#511 16 - 22 July 2010 16 pages Rs 30

EYE IN THE SKY: The effect of deforestation in the Tarai is clearly visiblealong the India-Nepal border in this photograph taken from a Delhi-Kathmandu flight recently. The straight line marks the border between theValmiki Forest Reserve in India’s Bihar state and forests that have beencleared recently to make way for farmlands on the Nepal side.

KUNDA DIXIT

Cross Border

p3 Prashant Jha looks at the intra-partycontentions blocking consensus

p4 Paavan Mathema takes a few short-cuts through Kathmandu’s traffic

p7 Namita Gokhale on the region’sliterature and literary festivals

p12-13 Singapore’s Gurkhas could dowith the kind of victory the BritishGurkhas secured in the UK

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #511

Publisher: Kunda Dixit | Editor: Rabi ThapaPublished by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Chief Operating Officer: Sunim Tamang | Hattiban, Godavari Road, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu

editors@nepalitimes.com | www.nepalitimes.com | www.himalmedia.com | Tel: 01-5250333/845 Fax: +977-1-5251013 Design: Kiran Maharjan | Marketing: Sambhu Guragain, Subhash Kumar, Arjun Karki advertising@himalmedia.com | Subscription: Santosh Aryal santosha@himalmedia.com

Printed at Jagadamba Press | 01-5250017-19 | www.jagadambapr.com

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Q. Who should lead the new government?

Weekly Internet Poll # 511

Q. How many World Cup matches did youwatch?

Weekly Internet Poll # 512. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

ON THE WEBwww.nepalitimes.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

MULTITRACKING SOUTH ASIA

Total votes: 1,913

If there is one acronym that makes people’s eyes glazeover it is ‘SAARC’. Even the hint of a write-up on southAsian regional cooperation can induce readers to flipthe page.

When the South Asian Association for RegionalCooperation (SAARC) was set up in 1985, critics said itwas way ahead of its time. Now, they say it has outlivedits usefulness. But blaming SAARC is like blaming theUN: the organisation can only move as fast as itsslowest member. SAARC is by definition the lowestcommon denominator of one of the least developed

parts of the world.South Asian countries

have shown, as theEuropeans have realised now,that all politics is local. Youcan cooperate ontuberculosis, postal servicesand sports, but South Asia,which has twice as many poorpeople as in sub-SaharanAfrica, just can’t seem to liftthe living standards of its 1.4billion people. Regionalcooperation is even moreintractable if it is about free

trade, security cooperation and political multilateralism.Part of the reason the Track One train derailed long ago

is because of the gravitational pull of its largest member.India borders all SAARC members (except Afghanistannow), which themselves are not contiguous. As long asNew Delhi would rather deal individually with itsneighbours, SAARC ain’t going nowhere.

Which is why Bangladesh is now looking east and ismore excited about BIMSTEC. Pakistan is preoccupiedwith restoring its strategic depth. Sri Lanka and Maldivesbehave as if it just an accident of continental drift thatlocated them offshore of India.

SAARC is such a lethargic beast that its inertia haseven infected Track 2 initiatives usually populated byretired South Asian bureaucrats. As one wag put it recentlyat a South Asian conference: “Track 2 is full of Track 1wannabes.” So perhaps we can already look beyondTrack 2.

Track 3 encompasses South Asian artists, activists,film-makers and writers who have joined hands across aregion that was once one, before the boundaries of nationstates cleaved us into many. A good example is theTravelling Film South Asia documentary festival thatbegins at the Yala Maya Kendra on Friday. Or the Aman-Asha collaboration between Indian and Pakistaninewspapers.

Then there are the global South Asians we can callTrack 4: Pakistanis, Indians, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshisor Nepalis living in Canada, UK, US or Australia. Theyare lumped together whether they like it or not, and nowmingle, interact and are building a common identity. TheGulf and the Malay peninsula, too, are now part of aGreater South Asia.

And what of Track 5: the cross-border osmosis oftraders, farmers, brides and grooms (and even terrorists)that infiltrate across barbed wire and land mines? TheIndia-Nepal border is perhaps the ideal internationalfrontier: all borders should be as open, allowing peopleand goods unfettered movement. We know that the moreregulations we put into border controls the more our lawenforcement and immigration officials get a chance toharass and extort our own people.

Track 6: of the South Asian institutes in universitiesaround the world where researchers and academicsknow more aboiut us than we do.

Borders shackle our minds and bind us to puerilepatriotism, forcing a piecemeal approach when ourproblems and our solutions are transboudnary.

WATER SOLUTIONSNepal should give priority to watershedmanagement, rain harvesting, pondmaking and check dams immediately,instead of expensive constructions, invitingcorruption and commissions (TroubledWaters, #510). Community participationshould be the basis of implementing suchprojects for conserving water and storingthe monsoon rain. Groundwater rechargeprojects should be started as pilot projects.This has been successful in desertifiedareas in India like Gujarat.

Daniel Gajaraj

GREEN SCENEIt is heartening to read about the efforts ofour youth in promoting bicycles in the city(Cycle city, #510). We are building roadsalong all the riversides. So we should buildcycle lanes too, adjacent to the rivers andthe roads, so they will not be interferedwith by other crossings. Don’t miss thisopportunity.

Gauri Nath Rimal

TOURISM AWAITSAt first glance, I thought the structure onyoiur front page picture was somewhere inNepal, possibly Boudha (Firstimpressions, #510). It was really amazingto see such a clean and elegant pavilion inChina. I am sure it gave a very inspiringimpression to the Chinese and manywanted visit Nepal. But the truth is that thecountry has gone to the gallows with allthe political wrangling prevailing in thenation. We could have so many types oftourism. We are blessed with culture,history, and diverse terrain. The only thinglacking is the political will and an enablingenvironment to develop tourism.

Nepali Suvchintak

CLAIMING SITALast week’s story on Sita Tamang(‘Long journey home’, Ekal Silwal),coupled with CK Lal’s commentary onthe same (‘Conflict of coverage’),inspired and drew ire. Here’s a round-up of what our readers had to say onthe former Maoist child soldier’s recentstatement at the UN Security Council,media coverage of the event, and theMaoist threats to Sita Tamang upon herreturn to Nepal.

It isn’t the media that exploited SitaTamang as a child, forced her to jointheir army against her will andagainst internationalhumanitarian law. It isn’t themedia that threatened herwhen she dared speak out atthe Security Council. Yet, MrCK Lal blames the media.There is not a word againstthe brutal psychopathicmonsters who did this to Sitaand tens of thousands of otherchildren in Nepal and continueto do so. I have never beenangry reading anything inNepali Times even if I didn’tagree with it. But today I amboiling mad.

KiranL

Lal got some things veryright and some othersextremely wrong: he’s correctto hold RadhikaCoomaraswamy and the mediaresponsible for putting SitaTamang at risk. However, inabsolutely no way, shape, or form wasthis an intentional trap for theMaoists! How dare you suggest that thecriminals who force children into theirarmy and then threaten them when theycommunicate their hardshipsassociated with that experience aresomehow the victims! Coomaraswamy& the media were irresponsible. Butthe Maoists betray their trulyMachiavellian intentions through theirwicked deeds.

Hange

If the UN is genuine in its concern forthe brave Sita Tamang did they offer herher family resettlement in a safe haven?They should then finance the moving,housing and employment/education for herand her family. Surely this is the very leastthat should be done for someone who isbrave enough to expose such organisedabuse of children.

