#491 26 February - 4 March 2010 16 pages Rs 30

Pokhara’s spectacular terrainmakes it the hub for flyingadventures in Nepal, and a bigdraw for Visit Nepal 2011.Ultralights, paragliding, flyingschools: get high in Pokhara.

Another way to flyMark Zimerman recalls thetime he rode a ropeway aboveNepal and lived to tell thetale.

SPORTSAVIATIONin Nepal

p6-8

p12-13

KIRAN PANDAY

ith only 90 days to gobefore the 28 Maydeadline for writing

the constitution, the politicaldeadlock continues.

The Cabinet finally met onThursday to decide on pendingmatters. Ministers decided toappoint Yubaraj Khatiwada as thenew governor of the Rastra Bankand Bhola Chalise to the NationalPlanning Commission. The UMLand NC seem to have divided upthe posts among themselves.Former Secretary at Ministry ofCommerce and Supplies, Chalisewas the head of the committee

that was to provide a shortlist ofcandidates for the governor.

The Constitutional Councilstill can’t decide on the heads ofconstitutional bodies becauseMaoist Chairman Pushpa KamalDahal has been absent frommeetings. Apparently, Dahal hasbeen absent on purpose becausehe wants to appoint his formerschool teacher Ram KumarShrestha as the head of the Officeof the Auditor General.

The CA committee reports

have been submitted, but thereare wide discrepancies among theparties about their content. Anew Reports Study Committee islooking at the points ofcompromise. Since there arefundamental differences aboutissues like state structure andfederalism, the stalemate can’t beended until there is a politicalagreement.

The High Level PoliticalMechanism was designed toprovide that consensus, but thethree parties spend all their time(when they meet) arguing aboutwhether or not the Maoistsshould be in the government.“The real problem is not betweenthe parties but within parties,”explains Maoist CA member HariRoka, “the parties themselveshave to come up with a commonstand.”

Exploiting this disarray,monarchists and the rightwing have become newly assertive.

StandstillW

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #491

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BACK TO THE JUNGLEIronically, the insurgency was good forwildlife since few dared to venture intothe jungles (‘Back to the jungle’,#490).But the post-war security vacuum andrise of criminality has been lethal forNepal’s biodviersity. The tigers cannotbe saved (let alone doubled) unlessNepal is first better governed withaccountable, far-sighted leaders. If wecontinue with the current crooks, it’s notjust the tigers, we’re all doomed.

Johann

CONGRESS CONUNDRUMSI actually agree with Prashant Jha(‘Congress conundrums’, #490) on onepoint. Though I’m not a NC supportermyself, I agree that Nepali democracy

2|

Reading the daily headlines, this current deadlock isinexplicable. Everyone agrees that there should be apolitical consensus, there should be a government ofnational unity, that the political leaders should stopbickering among themselves and within their parties. Infact, going by what they say, there really should be noreason for constitution writing and the peace process tobe stalled.

But, as we all know, the behaviour of the politicalleadership is just the opposite of what they say.Onestumbling block, as we see it, is the inability or theunwillingness on the part of the Maoist party to publiclyrenounce violence and stop the threats to take over thestate in every other speech they make.

We realise it is like telling a leopard to erase itsspots. Maoists wouldn’t be Maoists unless they arecommitted to a violent overthrow of the state and its

replacement by a totalitarian people’s republic. But thesearen’t ordinary Maoists, they won the elections through theballot, and not the bullet. And they had to resign becausethey lost the support of their coalition partners.

It is also clear that the peace process will continue tobe deadlocked unless the Maoists are accommodated intothe government. Finding a power-sharing formulaacceptable to all parties should be the main goal of the HighLevel Political Mechanism. Unfortunately, the mechanismhas a trust deficit, not just among its three main membersbut also between the members within their own parties.

There are many reasons why we need a newaccommodation between the main political parties: to bringthe peace process back on track, and to give that finalpolitical push necessary for the CA members to agree on,at least, the preamble and main thrust of the newconstitution.

In a scenario dominated by politics, we know we arecrying in the wilderness to talk about the economy. Buteven if it is only for economic reasons, this governmentmust be reformatted. The state has no credibility. The

PLAIN SPEAKINGPrashant Jha

Q. Should we have a referendum on themonarchy?

Weekly Internet Poll # 491

Q. Should the Tarai forests support tigers orlandless people?

Total votes: 2,381

Weekly Internet Poll # 492. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

ON THE WEBwww.nepalitimes.com

DISAGREEING TO AGREE economy is on the verge of collapse. The cost of capitalis so high that big projects are not viable anymore.Investors have fled, there is huge capital flight. Even theinvestors who are here are being harassed, as madeevident by the Maoists’ extortion of power projects.Businesses struggle to cope with the daily 12-hourpower cuts. Corruption has never been worse than it isnow.

Along the Tarai, the phrase ‘black money’ has cometo mean the premium you pay for Indian currencybecause it is in such short supply. Traders are hoardingIndian rupees like they hoard sugar or kerosene. Allbecause the Finance Minister made an irresponsiblestatement about rejigging the rupee parity with India.

We need an urgent revamp of the government tosend a positive message to investors and the Nepalipublic that there is a government in place.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

needs a strong NC but also an accountable,non-corrupt, serious and dedicated NC. It isthe only party which actually has the abilityto bring all the other different political partiesand denominations together. It is nocoincidence that when there is a weak NCthe democratic situation in Nepal weakensas well.

Rishav

I’m happy about the work Gagan Thapais doing. He is smart, clever and knows hisstuff. They have rallied around 25 CAmembers, it is good. But I wish the youngleaders would do more. Why can’t they forcemore change internally? But real change isgoing to require more than anti-Maoistrhetoric and warnings of state capture.

Nirmal

LOOKING FOR A HOMEThere are always more orphans thanparents willing to adopt, even if oneincludes international adoption (‘Lookingfor a home’,#490). How would asuspension turn out for the childrencurrently in Nepalese orphanages? Theywill remain there for an indefinite time, andsuffer irreparable psychological damage.International adoptions should becontinued, while in-country adoptions andfoster adoptions develop. That is in thebest interest of the children living in theorphanages. If there were enough Nepalesefoster homes or adoptive parents, thosechildren would not be in orphanages. Anend in international adoptions would be adisaster for the Nepalese orphans.

Justine

he Rana regime was basedon a tiny clan extractingresources from the rest of

the country for shamelesspersonal aggrandizement. Shahrulers centralised corruptionthrough the Panchayat period.The 90s saw the new power eliteruining the public exchequer anddestroying public sectorunits while making a quick buck.

The post 2006 period hasshown how erstwhile Maoistrevolutionaries picked up thegame, be it through use ofministries or their coerciveapparatus to win tenders on theground.

That Ram Chandra Kushwahahas joined this illustriouscompany should not come as asurprise. It was a combination ofthe scale of corruption, the factthat he was so blatant about it,sudden donor hyper-activity andinternal TMDP politics thatended his tenure.

But these public revelationscome at a time when the town isabuzz with rumours about howthe Madhesi ministers are themost corrupt. Rajendra Mahato’spolitics is based on the premisethat national parties have neverprotected Madhesi interests.

A parliamentary committeedecides to ban the export of sand,grit and stone which mostexperts agree will bringecological ruin to theChure and Tarai. He liftsthe ban, presumablyunder pressure or thelure of incentives fromkey lobbies. Thoseworkingin physical works,agriculture, industry,and civil aviation ministries havetheir own stories to tell abouttheir political bosses, all electedfrom Madhesi parties.

These leaders are in theirpresent positions today on theMadhesi identity platform whichpromised change. Their actionsneed to be held to higherstandards. There is no questionof condoning or justifying theseincidents, but why is it takingplace? Politicians misuse

political office and power tomake money. Some do it purelyfor personal benefit, others fortheir larger constituencies or theparty. The anti-corruptionwallahs demand a high level ofpersonal integrity. Those whowink at it point to the enormousdifficulties that a politician hasto undergo to get to a position ofpower, his struggle, his expenses,

the lack of state financing, andthe inadequate salaries. Thisapplies to all netas, and Madhesiare no exceptions.

