of the most commonlyused drug. Being a legal drug it is sociallyaccepted so is highly abused. In the beginningdrinking may just begin with ‘fitting in' with thecrowd or for enjoyment. One never knowswhen it takes form of addiction, compulsionand obsession.

As with other addiction, a general negativeoutlook arises rooted in fear, insecurity and lowesteem. Likewise a person is unable to stop thisaddiction on their own because of the falsesense of well being and power.

Alcohol is poisonous to the body as it burnsup large amount of vitamins in the body. Hencethe tiredness and sickness of the body.Continual use brings illnesses such as chronicalcoholism gastritis and bleeding ulcers in themucus membrane. Heart, kidneys, brain and thenervous system become weak, chronic alcoholhepatitis and cirrhosis is also very common.Excessive continued use of alcohol leads towithdrawal symptoms like nausea, vomiting,shaking of hands and feet, sweating and slurredspeech when you stop drinking. Unable toconfront these withdrawal symptoms a personcontinues to drink.

Alcoholism can often be more difficult toovercome than hard drugs like cocaine orheroin because of its availability and peoples'denial to its addiction. It takes a lot of effort tochange this kind of behavioral pattern in ourculture. Making people more aware of its'

ä Neeraj Pradhan

The old city is a place that I've visited manytimes before. I must have toured the MallaPalace Museum near Hanuman Dhokhaand the Kumari's shrine at least a dozentimes. My first time was when I was in thefifth grade; I distinctly recall slipping out fromunder the watchful eyes of family membersresiding at Ombahal Tole. Unnoticed, Isneaked out to take a meandering prom-enade about the Dhokha square. Weavingthrough cows, dogs, pedestrians, andvendors--unfettered by guides or nervousadults--I was able to admire the stunningtapestry of wooden roofs and turmeric-laden buildings.

For the city's natives, such an image ofthe square might seem pedestrian, evenmundane. For that reason, it is perhapsimportant to explain why this enclave hascontinued to strike me over the years.

Visits back to Nepal, the homeland of myancestors and more relevantly my ownparents, have always been rushed: Familyand social engagements are paramount,one right after the next. The torrentialdownpours of the monsoon season arerivaled by the never-ending surges of thewedding season. Nevertheless, maintainingthese relationships is important, and it goes

without saying that it is this desire to remainconnected that serves as the reason why mostof us come back so often. Our family and ourroots are here in the valley.

When I was younger, the categorical focus onfamily amused me. Sure, in America, family isviewed differently from household to household.The rules are local not universal. But it wasn'tsimply this difference of philosophy in familyvalues and culture and how we were encour-aged to behave that puzzled me about trips toNepal. I cherished and still cherish the closefamily and friends I have. The fact of the matterwas to me, it seemed as though history andcountry always had to wait to be consumed inbite-sized morsels; sadly there never was muchtime for exploration and adventure.

To the eyes and mind of a youngster raisedon the stories of Verne or Dumas, to venture toa realm as organic and new as Nepal and notjump into adventure seemed a tragic loss to me.Flying across expanses of ocean and continent,getting disoriented through time zones andlanguages seemed a sunk cost if we were to beplopped in an historic valley of color andpossibility only to sip tea and chat.

Impatience and curiosity finally caught upwith me, and after a few trips, I decided tobranch out. I didn't speak much Nepali when Iwas younger, which made being adventure-some all the more delicate an issue with family

members. (That was another thing thatbothered me at the time: feeling over pro-tected.) Nevertheless, in the car, during drivesbetween houses, I would mentally plot thelandscape of the city, trying to cartographicallymap prime spots that I could later retreat toperhaps when older. I was searching foranything—a café, district, or scene—really aniche, a place to call my own.

It's funny that I managed to find that place atsuch a young age and so close to our familyhome for that matter. Hanuman Dhoka hadalways provided a refuge for me. It was realenough so as to provide glimpses of what thisforeign world was like—the world beyonddinners, sequestered gates, and familiar faces.