Dave

Sita Tamang is a living symbol of truthand reconciliation. If one reads her wordscarefully, you note that she is simplyagainst bad order, neither has shecriticised the maoists ideologically nor has

she demonised them. She has recountedthe atrocities that she had to suffer andraises her voice for those who had thesame fate. Now I wonder if Sita is not asuitable person to lead the Truth andReconciliation Commission? I forward hername to these international organisationsthat create floods of money in the name ofpeace. PS: My tons of thanks to thejournalists of Himalmedia for giving her thiscoverage. She deserves it and I hope sheis able to follow what she has decided to.

Nirmal

He that has no shame has noconscience. Army and Maoists haveneither bodies to be punished norsouls to be damned. Maina Sunwar’sor Sita Tamang’s cases will remain acry in the wilderness. Yes, lawscatch flies but let hornets go free.

Gole

The Royal Nepal Army also usedthousands of children, not ascombatants, but for intelligencegathering and lookouts. The UN hasits own global agenda in highlightinga Maoist child soldier. But the statealso used children during the

conflict. Both sideswere guilty. Ofcourse, such factstend to get buried withthe passage of timeand when your agendais to portray therebels as inhumanand evil. One hopesthat those in the knowsee it as a commonproblem. It’s anational shame.

gangalal

Surprised you arenot a shahid yet,Gangalal Comred.The typical way theMaoists respond toallegations of humanrights violations is toalways say: “But thearmy did it too.” As ifthat justifies theircrime. Yes, the army

was also disappearing people, therewere many cases of rape, tortureand extra-judicial executions. But byno stretch of the imagination werethey using child soldiers. TheMaoists should have the guts toadmit they made mistakes, that theywon’t do it again, and that they willcompensate the child victims of thewar. Unfortunately, I personally don’tthink the Maoists are capable of suchremorse or contrition.

Gangajal

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #511 OP-ED|3

PLAIN SPEAKINGPrashant Jha

he present politicaldisarray has resultedbecause none of the parties

have been able to judge, andcoherently answer, two questions.Do they want the next elections,and when? Do they want aconstitution, and how much canthey compromise to get that?

The Maoists remain thestrongest organised force. Theirinternal assessment is that despitegreater disillusionment, voters arewilling to give them anotherchance. This week’s revelationthat 65 per cent Nepalis are poorshows why the Maoists have areadymade constituency. Ethnicminorities and Dalits continue toinvest hopes in them. They are therichest party around, and arecapable of instilling fear in theiradversaries.

Those who see it this wayargue in favour of the presentpolitical line. They say that‘institutionalising existingachievements’ through aconstitution would be a majorachievement. If it requires certaincompromises on the PLA, so be it,

for the Maoists would thenremain an invincible forcebecause of their mass-basedfronts. But if this line hadprevailed and Maoists were sureof electoral success, they wouldhave pushed for a constitution byMay 28 this year.

The counter-argument is thereare no guarantees in electoralpolitics. Public sentiment isfickle. Rivals will not becomplacent, and ‘reactionariesand expansionists’ will dowhatever is required to defeat theMaoists. This is why there can beno compromises on the PLA tillthere is a guarantee that a‘progressive constitution’ iswritten, the Maoists are back inpower, and till they are sure thatthe next elections are for them towin. If this does not happen,then the present political line

only has tactical value and theparty should just wait for thenext opportune moment to strikethrough a mass uprising.

The existence of this otherline, and Prachanda’sopportunism, gives other partiesenough grounds to suspect theirintentions. But they arestruggling with their owndilemmas.

The NC has not learntanything from the 2008 debacle.Only harping on ‘democracy’ isnot enough to win over young,aware, and restive voters. Old-time supporters cannot shapelocal level outcomes. The partyhas no clue how to deal withethnic assertion. It has notbrought in newer Madhesi faces,figured out caste alignments, orpushed the ‘Madhesi agenda’.Without this, it cannot recover

its base in the Tarai.Most in the NC recognise the

need for a new constitution, butthere is a strong element withinsaying this would only benefitthe Maoists as their agenda of‘republicanism, secularism,federalism’ would be vindicated.The only way for the NC to re-emerge as the primary nationalplayer, they argue, is by allyingwith the conservatives. Thisgroup may be peripheral, butcannot be dismissed.

The UML controlled the statefor the past year, which helped itdevelop a strong patronagenetwork. But while Nepalis areadept at using those in power, itis the anti-incumbencysentiment that prevails at crunchtime. Their stint in governmenthas destroyed the credibility ofits top leaders. And unnoticed in

the capital, the trend of UMLleaders defecting to the Maoistshas continued.

Most of the UML rank and filemay be committed to the idea of anew constitution, which forcessome of their fairly right-wingleaders to toe the line. But theUML is torn between what it wasand what it has become, its radicalanti-NC roots and its presentstatus quoist democraticorientation.

The Madhesi parties are fearfulof the next polls. They want to bein power, for they see it as theonly way to enhance theirpersonal and party coffers andkeep their constituency intact.Barring perhaps Bijay Gachhadar,who doesn’t believe in anything,most Madhesi leaders also want anew constitution, for they see it asa means to expand politicalpower. But this is where the plotthickens. For a constitution withthe kind of province they want,the Maoists are natural allies, butin the ‘battle for democracy’, theyprefer the NC-UML combine.

Efforts at a unity governmenthave failed because the partiescould not address these internalquestions. They need time to doso. In all likelihood, we willwitness a major political crisis inabout six months. It is only whenthe next May 28 deadlineapproaches that all parties,especially the Maoists, will beforced to make these choices. Tillthen, they will try to expand theirpower for an upper hand in thefinal negotiations.

The politicalparties are toocaught up intheir owninternaldilemmas to beable to forge aconsensus witheach other

Muddy waters

TKIRAN PANDAY

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #5114|TRANSPORT

t’s rush hour. The Balkhujunction on the Ring Road,southeast of Kalanki, is as

congested as all the other Valleyintersections at this time. But theBalkhu Bridge could breathe alittle easier – if only cars headingtowards Thapathali steered theirwheels to the right, to take the‘link’ road that runs along theBagmati River.

Kathmandu’s chaotic trafficneeds no introduction. Journeysacross the city now have to bemeasured in hours, not minutes.There are approximately 444,000vehicles registered in BagmatiZone and the capacities of theroads have long since reachedsaturation. Traffic is often at astandstill, with significant costsin terms of lost time, needlesswastage of fuel, and pollution.It’s difficult to put a numberon the economic cost caused bytraffic jams.

“The number of vehicles inKathmandu increased by over100,000 last year, while the roadshave hardly been extended,” saysBinod Singh, Chief of Kathmandu

Traffic Police. The unplanneddevelopment of the valley makesit difficult and expensive towiden existing roads.

But Devendra Dongol, SeniorPlanner at the UrbanDevelopment Department, assertsthat building link roads is themost viable option available."Houses have not yet been builtnear the rivers’ banks, whichmakes land acquisition relatively

easier and less expensive,” hesays. Dhanapati Sapkota, Head ofthe Enforcement Division at theKathmandu Metropolitan, addsthat link roads also help in rivermanagement and contribute to thedevelopment of the area. There isalso the possibility of plantinggreen belts along such roads. Atpresent, private construction hasbeen restricted along the banks ofvarious rivers and streams in the

Kathmandu Valley, and theobjective is to eventuallycomplete a network of link roads.

Roads are now beingdeveloped on both sides of theBagmati, Bishnumati, Manahara,and Dhobi Khola (see map).Binod Singh says that at present,25 per cent of vehicles use theselink roads, but use wouldincrease if the roads werecomplete. The 2.8 km Bishnumaticorridor, funded by ADB, extendsfrom Teku Bridge to Sorhakhutte.Using this route, about 4,000vehicles travelling betweenKalimati and Sohrakhutte, whichwould normally go viaTripureswor and Lainchaur, choptwo kilometres off their journeyand a whole lot of hassle.