In fact, they are under evengreater pressure to dispenseprivate patronage to constituents,many of whom have access tostate power for the first timethrough political representatives.At every Madhesi parliamentaryparty office in Singha Durbarthere is a queue of people from

the districts demanding a jobfor their son, help to go abroad,recommendation foragovernment contract, or cashfor their daughter’s wedding.This adds to the pressure onministers, and others, to makemoney if only to distribute apart of it. Once someone is anMP or minister,party workers and voters behave

like he has won alottery.Madhesiministers are anoffshoot of amovement basedon popularresentmentagainst theKathmandu

establishment. As one MJFleader points out, it is rage thatdefines a Madhesi incumbent,not any positive policy content.There is a strong sense ofentitlement without thecorresponding sense ofownership of the state. The lackof commitment to publicresources, or even the deliberatesubversion of institutionalnorms, is merely a reflectionof that.

Many leaders who areimplicated had little to do withthe Madhes movement and areentrenched in the 90s politicalculture. They joined thebandwagon much later for purelyelectoral reasons, be it Kushwahaor Bijay Gachhedar or Sanjay Sahor Mahendra Yadav or MrigendraYadav. Others like KarimaBegum or Kalavati Paswan areproducts of the democratisationof Madhesi society. They wereactive foot-soldiers in theMadhes movement, but theylack any experience of basicstatecraft, working with thebureaucracy, or skills andpatience required in government. Leaders will only curb theirnatural instinct of misusing thestate if there are stronginstitutions which hold themaccountable. Nepal has none,and even the existing ones havegot weaker in the transition.

There is little accountabilityto the PM (a pre-requisite in acabinet system) or to their ownparty bosses once appointed. Andholding public office is seen as alicense to loot the state. Nosurprise then that democracy hasdemocratised corruption?

License to loot

Corruption has gotlittle to do withethnicity or thepolitical system

T

On the blogsnepalitimes.com/blogsMy CityInteresting visual potraitsfrom Kathmandu, andbeyond

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #491 OP-ED|3

never knew how famous mycountry was until I lived inNepal for five months last

year. Everyone, from abespectacled high schoolprincipal to a battle-hardenedMaoist guerrilla, seemed to haveheard of the tiny island stateknown as Singapore. “Goodeconomy, very clean,” they allsaid approvingly. Some wouldeven mention Lee Kuan Yew

(whose party has ruled Singaporefor 50 years and counting).

Friends later told me howturning Nepal into Singapore wasa standard election slogan.Evidently such talk was a hitwith the masses, and it certainlyboosted the fame of a countryonly roughly the size of theKathmandu Valley.

But a good economy and cleanstreets doesn’t quite sum up theSingapore I know. As someoneborn and bred in this tropicalnation, I feel compelled to tellNepalis who want their countrytransformed into mine: be carefulwhat you wish for.

Imagine a bunch ofSingapore’s brightest mindstaking over Nepal from here on.Initially, things look good. Anarmy of municipal workers cleansout rubbish and filth on theroads. A new fine on spitting andlittering is imposed andenforced; many Nepalis get aticket and grumble about it. Butbecause everyone is so happyabout the newly clean streets theyaccept it and move on.

Meanwhile, employment isrising as construction workers are

employed in a massiveinfrastructure upgradingprogramme. Again, there is ageneral sense of optimism as jobsare created and people areworking.

But soon, things start to getstrange. For one, all workerunions are consolidated into onemega union, and this entityseems more interested inpersuading workers to work forlonger hours for the same wagesthan in organising the next strike.For good measure, strikes areoutlawed altogether, anddemonstrations are also banned.

No more taking to the streetswith banners and effigies, no

matter how legitimate yourgrievance is. The armed policeforce is on hand to deal withanyone who thinks this law isflexible. Yes, the men incamouflage blue actually startdoing their job instead ofredirecting traffic to facilitateprotests. After all, Singapore iswhere police with batons andshields arrested four peoplestaging a silent, stationary protestin 2005.

Newspapers thinking this isunfair criticise the Singaporean

managers in editorials andreports. They are slapped withdefamation lawsuits and severalclose down. A few editors areeven arrested on the charge ofinciting hatred against thegovernment. Before you know it,licenses are required to publishnewspapers, with full discretionof issuance with thecommunications ministry.

Of course, even in thisimaginary world, theSingaporeans can’t run the showforever, so Nepali leaders have tostep up to the plate. People sayNepal needs a ‘developmentaldictator’ and (in private, at least)Nepali politicians seem to agree.

GUEST COLUMNChong Zi Liang

Be careful whatyou wish for

I

Gothe

KUNDA DIXIT

Singapore is an economicmiracle built on control, butNepalis wouldn’t want togive up their freedoms

What they don’t seem to realiseis that the first part is infinitelymore important than the second,and that all of them have shownvery little interest in the formerwhile displaying an aptitude forthe latter.

Still, all that is in the past inthe New Singaporean Nepal. Nomore populist talk from now on.Singaporean leaders are justabout the only ones in the worldwho consistently promise highertaxes and still get elected. Nomore petty political squabbleseither, but of course that’s easy ifone party completely dominatesparliament, like the situation inmy country.

Most Nepalis see the shinyskyscrapers, the glitz of a higherstandard of living and thepromise of a better life whenthey think of Singapore. It’sundeniable that I have enjoyedall these as a Singaporean, butbeing a citizen here allows me tosee the other side. No one talksabout the sacrifices – the lack ofcivil rights, freedom of the press,multi-party democracy, to namea few – that went into theSingapore story.

Are Nepalis ready to makesuch sacrifices when it hasbecome second nature to take tothe streets? More importantly,are the politicians ready todiscuss nation building insteadof spending time jockeying forpower? Something tells meeveryone would just spit indisgust at how far-fetched a realSingaporean Nepal would be,with or without the anti-spittingfine.

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #4914|NATION

antipur Group chairperson KailashSirohiya has complained that he’sreceived threats from unidentified

groups over his organisation’s coverage ofthe murder of fellow media entrepreneurJamim Shah. The editor of Kantipur dailySudheer Sharma and The Kathmandu Posteditor Akhilesh Upadhyaya have alsoreceived similar threats through email andtelephone.

Whether they have lodged a formalcomplaint with the police is not yetknown. However, the media has ralliedbehind them. The Nepal Media Society, theBroadcasting Association of Nepal and theAdvertising Association of Nepal decriedthe government’s insensitivity towards thethreats targeting some of the mostprominent members of their fraternity.

But stringers in the countryside,including those associated with theKantipur Group, have learnt to live underconstant threat to their lives fromidentified and non-identified groups alike.Reporters have been mutilated, maimed andmurdered in the line of duty. The practiceof journalism in Kathmandu is somewhatsafer only because what we do here mattersless. That could be the reason threats tomediapersons in the city have set off alarmbells across the profession.

The only time in recent memory thatjournalists in Kathmandu lived under suchthreat was under Chairman Gyanendra’s

FOURTH ESTATEC K Lal

direct rule. Speaking the truth had beendeclared illegal, and several scribes weredirectly intimidated during the royal-military rule. Akhilesh and Sudheer maynot have been in the line of fire then, butKailash must have vivid memories of theagony of being surrounded by vigilantearsonists as the police ignored hisdesperate calls for help.

The threats were very real during suchdifficult times because the media mattered.With the ascendance of the Maoists intothe formal structures of state power, thepress has aligned itself with the forces of

the status quo and lost its nuisance value.Since the declaration of a republic by theConstituent Assembly, the media hasfunctioned more or less as the mouthpieceof the military-mercantilist establishment.

The threats to Kailash and hiscolleagues prove that the media house heheads retains its primacy in the publicmind. Threats are the ultimate back-handedcompliment: people fear coverage badlyenough to issue a warning.

How the Kantipur Group will use itsinfluence for the transformation of theNepali polity and society remains to beseen. But irrespective of Kantipur’s reach,

important issues require the concertedefforts of everyone in the business of news.Sadly, media outlets in Nepal havedifferent priorities and they seldom act inunison even on some of the most pressingor important issues of the day. Too often,news editors refuse to pick up and developstories that rivals have broken.

A recent example will suffice.Nagarik daily recently uncovered evidencethat an unusual volume of money wasleaving the country in the general directionof Hong Kong. In a country where capitalflight has emerged as the most challengingeconomic issue of the day, it would havebeen logical for Kantipur to use itsconsiderable resources to get to the bottomof the story. But apart from a perfunctoryreport, the story was allowed to die.

It is not obligatory that media housessubstantiate or extend each other’sreporting. Sometimes an independentinvestigation may conclude that a storythat has been broken is not quite what it is,and new leads may emerge in the process ofexploring trends. For instance, one of the

brash broadsheets here could easily haveused its Indian links to investigate whetherthe money being invested by Nepalicitizens in the housing market in NewDelhi or the industrial belt of Uttarakhandis actually larger than the reported capitalflight to Bangkok, Hong Kong andSingapore.

