Weekly Internet Poll # 458. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

Q. Should the Maoists have beenincluded in the new government?

Weekly Internet Poll # 457

Q. Cabinet expansion still stuck.Your comment:

#457 26 June - 2 July 2009 16 pages Rs 30

Total votes: 2,526

CLOUDS, BUT NO RAIN: The evening sunbreaks through clouds in the mountains ofcentral Nepal as a parched land waits for

rain. Meteorologists say themonsoons arrived in eastern Nepal this

week, but precipitation throughout Nepal hasbeen 50 per cent below normal.

KUNDA DIXIT

he prevalence of infectiousdiseases amongintravenous drug users is

rocketing because the fear ofstigma and poor support servicesare discouraging users fromseeking help.

Political instability, lowliteracy levels, poor awarenessand a lack of voluntarycounselling and testing servicesmean infection figures are onlylikely to increase.

Among drug users inNepal, 61.4 per cent

Sky highinject drugs, 29 per cent ofwhom share needles. Anestimated 6,557 intravenous drugusers (IDU) are living with HIV orAIDS, which is about 10 per centof the total 70,000 people livingwith HIV/AIDS, according toUNAIDS.

In Kathmandu, about 30 percent of all people living withHIV/AIDS inject drugs. They are

also vulnerable to the incurableHepatitis C, for which 94 per centof drug users in Kathmandu havetested positive.

The market for heroin andopium is also on the rise inNepal with most narcotics beingsmuggled over the border. TheNarcotic Drugs Control LawEnforcement Unit seized 105.6kgopium and 10kg heroin last year.In the first six months of thisyear it has already seized 225kg ofopium and six kg of heroin.

The prevalence of HIV amongIDUs in 2003 was 51 per cent.Given the limitations of Nepal’s

EDITORIALStruggle and construction p2

PLAIN SPEAKING Prashant JhaCaste awaya p2

STATE OF THE STATE CK LalLawlessness and disorder p3

public health surveillancesystem, the actual number ofinfections is thought to be muchhigher.

Although Nepal was thefirst country in Asia to establisha harm reduction program witha needle exchange service forIDUs, it has failed because oflimited coverage and a shortsupply of syringes.

A survey conducted byCentral Bureau of Statistics in2007 reported there are 46,309hard drug users in Nepal witharound 50 per cent of them aged15 to 29.

TFull story p10

2 26 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #457EDITORIAL

Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Editor: Kunda DixitCEO: Ashutosh Tiwari Design: Kiran MaharjanDGM Sales and Marketing: Sambhu Guragain marketing@himalmedia.comMarketing Manager: Subhash Kumar Asst. Manager: Arjun KarkiCirculation: Prakash Raut

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LLLLL E T T E R SE T T E R SE T T E R SE T T E R SE T T E R S

PLAIN SPEAKINGPrashant Jha

CIVILIAN PARTIESAfter a long time, I could readan editorial which reflects the reality ofNepali politics (‘Civilian parties,’ #456).The ruling parties, whatever theirweaknesses may be, are civilian partiesand they try to respect the rule of law.There are some, led by the Maoists, whorefuse to accept that violence is notacceptable in mainstream politics. Howcan you trust a party whose chair doesnot feel an ounce of shame declaringpublicly that the policy of their party is tograb power forcefully? There is noquestion that the military should be undercivilian government, as parliament is thesupreme body and the army should beunder its supervision. However, theMaoists asking for ‘civilian supremacy’is a farce.

Kamal Kishor, email

GOOD EXAMPLEIt would be fantastic to hear more storiesof ordinary Nepalis trying to make adifference (‘The power of good example,’# 456). Such stories make a positiveimpact in the national culture, which weare in dire need of in these difficulttimes. It will also encourage many tostart their own similar initiatives. Irecently visited a village of Barpak in

worst introduction to Nepal that a visitorcan have, and it also leaves a deeplasting impression on people who areleaving. The airport convinces themthat they aren’t going to return to Nepalunless the airport is fixed first. We areused to quaintly inefficient Third Worldairports and can handle thediscomforts. But TIA is a health hazard,a den of smugglers and a centre forcrime and extortion where policemen atsecurity who are supposed to bechecking for dangerous items are theones robbing passengers of theirvaluables. Or maybe they should justkeep the airport like it is because itepitomizes everything that is wrongwith Nepal. But all is not lost: the UpperDeck is proof that given the chanceNepalis can run a clean, efficient,courteous service. Private Sectorzindabad!

Girvan Thapa, email

KHUMBU BY NIGHTThank you Nepali Times for that newperspective on the Khumbu byreproducing those brilliant pictures byAlex Treadway and Hiroyuki Kuraoka.And congratulations to Billi Bierling forhaving made it to the top!

Lina Sorensen, Dhankuta

STRUGGLE AND CONSTRUCTIONThey like to poke fun at Gandhi these days. His philosophyof ahimsa is deemed outdated even in India, which now hasan arsenal of nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. Gandhi preachedagainst materialism and selfishness, but greed is goodthese days.

The economic inequality that this perpetuates has politicalrepercussions. India’s Maoist insurgency that now touches 13 of28 states is fed directly by the neglect, indifference and exclusion,especially of the adivasis and low castes in India’s poorest states.The police’s counter-insurgency operations have actually helpedMaoist recruitment.

A Naxalite reincarnation is now taking place in WestBengal, that bastion of India’s moderate left where the CPI-Mhas ruled uninterrupted for 25 years. (See p 4). The newCongress-led government in New Delhi (now unencumbered by acommunist partner) has responded by sending in the centralparamilitary CPRF.

In both India and Nepal, it is poverty, inequality, injusticeand discrimination that drives Maoism. And on both sides there isa temptation to meet violence with counter-violence. As long asthe roots of conflict are not addressed, however, therecannot be long-term peace and reconciliation.

After the resignation of Nepal’s Maoist-ledgovernment in May (with a little bit of help from friendsdown south) there is loose talk in military and rightwingcircles in Kathmandu of “doing a Sri Lanka” on the ex-guerrillas. What is forgotten is that Nepal’s terrain andgeopolitics makes protracted guerrilla war unwinnable forboth sides. Maoism here has degenerated into criminalwarlordism, and is probably headed towards violent self-destruction. What we have to prevent is it turning ethnic inthe process.

Gandhi said violence can never be ethical, that it iscounterproductive to those who start it. Nepal is the livingproof. The lesson for both India and Nepal is that withoutresolving the structural inequity in our societies, creatingjobs and lifting living standards there will be a millionother mutinies even if we solve this one.

After the Chauri Chaura killing of 22 policemen in1922 near Gorakhpur, Gandhi suspended his anti-Britishcivil disobedience campaign saying he had not been ableto prevent the violence. He later put forward the conceptof “struggle and construction”: achieving societaltransformation not by destroying but by working againstdiscrimination, injustice and inequality.

The Maoists who want to destroy and return to YearZero are on the wrong side of history. Those who threatena return to bloodshed if they don’t get what they wanthaven’t realised the ruin they brought to this country.Those for whom the end justifies the means forget Gandhiat their own peril.

RAJBIRAJ – The campusincident in this stagnant Taraitown brings together all theelements that best describes thestate of Nepal today: institutionaldegeneration, patronage, factional

party politics, partisanbureaucracy and a pliablejudiciary, impunity, violence.

The overwhelming role ofcaste formed the undercurrent ofthe brutal assault on campus

Impunity, patronage, politics and castemake an explosive mix

Caste awayschief Devi Dutt Sah.

Here are the facts of the case:there had been a two week stand-off between the administrationand a part of the student union.The newly elected unionpresident Ram Chandra Yadav(belonging to a faction of the NC)had put in a dozen demands,ranging from an enquiry intoappointments of temporaryteachers to allegations ofcorruption.

On the morning of 8 June, astudent called up Sah andreported that a clash had brokenout at the campus. Sah called up

the local SP,who promisedto send forcesbut said theywould needpermissionfrom the CDOto take action.

Sah thenheaded to thecollege, butonly afterhaving spokento the CDORam Bilas RayYadav, whopromised togive therequiredorders. TheCDO howeverdisputes this,stating therewas no way hecould havegiven ordersbecause Sahhad not put ina formalwritten

request.Once in the college, Sah was

surrounded by 15-20 students,some of them from the union andothers whom he did notrecognise. They locked him upinside a room, and told him toresign immediately. When Sahrefused, he was stabbed and hitwith lathis. Sah claims he heardunion president Ram ChandraYadav say: “How dare you think aTeli (Sah’s caste) can becomecampus chief in Saptari orSiraha?”

