Kathmandu l 7-13 Jan, 2007 l # 48 l Price Rs. 25

www.newsfront.com.np

Bhas

wor O

jha

InsideKeep Army off politics :Katawal

Nepali workers : On demandand at risk

Damannath Dhungana says,Govt is authoritarian andundemocratic

page 2

ä nf correspondent

In a tone that defies the Congress policy ofappeasement of the Maoists, former PrimeMinister and Nepali Congress leader, SherBahadur Deuba has opposed the integration ofthe Maoist combatants in the Nepal army (NA).“Maoist combatants should not be integrated inthe Nepal army at this stage,” Deuba toldNewsfront. “Nepal Army should have a decisivesay on the matter and no decision should beimposed upon them unilaterally.”

He also said that Maoist combatants are apolitical army and their integration in NA withoutsecuring a commitmentthat the combatantswould obey the norms,behaviour and conductof the army will haveserious consequences.

Deuba said while theNA needs to bereformed, modernised,made more compositeand trained; elements ofpolitics cannot beinjected in it by includingthe Maoist party cadresat this moment. They must go through aprocess of de-indoctrination and de-politicisationto earn basic eligibility to join the national army.Deuba who is next only to Prime Minister GPKoirala in the party hierarchy has often beencandid in expressing his views on issues ofnational importance.

His remarks against the integration of the

Deuba bells the cat

No reintegrationMaoist combatants in the NA come in the wakeof demands made by the Maoist leadersincluding Prachanda that the integration shouldbegin immediately. Congress central committeemember and Prime Minister Koirala’s nephew,Dr. Shekhar Koirala had recently stated that theelection cannot take place in April without theintegration taking place. Earlier, Home MinisterKP Sitaula had also stated that the issue ofintegration is on the card.

The Prime Minister is believed to haveadvised the Maoist leaders earlier not to makethe integration issue an immediate priority asthat might derail the political and peace process

including the election to theconstituent assembly in April.

As a result, the Maoistleaders agreed not to makethe integration issue acondition for the election tothe CA in April. The 23-pointagreement signed by topleaders of the seven partiesrecently simply says that theissue of integration of verifiedcombatants of the Maoistparty would be discussed inthe special committee of the

cabinet, and taken forward as mentioned in theinterim constitution.

The interim constitution is equally vague onthe issue. The agreement also says that theverified combatants of the Maoists will get all thearrears as per earlier agreement by mid-January, and thereafter, will continue to get afixed amount every month. ä

Deuba who is nextonly to Prime Minis-ter GP Koirala in theparty hierarchy hasoften been candid inexpressing his viewson issues of nationalimportance.

Women in Sirung VDC, Lamjung in western Nepal spinning Charkhaon a cold January day a week ago. The school children are enjoyingtheir grandmother’s work.

page 5

page 6&7

2 7-13 Jan, 2008 News

Drunkdriver kills

ä nf correspondent

At least six people includingthe principal and three studentsof a school were killed, when abus fell off the road near Kakanion January 5. In the accident, 50are wounded out of which abouta dozen are in a critical condi-tion. The tragic incident issuspected have taken placebecause the driver had beendrinking.

Ms Sushila Shakya, teacherPramila Rai and Mohan Lungeli -a class five student were killed onthe spot when the bus fell tenmetres below the road near theOkhapauwa area. The driver isabsconding. The bus was packedwith teachers and students of theSacred Heart Academy ofSwayambhu and was on its way

Six killed, many woundedä nf correspondent

In a systematic campaign thatviolates the new 23-pointagreement, the CommunistParty of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) have launched a massiveextortion drive against schoolsand businessmen across thecountry, that brings Maoistsintention to allow a fair poll in anatmosphere free from fearunder question..

Several private and boardingschools in the capital have beenwarned over phones, throughletters and verbally, to cough upRs. 100,000 each for theupcoming conference of theMaoist affiliated teachers inButwal. “Although we havereceived the demand letter andmessages from the Maoistaffiliated teachers, we haveevidence that top-level leadersof the party are involved in it,”an official of the Private andBoarding Schools Organisationof Nepal (PABSON) toldnewsfront.

All teachers in Butwal andadjoining areas have beenasked to donate a month’ssalary and those defying thedemand have been threatenedwith dire consequences, saidthe official. “And all this is beingdone in the name of voluntarydonation,” he added.

The extortion drive appearsas a parallel campaign to whatthe Young Communist Leaguecadres are doing in different parts of the country. Reportsfrom Mahendra Nagar and other parts of western Nepalsuggest that more than a dozen businessmen have beenassaulted by the YCL cadres for the alleged non-cooperation from the business sector. Report from

Maoists violate new agreement

FloutedSankhuwasabha said the YCLcadres beat up an official of theNational Investigation Departmentwhich falls under the HomeMinistry.

“This appears as a determinedattempt on the part of the Maoistsnot to let the election to theconstituent assembly happen inApril,” a cabinet rank-Ministerbelonging to the Congress partytold newsfront further claiming thatPrime Minister is aware of it.

Article 17 of the new 23-pointagreement in which top leaders ofthe seven political parties includingPrachanda put their signaturesbarely two weeks ago, states thatno action that may obstruct theelection or have a negative impactin the process shall be conductedby the political parties and bodiesaffiliated with them.

It says, “Activists andorganisations affiliated with thepolitical parties shall stop immedi-ately activities like using force,weapons, mob etc to levying taxesfrom tourists, teachers, employ-ees, professional and any otherperson. Activities like extortion,assault, abduction and confiscationof any type of property will ceaseimmediately.” All the signatories tothe new agreement had alsostated that every party will honourit to ensure a free and fair poll.

The growing cases of assaultson the UML party cadres as wellas ordinary people have alsotriggered sharp protests frommany leaders including Madhav

Nepal. “There is no point demanding Prachanda to behavenow. They must be countered,” he is believed to haveinstructed his party cadres. Nepal was also critical of hisparty’s student activists for having gone to Prachanda to‘plead for justice.’ Nepal said, “you do not beg for justice.”

back to Kathmandu after a daylong picnic in Kakani. The bus wascarrying altogether 77 studentsand teachers.

The police suspect that thedriver, who is still absconding, wasdriving under the influence ofalcohol. The teaching hospitaldoctors and medical staff set-up amake-shift unit out in the lobby forinjured students as there were notenough beds available in theemergency ward.

Besides the Teaching Hospital,the injured are undergoingtreatment at Bir Hospital and theSiddhartha Hospital in the capital.Reports gathered from thehospital said 28 injured studentshave already been dischargedwhile others are under treatment,most of them for multiplefractures.

Nira

j Sap

koata

Pix

by n

ewsfr

ont

Keep army off politicsä nf correspondent

Nepal Army literally said no to any move tointegrate Maoist combatants in the armyasserting that the issue is best left to anelected government in future. The clear andcategorical assertion was made by Chief ofArmy Staff, Gen Rookmangat Katawal beforehis departure to China on a week-long visit,almost a month after he undertook similar tripto India. “Nepal army believes in the sover-eignty and supremacy of the Nepali peopleand is always ready to comply with theinstruction and directives of the governmentwhich has secured people’s mandate,” he toldmedia people at the airport.

“To serve Nepal and Nepalis is our dharmaand occupation, but the army should be keptabove any ism, political ideology and motiva-tion,” he said, adding, “We cannot compromiseon the issue that the army should be effective,professional, disciplined and respectful to thechain of command.” Gen Katawal continued,“Nepal army is always available to contribute

towardsconsolidation ofdemocraticforces. It willalways respectand carryorders of theforces whohave securedpeople’smandate. Nepalarmy will nevercompromise onwhat it has todo to upholdcountry’s unity,independenceand integrityunder instruc-tion of agovernmentwhich carriesthe mandate ofthe supreme

and sovereignpeople.”

His assertioncomes in thewake ofreportedendorsement byIndia thatintegration ofthe politicallymotivatedMaoist cadres inthe Nepal armywill not be in thebest interest ofdemocracy aswell as theNepal Army. Hedid not clearlymention if hewas going tomake any effortto secureChina’s support

to his belief, and simply said, “It is a goodwillvisit in deference to our tradition. I have theendorsement of the Prime Minister as well.”There are also speculations that Koirala mightundertake a visit to China in near future.