Solidarity evolves during difficulttimes and through manning the barricadesfor a common cause. Fraternity can developwith convivial competition between peoplein the same profession. Nepali mediahouses are yet to acquire the confidence toacknowledge each other with respect.

Nepali mediahouses areunited in the faceof adversity, butcan’t quite standeach other

Fractured fraternity

hechen Mahabudha Vihara celebrated itscentennial this week (pictured) in Kathmandu

with a gathering of monks, devotees and pilgrimsfrom all over Nepal.

The respected Buddhist monastery isdedicated to the preservation of HimalayanBuddhist culture and has a total of 350 apprenticemonks, 85 per cent of them from Khumbu, Mugu,Dolpo and Mustang. The monastery includes aphilosophy college, which is training teachers forthe future University of Lumbini that thegovernment is planning to set up.

The monastery also runs an art school and anarchive with a collection of over 15,000 documentson Himalayan Buddhist art. Shechen Publications

have reprinted over 300 volumes of Buddhistscriptures over the last 30 years. The ShechenClinic treats 50,000 patients every year from allparts of Nepal, most of them for free.

The monastery was founded by Dilgo KhyentseRinpoche (1910-1991) who was a luminary ofBuddhism, respected throughout the world for histeachings. The centennial celebration was agathering to honour the great master who has putHimalayan culture and Nepal on the internationalBuddhist pilgrimage map.

The monastery says it is a non-politicalinstitution, devoted solely to the preservation ofculture and preaches non-violence andcompassion.

Shechen Monastery centennial

TOM KELLY

THIS WEEK

K

KIRAN PANDAY

One weapon, one combatantThe government unveiled a strategyon Monday to integrate as manyMaoist combatants into the army asthere are arms in the Maoist arsenal.Minister for Peace andReconstruction, Rakam Chemjong,said 3,400 Maoist combatants wouldbe integrated into the security forcesunder the new plan, which is also thenumber of weapons verified by theUNMIN. Maoist leader Deb Gurungrejected the proposal saying: “Thesize of the army has not yet beendecided. This is a technical matter.But we will not accept onecombatant, one weapon policy at anycost. That is against the peaceagreement.”

Earlier in the week, thegovernment had decided to halt themonthly allowance to Maoistcombatants temporarily.

Arms controversyMaoist cadre captured two ArmedPolice Force (APF) trucks ferryingarms to the capital last Friday.Security forces managed to releasethe trucks after six hours, and onlyafter a large number of police werebrought in from the APF’s trainingschools to secure the trucks.According to the Home Ministry thetrucks were carrying explosives,bullets and training logistics for theAPF. The Maoists said the armsimport from India breached theComprehensive Peace Agreement.The agreement stipulates that bothsides shall not recruit additionalarmed forces or conduct militaryactivities, including transportingweapons, ammunitions andexplosives, but adds that NepalPolice and APF have the authority tocontinue routine duties.

Minister sacked for corruptionEducation Minister Ram ChandraKuswaha was sacked onWednesday and replaced bySarbendra Nath Shukla after theformer was accused of selling reliefteachers’ vacancies for up to Rs300,000. Tarai-Madesh LoktantrikParty recalled the minister afterinternational donors threatened toscrap a $ 120 million educationprogram. It is unclear what kind ofaction will be taken against theformer minister. A new reportpublished by Global Integrity, aninternational corruption trackingorganisation, says Nepal anti-corruption agencies lack clearjurisdiction. “There are so manyinstances that even theconstitutional anti-graft body likeCIAA and even court decisions areinfluenced by powerful politicians inNepal. The CIAA decisions havebeen declared invalid by the court sothe CIAA has been losing casebattles,” the report published onTuesday says.

S

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #491 BUSINESS|5

ECONOMIC SENSEArtha Beed

n the Monday after thevalley came to astandstill due to yet

another banda from a party thatseems to have become irrelevant inthe new political equation, a dearfriend of the Beed remarked:“This may tempt the ex-king tomake demands of his own andcall a Banda.” On the same day,investors closed the stockexchange for two days andpushed the government intoloosening up a bit on marginlending against stocks. So ifNepal is to liberalise, it ought totell foreign investors in fineprint: there is a risk of businessclosures during abrupt holidayscalled for lunar, solar, ethnic andpolitical eclipses, and the stockexchange can also be closed byanyone who makes his way ontoNEPSE premises.

For everyone, closure hasbecome the ultimate tool to use toget authorities to listen. And, itseems, authorities only indulgethe habit by waiting until closuresto act. Therefore, the Nepal RastraBank (NRB) will wait until all thepeople who have invested in realestate come and gherao it before itreviews its earlier decision on realestate lending.

The margin lending againstshares is a classic way in whichgovernment just does somethingweird and never follows up. First

of all they had a policy that peoplecould borrow against shares freelywith no restrictions. So everyonestarted pledging certificates andthen getting money. That pushedthe stock market. Then theydecided, this should stop and putin a strange rule that one couldonly borrow 50 per cent againststocks valued based on 180 daypricing and which cannot be

renewed beyond a year. So it didnot matter whether you had stockof blue chip companies or fly-by-night operators, the rule was thesame. The quality of assets did notmatter, only the value did. Thenthe NRB decided not to payattention to revising this byinstituting a system of valuationor ratings to ensure that peoplewith better stocks could borrowmore for longer periods and peoplewith bad stocks could not borrowa rupee. After three years, whentheir patience wore out, theinvestors started to stop tradingand suddenly NRB decides to take

From Shivaratri to stock markets

The businessof banda

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ADBL to issue IPOAgricultural Development Bank Limited (ADBL) will issue Rs 960million worth of ordinary shares beginning 14 April. CEO of AceDevelopment Bank Siddhant Raj Pandey said collection centreshave been established in 150 places and employees have beentrained about Initial Public Offerings (IPO).

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RamroMotorsNepal’s first multibrand automobile showroom, Ramro Motors isto open in Sano Gaucharan, Gyaneshor. The only one of its kind,it will showcase cars of brands such as Mazda and Peroduaunder the same roof, and provide services regarding thepurchase and sale of new and used cars.The showroom also hasan exchange offer.

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FasTracKidsFasTracKids, a global educational franchise for children of agesbetween six months and 8 years, wil begin operations in Nepalfrom March this year. The institution is well-known for its moderninfrastructure and child-focused teaching style. It will be locatedin Lazimpat and franchised by Imperial World School (IWS), theinstituituon is well known for its modern infrastructure and child-centered teaching styles.

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Auto WorksMorang Auto Works, the authorized dealer of JCB India in Nepal,inaugurated its office in Itahari this month. The company offers awide network of After Sales Service and Spares, and since itsestablishment in 2002, has sold nearly 500 machines in Nepal.Within the next two months JCB plans to open branches inPokhara and Dhangadhi.

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Prudent investNMB Bank and National Life Insurance Company signed anagreement prior to the launch of their new product NMB BankPrudent Invest. This investment plan starts with a deposit of Rs100,000 and aims to help common people gain access toaffordable life insurance.

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Chevrolet Concert SeriesVijay Motors Pvt. Ltd. And Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory will puton the first Chevrolet Concert Series 2010 this Saturday at5:30pm in Jhamsikhel. The program is free and open to thepublic. The concert is part of series that will be held during thelast weekend of every month.

a decision.There are many policies that

have not been reviewed for thepast couple of years. Everyonelives for the present and politicalparties are more interested in theshort run in selling governmentpositions than doing somethinggood for the people. The fact thatwe have a weak finance ministerright now does not help. As

someone who has been on manymissions to Nepal told me, “Thisfinance minister is probably theworst we’ve had since 1950.” Thefinance ministry did betterduring the king’s direct rule.

The business of closure thatwas just introduced in Nepal after1990 has taken deep roots in oursociety and culture, and hasgrown into something very ugly.How do we end this? Perhaps weshould begin by preventing kidsfrom causing obstructions duringShivaratri. That way, we’d catch‘em young.www.arthabeed.com

O

KIRAN PANDAY

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #4916|TOURISM

he valleys below theAnnapurnas in central Nepalis one of the most

spectacular places on earth, andflying among these mountains addsa new dimension to the scenery.Pokhara’s Avia Club overcameenormous bureaucratic hurdles toget airborne, and today it is the onlyplace in Asia where tourists can getan aerial sightseeing tour inultralights.

