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In a day of hectic developments, Nepal Armyhas taken unambiguous stand that it would notbe obliged to carry on government and theruling 7-party decision that violated the letterand spirit of the interim constitution.

The message was conveyed to PrimeMinister G P Koirala as the three top leaders --Prachanda, Madhav Nepal and the PrimeMinister himself--appeareddetermined to declare thecountry a republic bypassingthe provision of the interimconstitution.

"We must and we shallrespect each and every orderof a legitimate and electedgovernment. We will leave nostone unturned to protectsovereignty, territorial integrity,constitutional order andinterest of the Nepalis people",COAS Katawala is believed tohave told senior army officials at the armyheadquarter at a recent meeting.

The development in the Army headquarterswas a sequel to the understanding reachedamong the seven parties to go republic thatwould leave the proposed constituent assemblywith a fait accompli on the republic issue. Thoughthe central secretariat meeting of the Maoists onDecember 23 morning had directed its partyleadership not to make any compromise on theissue of proportional representation system, PartyChief Prachanda and key ideologue Baburam

Bhattarai exhibited enough flexibility after the civilsociety leaders like Padmaratna Tuladhar askedthem not to insist on it for the moment. "We mightwrite a note of dissent and agree on what theseven parties have decided", said a centralcommittee member.

Ram Bahadur Thapa aka Badal is believed tohave taken a rigid stand on Sunday's CentralSecretariat meeting against any come-down onthe 100 per cent PR system of election. But

Badal's position was ignoredafter the Party leaders metthe select group of civilsociety the same afternoon.The politics is clearly headedtowards uncertainty after theArmy headquarter came outwith a warning of opendefiance in case thefundamental tenets of theconstitution are underminedby the government.

The seven parties havejust reached an understanding to hold electionto the 601-memebr constituent assembly byMid-April. They also agreed to declare Nepal asa 'Federal Democratic Republic' which the"Constituent assembly' shall endorse andimplement. Out of the total CA seats, 240 will beelected under the first past the post system, 335under the PR system while the Prime Ministerwill be nominating the remaining 26 seats. Onrecommendation of the Maoists, the rulingalliance also agreed to vest all the powers of theking on the Prime Minister during the interimperiod. ä

Showdown?Respect constitution: Army tells PM

The politics isclearly headedtowards uncer-tainty after theArmy headquartercame out with awarning of opendefiance.

Durbar School : Waiting to bethe centre of excellence !

(News on Page 3)

2 24-30 Dec, 2007 News

RAW deal: Spy chief’ssecret mission again

India’s external intelligenceagency called the Research andAnalysis Wing or simply RAW playeda critical role in bringing the Maoistsand the Seven Party alliancetogether in Delhi to oust the royalregime in 2006.

With serious fissures now visible inthat alliance based on the 12-pointDelhi agreement largely crafted byIndia, RAW could not be expected tohave remained silent for too long.Newsfront sources have nowconfirmed that B K Chaturvedi, RAWchief, indeed paid a quiet visit toKathmandu that lasted for Fourdays beginning December 19.

During his half-an-hour one- on-one meeting with G.P. Koirala onlast Thursday, the spy master made

it clear that India was in favour ofholding election to the constituentassembly elections at the earliest.“The Prime Minister has not shareddetails about this meeting with us”, asenior cabinet member who doesnot belong to the Congress partytold newsfront.

Chaturvedi’s secret visit came at atime when there are speculationsthat Shyam Sharan is coming toNepal again as Special envoy toPrime Minister Man Mohan Singh.

Sharan had earlier visitedKathmandu in October soon afterthe November 22 elections hadbeen indefinitely postponed. Hismessage, relayed through a pressconference, was that withoutelections, the legitimacy of thecurrent political order would comeunder question, both at home andabroad.

But Chaturvedi , given the natureof his position, could avoid taking apublic position on what India’s

message and concern are. Thelatest official Indian line, sourcessaid, was that under no circum-stances would it support ‘takeover’by Maoists or prolonged rule of thecurrent regime without facing thepolls.

It was Hermes Tharakkan, RAWstation chief in the Indian embassy inKathmandu, who is believed to haveplayed an important behind thescene role in organising theNovember 2005 meeting of the

seven party leaders and the Maoistsin Delhi. The 12-point understandingsigned there called for a jointstruggle against ‘absolute monarchy’with Maoist agreeing to renounceviolence and being part of thedemocratic mainstream as well asCA polls.

Chaturvedis’s secret visit came ata time when there are visiblefluctuations in the Maoist political lineagainst its Delhi commitment andthe new violence in Terai thattogether seem to derail thepossibility of holding CA polls. Apartfrom Koirala, Home Minister K PSitaula, Maoist leaders Prachandaand Baburam, and the Army ChiefKatawal are reported to have metthe RAW chief in Kathmandu.

Apart from Koirala, Home Minister K P Sitaula, Maoist leaders Prachanda and Baburam, andthe Army Chief Katawal are reported to have met the RAW chief in Kathmandu.

Abducted CEO freedby criminals

Pashupati Paints CEO MaheshMurarka returned home after almosta week in captivity with a criminalgang whose identity still remainsunidentified. Murarka arrived at hisresidence in Baneshwar around 9 PM on December 23.

His family members refused togive details of the ordeal thatMurarka had to go through, or thecircumstances in which he wasreleased. But it’s suspected thathis freedom was bought for a bigsum. Police sources said they hadno clue about the ‘independentnegotiation’ going on with thegang to secure Murarka’s release.Earlier, a telephone call to theMurarka family on behalf of theabductors had demanded a sumof Rs 50 million for his saferelease.

Murarka was abducted onDecember 18 while he wastraveling in his car. A blue vehiclehad intercepted his car atMaitidevi area. Soon an armedgroup dragged his driver out ofthe car and took Muraka alongwith the vehicle. His car waslater found abandoned atPingalasthan, near the Tilgangaarea the same evening.

Police said that they were intouch with Bombay Police as theSIM card used to make the callto the Murarka family for ransomwas bought there. “Thepossibility of some local criminalgroups working in connivancewith major outfit in India can notbe ruled out”, police said, addingthat they had not yet receivedany major lead in the case.

House committeesummons PM, COAS

Prime Minister G P Koirala andChief of Army Staff, GenRookmangat Katawal will bedeposing before the parliamentarycommittee on Human Rights in acase related with the suspected masskilling of Maoist detainees by theBhairabnath battalion of the Army.

The summon was issued by thecommittee headed by its chairmanMahendra Pande of the UML. Theinstruction of the House committeefollows suspected ‘finds’ in Shivapurinational park. The National HumanRights Commission and the Office ofthe Human Rights Commission(OHCHR) have asked for theprotection of the sites for properinvestigation.

The alleged mass killing of 49Maoist detainees by the Bhairabhnathbattalion and the torture and murderof Maina Sunwar are the two cases

most pursued by the OHCHR.Prime Minister Koirala who also

holds the Defense portfolio is directlyanswerable to the allegations directedagainst the army. This would be thefirst time that the Prime Minsiterwould be questioned by the Housecommittee in a case related to HRviolation and disappearance. “Nepalarmy is committed to honour Humanrights and will provide all assistance tothe investigation”, COAS ChiefKatawal is believed to have toldsenior army officials on the issue.Both have been asked to appearbefore the House committee onDecember 24.

Home Secretary, Umesh kantaMainali, who appeared before theHouse committee on December 22said it was not possible for a 24-Hourpolice deployment in the site as theNepal army had been assigned the

job long ago. He was responding to aquestion about what the governmentwas doing to protect the site as wellas ‘suspected finds.

Based on information provided bysurviving detainees, the OHCHR hadlast year come out with the report ondisappearance of 49 Maoistssuspecting that they might have beenkilled. The supreme court had alsoasked the government to form thecommittee to probe the incident. Thelatest finds of some ‘clothes’ andpolythene packets in the area, aresuspected to contain the mortalremains of the victims.

Under instruction from the NHRC,some forensic experts have alreadybeen engaged to begin the prelimi-nary investigation. “We will soondecide how to take the investigationfurther”, said Gauri Pradhan, NHRCmember and spokesperson.

GP Koirala

K P Sitaula

BaburamPrachanda R. Katawal

324-30 Dec, 2007News

Combatants verificationover: UNMIN

While the United NationsMission to Nepal (UNMIN) isstill maintaining utmostsecrecy on the number ofMaoist combatants , it hasnow confirmed that theverification process is over. Astatement issued by theUNMIN on Dec 22 said it hascompleted the second stageof registration and verification,in accordance with theagreement on Monitoring andManagement of Arms andArmies (AMMAA) .