Gen Katawal said there is no other missionof the Nepal Army than to respect people’ssupremacy and sovereignty besides maintain-ing national unity, independence and integrity.“But these are being questioned by somesectors now as the burning of our national flagwould suggest.”

“The country requires a force that promotesnational unity national interests, democraticsystem and respects supremacy and sover-eignty of the people,” he said, adding that allthat the Nepal Army wants is a stable anddurable political system which alone can fulfillthese basic issues. “Nepal Army, of course willact under directive of such a force, but itshould be kept above ism, political ideologyand motivation,” he asserted. He said NepalArmy belonged to the Nepalis and survived onthe taxes the people have paid. ä

Gen Katawal asserts

37-13 Jan, 2008News

‘Sorry’ with adifference

Maoist chief Prachanda may have the requisite qualificationsto get into the Guinness Book of World Records. He must havesaid ‘sorry’ for the highest number of times publicly for theatrocities committed by his cadres, without being able to checktheir repeated acts of violence and other crimes.

He has done it again but with a difference. Prachanda notonly said ‘sorry’ over the assault of Dipak Gautam, an activist ofthe All Nepal National Federation of students Union(ANNFSU), a student outfit affiliated to the Communist Party ofNepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), by the YoungCommunist League cadres, but actually paid a visit to Gautamat the Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu.

But Prachanda’s charisma and power to influence even hisallies through such ‘sorries’ seems on the decline remarkably.“Was it Prachanda or crocodile shedding the tears?”- MadhavNepal quipped when he got to know about Prachanda’s visit tothe hospital.

A delegation of the ANNFSU led by Thakur Gaire hadsubmitted a memorandum to Prachanda protesting against theassault on Gautam by YCL cadres at Kavre on December 31.Prachanda promised that he would find out details of theincident, and as usual, did not fail to assure the delegation thatsuch incidents would not be repeated in future.

Nobel: fresh targetThe Nobel Medical College in Biratnagar has made more

news than any other medical colleges in Nepal. It has beenmade a target many times by known and unknown people.Unidentified miscreants planted a pair of socket bombs outsidethe college reception on January 4. A number of windowpanesand other college property were destroyed when the bombswere detonated by the security personnel.

The college was in the news about two months ago when itsChairman, Dr. Gyanendra Giri was abducted and tortured for

Newsbrief

nearly 14 hours by the Young Communist League cadres,apparently at the behest of one Sunil Sharma who is supposedto be very close to Dr. Shekhar Koirala, the nephew of thePrime Minister GP Koirala. Sunil is still absconding despiteKoirala’s order to Home Minister KP Sitaula personally to havehim arrested.

Maoist Chief Prachanda who is personally in command of theYCL activities instructed the valley commander of the YC toapologise for the Nobel kidnapping episode. Officials say theyhave no clue as yet as to who planted the bombs in front of thecollege; and they added that the investigation is on.

PolarisationIn what appears

like an emergingpolitical scenario inTerai, some Teraioutfits are finding itdifficult to join theTerai-MadheshLoktantrik Party(TMLP) which isled and dominatedby the upper castepeople at themoment.

All this indicatesthat the UDF is also a strong contender for the leadership ofTerai in the emerging political scenario and is not quitecomfortable about joining the group led by Mahanth Thakur.

A press statement issued by the UMF on January 6 said allthe Madheshis must unite to ensure rights of all themarginalised groups in the country including Madheshis, Dalits,Janajatis and Muslims hinting that the new outfit is also trying tohave a pan-national political outfit rather than confining in Teraiarea alone. It however, welcomed Mahanth Thakur’s decisionto quit parliament membership to float a new party for the rightof Terai.

Less hatred?US Ambassador Nancy Powell and new Maoist Minister,

Pampha Bhsuhal have at least come to a hand-shakingdistance or proximity. It is yet to be seen whether Bhushal ismore likeable to the US than other Maoist leaders; or it is goingto adopt a softer policy towards the Maoists in days to come.Information available suggests that the two came together at ameeting organised by the ambassador of a Scandinaviancountry in the capital recently.

As Bhushal is in charge of the Ministry of Women and ChildWelfare, she will have to interact a lot with the UNICEF andsome of its related activities that are being funded by the USgovernment.

The US embassy’s position during Powell’s predecessorJames F Moriarty suggested that the US would avoid interact-ing directly with the Maoist ministers while continuing to supportand assist the peace process in Nepal. Moriarty had alsorepeatedly stated that Maoists must give evidence of theirhonesty and commitment to the peace process and democracythrough their conduct and not mere words.

Family business?Sujata Koirala, Prime

Minister GP Koirala’sdaughter and heir-apparent is likely to beinducted in the cabinet innear future. This issomething that the PrimeMinister has beenexploring these days, aPrime Minister’s Office(PMO) source toldnewsfront.

Sujata, who is in charge of the party’s Foreign Affairs cellmight be given independent charge of the Ministry of Defensewith a Minister of State rank, the source said.

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

7-13 Jan, 20084 Editorial

LettersJung Prachanda

I agree completely with Mr. Ghimire’spoint of view and applaud his refer-ences to Nepali history. ActuallyPrachanda’s fascination with Buddha isquite understandable. After all, don’topposites attract? Like Mr. Ghimirewrites, Lord Buddha promoted equalityand unity through non-violence. Mr.Prachanda is doing a marvelous job ofachieving neither peace nor unity evenafter resorting to violent means andhaving forced our country into morethan ten years of civil war.

Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised ifPrachanda went and staged anotherJungbahadur-esque massacre. It wouldbe very like him. How can you trust aman who denounces a treaty less thana week after he signed it? Have weNepalis sunk down so low that we areactually considering giving the proverbialkeys of our nation to him?

ä AakashKathmandu

Victims of hatredThe fact that the government is most

worried about the status of thedisappeared Maoist combatants isrational. One should worry because8,640 is a large number and we do notknow why they are missing. Thesecombatants are trained to use ammuni-tions and it could also be a possibilitythat they are planning something.

Even if we raise questions about thereliability of UNMIN’s reports, its not thatwe haven’t witnessed or heard aboutchild recruits being used in wars. Some

Fraudulent politicsThe seven party alliance that rules the country now is using all

kinds of tricks to subvert a journey that they embarked on nearlytwo years ago, to establish peace and democracy in the country.

The people actively participated in the movement called Jana-Andolan II; on pledge from the seven parties and the Maoists thatthey would together work to end the insurgency and decide on thefuture constitution and the model of future governance, throughfree and fair election to the constituent assembly.

All these were scripted in the Comprehensive Peace Agreementand later incorporated in the interim constitution. But the CPA thatwas signed by Prime Minister GP Koirala and Maoist ChiefPrachanda in the presence of representatives of the internationalcommunity including the United Nations has now been reduced toa farce. The recent 23-point agreement signed among the topleaders of the ruling alliance makes the CPA redundant.

The yet to be formed Truth and Reconciliation Commission will benothing more than an eye wash and the Maoist party, its leaders andactivists would not have to face any consequences for the rampanthuman rights violationscommitted during the years of insurgency. Itwas on that condition that the Maoists’ return to the government,ostensibly to ensure CA election in mid-April was facilitated.

All the cases of murders, abductions and torture committed fromthe Maoists’ side will be withdrawn within a month. But there is nosuch undertaking to withdraw cases of similar nature by the stateagencies. Once all cases against the Maoists are withdrawn totallyexonerating the party for gross human rights violation, the TRC willhave no jurisdiction to open the cases against them at a later stage.

Condoning gross human rights violation cases should not beacceptable in any society which believes in the rule of law. But thegovernment led by GP Koirala that survives on the support of theMaoist has done just that. This also goes clearly against the sloganof the present regime that it is out to do away with the culture ofimpunity that was in practice in the country.

No doubt, the international communities including the OHCHRas well as major human rights organisations in the country haveadopted dual standards on the issues of human rights violationsdepending upon whether they were committed during theprevious regime or under the rule of the seven parties.