As the story goes, a Russiantourist brought an ultralight toNepal in 1995, seeking to fly it inPokhara. He met Natasha Shrestha,a Russian married to a Nepaliengineer and within two years Aviahad obtained a license from theCivil Aviation Authority of Nepal.Today, no tourism brochure orpromotional film in Nepal iscomplete without an iconicphotograph of a colourful ultralightsoaring on plastic wings amidst therock and ice face of Machhapuchhre.

Avia has clocked more than13,000 fault-free flights in the past13 years. In the company office inPokhara there are positivetestimonials hand-written byAvia’s international customers inmany languages.

Natasha’s son Stephen Shresthawas also bitten by the flying bug,got a private pilot’s license fromthe U.S. and now helps run Avia.“I have flown in many differentparts of the world in variousaircraft, but nothing can beat theview from an open cockpit of anultralight on bright clear morningsflying past Annapurna,” saysStephen, as he briefs a passengerbefore taking off.

Avia now has a fleet of sixaircraft which operate out of ahangar at Pokhara airport. The AviaClub Nepal Flight Training Schoolwas formed in 2007 and serves as atraining facility for young pilots onultralights and its Aeroprakt fixedwing plane.

Despites hurdles and obstaclesalong the way that has preventedAvia from, for instance, startingamphibious ultralight flights fromPhewa lake the company hasbeen instrumental in brandingNepal as an adventure destination,and putting Pokhara onthe international adventuresports map.

Avia Club has also beeninvolved in Pokhara’s othertourism efforts like cleaning up ofPhewa lake. For Stephen, beyondthe beauty of the natural landscapeand passion for flying, it was thepeople and culture that eventuallyserved as pull factors for returningto his homeland. He also wantedto give back to Nepal what Nepalgave to him.

“In Pokhara, the people arealways smiling, representing theopen and helpful nature ofNepalis,” says Stephen after Aviawas selected as Nepali TimesCompany of the Month for February2010.

Stephen has set two goals forthe future. First is to developPhewa lake as an income-generatingresource for the local people. Thisis done by creating a sustainablebusiness model with an emphasison preserving the natural beauty ofPokhara. Secondly, Stephen wantsto promote sports aviation andtourism by introducing newactivities and providing qualityservice. He hopes this will alsocreate more income opportunitiesfor the locals, and generate greaterrecognition for Nepal as a touristhaven.

Visit aviaclubnepal.com for moreinformation.

Avia Clubputs Nepalon thesportsaviation map

AHMAD ISKANDARin POKHARA

Feeling high

T

AHMAD ISKANDAR

Subidha Sewa

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MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #491LIFE TIMES 7

t might not have rained over the pastweek, but mini rainbows werecolouring the skies over in Pokhara.

However, the strange celestial sight didnot invoke surprise among the locals. Anannual occurrence for the past ten years,it was a sign that the 11th Open ParaglidingCompetition was in season yet again.

Paraghliders with their multi-huedwings soared and swooped to claim thetop spots and prizes. The three-day event,organized by Trekking AgenciesAssociation of Nepal Western RegionalChapter (TAAN), ended on Saturday.

Two feetfirmly not onthe ground

Another popular name was NarayanParajuli (pictured), Nepal’s second pilotand owner of Blue Sky Paragliding.Although he did not participate in any ofthe competitive categories, Parajuli stolethe show with his comical theatrics bywearing a yeti suit while paragliding. Hisantics brought laughter and cheers fromthose watching from the Khapaudi landingspot. “I just wanted to make the childrenhappy and make the event moreinteresting,” Parajuli explained.

Pokhara’s annualparaglidingcompetitionbringsenthusiasts fromNepal and acrossthe world

Some spectators sat quietly, observingwith their necks strained from lookingup while eating their snacks. Othershappily gave chase to the landingparagliders one after the other. Over atone side, a rock band was doingnumerous covers, blasting the normallyquiet fields with loud music.

However, this year, the locals havemuch more to celebrate. For once, Nepalinames dominated the rankings in thevarious categories (see box). The mostpopular of these names is Rajesh Bomjan,Nepal’s rising paragliding celebrity.

I

PICS: AHMAD ISKANDAR

AVIATION SPORTS

SPECIAL

Read More p8

8|LIFE TIMES

Pokhara’s paragliding scenehas been picking up over theyears, and Nepali paraglidersare now competing with thebest in the world. In the firstparagliding competition 11years ago, Rajesh Bomjan wasthe only Nepali, this year therewere 42, and the numbers arestill rising.

“The new generation ismore interested and has a lovefor adventure,” says SomBahadur Thapa of the TrekkingAgencies' Association of Nepaland coordinator of thecompetition. Sarangkot hasalso been widely mentioned asone of the best locations in the

Rising Nepal

Overall Category1st ñ Jaime Messenger (UK)2nd ñ Aja Kumar Sharma (IND)3rd ñ Claudia Mota (CAN)

DHV1/2 Category1st ñ Eva Wisniserka (GER)2nd ñ Sachin Bomjan (NEPAL)3rd ñ Rabin Gurung (NEPAL)

Overall (Nepal) Category1st ñ Rajesh Bomjan (NEPAL)2nd ñ Sanobabu Sunuwar (NEPAL)3rd ñ Bimal Adhikari (NEPAL)

And the winners were...AHMAD ISKANDAR

GROUNDED: An internationalcompetitor takes off fromSarangkot, Pokhara, as a localpilot looks on. The competitionwas held from 18-20 February2010.

Best Acrobatic Category1st ñ Damodar Prajuli (NEPAL)

Best Spot Landing Category1st ñ Moon Seov Lim (KOREA)

Best Landing CategoryBrinad Bomjan (NEPAL)

Best Costune CategoryNarayan Parajuli (NEPAL)

world for the sport, making ita very attractive option.

Alas, it is not all goodnews. Despite being able tomatch up well withinternational competitors,none of the Nepalis are legallyeligible to participate incompetitions overseas becausethe Civil Aviation Authorityof Nepal does not have aprovision for flying licenseswhich is required byFédération AéronautiqueInternationale, theinternational governing bodyfor gliding sports. At present,only three Nepalis haveinternational licenses.

Another issue raised was thelack of funding and advertising.Lacking in sponsorship, moneyfor the event was, for a largepart, raised by the paraglidingcompanies and localbusinesses. Hopefully, nextyear’s competition, coincidingwith Visit Nepal Year 2011,will be a bigger hit with Nepalifliers flying even higher.

Sanobabu Sunuwar (left) andDamodar Prajuli (right) were amongthe many Nepalis who won.

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #491|9

Paleti with Meera Rana, Friday,26 February at nepa~laya, Kalikasthan,4412169

JSC Jazz Quartet, every Saturday 8pmon at Upstairs Jazz Bar, Lazimpat,9803160719

Chillout Lounge with DJ Miriam, everyFriday at the Bourbon Room, Lal DurbarMarg, 4441703

Saturday African Nite, with African food andmusic from 8pm at Jazzabell Café,Jhamsikhel, 2114075

Robin and the NewRevolution, everyTuesday 7pm at theBamboo Club, Thamel,4701547

Live band every Fridayand rooftop bbq everydayat Kausi Kitchen, DarbarMarg, 4227288

Some like it hot, livemusic by Dinesh Rai andthe Sound Minds everyFriday 7pm at Fusion,Dwarika’s Hotel, 4479488

MUSIC

Happy cocktail hour, ladies night onWednesday with live unplugged music atJatra Café & Bar, Thamel, 5-7pm

Rudra Night live fusion music by ShyamNepali every Friday, 7pm at Gokarna ForestResort, 4451212

Jazz evening at Delices de Francerestaurant every Wednesday, 11am-2pm,4260326

HyJazz at the Rox Bar every Fridayevening and Sunday Jazz Brunch at TheTerrace with live music from Inner Groove,Hyatt Regency, Boudha, 4489362

Basement Jam, live music every Friday atBourbon Room, Lal Darbar Marg, 4441703

Live music with Anil Shahi every Fridaywith special BBQ at Royal Alina’s Café &Pub, Lazimpat, 417506

Nepali Ghajals at D’Lounge Beijing DuckRestaurant, every Thursday 6.30pm,4468589

he Australian Film Roadshow played at the Russian Culture Centre inKamalpokhari from 19-23 February. Six short films and eight feature films werescreened over the five days, among them the internationally-acclaimed Rabbit

Proof Fence, Chopper and Love Seranade, which also proved to be audiencefavourites.

Organised by theAustralian Embassy and inits eighth year, theroadshow was also held tocelebrate 50 years ofdiplomatic ties betweenAustralia and Nepal.