Sah finally gave in and wrotea resignation note. All this while,the police was right at thecampus gate: either misled intobelieving that the campusadministration and studentswere having talks, or waiting forthe elusive CDO orders that nevercame, or unwilling to take action.After four hours, according toSah, a group of students and theSP of the APF camp rescued him.

When Sah was appointedcampus chief two years ago, hesuperseded more seniorcolleagues in the campus. Keyappointments in educationalinstitutions across the countrywere divided among parties whocould choose their men. Thetown grapevine has it that Sahwas backed by one faction of theSaptari NC. Since then, some inthe teaching faculty(predominantly Yadavs, backedby another faction of NC) hadganged up to oust him.

Certain decisions taken by thechief, like the appointments ofteachers, gave them enoughammunition to allege corruption.The Maoists, keen to get a

Gorkha and met Nepalis who had managedto bring economic and cultural change intheir local community. One example thatstood out was how the local public toiletswere kept so clean in such a remote villagethrough cooperation and coordination. Thisis just one story, there mustbe so many all over Nepal.

Amit Thapa, email

DEMOLITIONI was moved to tears whilereading CK Lal’s piece onhow the country is movingfrom one shutdown toanother (‘Mutually assureddemolition,’ #456). It is atrue reflection of the realityat the ground level. CK,channel your superb writingalong these themes ratherthan of political ones.

Alok Dixit, email

TWO ASSESAfter reading two Ass columns (’22 rajahs’,and ‘A psychedelic Prithbi Narayan’, #454,455) I was confused. But now I get it: thepolice can’t do a thing against those beatingup women outside police stations, kidsdeflating bicycle tyres to enforce a banda,or thugs vandalise a van. The YCL is

extorting money from businesses andcontractors because they know no one isgoing to stop them. How can you run acountry like this? I realise it is not possibleto deploy the army against the YCLbecause it would mean the start of another

war. But why not equip andsupport the police in thesmaller localities and cleanup the act in the smallplaces first? You couldactually use the samemethod as the Maoists:start working up the moreremote and poor areasfirst. It could be done withless money and less forcethen cleaning up KTMvalley and the baddiescould be more easilydisabled there. Noteverything has to start in

the capital. If it worked for Mao Tse Tung, itshould work for us. If you want law andorder, outlaw the YCL.

Confused Bideshi, email

DUMP‘Tribhuban International airport is a seedy,smelly dungeon’. Thanks to PaavanMathema for calling it like it is in ‘Loungingaround’ (#455). Kathmandu airport is the

326 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #457OP-ED

STATE OF THE STATEC K Lal

BIRGUNJ—Like relative deprivation, there is something calledcomparative sense of relief. Here, in Birganj, the kidnapping capital ofNepal, entrepreneurs have begun to take bleak satisfaction in the factthat they are no more or less insecure here than they would be inBiratnagar or Kathmandu.

Considering the brutality of kidnappers in the national capital,crossborder kidnappers in this frontier town actually appear somewhatless vicious.

Mahesh Sharada was reportedly released after paying a heftyransom in Thapathali. A businessman believed to have beenkidnapped from Tinkune is still in captivity. There was the failedattempt to abduct a fourth grade student in Banasthali. Then thedismembered body of kidnapped student, Khyati Shrestha, was foundthis week in Kathmandu.

What gets reported in themedia is only the tip of theiceberg. It’s in privateconversations that one gets toguage lawlessness and disorder

has become. In some families, ready cash is often kept at home so thatthe attention aroused by sudden bank withdrawals can be avoided.Nobody goes to the police.

There are professional mediators here in Birganj whose main job isto maintain contact between kidnappers and the families of victimsand earn a cut for safe release.

Biren Pradhan, the accused in the Khyati abduction and murdercase, exhibited the callousness of an amateur. But people fear that thewide publicity given to the case may give ideas to future first-timeabductors for copycat crimes. Ironically, the sadistic brutality of themurder case in Kathmandu has redeemed minor armed groups in Taraiwho are reputed to treat hostages with due respect.

In the early 1980s, the nation’s consciousness was shaken by themurder of school girls Namita and Sunita Bhandari and their friendNeera Parajuli. The triple murder of the schoolgirls remains a mysteryto this day, although a royal cover up was suspected. The police closedthe case during the reign of king Gyanendra.

The Bhandari sisters came from an elite Kathmandu family. Yet,the tragedy was soon forgotten. Surya Bahadur Sen Oli was the CDO ofKaski. He is now a Maoist, but still isn’t spilling the beans.

In the process of enduring the pathologies of dictatorial regimesand brutal insurgencies, our collective conscience seems to have lostthe ability to empathise with the victimised families and pursue a caseto its logical conclusion. The public hue and cry tends to die downwithin a few days as everyone get back to their business.

Whoever now remembers Bara-based journalist Birendra Sah orindomitable freedom fighter Uma Singh? Yet, their killers swaggeraround as political activists, shouting slogans for civilian supremacy.Invented explanations that blame the victim are often offered to

Killers swagger around aspolitical activists, shoutingslogans for civilian supremacy

Lawlessness and disorder

exonerate perpetrators of crime which the society meekly acceptsbefore moving on.

The worst way to approach a murder case is to portray the killer asa psychotic.Yet that was just what the investigators did. BirenPradhan was a compulsive gambler with a perverted mind. Declarehim a deviant, and society can then sleep well with clear conscience.The criminals are exceptions, we tell ourselves.

Modern materialism, class differences, joblessness, the long-termeffects of the war on society’s psyche all combine to produce atinderbox where even a small incident can trigger tragedies ofunbearable proportions.

The communal dimensions of crime need to be played down toprevent a backlash. The Indian media appears to be stoking the fire ofhatred by stressing Biren’s Darjeeling origins.

But if he has indeed committed the crime, he should getharshest possible punishment. It is impunity, and the sight of themurderers wearing political cloaks walking freely, that has led to thiscrime wave.

foothold in the campus and curryfavour with the politicallypowerful and demographicallysizeable Yadavs, also backed theplan to get rid of Sah.

It was this alliance of somesenior (Yadav) teachers in thecampus, certain (Yadav) leadersof NC and the Maoists, and the(Yadav-led) student union thatmounted the assault on Sah.There are also murmurs that theCDO being a Yadav explains hisinertia. Sah himself alleges thatin the past few months, a non-Yadav bank manager, districteducation officer, and other localofficials have either been killedor hounded out of their offices.

For their part, the Yadavsprivately say this is an uppercaste and non-Yadav backwardcaste alliance to deprive theirshare of political power. Thestudent union’s Ram ChandraYadav denies any involvementand claims he in fact helpedrescue the chief. He alleges thatthe chief is trying to give a castecolour to what is a political battleto “protect student rights byensuring a clean administration”.

However, his argumenthowever is severely weakened bywhat has happened after theincident. The police arrestedYadav and others on the basis ofSah’s statements. Yadav leadersacross the board waged acampaign to get them released.The Maoists and NC together,aided by Madhesi parties, led thecharge. The government lawyerwas threatened and he ran offwithout arguing the case. And thejudge released the accused. Now,non-Yadav leaders of differentparties (Mandals, Sahs, Brahmansand others) are brainstormingabout what to do in ordertoprevent Yadav hegemony.

The Tarai now resembles theBihar of the 1990s under LalooYadav.

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

4 26 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #457NATION

he Indian government’sban on the Maoists thisweek, and a Congress-led

government that has shed itsleftist partners, is expectedto bolster the swing to theright in Nepali politics.

The rout of both the BJPand the CPI-M in April’selection represented setbacksfor the Hindu-right and the

Maoist-left in Nepal. InIndia itself, post-

election politics hasbeen dominated

Implications for Nepal of a Maoistresurgence in India

Army’s defeat of the TamilTigers as a case study of asuccessful counter-insurgencyoperation.

Seen in this light, it is not asurprise that India’s military-intelligence establishment took adim view of the attempt byNepal’s Maoists to sack GenKatawal and infiltrate the NepalArmy. “That was the last straw,we just couldn’t allow that,”said one Indian source.

Indian Foreign SecretaryShiv Shankar Menon, onreturning here after his Nepalvisit, denied there were anylinks between the Nepal Maoistsand their Indian comrades.However, there seems to be closesolidarity between the Naxalitesand the hardliner bloc amongNepal’s Maoists.