These bodies without exception have kept silent when theRayamajhi commission, an out and out political commission,unleashed a campaign of persecution against a certain set ofpeople, in a brazenly partisan and political manner. An en blockexoneration of insurgents for human rights violation means a setof HR violators being treated differently. That only amounts toplaying fraud and cheating the people in the name of democracyand peace process.

To sin by silence when they should protest, makes cowards of men.- Abraham Lincoln

Point to Ponder

Active meditationHakuin Ekaku (1686-1769) was one of the

most influential figures in Japanese ZenBuddhism. He revived the Rinzai School froma moribund period of stagnation, refocusing iton its traditionally rigorous training methodsintegrating meditation and Koan practice.Hakuin’s influence was such that all Rinzai Zenmasters today trace their lineage through him,and all modern practitioners of Rinzai Zen usepractices directly derived from his teachings

The most important and influential teachingof Hakuin was his emphasis on, andsystemisation of Koan practice. Hakuin deeplybelieved that the most effective way for astudent to achieve insight was throughextensive meditation on a Koan. The psycho-logical pressure and doubt that comes whenone struggles with a Koan is meant to createtension that leads to awakening. Hakuin called

this the “great doubt”, writing,“At the bottom of great doubtlies great awakening. If youdoubt fully, you will awakenfully.” Only with incessantinvestigation of their Koan willa student be able to becomeone with the Koan and attainenlightenment.

Much of Hakuin’s practicefocused, as his teachings did,on Zazen and Koan practice.His motto was, “Meditation inthe midst of activity is athousand times superior tomeditation in stillness.”Hakuin’s experiences ofenlightenment seemed tocome at unexpectedmoments, often when he was

Spiritual Cornertwo years, experiencing what would nowprobably be classified as a nervous breakdownby western medicine. He called it Zen sickness,and sought the advice of a Taoist cave dwellinghermit named Hakuyu, who prescribed avisualisation and breathing practice whicheventually relieved his symptoms.

From this point on, Hakuin put a great dealof importance on physical strength and healthin his Zen practice, and studying Hakuin-styleZen required a great deal of stamina. Hakuinoften spoke of strengthening the body byconcentrating the spirit, and followed thisadvice himself. Well into his seventies, heclaimed to have more physical strength thanhe had at age thirty, being able to sit in Zazenmeditation or chant sutras for an entire daywithout fatigue. The practices Hakuin learnedfrom Hakuyu are still passed down within theRinzai School.

just walking or reading. Oneexperience that he wrote abouttook place while he was walkingthrough a torrential rain.

As the water reached his knees,he suddenly realised the meaningof a particular verse that he hadread earlier, and was seized byenlightenment. He had many suchexperiences. Laughter was a largepart of Hakuin’s reaction to hisenlightenment, and he was knownto burst into spontaneous laughterupon realising the essence of aparticular Koan, causing thosearound him to believe him to be amadman.

Hakuin’s early extreme exertionsaffected his health, and at one pointin his young life he fell ill for almost

of these children might be members andleaders of YCL and other organisationsin their communities, but most of themare victims of hatred and distrust in thesame community. These children haveequal rights to live as freely as any otherchild, and given the opportunities theydeserve. But, who is going to guaranteetheir security, their future, and treat theircompletely politicised minds?

ä SantoshKathmandu

Killing realityLicense to kill by Pasang Dolma

Sherpa reflects the reality of the day.Although as some one who has lived inBangkok for years, I know things are notdifferent here than in Nepal. The ‘drivingexaminer’ fails those appearing for thetrial for umpteen number of times untilhe or she has made enough money out

of the ‘retakes’. I agree that such issuesmust be taken up and corruption shouldhave no place in grant of the license. Itis a good article to raise awareness.

ä Andy London

Timely editYour editorial ‘Judicial emasculation’

was very appropriate and timely. TheSupreme Court is no more an apexrepresentative of the judiciary, and it isonly increasingly becoming the extendedorgan under the executive. Judiciary’sindependence was subverted com-pletely the day Kedar Prasad Giri wasnominated as the Chief Justice by thePrime Minister after the parliamentaryhearing had failed to endorse him.

Giri is more like Koirala’s Chief Justicenow, as his appointment is much againstthe provision of the constitution. But asyour editorial rightly points out, thisjudiciary can not go against thegovernment on crucial cases for thesimple reason that we have anExecutive’s or the Prime Minister’srepresentative as the Chief Justice; andhis first loyalty will be towards the PrimeMinister, not for the constitution.

ä Ramesh ThapaliyaBishal Nagar, Kathmandu

Readers, your reactions,criticisms, comments,suggestions are mostwelcome. Please addressit to:

newsfront@bhrikuti.com

7-13 Jan, 20085Debating Development

ä Binod P. Bista

Nepal perhaps is oneof the pioneers inpromoting employ-ment in foreign landsfor her people. Though the signifi-cance of the policy of foreignemployment dawned on the peoplequite recently, particularly during theMaoist struggle, despite earlycriticisms and objections against thispolicy by most nationalists, Nepal hadadopted the practice much earlier.

Immediately after Nepal opened tothe outside world and sometime afterthe first bout of freedom from Ranaoligarchy, residents of remote areassuch as Manang, Mustang had beenawarded appropriate passports bythe then monarch of Nepal enablingthem to travel and engage in tradingin Hong Kong, then under lease withthe UK.

These Nepali residents had beengiven special privilege as their countryhardly provided any means of lifesupport to them. Nepal seems tohave made a choice of foreign tradevis a vis employment instead ofproviding these hard working peoplewith alternate jobs within the country.

Movement of labor gainedtremendous importance after theSecond World War and with thecoming of the European Union.Though there still seem to be somesort of barriers against free move-ment of Europeans within the EU forjobs, this aspect has been gainingincreasing importance everywhereincluding in Asia. The question onfree movement of persons has beenrepeatedly debated in all regionalgroupings such as ASEAN, SAARC,and NAFTA.

With the Chinese economicprowess, and now with boomingIndia’s economic strength, these twogiants alone can absorb a majority ofmanpower of their neighbors in theregion now being utilised by theaffluent East Asian economies andthe oil exporting countries of theMiddle East.

The importance and value offoreign employment is betterunderstood by Nepal, which, despitea decade long insurgency coupledwith rampant corruption and stagnanteconomic growth, managed to lowerits poverty level by a huge ten

percent. Over 1.5 billion Americandollars worth of remittance has notonly supported Nepal’s saggingeconomy but also helped promoteand develop remittance agencies,finance companies and banks.

This resource has also boosted thereal estate sector of Nepal remark-ably. Air travel has picked up goodmomentum, and Nepalis seem to betraveling more frequently not only foremployment but also for holidays andleisure. A new Nepal is rapidlyemerging.

As with every activity, this rosypicture, too, has its dark side. Recentnews puts 500 deaths of Nepaliworkers last year in the gulf countriesalone. Of which more than fiftypercent death seems to haveoccurred due to hazardous jobs androad accidents. The number ofsuicide cases is placed at about tenpercent of the total in one year. Thisfigure, if true, is certainly alarmingand requires serious attention of theregulatory agency of the governmentand the manpower agencies workingas contractors of the foreignemployers.

A recent experience in one of theair transit terminals in a gulf country

says it all. The laborers are herdedlike a flock of sheep in the terminals;left to defend themselves againstlurking predators found in suchplaces; placed in lounges and aroundwithout food for many hours simply toboard another flight.

When the scheduled flight iscancelled, these laborers are at themercy of the airlines which aresupposed to provide reasonablelodging and boarding arrangements.What they mostly get is the terminallounge without a food coupon (unlessthe group fights for it) if they are luckyand their contractor is normally out ofsight, perhaps drinking and diningwith the airline ground staff.

With a view to regulating therecruitment agencies and takingaction against those which exploitlaborers, an office of commissioner ofNRI (non resident Indians) has beenrecently set up in Goa, India. TheIndian government has ensured thatin order to protect workers’ rights,both sides - sending and receiving

countries, are taking requisitemeasures. While this seems to begood news for the Indian laborers ofGoa, what is the Nepal governmentdoing to protect the rights of itslaborers?