Rajesh Gongaju, directorof the event, said that suchfilm festivals broadened theexposure of Nepali audienceto international cinema,which has so far beenlimited to formulaicproductions from the twinbehemoths of Hollywoodand Bollywood.

“This film festival is atreat for Nepalis. I also hopethat this will inspire localfilmmakers to develop astronger sensibility forchoosing subjects, as thereare so many different storiesto be told” said Gongaju. Heexplained that the filmswere chosen for audienceappeal as well as aestheticvalues.

With genres that ran the gamut from crime and comedy to drama and romance, theroadshow catered to differing tastes.

The roadshow concluded with the splendid Love Serenade, a movie set in small-town Sunray that entertained as much as it caused the audience to squirm in theirseats in awkward laughter. In this darkly comedic twist of 'fatal attraction', sistersDimity and Vicky-Ann fall for, fight over and eventually disposed of Ken Sherry, aradio personality, new to town and looking to spread his message of free love.Foo Chee Chang

RoadshowT

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #49110|HAPPENINGS

KIRAN PANDAY

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

FIESTA: Newari women make lentil pancakes for a food festival inKirtipur on Sunday.

KIRAN PANDAY

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

KIRAN PANDAY

WEEKEND WEATHERby NGAMINDRA DAHAL

KATHMANDU

FRI SAT S U N

26-5 26-4 24-7

Most parts of the country except forthe eastern region have alreadyreceived their quota of rainfall thismonth. The valley has received 22mm, 5 mm more than its monthlyquota. Satell i te pictures fromThursday shows scarce cloud coveracross the Himalayan region. Thismeans we can expect sunny daysand clear nights ahead. Watch out forsmog during the afternoon.

MYSTIC TUNES: Supporters of RPP-Nepal picketed in front of SinghaDarbar on Tuesday, demanding a referendum on federalism,republicanism and secularism.

VIRTUOSO: Renowned musician Madan Gopal Singh performs at PatanMuseum on Tuesday after journalist Kanak Mani Dixit was presentedPrince Claus Award for outstanding contribution to public debate.

ON THE SLY: Poachers transport stolen firewood from protected forest inKalaiya on Sunday.

BLAZING TRAILS: Veteran marathoners participated in a peace torchrally on Wednesday to mark Nepal Tourism Year 2011. The torch wasbrought all the way from Lumbini.

Tiger Tops: Special Re-openingOffer, Enjoy safari, nature walks,bullock cart rides. Experience therich Tharu culture. 3 Nights/4Days US$534 per person. Offervalid until 28th February, 4361500

Holi Boat, all-day rafting and Holiexperience on the Trishuli River,Rs 3000 package includestransfers to and from Kathmandu,breakfast, rafting + equipment,lunch, BBQ in Riverside SpringsResort, beach volleyball and poolparty, 28 February, contact YetiTravels, 4221234

Chiso Chiso Hawa Ma SpecialPackage, Club Himalaya,Nagarkot, 4410432, locals andexpats

Godavari Village Resort, 5560675,5560775, special packages forlocals and expats

Shangri-La Village ResortPokhara, Kids Break Package -couple with two children below12 years sharing parents roomcomplimentary, 4435741

Mirabel Resort, special packagerates for locals and expats,Dhulikhel, 490972

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge,food, yoga, massage, meditation,walks, pool and more. 4361500

NexGEN Adventure Programme,rock climbing, daily departure,016914541, 9841283385,

Experience the Gyakok (hotpotwith T-momos, meats and more)for lunch and dinner at theShambala Garden Café, HotelShangri-La, 4412999 or at RoyalSaino Restaurant & Bar, DarbarMarg, 4230890

Boudha Stupa Restaurant andCafé, for wood-fired pizza andfree wi-fi Internet, 012130681

Famous stews of the world,enjoy famous stews of the worldat Rox Restaurant, Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday, 6pmonwards, Hyatt Regency,4491234

Strawberry High Tea, 4.30-6.30pm,The Lounge, HyattRegency, 4491234/4489362

Arabian Nights for MiddleEastern specialities everyFriday, 6.30pm at The Café,Hyatt Regency, 4491234

Chez Caroline for French andMediterranean cuisine, BabarMahal Revisited, 4263070

Live continental BBQ Fiesta,exclusive BBQ Dinner at SplashBar & Grill, Radisson Hotel,from 6.30-10.30pm everyday

The Corner Bar, 5-7pm, 3-11pm,Radisson Hotel Kathmandu,4411818

DINING GETAWAYS

Lavazza Coffee and Baskin n’Robbins, at Blue Note CoffeeShop, Lazimpat, 4491234

A cafe’s café, Dhokaima Café,Patan Dhoka, 5522113

Jazzabell Café, TGIF, 10%discount all day, happy hour6-8pm, Jhamsikhel, 2114075

Al Fresco, for homemade pasta,steak and freshwater trout, Kakori,for biryanis, curries and kebabs,7-10.45pm, Soaltee Crown Plaza,4273999

Teppanyaki meat items and garlicrice at Le Restaurant, Gairidhara,4436318

Reality Bites, The Kaiser Café,Garden of Dreams, operated byDwarika’s Group of Hotels, 9am-10pm, 4425341

Starry night barbecue at HotelShangri-La with live performanceby Ciney Gurung, Rs 999, at theShambala Garden every Friday7pm

Plat Du Jour at Hotel Shangri-La,Lazimpat, Rs 600, 4412999

Himalayan Rainbow Trout at HotelYak and Yeti, Darbar Marg,4248999

Tiger for Breakfast, breakfasteveryday at 1905, Kantipath,4215068

Gokarna Forest Resort for avariety of sizzlers at Tripti bar,44512126

Mexican Sojourn, mexican dishesand tequilas every Friday 7pm,Hotel Himalaya, Kupondole,5523900

Pipalbot, lunch and dinner, BaberMahal Revisited, 4267657 or9721331390

A Print Maker’s Feelings,exhibition of prints by SaurgangaDarshandari at KathmanduContemporary Art Centre,Jhamsikhel, 5521120,www.kathmanduarts.org

Literally Figurative, aninternational art exhibition,drawings by Kapil Mani Dixit andstudents of North Lake College onnudity, 26 February, Imago DeiGallery, Nagpokhari, 4442464

Cultural Studies Group NepalMonthly Lecture Series, Friday,February 26th at the Shanker Hotelat 10 AM. Kunda Dixit presents themaking of the A People War trilogy.

Himalayan Buddhist MeditationCentre, Tai Chi 10-11.30am

EVENTS

Saturday, Yoga 8.30-9.30am andmeditation 5-6pm weekdays,Keshar Mahal Marg, Thamel,4410402

People After War, permanentphoto exhibition, every day 11am-4pm, Madan Puraskar, PatanDhoka, for bulk school bookingscall 5521393

Tasafu-Kathmandu Scrolls,Alliance Francaise presents anexhibition of paintings by JulienSole, 26 Feb-19 March, SiddarthaGallery

Watch football live on bigprojected screen every Saturdayand Sunday at Bottles ‘n’Chimney, Thamel, 2123125,Blues with Nekhvam everyMonday 1900

Cooking class with lunch, Frenchcuisine first Saturday of eachmonth, 9 to 2 at Delices deFrance Restaurant, 4260326,info@restaurant-nepal.com

Movie night every Monday night2000hrs on at Comfort Zone Bar& Grill, Thamel, 4700080

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #491 NATION|11

KALAMRabi Thapa

It was an ordinary day in an outercity Kathmandu neighbourhood.I’d paused by the side of a steep,gravelly incline when the rattle ofa motorbike alerted me to a youthstraining up behind me, too closefor comfort. He swerved andpassed me, two children hangingonto the back seat, but themachine couldn’t make the grade,and he slid backwards andtoppled over in slow motion.

Any other day this might havebeen quite amusing. But westarted arguing.

'Why didn’t you give way?’‘Why didn’t you use your

horn? Why didn’t you pass meon the right?’

‘Don’t you see you were in theway? How could I pass you?’

It was true, I was standing onthe smoother, more navigable partof the road. But I certainly wasn’tgoing to concede the point tosomeone half my age who wasnow swearing at me, demanding Iapologise or he’d ‘fix me’.

I should have taken him athis word when he flicked out hisphone, ranting all the while. As a

passing local tried to mollifyhim, I slowly walked away. It wastoo late. Once more, I heard thebike roar up behind me, andbefore I knew it, two of hisfriends had joined him and beganto kick and punch me. Luckily, afew more locals managed to pullme away and push me up the

slope, away from the ragingyouths.