After April 2006, Indianrevolutionaries sharplycriticised Pushpa Kamal Dahalfor having ended the armedstruggle, and in recentinterviews they have egged onhardline ideologues in Nepal.

There is also new evidencethat the Indian Maoists not justtrained their Nepali comradesbut even planned and took partin some of the attacks on policestations and army bases in Nepalduring the war. On Tuesday,Bihar Police claimed it capturedtwo truck loads of dynamite anddetonators in a truck carryingboulders from Nepal.

India’s moderatecommunists were the architectsof the November 2005 peaceprocess when they were in aUPA coalition with theCongress. They were hoping toset an example of “taming ultra-left adventurism” by bringingthem to the mainstream. Thecentral government now seemsto have abandoned that path bybanning the Maoists.

West Bengal Chief MinisterBuddhadeb Bhattacharji hadactually started calling Maoists“terrorists” after an attemptedassassination in Lalgarh lastNovember. His police thenunleashed a crackdown in thearea, and villagers rose upagainst excesses capturing threedistricts. The central governmentmobilised its paramilitary CPRFlast week to quell the rebellionand retake the territory.

West Bengal police appear tohave behaved much the sameway as the Nepal Police did in1997-98 with its brutalOperation Kilo Sierra, and endedup increasing local support forthe Maoists. “Mass anger waswaiting to burst…and theMaoists were waiting in thewings,” wrote Aditya Nigam ofthe Centre for the Study ofDeveloping Societies in acolumn this week. “In Lalgarhwe are in it for the long haul”

Other Indian commentatorshave been warning the state andcentral governments that theonly solution to India’s Maoistinsurgency is to address theconcerns of the tribal and othermarginalised groups whose angerand poverty the Maoists aretapping. But with the ban on theMaoists, the Indian state seemsto be getting ready to use strongarm tactics.

KUNDA DIXIT in NEW DELHI

Tby a surge in the activity ofIndia’s restless Maoists,prompting the federalgovernment on Monday to banthe party.

The Naxalites are now activein 165 of India’s 604 districts,mainly in the mineral-richforests of eastern India populatedby indigenous people. Fifty-oneof these districts in Bihar,Jharkhand, Orissa, Chattisgarhand Andhra Pradesh are said tobe ‘highly affected’. And in thepast few months, the Maoistshave returned to West Bengalwhere they started out as apeasant movement in 1967 andwere later ruthlessly crushed bythe Indira Gandhi government.

After more or less pretendingit didn’t exist for decades,India’s national media hassuddenly started givingprominent space to theinsurgency. The occupation ofthe Lalgarh area of West Bengaland the effort by security forcesto retake it displaced even cricketas the main news in India’stabloid tv news which carriedsensational bold banners thatsaid ‘Red Terror’ in big crimsonletters. The Indian media hasalso stopped calling the rebels‘Naxalites’.

How India’s stategovernments now deal with theirMaoist insurgencies will have abearing on Nepal because theIndian revolutionaries have oftensaid they want to “liberateeverything from Tirupathi toPashupati”. Similarly, the futurepolitical trajectory of the Maoistsin Nepal will be keenly watchedby both India’s ultra-left as wellas the central government.

Indian Prime MinisterManmohan Singh hascharacterised the Maoistinsurgency “as India’s greatestsecurity threat”. The Indiansecurity establishment was alsoclosely following the Sri Lankan

Revolutionswithout borders

526 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #457BUSINESS

STRICTLY BUSINESSAshutosh Tiwari

n Wednesday, PrimeMinister Madhav KumarNepal inducted eight

more ministers into his month-old cabinet. That raised the totalnumber of ministers to 30. For asmall country of about 30million people, a cabinet thissize is already big. But pressreports indicate that the PM is setto add more ministers fromdifferent political parties, makingwhat is likely to be the largestcabinet in Nepal’s history.

At a time when there isgrowing public disenchantmentwith Nepal’s political processand with the lordly behaviour ofelected representatives whorepeatedly fail to stick to thepriority of drafting a nationalconstitution by an agreed-upondeadline, what purpose does itserve to keep on expanding thecabinet as if there were a mandateto create an unlimitedgovernment?

The answers are found in twoparts. First, it’s instructive tolook at the governance of thepolitical process in Nepal; and,second, on ways to fix it.

Unaccountablegovernance: The UK press hasrecently been dominated byrevelations of how many of the646 Members of Parliament haveabused public funds to pay forpersonal indulgences that rangedfrom cleaning up a privately-owned moat to buying fertilizersto paying for flats for theirchildren. The revelations sent ashock wave through the Britishpolitical system, leading to boththe ridicule and resignations ofguilty politicians. Those whohave retained their jobs have hadto continue to govern with atarnished reputation anddiminished stature.

Though Nepal follows aBritish-style Westminster modelof parliamentary democracy, thegulf between the public andthose who are elected to serve thepublic remains immense in thiscountry. This is partly becauseintermediary institutions thatcheck the expanding power of thegovernment are either weak or donot exist. As such, it often looksas if our politics is comprised oftwo spheres – the first onecontaining the 601representatives, and the secondone containing the votingpopulation – with the firsthaving little connection to thesecond once elections are over.

For illustration, consider thisexample: Khyati Shrestha, a highschool student from Biratnagarwas found brutally murdered inKathmandu a few days ago. Herswas not the only murder that hastaken place in recent times. Given

the alarming rise in the number ofchildren who have beenkidnapped and then murdered,you’d think that ourrepresentatives would putpressure on the Home Minister touphold law and order. You wouldalso think that they’d like tosignal they are doing all they canto allay their voters’ palpablefears.

But no!In this case, several days after

the murder, politicians of allstripes, elected from Biratnagar orelsewhere, have made absolutelyno noise in support of theShrestha family. The family is leftto fend for itself to push forjustice.

This sort of silence from thoseelected to represent our interestshas happened in many othercases. A bridge breaks down near atemple, like one did last year.Hundreds of pilgrims are killed.Not a word comes from any

member of Parliament. Similarly,press reports of food shortages inthe hills of Western Nepal. Again,not a word of support, let aloneactions that help deliver thegrains, from the politicianselected from that region. Whenthese examples add up, you startto wonder: when yourrepresentatives do not speak upfor you who are affected in timesof crisis, what is the point ofgoing through the motion ofelections?

True, holding free and fairelections on a regular basis is onefeature of democracy. And on thisaccount, few fault Nepal’s presentdemocratic regime. Despite reportsof Maoist intimidation at somepolling stations in the hinterland,most accept that presentrepresentatives were elected inwhat were generally considered tobe free and fair elections last year.

But problems become clearerwhen we examine the mechanicsof how parties have subverted theelection process so it is notresponsive to the public’sconcerns. Here is how it works:parties decide who they want tosend as candidates to a district.Party cadres fight with oneanother to curry favours from theirleaders to receive the electionticket. Those who receive theelection tickets need neither be

residents nor have any stake inthe district’s affairs.

Herein is the crux of theproblem. When all parties, takingcue from one another, fieldcandidates in this manner, votershave no choice but to elect prettymuch one stranger over another.When a stranger thus gets toparliament, on the back of thesupport of voters he barely knew amonth before, is it any wonderthat he has little to gain byvoicing the concerns of thosevoters, and much to gain bymaking his leaders happy, lestthey not give him the ticket in thenext round of elections?

When you have a parliamentfull of democratically electedrepresentatives who have everyincentive to toe the party line, it’sonly a matter of time before horse-trading starts, before the cabinet isexpanded to accommodate everydisgruntled party, and beforecommissions are formed to

provide jobs to hangers-on. Allthese leave the voters to recedefrom the political memory forseveral years, reduced as they areto being mere spectators.

Fixing it Those whocomplain about the inaction ofour large-size government shouldstop expecting saintly politiciansas outputs. They should insteadfocus on the inputs. That is tosay, the one way to make therepresentatives accountable to thepublic, so that they and theirparties do not keep on expandingthe size of the government, is byfirst correcting how thecandidates are fielded to thepublic during elections. The moretangible connection a candidatehas to a district, the more likelyhe is to listen to the voters’concerns. This simple change inthe initial conditions is also morelikely to connect national partieswith influential local politicianswho, in many cases, would nothave to either run asindependents or cobble togethertheir own parties.

In the absence of such reformsthat help tie representatives’actions to voters’ concerns, wehave no choice but to watch thePrime Minister preside over aballooning cabinet in the name ofletting almost all parties be in thegovernment.