Foreign employment for Nepal hasnow become a necessity consideringthe transition period that is well aheadof the country. One comes acrossnews after news of the governmentpassing newer legislations followed byseveral regulations. Has it improvedthe rights and welfare of Nepalilaborers traveling in hordes to foreigncountries for employment? Certainlynot! How can Nepal ignore its laborforce in foreign countries whichgenerates sufficient revenueproviding essential social security toits family which the government hasconveniently ignored citing reasons ofpaucity of resources, among others?

A new approach that trulypromotes the welfare of the laborers,institutes mechanisms to preventunscrupulous employment agenciesexploiting the laborers, includingagreements between countries basedon standard international practice,seems to be the need of the hour.

NEPALI

abroadLABORERS

Recent news puts 500 deaths of Nepaliworkers last year in the gulf countries alone.

Nepali workers in Qatar:On demand and at risk

Shar

ad A

dhika

ri

Inter6 7-13 Jan, 2008

Damannath Dhungana has never sup-pressed the voice of his conscience. As aCongress leader, he was one of the first todemand ‘dialogue’ with the Maoists. He wasagain in the forefront of the civil society ledmovement when King Gyanendra took over.Once again, Dhungana has come out openlyagainst the ‘authoritarian and undemocratic’activities of the present government and theinterim parliament. Excerpts of his interview withYubaraj Ghimire:

How do you analyse the politicalsituation following handing over ofpower by the king to the seven partyalliance and the Maoists?

We are in a very unpleasant and difficult situationnow. The ordinary people who sacrificed so muchand handed over the power to the leaders arefeeling betrayed. The current leadership apparentlylearnt no lessons from the past.

Are you annoyed with Nepali Congresssince it leads the present governmentas well?

Certainly, the leadership is in the hand of

Nepali Congress. But it had never been so weakbefore. Even during the Panchayat regimewhen the king was trying to stall democracy byusing the communists, it was not all that weak. Itonce again has become a common target ofmany forces.

Does this mean that the prospects ofdemocracy have also become weaker?

That is my biggest worry at the moment. Ihave always been involved in ‘democracybuilding.’ But our movement failed to throw analternative leadership. It was a big mistake onour part to hand over monopoly power to theseven parties.

How do you rate the performance of thepresent government as well as theinterim parliament, especially in thecontext of the people’s movement?

The main objective of the people’s movementwas to make the people sovereign. We thoughtbringing Maoists to the political mainstream atany cost would solve all the problems of thecountry. We did not feel it necessary toimplement provisions of the comprehensivepeace agreement (CPA). There was no

monitoring mechanism or process set up.Maoists were not at all made accountable. Andon top of that, the Madhesh problem emerged.

But the government and the Maoistshave now signed a fresh 23-pointagreement.

It does not address the Madhesh problem.Moreover, there is nothing new in this 23-pointagreement. This is only a face saving device thatGP Koirala has given to the Maoists to return tothe government. But our experience has shownthat the Maoists are very good in breaking theirpromises. They broke their promises earlier bywalking away from the government in September.They defied the interim constitution. That is whytheir ‘commitment’ does not quite convince me.

What do you think went wrong after theseven parties came to power?

I think our journey up to the point of draftingthe interim constitution was right. But wefaltered within months by not holding elections inJune- a deadline the interim constitution had setfor the purpose. Except for the model andprocess of election for the Constituent Assembly(CA), every other important issue should have

7autocracySEVEN PARTY This country

faces thethreat of a civilwar. There istotal erosion ofthe authority ofthe state.

Pix

by B

hasw

or O

jha

77-13 Jan, 2008rview

been left to CA for settlement. I am sure the CAwill have the best brains.

This could have been a process of toughbargain between those demanding and thoseconceding. It would have led to a properunderstanding. But we adopted a process ofsettling every issue ‘now’. Let us for instance takethe example of the decision of the interimparliament to declare the country a federalrepublic ‘now’. Since the interim constitution hadclearly stated that the first meeting of the CAwould decide on the issue of monarchy, it iswrong to bypass that in the manner it happened.

Was not the people’s movement forrepublic Nepal?

I am very clear in my mind that democracyhas suffered a lot in the hands of the kings inNepal. Its’ journey towards republicanism beganway back in 1960 December when KingMahendra made an onslaught on the electedparliament.

But as Nepali Congress leadership hasalways been moderate in their approach, wefollowed that legacy even this time. That is why itwas decided to have a CA decide on majorissues; and all these issues like monarchy,secularism and federalism, are the subjectmatter of the CA.

It is clearly a pre-mediated judgment on thepart of the interim parliament to declare Nepal arepublic now. It has encroached upon thejurisdiction of the constituent assembly. CA is thehighest court of the people. There could belitigants within it - some favouring continuation ofthe monarchy in one form or the other, andthere could be others for republicanism. Whatthe interim parliament has done now is like aunilateral verdict delivered by one section of thelitigants on behalf of that court.

But how should the monarchy betreated now?

I am not in favour of any space being given tothe king. I have already stated that the countryhas somehow moved towards republicanism. Butthe interim parliament and some political partiesare now provoking the king, inviting him to join theconfrontation. They are challenging him to createa space for himself. I am sure tomorrowsomeone will ask him to quit the palace (Thisinterview was taken before Minister Deb Gurunghad made such a call). How long will this countryrun grappling with such non-issues?

Obviously, in a republic, people will besovereign and run the business of the countryand their representative would be running thehighest executive office. But it is not necessary toabolish the monarchy outright. He could be asymbol or representative of our traditions andheritage. He could even administer the oath ofoffice to the Prime Minister. I have no objection tothat. We could easily settle things by honouringthe monarchy, and not by abolishing him.

What possibility do you see for theelection taking place in April?

The issue has not yet been settled. NepaliCongress has failed to take issues on majorissues, and conceded too much to the Maoists.People have not taken kindly the decision of theseven parties including the Maoists to have aHouse of 601. I do not see any loyalty of theparties including the Maoists towards the interimconstitution. As I have already stated, meresigning of the agreement does not inject freshhope.

Are you questioning the legitimacy ofthe process, or the intent of the partiesin the ruling alliance?

Interim constitution is the property of thenation and the people. It might contain manylapses. But it cannot be tampered with or usedin a high-handed manner. Maoists are subvert-ing it now. They did subvert the constitution of1991 during the insurgency in the past. Theyare subverting the present constitution frominside today. They must be very clear andtruthful whether they want to be part of thedemocratic set-up or not. Their actions indicatethat they have come to finish democracy ormake it impossible as in Pakistan.

Unfortunately, Nepali Congress has not beenable to understand or negate that campaign.Elections are being postponed repeatedly.Maoists have not come to the democratic fold.There is no clarity on the basic process ofelection. There is no way one can feel confidentabout election taking place in April. GP andMaoists both have proven to be promisebreakers in the past. The 23-point agreementalone does not create atmosphere for polls.

What will be the outcome if the govern-ment- that now includes the Maoists-fails to honour its commitment yetagain?

These parties have become representativesof the vested interest. The civil society has alsobecome a part of the power clique in one formor the other. But there is an undercurrent ofdisapproval of the authoritarian tendency ofthe seven parties coming to the fore. Thatwill expose the seven parties. In the worstscenario, it might lead the country toanarchy and total vacuum. Maoists, inits haste to re-join the governmenthave totally undermined thepeople. It did not even insist for around table conference as theywere in a hurry to get back topower.

A drift towards vacuumalso might invite serioushumanitarian interven-

tion. We are in a dangerous situation. Wehave not tried to address the issue ofTerai. What happens if violence increasesthere? There is China, US and there isIndia which will naturally have a biggerconcern than the others. There is not onlya situation of a breakdown of law andorder machinery but the country facesthreat of a civil war. There is total erosionof the authority of the state.

What could be the best way toavert that drift?