All at once, it gave me what my youthfulsense of adventure insisted and what myinquisitive questioning for answering demanded.Filthy goats, dogs, and birds were traipsingaround on the holiest of grounds: the grounds ofthe ancient city temples from which the cityderives it heritage and name. All colors of skinwere juxtaposed, from the tanned fieldsmenfrom the Terai and southwards, to the citydwellers, to the northern monks, and, of course,the friendly zealous European travelers. Allmanners of exciting merchandise that even afrugal fifth grader could afford, from intricatehand woven trinkets to carved wooden stringedinstruments, were neatly displayed on the side

walk. Within square footage that could notconceivably house a modest-sized stadiumsat this mélange of absurdity, adventure,and history.

As I've gotten older, it's struck me howsuch a crowded, claustrophobic place likeHanuman Dhokha could have managed tobe so intimate. You wouldn't catch me tryingto escape away to a place like TimesSquare; nor would you find me trying to findpeace on the Champs-Élysées, as excitingas those spots may be. If I were in NewYork or Paris, I'd much more likely be foundsomewhere more secluded and secret.

Those times I spent in the square havehelped me learn so much more about lifein Nepal than any book or conversationever could. Rarely did I ever do more thanjust gaze and stare at the variety of peopleand animals that could choose to findsolace and comfort in the same place. Ontrips, I used to be a somewhat bossy,impish child. Nowadays, whether I'mwalking through the Dhokha or driving byin a cab, I remember how my own childishimpatience gave me a picture of the city'strue fabric that I otherwise might not havegotten. And to think it was just outside mydoor.

(Neeraj is a student and currently lives insouthern California.)

Alcohol gives a falsesense of power

Right Outside My DoorThose times I spent in the square have helped me learn much more about life in Nepal

Nepali Diaspora

dangers is the first step.

How can I recognise somebody who'sabusing drugs?

ä Ajaya Parajuli, Mahankal

There are various distinct symptoms torecognize a person abusing drugs: The personwill not able to adhere to any form of routine.He/she will not have regularity of any kind, andwill not be eating properly and will suffer rapidloss of weight. In the vicinity of an abuser, thingswhich are of value to the person keep getting‘lost’ and the things of the house will also be ‘lost’ or ‘misplaced.’ Such a person sleeps toomuch or not at all. A person using drugs hasproblems confronting anybody or anything.Communication is minimal, he will start avoidingfamily members and begin to stay aloof. He willspend less time with parents/family membersand more time outside.

A person in drugs abuse will not be able toconcentrate and will have very short attentionspan. He will start doing badly at school. Within2-3 years into addiction he most probably willdrop out of school. Because of the habit, heneeds a lot of money to support it. He will beasking for money making many kinds ofexcuses.. An abuser will undergo massiveattitude and behavioral changes and will startgetting irritated or angry over small matters.

Queries related to addiction of any kind can beaddressed to: newsfront@bhrikuti.com.Outstanding issues will be short listed and dealtwith by Ragina.

Ragina Shah, Supervisor of a Rehav Centre in Kathmanduresponds queries on impact of drug, alcohol and way to getout of it.

912 Feb-18 Feb, 2007From the region

More foreigninvestmentin China

Like anywhere in the world,skepticism about overseas investment'srole in the national economy pops up inChina once in awhile. Fortunately, andnaturally, for a country determined toembrace globalization, such suspicionshave never fundamentally changed thecountry's attitude toward foreigninvestors. The gate for them hasopened wider steadily.

A report released this week by amajor government think tank servedas yet another proof that thiscountry's mainstream economistswelcome foreign investment. Theyare sober enough to oppose opinionsthat either downplay the significanceof foreign investment in China's nextstage of development or play up itsperceived threat to the nation'seconomic security.

The 2007 Report on TransnationalCorporations in China by the ChineseAcademy of International Trade andEconomic Cooperation, under theMinistry of Commerce, states thatforeign investment's role can evolveas the Chinese economy moves to ahigher level.

In fact, since the 1980s, foreigncompanies, while making handsomeprofits for themselves, have beencontributing to the Chinese economyby providing financial resources,

fueling economic growth andintroducing advanced technology.

