Chiya Pasal ko Ganthan (Chats at the tea shop)

"Nepali Youth" by Birat Simha (Published in the Institute of Foreign Affairs, Nepal, Bulletin, July 2011)

2011-07-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

The proverbial brain drain has reached its heights in Nepal. The best, the brightest, the ones with the most drive are climbing over each other to seek a livelihood in countries ranging from Dubai to Malaysia. For $150 per month, a young Nepali is happy to do the most menial tasks in a plastic factory near Kuala Lumpur. Students prepare desperately for TOEFL and SAT with the hope of being able to study in the US. Nothing in their homeland seems to keep these young people from flocking abroad. But this really is no surprise. We live in a country which cannot provide enough employment to its youth, where education is subverted by politics, where it seems that the main purpose of youths is to parade in the streets shouting slogans or burning tires or worse.

The UN defines youth as those between the age group of 15 to 24. 12th August is observed every year as International Youth Day, based on a UN General Assembly Resolution. Half of the world's people are under the age of 25. This includes the largest-ever generation of adolescents who are approaching adulthood in a rapidly changing world. A common thread, however, runs through all of their lives: the aspiration for a better future. This is the critical ingredient lacking in Nepal – a better future for young people. This is why they leave the country in droves.

Almost 40% of the Nepali population is between the ages of 10 to 29. If we include the age group of 30 – 34 as well, the population assumes a large cohort of almost 50%. (Data from Demographic & Health Survey – Nepal, 2006). The volatility and aggressiveness of unemployed disillusioned and alienated youth cannot be underestimated. When youth perceive socio-economic grievances and lack of good governance, they are prone to radical and even subversive political indoctrination. Case in point – the rise of the Maoist movement in Nepal.

A few days ago, I was at a youth rally. The numbers gathered was modest but the fervor of the speakers and singers was not modest at all. The national flag flew abundantly. Banners were signed by all attendees, yours truly included though merely a youth at heart. The vast majority of those present there were young people. They raised the slogan, “Enough is enough; this is my Nepal, my responsibility” and spoke out their views. The rally was organized by a non-political coalition of youth groups calling itself “Nepal Unites”. This rally was followed up by similar ones in other locations in Kathmandu – the latter being “silent protests”. This is a novelty: protests where traffic is not hampered, where the police do not need to use their batons, where youth show their mettle. Mobilised by word of mouth and using the social networking site Face Book, it is obvious these young Nepalis are fed up with the current situation of the nation. Their frustration and disillusionment has boiled over and they are using peaceful means of protest to indicate this. They have gained international recognition. Voice of America’s internet site reports on their combined efforts and future plans in http://fb.me/Z74pO4fN.

The other phenomenon we have started accepting almost blindly are the ubiquitous “Bandhs” (general strikes). For a myriad of reasons, a myriad of groups call bandhs and the capital, often the country, goes silent sans traffic with businesses and shops all locked down. The youth have had enough of this too. Recent bandhs are met by youth rallies - on motorbikes, bicycles and on foot – plying the streets and defying the bandh. Another indication of enough is enough.

The rise of social awareness among the youth of Nepal is promising and long overdue. ‘Another World is Possible – Youth can make it.' This is the slogan of the Campaign of Social Forum started in Brazil which went through Mumbai, Karachi, Colombo, Caracas in Venezuela, Nairobi in Kenya, and various other countries. Nepal has also been a part of this movement and had planned to organize a South Asian social forum in 2008. As far as this writer knows, nothing came from that. We know what a disruptive year 2008 was in Nepal.

After the vignette of Nepali youth above, it behooves us to consider how youth can be further supported. The future of this nation lies in their hands and the future, currently, is simmering, rather dangerously. I speak to young youths in and outside Nepal, on and off the internet. A common thread runs through our conversations. They want to do something for the country. They want to stand by their, more often than not, very correct and strong beliefs. They are idealists and nationalists who feel they must contribute to the future of their nation. BUT they need to make a living too. So they speak dejectedly from across the seven seas, always saying they will come back soon, knowing not when that will be. The pathos of the conversations with these young people is gut wrenching. I identify with them well, having returned only recently to Nepal after a career abroad. The guilt of not being able to contribute directly to the well-being of one’s motherland and the resulting feeling of helplessness haunts our youth. Until and unless they can be provided gainful employment and a life here which meets their aspirations for a better future, their frustration and the nation’s loss will continue.

While identifying the plight of youth, there are steps that can and must be taken to help them in their quest for a better future. Urban Nepali youth, the shakers and movers (though only a small proportion of the youth population), have fair access to mass media. At least 72% watch television, 35% listen to radio, and 25% read a newspaper or magazine at least once a day. In total, four of every five urban youth are exposed each day to at least one of these media sources. The opportunities provided by this fact to promote youth awareness on social issues through mass media programmes are immense. (Thapa, S. and Mishra, V., Asia-Pacific Population Journal, March 2003. These figures are dated and must have increased noticeably.)

Another generally ignored aspect is the education of our youth. That their education is disrupted often due to bandhs is one side of the equation. On the other hand, has anything been done to disseminate among youth Nepali cultural and religious values and civic sense? Often, in the name of so-called modernity, the youth ape the worst habits of the West – gross materialism, alcohol, drugs. What they need to be taught are the “9 Principles to live by”: 1. Ethics; 2. Integrity; 3. Responsibility; 4. Respect for laws and rules; 5. Respect for others’ rights; 6. Love of work; 7. Thriftiness; 8. Belief in the will to act; and (absolutely relevant for Nepal) 9. Punctuality.

To sum up, let us support our Youth – our future and the nation’s destiny.

(The writer served internationally with UNFPA and UNDP, 1978-2007)

"Emerging Realpolitik Contours" by Dipak Gyawali

2011-06-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

This article deals with military matters and what the author refers to as the "facebook crowd". My comments below, which precede the article, focus on the latter.

I have highlighted the references to the "facebook crowd" towards the end of the piece. Having attended a number of rallies organised by this "crowd", which is really a coalition of youth groups unattached to any political party with the motto "My Nepal; My Responsibility", I cannot overemphasise its potential to really bring about change. 50% of the Nepali population is already between the ages of 10 and 35 and the future of this country lies in their hands, not in the ossified callous hands of the current political leadership.

I would urge all of you to befriend "Nepal Unites" in FaceBook, keep track of and participate whenever possible in its initiatives, and help it in any way possible. This piece ends with an exhortation to the "facebook crowd". This group, so far, may be limited to urban educated youth; but it has every intention to bring together all Youth of Nepal. The future must indeed be theirs if this country is to have any future. A "Facebook Spring" has begun in Nepal - may it continue to fruition.

p.s. Nepal Unites and the singer Abhaya Subba and her band have released a new song "Hami Sabai Nepali" (We are all Nepalis). Please buy the CD and listen to what Nepali Youth is saying. No matter your age, the song will inspire you.

p.p.s. My apologies for some of the uneven line breaks below. I received the article in an email, and though I have tried to format it as best I can, there remain some discrepancies. The full text, however, is there.

AS ALWAYS, YOUR COMMENTS ARE SOLICITED AND MOST WELCOME.

"Emerging Realpolitik Contours" (published in Spotlight)
by Dipak Gyawali

Nepali ship of state is adrift, rudderless on the political high seas, even as the rocky shorelines it is set to crash into loom ahead in ominous silhouette. Meanwhile those on the cabinet and Constituent Assembly decks are fighting over chairs and spoils as is their wont, but those antics will hardly have any impact on the drift to impending doom. What matters are the deep undercurrents that are roiling the ship on the surface. What are these dark upwelling forces from the deep? Some recent incidents give enough indications, even as the political adventurism of 2006 plays out its tragedy to its logical farcical end.

Sometime back the Chinese PLA chief came to Nepal, completely ignored the Nepali Maoists PLA and signed billions worth of support to its nemesis, the Nepal Army and not a squeak of protest was heard from the parties, their civil society mouthpieces, Maoist or otherwise, and even from the nosybody UNMIN failed EuroAmerican lefties that equated a national army with the insurgents. A few weeks ago, when the political leadership failed to end the deadlock over the future of Maoist combatants, the Nepal Army proposed its own modality â€“ and all the leading lights of the 2006 movement against the King and his army, including the Maoists, lined up in the race to praise the army.

The Nepal Army has just these past weeks completed the one-year staff training course it runs in Shivapuri for its new crop of senior officers and among the graduating officers were foreigners from China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The graduating Indian Sardarji officer even received the best thesis award for his research on Indian Naxalites and their threat to India's security! It is said that the upcoming new batch will include Americans, Canadians and Malaysians. What makes Shivapuri so attractive to super and regional powers who have their own
West Points, Dehra Duns, Abbotabads and Sandhursts? Nepal's peace-keeping expertise abroad and counterinsurgency experience at home, said the army chief in his commencement speech.

There were news reports indicating that the Americans proposed a SOFA agreement with Nepal, essentially a treaty that allows extraterritorial right to members of the American armed forces in Nepal similar to the ones the US has with the allies it provides its security blanket to such as Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. Instead of the Nepal government and the parties leading it deciding on such a momentous foreign policy issue, the draft was sent to the Nepal Army who said, Nepal is too politically unstable currently and now is not the right time to sign such
agreements. And that was that!

It is clear that a ceremonial army under the King has emerged in these five years to become a political army under Loktantra, and not just national political forces but also foreign ones are de facto recognizing it as such. What will this oldest, most disciplined Nepali institution do in August 28 as the self-perpetuating CA fails again, as widely believed it will, to deliver anything meaningful?

Another bit of forensic news was the Maoist leadership finally dispensing with the dual security they enjoyed, and sending their combatant-bodyguards and their weapons to the cantonments. What accounts for this unasked for alacrity when other even more critical issues of demobilization and constitution-making are deadlocked? The answer probably lies in the four rival factions that have emerged among the Maoists (five if you count the previous breakaways such as Matrika Yadav and others). Their hatred towards each other is more than what they feel about other parties including the monarchists. That they promise physical threats to rivals and deliver them effectively is something everyone in the politburo and central committee is only too aware of. Even a senior leader such as Baburam Bhattarai was threatened with liquidation at his very party headquarters recently, not that he is without previous experience in surviving such dangers. This intolerance of opposing views and the urge to destroy rivals before they destroy you is something that Leninist-Stalinist parties have genetically encoded in them as part of their historical upbringing. Could it be that the Maoist leadership that lived by the sword feels more threatened by its own sword-wielders than by its erstwhile foe, the disciplined and rule-abiding Nepal Army?

Against the backdrop of these undercurrents, the CA extended its own life, mercifully by only three months instead of the proposed twelve thanks to the Supreme Court's intervention. It pledged itself to a 5-point agreement re-agreeing to do what the parties agreed to do three, even six years ago with the 12-point Delhi deal. The prime minister, who put his signature to the deal promising to resign to clear the way for a consensus government, is now a lame duck. But consensus is an impossible mirage: even the interim constitution did away with the consensus
provision to allow for the political reality of a majority government. What unseemly circus will we see in the days ahead as this lame duck government proposes the budget for the coming year? Most of the 601 CA members slept away May 28 before their electorate, proving that they are no political leaders but initiative-bereft,
well-paid rubber stamps, to be used as desired by the roughly dozen party warlords who matter. Why does the civil society and facebook crowd demonstrate before this inept body to deliver a new constitution, when it should do so before the homes and party headquarters of these dirty dozen! One never expected much from the old, discredited civil society that is a prisoner of its highly partisan past, but one does hold hopes that the freshly political aware facebook crowd will put their stamp on coming events to stop the drift to doom. In doing so, they should first of all stop taking their lead from the morally sterile civil society and desist from flogging a dead horse that CA has become.

What is the CA deadlocked over in delivering new a constitution? The answers lies in the politically divergent philosophies that cannot be reconciled by the partisans themselves, and in Nepal's historical socio-political ground realities into which the imported Nineteenth Century utopian thinking of hirsute European males, or the narrow fancies of international interests, have run aground. Where should the facebook crowd start from? They may begin by looking at what worked, what were the strengths of the 1990 multiparty as well the 1962
Panchayat constitutions. Then they may look at the weaknesses and political failings therein to understand how the Panchayat failed to meet the broader mass aspirations after the 1980 referendum and how the votaries of the 1990 dispensation destroyed their system by self-inflicted infighting and corruption. Their cardinal sins were corruption that came from not sufficiently separating the executive from the legislature, as well as the failure to devolve development powers to the local village and district bodies. Can we just get at least those two structural mistakes corrected and move on? These political alternatives need approval by a higher body, the sovereign people of Nepal, through a fresh mandate, and not by an incompetent CA whose mandate has run out. The billion rupee question is: does the young facebook crowd have that staying power? If they do, the future is theirs.

Three Years After

2011-06-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

The following was published in a weekly three years ago on the occasion of the King vacating the Narayanhiti Palace. It seems as relevant today as it was then. Whither "New Nepal"? As an ardent believer in multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy, I weep for my country...

"A Crown Forsaken"

The king departs the palace today
Unsung and unlamented some say
But the Crown remains where it belongs
In the hearts of true Nepalis

Misjudgments three years ago
Drove foes to coalesce
Foes of every colour
Seeking power, not the nation’s good

Jammed between two big powers
Hostage to one especially
We became a pawn
In the game of geopolitics

A bloated assembly supposed to be over six hundred
With twenty-six members glaringly absent
Declared the nation a republic
Sans debate, sans referendum, sans justice

The army stood by silently
Perhaps not called to save the crown
Perhaps bought off by all and sundry
But it did stand by silently

Peace, peace – everyone wants this
And peacefully has the king left
And at what cost peace?
Maybe by selling our nationhood

A New Nepal is the call of the day
So let us see the novelty of a new government
If they can only stop haggling for power
To give the people what they seek

Democracy, unity, independence, development
Will construct a New Nepal
Not the mindless demolition of a useful institution
But the crown remains where it belongs.

29 Jaystha 2065/11 June 2008

Thoughts on the 29 May Extension of the Constituent Assembly

2011-06-03T23:16:00.000-07:00

(As published in People's Review Weekly, 2 June 2011)

My last published article was in People’s Review Weekly 10 months ago; and it was titled “Enough Politics - let’s talk development”. I have tried to keep my word and restrained myself from writing on politics these past months. But the events of the past few days have driven me to pen the following thoughts. As a citizen of this country I feel I have as much right as anyone to vent my disappointment, disillusionment and frustration.

The CA has been extended for 3 months with the following 5 provisos:
1. Completion of fundamentals of the peace process within 3 months.
2. Preparation of the first draft of the new constitution within 3 months.
3. Implementation of past agreements with the Madhesi Morcha by developing Nepal Army as an inclusive institution.
4. Extension of the CA term by 3 months.
5. PM’s resignation to pave way for formation of a national consensus government.

Already the Prime Minister and the NC leadership are wangling about whether a national consensus government is formed before or after the PM resigns. If the man had any honour and feelings towards his country, Mr. Khanal would resign his prime ministership immediately; but he is a mere politician not a leader or statesman. Surely the 3 Big Parties have already reached an agreement on which party the new PM will come from. Point 5 seems to be in trouble already.

Looking at Point 1, certain conclusions can be drawn even by a naive non-political neophyte like yours truly. The parties will most certainly start quibbling over what “fundamentals of the peace process” means. Nothing can be more vague. Does it mean the “logical” end (that over-used phrase which makes me laugh) -- no more Maoist ex-combatants in cantonments, all 19,000 (or whatever) integrated and rehabilitated, all arms from the cantonments with the government, and (dare we dream) all Maoist arms (the real functioning ones hidden all over the country, not the 3,000+ antiques in the cantonments) handed over to the government? If not, point 1 is null and void, placed there to fool the People and appease UCPN-M.

Point 2: interesting if this can be achieved without the Left and the so-called “democratic parties” quagmired again in the fundamental nature of the new polity.

Point 3: even with absolutely no military background, I daresay that no army worth its salt will get dictated to by unprincipled, unscrupulous cunning politicians (mind you, I did not refer to them as leaders). Were 10,000 Madhises and 5-8,000 (the number varies depending on who is talking) Maoist ex-combatants are to be inducted en masse into the Nepal Army without consideration for stringent army standards, not only would the size of the Army go over the one hundred thousand mark, but its efficacy would be doubtful, to say the least.

Point 4: the less said the better!

Therefore, in effect, this extension of the CA based on yet another (9th) amendment of the Interim Constitution - for whose benefit is it meant? The People’s or the CA members’? The masters’ or the servants’? You figure out who the masters and servants ought to be and who they actually are. Is the concept of “public service” even known to the CA?

Proposals for Post-28 May 2011

2011-05-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

Let us observe the Fourth Republic Day of Nepal, 29 May 2011, appropriately by starting a 'Thappadtantrik' initiative, since 'Loktantrik' has not worked.

Simple procedure for this initiative - (a) spot a CA member who voted for this futile 3 months extension; (b) ask him/her why he/she voted in that manner; (c) if you are not satisfied with the answer, SLAP the honourable member (number of slaps to be determined by the level of stupidity of the answer).

Be prepared to be arrested. The arrest will be your badge of honour.

Besides civil protests, whether they be on cheeks or from the streets, let us also now MONITOR every member of the CA on their performance, on a daily basis. A "CA Watch" needs to be urgently established for this purpose. Let us not take this travesty of democracy and peoples' rights lying down. They are there to serve us, the People, let us make sure they do so.

Thoughts in the morning of 28 May 2011 (as written in FaceBook)

2011-05-28T01:31:00.000-07:00

7.15 am in Kathmandu. CA term lapses at midnight today. A soothing rain is falling, an auspicious sign in Nepal. RPP-N rally begins at noon. Listening to 103.6 FM interview programme. Deadbeat politicians implying that non-extension of the CA, per se, would create an Emergency thereby allowing 6 months extension. They MUST NOT get away with fooling us, the PEOPLE, again!!! Lord Pashupatinath watches us closely today.

"Ma mare' pani mero Desh banchi rahos"...song playing on the radio. Something to think about very seriously today.

"जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपी गरियसी” (जन्म दिने आमा र जन्मभूमि स्वर्ग भन्दा पनि प्यारो हुन्छ।) Do the leaders of the 3 big parties remember this as they continue chattering away fooling us that they are trying to reach consensus? They had three years to reach consensus. The next 15 hours will make no difference. CA cannot be extended legally. Period. Stop your consensus talk, go home, and enjoy your Saturday.

2011-05-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

25 May 2011

"Verdict of the Supreme Court of Nepal on Writ No. 066-WS-0056 submitted by Bharat Mani Jangam along with the Constitution Assembly Secretariat" (Summary)

1. The Interim Constitution Article 64 specifies that the Constitution Assembly’s (CA's) term is for two years. It can be extended for a period of six months only, should there be an emergency situation in the country. It cannot be extended indefinitely.

2. Given the above stipulation of Article 64, it is not possible to extend the CA for more than 6 months simply stating that the constitution could not be readied for various pedestrian reasons, as was done in May 2010.

3. Therefore the one year extension of the CA last year, 8th amendment to the Interim Constitution, was illegal. Since that extension ends in three more days, there is no practicality in overturning it at this late stage. (This may yet be challenged by anti-extension advocates.)

4. Article 83(1) of the Interim Constitution specifies that the CA must not confuse its constitution drafting functions with its legislative ones, since it serves as the legislature also. This confusion has prevailed extensively.

5. Conclusion: There cannot be an indefinite extension of the CA as has been occurring and as has now been further requested by the government. A 6 months extension is possible if emergency is imposed on the country, with valid reasons. (This may yet be challenged by anti-extension advocates.)

Post-script
On 26 May 2011, Mr. Jangam has submitted another writ arguing that another extension of the CA is simply not possible. There is no emergency; and last year’s one-year extension has already over-stepped the 6 months extension allowed by the Interim Constitution.

2011-05-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

This morning I received a Press Release from UNN (United Nationalist Nepalese), a non-profit organisation registered in Houston, Texas, with a world-wide membership of nationalist Nepalis and others who support Nepal. The web site is http://www.unnepal.org/.

UNN is not alone in its call to restore the 1990 Constitution. That constitution was a democratic one, considered one of the best in the world. Ironically, our ex-PM, Madhav Kumar Nepal, was also one of the architects of that constitution. The current Constitution Assembly has failed, even after 3 years, to come up with a constitution. The Government, led by the Maoists and UML, is tabling a proposition today before the CA to extend the CA for another year. A 2/3 majority in the CA would get the proposition through.

As of now, the Nepali Congress and 2 of the Madhesh parties are opposing the extension. A 2/3 majority in the CA without them is not possible. But, knowing how politics works here, there may already be backroom horsetrading among these major parties (Maoists, NC, UML and MJF) and everyone will agree to the extension at midnight 28 May 2011. Perhaps there is already a deal where CA will be extended and a new government formed with a NC Prime Minister? (just guessing)

The people of Nepal are fed up with this CA. How can this extension be prevented? Legally, should the Supreme Court rule that an extension is not legal, given that CA extension can only occur if there is a 'national emergency'? In the streets - mass protests with the potential always of violence?

What is the way out? Presidential rule from 29 May with elections within 3 months? As the old adage asks, 'Who will bell the cat?' All fine and good for someone like me to sit comfortably in my study and spew out the above words, but who really will bell the cat? Should the CA cease to exist as of midnight 28 May, which government institution remains with any legitimacy? I can only think of the Nepal Army. Ideally, an army does not govern. It, simply put, has the express purpose of eliminating those considered enemies of the State. But there have been cases, in Africa and elsewhere, where the Army stepped in to restore democracy (e.g. Flight Lt. Jerry Rawlings' coup in Ghana).

Post-28 May, whither Nepal? Do we continue with our complacency and the fabled "ke garne" attitude? Or do we take our fate in our own hands and let this CA know: 'Enough is enough. You were elected to draw up the constitution within 2 years. Even after 3 years, you have failed. You cannot keep extending yourself indefinitely. Neither an extension of 6 months nor of 1 year will give us a constitution. You have shown us clearly that the constitution is not your priority - staying in power and making money is. So go home. We will elect a new parliament/CA that truly represents our aspirations. GO HOME!"

Jai Pashupatinath!

"Enough Politics – let’s talk Development" by Birat Simha (published in the People's Review, 12 August 2010)

2010-08-12T01:55:00.001-07:00

This piece was originally titled “What’s wrong with Nepal” and was intended to explore the political mess this country is in. On second thoughts, the idea seemed totally redundant. We all know all there is to know about the messy politics. And yes, politics is supposed to dictate every aspect of the society. But maybe that is the problem. Perhaps we need to veer away from a politics-driven approach to a Development-driven one while examining what’s wrong with Nepal (the country not the caretaker Prime Minister with the same name!).

Shelving aside elaborate ivory tower definitions of what “development” is, I consider development as simply maximising the human potential of society. One can talk about fancy indicators like GDP, per capita income, rates for literacy, maternal and infant mortality, etc. ad infitum. What it all boils down to is meeting the basic needs of every member of society, providing each member with equal opportunity for advancement, and ensuring they are able to lead secure and peaceful lives. Food and shelter are the very basic of needs. But these needs do not differentiate humans from animals because the latter too have the very same needs. Opportunity to better one’s life is the key. No, we are not all born equal.. But we should all have equal access to opportunities which we can utilise according to our abilities. Without these opportunities, we are prisoners of our birth, locked in a state of inertia, besotted with frustration, basically born to scrape through life and die without any improvement in our lives.

Popular terms such as “democracy” and “human rights” are not mentioned above. They are not because these concepts are made superfluous when one is talking about basic needs, opportunity, peace and security. We have wars of occupation currently ongoing in the world in the name of democracy. Democracy is the modern Holy Grail which some countries, who pride themselves on their democratic mettle, try and imposes on other countries which have no stomach yet for it. Human rights is a term that has been maligned and overused to the extent of making it a jocular political tool. We have seen how well international and domestic human rightists have performed in Nepal.

So in lieu of getting our blood pressures up at the political shenanigans being played out in and out of the Constituent Assembly, it may be healthier and more constructive to look at the state of the country through the prism of development. Nepal ranks 145th, out of 179 countries, in UNDP’s October 2009 Human Development Report (HDR), a comprehensive measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living. As per the Asian Development Bank’s 2010 report, from a total population of 29.25 million with 83% of the population living in rural areas, about 13 million adult Nepalis remain illiterate. About 3 million Nepalis do not have the probability of surviving to age 40 (HDR); and the average Nepali cannot expect to live beyond their mid-60s. 11 million Nepalis, 38% of the population, still live on less than US$1 a day. Sri Lanka, with a substantially smaller population than Nepal, has a higher gross national income than Nepal. Over 50% of rural households cannot produce enough food to meet basic needs; and 39 of the 75 districts are food deficient. Rabid unemployment levels drive large numbers of some of the best and most motivated of our youth to other countries.