It was a shock. Never mind myown anger. What struck me washow easily violence came to thesekids, and how easily one could becaught up in it.

Perhaps I shouldn’t havebeen. God knows I’ve seen and

heard of enough senseless,unnecessary violence in thiscountry, from drunken scufflesamong friends to the burning ofbuses involved in accidents, toyes, the civil conflict that claimedthe lives of 13,000 Nepalis.

But the incident did make mewonder – do Nepalis have aninstinct for violence (cultivatedassiduously through the mythicfigure of the mercenary Gurkha)that is beginning to override theequally mythic, peace-loving,ever-smiling Nepali? The late kingBirendra, of course, bore the bruntof this impossible contradiction –he pushed for the declaration ofNepal as a Zone of Peace, only toperish in a hail of gunfire in hisown home, at the hands of hisown son.

There is a general sense thatcriminality and violence is on therise in Nepal. Some would lay theblame at the feet of a state unableto provide security and detercrime in a society still plagued bypoverty. But could it reflect afundamental change in the Nepalicharacter, if it is at all possible togeneralise? Is it true that if we arenot necessarily more likely tomurder than we were two decadesago, we are at least much morelikely to ‘fix’ each other at thedrop of a hat?

If this is indeed the case, ifNepalis have become more violentas a society, it is not so difficultto attribute causes.

The conflict is the 800-poundgorilla in the room. A wholegeneration of Nepali youth has

The Nepali character is caughtbetween warrior-like Gurkhaand smiling peacenik

Fist-happy grown up thinking violence is anacceptable means to whatever end,thanks to the example andencouragement of elder statesmenacross the political spectrum.

Migration, too, hasprecipitated a breakdown intraditional notions of family andcommunity, and urbanisationbrings many more strangers intouncomfortable proximity. You’refar more likely to punch a strangerwho grazes your car in midtowntraffic than your uncle indowntown Raigaun whose cyclehas just knocked into your cow.

Certainly we’re misguided ifwe imagine foreigners think weare all happy-go-lucky smilerswelcoming them to theirbeautiful land. Every single timeI’ve had a visitor from abroad,some stupid Nepali has contrivedto destroy that illusion – the taxidrivers who refused to let ourhired Russian jeep pass from NayaPul to Pokhara because it was‘their route’; the guides inBhaktapur who called me a ‘hero’because I told them none of myfriends needed their services; andlast week, a Thai friend had tointervene to stop a fight betweenchildren wielding rocks.

There used to be a time whenwe studied etiquette in school. Inthe gnarly, uncouth polity inwhich Nepalis are barelymanaging to co-exist at present,such a conceit seems laughable.But perhaps it’s time we took agood, long, hard look at ourselves,and consider if our ready anger isreally worth the consequences.

KIRAN PANDAY

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #49112|NATION

uring the years I worked inPatan Hospital, on my off-days I used to hike in the

hills southwest of the valley. Ialways appreciated escaping thenoise and dirt of Kathmandu, butone day in November 1995 stoodout above all the rest.

I rode the bus out to Thankotand began walking up in the foresttowards Chandragiri. After morethan an hour of steady climbing, Icrested the hill and looked acrosstowards the village of Chitlang inthe distance. This was the oldwalking route from India, on whichdecades before crews of 40 or 50porters would carry automobilesinto the isolated KathmanduValley. The air was fresh and sweetas I turned east and headed along

More conversation transpired, itseemed to be proceeding in apositive direction.

Then another man showed up.He assessed the situation and saidto me, “These cars are old anddangerous. They sometimes fall offthe cable.” The balance wasbeginning to tip against me (asperhaps it should have), but thevision had already captivated me. Iasked more about the actual risk andcontinued to urge them on. The newman finally said, “Better send himup to meet the boss.”

One of the operators led methrough the station and up the hillto a small concrete shed. Inside wefound a man sleeping on a barewooden bed, a burlap bag filledwith plastic bottles for his pillow.

MARK ZIMMERMAN

The dimly-lit room smelled ofalcohol. “The boss” sat upunsteadily and regarded me. He wasa thin man of about 30.

“I want to ride the Ropewaydown to Hetauda.”

“Impossible. It’s for goods, notpeople. Cars sometimes fall off.”

“How often does a car actuallyfall off?”

“Maybe about once every 2 or 3months.”

Getting more information aboutthe daily number of cars, Icalculated the random risk to be nomore than 1 in 4,000 trips. To methese odds seemed unlikely enough,but the boss appeared to beunmoved. I walked outside and saton the steps, reason did not overtakeme, so I waited. About an hourpassed. It was noon.

Finally, I suggested that I signa sheet of paper in Nepali, ‘I takefull responsibility for anything thatmay happen to me while on theropeway.’ It did the trick. The bosssaid: “OK. You can ride theropeway. I’ll go too.” As the bossspoke to the operators, a crowd ofabout a hundred village peopleformed on an overlooking knoll.Cars came through moving in bothdirections, some loaded with sacks,

the ridge trail, alternately catchingglimpses of villages to my right, thecrowded valley to my left, and theHimalaya beyond.

Another two hours on, there itstood below me: The Ropeway.Constructed in the 1980s, this cablecar system carried goods back andforth over the 95 km betweenKalimati and Hetauda. I watchedthe cars come rhythmically throughthe station and then float off intothe air over the fields and villagesof Makwanpur. I’d walked past theplace before, but on this particularday it was an arresting sight and anidea took hold. What’s stoppingsomeone from just jumping on a carand riding it down to the Tarai?

I walked slowly down the hilltowards the power station, plotting

the moves that would be required,but before I could act a man cameout from the station and greetedme. Soon he was joined by hiscolleague. These two older menwere both friendly, but now myplan of simply hopping a car,freight train style, seemedimpossible. They saw my cameraand asked me to photograph themwhile they sat at the controls ofthe station, then urged me to sitand have my photograph taken.

“I want to go to Hetauda on oneof these cars,” I said.

Puzzled at first, they then beganto give serious consideration to mydemand. One of them picked uphis phone and said, “There’s aforeign sahib over here. We’re goingto be sending him along to you.”

“How often does a car actually fall off?”“Maybe about once every 2 or 3 months.”

D

DARE DEVIL: Mark Zimmerman(above) recalls how he was once astowaway on Nepal's now-defunctcargo cable car from Kathmanduto Hetauda and lived to tell thetale. Photo from the carriage witslegs dangling above ChitlangValley (left).

he engineering marvel that was theHetauda-Kathmandu ropeway has rusted

and died, but smallerropeway systems acrossthe country are helping people overcomeNepal’s difficult terrain.

Practical Action Nepal is working withcommunities across the country to build gravityropeways. The design beats gravity with asimple law of physics: two linked trolleys runon steel wires suspended from towers. As thetrolley packed with vegetables comes downpulled by its load, it pulls the empty one up byits weight, ready for the next load.

Gravity ropeway was first used in Mustangsix years ago to make apple transportationfaster and cheaper for the locals. Since then ithas made its way to four other locations,Gorkha, Tanahun, Kalikot and Achham,connecting upland villages to the highways onthe valley floor.

“We apply technology as a means forpoverty alleviation,” says Practical Action’sAchyut Luitel.

An example is the Fishling-Bhumichowkgravity ropeway in Gorkha which cuts thetransportation time from five hours to threeminutes. It has increased farmers’ incomeand in less than a year every householdusing the ropeway has earned more than Rs50,000 from vegetable sales.

A gravity ropeway extending about 1.5km costs Rs150,000, far cheaper thanbuilding a road that costs twice as muchper km. Ropeways are also moreenvironmental-friendly and even work in therainy season.

Practical Action has plans to build sixmore gravity ropeways and the Ministry ofLocal Development may soon be introducingthe technology to ten other districts.

Learning the ropes

Flying in a ropeway over

MARK ZIMMERMAN

PRACTICAL ACTION

T

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #491 NATION|13

some empty. The operatorsstopped 3 or 4 empty cars in turn,rejecting each as being “not good”.Finally they stopped a car thatpassed everyone’s muster. Theboss motioned for me to go firstand we climbed on.

Ropeway cars were palettesabout 2.5 by 3 m, with a floor ofwooden planks separated by 10 cmgaps. In the front and back wereretaining bars. A steel arm withrollers at the top curved up over asupporting cable, and a secondcable that was connected to thepower stations pulled the caralong. Rather than hugging thecontour of the hills, the cablesextended horizontally, with onlya slight bow, towards the nextmountain peak. The boss and I satside-by-side facing forward andholding firmly onto the front bar.