Mind the gapNepal may have had free and fair elections butthe so called representatives have noconnection at all with the people

O

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

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Golf coachingSurya Nepal Khelparyatan and Nepal GolfAssociation have started the Surya NepalNGA youth golf coaching program. It was started for the youngwith the objective of training potential golfers. The lessons willtake place at Gokarna Forest Resort, Royal Nepal Golf Club,Army Golf Club, Himalayan Golf Club and Nirvana Country Clubfrom 18 June.

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Banking forumForum of Nepali Banks was established this month to represent,and , lobby for the interest of all stakeholders in banks and makethe country's banking system more accountable. The adhocexecutive committee has nine members and will be under ManojBahadur Shrestha’s chairmanship.

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Eco-friendlyMaruti Cement Company has begun to manufactureOPC Cement in Nepal. Maruti cement is beingtouted as the only one in Nepal to useenvironmentally friendly technologies to controlpollution.

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PlayersJohn Players', men’s wearbrand from Surya Nepal hasopened its sixth and seventhexclusives branded outlets atCity Center Mall, KamalPokhari and Maharajgunj.

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Safe bikingIn an attempt to promote a safe bikingculture and to strengthen motor sports,R15 Nepali riders have been trained byMorang Auto Works and will participatein a R15 championship in Chennai on28 June.

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Branch-less bankingEverest Bank launched branch-less banking ‘Everest Ghar–DailoBanking Sewa’ on 17 June. The bank has appointed authorisedrepresentatives in the villages, that are connected to branchesand will allow deposits and withdrawals with the use of a SmartCard.

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Win-WinConsumers can now collect crowns from Pepsibottles featuring four of the football players ofthe Dream Team to win a free trip to Bangkokand Pataya for one couple every week.

6 26 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #457FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

Pradip Kafle in Himal Khabarpatrika, 15-29 June

Leaving behind the buzz of city life in Kathmandu, KB Gurung quit hisjob as a government official in the department of agriculture and optedto forge a business growing herbs in Damauli, Tanahu.

The Agricultural Science graduate who studied in Kanpur, Indiaunder the Colombo Plan, was determined to cultivate and preservethe endangered herbs of Nepal, and has managed to turn that ambitioninto gold.

He has grown more than 150 species of herbs on his 15 hectares ofland in Patan, Tanahu. The sales of red sandalwood and ginseng,among others is known to bring him hefty profits.

Now, following studies in China, Gurung is planning to startcultivating bamboos that can be used to manufacture photocopy paper.‘Abundant agro forestry could be a major source of income for Nepal,’said the 70 year old Gurung.

Bishnu Bahadur Manandhar in Nepal, 28 June

Many different communist revolutionaryideologies evolved around the world from 1960,including within Nepal. In Nepal the DarbhangaPlenum—-a meeting of the central committee ofthe communist party in 1961—is of particularimportance.

In the meeting, three courses of action for theparty emerged, a pro-constitutional monarchyline led by Keshar Jung Rayamajhi, a line thatwanted to restore the dissolved parliament andlaunch broad mass movements led by PushpaLal Shrestha and a third line which favoured aconstitutional assembly and an armed struggle,led by Mohan Bikram Singh.

When an election was held, the majorityvoted in support of Singh’s line. However, thecentral committee refused to accept the resultpreferring the restoration of parliamentarydemocracy.

Right then part chairman Keshar JungRayamajhi was alleged to be close to the king.Rayamajhi was dismissed but a three-membercommittee was formed to hold the partyconvention within nine months. This caseended with a compromise among the membersand the fight for power within the party alsodiminished. At that time I was elected a centralcommittee member.

The party was banned in 1961 and most ofthe senior leadership stayed out of the country.Zonal committees were formed to operate it,

Editorial in Naya Patrika, 24 June

The security situation inKathmandu is deteriorating.While reports of abductions andmanslaughter cases are on the rise,the government is doing little toaddress them.

The abduction of industrialistMahesh Sarada took place in broaddaylight. Afterwards a specialpolice cell was mobilised to lookinto it and the case was alsodiscussed at the Home Ministry.But their efforts amounted tonothing and Sarada returnedhome having paid a heavy ransom.The high school teenager who wasabducted was murdered and hermutilated body was found inKathmandu although her parentspaid Rs.100,000.

Every time there is a case ofabduction the police pay lip

Seeds of disunionalthough there were no provisions for this in theparty constitution. A convention was heldthrough an inter-zonal meeting, which was againagainst the constitution of the party. The trend ofover-writing the constitution continued.

Already there were signs of the partysplitting, but the key leaders ignored it. KamarShah, another party leader, and I tried toconvince the senior leaders against division.Shrestha even went ahead to call for the nextconvention. But the chairs at the conventionwere empty. Some leaders were jailed whileothers boycotted it because of the clash ofideologies. This was the starting point of theparty’s split.

By the fourth party convention, the party haddivided into two, with Rayamajhi heading one ofthe factions. I was appointed the generalsecretary. But there were allegations thatRayamajhi had helped arrest Sambhu RamShrestha and so his supporters left the party. Atthat time a demo had been called by pro-Panchayat leaders against Congress’s BPKoirala. Rayamajhi agreed to join but I wasagainst it because being against Koirala meantwe were against democracy. He did not go butlobbyed against me in the party. His propositionagainst me received only two votes and he waskicked out from the party.

Differences in opinions and ideology havecontinually threatened the unity of thecommunist party of Nepal, culminating incountless communist parties that actuallystarted as a single group.

Insecurity

Herbs worth gold

service to wanting to bring aboutjustice and to punishing theguilty but they achieve no morethan that. Another reason whythese abductions persist isbecause the abductors, even fromtheir prison cells, manage to keepforming new gangs to perpetuatetheir crimes.

It seems as if the court isproviding them with a form of‘shelter’ inside jail from wherethey can pursue these crimes andremain protected. Unless the Homeadministration deals with thisissue there is no hope ofKathmandu becoming a peacefuland secure city.

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

DEBUT NIGHT: NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel gets ready to meetwith the media after being declared the winner at NC parliamentaryleadership election on Saturday.

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726 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #457CONSTITUTION 2010

hen Mohammadi Siddiqui’s husband died 17 yearsago, the mother of three children had to struggle totake care of her family.

She had spent most of her married life within the confinesof her house, donning a burka in her rare trips to the market. Buta supportive mother-in-law encouraged Mohammadi to work as ahuman rights activist, especially to empower fellow Muslimwomen.

Six years ago, Mohammadi and her sister Maimoona set upthe Fatima Foundation in Banke to uplift Muslim women. Theorganization now has 22 volunteeers and tackles problems likechild marriages, polygamy and domestic violence.

“There is a dearth of religious laws in Nepal safeguardingsocial justice for women,” says Mohammadi, “on top of that,there is also a lack of female participation in law enforcementand the judiciary.”

Since the lack of education is such a barrier for Muslimwomen to be financially independent, Fatima has started askills training centre to teach Muslim women how to sew andpaint. “This makes them less dependent on the family and givesthem confidence,” says Maimoona, a 45-year-old mother of threeand graduate from Gorakhpur University.

Fatima is trying to prevent child marriages and has set up awatchdog community operating undercover on tip-offs. Fatimarecently conducted classes for women from 23 VDCs of Banke toeducate them on their constitutional rights. “Awareness is thefirst step towards reform and equal participation,” saysMaimoona.

The sisters have survived threats and intimidation fromsome male members of their community and mullahs. “At firsteven my brothers-in-law disapproved, now the mullahs havewritten letters recognising my efforts,” says Mohammadi with asmile. She is now a CA member, and recently completed herBachelors degree in Sociology from Awadh University in India.

Mohammadi is excited about the new constitution: “Finallythe laws of the land will pave the way for greater participation ofwomen from different castes and ethnicities.”

aglung is concerned aboutthe delay in constitutionwriting. The district is

dominated by RastriyaJanamorcha leaders. Janamorchahas been against Nepal isbecoming a federal state. At aHimal Khabarpatrika discussion,civil society and political partyleaders admitted that there is noother alternative to Nepalbecoming a federal state.Excerpts:

Harihar Sharma,Nepal Student UnionThe writing of the constitution istaking place at an exceptionallyslow rate. Issues like federalism,state restructuring, framework ofthe administration and other issueshave not yet been discussed. Theleadership is not at all seriousabout constitution-writing and isnot concerned about what thepeople want.