The outflow of the youth force is the most blatant indicator of a lack of opportunity in this country. Many halt their education for menial jobs in the Gulf countries among others. Schools close down at the drop of a hat when anyone calls a strike/bandh. This in fact has forced many parents, those who can afford it, to send their children to schools in India – a substantial outflow of funds, besides the fact that these youngsters lose touch with the culture and society of their native country. The typical college graduate has to find a job, the few that exist, based mostly not on his/her merits but on contacts. Those who do not find employment, and cannot find a way to go to other countries, fall into the pit of frustration, disillusionment and radicalism. Let us keep in mind that over 45% of the Nepali population is between the ages of 10 and 34 (Demographic and Health Survey – Nepal, 2006).

The other social indicator is Health of course. Maternal and infant mortality are two indicators that are oft quoted as having improved remarkably in Nepal. Nevertheless, as recently as 2007, half of the children under the age of 5 were stunted, and 10% were actually malnourished. 75% of pregnant women were anemic. Only 27 % of rural households had access to a latrine. Diahaorrea outbreak, and deaths from it, in some districts are still annual events. Yesterday’s papers talk about a possible polio outbreak. Tuberculosis and Hepatitis continue to be major threats. Diabetes has become a rising challenge. Medical service, even in the capital, is sparse with those who can afford it invariably rushing to Delhi or Bangkok for urgent medical problems. Basic facilities such as safe drinking water and sanitation, doctors, nurses, and health center/hospital beds continue to be inadequate, particularly in rural areas. Malaria, especially in southern Nepal, remains a threat.

So the next time our “leaders” (and I use the term stingily) and the CA assembly members put on their political circus act, let us look past all that. They know not what they do. They have not even bothered to approve yet a budget for development activities for this fiscal year. They have lost their way and forgotten the reason why they are where they are – to help the People, as public servants. Let us leave them to their games and concentrate on developing the country, without them if need be. Let us look past the cloak and dagger stuff, the skullduggery, the unashamed cheating on the aspirations of the people who voted for them. If the government cannot help us, we must help ourselves.

Media attention is overly focused on the political. For example, yesterday’s (9 August 2010) OpEd pages of one of the major English dailies has an editorial on the prime minister election, an interview with Maoist Number Two (and potentially Number One) Baburam Bhattarai, and a motley smorgasbord of articles including one on the recent unsolicited and unsuccessful visit of Shyam Saran, allegedly the special representative of the Indian prime minister, to Kathmandu. There are two pages dedicated to “Business”; no space for development issues.

The standard refrain is that development prospects hinge on lasting peace and stability. Well, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the then government and the Maoists was signed on 21 November 2006, and we are still searching for that elusive peace and stability. Time to unlock development from this mirage. The politicians can quibble over who gets to the mirage first. Development must now become a people-led agenda, supported by the business sector and the non-governmental and community development organizations with advocacy from civil society, which has unfortunately proven itself Lenin’s “useful idiots”, and the media of course.

Finally, a word on philanthropy. It is not well developed in Nepal. We have the sorry habit of looking always to the government, and especially to the myriad of donors, for development funding. We should take the example of the 2nd and 3rd richest men in the world, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, who have pledged half their fortunes to philanthropy and are on a crusade to persuade all 400 plus billionaires in the United States to do the same. There may be no billionaires in Nepal, but there are enough well-endowed domestic sources, individual and organizational, to provide substantial development funding. Instead of complaining only, it is time these sources put money where their mouths are.

(The writer is a former UN international staff)

Don't Make Jokes; Just Watch the Government

2010-07-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, 2 August 2010, our Constituent Assembly sits for a third time to try and elect a new Prime Minister for the country. The incumbent PM, who heads a caretaker government currently, resigned over a month ago. It is unlikely that this 3rd attempt at a new government will bear fruit. There is no consensus among the major political parties. Individual political leaders are merely drooling over the PM's chair. I have actually stopped thinking about this melodrama, a transparent attempt to fool the Nepali People who apparently elected the CA in the hopes of gaining a new constitution and consequently a "New Nepal".

I have a collection of political humour that I kept for just such an occasion like this. I have nothing more to say than to state the "funnies" below. Emphasis in bold are mine:

Giving money and power to government is like giving
whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
- P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian

Government is the great fiction, through which
everybody endeavors to live at the expense of
everybody else.
-Frederic Bastiat, French Economist

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and
report the facts.
-Will Rogers

In general, the art of government consists of taking
as much money as possible from one party of the
citizens to give to the other.
-Voltaire (1764)

Just because you do not take an interest in politics
doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!
-Pericles (430 B.C.)

No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the
legislature is in session.
-Mark Twain (1866)

Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it.
-Unknown

The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with
a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at
the other.
-Ronald Reagan

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing
of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism
is the equal sharing of misery.
-Winston Churchill

The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects
of folly is to fill the world with fools.
-Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)

There is no distinctly Native American criminal
class...save Congress.
-Mark Twain

Amen.

Vu Vu What?

2010-06-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

No, it is apparently not a “traditional” South African instrument. Neither does it have any significant cultural value. Vuvuzelas started appearing during South African football games in the 1990s. Similar instruments had been used in Mexico in the 1970s. Various officials, coaches and players at World Cup 2010 have protested at the unacceptable noise level produced by thousands blowing on vuvuzelas during matches. The “beautiful game” depends primarily on the players on the football pitch. But the flavour of the game is much diminished without being able to see and experience audience reaction. The cheers, the nationalistic songs, just the pure raucousness of the fans give a game its anbiance. In this World Cup, all we hear is the droning of the vuvuzelas which drowns out every other sound in the immediate universe.

The players cannot even communicate well among themselves. Being able to concentrate on the game is as important as playing skills and physical fitness. Concentrating, with the noise akin to a billion bees humming around you, must be well nigh impossible. The FIFA President says that vuvuzelas cannot be banned since the World Cup is being played in South Africa and these instruments are a part of South African football. Maybe that explains the poor performance of the European teams!

Wimbledon 2010, which starts today, has already banned this pesky item. So has Yankee Stadium in New York. It is one thing to take pride in one’s tradition but quite another to drive the world nuts with the horrible monotone of tuneless noise makers.

Nepal after 28 May 2010 (Published in People's Review, 27 May 2010)

2010-05-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

It is not unusual, especially in our New Nepal, for anyone speaking for monarchy, in whatever form, to be viewed as a far-right “royalist” who wants to revert to the good ol’ feudal days. Let me qualify everything written below by saying that I am for a constitutional monarchy and full-fledged multi-party Democracy in Nepal. Let me further qualify that monarchy is treated below in its institutional capacity to unite a fast disintegrating country and to maintain its national identity and sovereignty.

Since Marx is being quoted so often and so haphazardly these days, let me go back some 2,000 plus years and talk about Plato and his The Republic, a fundamental exposition of political theory. Plato expounded that those who have the most intelligence, strength and courage are the ones best suited to rule; rule by the best - the Greek word for which is “aristocracy”. The term “aristocracy” has since been denigrated to mean government by people of the highest social class or by hereditary nobility. The true meaning of the word is simply government by those who have the greatest virtues to govern. Plato relegates democracy to only a step above tyranny. For him, a “Democratic government” holds out the promise of equality for all of its citizens but delivers only the anarchy of an unruly mob, each of whose members is interested only in the pursuit of private interests. Sound familiar?

Ancient Greek utopian political musings aside, 21st century reality is that democracies are the order of the day. A “representative democracy” (and here the definition of the Founding Fathers of the United States is relevant) is where representatives of the people are elected and whose power to govern is limited by laws enshrined in a constitution. This is the “constitution” which the 601 members of our Constituent Assembly failed to draft over the past two years – the time they were given by the last election to achieve this momentous task. “By the people, of the people, and for the people” is the ringing cry of democracy. But who are the “People”? In Nepal, is it the 85% rural population, 50% illiterate, 35% subsisting below the poverty line? Are they being represented adequately in government? Or are they being led like sheep by politicians with only self-interest in mind?

In juxtapose, modern monarchies, in all cases, are symbols of continuity and statehood. The majority of monarchies that exist in the world today are symbolic, whether they are termed “ceremonial”, “figurehead”, or “constitutional”, i.e. they do not have political power. Cambodia reverted to a constitutional monarchy, enshrined in its 1993 constitution, after the tumultuous years of the communist (Khmer Rouge) holocaust and Vietnamese domination. In Spain, Francisco Franco ensured the resumption of a monarchy upon his death in 1975. Malaysia, certainly one of the foremost democracies in Asia, elects a king every five years from among the hereditary rulers of the nine states of its federation. Japan’s emperor continues to serve as a symbol of nationhood and unity. Thailand’s king, the longest reigning monarch in the world currently, is revered by his countrymen. The monarchies of the United Kingdom and Europe remain while the nations themselves are fully functional democracies. Surely, there is much to be learnt from the monarchies of the nations mentioned above – which, incidentally, are all Democracies.

Is it then far-fetched to assert that the institution of monarchy can still promote stability and a national identity in Nepal? Here is an institution that survived 240 years through many challenges, not least of which was the 104 years of the Rana oligarchy. It is surprising and sad to see the achievements of King Prithivi Narayan Shah in creating a single unified Nepal in 1769 marginalised by the republicans. Did not King Tribhuban snatch back democracy from the Ranas in 1950? Did not King Birendra surrender to the wishes of the Nepali people to have a multi-party democracy in 1990?

Here we are, 3 days before the deadline for a new Constitution. As already mentioned, the 601 members of the Constituent Assembly have been unable to draft a new constitution within the stipulated time of two years. These members were voted into the CA with the primary purpose of drafting the constitution. They have failed miserably. The political culture in present-day Nepal can only be termed anarchic. The country is held hostage by the three major parties. The Maoists claim to speak for the people, like all communist parties do. “Claim” is the operative word here. Yet the political parties are horse-trading to extend the CA further, maybe even for a year more. What for? The legitimacy of this CA ends at midnight on 28 May 2010. The People had voted in the CA for a purpose. The CA has failed. Let it disband and disburse!

What then remains? There is the hastily concocted Interim Constitution, which has been amended many times already indicating its weaknesses. There remains the 1990 Constitution which was hailed as one of the best in the world. That constitution must come into force. Yes, a constitutional monarchy is part and parcel of the 1990 Constitution. But let us not forget that it is a democratic constitution, a result also of a Jana Andolan.

As a simple layman and a citizen of Nepal, let me take the liberty of outlining, in an almost naïve format, what should happen after 28 May 2010. We are all allowed to dream. The CA becomes null and void. Go home, CA members. As protector of the current interim constitution, the President appoints a caretaker government while the modalities for the reinstatement of the 1990 Constitution are being worked out quickly. Within a week, lest that much-feared “vacuum” sets in, the 1990 Constitution comes into force. The caretaker government proceeds to organize the next election, within six months. Nepal pulls back from the brink. Of course, this time around, no political party which has its own army must take part in the election. Further, the fairness of the election must be scrutinised effectively – Mr. Carter, please stay away this time!

12-Point Proposal to UCPN-M

2010-05-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

RGSD's Proposal to the UCPN Maoists in Nepal.

Aayo Gorkhali !! Jai Pachali Bhairab !!
Om Mani Padme Hum !!

Shri Sher Bahadur Gadtaula,
President, Rastrabadi Gorkha Seva Dal,

.
We at RGSD have welcomed the calling off of the political confrontations in Nepal. The Basantapur Peace Rally held last Friday; has been a historic victory for the Nepali people. The Gorkhali, Nepali people have once again sighed in relief and thanked the Gods and Goddesses for bringing about this understanding. Once again we wish to reiterate that we do not want any form of violence within Hindu Rashtra Nepal.

We humbly request all independent individuals, concerned citizens, responsible civic society members, private sector's professions and entrepreneurs, political parties and the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC), Confederation of Nepalese Industry, Nepal Bar Association, Nepal Medial Association, Media Society and Television Broadcaster's' Nepal to carry forward the people's agenda for permanent peace to it's logical conclusion.

Herewith, below are the "Twelve Point Proposal made by RGSD to the UCPN Maoist" and extend our hand in understanding and goodwill taking into consideration the interest of the Gorkhali Nepali nation and people. This is the exit strategy for a positve, permanent peace, national reconciliation and harmony amongst the people.

First Proposal:

Renouncing of all forms of violence by the political parties.

In the land of Lord Shiva, Enlightened Buddha Bhagavan, Jagat Janani Sita Mata, all forms of violence needs to be banned forever. Hindu Rashtra Nepal is a Zone of Peace declared and accepted by more than 120 nations around the world. The Nepali people wish to see national reconciliation, harmony , rule of law, and to live their lives in dignity, without fear, scarcity and hatred. Hence the first proposal we forward to the Maoists and to all the other political parties is that they must all renounce violence and swear in an oath for the establishment of permanent peace. If any of the parties fail to renounce violence they shall be declared enemies of the nation and people.

Second Proposal:

Dissolving the Constituent Assembly.

As the national leaders, political parties and the 601 member Constituent Assembly has failed miserably to carry out their promise and responsibility to the people, they must immediately dissolve the assembly. Also, we are amazed that not even one member has admitted their failure to fulfill their national duty. Not one leader has volunteered to return the salary for not having fulfilled the people's wishes.

Third Proposal:

Formation of a National Constitution Drafting Commission.

A National Constitution Drafting Commission of independent, capable, credible Nepalis living within and outside Nepal should be formed immediately. As the constitution-drafting process is critically important but so too are social harmony and communal acceptance, personal safety and well being, and livelihood to the average Nepali.The Constitution can be delivered to the people for endorsement through a national referendum as the political parties are unable to come to an agreement.

Fourth Proposal:

Reinstatement of Nepal as a Hindu Rashtra.

The majority of Nepali people all wish that their Nation be a Hindu Rashtra forever, No external force, foreign faith, foreign institutions and individuals can conspire to change the very identity of the nation. Declaration of secular identity of Nepal was done in secrecy and by conspiracy which the people have rejected.

Fifth Proposal:

Declaring all bandhs, hartals and civil unrest as illegal without a permit.

Banning of all bandhs, hartals and civil unrest that causes discomfort to the people and disturbs the peace. Designated areas for protests only after the issuance of a permit defining the time, place, reason and methods of assembly to protest will be allowed as in all civilized, democratic nations. Any destruction of public properties, national resources and infrastructure are criminal acts and sever punishment meted out and fines levied. Improvements in law and order must be prioritized and must remain at the forefront of governance provision regardless of which party heads the next coalition government. Security for all without fear and terror.

Sixth Proposal:

Collecting of donations, extortion's, fund raising by political parties, workers, leaders be banned.

All forms of extortion's, fund raising, charitable donations for political purposes made illegal and banned.
Any leader, party or political worker being involved in these activites will be permanently banned from holding public office and declared criminals.

Seventh Proposal:

The Maoist must return all the occupied lands, houses, business and vehicles.

It has been more than four years since the Maoist's signed the peace agreement and had made promises of returning the private properties the party has confiscated. Why have they not kept their words and acted in good faith. The Maoists must return all forcibly illegally occupied land, houses, business, vehicles and other public properties. These acts to be declared criminal and punishable by the full extent of the law.

Eighth Proposal:

Formation of a Nationalist Alliance to defend Hindu Rashtra Nepal.

All Nationalist political parties and institutions must join hands in unity to safeguard the Nations independence, sovereignty and Dharma. Without reconciliation, peaceful coexistent development is not likely in Nepal’s future. Reconciliation and rehabilitation and integration are crucial for Hindu Rashtra Nepal.

Nineth Proposal:

All Political Parties and leaders must severe their links with foreign governments and institutions.

No political leader or party shall have any link to any foreign government, INGo's, foreign agencies. Anyone doing ss shall be declared anti Nepali and anti people.

Tenth Proposal:

No obstruction to educational, commercial, industrial and social and religious activities.

Normal daily activities of schools, colleges, universities, industries, business, temples, social and religious functions, chad, parba, jatra cannot be disturbed by political leaders, parties. Anyone doing do shall be declared a criminal and punished and fined under the law. Formation of Industrial Security Force citing insecurity in individual and institutional term.

Eleventh Proposal:

All conversions to foreign religions be made illegal.

Any form of proselytizing, conversions, killing of cows shall be declared serious crimes and punished .
All foreign charitable grants, funds, must be declared and accountable to the public. All INGO's and local NGO's activities within the country must be made transparent and legal. All local NGO's must have their financial accounts audited and cleared for further extension of their permits.

Twelfth Proposal:

Protection and preservation of all national symbols and heritage.

All national symbols, icons, statutes, historical monuments, buildings, temples and cultural bodies to be protected from vandalism, destruction and violence. Anyone caught in vandalism, arson or any act of violence against the nation's symbols from the national flag to the temple shall be severely punished. The Nepali people will not allow any disrespect to our national icons.

The current political mess in Nepal was created by external forces who wish to destabilize our nation and carry out their secret agenda through some of our Nepali brothers and sisters, leaders, parties, ngo's, civic societies and individuals. This was the realization of Dollars, Euros and Rupees funded, raised abroad to carry out their war plans into Nepal.

The positive understanding of peace includes harmony, personal and/or communal well being, forgiveness and reconciliation, happiness, acceptance, and security. there will be no more tears and pain or suffering and death. This is the Gorkhali Nepali vision of permanent peace.

United we stand . Aayo Gorkhali !! Jai Kali !! Jai Sankhu Bhagawati !!.

Satya Mayeba Jayatey !! ॐ नमः शिवाय

Jai Pashupati Nath !! Jai Gorakh Nath Baba !! Jai Durga Bhavani !!

Sher Bahadur Gadtaula
President
Rastrabadi Gorkha Sewa Dal
New York

May 12th, 2010

"LET MY COUNTRY LIVE"

2010-05-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

I have decided to put this longish post on the blog site to prove the futility of trying to write reasonably in this country. Some of the articles have already been posted here. But this anthology of published articles, in chronologically backward order, is an example of shouting in the wilderness.
_________________________________________________________

Posted in http://nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com on 12 June 2009;
Published in People’s Review, 18 June 2009.

An Open Letter to the United States of America

To:
Mr. Robert O. Blake
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia

Your visit to Nepal on 12-13 June, today and tomorrow, is appropriate, timely and welcome. The papers say that you will be discussing a broad range of issues with top officials of the new government in Nepal during your visit to Kathmandu. I further understand that this is your first visit here in your present official capacity. As the representative of the United States and its new dynamic president, Barack Obama, we Nepalis expect much from your visit.

This country is going through a unique process. Some call it the birth pangs of democracy. Others are not so generous. Democracy, as envisaged by the drafters of your constitution, has not even showed its face in this euphemistically termed “New Nepal”. A communist rebellion was appeased by weak political parties with external support from a close neighbour. The country was declared secular, federal and a republic without putting these major issues to the people by the democratic process universally called “referendum”. The election of April 2008 was termed fair by the likes of Mr. Jimmy Carter who did this country no service by his callous statements. The past nine months of the Maoists-led coalition government has not improved this country by even an iota. The increased revenues are cited as an achievement. But these revenues were not able to be utilized for development. They remain useless in government bank accounts or perhaps in the deep pockets of some politicians.
Now we have a Prime Minister who lost the election in two constituencies. Our Foreign Minister is also similarly qualified. The Nepali Congress party, considered the harbinger of democracy in this country, is not democratic within itself. The CPN-UPL, to which party the new PM belongs to, does not even have enough internal unity to choose its ministers for the new cabinet. The Madhesi Janadadhikar Forum, with its quixotic demand for “One Madesh, One Pradesh” is splintered down the middle. These are the three largest parties in the Constituent Assemble, after the Maoists – all with internal in-fighting resulting in political impotence.
The Maoists, as every red-blooded American is aware of, are hell-bent on creating a “People’s Republic”. Their current flirtation with multi-party democracy is merely a tactical step towards their ultimate goal of state capture. No hope of democracy from their side.

So, Mr. Blake, representing the most powerful democracy in the world today, what are you going to do to help foster democracy in Nepal? We are fully aware of your country’s interest in Nepal as a potentially soft under-belly of China. But Nepal’s foreign policy vis-à-vis the Tibet issue is very different from the United State’s or India’s. It has to be because we must live with our two giant neighbours. During the past two years, Tibet’s office in Nepal has been closed down. Tibetan protesters at the Chinese Embassy here have been arrested, some rather viciously. Nepal does not have the luxury of American indulgence in Tibetan rights. Your actors, such as Richard Gere, may come here and highlight the issue of “freedom for Tibet”. But for us, China is a powerful neighbour who has also helped us much in development and with whom, I might add, we have no border encroachment problems. If the US wants Nepal to support the Tibet freedom movement, the geo-political equations here have to change drastically. Mind you, as a country which was never colonized, it would also be difficult for us to accept any overt forms of external intervention.
Mr. Blake, our new government has stated that the conclusion of the peace process and the timely drafting of the new Constitution are its priorities. And they should be. But how do we conclude the peace process when 19,000 rebel fighters are still camped in various parts of the country at the government’s expense, when it is an open secret that they have access to far more fire power than the few old guns locked up under UNMIN supervision, when the Maoists’ youth wing, the YCL, create havoc at will, when Maoist members of the CA openly declare that they can take over Kathmandu in a mere 12 hours. How is peace possible in this scenario? As for the Constitution, alas we here do not have any Jeffersons, Adams or Franklins which your country was fortunate to have in the 1760’s. We simply have a motley crew of power-hungry politicians. So let not America be surprised if the constitution making process is delayed or even aborted.

Democracy has rights and obligations. Few politicians in Nepal think about the latter. Leadership is a sine qua non. Alas again, we do not have anyone with the leadership stature of a George Washington. Of course, we also do not have anyone with the moral stature of a Abe Lincoln. Enough of what we do not have. We do have, I believe, a vibrant youth population who are seeing their dreams of a happy future fade away. A lot of them are educated and aware. Even the political parties have a “few” of them, except the fossilized leadership in these parties ignores the aspirations and potential of youth. You, Mr. Blake, have a President well under 50 years in age. The venerable icon of Nepali democracy (and I do revel in sarcasm at times) is nearing 90!

Let me not ramble on, Mr. Blake. We need support from America in the construction of a strong and vibrant democracy in this country. We know you have the ability to help us with this – and without outsourcing it regionally. We expect a lot from the fresh leadership in your country. And we too think, “Yes, we can!”

Published in People’s Review, June 4-10, 2009

Jai Bandh!

Yesterday, 1 June, I had one of my most peaceful days in Kathmandu since returning here about two years ago. I walked from Jamal to Kaldhara to Lazimpat to Maharajgunj and back. The streets were sparsely populated with pedestrians, a few bicycles, one or two ambulances on emergency call, a few daring motorcyclists and one ironic motorbike with the pillion rider festooned in a red bandana and carrying a red communist flag. A few mom-and-pop stores were stealthily open. The rest of the stores were shuttered down as tightly as the Guantanamo Bay complex in Cuba is soon expected to be. There was almost a festive mood in the air, people walking in the middle of the street with hardly a care in the world. I felt good walking in the middle of the street too and hardly felt the heat of the afternoon sun.

I have concluded the following from the scenario above:
(a) There is absolutely no need for petroleum-based vehicles in Kathmandu within the confines of the ring road. We can all live healthier lives getting good exercise by walking (or bicycling) in a pollution free environment.
(b) The perpetrators of bandhs, and there will be many more now that the Maoists are out of the government, need to allow shops to open. There is no purpose in inconveniencing hard-working merchants during these bandhs. Inconvenience the elite driving around in their SUVs, but why pick on these shops who are simply trying to make a few bucks? Shutting down shops will not pressurize the government in any way. It does not really care, can’t you see?
(c) Let us institutionalize bandhs in our fledgling democracy. Just like it was/is accepted practice to air political views standing on a box at the corner of Hyde Park in London, let us all accept that bandhs are a means of political expression. Just let’s not close down the economy. This way, we get the best of both worlds. People will certainly notice a bandh while the economy does not have to suffer.

Yesterday’s bandh was apparently initiated by the “joint action committee for Newa Autonomous state” demanding, inter alia, the declaration of Kathmandu Valley as an autonomous state. Not a quixotic cause, I might add. If Madhes is to be one state and the other ethnic groups are also having a go at autonomy, why not the Newars? They are, after all, the original inhabitants of this valley. Since federalism is supposed to cure all our problems and Nepal has already been “declared” a Federal Democratic Republic, it is hardly surprising that various ethnic groups try and consolidate their political identity by demanding autonomy. Now let us see where federalism will lead us. Will Nepal break apart at the seams or will we become a strong federal state such as the US? There is a saying, “Don’t go to the cardiologist unless your heart is giving you trouble”. The politicians of “New” Nepal ignore this. They have made us secular, federal and God knows what else is coming, whether we needed it or not.

I mentioned somewhere above that we would be wise to expect more bandhs now that the Maoists have abandoned the government and are in opposition. They have this basic strategy of “struggle programmes from both the streets and parliament”. Fine, I guess this is democracy in action and every political party has the right to stop parliament from functioning, to create massive traffic jams, to present the people with the gift of insecurity caused by political cadres (who can also be called hoodlums) attacking everything in sight and, in general, shutting down the country for days on end.