The role that we gave to the UnitedNations could not prove to be effective.Either there should be an internationalinitiative, of course led by India, or the PMshould initiate a national dialogue. Wehave no dearth of people who representthe national conscience. Those inparliament now are mere litigants. Thenegative competition that we see in thecurrent politics must be stopped.

People are inching closer towards astruggle against the very leaders who theyhanded over power to. Even the mediacontributed in making these seven partiesauthoritarian by supporting them in almosteverything they did; in the same mannerthat the media supported the king duringthe Panchayat regime.

Interim constitu-tion is the prop-

erty of the nationand the people. It

might containmany lapses. Butit cannot be tam-

pered with or usedin a high-handedmanner. Maoistsare subverting it

now. They didsubvert the consti-

tution of 1991during the insur-

gency in the past.They are subvert-

ing the presentconstitution from

inside today.

7-13 Jan, 20088 Opinion

ä Siddhartha Thapa

The possibilities ofelections happeningare slim. Althoughthe ElectionCommission may be

in a position to clear all technicalhitches that might have stood as anobstacle to pave way for elections,political difficulties and issues stillremain unsolved and theseunsolved political issues are mostlikely to stand as obstacles for theupcoming elections.

More than fifty percent of theelectoral constituencies are in theTerai. After 1999, that is when thelast elections happened, the Maoistinsurgency escalated. As a result,there was a political vacuum in theTerai and the Maoists took advan-tage of the situation and filled in thevacuum in Terai. Early this year, aforceful agitation erupted in the Teraithat symbolically altered the politicaldynamics of Terai. Consequently, allpolitical parties, more significantly theMaoists lost their base in the Terai.Ever since, the Indians have beeninsisting that the Prime Minister movethe Nepali Congress in the Terai andfill the vacuum there. However, dueto Maoists’ pressure and Sitaula'smaneuvering in collaboration with theMaoists, Nepali Congress failed toenter the Terai.

India, on the other hand has hadto reconsider her strategy vis-à-visNepal. It now becomes apparent thatan issue such as 'national security' ismore of a priority than democratisingNepal. The Indian Prime Ministerrecently described the Maoistproblem in India as the greatestthreat to their national security. TheIndian establishment is particularlyworried that should the Maoist regainground in the Terai, the neighboringstates that are vulnerable (Bihar,Jharkhand, Chattisgargh) would

ultimately fall into the hands of a greaterMaoist movement. This is because theRIM dictates the Maoists and concur-rently the RIM initially wants the Maoiststo establish total control in Nepal beforeattempting to make further inroads intoIndia from their perceived base inNepal.

After Mahanta Thakur quit theNepali Congress, GP Koirala called ameeting of the NC, UML, and CPN-Mhigh command. In that meeting, it islearnt that GP Koirala had told bothPrachanda and Madhav Nepal pointblank that India was now schemingdesigns to remove all of them out frompower. Having gauged the politicaldevelopments wrongly, GP Koirala

initiated the 23 point agreement outof annoyance towards India.

On the other hand, the Maoistsrealised that a serious crisis ofconfidence had emerged betweenGP Koirala and India; and naturallythe Maoists capitalised on thissituation and forced their way throughthe agreement. Secondly, GP is nowmore reliant on the Maoists becausehe has now distanced himself fromIndia, Nepali Congress and otherdemocratic forces. And the Maoistshave given him assurances to backhim lest he yield to their demands.Therefore, the importance andrelevance of Sitaula can be bestexplained by concluding that Girija

now depends heavily on the Maoiststo propose his name as the firstpresident and for that matter, Sitaulais Girija's main man.

For the Maoists, the 12 pointagreement and all other consequentagreements are a catalyst throughwhich they aim to achieve theirrevolutionary goals. For that mattereven the elections are a catalystthrough which the Maoists aim toachieve their revolutionary goal. LikeBaburam Bhatterai recently com-mented, "We do not want toparticipate in an election we will lose."When the agreement was signedthere were two other agreementsthat have not been made public: seatsharing agreement in which both theNC and UML are to give some seatsto the Maoists and; a Finance Ministrysource has confirmed that the GPKgovernment has allocated the Maoistsa substantial amount of money thatamounts in millions as a compromisefor their participation in the polls.

But more importantly, elections willonly make sense to the Maoists if theycan win and implement their revolu-tionary ideals. However, if they lose theelections, their revolution would haveended and their purpose of participat-ing in the elections to achieve theirrevolutionary goals would also havefailed. Similarly, an electoral defeatwould also put the party in a crisis bothideologically and politically.

There are two other hurdles: YCLand the relocation of internally displacedpeople. Firstly, it is unlikely that YCL aregoing to mend their ways. Since thePLA are locked inside the cantonment,YCL is the only force through which theMaoists can demonstrate theirmachismo in the street and mobiliseforce during elections. It is very unlikelythat the Maoist high command wouldput pressure on YCL to curtail theirunruly attitude because the Maoistshigh command rely on them as their

ä Tara Dahal

Mike Moore, "How DoesTaxation Affect Quality ofGovernance?" WorkingPaper 280. Brighton:Institute of DevelopmentStudies, April 2007, PP. 39.

The old saying "no taxationwithout representation," is asimportant now as it was importantin the past for the establishmentof representative governance.The tax system establishes theentitlement of citizenship rights togovernance. But, the connectionof tax to responsive governancehas long been ignored by policyscientists and decision-makers.This study, thus, makes a greatcontribution to developmentstudies.

Prof. Mike Moore definesgovernance to, "refer to outcomeand to the political process thatgenerate these outcomes: themanner in which state elitesacquire and use their power andauthority" (p. 14). Many develop-

ing countries do not rely much on taxfor their development because theyhave easy flow of foreign aid. Othershave alternative source of income suchas oil, gas, mineral export, forestproducts, remittances, etc.

Still others rely on non-tax incomefor their survival and progress. Theweak institutional capabilities of thegovernments to diversity the source ofpublic revenue have weakened theirability to provide public goods andservices that markets do not have thecapacity and authority to provide.Internal sovereignty of the governmenton setting priority largely depends onits capacity to muster critical minimumresources from its own source ofrevenue.

Prof. Moore argues that if the stateis not dependent on citizens for itsbasic financial resources, it can easilyundermine the quality of governancebecause ruling elites become indepen-dent of citizens. In such a conditionthey become less and less transparent,responsive and accountable. Poor taxbase is thus associated with incapacityof state to design their sovereign social,

political, economic and foreignpolicies.

Likewise, a democratic state isembedded in society and is autono-mous of the powerful interest groups.Autonomy of the state from the social,economic and political interest of theneedy citizens implies that they have

no control over the state's priority,policy and programs.

This study rediscovers the linksbetween taxation and governance.Prof. Moore unveils answers to threecardinal questions regarding theamount of tax government shouldcollect, distribution of the burden oftax among the citizens andminimisation of the adverse economiccosts of taxation on society andeconomy. Adverse economic costs for

the citizens might provoke resistancecausing political turmoil. Negotiationbetween the state and society is,therefore, highly important. Publicrevenue as a form of tax determinesthe nature of state, its apparatuses,state-society relations and mecha-nism to make the state responsive tocitizens.

How governments tax is centralconsideration for state-societyequilibrium. Democratic governmentstend to foster this equilibrium whilenon-democratic ones lays stress onthe primacy of the state's onlycoercive mechanism and face variousforms of opposition causing regimeinstability and crisis of governance.

Prof. Moore is critical of the role ofInternational Monetary Fund (IMF)because it has the capacity toundermine "governance in the long-run by encouraging, however,unintentionally, tax collection practicesthat worsens relations between statesand citizens" (P. 29). He equallyblames the aid regime arguing that"provision of large aid volumeswithout taking steps to encourage the

expansion of (efficient) domesticrevenue-raising capacity in thelong-run is irresponsible" (P. 31).This means internal tax collectionefforts and external developmentcooperation should complementeach other.