Not all projects have been aslucky as the Bishnumati corridorin terms of funds. The absence ofcoordination between responsibledepartments has also led todelays in implementation. BinodKhadka, Community LiaisonOfficer of the Dhobi KholaProject, says, “This projectreceived approval in 2003 butactual work started only threeyears ago when it reached theKathmandu Valley Town

Follow the riverThe development of link roads along the banks ofthe Valley’s rivers could ease our traffic woes

PAAVAN MATHEMA

IDevelopment Committee”. Whencompleted, a surfaced road willconnect Chabahil to the BagmatiBridge at the end of NewBaneswor. “Insufficient fundingis now holding up the project. Weare hoping that this year’s budgetwill grant the requested capital.”

Clearly, link roads offer analternative and logical way ofextending the length of thevalley’s roads while providing‘short cuts’ across the differentroutes. There is potential to buildsuch links at Hanumante(Bhaktapur), Mahadev (Balaju),Kodku (Lalitpur), Nakhu,Karkhusi andTukucha, andextend the existing connections.The recent confirmation of$22 million dollars worth of aidfrom ADB for traffic managementwill assist the furtherdevelopment of link roads.

Simply creating a network oflink roads will not be enough,however. “The intersections haveto be remodelled to let vehiclesfrom the link roads join the mainroad smoothly,” argues AnandJoshy, a senior traffic volunteer.“Otherwise link roads will justadd to the blockage at thejunctions on the core roads.”

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #511 NATION|5

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D day A frenzied race has started forthe premiership after theLegislature-Parliament fixedthe date for the primeminister’s election on 21 July.Despite an all-party

commitment to electing aconsensus government,leaders have been makingfrantic attempts to formmajority governments that willsuit them. Parties are requiredto submit nominations ofcandidates by 20 July. On 21July, parliament will beelecting its third prime ministersince it came into being in2008.

MRP messThe Ministry of Foreign Affairshas launched an investigationinto Oberthur Technologiesfollowing claims that theFrench firm produced fakedocuments and non-compliantprinter technologies to land theMRP (Machine ReadablePassport) contract. Petitionswere filed by fellow-biddersPerum Peruri (Indonesia) andDe La Rue International (UK)against the Ministry’s decisionto award the deal. The dealgave Oberthur the sole right toprint and supply four millionMRPs. Meanwhile, the PublicAccounts Committee has alsolaunched a probe on thedecision after some of itsmembers questioned theauthority of the caretakergovernment to decide on sucha sensitive issue.

Incorrigible KhamThe government has soughtthe handover of UCPN(Maoist) central committeemember Kali Bahadur Kham,‘Bibidh’, after the former wasfound to be involved in theYarchagumba trade and thelooting of a Chinesebusinessman. He is alsowanted for the murder ofKathmandu-basedbusinessman Ram HariShrestha. Police say Khamhas been escaping arrest by

hiding in one of the PLAcantonments. But when thehome minister asked fordisclosure of Kham’swhereabouts, Maoist ChairmanPushpa Kamal Dahal claimedKham had not been in contactwith the party. The governmenthas also started to freeze thebank accounts of Kham andhis accomplice.

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #5116|BUSINESS

epali politicians appear tobelieve in the phrase‘ignorance is bliss’. Why

else would they choose to pay noattention to the issues of theeconomy?

Listen to what the lawmakersat the Public AccountsCommittee have to say onelectricity tariffs or the speechesof our politicians on topicsranging from culture toagriculture. One thing theyconsistently ignore is theeconomic aspects of the same.Cost issues take a back seatwhether we discuss PLAintegration or the management ofdwindling public corporationssuch as Nepal Airlines. Transportsyndicates have made the cost oftransporting goods on the ArnikoHighway ten times moreexpensive than transportinggoods on the East West Highway,but who cares? Rastriya BanijyaBank and Nepal Bank Limitedcontinue to be an experiment fordonors as part of financial sectorreform program even though pureNepali management hassuccessfully turned aroundLumbini Bank.

The country, however, is stillnot a failed state, as most‘parachute consultants’ wouldlike it to be, perhaps by the graceof Pashupatinath. In a year thatwas governed by an ineffective

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Sunny AceAce Development Bank, with Winrock International as the leadconsultant, has collaborated with the Frankfurt School of Financeand Management’s UNEP Collaborating Centre for SustainableEnergy and Climate Finance to target the installation of 5,000Solar Home Systems (SHS) in rural households through creditfinancing. The total project cost of the new initiative is estimatedto be $1.8 million.

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Buddha’s ATR-72Buddha Air introduced the first of its two new ATR-72 turbopropaircraft with a test flight from Kathmandu to Biratnagar andBhadrapur on Wednesday. The 70-seater twin-engine plane isthe most fuel-efficient plane in its class, and has noise-reductiontechnology in the cabin. Buddha’s managing director BirendraBahadur Basnet says the ATR-72s will be used on the carrier’snew international routes to Kolkata, Lucknow and Patna in thecoming year, while the Beechcraft will start operating flights toParo in Bhutan from autumn on. The plane will initially be used tooperate five flights a day to Biratnagar, taking Buddha’s dailyseat capacity on that sector from the present 180 to 350.

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Eco YetiYeti Airlines has planted 600 trees in a community forest inKailali under its Green Far-West Project. For every passengerthat takes a flight with Yeti on the Kathmandu-Dhangadi route, thecompany will plant a sapling in a community forest in the farwestern region.

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Swift chasersHansraj Hulaschand presented two Pulsar 180 motorbikes toRupandehi Traffic police. The company has been supporting thetraffic police of various districts by providing them with bikes.

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SLC winSeabird International Higher Secondary School will continue tofelicitate SLC graduates of Madhyapur Thimi who have made it tothe top ten with certificates, awarding the highest scorer with aprize of Rs 12,001. The school will provide scholarships todeserving students.

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Smarty cellsCG Impex, the sole authorised distributor of LG Mobiles, haslaunched the android-powered smartphone LG Optimus (LGGT540). The set allows its users to access a variety ofapplications and also features enhanced social networkingfunctions in a high-powered multimedia environment.

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Real scorerAshok Adhikari of Jorpati won the Score the Real GoalCampaign from Dabur Real Juice. Adhikari was presented withthe bumper prize – a full option KIA Picanto Car, in the NationalStadium before the final match of the World Cup.

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Grand prizesHim Electronics, the official marketer of Samsung, announcedthe 35 winners of Samsung 32” LCD televisions under its WorldCup scheme. Prize distribution took place at the Bakery Café,Sundhara.

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Biking trophyAfter a seven-week promotion, Pepsi announced the final winnerof Football Mania. Rajesh Shrestha from Dolakha has won thegrand prize of a Hero Honda Karizma ZMR bike. Theannouncement was made at the Yak & Yeti Hotel.

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Branching westKumari Bank has opened six new branches in the western regionin Kawasoti, Tulsipur, Nepalganj, Salyan, Surkhet and Dhangadi.The bank now has a network of 27 branches and 22 ATMs acrossthe country.

ECONOMIC SENSEArtha Beed

Ignored economy

prime minister and lackadaisicalgovernment, GDP has stillmanaged to grow at 3.5 per centand the growth of disposableincome has not abated.Companies are going to post goodprofits and the banks will reportprofit growth despite theliquidity crisis. One MNC CEOquipped, “Can you believe we candeliver such results despitekeeping factories closed for 150days? Imagine our performance ifwe could operate at full capacity”.This sentiment may sum up thestate of the Nepali economy.