The information the topMaoist leaders have sharedwith the government suggests that the final number of those recognisedas qualified combatants will be any where between 15, 000 to 17.000against a total of 31,000 scrutinised. More than 7,000 had alreadydeserted the camps while nearly the same number were said to beeither under 18 —falling under child soldier category or those recruitedafter May 6, 2006 when the peace process began. It said

UNMIN make the reports public after it submits it to the AMMAA andto the Joint Monitoring Coordinating Committee (JMCC). The JMCC isheaded by UNMIN with representatives from the Maoists and the NepalArmy.

UNMIN press release said the last combatants to be verified werethose retained outside the cantonments to provide security for theMaoist leadership or were out for medical treatment in accordance withthe understanding on this matter agreed between the Government andthe CPN (M). They were interviewed at CPN (M) headquarters inKathmandu on 20-21 December 2007.

The UNMIN said the UN has expressed willingness to assist thegovernment and the Maoists in the process of their reintegration oncethey are discharged as combatants.

Durbar School gets newmanagement

The Ministry of Education and culture has appointed UmeshShrestha as Chairman of the new management committee for DurbarHigh School (renamed Bhanu Madhyamik Vidyalaya). The committeehas been asked to revamp the school and make it a centre of excel-lence ‘befitting its glorious history’.

According to official sources, the decision was taken by EducationMinister Pradeep Nepal. “Shrestha was chosen to head it as he hassuccessfully managed Little Angels chain of schools besides being Chiefof PABSON—a body of the Private and Boarding SchoolsOrganisation”, Education Ministry official said.

Durbar school was founded by Jang Bahadur Rana soon after hisreturn from Great Britain. Dev Shumsher, the reformist Rana PrimeMinsiter, moved it to the present site from Thapathali, and opened it tothe Non-Rana families. The school was also the first Centre in Nepal forconducting School Leaving Certificate (SLC) beginning in 1943 A D.“we will try to restore the school to its previous glory and explore itshuge potential to convert it into a centre of excellence”, Shrestha toldNewsfront.

CancelledThe Foreign Ministry has

decided to annul the appoint-ment of Shailaja Acharya asambassador to Delhi. Thegovernment of India is beinginformed of this decision, aShitalniwas source toldnewsfront.

Acharya’s appointment toDelhi had been confirmed bythe government three weeksago after receiving necessaryacceptancel from the Indiangovernment. “Her appoint-ment is being terminated on health grounds”, the source said.

Senior congress leader Acharya’s appointment had been resisted byUML and other factions of the Ruling alliance on the charge that shesupported the February 1 , 2005 Royal takeover. Prime Minister Koiralahad used his discretionary powers to appoint her as the ambassadordespite her failure to receive the endorsement of her nomination by the29-member parliamentary committee. “There has been no decision yeton who will be sent to Delhi, but the issue will get priority”, the foreignministry officials said. Nepal is without an envoy in Delhi for the past 18months.

Newsbrief

Courts are hostage tomobs and powers that be

The legal validity of the governmentheaded by G P Koirala has nowbecome the focus of debate, not onlyin the political circle, but also amongmembers of the bar. The questionhas now become more strident andintense after the government failed toamend the interim constitution thathad entrusted the seven partyalliance to hold election to theconstituent assembly by December15 (end of Mangshir).

“That was the responsibility given tothe present government by the interimconstitution. It was both an obligationand national duty on the part of thegovernment to make good on thatresponsibility”, Kumar Regmi, Chairmanof the Constitutional Lawyers Forum(CLAF) told newsfront.

The present constitutional dilemmadominated the discussion during the52nd Bar day celebration in Lalitpuron December 23. Prakash Raut,Chairman of the Supreme Court Bar

Association (SCBA), stated that thecountry is without a valid and legalgovernment at present. “It hasoutlived its constitutional validity afterthe government’s failure to conductthe poll”, he said.

It was equally frustrating for themembers of the Bar to hear a notedIndian Jurist, P N Bhagwati express-ing concern over the onslaught onJudicial independence by theExecutive in Nepal. He made thepoint in the context of the interimgovernment having introduced a newprovision for parliamentary hearingfor appointment of Supreme courtjudges. Bhagwati, a former ChiefJustice of India, was here at theinvitation of the SCBA.

Sambhu Thapa, former Presidentof the Nepal Bar Association wascritical of the seven party alliance andthe Maoists for having run the countryby their ‘diktat’ instead of the rule oflaw. He opined that the constitution

was the biggest casualty in Nepal’savowed move to establish democracyand rule of law. The meeting, hostedby the Lalitpur unit of the NBA, waspresident by senior advocate KrishnaPrasad Bhandari who has of latebeen expressing concern that thesupreme court has never been madeso weak as now during the past 50years. There is a growing frustrationamong the judicial community that theexecutive branch has now managedto make the judiciary a mereappendage of the government.

But the most ‘frank’ confession camefrom the Judge of Patan appellatecourt, Kumar Prasad Pokharel whorevealed that the court decisions arenow swayed either by political poweror the threat on the street. “First Ineed to peep from my window at thecrowd below before delivering thejudgment”, he said, making it obviousthat judgments are not being deliveredpurely on judicial considerations.

High profile killing:dangerous trend ahead

In a clear indication that militantoutfits have now begun to targetrelatives close people in highplaces, Kiran Aryal, related toPrime Minister G P Koirala’s familythrough marriage was killed and hisbrother, Asish Aryal, seriouslywounded in Biratnagar onDecember 22. Aryal’s sister ismarried to Dr Shekhar Koirala,nephew and all powerful aide tothe Prime Minister.

A senior Police official at theHeadquarter told Newsfront thatmore relatives of people in highplaces may be on the target.Although no one has ownedresponsibility for the murder,Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morchaheaded by Jwala Singh is beingsuspected for the crime, the officialsaid.

Reports from Biratnagar said theAryal brothers who live inKathmandu had gone to sell offtheir agricultural harvest in defianceof the instruction of JTMM andother Terai outfits as well as theMaoists. Many farmers have notbeen able to reap their harveststhis year for this reason.

Kiran Aryal had managed to sellhis paddy worth Rs 38,000 but hadignored to pay the tax to theJTMM-T group, Police sourcessaid. His motorbike, with hisbrother on the pillion ride, wasstopped by some unidentifiedassailants in Biratngar, and a livebomb put into the pocket of hisbrother. As Kiran tried to speedaway his motorbike, he was shot todeath while his brother sustainedinjuries. The injured has been

admitted to the hospital fortreatment.

The incident also gives a newturn to the rivalry between Maoistsand the JTMM which has raisedarms against the state demandingautonomy and more rights to Terai.Shekhar Koirala who is negotiatingwith the Maoists on behalf of thePrime Minister, has been perceivedas anti-Terai and pro-Maoists.

The incident took place barely aweek after the government, underthe initiative of Home Minister K PSitaula and Shekhar Koirala,deployed a Special Task Force in12 out of 21 districts in the Teraibelt to restore law and order. Therecent event raises the possibilitythat the JTMM and other similaroutfits may be targeted by the taskforce led by the police forces.

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Supreme Court

Editor & Publisher : Yubaraj GhimireExecutive Editor : Sushma AmatyaNews Coordinator : Manoj DahalDesign: Sunil Khadgi, Kishor Raj Panta & Ramkrishna RanaAddress : PO Box: 8830, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, NepalTel : 4443888, Fax : 4421147 (Edt.), 4411912 (Mkt.)Email: newsfront@bhrikuti.com, marketing@bhrikuti.com (Mkt.)Printed by: Express Color Press, Buddhanagar, Tel.: 4781810, Distribution: Kasthamandap, Tel.: 2010821

24-30 Dec, 20074 Editorial

LettersHonour good ex-amples

The interview with NielsGutschow was an interestingread into a foreigner's insightinto Nepal. He has helped inpreserving and promoting ourculture. At the same time, hehas exhibited sensitivity andrespect for the labours whowork hard to earn a living. Butit can not be one man'sinitiative alone. The society andthe government should learnto honour these people whocontribute to Nepali societyand cooperate in the conser-vation of rich Newari architec-ture and culture.

Sameer ThapaBaluwatar, Kathmandu

Reintegration a badidea

The Maoists and thegovernment must not coerceNepal army into accepting reintegration of the Maoistcombatants into the Nepal army when Maoist party continuesto run parallel government, court and taxation authority.

The issue of integration is a very sensitive one. There areexamples of Indian National Army (INA), formed and led bySubhash Chandra Bose, which was not integrated into theIndian army after independence even though the INA hadno history of having killed any of its Indian brothers andsisters.

Maoist guerrillas have killed people in Nepal. Can they beintegrated into the army without the proposed Truth andReconciliation Commission process?

Any imposition of such a move by the government will havevery serious consequences.

If the 'reintegration' is to start sometime in the future, theMaoist guerrilla army must start behaving today to prove their

Judicial emasculationAt a time when the Executive has repeatedly failed to secure

legitimacy by facing polls, and the rule of law is almost non-existent, people tend to look towards judiciary in the hope that itwill protect their rights, issue necessary directives to the state tomaintain order. An Executive of questionable legitimacy is alsoprone to take arbitrary and illegal decisions one after another.That brazenness increases when it knows that the Judiciary hasbecome absolutely helpless.