Both the regimes underminethe politics of compromise andconsensus that democraticgovernance foster. Becauseincreasing alienation of thegovernments from the interest,values and experiences of peopledecreases the level of trust andwithdrawal of their consent. He,therefore, defends a more"consensual taxation" practices toimprove the quality of gover-nance. This study mainly basedon the experiences of developingcountries is historically groundedon the literatures of developedcountries of Europe, rich incontent and innovative inanalysis. It is useful for all thosewho want to understand theimportance of fiscal sociologyand its contribution to goodgovernance. ä

BOOK REVIEW

Realitycheck

Links between taxation and governance

only effective organisation to organiseboth violence and to mobilise cadres forelections. Since the Maoists have comecloser to knowing that they are moreunpopular than they think they are, theMaoists rely very heavily on the YCL toforce people to support them eitherthrough force or intimidation.

The other last hurdle is therelocation of the internally displacedpeople. The internally displaced peopleare primarily the cadres of NepaliCongress and the UML. In the last tenyears when the army and the PLAfought in rural Nepal, people left inexodus in search of safer places.Unfortunately, the Maoists cadres arecultivating empty fields and have takenin possession of thousands of emptyhouses across Nepal as theirs. Today,due to the government’s indifferencethere is growing disillusionmenttowards NC and UML as both theseparties have failed to protect theirdisplaced cadres who are also nowconsidering associating themselveswith other political parties or launchinga political movement simultaneouslywith the Terai movement.

Everyone knows that the possibilityof elections happening is remote. TheMaoists will walk out of the govern-ment in a couple of months when itbecomes obvious that elections are notpossible. After quitting the govern-ment, the Maoists will try to positionthemselves as the alternate and try tocapture state power yet again. On theother hand, blaming the Maoists solelywill not solve the problems. GPK andthe present government have lost thesteam and momentum to either holdelections or solve the Maoist problem.Not only has Girija succumbed to thecommunists and committed a politicalsuicide but; he has also draggedNepali Congress and now efforts areunderway to drag the Nepal Army intocomplete destruction to pave way forthe communists to capture statepower. ä

Girija and the present government have lostthe steam and momentum to either hold elec-tions or solve the Maoist problem.

This studyrediscovers thelinks betweentaxation andgovernance.

NPA

7-13 Jan, 20089From the region

Musharraf: Bhuttoresponsible for her death

Pakistan’s President PervezMusharraf has admitted for the firsttime that opposition leader BenazirBhutto may have been shot by agunman, but said she bore responsi-bility for her death.

Facing intense criticism over hisgovernment’s explanation of herslaying, Musharraf told the UStelevision network CBS in aninterview that the former primeminister should not have stood up inher car as she left a rally.

“For standing up outside the car, Ithink it was she to blame alone.Nobody else. Responsibility is hers,”he told CBS, according to a partialtranscript of an interview to bebroadcast Sunday.

Bhutto, leader of the oppositionPakistan People’s Party, was mur-dered as she left a campaign rally onDecember 27 ahead of elections whichwere to have been held this month.

The government has said she diedsmashing her head on the lever ofthe car sunroof when a suicidebomber blew himself up nearby, killingabout 20 people — an explanation

that has been widely ridiculed.Party aides who were with her at

the time insist she died from a

gunshot to the head, and videofootage taken at the time appear toconfirm a gunman fired at her.

Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari,refused to allow an autopsy beforeshe was buried.

Musharraf admitted to the CBSprogramme “60 Minutes” that agunshot could, in fact, have been thecause of Bhutto’s fatal injuries.

Asked if Bhutto might have beenshot, Musharraf answered: “Yes,absolutely, yes. Possibility.”

He added that his government dideverything possible to protect Bhutto,in the face of death threats she hadreceived.

“You have to remember: She hadthe threat. So she was given moresecurity than any other person,” thePakistan president said.

His comments came as British anti-terrorism police begin examiningevidence in Bhutto’s assassinationafter being asked by Musharraf toassist in the probe and help dispelcriticism of the government.

Meanwhile the national electionsoriginally scheduled for January 8have now been pushed back untilFebruary 18.

(Inquirer.net)

Suharto’s healthimproving

Indonesia’s ex-leaderSuharto is showing some signsof improvement after reports ofhis critical condition, a hospitalofficial says.

“Suharto’s condition is nowshowing some progress. Ingeneral, (he is) still weak,”Djoko Sanjoto, acting director ofPertamina Hospital, told a newsconference.

“The heart and lungs haveshown some improvements,excess liquid in the whole bodyhas started to decrease,especially in the lungs,” he added.

Suharto, 86, was taken tohospital on Friday withsymptoms of anemia and lowblood pressure. His healthdeteriorated rapidly onSaturday, and he was givenhemodialysis to remove excessliquid from his body.

President Susilo BambangYudhoyono was among thosewho visited Suharto at thehospital.

Suharto, who ruled Indonesiafor 32 years, was ousted frompower in 1998. Thoughaccused of corruption, he hasnot yet stood trial due to hispoor health in recent years.

(Presstv)

U.S. says N.K. yet to providenuclear declaration

North Korea has yet to provide afull declaration of its nuclearprograms despite its reference tohaving done so in November, theWhite House said Friday.

“Unfortunately, we have not yetreceived a complete and correctdeclaration, and we urge NorthKorea to deliver one soon so thatwe can all get the benefits offered inthe six-party process,” spokesmanGordon Johndroe told reporters. Atthe State Department, spokesmanSean McCormack also he U.S. was“still waiting” for the declaration andexpects it to include the controversialuranium weapons program.

The North Korean Central NewsAgency (KCNA), quoting anunnamed foreign ministry official,said Pyongyang had drawn up thedeclaration in November and“notified” the United States of it.The report said North Korea alsohad additional consultations withWashington.

South and North Korea, the U.S.,China, Russia and Japan aremembers of the six-party talks aimedat denuclearizing the KoreanPeninsula. Through a series ofagreements, Pyongyang agreed toeventually give up its atomic weaponsin return for political and economicbenefits, such as diplomatic normal-ization with Washington and Tokyo.

Described as “action for action,”the agreements lay out interim stepsthat required North Korea to disableits key nuclear facilities and submit adeclaration detailing its nuclearstockpile and proliferation activities by

the end of 2007.Other parties would reciprocate by

supplying energy aid, and the U.S.was to remove North Korea from thelist of terrorism-sponsoring states, ameasure that prohibits bilateralexchanges between them.

Christopher Hill, top U.S. nuclearenvoy to the six-party talks, said therewas discussion with Pyongyang aboutthe contents of the declaration butthat he does not regard it as the finaldisclosure.

“We’ve been notified about some ofthe contents,” Kyodo quoted him assaying at the airport before leaving

for Asia. “But when we receive adeclaration, first of all, thedeclaration should be received bythe chairman of the six-party talks— the Chinese.”

Hill was in Pyongyang last monthand is said to have pressed NorthKorean officials to include all therequired details in the declaration.U.S. officials said Pyongyangwanted to hand over the declara-tion to Washington, possibly tomake the issue a bilateral one, butHill made a point of ensuring that itis given to China.

Instead, Hill and the NorthKoreans discussed the contents as“reference material,” they said.

The KCNA report said NorthKorea still hopes for “smoothimplementation” of the six-partydeals but blamed others for notmeeting their obligations, such as adelay in fuel delivery and removalfrom the terrorism list.

“Looking back, the DemocraticPeople’s Republic of Korea standsforemost ahead in implementationamong the six parties,” it said.“Regarding the nuclear declarationthat some are wrongfully making anissue of, we have already done whatis required.”

The White House said it was“skeptical” after Pyongyang missedthe year-end deadline on thedeclaration, but U.S. officials havereaffirmed the six-party process willcontinue, that they still expect theNorth to submit a “full and complete”disclosure of its nuclear programs.

(Yonhap)

North and South Korean soldiers stand guardin the Demilitarized Zone in Panmunjom asseen from the North Korean side of theborder.

Tamil rebel IntelligenceChief shot dead

Sri Lanka’s police stand guard at the scene of a claymore mine explosionsuspected to have been caused by Tamil rebels in Vavuniya December 27, 2007.

Sri Lankan soldiers shot deadthe head of military intelligence forthe Tamil rebels in an ambush inthe country’s northern province, aDefense Ministry spokesman said.