While the growth in theformal market may not be visible,the informal sector is buzzingwith activity. No wonderrestaurants that don’t provideVAT bills do a roaring trade. Thecash made by plundering naturalresources like forests, river bedsand medicinal herbs is nevercounted in income computations.Immigration businesses run

under the garb of educationalconsultancies and NGOs andnon-profit organisations makemoney in the name of health andeducation. But political partieshave their mouths zipped asthese illegal money makersgenerously fill the party’scoffers; so what if the state’streasury is running empty? Inany case the government coffersare too often seen as a transitpoint.

Economic growth couldaccelerate if the government tookinitiatives and action-basedresponses to some questions. Isloadshedding better than buyingelectricity at prices a quarter ofwhat people spend on runninginverters and generators? Areprivate power producers reallywelcomed by the government?Could a consistent supply offuel through private operatorsinstead of getting adulteratedfuel after standing in longqueues be a solution to the fuelshortage? The government couldpool large amounts of untappedfunds by setting laws relating tomutual funds and collectiveinvestment. It could promoteinvestments rather than behappy that the ForeignInvestment Department is notoverloaded with applications.The government could put inplace a labour law that promotesefficiency and productivityrather than maintain the statusquo of political unions workingagainst the interest of labour andenterprises.

A new government will beformed and perhaps this beedwill probably write a similarnote at the end of the next fiscalyear, but one can hope that, likein India, the private sector willbegin to defend its own turfrather than fight its own littlewars, like the politicians.www.arthabeed.com

Maybe it’s time to takematters into our own hands

NANUP PRAKASH

LIFE TIMES 716 - 22 JULY 2010 #511

Indian writer Namita Gokhale isco-founder director of Yatra Booksand the Jaipur Literature Festival(pic, right), which attracted over170 authors and 30,000 visitorsthis year. Last month, she hoppedonto a plane and dropped in onManisha Koirala’s wedding bash.But she was rather moreinterested in the Nepali literaryscene. Nepali Times asked herwhat she makes of it all.

Nepali Times: Whois Namita Gokhale? Writer,publisher, festival director? Namita Gokhale: Writer, publisher,festival director…yes, I think itworks in that order of priority,although the excitement andintellectual energy and sheerstimulus of the Jaipur LiteratureFestival tends to take overmy life...

What trends do you see in SouthAsian writing? Where does yourown writing fit in?I’m wary about discussing ‘trends’– the real impact of these thingsshows up in a very much largerperspective. The big story aboutSouth Asian writing is inrelocating the literary voice in ourown cultural and geographicalspace and context. My ownwriting is a modest attempt tomake sense of my world. I write inmany voices, and love workingwith a sense of the absurd andwith social comedy.

Is there a risk that Indian authorswill dominate the idea of ‘SouthAsian’ writing, at least in westernminds?‘South Asian’ writing is no longerbracketed with Indian writingalone. Pakistani authors haveestablished themselvesinternationally with a distinct andpowerful identity, and there hasbeen excellent literary fictioncoming out of Sri Lanka. Nepalifiction is getting noticed too, thereis so much wonderful writing Ihave read recently, and we hopeto devote a special session toNepal in the Jaipur Festival nextJanuary.

You’ve been involved in thedevelopment of the new $50,000DSC Prize for South AsianLiterature. How will youencourage submissions fromacross the region, includingNepal?This was the first year, so a lot of

effort went into establishingsystems. Next year, as the prizegets to be better known, we willreach out with specific initiativesto different parts of South Asia,including Nepal.

Do you think encouraging writingin English through such lucrativeprizes will extend the reach ofSouth Asians writing in English atthe expense of vernacular andeven major national languages?The fact that the DSC prize isopen for translated work from anySouth Asian language intoEnglish actually supports andencourages a more multi-lingualappreciation of literature.

What are the difficulties andopportunities for independentpublishers like Yatra in India?Independent publishers facechallenges in distribution andsometimes in the scale ofoperations they can sustain. But

the commitment in the mindset ofthe independent publishers, andthe lower administrative andoverhead costs, often workpositively for them.

What is your take on Nepaliliterature, and more specifically,Nepalis writing in English?I think Nepali writing is vibrantand rooted and engaged. It doesnot carry the baggage ofpostcolonial pretensions andrelates dynamically to thechanges in Nepali society.

What do you think about theprospect of a Kathmandu LiteraryFestival?Kathmandu has loyal friends and

“Nepaliwriting doesnot carry thebaggage ofpostcolonialpretensionsand relatesdynamicallyto thechanges inNepalisociety”

Namita’s yatravisitors internationally, and is theeye of the storm in a powerfulcycle of change. It makes sense tohave a literary festival here...

How was the Jaipur Festival whenit started out, and did you everimagine it would grow in size andstature so quickly?The Jaipur Festival began fiveyears ago with 18 authors, 2 ofwhom couldn’t make it at the lastminute. But it integrated Indianlanguage and Indian Englishwriters, as well as internationalwriters, without pomposity orpretension. I think it was themultilingual, plural anddeterminedly democratic nature ofthe Jaipur Festival that made

audiences so receptive. Of courseI never ever imagined it wouldgrow to this size at this speed,and neither did my co-directorWilliam Dalrymple. Then one daywe woke up to realise that theworld was tuning in to Jaipur!

What is the role of such festivals?I think literary festivals can resistthe consumerist dumbing downthat the mass media sometimesseems to promote. Festivalsencourage individual voices,alternative forums and democraticdebate. They give space to youngwriters and an opportunity toestablished writers to renew theirconnection with what’s happeningaround.

TEAMWORK PRODUCTIONS

8|LIFE TIMES

Health and Beauty Expo, complete healthand beauty solutions under one roof. TillSaturday 17 July, 11am to 6pm, BhrikutiMandap Exhibition Hall, 5538878

Travelling Film South Asia ’10 Kathmandu,showcasing 12 outstandingdocumentaries from South Asia. FromFriday 16 July until Sunday, Yala MayaKendra, Patan Dhoka, Tickets Rs 20,5552141, www.filmsouthasia.org

Yala Maya Classic, soulful performanceson violin, tabla and gayan. Sunday 18 July,starts 5pm, Baggikhana Hall, Yala MayaKendra, Patan Dhoka, 5553767

photo.circle.xxxvi: scope and role ofmultimedia, presentation and talk by DJClark, Director of Visual Journalism at theAsia Center of Journalism. Saturday 17July, 4pm to 5pm, The Bakery Café,Sundhara

Voyage - Endless Journey, paintings bySagar Manandhar that traverse his creativejourney. Starts Wednesday 21 July, NepalArt Council, Babar Mahal, 9841478945

The Lion King, a musical by students ofMalpi International School. Wednesday21 July to Thursday 22 July, NepalAcademy Hall, Kamaladi, 4440120,4430356

Poetic Moments, an exhibition of paintingsby various artists. Till Saturday 17 July,8am to 8pm, Kanipur Art Gallery,Boudhanath Circle, 9851076492

8th Annual Wine Festival, be there atKilroy’s for the biggest congregation ofwine lovers in Kathmandu. June-September, Kilroy’s, Thamel, 4250440

Weekly Farmers’ Market, a market like noother with organic and gourmet food,healthy breakfasts, fresh coffee and lotsof socialising. Saturday 10 July, 9am to12pm, 1905, Kantipath, 4215068

Splash Bar & Grill, great weekend BBQdinner, Fridays and Saturdays, 6pm to9pm, Radisson Hotel, Lazimpat, Rs 1200,4411818

Olive Garden, Mediterranean food fest.Everyday, 6pm onwards, Radisson Hotel,Lazimpat, 4411818

Lhakpa Chulo, a relative newcomer toJhamel, but among the best for food – trythe tender steaks and Thai-style salads.Jhamsikhel, open for lunch and dinner dailyexcept Wednesdays

Saturday @ Hyatt, take a refreshing dip inthe pool, soak away your weekday sorrowsand sample the delicious barbeque in theopen air. Every Saturday from 12.30pm to4pm, Hyatt Regency, Boudha, 4491234

Boudha Stupa Restaurant and Café, enjoywood-fired pizza and free wi-fi with anunparallled view of Boudha stupa. Everyday from 9am to 9pm, Boudha, 2130681

Chopstix, savoury Asian food cooked intrue Chinese fashion sure to charm andimpress. Begin your feast with the DragonChicken, it’s one-of-a-kind. Kumaripati,5551118.