Even as I write this, I hear chants in the street below. And today is not even a bandh day. We are supposed to be having a bandh break between the Newa bandh from yesterday and the Maoist “struggle programmes” to begin tomorrow. Someone is breaking the bandh rules! So we can expect a long hot summer and monsoon while this new government tries to govern, when it has time to do so while trying to survive. The “logical” conclusion of the peace process and the formulation of the new constitution are supposed to top the political agenda. I know not whose logic the peace process is following. And what about Development? Or have we been declassified from being a LDC lately?

The Indian Congress Party swept the recent election there having co-opted the Academy Award winning song “Jai Ho!” My tongue-in-cheek “Jai Bandh!” is a cry of frustration, no doubt. I can only plead that let not this country be governed by an endless series of bandhs, leading nowhere except into deeper depths of poverty, lack of governance and mayhem.

Published in People's Review, Thu 2 April 2009
Posted in NepaliPerspectives.blogspot.com, 3 April 2009

Hindutwa Challenged

As the campaigning for the Indian parliamentary elections heats up, Varun Gandhi, a 28-years old candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been taken into custody under the National Security Act. His misdeed: making fiery speeches supposedly inciting communal disharmony. That this has happened in the alleged largest functioning democracy in the world is remarkable; that the protagonist is a scion of the Gandhi clan, son of Menaka and the late Sanjay Gandhi and nephew of the Indian Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi, adds another angle to the story.

Freedom of speech is a basic pillar of democracy. What the young Gandhi exercised was this freedom. In the recently concluded American presidential elections, strong words were exchanged among of the candidates. Radio show hosts were criticized for inflammatory and racist remarks. But no one was hustled into prison. The reason, of course, is that none of these remarks threatened the national security of the United States. That Varun Gandhi's remarks may have threatened the national security of India indicates the fragility of the Indian strain of democracy.
India has made spectacular gains recently in the economic sector. It is also a country where at least a quarter of its billion plus population is mired in abject poverty. Social indicators, especially those on health, do not reflect the political lead that India tries to take in the sub-continent. As a more telling illustration, the Gandhi family - that of Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter Indira Gandhi (not Mahatma Gandhi) - has become almost the "royal family" of India. That the oldest political party of India, the Congress, is currently headed by a woman of Italian birth says much for the awesome clout of the Gandhi name. Sonia just happened to be the wife of the pilot-turned-politician, the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who in turn may never have had to give up flying if his younger brother, Sanjay Gandhi, had not died in an aircraft mishap. Varun Gandhi is the son of this very same Sanjay.
Varun Gandhi's arrest has its political overtones. The BJP is challenging the Congress to lead the next government of India, which will almost surely be a coalition government. BJP has gained its fame, and has actually ruled India once, as a pro-Hindu party. It is today trying to downplay its Hindu origins to court non-Hindu votes. Varun Gandhi's speeches should not have come as a surprise to anyone. "Theocracy", something that most people believe ended when the Pope lost political power, is alive and well. The numerous Islamic states testify to this, as does the state of Israel. In this state of affairs, Hinduism is unique in that it does not accept converts. So with other religions on a conversion spree, Hindus will gradually have the least adherents. That the BJP should try to downplay its pro-Hindu roots and is almost disowning Varun Gandhi today illustrates this inherent hesitation among Hindus to stand up for Hinduism, that most tolerant of religion which is now facing extinction because of that very tolerance.
Another case in point: about three years ago, Nepal - then the only Hindu kingdom on earth - was declared secular by a motley crew of polticians, without so much as a peep from the people. While the Maoists have been logically blamed for this, the real culprits were the proselytizing grpups from Western donor countries who have made Nepal their conversion laboratory. While its Hindu population, comprising about 65% of the total, remained silent - or perhaps, tolerant! - Nepal lost its Hindu identity with a simple government ordnance.

Therefore, for Varun Gandhi to exercise his right to freedom of speech in the cause of Hindutwa is novel and laudatory. That his country is so insecure that it cannot allow him this freedom is a separate matter. All Hindus, especially those who have remained silent and docile so far, must view this imcident as a young Hindu stalwart's fight for his freedom, his beliefs and his religion!
The time has come for Hindus to stand for their rights and beliefs. This is not an exhortation to violence. Peaceful action is best. The symbol of universal peace, Gautam Buddha, was born a Hindu. Let us not be afraid, however, to fight if that is the only resort left us by our opponents. Let us not forget the Mahabharata and the Bhagvad Geeta when Lord Krishna himself, incarnation of Vishnu, went to battle to defend justice and righteousness.#

Published in: News Front, 9-15 March, 2009; People’s Review, 12-18 March, 2009
Posted in Nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com, 9 March 2009

International Women’s Day

8 March is International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is observed around the world each year to celebrate the achievements and gains made by women and to focus on the job still to be done in working towards equality for women. International Women’s Day provides an opportunity for communities to recognise and celebrate local women’s achievements and the contribution they continue to make to their area.

I was reading in a paper the other day about a community in western Nepal which observed strict traditional customs related to maternity as well as menses. The new-born child and mother have to remain secluded, usually in the cow shed, for 11 days before the priest “purifies” the child in the ceremony commonly known as Nwaran. Similarly, women have to remain completely secluded for 5 days during their monthly menses. The former has resulted in the death of children who do not have access to proper post-natal care. The latter is yet another phenomenon of “untouchability” in our society.

A few months ago, the Miss Nepal pageant had to be scuttled due to protests from a women Maoist group which dubbed it as exploitation of women, ignoring completely that all the contenders were well educated young ladies, there is no bikini parade in the Nepal pageant, and the Miss World organization is a major donor to charities. So Nepal was not represented at the Miss World pageant in Johannesburg, South Africa last December. Ms. Russia won the crown and Ms. India was the runner up. A group of narrow-minded dogmatic women, ironically, prevented the Nepali contestants from competing for a better future.

Another glaring illustration is the treatment of widows in Nepal. When the husband dies, the wife’s bangles are broken, the vermillion on her head wiped away and she is swathed in white, never to wear red again. She has to go into hard mourning for 13 days. Some widows even wear only white for a year or for the rest of their lives. A widower can receive offers of marriage the very next day after the death of his wife.

Closer to home, I learnt recently that daughters, once married, have no legal rights on their parents’ property. I assume parents wash their hands off their daughters once they marry. She becomes the responsibility of her husband. In a way, she becomes a member of her husband’s family completely with minimal ties to her own family. I hear murmurings that this law will soon be changed, giving equal rights to sons and daughters. It is yet to be seen whether the fabled “New Nepal” will redress this inequality.

For sure, women in Nepal, as elsewhere in the world, have come a long way. Women’s literacy is over 40%, though men’s is close to 60%. Women in the work-force are visible from the women traffic police to the numerous executives and secretaries, though more of the latter to be sure. There is yet much to be done. The median age at first marriage of Nepali women is only 17. Maternal mortality rate, the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 deliveries, remains at 281, as compared to 110 for Maldives and 92 for Sri Lanka. Only 23% of Nepali women give birth attended by a trained attendant, as compared to 85% for Maldives and 96% for Sri Lanka.

Statistics alone do not tell the whole story. They are merely indicators of deep-rooted social, cultural and development issues. Until we can accept the fact that all babies, whether male or female, are born equal and have equal rights, the status of Nepali women will continue to be defiled. Parents will keep on having children until they have a son who can light their funeral pyre, thus inflating the birth rate. Women are usually not even allowed at funerals. Why should not a daughter light the funeral pyre? If women in history had the courage to burn themselves alive in the funeral pyres of their husbands, courage is in no short supply among women.

Changes in women’s status can come about only with basic attitudinal changes among men, as well as women who cling to out-dated customs. These changes need to be brought about by education, how children are brought up, and legal safeguards for women’s rights. There is still a long way to go for women to achieve equality and equity with men in Nepal. But it is a challenge that cannot be avoided. It has been proven, for example, that educated mothers have fewer and healthier children. So it is not an exaggeration to say that women shape the future.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, let each one of us reflect on the true status of the average Nepali woman. Not the socialite or CA member, not the educated and aware, but the simple girls and women in a village. Perhaps they spend most of their time fetching water, cooking, washing clothes, and looking after their fields and cattle, if any. They are illiterate, doomed to a life unchanged for generations. Development, a nebulous term at best, requires many ingredients. A crucial one is that women have to be educated and their status must be equal to men.#
(The writer is a former UNFPA Representative in Papua New Guinea and Mongolia)

Published in People’s Review, October 2-22, 2008

The Repression of Nepali Womanhood

Some say that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Others say that behind every successful man there is a woman. The role of women in shaping the psyche of men as well as women is indisputable. The women of Nepal have taken large strides over the past 15 years. But consider these current facts: the median age of first marriage for females is 17; women still have an average of more than 3 children; 281 women out of every 100,000 still die at child birth; only 23% of women give birth with a skilled attendant on hand; married women have no right to their parents’ assets; and so on. The Virginia Slims cigarette ad “You’ve come a long way, baby” does not quite apply yet to the women of Nepal.

Last week, the Miss Nepal pageant was postponed once again, for the fourth time, due to the protests of a group of Maoist women who are barking that beauty pageants exploit women and take away their fundamental rights. A letter signed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police from the District Administration Office in Hanuman Dhoka was delivered to the organizers, Hidden Treasure, at about 7 p.m. on the eve of the pageant. The letter instructed that, keeping in mind peace and security issues, the pageant must not take place. Translation: the security forces, i.e. the Police, was unable or unwilling to guarantee that the pageant would not be disrupted by violent undemocratic protests. The Defense Ministry also instructed the Nepal Army to not let the pageant be held in the auditorium of the Army Officers’ Club, as scheduled. All this happened on the evening of the pre-judging of the contestants, carried out over 5 long hours by 11 judges (this writer included).

The morning after the receipt of the ominous letter, the organizers held a meeting with the 17 contestants, their parents/guardians, as well as the majority of the judges. The purported purpose of this meeting was to seek the parents’ views on whether the pageant should take place as scheduled on that day, 27th September, or not. The organizers briefed the meeting on the situation and opened the floor for comments. Parents, contestants as well as some of the judges aired their opinions. The first issue was whether Hidden Treasure would be breaking the law by holding the pageant despite the letter of stay. The fact that the letter’s authority covered only Kathmandu district became quite apparent. Since the alternate plan was to hold the pageant at the International Club, which happens to be located in Lalitpur district, any legal liability to the organizers did not exist. The second issue was whether the pageant should be held that day or postponed again. The vast majority of the contestants wanted it held that day and were willing to brave any repercussions from the protesters. The majority of the parents also felt that their children had been kept hanging, disrupting their normal lives, for too long. All the judges present, except one, firmly believed that the pageant must be held that day.

The meeting chair proposed a break to discuss the issue among the various groups. The talented young ladies caucused among themselves while the other groups mixed informally discussing the issues. In this period of almost 2 hours, I interacted with every group. Majority of the contestants, parents and all the judges remaining then were for holding the pageant that very day. It was only the organizers who remained non-committal throughout, consulting mainly with the one judge and the one parent who wanted the pageant postponed. The meeting reconvened and the Chair from the organizers announced that they would not go hurriedly for the pageant that day since it would be like going for “instant pleasure” (his unfortunate words) at the price of the “image and prestige” of the pageant. The weak reason given was that this is what the parents wanted; I personally observed only one parent who wanted this. Actually, Hidden Treasure had lost its nerve! The chagrin in the lovely faces of the contestants was a woeful sight.

Some underlying issues are apparent from the above dismal story. On what basis are the protesters saying that the pageant is exploiting women? The contestants were all educated talented young ladies and winning the title would mean the opening up of new opportunities and careers for Miss Nepal. They were certainly not there to flaunt their bodies. There is no bikini competition in the Miss Nepal contest. In fact the scoring for the 5 finalists gives 80% weight to intelligence and only 20% to beauty. These protesting women Maoists are also surely not aware that the current Miss World comes from the land of Mao - China! The letter from the government cited “peace and security”; actually the authorities were hiding behind this facade in their efforts to appease the protesters. As for the organizers, they failed the contestants and the spirit of the competition. When they could have championed the cause of women’s rights, they succumbed to the complacency endemic to this country.

Seventeen young women, from all over the country, came with their dreams to participate in the finals of this pageant. Their dreams were rudely shattered by the vagaries of a group of uninformed politically motivated protesters, a government that does not govern, and organizers who failed the aspirations of the contestants in every way. When the Miss World pageant is held in Johannesburg, South Africa this December, it is unlikely that Nepal will be represented. It will be a loss for the country and especially for Nepali womanhood.

For information to the ignorant, The Miss World Organization owns and manages the annual Miss World finals, a competition that has grown into the world's largest live annual pageant television event with global viewers in more than 200 countries. Since its launch in 1951, the Miss World Organization has raised more than £250 million for children’s charities. Aside from raising millions of pounds for charities around the globe under the banner of its 'Beauty with a Purpose' program, Miss World is also credited with directly influencing a dramatic increase in tourism in Sanya, China, host of the previous Miss World finals.

So, Welcome to New Nepal! Its ignorance, bureaucracy and complacency rival that of any of the “Old Nepal’s”.#

Published in People’s Review, 18-24 September, 2008

Phulchowki

Perched atop her mountain at the southern rim of the valley, Phulchowki Mai has perhaps the best perspective on Kathmandu, It took an hour’s drive from Godavari to reach the top of this 9,000 feet high peak. The arduous and steep drive along a narrow road nestled in luscious green was in itself a thrill. But nothing prepared me for the peak. The early morning mist swirled amidst the forest and Kathmandu was invisible below the clouds. The shrine at the top had been renovated. Fourty years ago I had stood at this spot, participating in the “Phulchowki Day” trek up the mountain, compulsory for all students of St. Xavier’s School, Godavari. In many ways, this was a homecoming of sorts for me.

I was immediately taken back by the fact that the Phulchowki Mai shrine, further enhanced by a Shiva shrine and a Buddhist stupa, is now in the middle of an army encampment. While appreciating the Nepal Army’s protection, I am sure Phulchowki Mai is also feeling apprehensive at this worldly intrusion of military prowess. But the telecommunication and radar infrastructure atop the mountain do need protection in these uncertain times and surely the Gods understand. The Japanese government which provided these facilities can also rest assured that their aid is safe, protected not only by the Gods but also by the Nepal Army.

Let me elaborate further on the themes of religion and security which have been briefly touched upon above. Nepal had been known as the only Hindu Kingdom on earth, making it unique among the myriad of nations. I accept that this was not much more than a slogan to attract tourists for our hard-pressed economy. Now that this country is neither officially Hindu nor a kingdom, let us examine what this has meant to us Nepalis. Official figures say up to 80% of Nepalis are Hindu. This figure is inflated because it includes many ethnic groups who practice other forms of religion. About 11% of the population is definitely Buddhist. Whichever way one looks at it, the Hindu population is the largest in Nepal, followed by Buddhists. Even being extremely stingy with the numbers, 70% of Nepali population is certainly Hindu and Buddhist. Putting figures aside, Nepal does not have religious strife. The cohabitation of Hinduism and Buddhism is indisputable. So secularization was not necessary at all. What secular Nepal now has is an anti-Christian movement, apparently by disaffected Hindus, and a burgeoning Muslim population with a growth rate higher than the other religions. In effect, when the then Interim government declared Nepal secular, it accepted the dictate of proselytizing European groups who have this urge to save all mankind in the name of Jesus Christ. Not sure if Jesus would approve of this form of neo-colonialism.

It felt safe to see the Nepal Army on top of Phulchowki. It also was a reminder of the transformation of the army from an elite fighting force, say in the days of Amar Singh Thapa and Bal Bhadra Kunwar, to the oft-touted role of UN peacekeepers. UN peacekeeping is a chancy thing at best and does not demand too sharp military skills. Domestically, the NA’s role is to ensure the security of the nation. Obviously, we talk here of internal security, not security against our giant neighbours. The current law and order situation needs not be delved into. The Police has just had a major overhaul of its high command. The NA is still confined to its barracks, under the peacekeeping arrangement whereby members of the so-called Maoist “people’s liberation army” are confined – loosely speaking – to cantonments. The NA is proud of being apolitical. But being apolitical does not mean shrinking from its responsibility to preserve the country’s unity, sovereignty and independence. The Army Chief has reiterated that the NA does not belong to any political party but to the Nepali people. Laudable. So let the NA stand its ground when it comes to attempts to politicize it by integrating into it the rebel army. Let it also keep a sharp eye on politicians who sell their souls to foreign powers. Further, let it speak up on the issue of federalism which hopefully will be debated at length by the CA. Will federalism preserve unity? I hope our generals have an answer to this burning question.

So Phulchowki Mai stands as a sentinel over this beautiful valley and, by proxy, over the nation. Let us simply pray that she will protect this beleaguered land from those who seek power for personal gains, from those who do not have a shred of nationalism in them, from those who pander to foreign political interests and proselytizers – from all evil which may hinder the people of Nepal from fulfilling their potential.#

Posted in nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com, 20 April 2008
Published (abridged version) in News Front, #64, 28 Apr – 4 May, 2008

Convince us It’s Bullets to Ballots

As of this writing, 11 days after the Constituent Assembly (CA) Elections, the Communist Party of Nepal – Maoist (Maoists) candidates have won 118 of the 234 direct vote seats for which results have been announced. This constitutes 50% of the announced seats, 49% of the 240 first-past-the-post (FPTP – direct vote) seats and 21% of the 575 total CA seats available (excluding the 26 seats to be nominated). All this even before the final results for the proportional representation (PR) seats have been announced. The tally of the PR votes is well underway. The Maoists lead handily, though it is unlikely that they will have an absolute majority (301 seats) in the CA. Have the People of Nepal spoken?

It is common knowledge that there has been wholesale pre-election intimidation by the Maoists. Leaders of rival political parties and their supporters have faced the wrath of the Young Communist League (YCL) mercilessly. Voters have been threatened, especially in the rural areas. Many voters were given a choice between voting for the Maoists or an end to peace. They chose peace. Even on the morning of Election Day, polling booths in Gorkha, Sidhupalchowk, Ramechap and Bhojpur districts, to name a few, were captured by Maoist cadres and supporters of rival parties were barred from casting votes.

Irregularities in numerous voting stations have also occurred. As an example, at one station in Kavre district only a couple of hours drive from the capital, voters cast their ballots repeatedly. The polling officers and the police security, all known well to the voters, simply turned the other way. A couple of international observers visited the station briefly, and all nefarious activities were put on hold. Once they left, the comedy continued. “Celebrity” observers, such as Jimmy Carter, stayed in the capital and lauded the fairness of the elections. They did not do any service at all to democracy in Nepal. It is little wonder that the Election Commission has instructed re-polling to be carried out in 106 voting centers which did not meet the code of conduct of the Commission, covering 21 constituencies. This makes up almost 4% of the 2,888 voting centers.

Another issue is whether the majority of voters know the nuances of a communist party. Dictatorship of the proletariat, class struggle, the bourgeoisie – these are but a few of the concepts that those who adhere to doctrinaire Marxism-Leninism use with grave sincerity. Would an illiterate voter, threatened and thoroughly intimidated, know that democracy has no great value in the communist lexicon?
Notwithstanding the aforementioned negative reasons for the Maoist victory, there are other factors at play. The demographics cannot be ignored. About 50% of the voters were under the age of 35. Most of these youths have no strong ties or allegiance to the traditional political parties or their leaders. In 1990, when a multi-party democratic system was instituted in Nepal, a youth who is now 35 would have been just 17 years old, too young to vote. The current exodus of youth to foreign countries for employment reflects reality for Nepali youths. Just recently, about 31,000 young people took the Korean language examination for eligibility to be considered for employment in South Korea. About, 6,800 have passed the examination – that is 6,800 too many bright young Nepalis with initiative who will be lost to Nepal.

The complacency of the other political parties, especially the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Communist Party of Nepal - United Marxist Leninist (UML), cannot be overlooked. The leader of the UML, one of the “big three” parties in the current government along with NC and the Maoists - as well as the leaders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), RPP (Nepal) and Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) – all lost in the elections. The Maoists were supposed to obtain a maximum of around 20 seats in the CA. Domestic political pundits as well as the international community, especially India, miscalculated grossly! Besides the leaders, most of the senior stalwarts of the NC and UML have also lost.

Finally, the voters did want CHANGE. Since the advent of multi-party democracy in 1990, the NC and UML have held sway, for the most part, over the political throne. Their achievements have been dismal. In a stroke of enlightened public relations, and just before the election, the Maoists came up with the slogan “The others have been given their chance – now give us a chance”. They have been given this chance. Further, the grass-roots organizational strength of the Maoists, enabling them to get out their votes on Election Day, was unsurpassed.

The statement given by Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) immediately following his victory in constituency #10 in Kathmandu was statesman-like, meant to allay the fears of those who were threatened by the Maoist victory. Despite the likelihood that the Maoists will have close to a majority in the CA, he asserted that his party is committed to democratic values and competitive politics. He promised that the new constitution will be formulated by a coalition, taking into account the views of all the other parties represented in the CA. He assured the international community that the new government will not be a rogue government, dictated by an outdated political doctrine (though not in so many words!). He dedicated his party to the goal of rapid economic growth. He said all the right words on the right occasion. Since then, Baburam Bhattarai, the Maoist ideologue and intellectual as well as Prachanda’s #2, has reiterated that the private sector has the major role to play in the forthcoming “economic revolution”. We will now observe whether these Maoist leaders, their party – and especially their youth cadre (YCL) - stand by them. In fact, it behooves well for the Maoist leadership to disband the YCL immediately as a token of its sincerity towards peace, security and democracy. Mao’s Red Guards did not stay around forever.

International sensitivities are also at play. India suffers from a multitude of threats from its own Maoists. It certainly would not like Nepal to support these Maoists or provide safe haven to them. The Nepali Maoists also remain on the United State’s “terrorists list”. These two countries, which lay claim to being bastions of democracy in the world and in south Asia respectively, will be observing the new government of Nepal with more than ordinary interest.

The Maoist leaders have already started speaking repeatedly of how they will magnanimously allow a ”graceful exit” to the king, once the first session of the CA “implements” (read “rubber-stamps”) the decision taken by the seven parties in the current Interim Government to abolish the monarchy for a republic. Can a decision taken by an unelected government, without seeking the people’s consensus, be valid constitutionally and legally and can the CA be forced to rubber stamp this decision? The CA has been constituted to draft the new Constitution of the country. It is this Constitution while must finalize the form of government and put it to the people’s vote. Should the first CA session abolish the monarchy, the new government will have begun its tenure on a totally undemocratic note, undermining all the rhetoric that go along with the call for a “New Nepal”. The rule of law, democratic norms, and regard for the people’s opinion will all have been thrown into the garbage heap of high-handed oligarchic dictatorship. Let the CA, and especially the Maoist-led new government, note this.

We will see predominantly new faces in the CA. The CA will be a more inclusive legislative body than any Nepal has ever seen before - with more women, various ethnic groups, madhises, dalits, and other previously underrepresented groups. The Maoist victory is really a challenge, a challenge by the People to the Maoists’ commitment to peace and stability, independence and development for this beleaguered nation. Will they be able to make up for their ruthless past that has left 13,000 Nepalis dead and many more homeless over the past twelve years? Unlikely. But with a careful amalgamation of vision, co-operation with all, emphasis on inclusiveness, incorruptibility, control of its youth cadre (the YCL), pragmatism as opposed to being slaves to archaic doctrines, and pure and simple dedication to building a “New Nepal”, the CPN-M may yet prove to the world, and more importantly to us Nepalis, that a communist party can actually come into national power via the ballot – a feat never before achieved on earth! We, the People, await this feat with abated breath and with eagle eyes. This time, the onus will be on the Maoists to deliver, with no way to shift the blame to any other party.

Published in News Front, #61, 7-13 April 2008
Posted in nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com, 8 April 2008

The CA Elections: eleventh hour observations

The news bulletin on the radio reports that ten Nepali Congress (NC) workers including a campaigning candidate have been attacked and severely injured with khukuris and stones in Rasuwa by a group of 200 Young Communist League (YCL) cadres. Just the day before, the leaders of the Nepali Congress, United Marxist-Leninists (UML) and Communist Party of Nepal – Maoists had faced the Election Commission, on live TV, and pledged an end to any activities that breached the code of conduct set down by the Commission. This widening gap between the declarations of the politicians on their commitment to the elections and ground reality is causing much turmoil in the minds of the electorate.

On another front, marauding armed factions in the Terai have yet to sit for negotiations with the government. Their key objective is to stop the elections. They have declared a Terai bandh (closure), to commence just a few days before the elections. Meanwhile, Maoist fighters in the various cantonments have started leaving in groups in uniform and armed to “support” the campaigns of the Maoist politicians. UNMIN stands impotent, declaring that this is against the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) but that it neither has the capacity nor the mandate to stop this exodus. To top it off, the Election Commission has declared that 227 candidates for the elections have yet to present their citizenship papers and 66 candidates are below the age of 25 – both requirements for candidacy.