Shanmuganathan Ravishankarwas killed, along with 20 othermembers of the Liberation Tigersof Tamil Eelam, when the soldiersambushed a van in which he wastraveling in the Adampan area ofMannar, spokesman UdayaNanayakkara said in a telephoneinterview from the capital Colombo.“There was a heavy exchange ofartillery and mortar fire. He wasshot dead by the soldiers.”

Ravishankar was in charge of“internal intelligence” of Tamilground forces and led a regularcombat force that has beendeployed in the Mannar region,TamilNet reported on its Web site.Three of his lieutenants were alsokilled in the “claymore mine

ambush,” it said.Sri Lanka on Jan. 2 announced

its plan to formally withdraw from a2002 cease-fire accord, saying theTamil rebels had used the cease-fire to rearm, recruit and preparefurther attacks on the South Asianisland. Norway, which brokered theagreement, said it may have towithdraw international cease-firemonitors, weakening efforts toprotect the civilian population.

The Tamil Tigers, designated aterrorist group by the U.S., theEuropean Union and India, havebeen fighting for 24 years in aconflict that has killed more than70,000 people. The group hasn’tcommented on the government’sdecision to end the truce.

Fighting intensified in late 2006in the country’s north and eastafter two rounds of peace talksfailed.

(Bloomberg)

7-13 Jan, 200810 Perspective

ä Mahayogi AcharyaSridhar Rana Rinpoche

For example, in places like Tibet,Mongolia, Korea and Japan it would befoolish to continue wearing the scantydress of the Bhikchhus, which theBuddha had devised for the hot climateof Madhyadesha (central north India);nor would it be sane to expectBhikchhus to walk barefoot in suchcountries, as the Buddha had insistedupon the Bhikchhus of Madhyadesha.So these minor rules would have to bechanged in accordance with theintention of the Dharma and theBuddha. To insist that Bhikchhus ofTibet walk barefoot would actually begoing against the intentions of theteaching of the Dharma and Buddha.

Then we have the third Pitaka whichare more a collection of the logical andanalytical, thus philosophical teachingsof the Buddha. The Buddha definedclearly what enlightenment was andwhat false enlightenment was. Heanalysed and classified various levels ofSamadhis and the elements found inthem. He also warned very clearly thatthere are false Samadhis which do notlead to the enlightenment that theBuddha meant.

He broke down and classified all the

elements of the world (Sansar) andof the sentient beings, material, non-material and mental. He classifiedVipassyana and Samatha and their

levels. All such things were recordedin the Abhidharma. So in theAbhidharma, we also find a very fineand detailed classification of what is

today called the Psi phenomena. Sothese are the Tripitaka which consistsof the teachings of the Buddha, ashanded down from generation togeneration.

Various councils (Sanghayanas)were held at various periods of timesto check and maintain the purity ofthe teachings, and to ensure nounnecessary false elements wereallowed to enter the teachings. Thuseven from the scholarly transmissionpoint of view, the purity of theteachings were maintained as far as itis humanely possible. It can certainlybe said that no major tenets ofBuddhism were changed or distorted.

Thus the major tenets of Buddhismlike the four Arya Satya; the 12 chainsof interdependence (Dwadashanidana); Samatha and Vipassyana;the classification of universe (Sansar)as the Pancha Skandha (aggre-gates); 12 doors (12 Ayatanas); the18 Dhatus; the 3 doors of liberation;the 8 freedoms; the teachings onShilas, Samadhi and Pragyacollectively known as Tri Sikchhya; i.e.the three teachings, etc. are all to befound in all forms of Buddhism.

(To be continued)(Sridhar Rinpoche is a Vajrayana

Master)

The Buddhadefined clearly

what enlighten-ment was and

what falseenlightenment

was. Heanalysed and

classifiedvarious levels

of Samadhisand the ele-

ments found inthem. He also

warned veryclearly that

there are falseSamadhis.

Marshland Flowers

Undistorted teachingsThe Buddha also warned very clearly that there are false Samadhis which do not lead to the enlightenment.

7-13 Jan, 2008 11Art & society

ä Yuyutsu RD Sharma

Journeys arecrucial to themakeup of acreative writer andhis world.

Journeys make us better humanbeings. They make you under-stand the basic facets of humanitythat otherwise you might simplyignore or generalise.

The actual feel of the landscapeand the people in it gives you avision of what postcard simplicity ora touristy television show might notoffer. As the New Year approaches,my visions of the days spent inLondon on the New Year eve lastyear and the recent visit to Helumbuwhere I witnessed a ritual ceremonyin a monastery made me under-stand the difference that thesetourist destinations offer.

Journeys made in the outerworld cause a dramatic transfor-mation within. You move out toturn deeper within. The paradoxof journeys is most vividlydescribed in our folklore andlegends. You feel the differenceonce you have traveled, thechanges you perceive most whenyou see realise how human life inspite of all the changes hasremained the same.

During my journeys, to mostpeople in Europe, the Nepali manwoman relations in Asia werereminiscent of their own societysome fifty years ago. The way Iapproached my spouse and theway she reacted to my so-calledorders at every step of lifereminded people in Europe oftheir parents. In the middle classNepali families, men are seldomallowed by women to do anymenial work. “My father used tobehave like you do in my mother’spresence,” one of my English

You feel the difference once you have traveledfriends remarked.

After my journey to Europe Ican never ever write a poem orcreate an episode in a novelapproving such a behavior that awriter who has not traveled couldeasily write about. Nor can I everdismiss the same sex relations asmonstrous and unsocial. Even ifyou do not approve, you acceptthat these people exist, like youdo. There is very little available inNepali literature on the same sexretaliations. They are simplyignored as obscene.

One gay writer I met in Londonseemed appalled by my aesthet-ics. He strongly disliked my “River”poem. To describe a man womanrelationship, the poem employserotic images reminiscent ofSanskrit masters evoking theShringar Rasa. I had greatdifficulty in translating the famousIrish language poet Cathal O’Searcaigh’s poems into Nepali.Some Nepali critics refuse tounderstand the poems as they donot or cannot comprehend thenuances of a poem celebrating thesame sex relations. Also with maledominated Nepali verb, it is difficultto express the emotions containingthe same sex relationships.

On meeting people from all overworld in London, for example, yourelease how multiculturalismremains the future of the modernworld. And that in spite of tribaluprisings and rise of obsoleteideologies, the future of Asiansociety like its economic metamor-phosis lies in understanding theessentials of the other world.

A journey outside become ajourney within, leading you to theultimate nirvana of the newmillennium.

(The writer can be reached atwriter@yuyutsu.de)

FIREFRONT

Journeyswithin

ä Raman Grandon

On the eve of NewYear 2008, I ran intoShizuo Miyake aliasSanta BahadurGurung at Momotarou,

a popular Japanese restaurant inThamel. He greeted me withNamaste and spoke fluent Nepali.

Miyake is a 60 years old who caneasily pass of as 40. After retiring ascivil engineer from Kobe City Hall in2000, Miyake has been coming toNepal on a regular basis. “I comehere three or four times a year andeach time I stay not less than two tothree months.”

Every season, from October toApril, Miyake brings along organisedgroups of tourists from different citiesof Japan including Osaka, Kobe andHyogo. Till December end thisseason he arranged Pokhara trip forfour Japanese families, sent two toAnnapurna base camp and other twofor a sightseeing tour in Nagarkot. Heis looking forward to receive five moreguests from Osaka during the firstweek of January 2008.

‘This will wrap up the season,” saysMiyake, bursting into peals oflaughter. According to Miyake,Himalayas and culture are the mainattractions for Japanese tourists. “Butuntil the situation turns out to be apeaceful, there will not be manyJapanese willing to come to Nepal. Itell my friends it is okay to travel in

Tales of

Nepal right now, but I do not knowwhat will happen tomorrow. In thisregard, I strongly urge the govern-ment and Nepalis to work hard forpeace,” suggests Miyake.