Lazy Gringo, fail-safe Mexican restaurant.The lemonade with refills is what won usover, but the food is mighty fine. Bring yourown booze though. Jawalakhel, Open daily11am-9pm except Mondays, 2110517

Casa de Cass, out-of-Kathmandu dining incosy surrounds with attentive service, whatmore could you ask for? A martini, ofcourse. Hariharbhawan, 5010100

Vesper Café, has an outdoor patio good forleisurely weekend brunches. Serves goodsalads and steak-wraps. Jhamel, open daily

Attic, newly transformed lounge/bar idealfor Friday night drinking before hitting thedance spots. Popular among localcelebrities and passing politicos. UttarDhoka, Lazimpat, 984161476

Everest Steak House, an old-school joint foreverything steak. A sanctuary for meat.Thamel, near Chhetrapati chowk, 4260471

Jazoo, a quiet place ideal for beer andrelaxing conversation. Bring a friend andenjoy their special barbeque set for a mix ofeverything, Jawalakhel (near the zoo),5538321

Summit Hotel, posh Western-style diningarea with candlelight and a romantic nightview of the city. Get really busy with thesucculent ribs basket, and add the finishingtouch with a hot Dutch apple pie. Sanepa,5521810

Hadock, big compound with ample parkingspace, their Western and Thakali dishesare done to perfection. Jhamel, 10am-10am,5546431

Lhasa Bar, enjoy a beer or a splash ofcocktail at this springboard for excellentyoung musicians starting out on the Thamelcircuit. Thamel, 985101043

EVENTS

DINING

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #511|9

n first sight, young Malik El Djebena (TaharRahim) is unimpressive. Almost mute in his

illiteracy, the young Arab who has been sentencedto six years in a French prison appears doomed tobeing as much a victim inside as outside. From themoment he’s fingered by the prison’s Corsican mafiato kill a fellow-inmate, he’s a useful but ‘dirty’ Arab.But El Djebena, in his quiet, unobtrusive way, beginsto gain trust and make friends, and through a mixtureof persistence, street smarts and boldness, rises farabove what others have designated him to be.

In its gradual build-up, Un prophète is as subtleas Scarface is not. The results are plain to see – evenwhen it is clear El Djebena has made it, even whenhe is wholeheartedly embracing violence, he’s still

eldom do they make movies that don’t adhere to the traditions of genre.Once is a boy meets girl musical, but that’s where the similarities to a

musical end. Writer and director John Carney has here a unique story ofunrequited love between two musicians, skilfully played by Glen Hansardand Marketa Irglova. The lead characters of Hansard and Irglova do nothave names, but they interact and bond so naturally that you hardly realiseit. Hansard’s character is a street performer and a part-time vacuum cleanerrepairer while Irglova plays a trained pianist who works as a maid andsells flowers for a living. The girl is first drawn to the street performer’soctave leaping songs and as the movie progresses, they discover eachother in their passion for music. As they work together on a recording, thetwo are linked by an unforced intimacy, even though both of them have theirhearts set on someone else. Set in Dublin, this Irish love story is buoyedby a fantastic soundtrack, composed and performed by Hansard and Irglovathemselves. The best part about Once is that nothing feels strained or overthe top. It’s a delightful experience.PM

Once (2006)Dir. John Carney85 minutes

VIDEO NIGHTS

Once, and againSCrime behind bars

the same vulnerable-looking, likeable young man.This has a lot to do with the complex cast of criminalswho inhabit his world – the overbearing yetsomehow pitiable Corsican Luciano; handsome,ailing Ryad; drug-dealing Jordi Le Gitan; and theghost of Reyeb, who El Djebena has brutallymurdered.

A crime movie as epic as any that have comebefore, and far more than the prison study it appearsto be in the opening scenes.RT

Un prophète (2009)Dir. Jacques Audiard150 minutes

O

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #51110|HAPPENINGS

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

WEEKEND WEATHERby NGAMINDRA DAHAL

KATHMANDU

FRI SAT S U N

30-21 31-20 28-19

The sudden shift of the westerly jet stream northof the Himalaya finally paved the way for themonsoon trough to carry moisture-laden cloudsour way early this week. As a consequence, mostof the eastern half of Nepal received nearly onethird of the monthly quota of rainfall thisweek. Fresh satellite pictures indicate themonsoon is taking a breather but will come backon the weekend. This time, however, the focus islikely to be in mid-west Nepal due to emerginglow pressure, which will draw moisture from theclouds. Conclusion: prepare for sweaty afternoonsand cool nights with brief showers over theweekend.

WHEN’S YOUR NUMBER? Students line up outside Nepal Telecomoffice at Teku to suscribe to new pre-paid SIM cards on Saturday. NepalTelecom has introduced a discounted rate of Rs 525 for students.

LYRICAL STANZAS: Poet Viplob Pratik recites his compositions atGurukul on Saturday.

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

CHARGED: Last Thursday, police presented to the press the allegedkidnappers (with the motorbikes used) of Bhakta Man Shrestha of BPKoirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur.

FOLK STROKES: Artist Mayuka Kozawa exhibited her Mithila artcollection at Chai Chai Café, Jhamsikhel, this week.

KIRAN PANDAY

t’s not just revenue thatEverest climbers bring tothe country, but tonnes of

garbage. And with hundreds ofclimbers aspiring to conquer ourpristine mountains every year,the junk only seems to begrowing. Thousands of kilos ofoxygen cylinders, plasticwrappers, bottles, tents andmountaineering gear have beencarelessly dumped in themountains, scarring their beautyand causing pollution inecologically sensitive areas.Even the bodies of those whohave perished on the mountainshave sometimes been leftbehind, to the grief of theirfamilies and the horror of thosewho come across them today.

There have been Everestclean-ups before. But ahomegrown initiative has taken iteven further with the ExtremeEverest Expedition (EEE) toclean up the mountain above8000 metres, in what is calledthe Death Zone. Over 40 daysbeginning on 25 April, a team of20 Sherpas (led by NamgyalSherpa, coordinated by ChakraKarki) collected upto 1800 kilosof waste. On 29 May,International Mount Everest Day,participants of the EverestMarathon joined in. Despite thepunishing run they wereundertaking, 30 foreignparticipants and 70 locals helpedcarry garbage down to NamcheBajar and delivered it to the

Sagarmatha Pollution ControlCommittee. EEE also evacuatedtwo bodies from above 8000m,which were helicoptered off themountain.

EEE is conducting anawareness campaign to deterfuture climbers from littering, andwill be heading for the lofty heightsof Everest next spring, too. Theexpedition was sponsored byNepal Investment Bank, HulasSteel Industries, The HimalayanTimes, the Nepal MedicalAssociation, Ace DevelopmentBank, Hotel Association of Nepal,and Surya Nepal. A featuredocumentary chronicling EEE’sefforts will be screened in JaiNepal in December.www.extremeeverestexpedition.com

Extreme cleaners

I

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #511 SOCIETY|11

evolution Books is a small chain of bookstores locatedon the west coast of the US and Hawaii. In the mecca ofcapitalism, this bookstore is unique because it supports

communism and promotes and sells works by writers fromaround the world who rally for a communist revolution. Well,nosey by nature, I once stepped inside one of its stores inHonolulu to check what the big fuss was all about.