Threats were meted out from the floor of parliament that judgesgoing against the 'vague' mandate of the people's movementwould be impeached. Parliamentary hearing system wasintroduced without prescribing any norms for it. Even the sittingjudges were made to go through hearings for their continuation inthe post. Sweeping powers were given to the Prime Minister toappoint judges and chief justice. This certainly is not the way forrealizing the cherished democratic values of judicial independencefrom the Executive branch and the separation or powers betweenthe Executive, Legislative, and the Judiciary. When the judiciary isbeholden to the Executive in this dubious manner, to what extentcan the public expect fair and fearless judgments in cases wherethe regime is a party to the case?

There are already disturbing signs that the Judiciary, includingthe supreme court, has failed both in courage and in duty to settlecases of controversial nature. The judgment on Nepal Rastrabank Governor case has been deferred repeatedly for politicalreasons. Cases like the one on Charles Sobraj have beenpostponed on numerous occasions. A Judiciary worth its salt mustnot choose constant deferral as alternative to justice. After all,justice delayed is justice denied. In all these cases, the courtsseem to have been deadlocked between their own professionaljudgments and the political imperative they can not withstand.Constant deferrals might keep the judges above personal dilemmafor a while, but such escapism will ultimately erode the public’sfaith in the Judiciary as the court of last resort.

A Supreme Court judge is said to have been in tears whenconfessing to some of his 'confidants' recently that he had to giveverdict much against his conscience because of pressure from aminister in a case in which the government was a party. Indepen-dence, courage, knowledge, conscience, and impartiality togethermake a judge and the institution of judiciary. But when thesevalues of democratic judiciary have to be compromised for positionand promotion, the very idea of independent judiciary is compro-mised. Despite the presence of some well respected judges in thesupreme court today, the apex court is being seen more and moreas the extension of the Executive branch. In a democratic system,it is both unfortunate and paradoxical that the Judiciary has beenfully cowed into submission.

The country has now been passing through a phase where ruleof law has become the biggest casualty and constitutional behaviorof the regime is increasingly under question.

The recent trends visible in the courts are not only disappoint-ing, they also hint at some kind of indifference which might go onto institutionalize Judicial servility to the Executive as in someBanana Republics. This will be not only a blatant endorsement ofauthoritarianism, but a mockery of Loktantra in New Nepal.

Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do.- Bertrand Russel

Point to Ponder

Love thy neighbourJesus Christ lived on earth for a mere 33

years, yet had a profound impact on worldhistory. Much of what we know about JesusChrist is based on the four gospels writtenmany years after his death. There are manygaps in the life of Jesus, but it appears themost significant years of his life were the lastthree years. During this time he travelledwidely spreading his message and teachings.

On Jesus Christ"Jesus accepted a mortal body so he could

reveal man's immortality. Jesus accepted aman's consciousness so he could fulfill thedivine consciousness. Jesus accepted bodily

pain so he could offer the world eternal joy.Jesus accepted betrayal so he could teach theworld the meaning of forgiveness." - SriChinmoy

“Truth is not a monopoly ofthe orient or the occident.The sunlight, though puresilver, appears to be red orblue when looked throughred or blue glasses; so alsodoes pure, undiluted truthappear to be different whenexpressed through oriental oroccidental civilisation. Theoriginal simple teachings ofJesus have undergone manychanges, because of diverse

Spiritual Cornermake all the trouble and differences. Theybegin to create narrowness and bigotry. Thepure message becomes diluted with igno-rance. Humanity drinks of the polluted watersand then cannot understand why the thirstremains. Only pure water can quench thirst.

The time has come to separate truth fromfalsehood, knowledge from ignorance. Alltruth and knowledge must be used to combatthe black doubts and superstitions hedginghumanity in the prison of unhappiness, thatthe mighty flood of truth may inundate thegathered darkness of the ages, setting thesoul of humanity free. It amuses me when Ihear my western brothers say "Do youbelieve in Christ?" I always say "Jesus Christ."

– Yogananda Paramahansa

translations from language to language,and diverse translations of translations. Butall of the great ones have expressedthemselves simply, and I can find very little

difference in the message ofJesus the Christ and the othergreat teachers.

Now, I want to tell yousomething in the beginning,lest there be any doubt in yourminds: What I received fromthe great oriental masters, thatsame have I received from theteachings of Jesus the Christ!The great ones, like waves,bathe in the eternal sea, andbecome one with it. Disciples

Readers, your reactions, criticisms, com-ments, suggestions are most welcome.Please address it to:

newsfront@bhrikuti.com

loyalty to the law of the land,and not that of their party.

(Name with held)Tahachal, Kathmandu

Reintegration amust !

Newsfront report suggests thatthe Chief of the Army Staff GenRookmangat Katawal is opposedto integration of the People'sLiberation Front in the NepalArmy. The entire peace processdepends upon the implementa-tion of this clause. The partieshave already signed thecomprehensive peace agree-ment, and re-integration issue isvery much part of the CPA. It onlycalls for enough courage andsincerity on the part of thegovernment to implement it.

Ramesh Rana MagarKalanki, Kathmandu

Big liabilityA basic lack of honesty only matched by unrivaled lust for

power best describes a character that is Prime Minister G PKoirala. Why is he in power when he has lied to the nation atleast on two occasions about holding constituent assembly?There is no hope from this man for the country. He failedmiserably in his previous five stints as prime minister. I think itis about time he stood down in favour of someone who candeliver and at least not lie to the people?

Mohan SainjuAnam Nagar, Kathmandu

24-30 Dec, 20075Debating Development

news

front

After many months of suspense,anxiety and hardship, especially todaily wage earners whose right tolivelihood was openly trampled by thepolitical parties enjoying full power intoday’s Nepal, it appears that thecurtain is slowly opening. One wouldgenerally expect discussion oneconomics or similar national issueswhen number is made the centralpoint of discussion, but in our newNepal it appears that the majorpolitical parties are playing a numbergame at every available opportunity.

After the restoration of parliament

in the wake of a resounding successof Jana Andolan II, the major politicalparties had arrived at a number thatseemed to satisfy all parties, or theythought so. Setting 205 for directelections, 205 for proportionalrepresentation and 15 as nominated,the total number of seats in theparliament would have been 445.However, this number was shortlived. Immediately after the Terairevolt, the parliament on therecommendation of the coalitiongovernment raised the number to497 with 240 each for direct andproportional representation and 17

for nominations. Last, but not theleast, this number is being raised to601 with 240 for direct elections, 335for proportional representation and26 for nominations. However, it isclaimed that the ratio between directand proportional elections at 40: 60respectively, ensures the mixedsystem for Nepal’s new parliament, tobe formed after a new constitutioncomes into force.

It appears that the currentparliament will also decide the date ofelections to the constituent assemblybefore the closure of its winter

session. Although the announcementof new election date would be musicto many ears, including the interna-tional community members involved inNepal’s politics today, nobody can becertain of its implementation today. Infact, most educated city dwellers findit hard to believe that the same will beheld in the next four months.

They are not totally off the track intheir assessment. Last two dates forconstituent assembly elections did notwork for the central issues: first onehad to do with the demand for fullyproportional representation, and the

second one had this issue as well asannouncement of republic prior toelections. The larger objective wassaid to be for creating an atmospherefor conducting the elections.Whatever may be the reason, as longas the Maoists remain unsatisfied, theelections can again be deferred orcancelled on one pretext or the other.

Furthermore, with the proposedthird amendment in the interimconstitution, there are hardly anysubstantial issues to be resolved bythe members of the constituentassembly except to map out the

nature, scope and limitations ofNepal’s federal system.

In spite of the first amendmentcalling for an all-inclusive representa-tion and carrying out requisitearrangements (almost nine monthsback), the state has remained quitecomplacent and done nothing toimprove the present system andstructure. Inclusiveness has onlyremained in paper and speeches.The situation seemed so bad that theleaders had to be reminded bydomestic as well as foreign expertson the lack of any work in this area.

Now, the question remains that theproposed increase of the seats in theparliament of a small country likeNepal is nearly equal to the seats inIndia’s parliament. India is many moretimes larger than Nepal from anystandpoint and has a population ofover one billion. If India of one billionpeople can successfully defend therights of all her people with a 545member parliament, Nepal with just27 million should have been able todo it with much less. Though Nepalhas maintained its relations with bothof her closest neighbors, China andIndia, Nepali political parties (almostall) have been closer to India whilerunning the country. One can expectthat the Nepali nation will closelyfollow the system of governance ofher neighbor in the south.