Foreign investment continues to beneeded, especially going to inlandprovinces, where its presence hasbeen much smaller than in thecountry's prosperous coastal regions.

Foreign investment can also helppromote the country's sustainedgrowth and its further integration intothe world economy.

Service industries will be a key areafor the country's development in thenext stage and foreign players'participation should be a catalyst forthe service industries' growth.

Many international companies arepioneers in promoting environmentalfriendliness and resource conser-vancy. These companies' operationsin China should have very positiveeffects in helping transform China'sgrowth pattern.

As an increasing number ofChinese companies attempt to goglobal, partnerships between Chineseand foreign companies could helppave the way for Chinese companies'inroads into international markets.

As the world's third biggest tradingnation and its fourth biggest economy,China simply cannot afford to turn itsback on foreign investors.

(China Daily)

partnerships between Chinese and foreigncompanies could help pave the way for Chi-nese companies' inroads

A trade show in China recently

10 12 Feb-18 Feb, 2007 Perspectives

Nepal is going through pangs of re-birth as anation state. The sense of unification seems tobe getting lost in these fluid and turbulent days.This is the result of lack of any effort by any rulerbeginning 1768 to date to integrate Nepal. Weplodded along as a nation state of a loosecacophony of castes and communities earningrespect of a small percentage of world popula-tion who knew Nepal as a delightful country withexquisite natural endowments, populated byincredibly naïve, tolerant, hospitable andintelligent people co-existing in an amazingfusion of ethnicity and features.

As we wait forever for that day of fairgovernance, burgeoning economy and vibrantparticipation of it by Nepalis across the lengthand breath of Nepal, we can recall peace thathad been a matter of fact to a greater extent inour living memory in Nepal. Instead of waitingendlessly for peace to prevail and for thegovernment to wake up, there are people whoknow that this country abounds with umpteeneconomic possibilities and such people tap uponthese resources and create opportunities tosustain themselves and not wait for thegovernement to do it for them.

Fortune Cookie Ventures Pvt. Ltd. that waslauched On 8th of February, 2007, is such acompany led by a group of Nepali entrepre-neurs with a background in information,

communications and technology. This companyis all about incubation of ideas as in hatcherywhere seeds of ideas eventually fledge into

chicken. The eggs are in the form of buddingideas in the field of information technology.Enter Fortune Cookie and its consultants whoexplore ideas of any aspirant and if they find it

bankable and the personcommitted they would provide forphysical resources to tinker withthat idea and develop a prototypewith assiduous mentoring within atime line and a schedule coupledwith equitable contractualobligations.

The prototype would then moveforward to morph into a product or a servicesupported by resources towards its enhance-ment. At the end of it, the aspirant would grow

Harvestingideas

The answer to Nepal's problem does not seemto lie within her leader’s grasp alone. Ironically,the solution appears to lie across the southernborder. This is a fact that we Nepali must realizeat the earliest. Now at this crucial juncture ofhistory, the Nepali populace is viewing India'sforeign policy with utmost anxiety and wonderinghow India would end the game for Nepal?

History exemplifies Indias’ role in Nepals’changing political context with prominence. Be it1950 where the Rana’s were forced out ofpower, the 1960 coup, 1980 referendum, 1990revolution and the 2006 revolution, India’s role inushering changes in Nepal has been para-mount. What we can denote from India’sinvolvement during critical changes in Nepal’spolitics is that New Delhi’s foreign policy has

always prioritized stability versus zealousdemocratisation in Nepal.

The present turmoil in Nepal has raised manyeyebrows and given rise to speculationsregarding India's motive. Some Nepali observ-ers suggest that India seeks to take over Nepal,while others suggest it is in Indias’ interest that astatus-quo be maintained so that India canmaintain her hold on Nepal’s internal affairs.The dilemma in New Delhi is more complex thanwe think it is.