To my pleasant surprise, or shock, I found a huge portrait ofPrachanda adorning the wall beside other revolutionaries likeLenin and Marx, Castro and Che. Beneath the gigantic blackand white picture was the caption, ‘Prachanda – the Brave One’.A corner of the bookshelf was devoted to books about the‘People’s Revolution in Nepal’ written by western authors Icould not recognise.

For some reason, my heart swelled with pride for the glorythat was heaped on Nepal in this tiny shop and I went to the ladybehind the counter and proclaimed, “I am a Nepali. I am fromNepal!” This old lady looked at me as if she’d seen a realrevolutionary for the first time and held my hand, exclaiming,“Oh, how nice to meet you. I LOVE Prachanda!” She then satme down, ordered coffee and proceeded to ask me all kinds ofquestions about the ‘brave one’. Had I ever met Prachanda?What was he like in real life? How did it feel to be born in acountry that was a shining example around the world? Herfeverish excitement did not allow me to interject. When anotherelderly lady walked in, I was introduced to her as “from Nepal,the land of Prachanda”. Without asking me for my opinion theytook me as their fellow comrade and invited me to a light lunchto share my revolutionary experiences with other ‘fellas’ oftheir community.

I politely declined the offer, thanked them for their kind words,and headed out. Out in the street, surrounded by touristy kitschand corporate high rises, I wondered at the elderly ladies’fascination for communism. What did they understand by suchheavy terms as communism and revolution? Were they seriousor was it a retirement fetish, something to be fascinated by for afew months? Because the views of this bookstore would beconsidered an extremely tiny minority view in a country wherethe word communism can elicit the same fear in people asterrorism, the ladies’ admiration for Prachanda seemed evenmore audacious.

But I felt sad. Sad at their naiveté. Prachanda is no longerthe ‘brave one’. Perhaps he never was. He, like all the others,has turned out to be just another petty politician. Nothing more.

Perhaps a trip to Nepal is in order for those two ladies.

I LovePrachanda

NEPALI PANRanjan Adiga

“He’s from Nepal, theland of Prachanda”

R

I’m hardly alone in heaving a sighof relief that in inverseproportion to the much-anticipated monsoon, weddinginvites have ceased to flow. To alesser or greater degree foreveryone with a social circle, butespecially those firmly ensconcedin Valley society, the last fewweeks have been clogged with theobligations of engagements,ceremonies, and receptions. Inrecent years, weddings havemorphed into many-headedmonsters, as have bratabandhasand pasnis, meaning a singleevent that would have taken placein the confines of the familyhome now sprawls out into partypalaces and five-star hotels,depending on the balancebetween your name and yourgame.

Add to these gala occasions,events and the more mundanemeets with family and friends, aswell as professional obligations,and it’s easy to feel overwhelmedby the demands on your time. It’sgratifying to be wanted (if notactually needed), but the oft-denigrated atomisation of certainwestern existences sometimes hasits own charm in so much as youhave more say over picking yourengagements, not they you.

Assuming that apart from me,there are others who feel the press

Knowing me knowing you, is therenothing we can do but attend on end

each others’ big fat weddings,bratabandhas and pasnis?

of humanity is a little too tightround these here parts, why dowe do this to ourselves? It mayappear to be a naturalconsequence of simply knowingpeople. Knowing me knowingyou, is there simply nothing wecan do but attend so as not tooffend? Can we not strike abalance so an individual attendsthe events he actually wants to,for whatever reason?

Of course, we find a balancesomewhere along the line. Butsometimes it does seem as if wehave entrapped ourselves into abenevolent spiral of socialising,whereby we invite people webarely know simply because theywill do the same because we willdo the same because. Thedownside is the time we expend,and the amount of moolahlavished on social overkill,wherein a pasni is now regularlyaccompanied by a party forhundreds, never mind the poorbewildered babe-in-arms who hasno idea what is going on.

Social capital may be definedin many ways. Perceivedpositively, it is the value derivedfrom the power of socialnetworks, value that can be usedto achieve what mere individualscannot. But it can also beconstrued negatively, in the sensethat ‘bonding’ social capitalserves to disproportionatelystrengthen the links amongindividuals linked by radicalideals, or individualsmarginalised from society.

It’s clear that manymarginalised groups across Nepalhave taken the initial, necessarystep of building ‘bonding’ socialcapital so as to find their voice.But by limiting themselves there,some of these groups isolatethemselves further from themainstream polity they are tryingto break into. ‘Bridging’ socialcapital, on the other hand, reachesacross such boundaries. It’s moredifficult to achieve, but its effectsare more positive for society as awhole.

In the Valley, however, thebonding that goes on is hardly anexpression of marginalisation inthe conventional sense. Quite thecontrary. It’s a celebration ofsocialisation within set circlesthat, alas, has come to burden ourfinancial and temporal resources,and only reinforces ourmagnificent, privileged isolationfrom the rest of the country.

This is not to argue for somekind of jackbooted state quota onhow many can attend this andthat, as has been unsuccessfullyattempted in the past. Peoplehave the right to assembly in asvastly wasteful numbers as theydesire, even if government has theright to advise otherwise. Butperhaps we should reflect onwhether we are making the bestuse of our social capital when wefind ourselves greeting lastnight’s weary faces at Party #3 ofShirish Weds Anjali with aresigned, “So, are you comingtomorrow?”

KALAMRabi Thapa

Social inthe capital

DINESH MAHARJAN

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #51112|NATION

hortly after Singapore leftthe Federation of Malaysiain 1965, Prime Minister LeeKuan Yew was temporarily

moved out of his home at OxleyRoad while security was beefedup. When Lee returned. he foundGurkha policemen posted assentries. At that time, theGurkhas were mainly used toquell riots and protests that wererampant during the ‘50s and ‘60s.Now, the safety of the primeminister was their responsibilityas well.

The Gurkhas still guard 38Oxley Road today. Forty-five yearsafter our nation’s independence,these soldiers from Nepalcontinue to protect Singapore’smost important places andinstallations. Precious little isknown about the Gurkhas excepttheir reputation of unwaveringloyalty and bravery. Yet the 60thanniversary of the GurkhaContingent (GC) slipped byquietly last year.

Presently, the British conductrecruitment of Gurkhas yearly.Some 15,000 youths from all overNepal vie for about 400 slots,around 100 of which are for theSingapore Police Force. Thestrength of the GC has beengrowing consistently over theyears, from 760 in 1990 to over2000 today.

Naturally, the Gurkhas areproud of their unique service toSingapore. “Without the GC, thereis no peace and security inSingapore,” retired StationInspector Buddhi Gurung says.Underlying that pride is also amountain of goodwill andgenuine affection for a countrythey called home for almost thirtyyears.

But recently, rumblings ofunhappiness have begun tosurface among those who haveretired and returned to Nepal, asSingapore law requires them todo. The biggest issue surroundingthe retired Gurkhas is that of the

INVISIBLE FORCEpension paid out uponretirement. “Since the time Iretired 10 years ago, prices of basicitems like rice and gas havetripled in Nepal,” says NetraGurung, vice-chairman of theSingapore Gurkhas Pensioners’Association (SGPA). Theassociation has scored a couple ofsmall victories, with occasionalpension reviews, but Gurungadds that the Gurkhas hope for aninflation allowance instead ofarbitrary reviews.

The families of the Gurkhasremain another contentious issue.Widows of deceased servicemendo not get any part of theirhusbands’ pensions and thoughthe widows of Singaporeans onpension are subject to the samepolicy, the SGPA contends thatthe situation is not the same. Thewives of Gurkhas are not allowedto seek employment during theirtime in Singapore and so have noskills other than being ahousewife.