K.B Rana Magar, Parents’Organisation NepalWe hear that the suggestions putforward by the people of Baglunghave been shelved in some cornerof the district development office.Indeed CA members are attemptingto write the constitutionirresponsibly. Durga Dutta Acharya,Nepal Press UnionCA members visiting rural Nepal isjust paying lip-service.Constitutions have been written inthe past, it is now important toevaluate how much theyaddressed people’s grievances. Ifthe leaders are sensitive towardswhat Nepali people want, theyhave to deliver on their promises. Man KC, Nepal Teachers’ UnionThe fact that the CA membersvisited rural areas to seek theopinions of people at the grassroots is noteworthy. Netra Bahadur Bista,Akhil Nepal Teachers’ UnionLeaders are distracted by theformation of government and whois going to get what cabinetportfolio. A consensus governmentcan help us move forward towardsconstitution writing. Bir Bahadur Biswokarma,Dalit rights activist

The questionnaire developed toask for suggestions for the newconstitution was complicated.More outrageous is the fact thatthe CA members did not prioritisethe rights of the underprivilegedDalits. There is a risk of Dalitsbeing left far behind in the newconstitution. Raju Gautam,President, Nepal Bar AssociationAll the dilly-dallying inconstitution writing only provesthat the CA members are notserious about it. There’s a fearthat this new constitution will bepassed like the interimconstitution, where a handful of CAmembers decide the clauses.Those CA members who werecollecting suggestions took noresponsibility for the complicatedquestionnaires they were carrying. Ram Sharma, advocate The questionnaires that weretaken to the people were hard tounderstand. Until just a month agothe suggestions from the people ofParbat were not taken to the rightplace. Whose responsibility isthat? It is not too late, if weunanimously push for democracythe new constitution will be writtenon time. Mukesh Chandra Rajbhandary,journalistThe draft that the political partiesput forward has not yet reachedthe people, who doubt that theirviews will be represented. Shakuntala Sharma,Inter Party Women’s AllianceThe majority of women neverreceived these questionnaires. Allgroups are appealing to berepresented in the newconstitution. In such a situation,are issues relating to pressfreedom, rule of law and humanrights just not being prioritised? Din Bahadur Thapa,vice principleTaking locals who speak thelanguage to interpretquestionnaires would certainlyhave been more fruitful. There is apossibility that the country may bedivided along linguistic lines. Toprevent this division issuesregarding languages must also betackled.

Dharma Bahadur Kunwar, RastriyaJanamorchaFederalism is not the only option. Ifthe CA members really wantedpositive feedback they should havealso suggested an alternativeframework to federalism. Thiscould have been reflected in thequestionnaires. No space wasgiven to the fact that federalismdivides a nation and its ethnicgroups and destroys camaraderieamongst communities. Should the constitution be basedon ethnicity, language, culture, orregion? Anju Lamichane,women’s rights activistFederalism should not be formedon the basis of language orethnicity. It should include allsections of society. There’s fearthat a federal structure mayencourage separatism. Politicalparties should not thwartconstitution writing.

Prem Prasad Sharma,social workerThere is a process to writing theconstitution of a country. Thatprocess involves every citizenbeing involved in discussions soas to help decide how Nepal mustbecome a federal state. Amit KC, activist for the disabledSpecial rights must be given tomarginalized communities.Leaders have to study thegeography and understand thepsychology of the Nepali people. Ifsome communities do not think thatNepal should be a federal state, itis their right to think so. Sunita Gauchan, social workerThere is a tendency to use youngpeople for political purposes andabandon them when the politicalinterests have been fulfilled. Theneed of the hour is to provideemployment to the youth of Nepal. Bharat Poudel, CDOUnless we Nepalis change ourintrinsic behaviour, democracy willonly remain in slogans.Democracy has given the peoplethe opportunity to voice theiropinions. We must cherish thediversity while addressing issuesrelated to ethnicity and not pointfingers at each other.

Life behindthe veil

WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE: Mohammadi (right) and Maimoona set upthe Fatima foundation that works for the upliftment of Muslim womenin Banke, like this one (left) who is learning to sew so she can befinancially independent.

Two Muslim sisters showit is possible to fight forrights in the Tarai’sconservative society

KONG YEN LIN in NEPALGANJ

KONG YEN LIN

W

Baglung speaksThoughts on the constitution writing process

B

8 FLYING

aptain Bhawana Pant gently pushes the throttle on thestarboard engine of her Beech 1900D, scans the dialscarefully to ensure everything is ok. To her right is co-

pilot Rita Pyakurel who takes instructions from air traffic controland looks out for ground traffic, as the plane with its all-famalecrew takes off. The aircraft is cleared for takeoff from Runway 20and Capt Pant guns both engines as the plane takes off with an all-female crew.What is unusual is how routine flights with women on the flightdeck and cabin have become in Nepal’s domestic aviation.

Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines are the only two that operateflights where the captain, co-pilot and stewardesses are allwomen. But as more and more women opt for careers as pilots, thisisn’t so rare anymore.

“I used to watch my father wear his pilot’s uniform and I knewright then that I wanted to fly too,” says Pant,who has been flyingfor 12 years. “When I took my first flight I felt like I had achieveda big victory.” Pant became a captain three years ago at the sametime that Buddha Air introduced all-female crews to take charge oftheir flights.

Co-pilot Pyakurel says there is just too much to do in thecockpit to think about breaking stereotypes. “But,” she admitswith a smile, “I feel a tinge of pride when the captain is also awoman.”

Both Pant and Thapa are now also licensed to fly Buddha’snew and bigger ATR-42 twin turboprops. Komal Basnyat andYasodhara Thapa are two other female pilots with Buddha Air.Komal says the comfort level is higher when she works with afemale captain and says the women crew send a positive messageto the public about gender equality. Pant adds: “Although one’sgender doesn’t really make a difference when you work together tocontrol a flight, it’s very encouraging that things are changing.”

The first step towards all-women crews taken by Yeti airlinesin 2006 when, on the occasion of women's day, Capt Sabina Thapaand co-pilot Jeena Ligden flew together. “It was a wonderfulexperience,” recalls Thapa who now flies BAe Jetstreams for Yeti.“You have to prove yourself here to gain respect. This is not aprofession where women get concessions simply because they arewomen. You have to show what you are capable of.”

Although things have come a long way since Sony Rana (nowthe only woman flying 757s for Nepal Airlines) became Nepal’sfirst woman pilot in 1988, female crews are still veryuncommonthan thier male counterparts. Of the 300 or so certifiedpilots in Nepal, only 10 percent are women. Of the 69 pilots inYeti, there is one woman captain and five co-pilots. Of BuddhaAir’s total cockpit crew of 42, there are two female Scaptains andfour co-pilots.

Nearly all women pilots fly domestic routes, regarded as themost challenging flying terrain in the world. So the experienceNepal’s women pilots are earning will give them an advantage overothers. With more women pilots returning from training abroad,passengers will soon become familiar with the sight of women incrisp pilot uniforms in the cockpit.

Holding up th

All-female cockpitcrews become commonas more women pickpiloting careers

PAAVAN MATHEMA

C

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he whole sky

10 NATION 26 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #457

nternational Drug Day on 26 June reminds me of the past thatshaped my present, and the present that is so different frommy past.

It reminds me of my youthful days as a drug addict wanderingthe streets of Kathmandu. In the mid-1990s, I was about 20 andhad been using drugs for four years. My first drug was somethingthat was available in the local pharmacy for just Rs 20: the thenfamous cough syrup, Phensydyle. Many people my age in the1990s probably tried Phensydyle. For me it represented thebeginning of a long and treacherous journey, the life of a junkie.

The rest of the world believed that it was me and only me whowas to be blamed for what Ibecame. Since the rest of theworld believed this, Ibelieved it too. However, atthe back of my head was

always the conviction that it wasn’t just my fault.For four years I did Phensydyle and similar codeine-based

syrups. When new policies went into effect to control these drugs,the law enforcement agencies tightened their grip on narcoticdrugs. Phensydyle and Heroin were the ones worst hit. Phensydylewas sold in 200ml bottles, and therefore too bulky to sneakthrough the southern border. The supply may have been cut off,but the demand hadn’t reduced. The demand shifted to otherdrugs, namely Tidigesic: bupremorphine injections were availableonce again in the local pharmacy for as little as Rs 12 for a 2mlampoule. One dose could cost as little as Rs 6 and was enough fora whole day. A clean syringe cost Rs 5.