On a recent evening, Madhav Kumar Nepal, President of UML as well as Pushpa Kamal Dahal a.k.a. Prachanda, Chairman of the Maoists were on television on separate channels. Mr. Nepal spoke of the significance of the Constituent Assembly elections, how it will take place at all cost and how the end of the monarchy was a done deal. Mr. Dahal was speaking about his college days, trying to provide a human face to his “awesome” reputation. Girija Prasad Koirala, PM and head of the NC, repeatedly asserts, in his usual maudlin manner, that the elections will take place.
However, most Nepalis are still uncertain whether they will take place. Should they take place, it is almost guaranteed that they will not be “free and fair” given the scenario presented above. Every day, Nepalis hold their collective breath wondering if, once again, there will be the all too familiar announcement of a postponement. Should the elections be held, knowing full well that they will not be free and fair? Does the law and order situation allow for these elections? Unsettling questions plague those who are concerned about the elections, while those who do not really know what this hullabaloo is all about enjoy ignorant bliss.

International election monitors – from the EU, Carter Center and many governments and INGOs - have poured in. Former US President Jimmy Carter himself is here for the elections. It is expected that every polling booth will be covered by at least one of these monitors. This is a good sign and signifies the commitment of the international community to peace and democracy in Nepal. However, international commitment without national implementation capacity is not enough. We trust that these monitors will have the moral courage to call the elections, should they occur, as they are - untainted by condescending notions of “budding democracy”.
Our politicians have now started hinting at utilizing the Nepal Army (NA) to provide security for the elections, in addition to the Police and the Armed Police. The NA has been used effectively for this purpose in previous elections. Currently it is solely the provision of the CPA, dictating that the NA be confined to its barracks while the Maoist fighters are confined to their cantonments, which poses a political dilemma for the NA to be assigned security tasks for the elections. As mentioned above, the cantonments are fast emptying and it is commendable that the NA has exercised discipline and remained in its barracks. But if the only way to secure law and order for the elections is to use the NA, some tough political decisions need to be made by the government, and fast, lest the NA be forced to decide for itself.
Let us presume that the elections will be held and the Constituent Assembly formed. The CA will immediately realize that the current interim unelected government has taken decisions that are the purview of the CA. It has declared Nepal a “secular federal republic” without mandate and without taking into account the opinion of the People. This was done in two phases: initially, the declaration of a secular state, followed by the declaration of a “federal democratic republic”. A recent opinion poll undertaken with the involvement of The Asia Foundation indicated that 50% of respondents wanted a place for monarchy in Nepal and 59% wanted Nepal to remain a Hindu State, while 38% did not want to retain the monarchy and 31% wanted a secular state. The survey sample reflected carefully the composition of the general population. These issues must be put to the People for their decision, i.e. by a Referendum. Denial of a referendum will almost certainly lead to violence. Further, the issue of “federalism” needs to be deliberated upon and decided by the CA. This is an intricate issue with numerous implications and cannot be “declared” by a bunch of unelected politicians.

To conclude, after these many years of civil strife, what we want most is Peace and Development. To illustrate, a recent headline read that the World Food Programme has estimated that almost 4 million Nepalis in western Nepal are facing food deficit because of poor harvest and skyrocketing prices. To these 4 million, 15% of the population, the CA is not a priority – their hungry stomachs are. And to an objective observer, the CA – should it be constituted soon – will do little to appease this hunger. Power-crazed, self-centered and divisive politics will not help.

Posted in nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com, 17 March, 2008

“Aba Atee Bhayo” (Enough is Enough)

The Nepali People are being taunted and made fools of by the Communist Party of Nepal – Maoist and its Youth Communist League (YCL). While the campaigning for the scheduled 10th April CA election is now supposed to be well underway, every day brings new reports of the YCL preventing candidates from other parties from campaigning in their constituencies. This blatant breach of the Election Code of Conduct has affected the entire gamut of political parties – Nepali Congress, UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janata Party, and more. All the while, we are supposed to be headed for a “peaceful, democratic New Nepal”.

The case of the YCL attack, and almost assassination, of NC leader Dilendra Prasad Badu in Darchula on 5th February is a case in point. Along with Badu, three other NC cadres and six policemen were also injured in the attack. The all-party commission formed to investigate the incident came out recently with its findings. The Maoists/YCL were the culprits. Then the commission made its ludicrous recommendation: the Government was not to take any action and the Maoists were to censure/reprimand/ whatever the ruffians involved. This, in a nutshell, is the state of Law and Order in Nepal today. The YCL must be held accountable for their actions and the Maoist leadership must take full responsibility for what their cadres have done. The People, that is you and me, have to rise as one voice to protest this threat to our long-awaited chance for peace and democracy and an end to the oligarchic unelected government which we have had for the past two years.
With the pervasive breakdown of law and order across the country, the Home Ministry remains silent. Its minister KP Sitaula, a NC politician, has been accused of being a Maoist stooge for a long time. Yet he remains in the cabinet and the blessings of his boss, Prime Minister Girija Koirala, continue to be showered upon him. One wonders why. Perhaps the Maoists have put the fear of God (what irony!) into the PM and, as he loses his party colleagues every day to the Madhesh parties and as his own party seriously doubts his leadership, he has nowhere to cling to but to the comrades.

Here in the capital, and certainly elsewhere too, we see large hoardings exhorting all to give the “laal salaam” (red salute) to Comrade Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is supposedly going to be the first President of Nepal. This is also a breach of the Election Code of Conduct. But, to fight fire with fire, why does only Comrade Dahal’s picture stare down at us? Do not the other parties have materials for signs? Maybe they cannot think of adequate slogans? Or are their leaders just too shy or too afraid to project their image and their party’s platform? With no chance of more than 10-15% of the CA seats being occupied by Maoists, should there really be a fair and free election, these hoardings are jokes. To you and me they may be jokes, but to the unaware public who do not know what a communist party is, they are a part of a skillful public relations campaign being waged by the Maoists. This charade is only a means to justify blaming others when the CA election does not take place as scheduled. Given established communist operating procedures, the Maoists will not settle for anything less than a sweeping victory in the election. They will not accept to be partners in a coalition government, because they cannot achieve any of their outdated Marxist-Leninist goals in that manner. But as long as the common voter sees these hoardings, they will believe that someone really is going to be President. Since no other political leader’s face stares down on them, Comrade Dahal must be the man.

When the election does not take place on 10th April, the SPA government immediately loses its legitimacy and credibility. It will have to go. We have waited two years. Enough is enough! The only alternative is a Government of National Unity led by a non-SPA leader, but with an open invitation to the SPA leaders to be included. Should any SPA party resort to arms, the sole remaining option is for it/them to be crushed militarily. The Nepal Army will then have to earn its keep. The Police and Armed Police Force cannot do this alone. Lessons will have to be taken from, say, the then Malaya in the 1950s/60s or Peru more recently. Let us all – the NA primarily as well as we the People – be ready for this eventuality. As the saying goes, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Published in News Front, 10 March 2008
Posted in nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com, 9 March 2008

Political Vocabulary

“All men are enemies. All animals are comrades.” George Orwell, Animal Farm

A discerning political analyst friend, P.S. Kunwar, recently suggested to me that there is a lot of confusion in political discussions in Nepal these days due to the unfortunate fact that the same words have different meanings for democrats and communists. Right off, this statement implies that a communist is not a democrat. In fact, our communists consider Jana Andolan II as only a ‘democratic revolution’ which is to be followed by the real revolution on 10th April 2008 when the CPI-M will win and transform the country into its own image. Consequently, the term “Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal”, being bandied about so haphazardly, already has a built-in contradiction since this term has been endorsed by the communists in the SPA.

“Democracy”, to democrats, stands for a pluralistic form of governance where all views have the chance to be endorsed or rejected through elections by the majority and, once accepted or rejected, is binding to all. To communists, democracy is a tactical move leading to a form of governance whereby a communist party, which is supposed to represent the voice of the “People”, rules. Hence we have the tiresome repetitions by the CPN-M and its leaders on how they are fighting for the “people”, while the “people” seem unaware of this uncalled for championing on their behalf. This is inevitable since, to communists, “People” are the recipients of the Party’s benevolence who need to be directed and taught. Democrats consider “people” as the ultimate deciders of the direction of the state.

The “State”, to democrats, is a permanent framework that governs society, and the parties which have won popular approval can steer the state for a limited time. The state is an instrument of the party for communists. If the state does not follow party lines then parallel institutions will be created. We in Nepal are very familiar with this parallelism. There is a dichotomy even on the definition of “Political Parties”. Is it a vehicle to formulate and articulate views or, as the communists would have it, a vehicle to usurp and maintain power?
The CA Elections are only about a month away. Democrats consider “Elections” a periodic impartial event. For communists, an election is an event which endorses the rule of the Communist Party. That is why we have these events - the proclamation that 200 YCL cadres will be present at each voting booth; the statement by a top Maoist leader that should the CPI-M not win the election it will not be an election; and the numerous instances of YCL ruffians employing scare tactics to prevent candidates from rival parties from campaigning. It should also be increasingly apparent that parliamentary democracy is anathema to communists. “Parliament”, to democrats, is an effective arm of governance providing checks and balance to the executive. Communists consider parliament an instrument to rubber-stamp the activities of the executive.

“Equality” to democrats is equality of opportunity while, to communists, it is equality of outcomes. How the outcomes are achieved is up to the wisdom of the Communist Party, with all ends justifying the means. Simplistic definitions mired in outdated doctrines are also the monopoly of the communists. For them, “Underdevelopment” is caused by the oppression by the feudal classes. Democrats see underdevelopment as being caused by a myriad of socio-political, economic, domestic as well as international factors.

The SPA has just agreed in principle to the autonomy of Madhesh, to be endorsed by the CA. It will be interesting to see what happens, since the communists view “Autonomy” as the principle of de jure federalism with de facto centralization through the Communist Party, while to democrats, autonomy is the principle of decisions being most effective if they are taken closer to the ground. Again, “Social harmony”, to democrats, means that no group or segment of the population is left unfairly behind. To communists, it is the elimination (physically in most cases) of all “anti-people” elements.

“Development” has largely been ignored in Nepal while a divided government is preoccupied jockeying for power. Even here, democrats consider that the establishment of a framework and conditions for all to prosper leads to development. Communists want to achieve development by allocating resources as per political needs. Finally, and most strikingly, “History”, to democrats, is facts from the past while to communists it is interpretation for the future. Of course, the interpretation is the purview of the communist leadership.

So we stumble on with two groups speaking two different languages yet telling us Nepalis that they are united. The question is for how long are we going to be fooled?

Published in NewsFront, 28 Jan-3 Feb 2008, #51
Posted in NepaliPerspectives.blogspot.com, 28 Jan 2008

The Fort

From the lofty ramparts of his fort, five hundred years ago, Man Singh Tomar looked down upon the city. It was a city he had vanquished.
From the lofty ramparts of this fort, Jahangir again looked down at the city. It was a city he had conquered.
From the lofty ramparts of the same fort, the Maratha rulers looked down at the city. It was a city that was now their own,
From the lofty ramparts of this very fort, the current Maharajah looks down at his city. It is a city of which he is now a part.

In democratic India, there lies a place where the Maharajah - still addressed as such by his people though he has no semblance of official royalty - is revered by his people. Where his actions, though he is Hindu, can stop Hindu-Muslim riots. Where the people know that he will always be there - a symbol of unity, someone with whom they can identify, someone who will always listen to their troubles. He is himself a Member of Parliament and a Congress stalwart.

Meanwhile, the Fort looms over the city casting its protective shadow. Reputed to be one of the most invincible forts of India, it stands rock solid – a symbol of permanence, of continuity, of a glorious history and irrefutable values, all personified by its rulers. The fort houses a Sikh gurudwara, displays Hindu palace architecture, modified by Muslim influence and is guarded by gigantic Jain sculpture. This amalgam of religions speaks of historical changes of power, but more importantly, it is a testimony to the religious tolerance displayed by the rulers. From this same fort, Maharani Lakshmibai goaded her stallion to jump off the ramparts to her death below to escape British captors. Her courage is a testimony to the stirrings of Indian nationalism and to women’s equality.

The city, which is synonymous to its pride – the Fort - owes much to its maharajahs. Its industrial development, irrigation projects and education infrastructure were initiated by the then Maharajah in the closing years of the 19th century. The legacy of the present Maharajah’s father, whose political footsteps he follows, reminds all of what the father did for his city as well as for his country. A MP from his city in national parliament for 30 years, thrice a Minister with various portfolios, he is credited, inter alia, with the modernisation of India’s railway system. The city itself now has a literacy rate of 70%, 10% higher than the national average. It boasts at least 42 institutions of secondary and higher education. It is prominent for its health care facilities with leading hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. It is a modern city with well developed transportation infrastructure connecting it to the rest of the country by train, air and roads.

The above discourse on the fort is not just a romantic reflection on days gone by. Obviously, this Fort represents monarchy. It represents the bedrock of strength on which one can build upon. It represents stability and continuity – of culture, values and a way of life in a shifting world. Further, the positive impact of some of the recent rulers of the city personified by this fort is also quite apparent. After Indian independence, the Princely States ruled by the maharajah’s seceded to the Indian Union. It was an inevitable evolution to secure the huge land mass of India as a single united modern country. There was reason and logic to this development.

So when we debate the issue of monarchy in present-day Nepal, there are lessons to be learnt. There is one, and only one, criterion for the validity of the Nepali monarchy – it must remain, if it serves the interest of Nepal. Does it provide value-added to the sovereignty of Nepal? Does it help with Nepal’s standing in the community of 21st century nations as a united political entity? In spite of premature announcements of the death of the Nepali monarchy and its apparent impending “cremation” by the fabled Constituent Assembly, it is time we look at the institution and judge for ourselves whether it serves a purpose for Nepal and its people. When the winter blizzard is oncoming, let us ensure that we not throw away our coats no matter how old and tattered they may be. Those old coats might be just that edge needed to keep away frostbites.

This unnamed place is a testimony to the validity of a Maharajah’s aura over a thoroughly modern city. This is of use to the city. It is now up to the Nepali people to decide whether their monarchy is useful to their country. Mind you, it is up to the people, not to a triumvirate of unelected politicians. If the majority of Nepalis want a republic, so be it – that is democracy in action. But let the choice be THEIRS.

Posted in nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com, 31 December 2007

Nepali Nationalism and Prashant Tamang

The latest display of nationalism, or at least a variation of it, which I saw recently came about in rather an ironic fashion. An Indian Policeman from Darjeeling won the “Indian Idol” song competition and Nepalis went wild with pride and joy. This is not to take anything away from Prashant. A clean cut young man, who probably looks more “Nepali” than you or me, he has a beautiful voice and sings Nepali songs from the heart. The irony, obviously, is that the latest show of Nepali nationalism can be attributed to the musical talents of an Indian policeman. Where then are our Nepali icons and idols?

Nationalism is defined as “Patriotic feeling, principles, or efforts; policy of national independence” by the Oxford English Dictionary. In today’s Nepal, nationalism means different things to different people. It is a concept either mutated for political convenience or, more often, ignored altogether. What makes us proud to be a Nepali and how do we express this pride? Certainly it is foolish to be proud of our current development status, economic or political. So we need to look elsewhere to fan the sparks that can ignite the flames of our patriotism. History is an obvious area, but there are other not so obvious areas which can provide us with these sparks too.

while it has become recent fashion to debase our history for political reasons, we cannot ignore our glorious history. During the last truly national war, Balbhadra Kunwar displayed his bravery at Kalapani earning the respect of his British adversaries; the names of Kazi Amar Singh Thapa and Bhakti Thapa also shine on from that war. Bahadur Shah’s consolidation of his brother’s work in forming Nepal is a lasting legacy. The great poet laureate Bhanubhakta Acharya; the literary giants Lekh Nath Poudyal and Laxmi Prasad Devkota; more recently, Kazi Sherpa, mountaineer supreme who has climbed Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) more times than any other human – these names and many others adorn our history. And the name that reigns above all is one Pritihivi Narayan Shah, who founded Nepal by means of his leadership and military genius and with the gallant support of his army, composed, it might be noted, not only of chhetris but numerous other hill tribes. This is the same Pritihivi Narayan Shah whose remembrance day, a national holiday, was ignored last year so fickly by an unelected interim government. The same individual without whose deeds, none of us would be Nepalis today. Alas, nationalism is but a pawn these days of power grabbing politicians.

Besides history, we must be proud of our country’s natural beauty. Agreed hungry stomachs cannot appreciate nature’s bounty; but that’s another issue, already mentioned above. We live in the shadow of the great Sagarmatha. Our rivers rush down from the Himalayas in torrents of silver streaks. The beauty of Nepal draws tourists from all over the world making it one of the prime trekking and mountaineering destinations. The artistry of our temples awe all. Not least, the gentle hospitality of the Nepali people is appreciated by the world. Given the events of the past 11 years, all of this may sound maudlin and laughable. But if we are to recover from these gory 11 years, these items of pride are the very instruments which will aid the recovery.

We do seem to have very little to be proud of today, in these times of lack of law and order, rabid corruption and the hawking of our sovereignty to foreigners. But the trick is to rise above our condition and to act with vision and courage for a better future, one that we can be truly proud of. This effort, in itself, is Nationalism. We must not forget that we are a proud people never subjugated to colonialism, That we are Nepalis first, seconding our ethnicity for the greater good. This is not a dreamer’s wish. If we are to survive as a nation, we must all be Nepalis first. We can safeguard our ethnic heritage, but never forget that we are first and foremost Nepalis. We need to inculcate in ourselves discipline and fairness. For example, Switzerland has 10 times the number of vehicles as compared to Nepal, in an area less than 30% of Nepal’s. Yet the chaotic traffic that we see here is unheard of there. The simple reason being that all drivers know traffic rules and follow them strictly. Obviously we need to raise ourselves from the mire of poverty. Hopefully, a stable legitimate government will soon be in place which will concentrate on development as opposed to staying in power. Well, we can always hope!

Sports is one area in which Nepalis are doing well while much more still needs to be done. The haul of tae-kwon-do medals garnered by our athletes in international competitions is something to be truly proud of. A gold medal Olympian would coalesce the nation in a show of real nationalism. Beijing beckons. Our film industry has not risen to the challenge of nationalism. A recent Indian film “Chak De India” (we seem to be looking south for all our examples, but that, in itself, is no sin) made Indians proud of their nationality. Why not have a film that inspires Nepali nationalism, which could also be commercially successful at the same time? The theater arts and music also bend well to inspiring nationalism. I remember vividly Ganesh Rasik’s song of the 1960’s with lyrics dripping with nationalistic fervour - “Hati hoena dati ladne Nepali ko bani huncha/Kahiley najhukne seer utheko swavimani Nepali huncha….” We must use lines like these to motivate us, to work harder, to be proud of being Nepali.

Prashant Tamang is a gifted singer who sings also in Nepali with brilliance. Our nationalism however must be stirred by stronger stuff - true pride, made in Nepal. We have much to be proud of if we can only shake off the lack of confidence our economic condition bestows on us. We are indeed a poor country. We must strive for progress. Meanwhile, let each of us do his or her part in making us proud of being a Nepali. Let us never lose our self-respect. Thank you, Prashant, for giving us a glimmer of nationalism. But now we want to do it our own way – the Nepali way!

Published in NewsFront, 31 Dec 2007 - 6 Jan 2008, issue #47
Posted in nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com, 29 December 2007

Democracy – Nepali Style

December 28th was another busy day for the unelected interim parliament of Nepal. With 3 dissenting votes, it approved the declaration of Nepal as a Federal Democratic Republic – to be “implemented” by a simple majority of the 601-member Constituent Assembly when elected by mid-April 2008. The declaration had been made public a couple of days earlier with the machination and blessings of the leaders of the three major political parties in Nepal.

International media, CNN and BBC in this case, have trumpeted the headlines “Nepal abolishes its 240 years old monarchy”, “Nepal ceases to be the last Hindu Kingdom in the world”, and so forth. The headlines, of course, ignore the “implementation” part of the parliamentary approval though it does appear inconspicuously in the body of the news stories. They do not question why the CA is needed if this parliament is going to do its work. For all purposes, the World woke up today to discover that in one fell swoop Nepal is now a republic. Voila!

I have always been under the impression that “democracy” is rule by the people (of the people, for the people – if you want the full American definition). I am bemused that a parliament which has not been elected, at the instigation of three political leaders – one an octogenarian with ambitions to be the first President of Nepal before it is too late; another a leftist politician who has hopes of somehow being the first Prime Minister of a republican Nepal; and the third whose political party is in government solely from the effects and future threats of its guns – has declared this country a republic without finding out what the Nepali Public wants. Further, this declaration goes against the Comprehensive Peace Accord between the then government and the Maoists which clearly stated that the issue of republic versus monarchy would be decided by a two-thirds majority of the Constituent Assembly, when elected. Of course, the CA elections have been postponed first in June 2007, then in November 2007, and are now vaguely planned for April 2008. In short, the common Nepali in the street has never been asked whether he wants a republic or wants to maintain a constitutional or ceremonial monarchy. This “asking” is commonly known as a Referendum.

If Nepal is to be a modern multi-party DEMOCRACY, it is time for Nepalis who love this country to practice wisdom and rationality and take this declaration as a direct insult to their intelligence and basic human rights. If Jana Andolan I (1990) put an end to the Panchayat system and Jana Andolan II (2006) to an autocratic government, it may be opportune now for Jana Andolan III. This one will put an end to the high-handedness of an oligarchic government controlled by a triumvirate of power hungry politicians.

One might also ask what the Nepal Army is doing about this despotic declaration. The Chief of the NA has clearly stated that the NA will support democracy and the legitimate government of Nepal. It is time now to ponder on the legitimacy of an unelected government which seeks changes based on the agreement of three politicians and their mostly befuddled parties.
Half of the world’s population is below the age of 25. At a time when National Leaders all over the world are taking the helm of their countries while they are below the age of 50 – France’s President Sarkozy is a recent example – the youth of Nepal confine their involvement in politics to senseless “mobism”, indoctrination into obsolete political ideologies, or being the stooges of wily old politicians. As per data from the “2006 Demographic and Health Survey – Nepal”, almost 40% of Nepal’s population is between the ages of 10 and 29. If ages 30 to 34, which really are young enough to be considered youths, are included, the figure rises to over 45%. The present political leaders have followed the near-sighted power-crazed policy of not grooming young political leaders. This is one reason why our political leadership is well beyond the range of what can be called youths. This alone however does not give almost half the population of Nepal under the age of 35 the excuse to sit quietly while the country is robbed of its right to Democracy. It is time Nepali youths use their education, nationalism and vision to speak out with firmness and non-violence. The country awaits you to lead Jana Andolan III!

Published in NewsFront, #45, 17-23 Dec. 2007
Posted in nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com, 17 Dec. 2007

Our Dignity and Humanity

December 10, Human Rights Day, is celebrated annually across the world to honor the UN General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10 December 1948. Human Rights Day 2007 marks the start of a year-long commemoration of the 60th anniversary of UDHR. The theme for 2008, Dignity and Justice for all of us, reinforces the commitment of UDHR to universal dignity and justice. UDHR, for the very first time in the history of mankind, codified a common standard of human rights for all peoples and all nations – a true milestone in the progress of civilization.

Unfortunately, the term “human rights” has been bandied about by all and sundry so much that it has begun to lose its meaning. A concept meant to safeguard the dignity and worth of every individual has been used haphazardly by politicians and pressure groups. Even the industrialized countries use it regularly to pick on the developing world. It is worthwhile here to recall the words of Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the occasion of Human Rights Day in 2006:
“Today, poverty prevails as the gravest human rights challenge in the world. Combating poverty, deprivation and exclusion is not a matter of charity, and it does not depend on how rich a country is.

By tackling poverty as a matter of human rights obligation, the world will have a better chance of abolishing this scourge in our lifetime...poverty eradication is an achievable goal.”
These are not empty words of a UN bureaucrat. They embody the essence of the most pressing human rights need of today. Indeed, fighting poverty is NOT charity. At the social and humanitarian level, it is helping the disadvantaged. At the economic level, it is the most prudent action to preserve and expand wealth. At the political level, if we keep on amassing wealth ignoring the poverty surrounding us, we should not be surprised when the ‘have-nots’ rebel against the ‘haves’.
A recent survey cited Nepal, along with China, as having the widest gap between the rich and the poor in Asia. China’s galloping economic growth accounts for this; Nepal has no such excuse. For at least the last three years, poverty alleviation and development in general has taken an unfortunate back seat to politics in Nepal. Moreover, even excluding the issue of poverty, our brand of politics has paid scant attention to human rights. It is remarkable to note that the National Human Rights Commission has received no less than 186 complaints of human rights violations since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord. Gaur, Kapilvastu, Birendra Sah are only some of the examples that make headlines; day in day out, the human rights of the ordinary Nepali is abused and there is nowhere to turn to for justice.
Let us examine the relevant articles among the 30 Articles of UDHR as they apply to so-called “New Nepal”. We are supposed to be entitled to our rights without distinction of political opinion (Article 2). Yet we are castigated for any opinion divergent to that held by the Seven Party oligarchy. We are supposed to have the right to life, liberty and security (emphasis added) (Article 3). Security is one commodity that none of us, except those with unauthorized weapons, have. We are all to be equal before the law (Article 7). What law, I ask! The police have been cowered by lack of support and direction from the Home Ministry. The Army is locked away in their barracks. So that leaves the streets to gangs of unruly mobs. We are entitled to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal against any criminal charges (Article 10). Yet so many turn to non-governmental “tribunals” having lost all faith in the government judiciary system. We are to be safe from arbitrary interference in our privacy, family and home (Article 12). Tell that to the criminals and politically motivated mobs that attack private homes. We are to be safe from being deprived of our property arbitrarily (Article 17). The numerous persons displaced during the past 10 years who are yet to return to their homes bear testimony to failure on this count. We should be able to express our opinions freely (Article 19). Yet any opinion which deviates from the oligarchic government’s is politically denigrated as regressive, anti-democratic and worse. Finally, we are to be safe from being compelled to belong to any association (Article 20). Perhaps the folks deserting the cantonments have heard of this one.
UDHR remains, in Nepal like in many other countries, an archaic peace of writing concocted by diplomats at UN Headquarters while sipping cocktails and shedding crocodile tears for the woes of the world. But that is not the way it has to be, certainly not the way it should be. It is unfashionable these days to harp on the right of every individual to basic dignity. You take away a person’s dignity, and you take away that person’s humanity. The very first article of UDHR states “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” At the risk of sounding overly idealistic and even quixotic, when it is currently fashionable to be cynical while pretending to be pragmatic, this humble piece is an appeal. An appeal to reason, to compassion – before it is too late for all of us. Martin Luther King once said “Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.” So let us consider seriously the Human Rights theme for this coming year and breathe life into the words through action.