It would not only be a matter ofenormous cost to be borne by thepeople in perpetuity for such a largenumber of parliamentarians, thevery concept of autonomy of everystate within the country could beseriously jeopardised by a numberwhich might be unmanageable atbest. The Nepali people can hardlyunderstand the number game thepolitical parties are playing.

If numbers were to solve all issuesconfronting Nepal today, such asinclusiveness, proportional represen-tation, then why was all that dramastaged in all these months at the costof hard working people? Future ofNepal is becoming more and moreobscure. The irony is that the leadersof the people who were instrumentalin bringing this mammoth change aresadly responsible in creating a stateof confusion and uncertainty. ä

If India can successfully defend the rights of all her people with a 645 member parliament,Nepal should have been able to do it with much less.

Crazynumbersä Binod P. Bista

If numberswere to solve

all issuesconfronting

Nepal today,such as in-

clusiveness,proportionalrepresenta-

tion, thenwhy was allthat drama

staged in allthese monthsat the cost ofhard working

people?Future of

Nepal isbecomingmore and

moreobscure.

24-30 Dec, 20076 Debating Development

ä Sabita Gyawali

At a time when majorpolitical parties areenslaved by their ownpolitical interests, anumber of Dalit

activists gathered together toamplify their voice through the Dalitparliament in Kathmandu two weeksago. Speaker of the NepaliParliament, representatives fromUNMIN, few members of parlia-mentarians, representatives ofpolitical parties', civil society actors,dozens of Dalit networks andorganisations and other solidaritygroups participated in the discus-sions. The Dalit parliament came upwith 23 point demands focused onpolitical, economical, educational,cultural and health issues.

The issue of Dalit has been anissue for everyone to talk about butthe situation at the grassroots levelremains unchanged. Even within thelarger Dalit movement the issues ofBadi women and other suchmarginalised groups have yet togain importance. Uma Badi, one ofthe leading Badi women activistswho were awarded in the programstressed that the issue of Badi is stillneglected by the government, evenafter the formal agreementconducted four months ago.

Even though Dalit movement isone of the country's oldest move-

ments against injustice, Dalits have notbeen able to lead a dignified life tilldate. They expressed their anger thatgovernment has not been serious inthe issues of Dalit and their peacefulmovement. They stressed the need ofcomplete transformation of the stateand its mechanism so that there isequal opportunity for the marginalisedgroups.

Director of Rastriya Dalit Network(RDN) Ganesh BK. said, "Discrimina-tion and exclusion of Dalit communityfrom mainstream social, political andeconomic aspects has played a keyrole to marginalise them. If Dalits are

given equal opportunity and a placeto explore their talents, they can do avery good job and uplift themselves."Ganesh added, the issues of Dalit arealways kept in the shadow and notgiven importance. He also demandedfor a special population census of theDalits.

The participants concluded thatDalit communities have not been ableto unite themselves as they aredivided into different groups in thename of sister organisations anddonors. The participants expressedtheir views that Dalit movement is infull momentum at district and village

Demanding justice peacefullylevels, but not in the center whereresources and official agenciesresponsible for work regarding rightsand justice of Dalit are located.

Deputy speaker of the session,Janaki Nepal said that women sufferthe most in our society. In each andevery situation like flood, drought,social violence or conflict they are theones to suffer more and Dalit womenare the ones to suffer the most.Similarly children are also affected,who are compelled to leave theireducation due to social and economicbarriers.

In the symbolic parliament,parliamentarians also discussed thecondition of Halia, Terai Dalits, Badiwomen, Kamaiya, Newar Dalits whoare engaged in the movement buthave not been able to achieve theirrights. They also discussed Karnali,among other issues and demandedfor a focused attention for theimprovement of the region.

It was also highlighted that Dalitmigrant workers are vulnerable toHIV/AIDS. The national data showsmigrant workers are among the mostvulnerable groups and a majority ofpeople from Dalit community areforced to work as migrant workers indifferent parts of India. Citing thesituation in the far west region of thecountry, they said the children andwomen are hit the hardest by thisscourge. ä

Dalits have not been able to lead a dignified life

In the symbolicparliament, parlia-

mentarians alsodiscussed the

condition of Halia,Terai Dalits, Badiwomen, Kamaiya,Newar Dalits whoare engaged in the

movement.

Disconcerting lack of space forpedestrians caused by indiscrimi-nately growing roadside vendors,uncontrolled vehicular movements;noise, air, water and soil pollution;escalating cost of daily commodities,hardly attainable gasoline products;and above all, criminal activities likekidnapping, looting, intimidation andkillings grip the common people in itsvicious clutches.

The overwhelming numbers ofvehicles result in frequent andrelentless jams that the traffic policeare unable to cope with. This hasbecome routine and highly irritatingand is resulting in tragic conse-quences in cases of emergencies. The nuisance of traffic jams isincreasing every day but theconcerned authority and the commonpeople seem helpless to fight it. Whilethe parties shout slogans for a ‘new’Nepal, the ‘old’ Nepal we live in isbeing thrown into disarray anddifficulties, thanks to the politician’sindifference.

Maintenance of law and order bythe concerned authority as well as theordinary citizens is important tosustain a peaceful environment in thecountry. The existing law has notbeen able to 'rightly' punish the mostbrutal perpetrators of our times. Whathappened to the culprits of the Madibus mishap and the executors of theGaur carnage, the master mindsbehind Kapilvastu bloodshed and the

bomb blasts in Kathmandu. Whereare the kidnappers and murderersof Bibek Luintel and likes? Havewe heard any news of thesecriminals actually being punished;forget about a few arrests thatwere made just as a show to thepublic. Is it not the responsibility ofthe law to be answerable to thepeople, especially the aggrievedones?

Another aspect that has notbeen addressed is the pain of thefamily members of

those who disappeared duringthe insurgency (and some afterthat). Neither the government northe Maoists have shown enoughsensitivity to unearth the where-abouts of the disappeared and topunish the culprits.

If these issues are not ad-dressed soon with genuineintentions, the patience andtolerance of the general public willsoon run out; and the presentpower holders will have to bearthe brunt of it.

If the present governmentwants to avoid this scenario, theywould do well to replace thecurrent dictatorial and regressiveway of governing with a genuinelypeople centric, humane andsustainable way of governance;based on mutual understandingand transparency.(amit.pyakurel@gmail.com)

Hounded by political deformities, weall are paying scant attention to thedisorders of our ordinary daily lives. Aside the political impasse, the

seemingly inconsequential, yeteveryday troubles of the common-ers, is a brewing ground for futureunrest.

While theparties shoutslogans for a

‘new’ Nepal, the‘old’ Nepal we

live in is beingthrown into

disarray anddifficulties,

thanks to thepolitician’s

indifference.

ä Amit Pyakurel

Rectifydisordersin time

24-30 Dec, 2007 7Interview

heightened violence, aggression anddestruction that have come with tenyears of civil conflict. Sadly, I believewe’ve lost a decade of opportunity,especially for the poorest andweakest segments of society toachieve an education and opportuni-ties for greater prosperity and peace. What needs to be done toaddress children’s problems?

I believe what children need most isa sense of optimism that Nepal willfind the right balance between its richhistorical tradition and a progressivefuture. Children are remarkablyadaptable, but as adults we must bemore sincere about what we aredoing now for their future. As anation, we should invest more time,resources and effort in creating betterlives for the least advantaged childrenin the country.

Social inclusion, quality educationand non-discrimination must starttoday for all Nepali children to havegreater opportunities. A bit lessrhetoric and a bit more serious actionaround our children’s lives is crucial,particularly outside of Kathmandu,where children live far from the publicservices we have in the valley.

Imagine, for example, if every wardin Kathmandu & Lalitpur decided tosupport or adopt a sister VDC in aneighboring district, like Nuwakot. How much the nation would benefitfrom such reciprocal linkagesbetween modern Kathmandu andthose isolated villages that provide theless educated migrant laborers to oururban areas!

How much is actually beingdone in the interest of childrenand what remains as mere‘paper tigers’ created by thejob holders as commonlyalleged (esp. in reference to I/NGOs)?

I don’t think that all NGOs and I/

NGOs are ‘paper tigers’. Some arejust paper and others really tigers. From my experience, there havebeen many valuable projects done forand by children through many well-meaning agencies -- although there ismuch that can be improved, as well. We definitely want to avoid creatingdonor dependency or recreating thehierarchical social structures thathave traditionally limited opportunitiesfor disadvantaged communities in thecountry.

It’s important I/NGOs lower theirown profiles to support leadershipskills and community institutions in themore remote districts of Nepal. Cost-effective management should pass todistrict-level organisations, especially,where possible, those led by the most

historically discriminated communitiesin order that they, too, may take ongreater responsibilities within modernNepal.

What could be the role ofparents/guardians/communitiesin children’s’ lives?