Ironically, government crackdowns resulted in an introductionof more lethal drugs into the market. The result was that HIVprevalence among injecting drug users in Kathmandu rose fromzero in 1994 to 70 per cent in 1998. That figure includes me.

We had the tools, we had the knowledge and yet we failed toprevent HIV infections among injecting drug users during thisperiod. We lacked the political will to admit that there was aproblem and, therefore, to do something about it. Brave outreachworkers entered the netherworld to distribute clean syringes, butwere often harassed by the law enforcement agencies. The Ministryof Health approved needle exchange as an effective means to wardoff HIV, but the more powerful Home Ministry still believed thatdistributing needles would encourage drug use. When the drugwas cheaper than a syringe, who cares about using a clean syringe?It was as simple as that.

To see the Home Ministry's mistake, consider how an abuserwould think: one doesn’t buy a new lighter to light a newcigarette. So, should I keep the syringe in case I need it later? Well,no, because I could easily get caught carrying a syringe.

The Home Ministry thus systematically fuelled the epidemic.The government succeeded in wiping out the 200ml

Phensydyle, but they couldn’t do the same to the 2ml Tidigisicthat is still being smuggled across the southern border.

Today I am out of drugs and leading a healthy life. Ten years ofHIV and 19 years of drugs has taught me many important lessons.One that I think is important to share on Internatiional Drug Dayis this: don’t ban glue sniffing, since sniffers will end upinjecting. rajhiv2002 (at)yahoo.com

Sniff orinject?

eevan Ghale used drugs for11 years. He never caredwhat his family thought or

about being socially excluded, butwhen he began to witness thedeath of friends and his owndeteriorating health, he quit.

He joined the RichmondFellowship Nepal, a rehab centrefor substance users and graduallyovercame his addiction. “Iregained respect and recognitionfrom a society that despised me asa drug user,” he recalls. Ghale nowworks as a director at the MotherTongue Centre Nepal thatdevelops a local languagecurriculum and also as acounselor for drug users.

He is celebrating his fifth'birthday' on 26 June marking hisfifth year since quitting drugs.“The life I am living is my secondlife,” he says.

Jeevan, a 5 feet 6 inch manwas 38kg when he joined thecentre. He now weighs 74kg and ismarried with a daughter.

He had started smokingmarijuana at school, switchingfrom marijuana to nitrazepamtablets and then injectingbuprenonphine within a year. He

Nepal has no hope of eradicating drugabuse, but it must prevent its rise.

Lethal doseis one of the lucky ones to not beinfected with HIV.

Among drug users, 61.4 percent inject drugs and among them29 per cent share needles. Anestimated 6,557 intravenous drugusers (IDU) are living with HIV orAIDS, which is about 10 per centof the total HIV/AIDS casesaccording to UNAIDS. InKathmandu, about 30 per cent ofall people living with HIV/AIDSare IDUs.

“There is a 100 per centchance of transmitting HIV byneedle sharing,” says Rajiv Kaflefounder and coordinator of rehaborganisation Nawa Kiran Plus.HIV prevalence among IDUs in2003 was 51 per cent. Given thelimitations of Nepal’s publichealth surveillance system, theactual number of infections isthought to be much higher. Kaflesays many of the users don’t evenknow about the disease.

Nepal was the first country inAsia to establish a harm reductionprogram with a needle exchangeservice for IDUs. However, theprogram has been ineffective dueto limited coverage as well as ashort supply of syringes. Theproblem is especially acute nowthat the potency of drugs hassignificantly deteriorated, movingusers to take bigger doses.“A druguser might need more than thetwo needles a day that they offer,”Kafle says.

Bishnu Sharma, programmanager of Richmond, says drugusers are also highly likely totransmit Hepatitis C. He addedthat about 94 per cent of drugusers in Kathmandu have testedpositive for the incurable disease.“Effective preventioninterventions need to be scaledup among IDUs,” he says.

Political instability, lowlevels of education and literacyand a lack of voluntarycounseling and testing servicesmean infection figures are onlylikely to increase.

A survey conducted by CentralBureau of Statistics in 2007

reported there are 46,309 harddrug users in Nepal with 1.2 percent of them being under 15 yearsof age. But the problem mainlylies within the age group of 15 to29, to which half the abusersbelong.

The major drugs abused inNepal are cannabis and codeinewhich is found in cough syrup,nitrazepam tablets andbuprenonphine injections, glueand opiates. Heroin is the secondmost prevalent drug in thecountry says SSP Hemanta Malla,chief of the Narcotic Drugs ControlLaw Enforcement Unit.

According to him, the drugsare mainly smuggled from acrossthe border or sold in pharmacies.

The government drugregulatory body, the Departmentof Drug Administration, has to getapproval from the InternationalNarcotic Control Board to importthe drugs that the country needsbut this has done little to controlthe abuse of prescription drugs.“Treatment is not a cure foraddiction. The rate of relapse isabout 95 per cent in our countrywhile new drug users appear everyyear, increasing the total numberof drug users,” he says.

The unit seized 105.6kg opiumlast year while 225kg opium hasbeen seized in the first six monthsof this year, a significant rise fromthe 4.5kg of opium first seized bythe police 15 years ago.

The largest heroin haul wasthe 23kg seized in 2003, while anaverage of 10kg is seized each year.

But the size of the raids is notindicative of the magnitude ofdrug abuse in the country. Itsimply reflects the effectivenessand failure of law enforcement,he says.

There are four measures to beconsidered in controlling drugabuse: control on production,supply, demand reduction andtreatment, rehabilitation anddetoxification. “We can notmake a drug free society but, wecan curb drug abuse,” Mallasays.

Confessions of a former drug user

I

EYE WITNESSRajiv Kafle

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INTERESTING TIMESMallika Aryal

ast year’s CA elections gave women33 per cent of seats in the assemblyand gave Nepal and South Asia good

reason to celebrate. It was a fantastic victoryfor women across the region. In manyconstituencies women leaders from newparties crushed veteran male leaders fromold parties. New women leaders were bornand there was no stopping them.

Although the ratio of 33 per cent femalerepresentation was stipulated in theinterim constitution, many feared thepolitical parties would not adhere to it, butthe women’s lobby was so strong that theywould not settle for anything less.

Not all of the women elected werepolitical party leaders. Some were warwidows and others had no training inpolitics. Some experts worried that sincethe process of constitution-writinginvolves a lot of legal matters those lackingthe right education, experience or trainingmay not cope.

The challenge for the veteran politicalparty leaders and the women’s lobbygroups who fought so hard for greaterrepresentation to prove the skeptics wrongwas a big one. But just because there aremore women in the constituent assembly

does not exactly mean the struggle forwomen is over.

The main agenda of the politicalleadership was not to get distracted fromthe constitution-writing process. There isno doubt that issues surroundingfederalism, inclusion, ethnicity andrepresentation of minorities are of greatimportance in the new constitution, butso are issues relating to women andchildren’s rights.

Despite their initial victory thewomen CA members still haven’t been ableto discuss and channel their issuesthrough the 11 committees, though eachhas at least one female member. WomenCA members also claim they haven’tforgotten what they promised and assurethat their fight is still for 50 per centrepresentation in all sectors. So why is itthat at a time when women’s voicesregarding equality in judiciary andadministration should be the strongestthat we do not hear them at all?

These are not new questions andwomen CA members have recognised theirweakness in raising their voices in the CA.This is perhaps why a caucus has beenformed in the assembly which willdiscuss and push these issues through butthat alliance too is still very weak.

Women CA members were not electedto voice only women’s issues in theassembly but it is important to keep it in

mind that there is no one else who is goingto do it for them. Asking for 50 per centrepresentation is not an unreasonabledemand. Women make up 51 per cent ofthe total population of Nepal so whyshould they feel any sense of discomfort inasking for 50 per cent representation in theassembly?

Nepali society is not going to changeovernight. Waiting for the patriarchy to endis a waste of time. During the collection ofsuggestions for the new constitution, CAmembers were warned by people all overNepal not to repeat the mistakes of thepast, to think beyond the Valley and speakup for the people who put their future inthe hands of the elected members.

It is not too late for the caucus in theassembly to gain in strength. The women’s

Take a standWomen must boldly seek 50 percent representation

L

movement all over Nepal must understandthat the fight for equal rights is not overjust because more women are in the CA.And it is important that the CA membersdo not forget that they are responsible forthe women in the far west who die ofsicknesses that are so simple to cure, of thewomen who live with a prolapsed uterusfor most of their adult lives because theydo not have health facilities, of the youngbrides in the Tarai and the hills who arebeaten up and kicked out of their homesbecause they did not bring in enoughdowry, or of the young girls who are burntbecause they are ‘witches’, of the widows ofwar who are waiting for reparation, and ofthe wives who wait every day for theirhusbands who were disappeared during thewar years to come back.