And while their childrenattend local schools in Singaporewhen their fathers are still inservice, they are only allowed tofinish their education within theinstitute they are enrolled inupon their fathers’ retirement.They face great difficultyobtaining student visas once theirfathers have retired. This is all themore perplexing as foreignstudents, even those from Nepal,usually have no problemsobtaining student visas as long asthey qualify for schools here. TheGurkha children seemparadoxically handicapped bytheir fathers’ service to Singapore.Haridhoj Gurung, who wasrecently appointed chairman ofthe SGPA, says: “There is onlyone way to describe this situation– discrimination.”

Official statistics show thatslightly more than one out ofthree people living in Singaporeare not citizens, but permanentresidents and expatriates.

CHONG ZI LIANG & ZAKARIA ZAINALin SINGAPOREand NEPAL

Singapore Gurkhas give the best yearsof their life to the Lion City, but could dowith a better deal once they retire

S

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #511 NATION |13

Ministers go out of their way toexplain the need for tolerancetowards newcomers, stressing thatwe need them to boost thepopulation because of fallingbirth rates, and to provide theskills the country needs.

Yet after spending more thanhalf their lives protecting theisland state’s most importantpeople and places, the Gurkhasand their families findthemselves unwelcome themoment they hang up their blueuniforms.

Most Gurkhas do not seekcitizenship or even permanentresidence for themselves. Afterall, they arrive on our shores as

foreign young men. What theGurkhas do want are the sameworking opportunities extendedto other foreigners and for theirchildren not to be discriminatedbecause of their fathers’ service.

Such requests, made to theSingapore government throughletters from the SGPA, continueto be ignored. The authorities areunder no pressure to act anytimesoon and Singaporeans areunaware of this situation. This isunlike the United Kingdom,where a very public lobbyingeffort led by actress JoannaLumley pressured the Britishgovernment into according fullresidential rights in 2009 to

Gurkhas who serve more thanfour years. Kharga Gurung, anexecutive member of the SGPA,says: “The UK Gurkhas hadsupport from the UK people andeven the MPs. Maybe if the peopleof Singapore support us, we willhave success too.”

One Gurkha, who spent the'60s here fighting communistswhen the Malayan CommunistParty was at the peak of its power,says: “I love Singapore. Ifanything bad happens, I am readyto fight. I am ready to go back anddie for Singapore.” What does itsay when we repay such devotionby saying no to their requests toremain among us?

The Mount Varnon camp in Singapore houses 2000 Gurkhasand is somethi ng of a closed commutiny (above). SGPAChairman Haridhoj Gurung (left) laments the Singaporegovernment's neglect of Gurkha issues: "We have beenpatient, but how long can we wait?". Tulsi Gurung (below)served as a Gurkha from 1951 to 1972, a tumultous phase ofSingapore's history.

BUDDIES ACROSS GENERATIONS: Ishor Thapa and Lal Aleshare a beer in a Kathmandu restaurant (left) while Umesh Ranaand Dino Gurung, born and raised in Singapore, appreciate fastfood in Nepal.

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #51114|FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

Editorial in Kantipur, July 11

In order to end the politicalimpasse, the UCPN (Maoist)brought out a working plan onSaturday to manage ex-combatants within three months.The plan mentions keeping thecombatants under the ArmyIntegration and RehabilitationSpecial Committee. The Maoistproposal to separate thecombatants from the party bykeeping them under the specialcommittee is positive. But this initself will not result insustainable peace. How, whenand where the ex-combatants willbe managed is the most crucialquestion here, and this is also thebone of contention among thepolitical parties.

Contrary to the demand of

Annapurna Post, 12 July

Although development works could not progresssignificantly this fiscal year as well, there have beenimprovements in the areas of hydroelectricity, roads,communications and education. Finance MinisterSurendra Pandey on Sunday unveiledthis year’s Economic Survey, whichpresents progress in the followingareas.

Private sector hydroelectricityThe Lamjung Madhya Marshyangdihydroelectricity project (70 MW) wascompleted this year while work startedon the Chamelia hydroelectricityproject in Darchula (30 MW), theKulekhani III hydroelectricity projectin Makwanpur (14 MW), and the UpperTrishuli A hydroelectricity project inNuwakot/Rasuwa (60 MW).

Projects with private investmentsuch as Pati khola (0.996 MW) and SetiII (0.979 MW) were completed thisyear. In addition four other projects will be completedwithin the year with a total capacity of approximately6 MW.

TransportationConstruction of a 16 km road connecting Kathmanduto Nijgad has been completed and an additional 60 km

Editorial in Karobar, 14 July

Unable to bring out the budget in the stipulatedtime, the government has had to bring out anadvance budget to meet basic expenditures.Finance Minister Surendra Pandey’s predictionthat this could lead to the downfall of thenational economy has shown how weak oureconomy has become. For the third consecutiveyear, the budget could not be implemented intime. Two years ago, too, an advance budgetpreceded the regular budget and last year, it tookalmost five months to pass the budget. As a resulttimely allocation and spending of the budget fordevelopment projects could not take place.

With this arrangement, economicdevelopment and job opportunities brought aboutby development projects will dwindle but dailyexpenditure will continue. The prospect issimilar to that of an industry which has noproduction but continues to pay salaries to itsstaff while incurring other expenditure.

If the government had presented its programsand policies on time, investors could have workedout the feasibility of investing in certain sectors.For aid, too, the government needs to show donorsits budget and its expenditures of the past year.With an advance budget, getting foreign aid fornew projects will be as impossible as continuingwork on ongoing ones.

The political parties who have pushed thecountry into this state of uncertainty have noconcerns for the development projects that are inlimbo or the youth that are forced to leave thecountry for want of jobs.

Shouldn’t the UCPN (Maoist), whichproclaimed that all problems would vanish onceMadhav Kumar Nepal resigned, take theresponsibility for the missed economic anddevelopment opportunities? If only the Maoistshad not created hurdles, this government wouldhave presented a regular budget and at least someeconomic activities would have been taking placenow. But it seems the Maoists do not have a carein the world whether the economic state of thecountry deteriorates or the poor have to starve, aslong as it helps them to ascend to power.

Sign:Please leave your shoes outside

Prachanda: “Bring the chairhere. I’ll keep my feet outside.”

Abin Shrestha in Kantipur,13 July

Advancedefeat

Maoists’ one-sided proposal

other parties, the Maoists havenot specified the number of ex-combatants to be integrated intothe security forces in theirworking plan. The plan says thatthe committee will hear out eachex-combatant. The Maoists have

been saying that it is necessary tofirst separate those who want toenter social and political life andthose who want to take up arehabilitation package. After thishas been done, they say, theremaining ex-combatants should

qualify for integration.The Maoists claim that with

such a model, they can separate theex-combatants in two months andintegrate the rest in the remainingone month. But until the disputeover whether security forceintegration numbers should bedetermined in the camps orthrough political consensus isresolved, their plan will notmaterialise. In this sense, the coreof the debate on ex-combatantintegration has not really changed.

The Maoists argue thatintegration should be based on thestandards outlined in theComprehensive Peace Accord, asopposed to existing legalprovisions, and that personaladmission cannot be a model forintegration. But this isunacceptable to the government, asit puts the Maoist army and the

Rays of hopewill also be opened. By the end of the year, 210 km willbe surfaced and 110 km of new roads will beconstructed. Work will have commenced on anadditional 60 km.

TelecommunicationsOut of 3,915 VDCs telecommunication services are now

available in 3,624 VDCs. Over 1.3million new telephone lines ofdifferent technologies have beendistributed.

Community schoolsUnder the provision to handoverschool management to communities,this year 6,644 primary schools, 2,136lower secondary level schools and1,030 higher secondary schools will behanded over by the end of this fiscalyear. This year 24,773 day care centreswere opened.