As we all know, parents have thelargest impact on their children’s lives. In talking with villagers around thecountry, I’ve tried to remind them thatthe state has its obligations while theparents have theirs. We all haverights and we all have responsibili-ties. Ensuring that your child attendsschool, does their homework,meeting with your children’s teachersand seeing that our kids are raisedwith a sense of joy, love & respect areall responsibilities of the parents. Thestate can provide the infrastructure,the teachers, the resources et al, butthe inner core of a child is nurtured bytheir family and community -- which,of course, is all the more reason toput a stop to the culture of violencethat afflicts Nepal, as soon aspossible.

How much commitment yousee on the part of the govern-ment?

Clearly, the government has failed

to fulfill its obligations to its ownchildren. Even before the conflict,most rural areas were ignored by thecentral government with too fewresources being shared with localgovernments and communities. Many local schools and health postswere in miserable condition and fewgovernment staff actually stayed inthe places they were posted.

Rather than upgrading local peoplefor such jobs, staff was transferred toremote places they didn’t want towork. For that reason, greaterdecentralisation is essential in Nepal. It’s critical that local communities takegreater responsibility, as well, for theirlocal governance and local participa-tion. Not to mention, unlessleadership at all levels of governanceis equally representative of womenfrom all castes and ethnic communi-ties, we won’t see peace or develop-ment in the nation anytime soon.

Your feelings about Nepal?

Nepal is a special country. Manyforeigners have fallen in love withNepal, especially the peaceful,cultured Nepal that we have knownbefore. There is a richness ofheritage, culture and history, not tomention nature that is unique in theworld. However, unless theseaspects of Nepal are appreciated,respected and protected, this beautyof this country can be lost to thedestructive pace of concrete, plastic,

pollution and greed.

What are the challenges andopportunities you face as a Sr.Human Rights Advisor?

As a long-term resident of Nepal, itis an honor to be working as the Sr.Human Rights Advisor to the NationalHuman Rights Commission (NHRC). As you may know, the commissionbecame a constitutional body underthe Interim Constitution 2007. Now,with the recent arrival of newcommissioners there is an excellentopportunity to re-energise theinstitution.

The major challenge is meeting theoverall mandate of the commission toeffectively enforce the protection andpromotion of human rights acrossNepal. Given the lengthy conflict fromwhich the country is still struggling toemerge, there is a long litany of pasthuman rights violations, as well as thecontinuing threats and intimidationfacing so many people. Therefore,for the NHRC to be truly effective, itwill need to create practical andtrusting partnerships with civil societyorganisations and local communitiesto protect and promote human rightsthroughout Nepal.

What are the challenges thatHuman Rights face in Nepal?

Nepal is in a process of profoundhistorical transformation. Unfortu-nately, such historical changes areusually accompanied by intensifiedlevels of violence. Already over15,000 people have been killed withmany more injured, tortured or madehomeless by the civil conflict thatbegan in 1996. Many disappearedand abducted cases have not yetbeen resolved or individuals heldaccountable. Many children havemissed their schooling or are still keptin the cantonments. Even now, theviolence continues, particularly in theTerai, and could get worse if thereisn’t greater wisdom and accommo-dation among our political leaders.

The Comprehensive Peace Accordwas an important step forward todiminish the conflict between thegovernment and the Maoists. Iteffectively brought the CommunistParty of Nepal-Maoists into thelegislature-parliament; but the humanrights accords in the ComprehensivePeace Agreement have not beenseriously implemented by either party. Nor have equal opportunities,especially for women, particularlyfrom the most discriminated anddisadvantaged communities, beensincerely understood or acceptedupon by the government of Nepal. Also, numerous new groups haveresorted to violence to impose theirown demands on the State. This

intertwined culture of discriminationand violence is the greatest humanrights challenge facing Nepal.

How do you access the statusof human rights situation andrule of law?

Clearly, the human rights situationis grave and full of risks for individualsand the nation. The continuingpolitical tensions continue to havepainful repercussions on the humanrights environment around thecountry. Without a stable governmentand the rule of law, we are seeingincreased acts of violence, particularlykillings, abductions and torture. These will not end until respect forthe rule of law and the sanctity for theright to life is re-established byeveryone for everyone throughoutthe country.

There is a general agreementthat the culture of impunity hasto be ended in Nepal. How canit be achieved?

This is the core of the question with

regard to human rights violations inNepal today. The culture of impunityis so endemic that people feel thatthey can commit the gravest humanrights violations and suffer noconsequences. Whether it is the rapeand murder of a Dalit girl in theisolated fields of the Terai or thetorture and murder of a politicalprisoner held secretly in enforceddetention by people with weapons,there has been little accountabilityover the years in Nepal. Only whenthe culture of violence in Nepal endsand a new generation of leaders,who profoundly reject force to solvesociety’s deepest problems come topower, will this culture of impunitybegin to change.

Already many of the internationalhuman rights conventions andtreaties have been ratified by Nepal. Now, many of these are beingdomesticated into Nepali laws. Newlaws on disappearance, abductionand torture are being prepared. There needs to be greater humanrights awareness throughout thecountry, as well as specifically onissues of transitional justice in a post-conflict environment.

Truth and transparency areessential values to end impunity. Human rights and wrongs cannot bethe privilege or responsibility of thefew. These fundamental rights needto understood and acceptedthroughout Nepali society; only thenwill the democratic structures ofgovernance be mirrored in the mindsof the people, and people are trueparticipants in a living, functioningdemocracy. ä

Truth andtranspar-ency areessentialvalues to

endimpunity...

Humanrights and

wrongscannot be

the privilegeor responsi-bility of the

few.

Keith D. Leslie is currentlyworking with UNDP and OHCHR asthe Sr. Human Rights Advisor at theNational Human Rights Commission. Previously, he worked with Save theChildren US as their Himalayandirector while based inKathmandu. He lives here with hisNepali wife and three children. Heshared his experiences withnewsfront recently.

Having worked with Save theChildren for 20 years, whatchanges have you seen in thestatus of children in Nepal?

The role of the conflict since 1996has had a seriously disturbing impacton the lives of many childrenthroughout Nepal. Although theirdaily situation was difficult before withregard to minimal formal education,public health facilities and economicopportunities, there wasn’t the

LESS RHETORIC,more action

Pix

by N

iraj S

apko

ta

24-30 Dec, 20078 Opinion

ä Siddhartha Thapa With the congre-

gation of Teraileaders, the politicalcrisis in Nepal hasmorphed further.

Although the Seven Parties and theMaoists have charted a "compro-mise agreement", it will in no waylead to a political solution, mainlybecause it aims at finding solutionsto problems that are only related tothe seven parties only. It does nottry to go beyond the SPA-Mparameter. The congregation ofMadeshi leaders was inevitable andtheir quitting national parties insearch of an alternative can rightlybe attributed to the apathy demon-strated by GP Koirala towards theirconcern. To make matters worse; Home Minister K P Sitaulamishandling the Terai issue to suitMaoists interests has further addedto the frustration of the Madhesileaders. But on a political level, thecoming together of Madhesileaders may even shed a positivelight in the depressing state ofNepali politics.

Moderation vs ExtremismLeaders and camp followers of

Baluwatar and Nayabazar club wantto stay in power without facingpeople, or the polls. It was onlynatural that an effective oppositionwould emerge. As political bargaincontinued in Kathmandu with thegovernment having no time for Terai,more radical groups emerged there.The cost of inaction was so heavy

that the government even lost theminimal capacity to counter the radicalgroups.

Moderate and pro-democracyleaders move to form a new partymight be a rallying point for pro-democracy groups and a naturalplatform to counter the radical groups.As Sarvendranath Shukla, formerRastriya Janashakti Party spokesmancommented " it is the need of the hourto neutralize radical groups and armedgroups”. Clearly, government apathyand Maoist provocation have pushedthe Madeshi leaders into an alliance,but even the moderate leaders suchas Shukla, Mahantha Thakur andHridayesh Thripathi can be pushedinto extremism if the government ,under dictate of the Maoists, continuesto demonstrate apathy and provoke

them further.

Electoral numbersAlmost fifty percent of the constitu-

encies slated for the CA polls are inthe Terai. Since, the secondJanaandolan, the Maoists were theonly party roaming around thecountry and their cadres were busywhipping political opponents.Government inability to check thatonly disillusioned the Terai.However, no one mustered thecourage to challenge the clearlyvisible authoritarian tendencies ofthe present government, as it gavean impression--and many bought itinitially-- that it was the solerepresentative of the Pro-democ-racy and progressive forces in thecountry.

But all changed with the Teraiagitation early this year. The dynamicsof electoral mathematics has changeddramatically. First, the Maoists whothought they would secure a majorityin the elections have come to realisethat an electoral victory is nothingmore than a mirage at this stage.Second, without wining significantamount of seats in the Terai, no groupcan form a government in the future.Therefore, the strategy of all majorpolitical parties is to gain politicalground there by sidelining regionaloutfits like the Madheshi JanadhikarForum (MJF), and NepalSadhbhavana Party (NSP) and anyother political groups that may posethreat to the big three: Nepalicongress, UML and the Maoists.