Within moments, we wereairborne. A cheer rose from thecrowd behind us and quicklyfaded into the distance. Myeuphoria gave way to fear. I lookedover at the boss, who seemed asuncertain as I felt. We began tomake continuous small talk tocalm ourselves. His name wasKrishna. We were 60m, 80m andclimbing above fields and houses,moving in complete silence acrossthe sky. I suggested we say a shortprayer together, to which Krishnaagreed.

“How many times have youridden this, Krishna?”

“This is my first time. Peopledon’t usually ride it.”

“Does it ever get stuck?”“Sometimes, but not always.”My nerves began to steady as

we finally approached the firstmountain, a cut in the trees wheretwo towers stood. We glided in,briefly smelled the pines, and thenlaunched off into the spacebeyond.

This needs to be documented,I thought. I pulled my camera outand took photos of the landpassing below. I felt deeply in lovewith this country, a place where it

UTL

was possible to just take off andride over the hills.

About half way out from thatfirst mountaintop, the car jarred,wobbled slightly in the air, andfinally settled. I surveyed the linesof cars behind and in front, all ofus now hanging motionless.

“How long will this take?”“It’s hard to say.”I took stock of my provisions:

half a bottle of water, one sandwichand two tangerines. I looked at mywatch. What if this takes days?Feigning nonchalance, I offeredKrishna a tangerine. We spat theseeds into the air and watched themfloat down beyond our sight. Whilesitting still, we seemed higher inthe sky, more vulnerable. Theminutes expanded.

Then our car lurched forwardand we were flying again.

We crossed four or five moremountains. Each passing wassublime. Kids ran up and gave‘Namastes’. A chowkidar by thetower waved. We took in the greenand brown details of earth, a villagehouse or two, and then glidedaway.

After about 45 minutes, theforests and yellow mustard fieldswere interrupted by a wide swathof shimmering blue. “Kulekhani,”Krishna said, “there’s a powerstation here. The car will stop.”

I’d already been consideringhow, if I rode this all the way toHetauda, I was going to be able tomake it back to work the next day.“I think I’m going to get off here,” Isaid. “So will I,” said Krishna.

Our car stopped inside thepower station where Krishnaexchanged greetings with theoperator. Firm earth under our feet,we walked out into the afternoonsunlight. I thanked Krishna andgave him a small tip, then tookdirections for my hike back toKathmandu. Before heading home,I turned for one last look and stoodfor a moment to watch the cablecars glide off into the quietmountains.

The nearly 31km long Dhorsing-Matatirtha ropeway was an impressivepiece of engineering for its time, built in the 1930s. But even that wasthe second ropeway in Nepal. The first in 1924 was the 4km Halchowkto Lainchaur ropeway bringing stones from a quarry to feed the Rana’spalace-building spree.

The American-built 42.3km Nepal Ropeway from Hetauda toKathmandu served Kathmandu’s needs well until it fell victim tocorruption and bad management. It did work one last time in 1994when monsoon landslides marooned Kathmandu for a month. Despitethe potential, no major cargo cable system has been built in Nepal.The private Manakamana Cable Car is the only successful model forpassenger ropeways.

Nepal

Cable car history

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #49114|FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

"Don't worry, I am with you."

Abin Shrestha in Kantipur, 24 February

Ghatana Ra Bichar, 17 February

Kshetris have united for cultural unityand national integrity. At a rally on 11February they shouted slogans againstethnic federalism. A gathering at KhulaManch was addressed by the president ofKshetri Samaj, Dil Bahadur Kshetri. Thefollowing is a transcript of the speech byVice President Kumar Bahadur Thapa:

First of all, I would like to remember ourbrave ancestors who toiled and shed blood andsweat to build this country. We cannot forget thecontributions of brave Prithvi Narayan Shah,Bhakti Thapa, Amar Singh Thapa, BhimsenThapa, Balabhadra Kunwar and Jung BahadurRana. I salute them. The country is in crisis onceagain. The time has come to fight for thecountry’s integrity, and that is why we aregathered here today.

Kshetris have always been in the frontlineDeb Shankar Poudel in Rajdhani, 21 February

On the concluding day of discharge process, the disqualified PLAcombatants received flower garlands in a customary farewell fromtheir supreme commander in Dahaban, which they threw awayangrily. The combatants, still young and enthusiastic were bitterabout being asked to leave the cantonment after dedicating theirlives for the revolution. While children of their leaders whizthrough Kathmandu’s streets in slick cars, they were”disqualified”.Those who fought for equality were startled to find the reality.

Prachanda then went to Sunsari in the east. Before thedisqualified combatants had even got home, astrologers discoveredscientific facts about the Chairman being under the negativeinfluence of Saturn, the planet of bad luck. He worshipped a femalebuffalo to appease the enraged god, then announced that religionand astrology had a scientific basis.

This was the same leader, who had ordered his cadre toslaughter cows and forced people to eat beef during the conflict. Hedoesn’t seem to see the irony in worshipping a buffalo now. Thosewho slaughtered cows were given a couple of thousand rupees andsent home.

The worst thing in human life is to be disqualified. In thepresence of their revered leaders, the combatants were declareddisqualified in front of the Nepali people, political parties and theUN. It is because they survived the war. Had they been killed, theywould have been declared ’great martyrs’.

Worshipping a buffalo to appease the planets is a newdimension in communism. Had they found this enlightenmentbefore and told their cadres, thousands of books of the SanskritUniversity would not have been torched, people in mourningwould not have been killed and priests would be spared. PunditNarayan Prasad would be alive. Thousands of cows would not havedied in vain.

Karl Marx said religion was the opiate of the masses. OurMaoists were inspired by Marx, but they forgot to take intoaccount that there should be a different political system in a multi-lingual, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-ethnic countrylike Nepal.

Senior Maoists leaders have been hobnobbing with many holymen lately: the high priest of Gorakhnath, Manakamana Mata, PilotBaba, Yogi Kamalnayanacharya, Chandra Swami. If only Babaji andSwami Maharajas would indoctrinate the disqualified and qualifiedcombatants, it would be a fusion of spiritualism and materialismassuring the great leap forward in the revolution.

Cow slaughter tobuffalo worship

KIRAN PANDAY

Kshetri kshetrawhenever the country is in a crisis. Nepal hasbecome a playground for foreigners. Nepali self-esteem has been dented, and the very fabric ofsociety is in danger of being torn. The country’sidentity is being obliterated in the name of ethnicand regional identity. The campaign against thecountry started with the demolition of the statue ofPrithvi Narayan Shah. Now, the national animal,national religion, national bird and national flag arebeing eliminated. We have to be vigilant against thisonslaught.

We are ready for whatever it takes to save thiscountry. The activities in the four years of democracywere intolerable but we went along. But, it hasreached such an extent that the country is likely tofall apart. We said nothing when 2.4 millionforeigners were given citizenship, when the countryis run by a remote and not from Singha Darbar. Theconspiracy is being hatched to chop up the country.Kshetris won’t tolerate it any more. They will rise upand save the country.

Jai desh. Jay Nepali. Jay Kshetri.

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #491 CONSTITUTION 2010|15

It seems increasingly unlikelythat the Constitution Committeewill complete the first draft ofthe constitution by 5 March, theformal deadline. Durga Khanal ofKantipur spoke to CA chairmanSubas Nembang about progresson this front. Translated excerptsbelow:

As the deadline to completethe constitution draws near,the CA seems to havenothing to do. How come?Subas Nembang: Not really.We are engaged in seriousdiscussions to find a wayforward. We have finisheddiscussions on the draftssubmitted to the CA. Of the 11thematic committe reports, onehas passed unanimously whilethere are genuine differences inother reports. The CA membershave already spoken on theseissues in the House. The reportstudy committee is working tofind a solution for thecontentious issues. On therecommendation of thecommittee I have met withpolitical leaders informally anddiscussed these matters. But thepolitical parties seem to behaving problems figuring how toaddress it.

But we are running out oftime and your informalmeetings don’t seem to comeup with solutions.There is a special studycommittee to recommend and

suggest solutions for contentiousissues. It is also holdingdiscussions with top leaders ofthe political parties. However,the parties are inflexible. Theyrepeat their commitment to writea new constitution on time butthey do not act on their words.

Does it not indicate that thenew constitution will not bewritten on time?I am optimistic. I would like tourge everyone to work towardsthe deadline. We can adopt awidely accepted internationalapproach to complete the task ontime if there is consensus amongpolitical parties.