Published in News Front, #43, 3-9 Dec., 2007
Posted in Nepali Perspectives, 3 December 2007

Tea Chat and Act

It is traditional for us Nepalis to gather at the local “chiya pasal” (tea shop) and share views. It is in this spirit of conviviality that this piece is written. The CA elections have been postponed yet again, journalists are being dug up from unmarked graves, doctors are being thrashed, business houses are being solicited for ‘voluntary donations’, echoes of Mao’s Red Guards ring out daily, Jimmy Carter has come and gone once again presuming to cure Nepal’s ills, the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) has been overtaken by events, the coalition government is participating in a power-crazed orgy of accusations and counter-accusations, the king and the prime minister compete to serve the living goddess, temples have been attacked by hooligans, we live in a limbo between a republic and a monarchy in a ‘democracy’ governed by the unelected, UNMIN is seeking extension to further prolong its impotence—no dearth of topics to talk about as we sit comfortably and sip our tea or latte, espresso, cappuccino or whatever. “We” - meaning the educated supposedly aware elite - are apparently unable to make any difference. We complain, criticize and curse. The tea or coffee seems to go down better as we righteously proclaim half-baked solutions to the country’s woes. We resort to our proverbial complacency and take umbrage in the belief that whatever will be, will be – it is, after all, written in the stars.

Let us remember that “we” are among the Nepali people for whom democracy is meant. It is our right, if we are citizens of a democracy, to demand accountability from our political leaders. They must follow our aspirations and dreams, not theirs. It is heartening to see recent efforts by professional groups towards this end. While the prestigious Nobel Prizes have recently been awarded, our own “Nobel experience” has been that suffered by the doctors at the Nobel Medical College in Biratnagar. The sit-ins at Singha Durbar by a rainbow coalition of professionals bear testimony to the fact that we have had enough.

Doctors, lawyers, journalists, teachers, businessmen, human rights advocates, youth, women have joined hands to proclaim “enough is enough”. We must be allowed to get on with productive lives – lives without fear. All of us have been aware over the past months how steeply law and order is deteriorating. The Home Ministry pays lip service to improving this situation. The police have proved ineffective in improving this situation. The army’s hands are tied by their confinement to the barracks. So who is going to improve the law and order situation? Maybe we have to resort to mercenaries or external security forces; the latter has an ominous ring to it, doesn’t it?

The fact of the matter is that without law and order there is no democracy. Let us not fool ourselves about this. As long as this climate of fear persists, the future of Nepali democracy is non-existent. It is time we, the common Nepali citizens, speak out against mindless terrorism with meaningful actions. We have seen how guns can achieve political power, how bandhs can debilitate society. Should we let these tactics be the monopoly of the few? Let us remember that we all have the democratic right to protest this invasion of our personal security – and we, the real “People” are the majority.

We hope – no, we expect – that the professional organizations will now unite in a strong but non-violent campaign with clear objectives to right the wrongs that have been done to this country in recent times. The euphoria of “Jana Andolan II” has long given way to disappointment, disgust and even depression. The current threat by doctors to hit the streets is a stellar example of what civil society has been driven to, due to, in this case, the shocking apathy of the Home Ministry and the Police regarding finding and punishing the perpetrators who kidnapped and tortured doctors from the Nobel Medical College. The Nepali population must not be allowed to be held hostage to selfish political interests. If the authorities are incapable of performing their duties, then matters have to be taken into our own hands.
It is also heartening to see the increasing number of stories in the daily press highlighting the present dismal state of affairs. As the guardian of free speech, this role of the media cannot be underestimated. The martyrdom of Birendra Sah cannot be forgotten.

We the People have been taken for granted and fooled for long enough. Our leaders must start becoming accountable to us immediately. So the next time any of us are in a tea shop chatting with friends or strangers, let us exchange views on current affairs but with an eye to act on the tyranny of the few. We are, after all, supposed to be living in a democracy.

Abridged version published in News Front, #36, 1-7 Oct 2007
Posted in Nepali Perspectives, 25 September 2007

We, the People

Last week, The Himalayan Times started off a piece with the statement, “Nepali Congress has gone republican following the wishes of the people….” The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) uses terms like “People’s Liberation Army” and justifies all its actions in the name of the People. The PEOPLE – who exactly are these people? Do I not belong to the people? Does not each and every one of us Nepali comprise the people? Are our political leaders speaking on our behalf, but without our knowledge or consent? The haphazard use of the term “People” by demagogues across the political spectrum has gone on for long enough. It is time for We, the People, to speak up and tell these power-crazed maniacs that WE are the people and do not be so condescending as to presume to speak on our behalf!

Let’s get down to the basics. At the risk of sounding condescending myself, let me quote the definition(s) of “Democracy”:
1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
2. A political or social unit that has such a government.
3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
4. Majority rule.
5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.
So today in Nepal, we have a government not elected by the people. The common people – We – are certainly not the source of political power. There is no majority rule, and social equality and respect for the individual is flaunted by everyone from our autocratic political leaders to the taxi drivers blocking traffic in efforts to create yet another of our infamous “bandhs”. Jana Andolan I of 1990 and Jana Andolan II of 2006 are supposed to have delivered Democracy to the people of Nepal. Yet, here we are towards the end of 2007, living in a country falling apart from chronic shortages of essentials, chronic bickering within the oligarchic Eight Party coalition and now chronic inter-ethnic and inter-religious conflict. This must be a peculiar Nepali version of democracy indeed!

This situation makes one hearken back to Plato’s assertion that a democratic government holds out the promise of equality for all of its citizens but delivers only the anarchy of an unruly mob, each of whose members is interested only in the pursuit of private interests. This 5th century Greek gadfly further postulated that a democratic person is someone who is utterly controlled by desires, acknowledging no bounds of taste or virtue in the perpetual effort to achieve the momentary satisfaction that pleasure provides. Does this remind us of anyone in the current political landscape? It reminds me of a lot of people.

We do not live in a democracy in present-day Nepal. Let us not fool ourselves. Our voice has been silenced by intimidation and political trickery. It has been taken away from us for others to use as they please. No one speaks for the People of Nepal today. We are the Silent Majority (yes that term again) who must remain silent no more. Let us speak up for our individual rights as Nepalis who deserve and want to work for a better future. Let them not hang over us the mirage of a “New Nepal”. Nothing is new, only the honeyed words of irresponsible politicians seeking to waylay us while they pursue their dreams of power and grandeur. Their dreams are not our dreams. They must be made to realize this.

The new National Anthem speaks of 100 flowers in one garland signifying Nepal and Nepalis. Some of those flowers are more wilted than others. Sixty percent of those flowers are unable to produce enough food to meet basic needs. Fifty percent of those flowers are illiterate. One can produce many more statistics on these flowers; suffice it to say that we are a poor country with serious development problems. Further, those who need it most have the weakest voice. These voices cannot be forced to rise at the barrel of a gun or by baseless demagoguery. They are also the People. They have been fooled for long enough.

This commentator makes no apology for the angry tone of this piece. We are known as a peace-loving people. We tend to accept authority with almost closed eyes. But let us not forget that we also have a martial tradition. Our country was created by the blood of our ancestors. The fighting prowess of Nepalis in the two World Wars and in the Gurkha regiments of India and U.K. is stuff of legends. To fight for our right, to make our voice heard, is not an option anymore. It is the duty of We, the People.

Published in News Front, #33, 10-16 Sept. 2007

Climate of Fear

As they waited for the bus to take them home, perhaps their mind wandered to the future. They wanted to make something of themselves. College, professional training, maybe marriage when the right person came along…they were determined not to be just traditional ‘housewives’, making babies and servicing the home. Then they heard only the beginning of the thunderous blast before blackness engulfed them. In one cowardly act of vicious terrorism, their life seeped away in that crowded bus stand…the tapering monsoon gave way to a climate of fear.
Terrorism has raised its macabre head amidst us again. It is not the first time; alas, it probably will not be for the last time either. We now struggle to come to terms with the Kathmandu bombings of 2 September 2007. Do we accept them as just another symptom of the making of a “New Nepal”? Or do we label them for what they are – attempts to achieve political ends by unacceptable methods of violence against innocent Nepalis?

A few days have passed since the bombings. A few obscure organizations have allegedly taken responsibility for them. The police allegedly have some suspects. Meanwhile we, the general public, try and go about our lives with the impermanence of life haunting our sub-conscious. The words of Shelly in his poem The Mask of Anarchy ring in our ears, “And each dweller, panic-stricken/Felt his heart with terror sicken....” The news says that the target of these bombs are the Constituent Assembly polls, now less than 80 days away. Maybe so, in fact most likely so. But who gives the perpetrators the right to use innocent civilians as fodder for their objectives?

It is unfortunate that the sanctity of human life and the traditional peace-loving nature of Nepalis have been violated repeatedly over the past 11 years. The gun culture popularized say by American western films or the incessant modern jihads is now no stranger to this Land of the Buddha. The current lack of security and the incapacity of the security forces to do anything about it have driven many a Nepali to arm himself in order to defend his life, his family and his property. We are turning fast into an armed nation, even though the national army is ironically confined to its barracks.

The other troubling phenomenon is the rise of communalism. Is there anyone anymore who considers himself/herself a “Nepali”? We now comprise an ethnic mosaic with pointed classifications such as Madhises, Pahadis, Bahuns, Chettris, Limbus, Kirats, Newars, Thakalis, Janjatis, Dalits and on and on – each fighting for that last pound of flesh from an emerging democratic polity. Somewhere down the line, the “unity” of this country has been placed in the back burner. While, for example, the European Community is increasingly united by its monetary unit and international perspective, we Nepalis are fragmenting ourselves, stapling ethnic and communal labels on one another. Our new national anthem that speaks of a united Nepal, likening it to a garland of 100 flowers, pays but lip service to today’s reality.

Coming back to the apparent purpose of the 2 September bombings, on the surface everyone appears to be supporting the CA polls. Lip service again! Any keen observer of contemporary Nepali politics is fully aware that there are those who would benefit from the postponement or even cancellation of the 22 November polls. There has been the recent alarming proposition to convert the current interim parliament to a constituent assembly, as if by a magic wand. Other preposterous proposals have been put forward by different political parties. There seems to be an ongoing competition on who can come up with more demands. The futility of this demand-based politics is obvious when the supply of goods and services to be provided by the government is so scarce.

The necessity of the CA Elections is sacrosanct. If Nepal is to be a multi-party democracy with a legitimate elected government, there is no way around these elections. While politics is certainly the art of compromise, political decisions will never please everyone equally. The 1990 Constitution was hailed at the time as one of the best in the world. Today that same constitution is being shredded by haphazard amendments and on its way to being defunct. One wonders about the fate of the new post-CA constitution given the political fickleness of our leaders. Case in point is the shunting aside, by his own party, of the core philosophy of that “most charismatic and visionary leader” (NewsFront #32), B.P. Koirala, and his emphasis on national reconciliation and national sovereignty cemented by democratic forces and the monarchy.

No matter who planted those bombs on 2 September, the fact remains that it was wrong – morally, socially as well as politically. Unless we want to make Nepal mirror Baghdad, this has to stop. Those who believe that they are achieving political ends must ask themselves whether the means they are using are justified. The question is whether the entire Nepali population is to be held hostage to selfish political goals. As long as this climate of fear persists, the future of Nepali democracy is bleak. Let there be no doubt about this. It is time we, the common Nepali citizens, speak out against mindless terrorism with meaningful actions. We have seen how guns can achieve political power, how bandhs and ‘chakka jams’ can debilitate society. Why let these tactics be the monopoly of the few? Let us remember that we all have the democratic right to protest this invasion of our personal security – and we, the real “People” are the majority.

Published in Kathmandu Post, 16 August 2007

What Is To Be Done?

In the current almost inscrutable maze of Nepali politics it seems opportune to ask “what is to be done?” to ensure democracy in Nepal. (Apologies to Nikolai Chernyshevski who wrote a novel with this title circa 1887 and also to Vladimir Lenin who borrowed this title, circa 1915, for his own treatise on the Bolshevik cause.) This is a question that plays, or should play, in the minds of every Nepali who is bemused, appalled and downright frightened by where the country is currently headed.

There is no “New Nepal” yet. April 2006 was not a “political watershed” as termed by many. It was merely a consequence of the unholy alliance between the seven political parties and the Maoists, endorsed by a gullible international community and forced by the high-handed approach of the Government then. There still exist triangular, though uneven, centers of political leverage in Nepali politics: the Seven Party Alliance (SPA), the Maoists and the currently side-lined king. The SPA is bungling along with no leadership or direction. The Maoists are playing a waiting game to seize the first opportunity to come to power (not necessarily by democratic means). The king, stripped of his powers, remains still a distant focal point for a substantial number of those who still believe that the monarchy is useful for the New Nepal. Given recent developments, the Madhesis (MJF, JTMM, etc.) may be considered a fourth player in this macabre political dance.

The timeline has been set: elections for the Constituent Assembly on 22 November 2007, just over three months away. The Chief Elections Commissioner has yet to confirm that the law and order situation is expected to be conducive to elections by the planned date. Eastern Terai is afire with the marauding Madhesi extremists. Breakaway Maoist factions are attacking security forces. The YCL behaves like a security force in itself. The verification process in the Maoist cantonments has been stalled without rhyme or reason. Kidnappings and extortions occur daily and silently, since the victims are cowered into silence. Is it realistic to expect politicians to campaign and voters to vote in this scenario? Needless to mention, the indefinite postponement of the elections only prolongs the tenure of this un-elected Government.

Hence, first and foremost, Law and Order must be established across the country, not only in Kathmandu valley. The Home Ministry must deal with this paramount issue realistically, instead of, for example, setting naïve deadlines when political dialogue is needed. The Defense Ministry must implement an urgent plan to utilize all its resources (i.e. including the Nepal Army) in the cause of law and order. So Minister Sitaula and the Prime Minister really do need to burn the midnight oil.
Once law and order has been established and the security situation allows candidates to campaign without fear and, subsequently, allows every voter to vote in a completely secure environment, the CA elections can be held. Further, if election campaigns and awareness creation is left exclusively up to the much talked about “eight-party mechanism”, it would be folly. The SPA and Maoists do not have exclusive rights on Nepali democracy. After all, 62 parties have registered for the elections. Every party must be included in the “mechanism” leading up to the elections.

It is advisable to hold the elections under the auspices of the United Nations, which has a far better record in conducting elections than in peace-keeping, for example the post-Khmer Rouge elections in Cambodia conducted by the UN. In addition, every polling booth needs an independent international monitor, for example Mr. Jimmy Carter’s organization and others. Mr. Carter would be of far greater use in this exercise than the performance he put on during his last visit to Nepal.
Once fair and transparent CA elections are held, the CA sets out to prepare the new Constitution. Concurrently, a national referendum needs to be held on the question of monarchy versus republic. This issue is far too important to leave to the CA alone. The recent “constitutional amendment” allowing the current Interim Government to abolish the monarchy with a two-thirds majority in parliament is a politically naïve gesture, even presuming that an un-elected Interim Government has this authority which it does not. If political parties of every hue and colour - even those who have reached the national stage merely by the power of their guns - can have a say in this vital issue concerning national sovereignty and unity, certainly every Nepali must have the opportunity to speak up too. Let the cards fall where they may, but there must be a national referendum on this issue. The infrastructure already established for the CA elections can also be used for the referendum. The referendum is on the institution of monarchy. Issues such as possible abdication to younger generations can be dealt with post-referendum.

So the above, in almost an outline format, is what is to be done in the short-run. The complacency that we Nepalis are so famous for must give way to activism. We must be more demanding of our political leaders. If democracy is to be the birth right of every Nepali, it is the duty of every political leader or would-be-leader to make it clear to us what his or her political agenda is. We must stop voting for individuals, but rather for policies and programmes. Delays, hesitation and politics as usual will only shatter the dream of a “New Nepal”.

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Nepali Nationalism (Posted in nepaliperspectives.blogspot.com, 31 December 2007)

2010-05-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

Two and a half years after this piece was written, nothing really has changed. Whither Nepal?!!!
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The last display of nationalism, or at least a variation of it, which I saw in Nepal came about in rather an ironic fashion. An Indian Policeman from Darjeeling won the 2008 “Indian Idol” song competition and Nepalis went wild with pride and joy. This is not to take anything away from Prashant. A clean cut young man, who probably looks more “Nepali” than you or me, he has a beautiful voice and sings Nepali songs from the heart. The irony, obviously, is that the latest show of Nepali nationalism can be attributed to the musical talents of a foreign policeman. Where then are our Nepali icons and idols?

Nationalism is defined as “Patriotic feeling, principles, or efforts; policy of national independence” by the Oxford English Dictionary. In today’s Nepal, nationalism means different things to different people. It is a concept either mutated for political convenience or, more often, ignored altogether. What makes us proud to be a Nepali and how do we express this pride? Certainly it is foolish to be proud of our current development status, economic or political. So we need to look elsewhere to fan the sparks that can ignite the flames of our patriotism. History is an obvious area, but there are other not so obvious areas which can provide us with these sparks too.

While it has become recent fashion to debase our history for political reasons, we cannot ignore our glorious history. During the last truly national war, Balbhadra Kunwar displayed his bravery at Kalapani earning the respect of his British adversaries; the names of Kazi Amar Singh Thapa and Bhakti Thapa also shine on from that war. Bahadur Shah’s consolidation of his brother’s work in forming Nepal is a lasting legacy. The great poet laureate Bhanubhakta Acharya; the literary giants Lekh Nath Poudyal and Laxmi Prasad Devkota; more recently, Appa Sherpa, mountaineer supreme who has climbed Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) more times than any other human – these names and many others adorn our history. And the name that reigns above all is one Pritihivi Narayan Shah, who founded Nepal by means of his leadership and military genius and with the gallant support of his army, composed, it might be noted, of a rainbow coalition of ethnic groups. This is the same Pritihivi Narayan Shah whose remembrance day, a national holiday termed “National Unity Day”, is currently ignored so fickly by an unelected interim government. The same individual without whose feats, none of us would be Nepalis today. Alas, nationalism is but a pawn these days of power politics.

Besides history, we must be proud of our country’s natural beauty. Agreed, hungry stomachs cannot appreciate nature’s bounty; but that’s another issue, already mentioned above. We live in the shadow of the great Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest). Our rivers rush down from the Himalayas in torrents of silver streaks. The beauty of Nepal draws tourists from all over the world making it one of the prime trekking and mountaineering destinations. The artistry of our temples awe all. Not least, the gentle hospitality of the Nepali people is appreciated by the world. Given the events of the past 11 years, all of this may sound maudlin and laughable. But if we are to recover from these gory years, these items of pride are the very instruments which will aid the recovery.

We do seem to have very little to be proud of today, in these times of lack of law and order, rabid corruption and the hawking of our sovereignty to foreigners. But the trick is to rise above our condition and to act with vision and courage for a better future, one that we can be truly proud of. This effort, in itself, is Nationalism. We must not forget that we are a proud people never subjugated to colonialism, That we are Nepalis first, seconding our ethnicity for the greater good. This is not a dreamer’s wish. If we are to survive as a nation, we must all be Nepalis first. We can safeguard our ethnic heritage, but never forget that we are first and foremost Nepalis. We need to inculcate in ourselves discipline and fairness. For example, Switzerland has 10 times the number of vehicles as compared to Nepal, in an area less than 30% of Nepal’s. Yet the chaotic traffic that we see here is unheard of there. The simple reason being Swiss drivers know traffic rules and follow them strictly. Obviously we need to raise ourselves from this mire of poverty. Hopefully, a stable legitimate government will soon be in place which will concentrate on development as opposed to staying in power. Well, we can always hope!

Sports is one area in which Nepalis are doing well while much more still needs to be done. The haul of tae-kwon-do medals garnered by our athletes in international competitions is something to be truly proud of. A gold medal Olympian would coalesce the nation in a show of real nationalism. Our film industry has not risen to the challenge of nationalism. A recent Indian film “Chak De India” (we seem to be looking south for all our examples, but that, in itself, is no sin) made Indians proud of their nationality. Why not have a film that inspires Nepali nationalism, which could also be commercially successful at the same time? The theater arts and music also bend well to inspiring nationalism. I remember vividly Ganesh Rasik’s song of the 1960’s with lyrics dripping with nationalistic fervour - “Hatki hoena dati ladne Nepali ko bani huncha/Kahiley najhukne seer utheko swavimani Nepali huncha….” We must use lines like these to motivate us, to work harder, to be proud of being Nepali.

Prashant is a gifted singer who sings also in Nepali with brilliance. Our nationalism however must be stirred by stronger stuff - true pride, made in Nepal. We have much to be proud of if we can only shake off the lack of confidence our economic condition and crafty politicians bestow on us. We are indeed a poor country. We must strive for progress. Meanwhile, let each of us do his or her part in making ourselves proud of being a Nepali. Let us never lose our self-respect. Thank you, Prashant, for giving us a glimmer of nationalism. But now we want to do it our own way – the Nepali way!

The Rape of My Country (Published in People's Review, 13 May 2010)

2010-05-07T01:52:00.000-07:00

I sit here at my elderly laptop, ensconced from the outside world. A world which is deteriorating steadily into mayhem. Mayhem created by Nepalis themselves, with a little help from a few foreign friends of course. The 6-day Maoists' country-wide strike is just over, but their "agitation" continues. But more is threatened unless the Government accepts their demands within two days. The Government, a coalition of 22 political parties led by two major parties, meanwhile fiddles as the political fire simmers with deadly possibilities. The Maoists want the present government to step down, to be replaced by one led by themselves. The government wants the Maoists to return all confiscated property, disband their militant youth wing (YCL), be reasonable about the rehabilitation of their ex-combatants into mainstream society, and a few other lesser demands before a consensus government can even be considered. Neither side is backing down. The Nepali people wake up every day not knowing how safe their life and property are. There are shortages ranging from medical supplies to vegetable. Development of the country has been forgotten in this orgy of power. Nepal and its people are being truly "raped" by heedless politicians.

A Peace Rally was held in Kathmandu on 7th May, the 6th day of the Maoist-imposed general strike, at the historic Hanuman Dhoka Square, Basantapur. The rally was organized by business and professional organisations. The speakers spoke from the steps of an ancient temple, flanked by the palace of Kumari, the Living Goddess, as about 100,000 men and women, myself included, listened rapturously. There were roars of "Yes!" at every oratorical flash of the speakers. Not a single sign of the red hammer and sickle flag was evident; only a plethora of the national flag and also a few Buddhist flags. Peace and an end to the stalemate between the Government and the Maoists was the clarion call of all. The organisers then canceled the march that was to follow the rally, to avoid confrontation with Maoists gathered at various sites around the city. The people would have none of it. Waving flags and chanting peace slogans, not directed at any particular political party but rather to all of them, they ignored the organisers and set out on the Peace March. The first clash came at Ratna Park. Maoists, armed with sticks, set upon the peace marchers. The police had to resort to tear gas before getting the situation under control. Similar clashes took place in Baghbazar, Bhotahity and Mangalbazar. To top it off, some of the people returning from the rally were attacked in Sorakhutte; 5 people were injured and a police car was vandalised.

News24 TV station, which covered the march live, interviewed both the peace marchers and Maoists. One peace marcher said, "Dirt has gathered among Maoists as well as in Singha Durbar (the government secretariat; this rally will sweep that dirt away." Another said, "Political parties must look after the people and the country, not just their seats." The responses from the Maoist side were more aggressive. They wanted to fight. The interviewer was accused point-blank of being anti-Maoist and attempts made to snatch away his microphone.