Foreign HandThe resignations and the congre-

gation of Madesh leaders should bean eye-opener for SPA-M leaders.India, Nepal's closest and influentialneighbor no longer perceives theSPAM as reliable actors who canbring about lasting peace anddemocracy in Nepal It may noweven throw its weight behind forceswhich can counter Maoist dominanceas it threat to Nepal's multi partydemocracy and India's security.Incidentally, the Madeshi partieshave the potential to make electionshappen. This is because the SPA-Mparties have lost their base in theTerai. Similarly, the left threat is alsoreal as the Nepali Congress hasfailed to checkmate the Maoists in thelast two years. A successful andconducive election environment can

AN INEVITABLE CRISIS:force Maoists participation in the polls.But all said and done, the fact thatcan't be ignored is that the Teraileaders have the blessing of foreignstakeholders in Nepal's political affairswho want to see to that elections areheld at the earliest.

ConclusionThe current political crisis is only

about to get worse if Terai isue is notproperly addressed. The key to thesolution in Terai lies with Koirala andhis SPAM colleagues's ability tohandle it with deft and understanding.They need to treat the emergingpolitical party in Terai as a politicalequals, and not mere dissidents.Treating them as dissidents will onlycomplicate the crisis further. Going bytheir attitude, Maoists appear to be infull preparation to launch the finalassault to capture state power in thecoming months. They will make surethat elections don't take place. And inthe resultant vacuum, they will portraythemselves as the alternative to thegovernment and its leadership. Oncethe government fails to hold electionsagain in April, confrontation is indeedinevitable because the Maoists donnot want elections and the Madeshiparties want it. Once the Madheshileaders start their agitation as planned, certain powerful Terai leaders in NCand UML may end up backing it . Thatwill have a direct bearing on thecurrent doctrine of " for the sevenparties, by the seven parties and ofthe seven parties.” And once thathappens, that might lead to desertionof the SPA by more MPs--bothMadeshis and Non-Madheshi. ä

TERAIand SPAM politicseven the moderate leaders such as Shukla,Mahantha Thakur and Hridayesh Thripathi canbe pushed into extremism if the government ,under dictate of the Maoists, continues to dem-onstrate apathy and provoke them further.

24-30 Dec, 20079From the region

It is a hard-earned victory for theBJP in Gujarat, its 'Hindutvalaboratory', the credit for whichmainly goes to Narendra Modi.

Attacks and ‘sabotage’ camefrom both within the party andpolitical rivals for the ChiefMinister, who was the BJP's facein the crucial elections in thecommunally-sensitive state.

The victory will give a boost toModi's stature within the BJP,considering that he single-handedly powered the party tovictory, relegating the topleadership to the backseat duringthe high-voltage and bittercampaigning.

As results showed, the rebelsdid not pose much of a threat tothe BJP in Saurashtra though theparty lost some ground in CentralGujarat, hit badly by the post-Godhra riots in 2002.

The Assembly election wasvirtually a battle between Modiand anti-Modi forces, which eventhe 57-year-old former RSSpracharak's hardcore detractorswould admit.

The Congress, which wasdesperate to wrest power fromthe BJP in the state after 12years, focused its entire campaignon attacking Modi, clearlyindicating that he was thechallenge that the party had toovercome.

Despite his being attacked forhis role in the riots, the BJP

The leaders of France, Australia and Italy havemet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, eachpledging that their countries were committed toAfghanistan for the long term.

Making the first-ever visit to Afghanistan by aFrench president, Nicolas Sarkozy told Karzaithat France has a long-term political andmilitary interest in Afghanistan.

The remarks apparently signaled thatFrench troops would not pull out of the countryanytime soon.

Sarkozy told the France-Info radio that hiscountry did not want to give the signal of awithdrawal at a time when "we see theravages that terrorism can do to the world''.

French television quoted Sarkozy assuggesting there would be a "qualitative'' butnot "quantitative'' increase in the Frenchpresence.

Moditva steals the thunderin Hindutva laboratory

NATO Leaders Visit Afghanistan

Suicide-bombings did not lead Pakistan intoan emergency, or out of it. They were a ruseused by the president to consolidate hisslackening hold on power. With the nitpickingjudges gone and the constitution moulded tosustain Pervez Musharraf in power, much ofthe purpose behind the imposition of themartial order has been achieved. Naturally,the persistence of suicide-bombings duringthe emergency, or after — as now — shouldcause little surprise. The recent blast in amosque in the Northwest has taken a heavytoll, although it has missed its target, theformer interior minister, Aftab AhmedSherpao. But neither this one, nor the othersuicide attacks on December 9, 10 and 15,which killed civilians with as much impunity asarmymen, can be expected to force MrMusharraf to rethink his magnanimousgesture of lifting the emergency. As for thebomb attack on the convoy of Benazir Bhutto,which took one of the severest tolls ever, itshould have entered the annals of history bynow.

The much-targeted Mr Sherpao is reputedto have played a decisive role in the cleansingof the Red mosque in Islamabad earlier thisyear. The embarrassment of those days,which made evident the collusion of theadministration in the flourishing growth of anIslamic fundamentalist stronghold in the heartof the capital, is something the president andhis men would want desperately to put behindthem. They are looking forward to theJanuary elections — in which Mr Sherpao is aprominent candidate — and thereby theestablishment of their democratic credentialsto wash off past sins. But history, as Pakistanhas repeatedly proved, is a tough paymaster.Neither Mr Musharraf nor his loyal formerministers can run away from the error theycommitted by encouraging radical extremismfor their narrow political interests. Alreadyperceived as a sinner against Islam for allyingwith the West, Mr Musharraf inspired a jihadagainst himself when he undertook the LalMasjid operation. For the neo-taliban in histerritory, the president and his loyalists havedone nothing since then to deserve a revisionin the objective of that holy war. As Pakistangets closer to its desired goal of a democraticfuture, in tandem with the wishes of the West,this passion is likely to be heightened.

Pakistan, in fact, could witness moreturbulent times in the coming days. Given theunrestricted flow of hawala money into theborder regions that fund the stockpiling ofarms, the increasing consolidation of linksbetween the Pakistan taliban and al Qaida,the play of religious passion among thepredominantly tribal and backward populationin the country’s Northwest could take onalarming proportions. The fluid politicalsituation, with its ill-defined hierarchy andadministrative order, can only do furtherdamage in this scenario. It is in the bestinterests of Pakistan’s president, his army, thecountry’s political elite, and, above all, itspeople, who are the worst sufferers, that thepolitical movement towards democracyreaches its fruition. ä

Terror trail

French President Nicolas Sarkozy,second from left, along with AfghanPresident Hamid Karzai, left.

consciously decided to projectModi as the 'man for Gujarat',seeing him as a perfect foil for anemotive 'jitega Gujarat' (Gujaratwill win) campaign. Modi set theagenda for the tightly-fought raceright from the beginning, whetherit is his emphasis on developmentinitially or the clever use ofHindutva later.

Modi initially concentrated ondevelopment and later capitalisedon Congress president SoniaGandhi's ‘merchants of death’remarks to rake up the Hindutvaplank. Right from the selection ofcandidates to identification ofcampaign issues, he left hisimprint firmly on the party's

election strategy.He made a daring decision to

deny tickets to as many as 50sitting legislators and field around100 new faces to overcome thelocal-level anti-incumbency.Initially, Modi spoke only about thedevelopment of the state and thewelfare of five crore Gujaratis andstruck a chord with the masseswith his pet theme of 'Gujratiasmita', (Gujarati pride).

He refrained from publiclytalking about Hindutva in theelection campaign, but subtlyreminded people of the Godhratrain fire through newspaperadvertisements. The twist incampaigning came after Gandhi's

controversial 'Maut ke Saudaagar'remarks about Modi, which shiftedthe thrust of the campaign toemotive issues like communal riotsand terrorism.

Adding to it was Congressleader Digvijay Singh's 'Hinduterrorist’ remarks which Modiutilised to the hilt to arousepassions in the communally-polarised state. Modi counteredCongress by referring to thesensitive terrorism issue andreferred to the killing ofSoharabuddin Sheikh, which wasseen by political adversaries asjustifying the fake encounter.

While Team BJP romped homevictorious in Gujarat, the claimant forthe man of the match crown issurely Modi, who began his politicalcareer as a RSS pracharak andwent on to become a GeneralSecretary in the BJP. The BJP leftno stone unturned to woo voters. Itcarpet - bombed its entireleadership, including L K Advani andRajnath Singh, but what remainetched in everyone's mind is Modi'srouble-rousing speeches and hismask.