Morality rateIn line with the MillenniumDevelopment Goals, the child

mortality rate has decreased to 14 per 1000 live birthsfrom 43 in 1996. Similarly the maternal mortality ratehas decreased to 289 per 100,000 from 539 in 1990.

Toilets1.1 million toilets are being built across the countryunder the one family one toilet scheme.

Nepal Army on the same footing.The Maoists have also proposedan alternative model of organisingex-combatants to form a newspecial security department. Butsince nothing of this sort wasmentioned in the peace accord, itis highly unlikely that the partieswill agree to it.

The Maoists’ proposal maynot be acceptable to the otherparties but they can table anamendment proposal or adifferent proposal based on it.Because until the issue of ex-combatant integration has beensettled, constitution building andthe peace process will not moveforward. The formation of aconsensus government, which isthe most pressing need of thehour, will also not go materialiseuntil the ex-combatants aresuccessfully integrated.

KIRAN PANDAY

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #511 FROM THE NEPALI PRESS|15

Bal Krishna Gyawali in Aarthik,Nagarik, 13 July

The country’s politics have alwaysovertaken economic developmentas the priority issue for thegovernment of the day. This has ledto delay in presentation of thebudget every year. This delay notonly disturbs resource allocationbut also obstructs timelyimplementation of projects. In theend, the country’s developmentsuffers. Not bringing out the budgeton time means that the governmentwill have trouble sourcing the fundsand then spending them ondevelopment projects.

The government accumulatesfunds from internal and externalsources. The delay in the budgetmeans that the government will beunable to change the revenuepolicy in July and will have tocontinue with the previous rates.The chain effect is that thegovernment will not be able tocollect high revenues, andsubsequent plans will have limitedbudgets. Getting the required aidfrom donor agencies will also be aproblem if they are unaware of thespecific projects they can fund ontime.

The main problem will be inimplementation of prioritiseddevelopment programs. Even if thenew budget is passed in mid-August, it is unlikely that theprioritised programs will beimplemented even by the end ofSeptember. This will affect theentire process of development inthe country.

Dhruvasagar Sharma inNepal Samacharpatra, 12 July

Myagdi: People of Mustang have beenforced to migrate from their native landbecause of the impacts of climate change.

More than half of the 16 families inSamjung and 22 families in Gheya villageof Upper Mustang have migrated elsewherebecause of climate change, said BishnuSharma, a journalist who has beenconducting research in the region.

The village springs have dried out andgrass has stopped growing in the grazinglands. Consequently, agriculture andlivestock rearing have suffered. Thevillagers complain that with their mainsources of livelihood in jeopardy, they hadno option but to leave.

Kami Gurung of Gheya village had todescend to Jomsom after he was unable togrow buckwheat and potatoes in his fields.“After all this, staying back in the village islike waiting for death,” he said.

With the rise in temperature,previously unheard of diseases are beingreported in Upper Mustang. According to

Climate refugees in Mustang

Narendra Lama, head of the AnnapurnaConservation Area Project, Lo Manthang,migration has been reported mainly fromsettlements above 3000 metres above sealevel.

Niwa Gurung, an inhabitant of UpperMustang, said that the government did notrespond to their plea to move the village.

Incorrectpriorities

Claiming that their village was no longerhabitable, the locals had demanded thatPrime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepalrelocate them when he visited UpperMustang a year ago. The governmentpromised a relief package, but nothing hasbeen done so far.

Upper Mustang has a cold climate and

arid topography. It receives less than 180millilitres of rain annually. Since lastyear, meteorologists say, this hasdecreased to 150 millilitres.

The locals are concerned that evenwith the displacement of an entirevillage’s inhabitants, the governmentremains unperturbed.

KIRAN PANDAY

16 - 22 JULY 2010 #51116|BACK SIDE

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hen politics getsuncertain, politiciansstart seeing stars. Rulers

vying for top jobs are all turning toastrologers. Unfed Marxist-Leninists are OD-ing on theopiate of the masses, and theMaobaddies are turning to the ex-royal soothsayers for advice onappeasing the planets. While thecomrades shun astrophysics forastrology, Hridesh the Tripartitehas added another lapis lazuli tohis only unemployed finger, theLeftist God now consults thezodiac before every major partydecision so he has the upper handagainst Comrade Oily, and for allhis tirades against BrahminismLionheart has conducted amarathon home in his homeemploying a plethora of bahuns.So, as we get closer to the 21 Julyelection for the prime minister inparliament, black bokas are beinglined up for slaughter at templesacross the land, and the Ganeshesare getting ladoos.

Instead of sacrificing orworshipping buffalos, however,Mrs Awesome has this time takento rearing them. Remember whilestill underground hubby boy hadtold the TOI (in that famousinterview from Noida in which he

confessed to having a crush onKarisma Manandhar) that hedrank two glasses of buffalo milka day? Well, it looks like ComradeBhayanak could not stand theplastic milk sold at the Naya Bajarcorner shop and misses thecreamy whole milk of DelhiDairy. So Sita Ma’m, who hasalready inducted a jersey cow inthe parking lot of the PistachioPalace, now wants to expand theRed Cow Dairy Farm with ashe-buffalo from Chitwan sothat the Dahal clan will be self-sufficient in milk and honey.

Even after being stymied byEOIKTM, Awesome has still notgiven up trying to get an audience

in Delhi to explain his case. Youhave to be either half-empty inthe brain department or a blindsupporter to still trust theguy after the Shaktikhor tape inwhich the Chairman basicallytells his audience: “Ha ha ha Ireally hoodwinked everyone,you’d be a fool to trust me. I’mactually a compulsive liar. Ha haha.” And it has happened again.After demanding the primeminister’s resignation for onewhole year, the Comrade is nowsaying oh no, we’ll decidethe integration numbers after wecome to power.

Two weeks ago, the entire nationwatched Awe-Inspiring being

ambushed by reporters as he saidhe was being “besieged by peoplewithin my own party”. Well, onMonday Com Dina repeatedlydenied on Image tv that his bossever said such a thing. The inkhadn’t even dried on PKD’soutburst and his spin doctorswere already lying about it.Remember how all the pictures ofthe Kremlin ramparts don’t havea single image of Trotsky from thesecond anniversary celebration ofthe Russian Revolution? TheSoviets were airbrushing history awhole century before photoshopwas discovered.

The question puzzling everyoneis why PKD, BRB and the entirebaddie brass stayed away from thepresscon in which the Maoistsannounced their high-level talksteam. Only Kaji Naran Kamredwas there. We can understandthat the Chairman has beenworking overtime to lobby fornext week’s election inparliament, but BRB? MeanwhileJNK (jilted by PKD after MKNresigned) better watch his BPwhen shouting at the PM duringUML meets.

Many of you have written to the

WAsstrology for beginners

donkey asking what will happennext. Who do you think Iam, an octopus? Theasstrologer has consulted theoracles, and here it is:

1. The baddies can’t muster thenumbers and reluctantly agree toa Jhallu-led coalition that theywill support from the outside2. JNK belatedly discovers PKDhas been promiscuously wooingUpadro Yadav too and says tohell with it and the UML-ledcoalition with the baddies in theopposition continues3. The Maoists decide to make thebest of it and agree to a UML-MJF-NC coalition led by Madhesis andsupport from the outside (thiswill mean the prez, vice-prez, PMwill all be Madhesi, yay!)4. NC-led coalition with RCP asPM with baddies in opposition5. The world gets hit by anasteroid and Nepal’s travails willpale into insignificance

Belated happy 64th to kingji.BTW, were those YCLs in muftiwe sawoutsideNirmal Nibasprovidingsecurity?

ass(at)nepalitimes.com

NHUCHHE MAN DANGOL