The Maoists announced an end to their country-wide strike that evening. Yes, People Power had made an impact, no matter how small, in this decision. But let us not forget that there was ample pressure from the international community, represented by its Ambassadors here, too. On 8th May, the Maoists held one of their frequent mass rallies in Kathmandu. Speaking there, Chairman Dahal tried hard to raise the morale of his followers, most of them brought in from neighbouring districts with money and promises. I recently had an opportunity to observe a march of these followers. All were below the age of 25. Their sullen faces reflected, in my mind, the state of Nepali youth. With no future, they have decided to see where the Maoists will lead them. They have nothing to lose. Little education, no prospects for employment, they are fodder to the Marxist dreams of the leaders. On 9th May, the Maoists surrounded the government secretariat and scuffles broke out between them and the police. At lease two journalists of Avenues TV were assaulted by the Maoists, and one of their cameras smashed. Talk about Press Freedom in the “New Nepal”!

On the other hand, the Government is mainly composed of self-serving individuals who have had a chance to do something for this country since 1990 when Nepal became a multi-party democratic state with a constitutional monarchy. They have failed miserably. They joined with the Maoists in 2006 to deprive the country, unconstitutionally, of the Monarchy and Hinduism as the state religion - the only two so-called "successes" they have had in the last four years.

The Constituent Assembly was elected into office two years ago – all 601 members of them (larger than the Indian parliament)! Their primary job was to have a new constitution ready by 28 May 2010. They too have failed miserably. There is talk of extending the CA’s tenure by 6 months. That will be of no use. They will fail again – even more embarrassingly. What then? We had better start thinking of the consequences.

Meanwhile, the country weeps. At least 35% of its population remains below the poverty line. The cream of its youth leaves the country for employment elsewhere. Corruption is rampant. Security has deteriorated to the extent that fly-by assassinations, in broad daylight, have become common. As one who has returned here after decades abroad, I sometimes ask myself why I remain. Simple answer - this is my country. No real choice.

We need Statesmen here, not pitiful politicians. People who have the principles and dynamism of a Nelson Mandela of South Africa or a Lee Kwan Yeu of Singapore. People who put their country and its people first, not their bellies and pockets. People who are real leaders, not parasites on the suffering millions. We need visionary competent NATIONALISTS. Any takers?

"Normal Lathi Charge" - oxymoronic moronic term

2010-05-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

The topic of "oxymoron" came up at a recent dinner gathering. There are so many of these that are quite ludicrous. So when Image FM, the radio station I listen to keep up to date with what is going on here, used the term "samanya (normal) lathi charge" this morning, I caught on to the oxymoron quickly. "Lathi charge" is of course when the police charge the crowd with big long sticks to maintain order. Day 3 of the Maoist bandh (country-wide strike) has commenced today. Last evening, there apparently was a lathi charge at Gongobu, a locality in Kathmandu. Maoist cadres threw stones at the police. The latter retaliated with lathi charge, firing overhead and tear gas.

There is nothing "normal" about a lathi charge (LC) though. It is a ferocious charge and those that get caught up in it may get beaten up quite seriously, or worse. I know, being the recipient of LC during my college days here. I was not beaten but getting collared by a yelling policeman wielding a lathi can be traumatic for a 17 year old. It seems we, including the media, have become blase' about violence in this country when a LC is termed normal. What next? "Normal" shootings?

The LC last evening was evidently justified. I am not arguing that. But do not call it "normal". Violence must not be trivialised. W.H. Auden wrote "Man can have Unity if Man will give up freedom...Violence shall synchronize your movements like a tune, And Terror like a frost shall halt the flood of thinking." That is the essence of violence - to stop people from thinking.

I have heard rather distinguished individuals (an European diplomat in this case) say that the 13,000 fatalities during the 10 year Maoist insurgency is a trivial number; many times that number throng the streets these days. An appalling statement. It negates the value of human life, and what is more valuable than that?

The current bandh has not had a directly bandh-related violent death yet. But as the bandh ticks on, it is just a question of time. And will the media then call it a "normal" death?

Deja vu

2010-04-30T02:18:00.000-07:00

The following was posted in this blog a year ago, on 1 May 2009. The despair in the piece, I believe, is multiplied ten-fold now, a year since then.
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Thursday, April 30, 2009
MAY DAY!! MAY DAY!!
This morning's (1 May) Kathmandu Post (not the other Indian-controlled daily) puts it succinctly: The Thauus have shut down the Terai (20 districts) for 9 days; essential commodities are in short supply; prices have soared; the queues at the petrol stations in Kathmandu are serpentine; there are daily strikes; and insecurity is rife.

Yet the Neros in our government fiddle on. The Maoists want to, if necessary, unilaterally sack the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Katwal. The Nepali Congress (NC), as the main opposition party, is adamantly against it, and for once is showing some mettle. The UML, which is neither Marxist-Leninist nor united, has come up with a brainless formula - sack Katwal, his number two Khadka (who is trying to be COAS by kissing the Maoists' you-know-what), as well as the Defense Minister Gurung, a top Maoist. NC opposes this. The Maoists, naturally, don't want Gurung removed.

This melodrama is being played out at the expense of the Nepali people who made the Maoists the largest party in the Constituent Assembly. The title of this piece is not a celebration of May 1. Rather, it is the call sign for air crafts and ships in distress. This country is in distress, without a shadow of doubt. While the daily lives of its people deteriorate, the government is engrossed in political shenanigans.

Today we are supposed to celebrate workers' rights. The only workers who have rights in this country are those belonging to the Maoist-affiliated unions. The rest remain as they were - in the morass of feudal, nepotistic constraints. More than half a million Nepalis are working abroad. How they must be celebrating their rights as Nepali workers today!

And while we may shout "May Day" at the top of our voices, asking for help, let there be no misconceptions. The only help can come from we ourselves. Donors, international organizations, and our giant neighbours look promising as aid-givers. Let us not live in a fool's paradise. Millions, even billions, of donor dollars may pour into Nepal; but as long as those dollars line the pockets of a corrupt government and further bolster the dominance of the economic elite, nothing will change.

So, "MAY DAY!"

A possible May Day 2010 scenario?

2010-04-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, this particular May Day does promise to be somewhat memorable, doesn't it? My pity certainly goes out to anyone who has to sit through the upcoming drama.

I think you and I already know exactly how this is going to play out in the streets. The Maoists and their urban cohorts, while claiming to be conducting nothing more than a "peaceful" strike, will permit some of their number to harass, antagonize, and provoke the security forces. When the security personnel inevitably react, the Maoists' sympathizers amongst the so-called "civil service" and "human rights" agencies will go crying to the foreign press.

The Maoists will amorally exploit any and all possible "casualties" of the upcoming fracas, until the usual melange of Indian and Western boutique-left interlopers step in to broker a new settlement between the SPA and Maoists, which may or may not involve giving the premier's chair back to Prachanda...... thereby sparing the Maobadis the effort and hassle of having to seize the organs of state by force.

This wouldn't be the first time the Maoists have utilized this very strategy with unqualified success. Have you read Dr. Thomas Marks' columns in the past? There is one I've just rooted out of NepalNews' archives, dating way back to 4/13/2006. It's amazing how much of the analysis is still topical, and how prescient Dr. Marks was on many aspects of the unravelling crisis of "Naya Nepal":
http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2006/others/guestcolumn/apr/guest_columns_apr06_09.php

John Kelleher
Deputy Secretary-General
United Nationalist Nepalese (UNN)

Time to fight back: enough is enough!

2010-02-25T23:14:00.000-08:00

February 25, 2010

Joint Press Release in Support of a Referendum on the Monarchy and Hinduism/Restoration of the Constitution of 1990

Organizations Represented: 13

The Global Hindus and Nepali nationalists endorse the demand of referendum raised by RPP-N to decide on Federalism and Secularism. Acting in concert with other patriotic and nationalistic institutions, we are committed to the causes of Dharma, Nationalism and service to the Nepali people. In that context, we are closely monitoring the rapidly unfolding events in Nepal along with the changing political awareness of the Nepali people themselves. Presently, the conduct of national affairs has been hijacked by a cabal of corrupt political leaders and parties who purport to act in the name of the people's freedom, democracy, republicanism, and secularism.

The Nepali people and global Hindus living both within and outside Nepal, have rejected the divisive politics and agendas carried out by the Seven Party Alliance under the 12-Point Peace Agreement, which was itself brokered and signed in a foreign capital. The immoral, decadent and divisive actions of a few people are destroying the Nepali people's sense of unity and national harmony.

Millions of Nepalese have suffered silently under the breakdown of social harmony, under the lack of security, under the failure of basic government services, and through the gratuitous destruction of national unity, all of which have been permitted to take place in the name of creating a "New Nepal."

The present crop of failed political parties and leaders have calibrated their agendas along secular, republican and/or revolutionary communist lines, and the divisive forces set loose by such myopic policies have spread like a disease which corrupts and enervates the very soul of the nation. Nepal’s destiny has been put up for auction by international and external forces that have conspired to destroy the Nepali people's unity, identity, harmony, goodwill and dharma.

We stand up today to defend our ancient civilization, heritage, culture and way of life. Nepal is truly a Holy Land and a uniquely irreplaceable paradise that is being slowly killed by corrupt, incompetent and vicious men who love neither the nation, Hindutva nor the Nepali people. Their actions over the past few years have conclusively demonstrated that their selfish and degenerate policies have been a costly failure for the nation and Sanatan Dharma.

Nepal must promulgate a system of governance that incorporates accountability, transparency, social justice, rule of law, equal opportunity, national unity and, last but not the least, "Dharma" as the guiding lights for our nation and people.

In order to achieve this, the struggle must begin from each and every Nepali home: from the villages to the towns and cities, from the hills to the plains, for the establishment of a just and fair country. There can be no room for hatred, corruption, criminality and disharmony.

The political leaders and parties who have brought about this present state of anarchy, chaos, hatred and disunity must be publicly brought to account for their destructive actions against the nation and the people of Nepal.

We reiterate our call for free and fair public referendums on the monarchy, Hinduism, and the Constitution of 1990, demands which have been brought to public notice by this week’s protest program. In tandem with our stance that all matters of long-term public importance must be delegated into the hands of the sovereign Nepali people themselves, we would like to clarify once more that there is no reasonable alternative to a referendum on the monarchy and on Nepal’s status as a Hindu nation.

We fully support the challenge posed by the RPP-N President, Mr. Kamal Thapa, that the present government of Nepal should launch an investigation as to the cause of the Late King Birendra’s assassination. Instead of explicitly or implicitly blaming the “The Emperor of Hindus”, King Gyanendra, the government and the opposition must form an independent team of inquiry to discern the objective truth. Otherwise, in default of any rational evidence to the contrary, the parties and persons responsible for propagating such vicious slanders and accusations against the King and his family owe His Majesty and the people of Nepal a sincere apology for the gratuitous pain and anguish which their lies have brought to Nepal.

The Nepali Nationalists and Global Hindus living within and outside Nepal once again wish to congratulate the Nepali people for their courage to withstand the injustices of both the government and the opposition. We urge the Nepalese government to refrain from using excessive force against the peaceful protestors. Only a prompt call for a referendum on the Constitution of 1990 can defer the civil unrest which is likely to erupt in Nepal when the 601-person Constituent Assembly fails to produce a new and improved constitution by the stipulated deadline. The constitution of 1990 will reactivate itself if the CA fails to promulgate a new constitution. The people of Nepal must once again be made the sovereign masters of Nepal through the referendum.

Jai Dharma!

Issued Jointly By:

United Nationalist Nepalese (USA)
Narain Kataria, Indian American Intellectuals Forum (USA)
The Hindu (India)
The Hindu Sangarsh (UK)
Gorkha Dal (USA)
Foundation of Nepalese in America (USA)
Coalition of Nepali Nationalist Organizations (USA)
Omkar Dhyan Ashram (India)
Hindu Vidya Peeth-Nepal (HVP)
Shanti Sewa Ashram-Nepal (SSA)
Youth Society for Peace-Nepal (YSP)
Society for Value Education-Nepal (SVE)
Yogi Aadeshnaath (Canada)

Letter to the Editor published by News Front, 22 Feb 2010

2010-02-22T20:27:00.000-08:00

Your front page story in the last issue (#143) underlines a number of issues.

Foremost, if the NA feels that Richard Bennett, OHCHR Chief, committed "an act of deceit and improper conduct", has the NA lodged a complaint to the UN Resident Coordinator here, OHCHR Headquarters or the UN Secretary-General? This could easily be done through the appropriate government channels. UN staff, and especially Heads of Missions, are held to a strict code of conduct and any conduct unbecoming by any of its staff is viewed seriously by the UN.

Secondly, the Government of Nepal is hosting the UN here. It has to realize that it has a say in the conduct of UN staff within Nepal. It is not enough to merely express displeasure at something a UN staff says or does if the government does not have the mettle to follow up on its allegations with action. Otherwise, it becomes mere gossip-mongering or fodder for cocktail-party chats. Memories of UNMIN and its last chief are fresh.

Thirdly, you report that the PM's Office is "apparently not in favour of retaining the OHCHR in Nepal beyond June, its current tenure". OHCHR's performance in Nepal, as well as its incumbent chief's, will not change in the next four months. If the PM and his advisers are still equivocal on the issue of OHCHR extension, it fully reflects the indecisiveness and confusion of this government. Again, will OHCHR extension now be another version of the UNMIN extension saga?

The UN is here to help Nepal. That it does. Only a few of its agencies, especially the more political ones, appear to have a mixed record; and this record is unfortunately derogating the reputation of the UN as a whole. The government dares not call a spade a spade when it comes to the alleged performance of these agencies. But then the government's own performance is extremely "mixed", so maybe it's simply a situation of the pot not having the nerve to call the kettle black.

Sincerely,

Birat Simha

Maha Shivaratri - 2010

2010-02-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

12 February saw half a million devotees throng Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri when Lord Shiva is worshipped all over and especially at the holiest Shiva shrine in the world - Pashupatinath. All four windows of the inner sanctum were opened. Long ques wound their way through the occasional family of pilfering monkeys. Holy men from all over, in saffron and ashes, could be seen, high on prayers and "ganja", the hallucinatory weed considered a "prasad" of Lord Shiva. The President of our "secular Republic" came and payed his homage. He was followed by former King Gyanendra who was met with cries of "Raja aau, desh bachau" (Come back, King, and save the country) and practically mobbed between his car and the temple gate. For the first time, people could pay Rs.1,000 (approx. US$14) and not have to stand in the long lines of non-payers. Some folks stayed in line for about 4 hours, others less than an hour, but everyone of them came back feeling blessed. The army of volunteers kept most things moving smoothly. A light drizzle through most of the day was another auspicious sign, as prayers for Shiva always commence with bathing the shrine with water.

A few comments on the above scenario. If Nepal is officially a secular state, how can the President's visit to the shrine be termed as "a continuation of the tradition of the head of state" offering "puja" to Pashupatinath on this holiest of holy Hindu occasion? Secular Republicans, you cannot have it both ways. The President, as a Hindu, can go pray in his personal capacity but not claim any continuation of a tradition which his Party, among others, squashed under their heathen boots. The true tradition lies with the Hindu King, who may not be King just now. But his statement to the media, while being mobbed by well-wishers as he returned from the temple, says it all. He felicitated all Hindus on this auspicious day and wished them peace and prosperity. And this he did as a common citizen of Nepal, mind you.

Now this Rs.1,000 fast-line to worship. In my opinion, the rich do NOT have the right to easier access to God. Period. Many temples in India use this means to raise funds for the temples. Pashupatinath has enough funds from the Pashupatinath Trust. Here we are, speaking of the fabled "New Nepal" where equality is supposed to be a cornerstone. And with Rs.1,000, a measly amount for the rich and totally unaffordable for the poor, we are allowed quick service at the holy altar of God. Shameful!

The "ganja" smoking may be considered a "prasad" of Lord Shiva. But the 500 or so young youth buying ganja and tobacco mixed cigarettes and getting high were not using it with that in mind. Drug addiction is a major problem among Nepali youth. Allowing the sale of "ganja" openly, under the averted eyes of the police, is not "cool" by any means. As one policeman put it, "The 'sadhus' may smoke it, but no one else". Difficult to enforce that subtle distinction. Best not to have had drugs on sale. Lord Shiva could handle it; our youth cannot.

So another Shivaratri has come and gone in what was once the Hindu Kingdom of Nepal...

High Level Political Mechanism - who's fooling who?

2010-02-05T22:30:00.000-08:00

The Kathmandu Post editorial on 3rd February philosophised that "the HLPM should be viewed by PM Madhav Kumar Nepal and his colleagues as a venue where they can dissolve their differences with the Maoists amicably".

Well, pardon me, as if the Maoists have not been appeased enough! How "amicable" must the PM, and NC and UML, be with the Maoists? They have been bending over backwards since November 2005. Any more bending over will only have rather painful results.

The multi-party system and the Constituent Assembly are the legitimate venues to "dissolve differences" and arrive at consensus, not a supra-constitutional body such as the HLPM which is merely an instrument of a power-crazed old man and a power-hungry demagogue.

The HLPM is a mechanism composed of the leaders of the three major parties, to which the PM himself has been condescendingly invited. Kudos to the PM, for a change, that he has not joined any of this illegal junta's meetings. The sooner Messrs. Koirala, Dahal and Khanal realize that they are subverting democracy and fooling nobody, the better. Or else, to use the over-used cliche', they will indeed be the Three Idiots.

I had thought of writing my usual letter to the editor regarding this editorial. But the letters get so drastically edited that they lose their meaning. So I'll just stick to this blog.

Whatever Happened to Nationalism?

2010-01-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

I wait at least a week before posting anew in my blog. But this morning's headline "VP Reinstatement Bill Passed" was simply too much! The legislature-parliament, also known euphemistically as the Constituent Assembly, has endorsed a bill "paving the way for the reactivation of duties and responsibilities of Parmananda Jha as the country's Vice President". This gentleman's authority as VP was "deactivated" last August through a Supreme Court order because he took his oath of office in the Hindi language which was not in line with the existing (Interim) Constitution.

It was indeed a sight to behold at the swearing-in last year of the first President and VP of "Republican" Nepal. The President, after his own searing-in by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, administered the VP oath to Mr. Jha in pure Nepali. Mr. Jha, standing resplendent there in his Indian outfit, did a simultaneous translation worthy of any UN General Assembly translator, and took his oath in Hindi.

Jha is a madhesi, from the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Party, and also an ex-SC justice who left under a cloud of scandal. His mother tongue may be Maithali but certainly not Hindi, which is one of the major official languages of India. It took numerous street agitations and the SC ruling to remove this treasonous man from the high office of VP. Now the CA is trying to reinstate him. Could it be just a coincidence that the Indian Foreign Minister and the Indian Chief of Army Staff just concluded their official visits to Nepal?

If the Nepalis in Madhesh (the southern belt of Nepal adjacent to India) consider themselves Nepali first, they had better come to their senses, and soon. If their allegiance is first to the Hindi language, and by inference to India, then a few million more Indian citizens should make no difference to our mighty neighbour. In juxtapose, our President is also from the Madhesh. He took his oath in Nepali and he has never been seen in public except in "labeta suruwal and Nepali cap" - the true national dress for Nepali men. Madhesh, compare and learn your lesson.

As India Celebrates its 61st Republic Day...

2010-01-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

Ambassador Sood, in his Republic Day message, has underlined "the special, civilizational and fraternal" relationship which Nepal shares with India. Let's take him up on this declaration. We do have close cultural and economic ties. Hinduism is another link between the two countries, no matter how shrilly India harps on its secularism. Almost half a million Nepalis serve in the Gurkha regiments of the Indian Army; and many more Nepalis find employment south of the border. Our land-locked status makes Calcutta the closest port and we are surrounded on three sides by India. We receive the larges amount of development assistance also from India. Indian tourists also constitute the largest number of foreign tourists. Oh yes, there is no doubt of the "special" Nepal/India relationship.

But as India celebrates 26th January as the date decided upon by the 1930 Indian National Congress to mark complete self-rule, it would be appropriate also for it to keep in mind that self-rule is something that all its neighbours also appreciate. As the regional power in South Asia, the Indian government often forgets how it must have felt to be ruled by others. Whether one likes it or not, the political destiny of Nepal since the middle of the 20th century has been formulated in Delhi. King Tribhuvan took asylum in the Indian Embassy and flew to Delhi from where the Rana regime was taken down. Much more recently, the 12-point agreement between the seven political parties and the Maoists was reached in New Delhi, facilitated by the Indian government.

Readers may take the above two examples as benevolent political help from the Indian government at the request of Nepali political leaders. King Tribhuvan and 1950 was certainly that. The 12-point agreement in 2005 was not. India (and this term refers to the government of India not its people) cuddled the Maoist leaders during their insurgency, providing them safe haven, and this after branding them "Terrorists". Occasionally, it arrested a few of the second-rung leaders to salve its conscience. But by the end of 2005, it had decided to dislodge the monarchy - the only Nepali institution that was and remains truly nationalist. So it provided its "good offices" for the Maoists to come talk to the other Nepali political parties and form the clique that unconstitutionally removed the monarchy. In the process, the clique also made Nepal secular and declared it federal.

All of the above is an old tale, know to all. Anti-Indian feelings always simmer below the surface here in Nepal. Years ago, it took an Indian film star's apparently misquoted statement to start riots here. The "special" relationship between the two countries is unequal, no doubt. That may be expected given the disparity in size and economic and military strength. But when one country dictates the political destiny of another, that is unacceptable. This phenomenon has a name - "neo-colonialism". If India is to live its claim to be the largest democracy in the world, let it also behave democratically with its neighbours. During the past two years, 400,000 Indians in the border area have received Nepali citizenship. The Nepali border has been encroached upon by India in numerous places. Indian political leaders, especially of the communist variety, treat Nepal as a last-stand Marxist experiment. The Indian Ambassador is viewed by many as the de facto Governor General of India in Nepal.

Why this sorry state of affairs? The tone above may seem to blame India. Disregard the tone. It is Nepali political leaders who allow Indian hegemony over Nepal. Out of pure self-interest, political and financial, they have swallowed nationalism and embraced lackeyism. And these leaders come from the full spectrum of political parties. The last three years have clearly shown that our leaders do not care a whit for the Nepali people. The name of the game is to stay in power. These power-crazed megalomaniacs play the game endlessly.

To end the above random, almost rambling you might say, thoughts, there is one thing though that must be kept in mind. It is not smart to mouth anti-Indian slogans and berate India at every opportunity. Nepal does not have that luxury. Rather, we must assure India that its interests will not be ignored by Nepal, except when those interests clash directly with Nepal's. India, in turn, really must not try and bully its smaller neighbours like kids in a school yard.

Happy Republic Day to the people of India!

Republican Nepal Celebrates Birthday of King Prithivi Narayan Shah

2010-01-11T22:13:00.000-08:00

After a break of three years, the 288th birthday of the founder of Nepal - King Prithivi Narayan Shah - was celebrated this Monday all over the country. This is the way things work in this beleaguered country of ours. Traditions are indiscriminately discarded in the name of the fabled "New Nepal". Then, after second thoughts, the powers that be realize their foolishness and sneak back in what was never meant to have been thrown away. So it was with "Prithivi Jayanti". This King created Nepal in 1769, consolidating a varied group of small principalities in the region. His birth anniversary was always a national holiday, celebrated as a Day of Unity. After Nepal became a secular republic, basically at the whim of the leaders of the three largest political parties, the founder of Nepal was ostracized as just another "feudal" and the national holiday was scrapped. It remains scrapped; the birth anniversary was observed sans holiday. That is all right. We have far too many forced-holidays as it is, due to the never-ending "bandhs".

Before the new constitution to be (perhaps) drafted by the Constituent Assembly can say anything about it, Nepal has been declared a "Federal Democratic Republic". Voices for a referendum on the monarchy, secularism and federalism are heard; but they are few, far-between and have no semblance of sustained organization. This year's celebration of Prithivi Jayanti, however, gives cause for some thought. Not optimism yet, just thought. The republicans - the revolutionary kind as well as the clueless kind - have been blaming Nepal's backwardness on the 240 years rule of the Shah dynasty. Right off, 104 years of those 240 can be taken off - the Rana oligarchy ruled Nepal for that period. Of the remaining 136 years, one only has to scrutinise history to see that most of the kings were enthroned as minors. The country was ruled by powerful prime ministers from clans such as the Thapas and Pande's. Except for Prithivi Narayan Shah himself, perhaps only King Tribhuvan and the kings that followed him did a bit of real "ruling", i.e. until 1990 when the monarchy became purely constitutional anyway. Including 2005-2006, it all boils down to 30-40 years of actual rule by the Shah dynasty. The political parties have been running this country for almost 20 years already.