He travelled the length andbreadth of the state and ad-dressed campaign rallies in all the182 constituencies, gauged themood of the people and playedthe development and Hindutvacard on and off.

(Express India)

"A war, a war against fanaticism is beingplayed out here, that we cannot, that we mustnot, lose,'' Sarkozy said.

France announced its decision a year ago towithdraw 200 elite Special Forces, raisingquestions about whether the pullout wouldprecede a larger withdrawal.

US military commanders have pleaded withNATO countries to contribute more forces toAfghanistan. About 26,000 of the 50,000foreign troops in Afghanistan are American.

Sarkozy said that the "first contribution'' ofFrench forces in Afghanistan was to help trainthe Afghan army and police, and assist in thebuilding of the Afghan state, administration andjustice system.

During his six-hour visit, Sarkozy also metwith some of the 1,300 French troops who aremostly stationed in the Kabul region as part of

NATO's military force here.Hours after his meeting with Sarkozy, Karzai

met with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd,who was visiting some of the 900 Australiantroops stationed in Uruzgan province, site offierce battles this year.

Rudd, whose party was elected in lateNovember, said he wanted to make an earlyvisit to the troops and confirm Australia'scommitment to Afghanistan.

"We will be, as I said before, in this country,Afghanistan, for the long haul, and it'simportant for us to be here in partnership withcountries from NATO,'' he said.

He said he would be encouraging othercountries to continue or expand their commit-ment to Afghanistan.

Asked why military forces haven't tried toretake Gizab, a region near Uruzgan provinceunder Taliban control, Karzai said thegovernment could establish control there "atany time'' but that he didn't want casualties --civilian or Taliban.

Karzai has increasingly been trying topersuade insurgent fighters and leaders to laydown their arms and pledge their allegiance tothe government. Italian Prime MinisterRomano Prodi was also in Kabul Sunday tomeet Karzai and some of the Italian troopsbased in Afghanistan, the Italian embassy said.

"He came to visit the Italian troops and hewill meet the president," said an embassyofficial.

The prime minister started his visit in Kabuland was due to travel to the western city ofHerat, where most of Italy's some 2,000 troopsin Afghanistan are based, another official said.

(Alalam.ir)

24-30 Dec, 200710 Perspective

The Buddha’s teachings arerecorded in three categories and thosecategories were made by the Buddhahimself. These three categories arecalled the Tripitaka or the threebaskets. One of the Pitaka is the SutraPitaka. The Sutras, within Buddhismare the records of the variousteachings that the Master himself gaveto various people like monks, nuns, laywomen and lay men as he wanderedup and down, east and west, north andsouth of Northern India, and also inother parts of India, through miracu-lous projections.

He taught for 40 to 45 years and allkinds of people came to meet him andask questions; and they were an-swered. Learned Vedic Brahmins cameto ask him questions, challenge him orto ask what he thought of certain ideas,beliefs and practices in the Vedas. Andthey left convinced that he wasextraordinary or in most casessurrendered to him and becamemonks.

Very old learned Rishis; who hasspecial powers of clairvoyance, sendtheir disciples to learn from him or tobecome his disciples, saying they weretoo old to travel from places likeMaharastra, to where he was inpresent day Bihar, otherwise theywould come themselves. Many

there and then.Many Sramanas of the time came to

challenge him or ask him questions andremained as his disciples. It is recordedthat one of the main sponsors anddisciples of Mahavira was sent byMahavira to debate with the Buddhaabout the interpretation of Karma butremained behind as his disciple. But theBuddha asked him to continue being asponsor (Danapati) of Mahavira, thefounder of present day Jainism.

Many householder males andfemales and Bhikchhus asked himmany questions and he answeredthem. He also kept giving teachingson various topics throughout his lifeafter attaining enlightenment inBodhgaya, called Vajrasana inBuddhist literature, till his Parinirvanaunder the Sala trees in Kusinagara.All these teachings were recorded inthe Sutra Pitakas.

There are also stories of how Vedicand Sraman ascetics of his timechallenged him to debates and tocompetitions of miraculous powers;and again he either defeated them orthey became his disciples. It isinteresting to note that by far agreater percentage of his discipleswere such Brahmins who had cometo challenge him.

(To be continued)(Sridhar Rinpoche is a Vajrayana

Master)

Teaching munificentlyLearned Vedic Brahmins came to Buddha to ask questions, challenge him orto ask what he thought of certain ideas, beliefs, and practices in the Vedas.ä Mahayogi Acharya SridharRana Rinpoche

He taught for40 to 45 years

and all kinds ofpeople came to

meet him andask questions;and they were

answered.Learned Vedic

Brahminscame to ask

him questions,challenge himor to ask whathe thought ofcertain ideas,

beliefs andpractices in the

Vedas.

Marshland Flowers

Brahmins came to find out whether hewas really a Tathagata - a Buddha,

and either left convinced of hisauthenticity or became Bhikchhus,

Driving license are killing license as wellDriving license are killing license as wellDriving license are killing license as wellDriving license are killing license as wellDriving license are killing license as wellTraffic death carries a far lighter sentence for the offending driver – a minimal fine and ashort sentence in case of conviction. On the Nepali roads, homicide continues to be a far

cheaper option for an erring driver.

ä Pasang Dolma Sherpa

Eleven dead and 89 wounded in more than250 road accidents in Kathmandu in the monthof Kartik—reads a huge billboard right in front ofthe Gaushala police station The casualty figureas well as the number of accidents in the capitaland elsewhere go undiminished. Protestorsemploying terror tactics like tire burning, roadblockade, and other sufferings techniquesagainst the general public totally unrelated withthe accidents have almost been an order of theday. But nothing seems to be done to reducesuch accidents and ensure that those woundedget timely treatment, and guilty punished.

There is a need for a whole lot of reform inthe license distribution system and trafficmanagement in Nepal. At the same time, thewhole practice of drivers being held unilaterallyaccountable for the accidents have increasedthe trends of hit and run. They do not evenperform their basic human duties of taking the‘wounded’ to the nearest hospital. In somecases, drivers are even reported to havereversed their vehicles to kill the woundedpedestrians lying on the road to avoid themedical bills and other economic support theywould have to pay to their victims should theylive on as a cripple or a disabled person. Trafficdeath carries a far lighter sentence for theoffending driver – a minimal fine and a shortsentence in case of conviction. On the Nepali

roads, homicide continues to be a far cheaperoption for an erring driver. Unless of course,the mob manages to get its hands on him. Withboth the law and order having made theirdisappearing act from Nepal, it is the rule ofjungle on the roads and elsewhere, unfortu-nately.

Even a cursory look into our license systemreveals a lot. Moments after I failed in the firsttrial for Light vehicle license just about amonth ago, I was approached by a tout. Heminced no words. “Give me Rs 5,500 and Iwill get your license tomorrow”, he offered. AWhole lot of things and likely consequences ofmy getting license in such a manner went inmy mind. After all, a driver is responsible notjust for his or her life alone, but also for thepassengers, pedestrians, and those in othervehicles. I was appalled as a fellow who hadfailed with me agreed to pay the amount toget the license the easy way.

I had reasons, apart from principles, thatforced me to say no to the easy way. First, Iknew money would not buy the ‘driver’sconfidence’ along with the license. Moretragically, my niece, Phima Sherpa’s life andevery potential it contained was cut short at thebud when she was just seven in a high wayaccident in Hetaunda six years ago. The void leftby my sister’s only child remains unfulfilled yet.More recently, my neighbour in Kathmandu’sBhatbhateni area is yet to recover after being hit

by a motor cyclist more than a year ago. Butfortunately, the motor cyclist did not run away,and performed the minimum duty of taking thepatient to the hospital, and also contributedwhatever he could towards the treatment. Inmost cases of hit and run, there are hardly anyinvestigation by the police – so there is noarrests, trial, or conviction. This either showsapathy on the part of the police or corruption toprotect the guilty. In such circumstances, ourdriving license, even if unintentionally, becomelicenses to kill as well.

Nepal’s roads, even within municipal limits,are bad. Most of them have no pavementsfor pedestrians including children.Kathmandu’s limited length of roads, some1300 KM during the last count, have to copewith the 300,000 plus vehicles that increase bythe day. There is no commensurate expansionor improvement of existing roads. As a result,the whole city is turning into a big parking lotwhere nothing moves.

If the Civil society in Nepal were less politicaland more civil, it would have taken up thesepublic transportation and safety issues longago. Any death on the road is treated largelyas accident, and a matter to be sorted outbetween the killer and the family of killed, withstate and the society having no role in that. Orjust look at the plight of the passengerspacked like sardines in a can, abused bothverbally and physically, and charged exorbitant

rates by the taxis and buses. A little bit respectfor human rights, or at least human dignitywould go a long way in making thepedestrian’s life bearable in this city.