The crux of the problem in New Delhi is dueto the failure of the Congress to garneradequate seats in parliament to form agovernment of their own. As a result, theCongress was forced to seek help from CPIMarxist to form a government; who in turn havetaken a greater interest in Nepal than theCongress. Consequently New Delhi’s foreignpolicy vis-à-vis Nepal has been directed at thehands of leftist entrepreneurs, Yechury andBardan, who have frequented Nepal with theinterest of impacting changes in Nepal inkeeping with the direction of CPI-Ms’ interest.

Now that Nepal has slipped into a multifacetedpolitical quagmire, alarm signals should alertpoliticians primarily at 10 Janpath and RaceCourse Road that the formula they envisioned forNepal has failed. South Asia has proven a fertileground for breeding leftist politics due to largescale impoverishment and caste based issues.Provided that centrist parties fail to address theseproblems and preach consensus based politics,the left in India and South Asia will continueexploiting differences among centrist parties torise to power. Although the left parties includingthe CPI –M may have aligned themselves todemocratic principles, deviation from democraticnorms is inevitable once they acquire majority toform a government of their own.

Issues that require instantaneous assessmentis the notion of foreign intervention. To somepolitical pundits it is perfectly plausible thatYechury et al may remark and propose politicalsolutions to address Nepal’s political problems.Why then should it worry Puspa Kamal Dahaland Dr.Bhattarai that Moriarity has cautionedthe Prime Minister about continued Maoistatrocities? After all the Maoist have signedvoluminous documents for peace with thegovernment. The critical question is what thedefinition of foreign intervention actually means

The IndianDilemma

and how is it different from words of caution.The prospect of a left government occupying

center stage in South Asia is of immensesignificance. First, an ideology has no bound-aries. The spread of communism across SouthAsia will trigger a new phenomenon; the demiseof centrist politics and the resurgence of a leftistideology. The consequence of a possible leftistresurgence has the capacity to alter thedynamics of South Asian politics invariably.

It is a point worth noting that the biggestlosers of a probable leftist resurgence would bethe Nepali Congress and UML in Nepal, theIndian Congress and BJP in India. At this stageit might seem practical to foster regional andnational unity among centrist parties to thwartleftist design to re-map South Asian boundariesbased on ideology.

The first task would be for the BJP and theCongress to reach a consensus on Nepal. Theonus is on BJP to provide cover to the Congressin parliament vis-à-vis Nepal. Second step wouldbe for the Congress to take Nepal’s matter into itsown hands. And the third and final step would befor the BJP to guarantee support to a minorityCongress government on grounds of reachingconsensus on the issue of national security basedon the threat of a leftist resurgence.

ä

into a budding entrepreneur, a part owner ofthe product that will debut for seriousinvestment for mass marketing. Andneedless to add this company will notentertain any hair brained idea. Thefounders will face tons of business risks andchallenges and will have to wade through asea of details and improvise as they goalong. Without any pretensions, the conceptis a business and hopefully a few of itsproducts will find market at a global level andeventually add serious value to Nepalieconomy. To retain brains and drawresources to Nepal with it's reservoir of ideasand knowledge is the ultimate aim of thiscompany. ä

ä Nabin Joshi

There are people who know thatthis country abounds with ump-teen economic possibilities andsuch people tap upon these re-sources and create opportunities

Harvestingideas

ä Siddhartha Thapa

The present turmoil in Nepal has raised many eye-brows and given rise to speculations regarding India'smotive

Bhas

wor O

jha

A program held in Kathmandu tolaunch a new idea in business

1112 Feb-18 Feb, 2007Art & Society

Miranda Seymour's astonishinglyhonest portrait, In My Father'sHouse, is, by turns, fascinatingand grotesque.

This is an extraordinary book.Miranda Seymour has written afamily memoir whose honestyappals even as it compels, but itssecondary achievement is todraw, almost from the corner ofits eye, a portrait of Englishnessin the last century that encom-passes class, ownership,landscape, money, manners andclothes. It is consistentlyfascinating and occasionallyhorrifying and will make a gooddeal of modern autobiographylook feeble and colourless incomparison.