KIRAN PANDAY

12 INTERNATIONAL 26 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #457

PARIS – Since the arrival ofPresident Barack Obama in theWhite House, there has been anundeniable rapprochementbetween Europe and the UnitedStates. But on the deeper andmore fundamental level ofemotions and values, is itpossible that the gap between thetwo sides of the Atlantic haswidened?

Today, there is much morecollective hope and much moreindividual fear in America in thewake of the global economiccrisis. But the reverse is true inEurope. Here one encounters lesscollective hope and lessindividual fear. The reason forthis contrast is simple: the UShas Obama, and Europe has thewelfare state.

So what can be done topromote an “Americanization” ofEurope in political terms and a“Europeanization” of America insocial terms? Comforted by a new

President who incarnates a returnof hope, who inspires andreassures at the same time,Americans are starting to believethat the worst of the economiccrisis is behind them.

What was at the beginning ofthis spring no more than “aglimmer of hope,” to use Obama’sphrase, has become a more seriousand positive trend. Animatedcollectively by a combination ofnatural optimism and deepnationalism, Americans have

made their president’s campaignslogan, “Yes, we can,” their own.

Meanwhile US journalistsreport tragic stories of middle-class Americans losing their jobsand homes, potentially puttingtheir lives at risk without anysocial protection. “Cities of Tentsare Filling with the Victims ofthe Economic Crisis,” read oneheadline a month ago on the frontpage of a mass-circulationAmerican newspaper.

Who will pay for your cancer

treatment if you lose the healthinsurance policy that came withyour job? The absence of socialprotection does not make youstronger. The ambition of acountry and a society cannot be tocreate a people armed to the teethwith guns yet entirely disarmedin the face of illness.

Moreover, in a society that“lives to work,” where one’s job issuch a central component of one’sidentity, the loss of work is moredestabilizing than in a culturewhere one “works to live,” asin Europe.

In Europe, meanwhile, thereis undeniably less collective hopeand probably a little lessindividual fear. Perhaps becausethey are older and more cynical,European societies seem to baskin a “collective moroseness,”from which they have difficultyemerging.

The record level of abstentionin the recent European Parliamentelections is further proof of thatgrowing cynicism and alienation.Of course, it is neither possiblenor desirable to “clone” Obama ineach of the European Union’s 27

member states. But what isneeded to reduce the deficit ofhope that plagues Europe today?

The answer is far fromobvious. Europe suffers from ashortage of leaders who can speakin its name; from a shortage ofambition (what, after all, is thecollective ambition of Europeansnow that the EU is perceivedmore as part of the problem thanpart of the solution). But, aboveall, Europe suffers from anidentity deficit, for no one seemsto know what it means to be aEuropean nowadays. America, bycontrast, seems to have anabundance of all the thingsEurope lacks.

Formulated in such terms, theEuropean challenge seems evenmore formidable than theAmerican one. Nevertheless, it isfar from clear that the US willfind it easier to reform its healthand social security system, andthus alleviate the individual fearsof its citizens, than for Europe toinspire its citizens with a sense ofcollective hope.

In reality, Europe and Americashould represent a source ofmutual inspiration that wouldreduce the human consequencesof inequality in the one andrestore a sense of hope in theother. Project Syndicate

Dominique Moisi VisitingProfessor of Government atHarvard and author, mostrecently, of The Geopolitics ofEmotion.

COMMENTDominique Moisi

Emotionally the US and Europe are themirror images of each other

Worlds Apart

1326 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #457REVIEWS

n one of her poems artistKeepa Maskey recalls hermost cherished memories –

as a child in Nepal surrounded bydragonflies, butterflies andflowers, playing with brick dirt

athmandu is fast developing an eclectic music scene. Fromjazz music festivals, to reggae in clubs, trance and hip-hop,

Nepali classical music and now, opera.American soprano Lindsay Feldmeth and Japanese pianist

Ayako Watanabe are in town to give us a glimpse, for the very firsttime, of opera as part of a two week ‘Music for Peace’ festival. Thesoprano and pianist, who have been performing throughout theworld together since 2001, were awarded a David Projects forPeace grant, allowing them to play here to promote world peaceand cultural exchange.

The Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory, which is staging the eventwith the support of Hope Partnership Nepal, is also offeringworkshops and opera masterclasses with the musicians as well aslive performances by Nepali group 1974 A.D, Luniva, Hindustanifusion groups, singer Priti Kaur and others. The aim is to coalescediverse cultures on the stage and promote a sense of onenessamong people from two opposite sides of the world throughmusical performance.

“Music and peace is indistinguishable,” says Feldmeth, forwhom music has been the sole source of tranquility since she was15. Having played at several countries all over the world—Austria,Japan, Italy, Moscow, the US—they strongly believe that ‘theuniversal language of music’ has the power to make the world apeaceful home.

Feldman will also present peace scholarship awards fortalented Nepali musicians to study for a full year at KJC.

The Music for Peace Festival is from 27 June - 3 July. For moreinformation and schedule visit http://www.katjazz.com.np

and water by herself as her mothercooked and her father gardened.“That was that back then, now itis the/memory that fills my eyeswith tears,” goes the poem.

She went to high school in

India and then left for the US.After graduating with a degree infine arts from MarymountManhattan College, New York, shespent a decade living and workingin the US before coming home to

Kathmandu. “I just wasn’tsatisfied with the redundantlifestyle I was living”, she says,“I came back for a better qualityof life”.

She is currently exhibiting aseries of predominantly pastels inKathmandu under the title‘Concepts in Balance’ based onthe theme of motherhood. Shereveals that the series is dedicatednot only to her own mother, but

Balancing concepts

to everyone who can relate to thecomplex and intertwined identitiesthat persist within the mother-daughter relationship.

She depicts in her paintings apersonal journey based on her ownexperience with her mother—thetransition from pregnancy to birth,a mother’s devotion to her daughterand how this stops a mother fromseeing reason when her child wantslater to break free to create her ownidentity. She also depicts on a morepositive note how the two arepulled together at every bend inlife. Such is the nature of themother-daughter bond.

Maskey’s yearning for herchildhood days inspires her workat every juncture. She used towatch her grandfather KrishnaBahadur Chitrakar, who was anartist himself, prepare panels ofwork for national events. Sherecalls daydreaming of colours andforms throughout her childhood, atendency that still persists andwhich she demonstrates in thepeculiar way she lays her ideas outon the canvas, always beginning herwork with an oval.

This play on oval forms and theimportance she pays to colourseems to be what sets her apart fromthe traditional forms of artwork inNepal, that depict culture orscenery. Sabhyata Timsina

Keepa Maskey’s exhibition on‘Concepts in Balance onMotherhood’ is being held at TheArt Shop, Darbar Marg From 26June - 2 July

I

ANUP PRAKASH

Pieces for peaceK

14 26 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #457CITY

ABOUT TOWN

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Call 4442220 for show timings at Jai Nepalwww.jainepal.com

In Paying Guests, four young and fun-loving boys (ShreyasTalpade, Jaaved Jaffrey, Ashish Chowdhary and VatsalSheth) begin a crazy house hunt which takes them througha series of ultra comical hurdles in a bid to find that oneroof that can tolerate and shelter their combined problems.Ballu (Johnny Lever) has just the place for them but he hasone condition: he needs only couples and bachelors are abig no-no. The boys now have their work cut out for them.They need fake wives and in a hurry, leading to a whole lotof madness and mayhem later.

For inclusion in the listing send information to editors(at)nepalitimes.com

KATHMANDU VALLEY

WEEKEND WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL

Despite a couple of night-time downpours, this year’s monsoon hasyet to arrive in Nepal. The eastern region of Nepal receivedrains early this week from breakaway clouds from the Bay ofBengal. Satellite pictures from Thursday afternoon suggest that wewon’t see rain until next week. The monsoons have been latebecause of a poor delivery pressure system. But the signs of itsimminent arrival are looking good. The pictures show fresh cyclonesswarming the Bay, ready to scatter clouds out to the hills. This willbe helped by soaring temperatures across the Tarai and hills.Expect brief afternoon showers over the weekend in central andeastern Nepal.