Perhaps, it is about time to start from smallthings. Suspending or canceling license forfew years in cases of proven negligenceincluding failure to provide humanitarian andmedical assistance to the wounded after theaccident should be the first step. Giving crashcourses to those awarded license onhumanitarian laws, especially in case ofaccidents, and their duties will go a long wayin reducing the number of death, at least,even after the accidents take place.

If laws and investigating agencies changetheir mind-set that deem drivers automatically‘guilty’ for accidents, this will to a large extentmotivate and encourage drivers to take their‘victims’ to hospitals and not run away. Theprevailing practice of drivers or vehicle ownershaving to bear all medical expenses and evenprovide support to the surviving victims islargely responsible for their killing thewounded deliberately. Most accident deathsincluding my niece Phima have met their endnot just because they were not rushed to thehospital on time, but because the drivers alsochose to go ‘killers’. A review of the law andpractice can save many untimely anddeliberate deaths. And also make our livesmore civil both on the road and off the road.

24-30 Dec, 200724-30 Dec, 200724-30 Dec, 200724-30 Dec, 200724-30 Dec, 2007 11Art & society

In the 1980s, Charlie Wilson seemedthe unlikeliest of crusaders. He wasbest known as the hard-drinking,hard-partying Texas Congressmanwith a penchant for beautiful women.

He is now lionized, however, in thenew blockbuster "Charlie Wilson'sWar" as the one-man wrecking crewwho helped defeat the Soviet army inAfghanistan. And the real life CharlieWilson led a more flamboyant lifethan the star Tom Hanks who playshim on the screen.

"Charlie may have been the onlybeliever in the United States that theAfghan people could actually expelthe Soviets. He had his own personaljihad," said Lawrence Wright, authorof "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaedaand the Road to 9/11."

The real Charlie Wilson, now 74,has retired from both Congress andfrom his days of drinking. But he's asbrazen as ever.

When ABC News' Bob Woodruffspoke with the former congressman

on "Weekend Good MorningAmerica" today about those days,decades ago, Wilson was askedabout the reports of his cocaine use.

"Nobody knows the answer to thatand I ain't telling," Wilson joked.

"How many dates did you have?

How many women did you sleepwith?" Woodruff followed up.

"Gosh I didn't keep count(Laughs)," Wilson replied.

But among Wilson's bevy ofbeauties was a tenacious Texassocialite named Joanne Herring --played by Julia Roberts in the movie -- who opened Wilson's eyes to Sovietbrutality in Afghanistan.

Once Wilson met Herring and shetold him about the horrors of theAfghan war, he says he got moreserious. "Mines that looked like theywere toys would blow apart, blow off[children's] hands," Wilson recallslearning from Herring.

"Charlie said this had to stop. Notonly does it have to stop, but it has tostop there before it comes here,"Herring said.

Charlie's Covert WarCharlie's Covert WarCharlie's Covert WarCharlie's Covert WarCharlie's Covert WarAlthough the CIA was funding

Afghan Muslims to fight the SovietUnion, Wilson wanted more money

and more weapons because hethought the communists could bebeaten faster. As the head of theHouse Defense AppropriationsSubcommittee, responsible forfunding CIA operations, he was in aposition to help do that under thepublic's radar.

With Wilson's support, nearly abillion dollars was allocated to helpthe Afghan Mujadhideen's jihad toexpel the Soviets, including a key $17million for stinger missiles to shootdown Soviet attack helicopters.

The Soviet army called it quits inAfghanistan in 1989, striking a majorblow to the empire. Within one yearthe Berlin Wall fell and Wilsonremembers that day vividly.

"I believe that was the mostelectrifying moment of my life," Wilsonsays. "I watched Peter Jennnings. Ihad a bottle of champagne I wassaving for such an occasion and Ibroke it open. And gave [theMujahideen] a little toast."

AftermathAftermathAftermathAftermathAftermathThe U.S. cut back support and

money for Afghanistan after theSoviets' withdrawal and civil warbroke out. Wilson regrets the pullback and says that if the U.S. hadstayed, "We would have had a friendin the Muslim world which we coulduse."

With the U.S. and Soviets out,foreign terrorists moved in.Osama bin Laden who foughtalongside the Mujahideen,returned to Afghanistan andcontributed to the rise of theTaliban regime and 9/11. Wilsondoesn't blame 9/11 on the U.S.withdrawal though.

"We would have had something like9/11 anyways. I think that bin Ladenhad his course pretty well set... Butwhen you fight a war, you do whatyou think you need to do at the time.What seems right at the time is whatyou do," Wilson says.

(abcnews)

CHARLIETHE REAL

WILSON

"Charlie mayhave been theonly believer inthe United Statesthat the Afghanpeople couldactually expel theSoviets. Hehad his ownpersonal jihad,"said LawrenceWright.

24-30 Dec, 200724-30 Dec, 200724-30 Dec, 200724-30 Dec, 200724-30 Dec, 200712 Travel

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Hyderabad is officially calledthe city of pearls. Today it is anemerging IT hub of India and isone of the most beautiful andhospitable tourist cities in India. Itis all the more enchanting to

have the taste of South Indian culture when youare in Hyderabad.

The legendary tales of the city of Hyderabadis out of place without mentioning Nizam dynastyruled Central India from 16th century to earlypart of 20th century. Today their legacy hasturned into national treasure. Most of themagnificent heritage sites and monuments inHyderbad once belonged to these Nizams.Whether it is the 1591 built Charminars madewith 4 minarets and its imposing artistic andarchitectural blend or Qutub Shahi tombs, theyoffer more than a mere delight for travelers.Chow Mohalla Palace is one such mesmerizingmonument that never fails to delight thetravelers.

The palace is said to have been built between1857 and 1869 to accommodate the ‘unofficialwives’ of the Nizam. The Durbar-turned-museum, declared twice as an importantheritage site by Indian Heritage Society housesalmost all the riches of Nizam in four palaces ofMoghal and European styles. The variety ofartifacts on display includes chariots, arms andswords, attires of Maharajas, hospitality ofNizam women folk well displayed in manne-quins, the earliest photographs of Nizam revelryduring British Raj, the massive halls withexquisite interior designs and more. The palaceis a testament to the majestic splendor in whichthe Nizams lived in.

Another site worth a visiting in the Nizam cityis one of the biggest temples in India, the BirlaTemple. Perched on giant rocks and boulders-also known as Kala Pahad that Hyderbad is sofamous for, the temple was built over a span of10 years with marbles imported from Rajasthan.No one is allowed to take photographs insidethe temple and shoes are strictly prohibited.The temple has statues of many Hindu godsand goddesses and the temple offers a 360degree sweeping view of the ever growingHyderabad city.

A trip to Hyderabad is hardly completewithout a visit to Nehru Zoological Park. The

park is spread over an area of 300 acres so it iswise to travel in a safari jeep or van. Here veryfew animals have been locked up in cells orenclosed in metal cages. Lions, crocodiles, deer,tigers, elephants and rhinos all roam openly intheir separate areas. Instead of metal fences, 6-7 feet moats have been dug around and filledwith water. The zoo has been beautifullymanaged and contains over 250 species ofanimals ranging from Siberian tigers and AfricanLions to vipers and crocodiles.

Situated about 5 km from the zoological park,Golconda Fort is certainly the most importantplace of interest for tourists visiting Hyderbad.(Golla Konda in Telugu means ‘Shepherd’s Hills’) Sprawled in an area of 11 kilometers, the Fort isone of the biggest in India. The fort is the ancientcapital of Yadava’s, Kakatiya’s, Bahmani’s andlater Qutub Shahi’s dynasty and still stands intact,thanks to the recent effort of local conservationbodies. The fort rests on massive stone pillarsand consists of enclosed chambers, open halls,

water reservoirs, beautiful garden, dungeons anda temple. The entire fort is made of mud bricksand its wall ranges as high as 40 m in height atsome sections. The 11 entrances the fort oncehad has been reduced to just three. In the courtyard, every evening, documentaries about thefort is played in front of seated audience. Todaythe fort is guarded and protected by the Indianarmy.

There are plenty of activities you can indulgein when you are in the twin cities of Hyderbadand Secunderabad. For instance, a boat ride onTank Bund Lake, which has a 370 feet tall statueof Buddha, visit the Lumbini Park or the SalarJung III Museum; or go to the Snow World toexperience living in -5 degree Celsius. Or betterstill try out the IMAX movie experience whichcan cost as much as IRs. 200. In 2006 alonesome 6.69 lakh international tourists visited thiscity. Moreover, Andra Pradesh tops in domesticarrivals with a total of 11.17 crore internalvisitors in 2006. ä

PEARLS of

HyderabadHyderabad

A trip toHyderabad ishardly com-plete without avisit to NehruZoologicalPark. The parkis spread overan area of 300acres so it iswise to travelin a safari jeepor van.