Over the past few years, the monarchy has received a lot of "bad press", to put it mildly. But one thing it has never been accused of is being anti-nationalist. Had the monarchy had less regard for Nepali nationalism and the sovereignty of this country, it is doubtful that the republican forces would have received such decisive impetus from foreign quarters in their efforts to dislodge this institution. The argument here is not for a "ruling" monarchy such as that of, say, Saudi Arabia or some of the other oily non-democratic countries supported by the US. A constitutional, or even ceremonial, monarchy will be a symbol of national unity. And national unity is disintegrating all around us right now. The Maoists have "proclaimed" (symbolically only, they say) 13 federal states based on ethnic groups. Others have different formulas for a federal configuration. It is fashionable now to think of ourselves first by our ethnic heritage, to denigrate the traditional labeta suruwal men's outfit and put down the Nepali language. A "New Nepal" does not mean you destroy everything good in the Nepal that is. Marxist dialectics is passe' and obsolete; but we Nepalis don't realise this.

Let us therefore take the reinstatement of Prithivi Jayanti celebrations as an indication that (a) Nepal's unity must not be compromised; (b)past mistakes can and must be corrected; and (c) the Monarchy can contribute to the cohesiveness and sovereignty of Nepal.

Comments on The Economists's 10 Dec 2009 article on Nepal

2009-12-16T00:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15065747&source=hptextfeature

The full text of the article in The Economist (UK) is available at the above link.

It appears that the "Maoist Mole" at The Economist is at it again. I disagree with the statements:
(a) that the "Spread of violence in Nepal is not just the Maoists' fault"; and
(b) "India faces a choice between a democratic Nepal where the Maoists have a big role and a militarised Nepal where, ultimately, the army calls the shots. For all its pride in its own democratic traditions, India might plump for the soldiers. If it wants stability and peace on its borders, that would be the wrong choice"

(a) The culture of violence is the Maoists' unique gift to Nepal. They still grind the country to a halt (bandhs) at the drop of a hat. They have displaced at least 60,000 families during their insurgency. Journalists have been killed and maimed with incredible impunity. Appropriated property has not been returned. They are in the process of unilaterally, i.e. without authority from the Constituent Assembly, 'proclaiming' 13 'autonomous states'. Again unilaterally, they are letting loose 4,000 disqualified combatants from the cantonments, over 50% of whom are minors, without planning for their reintegration into society. There are over 100 armed political groups now in Nepal, copying the Maoists. The Economist is unawares of ground reality here when it makes this irresponsible statement.

(b) The phrase "democratic Nepal where the Maoists have a big role" is a contradiction in itself. There will be NO democratic Nepal if the Maoists have their way. The Economist may fool itself in its ivory tower; we Nepalis do not have that luxury. Though the Maoist leadership displays a spectrum of Marxist-Leninist thinking ranging from the doctrinaire to the opportunistic, we cannot overlook the fact that they have come to power by the bullet, with only a thinly disguised veneer of the ballot. Multi-party democracy is not in their scheme of things. They have admitted as much.

While I do not believe that the army has the skills or is meant to govern, it can better provide stability and peace than the Maoists. The latter's dismal record on peace and stability is there for all to see since the time they emerged as the largest party in the CA.

It is also revealing how The Economist has given the choice to India. It seems it is not Nepal's choice whether we strive for democracy or concede Army rule. Anyone in Nepal who knows where their bread is buttered will agree that, given the current situation, the choice indeed is India's. What a pity!

President Obama's Speech while accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, 10 December 2009

2009-12-10T21:20:00.000-08:00

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, citizens of America, and citizens of the world:

I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility. It is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations - that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice.

And yet I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage. Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize - Schweitzer and King; Marshall and Mandela - my accomplishments are slight. And then there are the men and women around the world who have been jailed and beaten in the pursuit of justice; those who toil in humanitarian organizations to relieve suffering; the unrecognized millions whose quiet acts of courage and compassion inspire even the most hardened of cynics. I cannot argue with those who find these men and women - some known, some obscure to all but those they help - to be far more deserving of this honor than I.

But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by forty three other countries - including Norway - in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.

Still, we are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill. Some will be killed. And so I come here with an acute sense of the cost of armed conflict - filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other.

These questions are not new. War, in one form or another, appeared with the first man. At the dawn of history, its morality was not questioned; it was simply a fact, like drought or disease - the manner in which tribes and then civilizations sought power and settled their differences.

Over time, as codes of law sought to control violence within groups, so did philosophers, clerics, and statesmen seek to regulate the destructive power of war. The concept of a "just war" emerged, suggesting that war is justified only when it meets certain preconditions: if it is waged as a last resort or in self-defense; if the forced used is proportional, and if, whenever possible, civilians are spared from violence.

For most of history, this concept of just war was rarely observed. The capacity of human beings to think up new ways to kill one another proved inexhaustible, as did our capacity to exempt from mercy those who look different or pray to a different God. Wars between armies gave way to wars between nations - total wars in which the distinction between combatant and civilian became blurred. In the span of thirty years, such carnage would twice engulf this continent. And while it is hard to conceive of a cause more just than the defeat of the Third Reich and the Axis powers, World War II was a conflict in which the total number of civilians who died exceeded the number of soldiers who perished.

In the wake of such destruction, and with the advent of the nuclear age, it became clear to victor and vanquished alike that the world needed institutions to prevent another World War. And so, a quarter century after the United States Senate rejected the League of Nations - an idea for which Woodrow Wilson received this Prize - America led the world in constructing an architecture to keep the peace: a Marshall Plan and a United Nations, mechanisms to govern the waging of war, treaties to protect human rights, prevent genocide, and restrict the most dangerous weapons.
In many ways, these efforts succeeded. Yes, terrible wars have been fought, and atrocities committed. But there has been no Third World War. The Cold War ended with jubilant crowds dismantling a wall. Commerce has stitched much of the world together. Billions have been lifted from poverty. The ideals of liberty, self-determination, equality and the rule of law have haltingly advanced. We are the heirs of the fortitude and foresight of generations past, and it is a legacy for which my own country is rightfully proud.

A decade into a new century, this old architecture is buckling under the weight of new threats. The world may no longer shudder at the prospect of war between two nuclear superpowers, but proliferation may increase the risk of catastrophe. Terrorism has long been a tactic, but modern technology allows a few small men with outsized rage to murder innocents on a horrific scale.

Moreover, wars between nations have increasingly given way to wars within nations. The resurgence of ethnic or sectarian conflicts; the growth of secessionist movements, insurgencies, and failed states; have increasingly trapped civilians in unending chaos. In today's wars, many more civilians are killed than soldiers; the seeds of future conflict are sewn, economies are wrecked, civil societies torn asunder, refugees amassed, and children scarred.

I do not bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of war. What I do know is that meeting these challenges will require the same vision, hard work, and persistence of those men and women who acted so boldly decades ago. And it will require us to think in new ways about the notions of just war and the imperatives of a just peace.

We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth that we will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations - acting individually or in concert - will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified.

I make this statement mindful of what Martin Luther King said in this same ceremony years ago - "Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones." As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King's life's work, I am living testimony to the moral force of non-violence. I know there is nothing weak -nothing passive - nothing naïve - in the creed and lives of Gandhi and King.

But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone. I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism - it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.

I raise this point because in many countries there is a deep ambivalence about military action today, no matter the cause. At times, this is joined by a reflexive suspicion of America, the world's sole military superpower.

Yet the world must remember that it was not simply international institutions - not just treaties and declarations - that brought stability to a post-World War II world. Whatever mistakes we have made, the plain fact is this: the United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms. The service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform has promoted peace and prosperity from Germany to Korea, and enabled democracy to take hold in places like the Balkans. We have borne this burden not because we seek to impose our will. We have done so out of enlightened self-interest - because we seek a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples' children and grandchildren can live in freedom and prosperity.

So yes, the instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace. And yet this truth must coexist with another - that no matter how justified, war promises human tragedy. The soldier's courage and sacrifice is full of glory, expressing devotion to country, to cause and to comrades in arms. But war itself is never glorious, and we must never trumpet it as such.

So part of our challenge is reconciling these two seemingly irreconcilable truths - that war is sometimes necessary, and war is at some level an expression of human feelings. Concretely, we must direct our effort to the task that President Kennedy called for long ago. "Let us focus," he said, "on a more practical, more attainable peace, based not on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions."

What might this evolution look like? What might these practical steps be?

To begin with, I believe that all nations - strong and weak alike - must adhere to standards that govern the use of force. I - like any head of state - reserve the right to act unilaterally if necessary to defend my nation. Nevertheless, I am convinced that adhering to standards strengthens those who do, and isolates - and weakens - those who don't.

The world rallied around America after the 9/11 attacks, and continues to support our efforts in Afghanistan, because of the horror of those senseless attacks and the recognized principle of self-defense. Likewise, the world recognized the need to confront Saddam Hussein when he invaded Kuwait - a consensus that sent a clear message to all about the cost of aggression.

Furthermore, America cannot insist that others follow the rules of the road if we refuse to follow them ourselves. For when we don't, our action can appear arbitrary, and undercut the legitimacy of future intervention - no matter how justified.

This becomes particularly important when the purpose of military action extends beyond self defense or the defense of one nation against an aggressor. More and more, we all confront difficult questions about how to prevent the slaughter of civilians by their own government, or to stop a civil war whose violence and suffering can engulf an entire region.

I believe that force can be justified on humanitarian grounds, as it was in the Balkans, or in other places that have been scarred by war. Inaction tears at our conscience and can lead to more costly intervention later. That is why all responsible nations must embrace the role that militaries with a clear mandate can play to keep the peace.

America's commitment to global security will never waiver. But in a world in which threats are more diffuse, and missions more complex, America cannot act alone. This is true in Afghanistan. This is true in failed states like Somalia, where terrorism and piracy is joined by famine and human suffering. And sadly, it will continue to be true in unstable regions for years to come.

The leaders and soldiers of NATO countries - and other friends and allies - demonstrate this truth through the capacity and courage they have shown in Afghanistan. But in many countries, there is a disconnect between the efforts of those who serve and the ambivalence of the broader public. I understand why war is not popular. But I also know this: the belief that peace is desirable is rarely enough to achieve it. Peace requires responsibility. Peace entails sacrifice. That is why NATO continues to be indispensable. That is why we must strengthen UN and regional peacekeeping, and not leave the task to a few countries. That is why we honor those who return home from peacekeeping and training abroad to Oslo and Rome; to Ottawa and Sydney; to Dhaka and Kigali - we honor them not as makers of war, but as wagers of peace.

Let me make one final point about the use of force. Even as we make difficult decisions about going to war, we must also think clearly about how we fight it. The Nobel Committee recognized this truth in awarding its first prize for peace to Henry Dunant - the founder of the Red Cross, and a driving force behind the Geneva Conventions.

Where force is necessary, we have a moral and strategic interest in binding ourselves to certain rules of conduct. And even as we confront a vicious adversary that abides by no rules, I believe that the United States of America must remain a standard bearer in the conduct of war. That is what makes us different from those whom we fight. That is a source of our strength. That is why I prohibited torture. That is why I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed. And that is why I have reaffirmed America's commitment to abide by the Geneva Conventions. We lose ourselves when we compromise the very ideals that we fight to defend. And we honor those ideals by upholding them not just when it is easy, but when it is hard.

I have spoken to the questions that must weigh on our minds and our hearts as we choose to wage war. But let me turn now to our effort to avoid such tragic choices, and speak of three ways that we can build a just and lasting peace.

First, in dealing with those nations that break rules and laws, I believe that we must develop alternatives to violence that are tough enough to change behavior - for if we want a lasting peace, then the words of the international community must mean something. Those regimes that break the rules must be held accountable. Sanctions must exact a real price. Intransigence must be met with increased pressure - and such pressure exists only when the world stands together as one.

One urgent example is the effort to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, and to seek a world without them. In the middle of the last century, nations agreed to be bound by a treaty whose bargain is clear: all will have access to peaceful nuclear power; those without nuclear weapons will forsake them; and those with nuclear weapons will work toward disarmament. I am committed to upholding this treaty. It is a centerpiece of my foreign policy. And I am working with President Medvedev to reduce America and Russia's nuclear stockpiles.

But it is also incumbent upon all of us to insist that nations like Iran and North Korea do not game the system. Those who claim to respect international law cannot avert their eyes when those laws are flouted. Those who care for their own security cannot ignore the danger of an arms race in the Middle East or East Asia. Those who seek peace cannot stand idly by as nations arm themselves for nuclear war.

The same principle applies to those who violate international law by brutalizing their own people. When there is genocide in Darfur; systematic rape in Congo; or repression in Burma - there must be consequences. And the closer we stand together, the less likely we will be faced with the choice between armed intervention and complicity in oppression.

This brings me to a second point - the nature of the peace that we seek. For peace is not merely the absence of visible conflict. Only a just peace based upon the inherent rights and dignity of every individual can truly be lasting.

It was this insight that drove drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after the Second World War. In the wake of devastation, they recognized that if human rights are not protected, peace is a hollow promise.

And yet all too often, these words are ignored. In some countries, the failure to uphold human rights is excused by the false suggestion that these are Western principles, foreign to local cultures or stages of a nation's development. And within America, there has long been a tension between those who describe themselves as realists or idealists - a tension that suggests a stark choice between the narrow pursuit of interests or an endless campaign to impose our values.

I reject this choice. I believe that peace is unstable where citizens are denied the right to speak freely or worship as they please; choose their own leaders or assemble without fear. Pent up grievances fester, and the suppression of tribal and religious identity can lead to violence. We also know that the opposite is true. Only when Europe became free did it finally find peace. America has never fought a war against a democracy, and our closest friends are governments that protect the rights of their citizens. No matter how callously defined, neither America's interests - nor the world's -are served by the denial of human aspirations.

So even as we respect the unique culture and traditions of different countries, America will always be a voice for those aspirations that are universal. We will bear witness to the quiet dignity of reformers like Aung Sang Suu Kyi; to the bravery of Zimbabweans who cast their ballots in the face of beatings; to the hundreds of thousands who have marched silently through the streets of Iran. It is telling that the leaders of these governments fear the aspirations of their own people more than the power of any other nation. And it is the responsibility of all free people and free nations to make clear to these movements that hope and history are on their side

Let me also say this: the promotion of human rights cannot be about exhortation alone. At times, it must be coupled with painstaking diplomacy. I know that engagement with repressive regimes lacks the satisfying purity of indignation. But I also know that sanctions without outreach - and condemnation without discussion - can carry forward a crippling status quo. No repressive regime can move down a new path unless it has the choice of an open door.

In light of the Cultural Revolution's horrors, Nixon's meeting with Mao appeared inexcusable - and yet it surely helped set China on a path where millions of its citizens have been lifted from poverty, and connected to open societies. Pope John Paul's engagement with Poland created space not just for the Catholic Church, but for labor leaders like Lech Walesa. Ronald Reagan's efforts on arms control and embrace of perestroika not only improved relations with the Soviet Union, but empowered dissidents throughout Eastern Europe. There is no simple formula here. But we must try as best we can to balance isolation and engagement; pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time.

Third, a just peace includes not only civil and political rights - it must encompass economic security and opportunity. For true peace is not just freedom from fear, but freedom from want.

It is undoubtedly true that development rarely takes root without security; it is also true that security does not exist where human beings do not have access to enough food, or clean water, or the medicine they need to survive. It does not exist where children cannot aspire to a decent education or a job that supports a family. The absence of hope can rot a society from within.

And that is why helping farmers feed their own people - or nations educate their children and care for the sick - is not mere charity. It is also why the world must come together to confront climate change. There is little scientific dispute that if we do nothing, we will face more drought, famine and mass displacement that will fuel more conflict for decades. For this reason, it is not merely scientists and activists who call for swift and forceful action - it is military leaders in my country and others who understand that our common security hangs in the balance.

Agreements among nations. Strong institutions. Support for human rights. Investments in development. All of these are vital ingredients in bringing about the evolution that President Kennedy spoke about. And yet, I do not believe that we will have the will, or the staying power, to complete this work without something more - and that is the continued expansion of our moral imagination; an insistence that there is something irreducible that we all share.

As the world grows smaller, you might think it would be easier for human beings to recognize how similar we are; to understand that we all basically want the same things; that we all hope for the chance to live out our lives with some measure of happiness and fulfillment for ourselves and our families.

And yet, given the dizzying pace of globalization, and the cultural leveling of modernity, it should come as no surprise that people fear the loss of what they cherish about their particular identities - their race, their tribe, and perhaps most powerfully their religion. In some places, this fear has led to conflict. At times, it even feels like we are moving backwards. We see it in Middle East, as the conflict between Arabs and Jews seems to harden. We see it in nations that are torn asunder by tribal lines.

Most dangerously, we see it in the way that religion is used to justify the murder of innocents by those who have distorted and defiled the great religion of Islam, and who attacked my country from Afghanistan. These extremists are not the first to kill in the name of God; the cruelties of the Crusades are amply recorded. But they remind us that no Holy War can ever be a just war. For if you truly believe that you are carrying out divine will, then there is no need for restraint - no need to spare the pregnant mother, or the medic, or even a person of one's own faith. Such a warped view of religion is not just incompatible with the concept of peace, but the purpose of faith - for the one rule that lies at the heart of every major religion is that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Adhering to this law of love has always been the core struggle of human nature. We are fallible. We make mistakes, and fall victim to the temptations of pride, and power, and sometimes evil. Even those of us with the best intentions will at times fail to right the wrongs before us.

But we do not have to think that human nature is perfect for us to still believe that the human condition can be perfected. We do not have to live in an idealized world to still reach for those ideals that will make it a better place. The non-violence practiced by men like Gandhi and King may not have been practical or possible in every circumstance, but the love that they preached - their faith in human progress - must always be the North Star that guides us on our journey.

For if we lose that faith - if we dismiss it as silly or naïve; if we divorce it from the decisions that we make on issues of war and peace - then we lose what is best about humanity. We lose our sense of possibility. We lose our moral compass.

Like generations have before us, we must reject that future. As Dr. King said at this occasion so many years ago, "I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the 'isness' of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal 'oughtness' that forever confronts him."

So let us reach for the world that ought to be - that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls. Somewhere today, in the here and now, a soldier sees he's outgunned but stands firm to keep the peace. Somewhere today, in this world, a young protestor awaits the brutality of her government, but has the courage to march on. Somewhere today, a mother facing punishing poverty still takes the time to teach her child, who believes that a cruel world still has a place for his dreams.

Let us live by their example. We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of depravation, and still strive for dignity. We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that - for that is the story of human progress; that is the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth.

Pax Americana Continued?

2009-12-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama, winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, has committed 30,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan. In a somewhat low-key but nevertheless firm address at the West Point Academy (which trains US Army officers) yesterday, the US President reaffirmed that the interests of US national security lie in the escalation of the fighting in Afghanistan.

Obama was quick to make clear the goals of this escalation: (a) to ensure that Al-Qaeda finds no safe haven in the region; (b) to ensure that the Taliban do not win; and (c) to fortify the Afghan security forces. All laudable objectives. But stating objectives alone do not make them attainable.

The war on terrorism, and by proxy on Al-Qaeda, has been on for the past eight years. Osama bin-Laden is still free if he has not succumbed to disease. True, many in the top leadership of that organization have been eliminated. But who is to say what its true strength is even today, given the porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan? The US retaliation after 9/11 defeated the Taliban in Afghanistan handily. Yet they have now re-grouped and are well on their way to confronting the governments of both Afghanistan and Pakistan. As for the Afghan security forces, strengthening them may be a very iffy task. The political culture of Afghanistan, no matter what Obama mentioned in passing, is not democratic or cohesive. President Karzai has been re-elected by default; his sole opponent refused a re-run. The scenario that unfolded after the rout of the Taliban in 2001/2002 clearly indicates the factionalism embedded in Afghan society. Hence, the goals cited by Obama may be overly ambitious.

Furthermore, this business of exporting democracy - whether to Afghanistan or Iraq - is, to put it gently, a joke. Democracy must be home-grown. When a country has neither a democratic tradition nor a political culture which feeds democracy, no external force can shove democracy down feudal throats.

The US President further assured the world that America does not see itself in the role of a "patron" in Afghanistan, but rather sees itself as a "partner", for peace, security and development. Mr. Obama has a wonderful way with words, we are all aware of that. But let us say CNN or any news organization were to ask the man in the street in Kabul how he views the US. I doubt the answer would be "partner". Even the Afghan president would not be where he is without American patronage.

Getting down to geo-political basics, Afghanistan has an important border - with China. Is it wild imagination to surmise that the US would like to have access, whenever needed, to walk down the Wakhan Corridor? It already has Japan, South Korea and (arguably) Taiwan as allies to the east of China. Philippines and Thailand are additional allies to the south-east. Some of the ex-Soviet countries to China's north have also been wooed as allies. Pakistan, and increasingly India (especially as regards Tibet), are US friends to the south of China. Afghanistan is yet another ally in this "Great Game" of the 21st century. The sole super-power and the rising one are playing. Afghanistan is not an unimportant pawn.

Our Religious Right

2009-11-26T18:13:00.000-08:00

(A Letter to the Editor - published in The Kathmandu Post, 27 Nov 2009)

Biswas Baral should understand that we live in a democracy with freedom of religion ("Final Thoughts on Gadhimai", Nov. 26, Page 7). If people have faith in Gadhimai and wish to sacrifice buffaloes to the Goddess, who is to say they are "religious fanatics"? The Post has also published a letter from a woman in Norway who considers this event a "disgrace to Nepal" ("Not in God's Name", Nov. 26, Page 7). They are practicing their faith and let no one, especially someone living in Scandinavia, complain.

Baral goes so far as to philosophise, "people who commit violence against animals early in their lives are likely to commit violent crimes against other people when they grow up" (no reference cited). Animal sacrifice to Goddess Durga is a basic practice in Hinduism. I have a Chettri friend in whose family every male member is taught to cut a goat with a khukuri (in a single clean stroke) by the time he is 14 or 15. It is a rite of passage into adulthood. My friend cut his first goat at 15 and his first buffalo at 16. He is middle-aged today and has committed no crime in his entire life.

Hinduism was taken away as the official religion of this country, ironically under the watch of three Brahmin politicians. But at least 65% of the population are Hindus (another 15% are Buddhists). Let them practice their religion without uncalled for judgments. I will not judge the American people, for instance, for the number of turkeys they are going to kill for Thanksgiving. Let no one judge Nepalis for practicing their religion.

No Foreign Interference on Nepal Army!

2009-11-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

Nepal is perhaps THE country where foreign interference has reached a level of absurdity. Every politician of note heads south of the border before taking any decision. A certain ambassador has taken on the role of Governor General. Squeezed between two giant nuclear powers, we get it from north and south, though much more heavily from the south. The laughable irony is we - the Nepali Government - has allowed foreign interference in this country's internal affairs to be the modus operandi for all and sundry. Though never colonised, we have a grovelling approach to anything foreign. And when certain foreign countries line the pockets of our corrupt politicians, we might as well hand over our independence to anyone who wants it.

Currently the Nepal Army (NA) does not have an official second-in-command. Major General Toran Jung Bahadur Singh's promotion to Lieutenant General is being delayed by the hue any cry of so-called human-rightists. 49 Maoist detainees allegedly disappeared from the NA's Bhairavnath barracks in 2003-2004. The NA has established the whereabouts of 12 of them. It is common knowledge that detainees routinely gave false names. Upon release, they carried on with their real names. So, arguably, the 37 "missing" detainees may have followed this exact practice. The NA's internal investigations have cleared Gen. Toran, under whose Brigade Command Bhairavnath Battalion was at the time. The current Defense Minister, and of course the NA, has stood by Gen. Toran's eligibility for promotion.

On the other hand, the US, UK, the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the National Human Rights Commission are creating a brouhaha that this General has been implicated in human rights violations and can be promoted only at the risk of the country's "democratic credibility". Our dilly-dallying Prime Minister has yet to take a decision on this matter, ignoring his Defense Minister's advice. Apparently, the PM is shaken by visits from the military attache's of the countries mentioned above. Nepal must be the only country where junior diplomats - and military attaches are just that - have direct access to the PM and can sway his judgment.

While the Maoist militia have come out of their cantonments on many occasions, directly violating the Peace Accords, not once has the NA ventured out of its barracks except to help with humanitarian needs such as floods and earthquakes. Further, what is good for the gander should be good for the goose too. It may be remembered here that the NA has investigated so far 72% of all allegations received against it and 175 personnel have actually been punished for rights violations. How many from the Maoist militia have been punished? Or did the so-called PLA not murder and pillage, among civilians, in the countryside? Instead, the supremo of the PLA has come and gone as the Prime Minister of this country! Where were these human-rightists looking then?

Beyond the shadow of a doubt, the NA is the only institution that is keeping this country from total anarchy. The Maoist guns stored in the cantonments are fossils. The real weapons are buried deep in various parts of the country. Maoist leaders still talk of state capture, urban warfare and dictatorship of the so-called proletariat. They tried to politicise the NA by arbitrarily sacking the previous Chief and are now making a big issue of "civilian (or even people's!) supremacy", all the while pretending that they do not have a private "army", the PLA, and their youth wing, the YCL, which is primarily staffed by militia who should be inside the cantonments.

So, foreign parties, leave the NA and its internal matters alone. You have done enough harm already by meddling in Nepal's internal affairs.