At its centre is the story ofGeorge FitzRoy Seymour, theauthor's father, and his obses-sive, crippling love for a house, alove that transcended anythinghe ever felt for his wife or hischildren. Born in 1923, Georgewas a spoilt, priggish child, dotedon by his mother but despised byschoolfriends for his airs andgraces. (Despite his pretensionsto the nobility, he never acquiredthe title he longed for.)

At the age of 13, he wasadvising his parents on wallpaperfor the bathroom and velvetcurtains for the dining room.Where such precocity would earnmost small boys a clip round theear, George was indulged,perhaps ruinously. When the warcame, he was discharged fromthe army with 'effort syndrome',which Seymour learns fromresearch was a valid conditionaffecting soldiers in the field, buta paltry excuse for a 19-year-oldwho'd done nothing but drill. The deathof George's beloved cousin, killed inaction, may have seeded lifelongfeelings of guilt and inadequacy.

'I won't have you saying your father'sa coward,' says Seymour's mother,whose plaintive interruptions become acounterpoint to her own voice. Georgedied in 1994, but his baleful influence isstill a vexed subject between them andwhile Seymour feels driven to write ofit, her mother argues for silence anddiscretion.

What both women agree upon,however, is the absolute centrality ofThrumpton Hall, the house inNottinghamshire that George, afteryears of coveting and wrangling,eventually acquired from a capriciousuncle. It is no exaggeration to say thatthe house became his raison d'etre. He

ä Sushma Amatya

Revelation

In the sweltering heat of mid June the train stopped at a junctionen route to Bombay. A young girl traveling alone in a secondclass compartment stepped out to buy an ice cream hoping for aquick respite from the oven like metal box . Hearing the whistlethat announced the departure of the train in a minute, shehurried and struggled to stretch across the wide gap between theplatform and the narrow steps of the train. With the cone in onehand, holding her handbag in another, she missed the step anddown she fell on the tracks, a good four feet below the platformlevel. Numbed, for a second she envisioned her worst nightmare,that of being run over by the massive engine but she immediatelyheard somebody shouting for help and felt herself being pulledupward by several helping hands clucking their sympathy.

Somebody picked up her bag and another dusted her dressand somebody else patted her back and asked her if she wasalright. Nodding silently, highly embarrased, she climbed back toher seat and tried to avoid meeting concerned eyes. A middleaged lady next to her quickly whispered something to herhusband who got up and went out. He was back with a cone ofice-cream in his hand just as the train began to move. He gave itto his wife who approached the girl and offered it, "Come Beta,please take this. You dropped your ice-cream and I thought you'dlike to have one." The girl had no more appetite for the thing thatalready caused her so much problem but she didn't have theheart to say no and took the cone with a silent nod of thanks,fighting back sudden welling of tears at this show of unexpectedconcern. This incident that took place sometime in the lateeighties still stands vivid in my memory. Ice-cream stopped makingme happy since then.

Another overnight journey to Assam found me in an emptytrain compartment with an army man in his mid twenties. Havingheard enough nasty stories about army men's misdemeanours Istruggled to keep my anxiety under check and vowed not to shutmy eyes through the night. The man seemed to sense my anxietyand chose a seat close to the door, the longest distance he couldkeep from me. After a while, he smiled and told me not to worryand go to sleep and that he would keep a watch over myluggage. Not believing him for an instant, I just nodded andcontinued to keep a wary eye on him. He said no more and wentoff to sleep.

When my destination arrived, I found him calling out to me. Ihad apparantly dozed off sometime early morning. He helped mewith my luggage and asked if there was somebody to fetch me.Realising there was nobody, I fished out the address and gave itto him. I realised I still had an hour of bus ride to reach mydestination and was at a total loss as to how I'd go about it. Butthe man soon found somebody traveling the same way andrequested the person to make sure I reach my destination.Having reassured himself that I was in good hands, he bidgoodbye and continued his journey in the train that soondeparted. Pleasantly surprised, I too went my way and reachedmy destination safely.