What kind of approach isthat?We can drop the minor issuesand focus only on genuine issuesin the short term. But for that weneed political consensus.Political parties should be opento compromise. To achieve that, Ihave asked for daily meetingswith the political parties, whichhave yet to materialise.

Are you referring to staterestructuring and PLAintegration? Is it plausibleto resolve these issues afterpromulgation of theconstitution?There are different aspects ofstate restructuring, say the issueof local government. There areother similar constitutionalissues. However, the public

should be convinced that theiraspirations are incorporated inthe constitution. There is nomention of the constitutionwriting and PLA integrationseparately in the CA schedule.The political parties are raisingthis issue. Some say integrationfirst, while others sayconstitution before integration.Some even say it should gosimultaneously. Political parties

Optimistic, but only if thereis a political consensus

Danbahadur Kurmi Chaudhary, CA member,TMLP/ State Minister, Kapilbastu-2

What do you think of the 14-state modelpassed by the State Restructuring andSharing of State Power Committee?I am totally against it. There are efforts beingmade to fragment the country in the name ofethnicity, and create recognised ethnic groups.

What difference does it make if we giveprovinces to those who sufferedinjustices?Provinces should not be created on the basisof ethnicity or religion. On what basis do those

who supported the creation of a secular state speak for ethnicity based provinces?There should be three provinces consisting of Himal, Hills and Tarai, and sub-provinces could be created within them.

It is said that if Chitwan is made the federal capital, Madhesis will bewilling to accept two separate Madhes provinces?Some of the parties in the Madhes may be in favour of this. But this is not what theMadhes movement in general wants. There should be a single Madhes provincewith sub-provinces according to what the Madhesis want.

What do you think of the two-Madhesi state model proposed by theState Restructuring Committee?It is very unscientific. The people won’t benefit from this, quite the opposite. Inplaces, three or four ethnic groups have been assimilated to make up a mish-mashprovince. It’s laughable. They could even have named the two states Lumbini andMithila. How can people who can’t settle on this issue restructure the state?

Some say this is necessary for ethnic identity.The Maoists have destabilised the country to generate conflict and capture statepower just in the name of ethnic identity. Otherwise how would there be ethnicprovinces here? There aren’t ethnic majorities anywhere.

political parties develop anunderstanding amongthemselves. If they do not worktogether, we don’t have to waituntil 28 May. A crisis couldbefall this coutry anytime.

Are there anyconstitutional provisions toextend the tenure of theCA?We don't have to think aboutthat yet. The best option is tocomplete the task in the giventimeframe. The preamble of theinterim constitution says theconstitution promulgated by theCA will institutionalise theachievements of the movement.The political parties should takethis into consideration.

A high level politicalmechanism is formed toassist the constitutionwriting process. But it isfocused on the governmentrather than theconstitution. How is itpossible to meet the 28 Maydeadline?When I got the news offormation of a high levelmechanism, I thought was aboutto happen, but even its membersare waiting for something tohappen. It should clear thedeadlock. It is a politicalmechanism. It will bemeaningful if it facilitates thepeace process and constitutionwriting. It has to prove itssignificance through action.

should make their stance clear onthese issues.

There are talks of extendingthe CA and a holding newelections in order to establishfresh mandate for theconstitution if the CA fails tomeet the deadline. Whatoptions do we have?I still believe the new constitutionwill be written on time if the

KIRAN PANDAY

Laxmi Pariyar, CA member, NC Udaypur

Which committees did you speak on behalfof at the CA?Except for National Interests PreservationCommittee, Economic Rights and Sharingof Natural Resources and Public RevenueCommittee, I took part in discussions ofall other committees.

What do you think of the 14-state modelpassed by the State Restructuring andSharing of State Power Committee?

Unscientific Ethnic federalismwill invite conflict

I cannot agree with a model that promotes onlyethnicity at the expense of geography,population, economic capacities and naturalresources. The committee has tried to pleasesome ethnic groups with its 14 provinces. It’salso spoken of political prerogatives to certaingroups, which is an even more dangerousprospect.

Is it wrong to give political prerogative?Look, I happen to fall under Kirat province. Ifthe head of the province and other politicalposts go to Kirats, then Dalits may as well notget into politics. This will create more conflict.There is no room for Dalits in this model.Provinces should be created on the basis ofpopulation, proportional representation andinclusiveness.

Are you saying there should be a separateDalit state?In reality, it’s only the Dalits who areoppressed in Nepal. We are not asking for aseparate province; we are asking forcompensation and special privileges. Otherethnic groups only have the problem ofdisparity between rich and poor – they don’thave to face untouchability. We don’t agreewith a model that bars oppressed communitiessuch as Dalits from top political posts.

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26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2010 #49116|BACK SIDE

he impressive wayKhagendra Thapa Magarwas handling himself at

the pre-departure press conferencebefore flying off to Italy to stakehis claim to be the planet’ssmallest man, most hacks presentwanted to nominate The Little BigMan as Nepal’s next primeminister. As the littlest man inthe world, he has a brightpolitical future ahead of himbecause he understands theproblems of Nepal’s small people.And look at it this way, even ifGirjau doesn’t get the Nobel PeacePrize, Khagendra will have madethe nation proud by being in theGuinness Book.

Hounded by the FinancialMinistry over the Rs16 millionexpense claim for her Singaporetrip and an even bigger request forher forthcoming Europe tour,SuzieQ is now so impatient tohave the PM lollipop that she istugging at Daddy’s labeda andthrowing a tantrum. After tryingto cream the MRP deal, Sooj andSood seem to have patched upand the FM is now solidly behindthe $4 Indian MRP proposal eventhough the Indonesians haveoffered the same quality for a fewdollars less. The Ass’assessment is that whoever gets

the databases for Nepali passportsmust give us a hefty discount.

GPK summoned MKN toPresidentganj this week andMakunay took KPO along formoral support. For someone whohad been blackguarding the primeminister at every instance lately,GPK suddenly seemed veryaccommodative, according to themule’s mole who was present.All this made the Dotter loseheart, so off she went to Chhatarafor some divine support fromThe Godman. Yes, the same onewhose feet Awesome touched andwas told he had to appease the

Planet Saturn (see last Ass). Itappears Suzie’s also has asituation vis-à-vis Saturn, so sheworshipped the same buffaloPKD had sought blessings from.The lack of Indian backing for theKoirala-Dahal alliance doesn’tseem to worry the two becausethey have now gone to a higher-up authority and receivedheavenly blessings.

Seeking solace in the opiate ofthe masses and realigning Saturnby getting a buffalo to intervene,PKD has gone from Stalinism toSaturnism. He also startedtelling the truth by admittingfinally that the main agenda of

the High Level Meccano is tocome up with a power sharingagreement, and then threateningthat the constitution will not bewritten unless the Maoists leadthe government.

Whenever the Baddies startmaking a mountain out of amolehill you know there areserious rifts within the party. Itwasn’t surprising that thecomrades started raiding APFtrucks in Baireni the dayafter the fracas at Kharipati inwhich the Jamakattel factionattacked rival comrades andcracked a few ribs.

After Gairidhara had leaned onBaluwatar to cancel thepresident’s participation at the100th anniversary celebration ofthe Shechen monastery, Shit-allNibas chickened out andcancelled the visit. But somehowthe word hadn’t got out to theForeigner Minister and theCultured Minister. The twowere en route to Boudha in aconvoy when the call came fromBaluwatar: “Abort! Abort!” Suzieand Minendra did an abruptabout turn and headed backbarely 100 metres from the gatesto the monstery. From the waythey are spooked by Buddhism, itseems they believe power comes

The Little Big ManT not from the barrel of a gun but

from the turning of a prayerwheel.

So the Tarai Madhesh Loot-tantraParty has “recalled” educationminister Ram ChandraKushwahahaha and replaced himwith another apparatchik. Butnot before the minister hadalready pocketed two laks foreach teacher appointment for1,000 schools. Kushwahahahamust be laughing all the wayto the bank cuz all he got was aslap in the wrist for embezzlingan amount that won’t evenregister in the Ass’ calculatorbecause multiplying 200,000 x1,000, the total is too large. Thebeauty of this scam is thatGhusuwaha doesn’t have toreturn the money, he ain’t goingto jail, and what’s more the manis totally unrepentant.

His remark after beingremoved from office this weekhas been unanimously declaredthe Donkey’s Quote of theWeek: “A fishswimming inthe ocean can’thelp drinkingthe water.”

ass(at)nepalitimes.com