Miyake had first come to Nepal in1976 as a tourist. “But it was moreof luck than a planned one. We hada three day transit in Bangkok so Icame for a quick trek here.” As partof Alpine Federation group, Miyakehad come with 45 Japanesetourists. Miyake chose a five daycamping trip to Ghorepani. “Sincethe connecting road was still inprogress, we had to walk all theway from Pokhara to Phedi andthen to Ghorepani.”

By the time he came back to Nepalagain in 1982, Miyake was ready fora climbing expedition on Mt. ChuluWest (6419m) in Manang. With sixpeople in the group, they not onlyscaled it successfully but further didAnnapurna Round trek making a totalof 45 days trip! Since 1983 he begancoming to Nepal six times a year.

One of Miyake’s most memorableyears in Nepal has to be 1976. As theplane hovered over the airport he wasquite not sure whether the barely pavedgrassland below was the right one.Moreover, he became irritated at havingto wait for over three hours for hisluggage to arrive. And as if this was notenough, rain started leaking through theroof and left him wet all over.

Miyake has witnessed lots ofchanges since his first time in Nepal.

“Thamel was almost a vast stretch ofbarren field, a majority of Sherpasused to work in trekking industry andherds of cattle blocking the roadswas a usual sight. Now everythinghas changed but one thing that stillhas not is the immigration delay andlethargic custom procedures.Although you have all the modernequipment, the operation is still notprompt and efficient.”

Getting together with his Nepalisisters and brothers is an importantpart of Miyake’s life when he findstime to know and learn about Nepaliculture and language. He alsoteaches part time Japanese languagein a local institute and is helping runschools in Gongabu and Nuwakot fordeprived and poor children. “I amalways willing to help Nepalis ineducation and health. But it will not doany good for Nepalis to acceptmillions of dollars in donation withoutany proper use.”

At present Miyake is the presidentof 15-year old Kobe-Nepal FriendshipAssociation and advisor of AmateurVeterans Athlete Committee based inNepal. He is also involved in HyogoWorker’s Alpine Federation (HWAF)which has altogether 3000 members.It has been well over 30 years sincehe has been visiting Nepal and everytime he comes he admits heexperiences something different andunusual. “I do not know for how manymore times I will be coming to Nepal.I am only 60 now,” says Miyake. ä

Without peace, there will not be manyJapanese willing to come to Nepal.

Miyake

7-13 Jan, 200812 Nature

ä Sanjib K. Chaudhary

The sun was about to set. Althoughthe day was coming to an end, theticket selling counter at the ElephantBreeding Centre, Khorsor waspacked with visitors. Crossing thecounter, the sight of the huge stablewas astounding – giant elephantswere tethered to wooden posts withiron shackles. The mammoth animalslooked helpless. Even older babyelephants were tethered in a similarfashion.

As I neared the iron bar, a cutebaby elephant lunged towards me. Itcrossed the fence and chased me.Immediately another elephant calf, alittle older than the one chasing me,came to take back the youngerelephant. However, it got hold of theorange I was carrying and ran backto the stable along with its brother (onasking the mahouts I came to knowabout their relationship). Nearing itsmother, it threw the orange on theground and peeled it with its foot andate the contents inside. They are

such intelligent creatures!The baby elephants amuse the

visitors at the stable with theirplayfulness and mischief. However, asthey grow older they are taught tobehave properly. On reaching twoyears of age, the elephants aretrained to obey the mahout’scommands.

Initially the young elephant isseparated from its mother for fewdays. It cries and laments in agony ofseparation and becomes desperate.Two men each on two elephants withthe fifth man on the distressed calf gofor long rides – the calf is made torun, go up, come down, jump and doall sort of activities as commanded bythe rider.

“When the calf is tired anddesperate, then the real trainingstarts with the mahout teaching thejumbo language with the help ofbamboo sticks hurting the back of theears and shoulders,” says VikramMahato who has been trainingelephants for the past 34 years. “Inthe process, the baby elephant getsangry and tries to throw away therider. Sometimes the trainer getshurt, ends up with broken neck andfractured limbs.”

The trainee elephant is tethered inbetween the two other elephants withthe help of a strong rope while itlearns to respond to the basiccommands of moving forwards,backwards, to the left and right,sitting, standing, stopping andgrabbing. After two weeks theelephant learns to be ridden by thetrainer without the assistance of otherelephants.

Contrary to the traditional painfultraining, three young elephants fromKhorsor received some basic trainingthrough Positive Learning Method,and all three proceeded quickly intheir learning. The young elephantswere Saraswati Kali and KushPrasad, who were habituated tocalmly accept a mahout sitting onthem and to respond correctly to thesignals for forward, backward, stop,turn etc. A younger, as yet unnamedcalf of one year of age was not riddenyet, but was habituated to calmlyaccept handling and to understandthe same signals that will later on be

used when riding.The Elephant Training Workshop

at the Elephant Breeding Centre atKhorsor, Chitwan on 11 to 14December 2007 was carried outunder the guidance of Dr. AndrewMcLean from Australia, who is aninternationally highly recognisedexpert in the science of animaltraining, Tuikku Kaimio from Finland,who also conducted the previousyear’s workshop, and scientist MarcPierard from Belgium led the foreignteam.

The Positive Learning Methodpromotes elephants’ willingness tocooperate with people. It is acombination of two scientific ap-proaches in animal training – positivereinforcement (rewarding theelephant for correct actions) andpressure release (guiding theelephant with as little force aspossible and releasing the pressureimmediately when the elephantperforms the correct action).

“As soon as the elephant performsthe right action, it should be rewardedwith Kuchis – food packages forelephants,” says Dr. Andrew McLean.“The elephant is then sure aboutwhat it performed.”

In this training method, the traineravoids inflicting any pain on theelephant or arousing any fear inthem. Training elephants in this waymakes the training sessions apleasant experience for both thetrainers and the elephant. The otherbenefits are fast learning – in thisway, elephants learn the tasks fasterthan with any other training method –as well as increased reliability andsafety of elephants at work. “El-ephants trained this way will have lessbehaviour problem and will be moreobedient,” says Marc Pierard.

According to Dr. Kamal Gairhe, thetop expert in elephant veterinarymedicine in Nepal, the positivelearning method can not be com-pared with the traditional method oftraining.

He said, “We have the results oftraditional training method at handbut we still need to wait for thepositive learning method’s results andits effectiveness.”

However, Tuikku Kaimio is

confident about the success of thescientific training.

“They (mahouts) have alreadyapplied some of the techniques thatwe taught during last year’s training,”says Tuikku. “If they use theirtraditional methods combined withscientific knowledge, we will be glad,because they are the experts ofelephant training.”

The officers think that the newmethod is more humane than thetraditional training and it will avoid therisks of mahouts being killed byelephants. “When an elephant getsinsane, it searches the mahout whohad treated it badly and torturedduring the training,” says GangaramSingh, Project Manager, Terai ArcLandscape Program. “In the pastthere have been several incidentswhen mad and angry elephant killedthe mahout ruthlessly.”

Next day I attended the workshopon management of health ofelephants. In this workshop,knowledge about handling ofelephants at work in order to furtherpromote reliability and safety ofelephants, about various possibilitiesin the design of equipment, aboutways to promote elephant health, andabout elephants’ role in conservation,was shared. While the participantsdiscussed the issues, I could see agroup of baby elephants busy playingfootball on a ground nearby, guidedby young mahouts.

The elephants seemed to followeach and every command of themahouts and were trying to kick theball past the goal post. I was amazedto see the camaraderie between theelephants and the riders. The sunwas again about to set but the sightlooked like beginning of a new era.People were gathered to see theelephants play and practise for theupcoming elephant football match.They were clapping and at a distanceTuikku looked more than satisfied.

The workshop brought forth a newadvancement in elephant trainingcombining Nepali mahouts’ vastexperience and long tradition inworking with elephants, and theforeign experts’ expertise in thescientific knowledge on best ways topromote learning in animals.

Teach metenderly

In this trainingmethod, the trainer

avoids inflicting anypain on the el-

ephants or arousingany fear in them.

Teach metenderly

Elephant calves vying for the ball

Playful baby elephants

CDO Regd No 93/063/64 Kathmandu, Central Region Postal Regd. No 46/063/64