I don't recall the man's face anymore but the incident remainsfresh in my mind. I'm ever so grateful to those and many otherswho extended a helping hand in different circumstances. They didit spontaneously, without expecting anything in return. Suchpeople who appear out of nowhere and step in to help, seem tome another form of guardian angels. They come in differentforms and most unexpectedly. A kindly act that protects you fromtrouble, a healing word that acts as a balm to your mind, or agenuine smile from a stranger that warms your heart. Thosemeaningful acts remain etched forever in one's memory andserves to inspire to act likewise.

When at the other end of the spectrum, in the course of ourlives, we sometimes get our head knocked out and heartssquashed by people we trust the most; and we hurt, we just needto look back on such Dharma protectors and reestablish our faithin the goodness of human hearts. We can choose to tellourselves that those who hurt us are only acting out of ignoranceand from hearts that are constricted by fear and othernegativities. We can extend our compassion for them and not feelsorry for ourselves. We can rise above it all and give back love tothose who've hurt us knowingly, unknowingly. People who can'tgive love are in so much need of love. Only love can heal. ä

Love heals

In the course of our lives, we sometimesget our head knocked out and heartssquashed by people we trust the most

Daddy,you tyrant

devoted himself to its upkeep,determined that it would not suffer thefate of other grand houses left todereliction after the war. Yet howevermuch he played the squire to histenants, the aristocratic connections hecourted remained indifferent to himand, a Pooter of the shires, he waitedfor a social advancement that nevercame.

The first half of the book, dealingwith the house, is remarkable enough;the second half, which recounts howthis unexceptional, insecure man cameto tyrannise his family, touches on thesensational and grotesque. George,who had so little knowledge of himself,turned out to know exactly the weakspots of his nearest and dearest. Hemocked his teenage daughter for beingoverweight and cajoled her into

wearing a wig to cover her mousytresses, with the consequencethat her hair fell out.

He badgered her mother in asimilar vein (she also wore a wigto please him) and instigated afamily 'game' in which she wouldbe humiliated for her paucity ofcharm. There is the occasion hermother proudly enters a partywearing a new sequinned dress,the sight of which prompts Georgeto ridicule her in front of theirguests and insist she put on'something that suits you'. Thepoor woman meekly complies.

Little wonder that Seymourlikens her to Giulietta Masina, thesweet, put-upon waif of Fellini's LaStrada, which she often watcheswith her and notes the look of'enchanted recognition' transform-ing her face. Indeed, it's arguablethat Rosemary Seymour is thereal mystery of this book, and thedeeper one reads, the better oneappreciates why she would havepreferred her daughter not towrite it. If the wifely complaisancein her husband's bullying can beascribed to the reflexes of herclass and upbringing - don't makea fuss, keep up appearances - herattitude towards his midlife identitycrisis passes all comprehension.This involved George donningleathers and biking around thecountryside with Robbie, a youngman he first met in LeicesterSquare and who would becomehis inseparable companion of hislast years.

Crisis? Not for George, whoblithely incorporated him into thefamily, but for his daughter, thisnear-illiterate stranger is a veryincubus. 'Other than biking, I

couldn't - I didn't want to - imaginewhat they might have in common.' Yetshe confronts the implications with thesame candour she has brought to bearelsewhere. Nor does she spare herself.Along with Thrumpton Hall she alsoinherited his excruciating snobbery: at afuneral, she notes a woman in a purpledress 'with a hatband that almostmatched'; it's a chilling moment - youcan hear George talking through her.

Seymour is too acute an observernot to spot this herself and too honest awriter not to include it. This story of afamily colluding in its own unhappinessstrives for the truth and somethingmore: an elegance and wit to make itmemorable.

A book review of In My Father'sHouse by Miranda Seymour

(The Guardian)

Miranda Seymour haswritten a family memoirwhose honesty appals

even as it compels, but itssecondary achievement isto draw, almost from thecorner of its eye, a por-

trait of Englishness in thelast century that encom-passes class, ownership,landscape, money, man-

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12 12 Feb-18 Feb, 2007 Obituary

His Eminence Kyabje Chogye TrichenRinpoche, head of Tsharpa branch of theSakya Tradition of Tibetan Buddhismpassed away on 22 Jan at the age of 87 athis Drubkhang residence in Narayansthan,Kathmandu. He was a renowned tantricmaster, a dedicated practitioner, anoutstanding scholar and primary teacher ofH.H. the Dalai Lama.