KATHMANDU

EXHIBITIONSThe Locus of Continuity, an exhibition of mixed media art worksby Sunita Maharjan at Hotel de l’ Annapurna ,19 til 30 JuneIn a Different Light an exhibition of Photography by ZoeChilderley at Siddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal Revisited,1-18 JulyNepal Rendezvous paintings from Bangladesh and Nepal atSiddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal Revisited 21-26 June,11AM-6PM. 4218048Concepts of balance , an exhibition of artwork by Keepa Maskeyat The Art Shop, Darbar Marg from 26 June-2 July.4267063

EVENTSCall for entries for Film South Asia till 30 June, documentariesmade in and after January 2007 qualified. 5554121

MUSICKathmandu Music For Peace Festival by the Americansoprano Lindsay Feldmeth and the Japanese pianist AyakoWatanabe, 22 June-3 JulyBaja gaja, every Tuesday at Moksh, 7.30 PM onwards, Pulchok.5526212Live band every Friday and rooftop bbq everyday at KausiKitchen, Darbar Marg. 4227288Sunday Jazz brunch barbecue and live jazz music at the Terrace,Hyatt Regency from 12-3.30 PM. 4491234Jazz evening at Delices de France Restaurant every Wednesday,11AM-2PM. 4260326Some like it hot every Friday BBQ and live music by Dinesh Raiand the Sound Minds, 7PM onwards, Rs 899 at Fusion,Dwarika’s Hotel. 4479488Happy cocktail hour, 5-7PM, ladies night on Wednesday with liveunplugged music at Jatra Café & Bar.Live Sensation, performance by Yankey every Saturday, 9PM,Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu. 4491234Live Band Sensation performance by Aprilrush, every Saturdaytill late, Rox Bar, Hyatt Regency Kathmandu. 4489362Sunday Jazz Brunch by Inner Groove with barbeque, Sunday,12PM-3.30 PM, The Terrace at Hyatt Regency Kathmandu.4489362Nepali Ghajals and songs at D’Lounge Beijing Duck Restaurant,every Thursday 6.30 PM onwards. 4468589

DININGA cafe’s cafe Dhokaima Cafe, Patan Dhoka. 5522113The Corner Bar, 3-11PM, 5-7PM, Radisson Hotel Kathmandu.44118187th Annual Monsoon Wine Festival 2009, until 15 September,Kilroy, Thamel. 4250440Mango Etagere with hi-tea at The Lounge from 4.30-6.30 PM.Hyatt Regency. 4489362Weekend Brunch by the Poolside every Saturday and Sunday,Soaltee Crowne Plaza Kathmandu ,11AM-3PM. 4273999Pizza & Pasta at the Rox Restaurant every Monday & Tuesday,Hyatt Regency. 4489362Chez Caroline for French andMediterranean cuisine, BaberMahal Revisited. 4263070Mediterranean cuisine everyFriday from Greece, Italy andthe Middle-East at The Café,Hyatt Regency. 4491234Teppanyaki meat items and garlic rice right at Le Resturant,Gairidhara. 4436318Plat Du Jour at Hotel Shangri La, Kathmandu, Rs 600. 4412999Reality Bites, The Kaiser Café, Garden of Dreams, operated byDwarika’s Group of Hotels, 9AM-10PM. 4425341Starry night barbecue at Hotel Shangri-la with live performanceby Ciney Gurung, Rs 999, at the Shambala Garden, every Friday7PM onwards. 4412999Himalayan Rainbow Trout at Hotel Yak and Yeti, Darbar Marg.4248999

GETAWAYSRelax Package at Hyatt Regency Kathmandu for Rs 5555 plustaxes, for a night on double occupancy with breakfast,complimentary use of spa and, offer valid to Nepalis and localresidents only. 4489800Feel the Hyatt touch, a 60-minute Ayurvedic massage andaccess to pool and spa with breakfast or lunch at The Café orhi-tea at The Lounge. 4491234

Fri Sat Sun

32-18 31-19 30-18

26 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #457 15HAPPENINGS

BLACK IS BACK: Police arrest a member of Revolutionary Left Wing, abreakaway Maoist faction, on Saturday near Tribhuban InternationalAirport for protesting against 'border enroachment' by India in Nepal andshowing a black flag to the Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv ShankarMenon .

KIRAN PANDAY

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

COOL DESCENT: With the delayed onset of the monsoons and risingtemperatures, Satdobato swimming pool attracts crowds of locals eagerto cool down.

WE SWEAR: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal administers oath ofoffice to new minsters from Madhesi Janadhikar Forum and TaraiMadhes Loktantrik Party at Shital Nibas on Wednesday. President RamBaran Yadav was also present at the ceremony.

GRIEF IN COLOUR: UNHCR's photo exhibition 'Real People RealNeeds,' showcasing refugee camp images from Nepal, Afghanistan,Australia and the US, closes on Wednesday in Kathmandu.

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

KIRAN PANDAY

NOT BUDGING: Maoist CA members stage a protest in front of SinghaDarbar for hours on Tuesday, obstructing traffic and preventing civilservants, including a disabled singer, from entering the premises.

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

ISSN

181

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CDO Regd No 194/056/57 Lalitpur, Central Region Postal Regd. No 04/058/59

26 JUNE - 2 JULY 2009 #45716 BACKSIDE

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As the donkey’s ardent fans will tell you, we don’t indulgein idle gossip here. Just the juicy ones. And one of the mostintriguing ones doing the rounds these days is that the Baddies

just won’t let go of the “civilian supremacy” bone because they want toforce Prez Ram Baran to resign to pave the way for PKD to be president.After all, “the First President of the Republic Nepal” was the campaignslogan of Comrade Awe-Inspiring and one he took extremely seriouslyindeed. Awesome has also moved the party HQ from Buddhanagar toShantinagar, buying the house for Rs 30 million. The party got a heftydiscount from the sau because the house is supposed to be haunted.

But for the time being Ferocious is having a tough time clinging on toeven the Chairmanship at the Politburo where he has presented hisWhite Paper. However, the comrades are wondering how a documentthey hadn’t even seen was already in the hands of some embassies. Comrade Laldhoj, who has no love lost for Chabilal and was going alongwith it just to keep the Indians happy, has hinted darkly at the cult ofpersonality that is plaguing the party. BRB’s main gripe is against KajiNarayan, whom PKD plucked out of nowhere and made #2 in the partyhierarchy. Ram Babu is justifiably proud of his achievements at theFinance Ministry and would have liked to see some of his programsthrough had the leadership not bungled relations with India so badly.

The guy who was responsible for all this, Comrade Cloudy, meanwhilehas been so busy fence-sitting that he doesn’t realise the storm he hasunleashed. It was Cloudy who set the cart careening down themountain with his letter to Gen Cut Wall. But there he is clinging on tothe Golden Middle in the Politburo, holding his cards close to hischest, keeping both sides happy and his options open. Smart guy becosthe Politburo is split 50-50 between the hardliners and not-so-hardliners and by being coy, Badal gets to keep the swing vote. Smartchap, this is the guy to watch out for. Cloudy is in it for the long haul.

This may not be a jumbo cabinet going by the precedent set byLionheart in 2002, but definitely comes close. Maybe we should call it aWide Body Cabinet going by the girth of the individual ministersincluded in it. At least someone is reading this paper’s back page,because we now see that they’ve bifurcated Irrigation and Energy aswell as Tourism and Civil Aviation in order to make way for newcollision partners. But the Forum still hasn’t made up its mind, whichmeans we have to quickly come up with new line ministries. So howabout: Ministry of Bandas and Hartals, Ministry of Daylight Robbery,Ministry of Highways and Blockades, Ministry of Murder and Mayhem,Ministry of Abduction, Extortion and Kidnappings.

We all poked fun at Girjau when he called the YCL ‘Young CriminalLeague’ two years ago, saying ha-ha pot calling the kettle black.But it does look like the Old Fox was prescient, given the kind ofrackets the young louts are involved with. Having capturedKathmandu’s casinos, it looks like they now control the sand miningbusiness, the Pashupati puja bookings, the sandalwood smuggling, alltrade with Khasa, the Thamel restaurant and night club businesses.Name a honeypot and there will be YCL hands in it. Failed yourdriving license test? Just approach the Young Communist who’s inLeague with the Dept of Transportation.

The person most troubled by the downward slide of thecountry is none other than KingG, who is apparentlyworking on a “deshbasi ko nam ma sandesh” timed7 July, his 63rd birthday.

ass(at)nepalitimes.com

Ministry ofMurder and

Mayhem