His Eminence Sakya Trizin, head of theSakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism,described the great accomplishments ofKyabje Chogye Trichen Rinpoche: "Thereare many who have attained the wisdomarising from the study of the scriptures.There are some who have attained thewisdom arising from contemplation of theDharma. There are few who have gainedwisdom arising from meditation. HisEminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche is onewho has attained all three wisdoms. Oneshould consider oneself fortunate just tomeet him, which is in itself a great blessing."

The Rinpoche stayed in a state of'Thukdham’ for 16 days. "His faceremained as bright and fresh as when he

was alive", said a monk. Thukdam is a stage oflife after death where the body lies in medita-tive state without decomposing. It is commonlypracticed by high lamas of Tibetan Buddhismafter death. It is also said that during thatperiod the body maintains the inner air.Maintaining this state of body after death isonly possible by people with divine spiritualpowers. When his soul left his body on the 16thday, there was a heavy rain fall, considered anauspicious sign.

On the 21st day, his body was brought toBoudha. This event too was marked by severalsigns that manifest when great spiritual mastersleave this earth. "There was a rainbow aboveBoudha and a halo around the sun", said PunyaPrasad Parajuli, a Tibetan and Sanskrit scholarand practitioner.

The Rinpoche was born in Shigatse, Tibet in1920. At the age of 12 he was officiallyenthroned at the Phenpo Nalendra Monasteryin Central Tibet from where he completed hisstudies and mastered the monastic scripturalrituals, the rituals of Mandala, and the musicalaccompaniment of the rituals. He was a masterin both Sutrayana and Mantrayana teachings

Alive inour hearts

and also a great scholar of literature, poetry,history and Buddhist metaphysics and a highlyaccomplished poet.

In 1959, he left Tibet and went to Mustang,Nepal where his elder sister was married to theKing of Mustang. For several years from 1962,in accordance with the wishes of His Holinessthe Dalai Lama, he acted as the SecretaryGeneral of the Council for Religious and CulturalAffairs of the Tibetan Government in Exile inDharamsala, India.

In 1969, he took leave from the Tibetangovernment and returned to Nepal to rebuildthe Nalendra monastery and the seat of theTsharpa school in exile. His Eminence foundedtwo monasteries in Nepal, Tashi Rabten LingMonastery in Lumbini and Jamchen LhakhangMonastery in Kathmandu. He also founded aTsharpa retreat center at Lo Gekar inMustang.

Chogye Rinpoche was very famous amongthe Dharma community in Nepal for his Mantrawater. Over the years, people regularly broughtbottles of water for the Rinpoche to blowMantras on and put in sacred blessed medi-cines. Even a small amount of this water wasprized by people who knew its effects.

According to Karma Thinley Rinpoche, theRinpoche had realised the Vajra body, the fruitof Tantric accomplishments, after completelyexhausting all Kleshas, or afflictive emotions, allKarma, and all concepts into the nature of reality(Dharmata); and that he was one of the mostrare living Buddhist masters who dwell always inthat realised state. The Rinpoche maintainedthe style of a hidden yogi spending much time inmeditation retreats and was regarded as ahidden master.

As a humble tribute to the master, here's anextract from the book he wrote, Parting from theFour Attachments, "...It is capable of evokingrealisation as it is spoken, listened to, andlearned. It is for this reason that we will use hisprecious words to understand the meaning ofManjushri's four – line teaching:

May the kind teachers and compassionatetantric deities

In whom I take refuge from my heartPlease bestow blessings upon me.

(Newsfront Report)

H H Kyabje Chogye TrichenRinpoche, 1920 – 2006 Chogye Rinpoche

was very famousamong the Dharma

community in Nepalfor his Mantra water.

Over the years,people regularly

brought bottles ofwater for the

Rinpoche to blowMantras on and put

in sacred blessedmedicines.