Can Peace Hold in Nepal ? by Siddhartha Thapa

2009-11-13T16:53:00.000-08:00

Can peace hold in Nepal? The answer to this question will draw mixed reactions from different quarters. But, whatever the reactions might be from different quarters there is a subtle consensus amongst Nepali politicians that the peace in Nepal is slowly but surely faltering towards a premature end. However, why is the peace process in Nepal heading towards a failure? First, the existing ideological divide between the parties and the Maoists is just too wide. Second, the recent Sino-India tension is real and Nepal is an issue that is prominent for both these countries. Third, the lack of leadership is clearly visible. And last, the role played by some external forces mainly the UNMIN and Norway is particularly questionable.

UNMIN’s bias for the Maoist Party is best explained by the relationship Samuel Tamrat shares with Maoist leaders. Tamrat, a former rogue rebel from Eritrea played a crucial role in establishing UNMIN’s mission in Kathmandu – he flew into Noida, New Delhi and met Dr.Bhatterai many times and his communist background came in handy to gain the trust of Maoist leaders. For the Maoist party, the presence of UNMIN served two strategic purposes to aide their strategy of eventual power capture. In plain and simple words, the Maoist party has used UNMIN as a tool to propel their tactical advancement in consolidating power in Nepal. First, UNMIN has in various reports to the Security Council equated both Nepal Army and PLA as equal entities. The obvious consequences of such reporting are beneficial to the Maoists as the PLA is seen as a national army en par with the Nepal Army – thus providing legitimacy and recognition for the PLA. What is without a doubt the most indigestible element of UNMIN’s presence in Nepal is that despite repeated warnings and suggestions it continued to accept thirty thousand militia as the total strength of the Maoist army – Prachanda declared to his cadres how the actual strength was only nine thousand and that he had foxed UNMIN.

Despicable as it may sound, UNMIN can serve no further purpose in our peace process – even with their use of sophisticated CCTV’s - murders happened in UN monitored camps and weapons continue to be removed from weapon containers which have UN stickers. It is without a doubt, a more structured indigenous surveillance can mitigate the complications arising in these UN cantonments. Next, UNMIN’s presence has also helped the Maoists to neutralize Indian hegemony in Nepal’s peace process. Fearing that they will be ultimately exposed and that India may intervene against their interests, Maoists have used UNMIN to checkmate India – UNMIN’s political mandate makes her the principal arbitrator of Nepal’s peace process and not India. The only difference between India and UNMIN is that for the UNMIN it just wants to conclude the peace process and leave, where as, for India nothing less than the establishment of a democratic polity will satisfy her investment in Nepal’s peace process.

Another prominent international player in Nepal’s peace process is Norway. The Norwegians have delivered consistent incantations to the Maoists leadership on the way to move forward. This juxtaposition can be explained by the role played by former Norwegian Ambassador to Nepal Tore Torang. Ambassador Torang was a key player in introducing Prachanda to numerous other Kathmandu based ambassadors. The most notable meeting that Ambassador Torang brokered between Prachanda was that with Ambassador Powell of the United States. Sri Lanka is a glaring example of how deceitfully the Norwegians took on the side of the outlawed Tamil Tigers – the same process is being emulated in Nepal. Why? Norway has the money to spend on development, and they have identified the Maoists as their partners to expand their base in the developmental process of Nepal, with issues such as human rights, inclusion and gender discriminations providing a perfect façade for their unity.

In a recent panel discussion in Washington titled, “China 2025”, organized by the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations, a prominent expert on Asian studies, Aaron Friedberg from Princeton University warned of a “period of India-China tension". He further added that, "There are things that are ratcheting up on the border a little bit, but I think broadly tamped down within limits that are set by the political leaderships on both sides." However, the most interesting of Professor Friedberg’s observation was that Asia is a unipolar political entity and that India’s presence can help constitute a balancing force on Beijing. As Indo- US cooperation has increased, Asian politics has taken an interesting turn. China operated in Asia as a unipolar power with India in the distant as a balancer.

However, American-Indian cooperation has drawn Asian politics into a world of multipolarity which is discomforting to Beijing. It is in this context that Nepal cannot be ignored. In this jostling of diplomatic supremacy, Nepal has been caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Nepal is now as much a priority on the security policy paradigm of both China and India. As for China, it needs a leadership in Nepal that can assure them that Nepal will not be used against creating trouble in Tibet. Where as India, needs to maintain her interest in Nepal so that energy harnessed in Nepal can be used for her industries as India grows rapidly. Equally important is the growth of Naxalism in India and the possible ramification a rogue Nepal can have on the security of India. What would serve the Indian’s best is if they tried understanding the security complication of their country through the eyes of Nepal.

Last, the ideological divide between the Maoists and the political parties is just too wide – end goals are drastically different. Political parties remain week, unorganized and do not have the imagination to check mate the Maoists both politically and constitutionally. Equally deplorable is the leadership of the political parties. In such light, the Maoist has entangled politicians in useless political debates. While politicians remain locked in Kathmandu, Maoists roam around Nepal campaigning and organizing against the state. As political capacity to check mate the Maoists erodes, the use of force seems like a probable strategy to counter the violence unleashed by the Maoists. Capable political leadership would explore ways of uniting parties against a common threat and then fighting the Maoists politically and constitutionally in which the Maoists would have surely lost once defanged by the process of democracy.

As things stand the peace process has entered the last phase, it can either work from here or completely fail. India and China must exert their influence on political actors to build consensus so that Nepal can usher in a new era of peace, stability and democracy. However, UNMIN’s mission to Nepal needs to be further streamlined if not terminated for all the dishonesty that has been synonymous with her presence in Nepal. Her further participation in Nepal’s peace process is determined by her ability to resist being used by the Maoists – it is a fallacy to generalize that the UN is an impartial peace mediator – all conflict mediators take side and this is a historic phenomenon. Most important, political parties and Maoists need to reach a common ground to ease the persisting ideological divide that engulfs them – democratic process and constitutional liberalism are processes that can’t be traded for the sake of peace.

A Day's Cricket

2009-11-08T02:32:00.000-08:00

It has been speculated that Prince Edward (the one with questionable sexual inclinations), the son of Edward Longshanks (who captured and killed Scottish nationalist William Bruce, as depicted in the film "Braveheart") played a game something like cricket in Kent in 1301. The origins of cricket has definitely been traced back to 16th century Tudor England. It soon became the national sport of England. When the sun shone on the British Empire, the game was exported to its colonies. Ironically, today, these very same ex-colonies manage to thrash the English regularly at their own game.

Cricket conjures up the image of teams in gentlemanly whites playing demurely and even having tea breaks over a 5-day test match. That was the way it was for a long time. But with the advent of one day internationals and the the more recent 20/20 forms of the game,cricket has thrown off its colonial heritage. It is now a colourful exciting game. The 20/20 matches even have cheerleaders!

My attention span is ideal for a 90 minutes game of football (soccer). Fast-paced action with just one half-time break. Within 2 hours, the match is over and one can go about one's business with the 'high' induced by the game. Even as a tennis fan, some of those slug fests which last 3 to 5 hours are hard on the attention span. So imagine my chagrin last Sunday when I recklessly decided to watch the India vs. Australia one day international cricket - the match started at 9 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m. I kept my interest in the game whetted by rooting for the doomed Indian side, but still I think I have just watched my last 7-hour game!

It was an important game. Australia is ranked No.1 in ODI cricket and India No.2. They were playing a 7-game series this time,in India. Australia led the series 3-2. So India had to win this game to stay alive. India had lost the previous game by only 3 runs, despite the 175 scored by Sachin Tendulkar. So it was anybody's game.

Unfortunately, it wasn't! India had 27 runs and 5 men out, due to the heroics of the Aussie bowlers Johnson and Bollinger. Tendulkar was out for 10, Sehwag and Yuvaraj for even less. A good partnership between Jadeja and Parvin Kumar helped India a bit, with both scoring over 50. Anyway, all out with 170 runs. The Aussies started batting. Their star batsman Shane Watson scored 49 before Harbhajan Singh got him to hit a flyer for a catch. Harbhajan got the dangerous Ricky Ponting out too. But one cannot hope for miracles, not with a measly 170 runs against Australia. The Aussies won by 6 wickets, and my 7 hours ordeal was disappointingly over.

My post last June was on the 20/20 world finals between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, played in England. I ended it by saying, "Whoever wins...the trophy will be held high with pride and the world of cricket will marvel at the heroics of these young men - from South Asia!" It was my personal ode to regional South Asian pride. South Asia could not lose in June. This time, it did. So until next time, regional pride will have to be patient...and I shall not be watching entire cricket games anyway, unless they are 20/20 matches which last only about 3 hours. One consolation I do have from last Sunday is that I won a $10 bet from an Aussie friend who was betting on the Indians! Now I have to figure out which country's dollar is strongest before I collect my win.

Mon Ami Asterix

2009-11-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

Asterix, the beloved Gaul, recently celebrated his 50th birthday. Appearing first in a French magazine in 1959, 33 Asterix comic books have been published as of 2008. The story line is that of a village of ancient Gauls in Brittany resisting Roman occupation. They have a magic potion to help with the resistance but they are also brave and industrious. France celebrated Asterix by naming its first satellite, launched in 1965, Asterix-1.

The cast of characters in these comics are a sight to behold. Asterix, warrior nonpareil especially when he has had a go at the magic potion. The huge Obelix, strong as an ox and Asterix's side-kick. The bard, Cacophonix, whose lack of singing talent is the bane of the whole village. I have a dog which bears an uncanny resemblance to Dogmatix, always scratching fleas off himself. The village chief is carried around on a shield. Many other colourful characters abound.

The Romans, with their empire, just can't seem to vanquish this little band of Gauls. Wave after wave of legionnaires are sent against Asterix and company, to no avail. To those of us who fancy David against Goliath, this is the ultimate turn-on.

The creators of this marvel, writer Rene Goscinny and illustrator Albert Uderzo, have provided a commentary on history and politics. Uderzo's parents had fled Mussolini's Italy so he had no qualms about making the Romans laughing stock of the Brittany country-side. His illustrations are superb and make Archie comics, or even the old Classic comics, look like rags. Goscinny died in 1977 but Uderzo has carried on as best he can. At 82, he has not stopped.

I am going to go now look for the latest Asterix comic. Au revoir et vive les Gauls!

Barbecue and Politics

2009-10-31T20:55:00.000-07:00

Happened to be invited to a superb barbecue dinner very recently. It was a small group, including two CA members, one of them a seasoned politician. With the impending street agitation promised by the Maoists, politics naturally took up a lot of the conversation time.

I had certain basic questions, not being a politician nor much of a political analyst either:

1. Why did the Army not step in when the King's powers were removed by the SPA and the Maoists in the spring of 2006?
There was no call for this action by the King himself and the Army Chief then was not a man of action.
2. When the country was declared secular, why did the Hindu majority in Nepal remain silent?
Because they were Hindus and tolerance is a basic tenet of Hinduism.
3. Why does not anyone have the courage to face Girija and change the NC leadership?
He still has a coterie of strong supporters within the party and the Koirala name probably is an asset for him.
4. So what is going to happen with the Maoists agitation starting 1st November?
Their call for reviewing the President's decision on reinstating the Army Chief sacked by the Maoists holds absolutely no water. Right off, the case is in the Supreme Court and, without its decision, there cannot be any discussion on it. Besides, there is no constitutional provision for the President's action to be reviewed by the CA. Further, the unconstitutional move was initiated by the Maoists themselves when the sacked the Army Chief directly without sending their recommendation to the President. Of course, they also abrogated the whole principle of consensus when they went ahead with the sacking while all other parties were against it.

Well, the answer to the fourth question was rather an earful but I learnt a lot. In summary, the Maoists' brazen move to replace the Army Chief with their chosen General backfired. They had to resign. They lost face. The street agitation going on now is only to let people know that they still have some "punch" left. Of course, going into the foreign involvement in the Army Chief fracas would extend this post too long; so I will not even touch that. The issue is not "civilian control of the Army", as hyped by the Maoists - it is simply politics as played out by power-hungry politicians who do not care a whit for the people of this country.

Nepal First! (People's Review, 16.7.2009)

2009-07-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

The last display of nationalism, or at least a variation of it, which I saw came about in rather an ironic fashion. An Indian Policeman from Darjeeling won the “Indian Idol” song competition in 2007 and Nepalis went wild with pride and joy. This is not to take anything away from Prashant Lama. A clean cut young man, who probably looks more “Nepali” than you or me, he has a beautiful voice and sings Nepali songs from the heart. The irony, obviously, is that the show of Nepali nationalism could squarely be attributed to the musical talents of a foreign policeman. Where then are our Nepali icons and idols?

Nationalism is defined as “Patriotic feeling, principles, or efforts; policy of national independence” by the Oxford English Dictionary. In today’s Nepal, nationalism means different things to different people. It is a concept either mutated for political convenience or, more often, ignored altogether. What makes us proud to be a Nepali and how do we express this pride? Certainly it is foolish to be proud of our current development status, economic or political. So we need to look elsewhere to fan the sparks that can ignite the flames of our patriotism. History is an obvious area, but there are other not so obvious areas which can provide us with these sparks too.

While it has become recent fashion to debase our history for political reasons, we cannot ignore our glorious history. During the last truly national war, Balbhadra Kunwar displayed his bravery at Kalapani earning the respect of his British adversaries; the names of Kazi Amar Singh Thapa and Bhakti Thapa also shine on from that war. Bahadur Shah’s consolidation of his brother’s work in forming Nepal is a lasting legacy. The great poet laureate Bhanubhakta Acharya; the literary giants Lekh Nath Poudyal and Laxmi Prasad Devkota; more recently, Appa Sherpa, mountaineer supreme who has climbed Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) more times than any other human – we must take pride in these heroes and many others. And the name that reigns above all is one Pritihivi Narayan Shah, who founded Nepal by means of his leadership and military genius and with the gallant support of his army, composed, it might be noted, not only of chhetris but numerous other ethnic groups, a great majority of which were magars. This is the same Pritihivi Narayan Shah whose remembrance day, a national holiday termed “National Unity Day”, has now been stricken off the calendar. The same individual without whose feats, none of us would be Nepalis today. Alas, nationalism is but a pawn these days of power politics.

Besides history, we must be proud of our country’s natural beauty. Agreed, hungry stomachs cannot appreciate nature’s bounty; but that’s another issue, already mentioned above. We live in the shadow of the great Sagarmatha. Our rivers rush down from the Himalayas in torrents of silver streaks. The beauty of Nepal draws tourists from all over the world making it one of the prime trekking and mountaineering destinations. The artistry of our temples awe all. Not least, the gentle hospitality of the Nepali people is appreciated by the world. Given the events of the past 13 years, all of this may sound maudlin and laughable. But if we are to recover from those gory 13 years, these items of pride are the very instruments which will aid the recovery.

We do seem to have very little to be proud of today, in these times of lack of law and order and the hawking of our sovereignty to foreigners. But the trick is to rise above our condition and to act with vision and courage for a better future, one that we can be truly proud of. This effort, in itself, is Nationalism. We must not forget that we are a proud people never subjugated to colonialism, That we are Nepalis first, seconding our ethnicity for the greater good. This is not a dreamer’s wish. If we are to survive as a nation, we must all be Nepalis first. We can safeguard our ethnic heritage, but never forget that we are first and foremost Nepalis. We need to inculcate in ourselves discipline and fairness. For example, Switzerland has 10 times the number of vehicles as compared to Nepal, in an area less than 30% of Nepal’s. Yet the chaotic traffic that we see here is unheard of there. The simple reason being Swiss drivers know traffic rules and follow them strictly.

Sports is one area in which Nepalis are doing well while much more still needs to be done. The haul of tae-kwon-do medals garnered by our athletes in international competitions is something to be truly proud of. Our under-19 national cricket teams, men and women, have also done us proud. Our film industry has not risen to the challenge of nationalism. The Indian film “Chak De India” (we seem to be looking south for all our examples, but that, in itself, is no sin) made Indians proud of their nationality. Why not have a film that inspires Nepali nationalism, which could also be commercially successful at the same time? The theater arts and music also bend well to inspiring nationalism. I remember vividly Ganesh Rasik’s song of the 1960’s with lyrics dripping with nationalistic fervour - “Hatki hoena dati ladne Nepali ko bani huncha/Kahiley najhukne seer utheko swavimani Nepali huncha….” We must use lines like these to motivate us, to work harder, to be proud of being Nepali.

Prashant is a gifted singer who sings also in Nepali with brilliance. Our nationalism however must be stirred by stronger stuff - true pride, made in Nepal. We have much to be proud of if we can only shake off the lack of confidence our economic condition bestows on us. We are indeed a poor country. We must strive for progress. Meanwhile, let each of us do his or her part in making us proud of being a Nepali. Let us never lose our self-respect. Thank you, Prashant, for giving us a glimmer of nationalism. But now we want to do it our own way – the Nepali way!

“Pheri Janma Hola Ki Nahola” (Will I be born again or not?)

2009-07-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

Having passed through the usual Marxist/atheist and agnostic phases, inevitable results of attending a radically-oriented college, I have now come home after a long time away. I am not into temple-hopping though. I go to two temples – Pashupatinath and the family shrine (Kul Devata). It is hard to explain these things. I find a certain kind of peace in Pashupatinath. Of course, I presume the shrine’s reputation as one of the holiest Hindu shrines carries weight. But I identify myself with Lord Shiva, don’t ask me why. It just happened. Maybe this is what is called Faith. I surprise myself quite often as I go to Pashupatinath in the early mornings to burn a few incense sticks and receive “chandan” (sandalwood paste placed on forehead). I admit I am skeptical of all organized religions. Maybe this is because I never learnt enough about the religion I was born into, Hinduism. Certainly going to a Jesuit school did not help in that regard, though the education St. Xavier's in Nepal provided circa. 1970 compared to any in the world. In any case, I have a simple belief: the link between any individual and the Power (“Shakti”) out there, God – if you will, is a very personal one. One does not need to belong to any organized religion to validate this link.

I visited Pashupatinath again recently. I did my usual incense/chandan routine and took a circle around the shrine. This circle inevitably passes through a roofed structure where prayers and bhajans (hymns) take place, and from next to it one looks over the Bagmati River and the “ghat” (cremation area) below. Less said about the polluted river, the better. I do like to look at the ghat and feel the inevitability of life. Knowing that one day I, hopefully, will be cremated there, it is a peek into one’s ultimate resting place.

This time, in this area, there was a small group of worshipers dancing to a bhajan. Some of the dancers were lost to the world, as they offered the bhajan to God and danced, some almost in a trance. The refrain of the bhajan is the title of this piece, which essentially is a question – Will I be born again or not? The tune was catchy, the rhythm upbeat, the voices were sweet and mellow and the chorus line was profound. Without going into a theological discussion on reincarnation, I can only say I stood there, as if transfixed, listening to the bhajan and choking back emotions I did not expect.

I am quite sure that the singers there all believed in reincarnation. The ultimate in piousness and virtue is not be born again. Hence, the chorus. Not to be born again is the objective. Being agnostic on the concept of reincarnation, I did not identify as such with the bhajan. But it got me thinking. I find it most convenient to think of death simply as the curtains drawn on life. Doesn't really matter what happens after. What is to be achieved is to be achieved in this life. All successes and failures are recorded by society and perceived by oneself - in this life. Ah yes, but there is the Soul - where does it go? This may seem pathetically naive, misinformed or downright obstinate, but I'm not sure there is a soul to continue on the journey after death. Heaven and hell are concepts that can be argued about endlessly. Before I totally confuse myself and anyone reading this, let me say what I think: after death, its curtains with nothing more; alternatively, the soul (the spirit, or whatever one calls it) is absorbed by the Shakti out there. After that, I just do not know and am not sure I really care.

So, "Pheri janma hola ki nahola?" Personally, that is no issue for me. I enjoyed the bhajan on a fresh Pashupati dawn. The intensity with which it was sung reflected devotion and faith. It was holy music to my questioning ears. It was profound.

Sports and Regional Pride

2009-06-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

With the Wimbledon Tennis tournament two days away, the general craziness over football (next year's World Cup, the ongoing Federation Cup, Ronaldo's trade from ManU to Real Madrid, Drogba's suspension, etc.), the World 20/20 Cricket tournament currently concluding in England does not perhaps hold the sports enthusiasts' attention very much. The cricket aficionados even dismiss the 20-overs only format of cricket as an aberration of that so-called gentleman's game, Test Cricket with its lengthy format moving at a stately pace, tea-breaks and all.

In any case 20/20 cricket is thriving and here to stay. Its international championship is played every two years. India won the inaugural championship in 2007. The 2009 finals takes place in London on Sunday 21st June (14:00 GMT, Star Cricket). The finalists - Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Pakistan upset the favourites, South Africa, in the first semi-final. Sri Lanka, and a young man named Dilshan, cooked West Indies' goose in last evening's second semis. As a south Asian, even though I am more a fan of tennis and football, it is a matter of sheer pride that two South Asian countries will be battling it out for the honours on Sunday. South Asia, usually in the news for its poverty and other sundry malaise, reigns supreme at least in that stately game of Cricket. Watching these young men play cricket (well not all of them are that young; Sri Lanka's hero, Sanath Jayasuria, will be 40 in less than 2 weeks)I think of how the colonized have thrashed the colonials at their own game, how a sport has given young men undreamed-of opportunities, and wish we could solve all our problems through a cricket match, or a match in any other sports for that matter.

Sri Lanka is in the headlines these days not because of Jayasuria and company, but because of the recent crushing of the LTTE rebels by the Sri Lankan Army and the consequent hullabaloo raised by righteous hypocritical "human rights" groups. Pakistan has been in the news for a long time: Benazir, Talibans, Musharraf, US's "fight against terrorism" and all of that.

But come Sunday afternoon, on a green oval at Lord's cricket ground in London, the cricket teams of these two countries will face each other sans guns, sans religious fanaticism, sans hatred. Just a a sense of pure competition, the will to win, an opportunity to give one's best. Whoever wins, I personally am a Sri Lanka fan, the trophy will be held high with pride and the world of cricket will marvel at the heroics of these young men - from South Asia!

Jai Bandh! II

2009-06-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

Further to my article "Jai Bandh!", published in People's Review, June 4-10, and also posted in this site on June 3, these photos were taken on 15th June when the YCL shut down the valley. These photos are mostly from the Balaju area, where the "jhadap" began.

Following that cliched saying about one picture and thousand words. The photos show (a) burning tire: symbol of bandhs here; (b) another burning tire in front of the welcome sign to the Balaju Industrial District; (c) a group of YCL activists; and (d) the police enjoying some shade. The rest is for your to figure out, think and take the appropriate action.

One thing I can and will say: as I walked to the Balaju Baise' Dhara Park and back, I saw about a 100 youth with formidable looking poles muttering about when they should start the stone throwing. There was not a single police outside the Balaju police station. I felt extremely safe walking along with these pole-bearing honchos.

Jai Bandh!

Such a Good Boy by Mark Zimmerman, MD, former Medical Director of Patan Hospital and currently, CEO, Nick Simon Institute, Nepal

2009-06-08T02:58:00.000-07:00

That night in the Emergency Room, the area around the doctors’ desk was hot and crowded. Some people were trying to slide the charts of their own patients to the top of the pile. Others made yet another inquiry about the status of their relative’s treatment, or tried to gain an advantage by mentioning the name of some acquaintance who worked in our hospital. In Nepal, who you know is everything.

Paban the medical resident and I edged our way through the throng. It was time to divvy up the internal medicine patients. We sorted through the charts you take emphysema and this typhoid fever one, I’ll take this stroke and that pleural effusion. I went to search for a 16-year-old boy named Tej Bdr Tamang, whose left side of the chest was completely white on the X-ray (a sign that something other than normal lung was there). I found him in the wide, deserted outpatient hall, taking refuge from the bedlam of the ER. He sat on a wooden bench, erect, with his back to the wall. His brother beside him had jumped up to signal me when I’d called out Tej’s name.

I brought the boys in to an examination room, where the many stretchers left just enough space for a doctor to slide between. Patients’ clothing, bottles of water, half-eaten snacks, sputum containers, and urinals cluttered the tabletops and floor. Because Tej was too short of breath to speak easily, his brother told me about the illness. Three weeks of dry cough, fever, and now shortness of breath. I examined Tej and his reports, and decided that he probably had a tubercular pleural effusion a collection of fluid around the lung. He was sick and could not just be sent home on medicines, so I made arrangements to drain off some of the effusion.

It was quiet in the procedure room. Tej climbed up onto one of the exam tables. I helped him take off his shirt, a girl’s shirt embroidered on the front with three pink birds singing on a holly branch. After explaining the procedure to him, I put on sterile gloves, began to sort through my tray, and just then the hospital lights went out. That part of the Emergency Room was under construction, and the wall in front of us, as well as one in the room beyond, had been partially knocked down, leaving an opening out to the hospital courtyard. It was wide enough for the soft light of early evening to light the room, and for the pale purple of a jacaranda tree to accompany us Tej in his breathless anxiety, and I sorting, clinking the various instruments for pleural drainage.

The night was busy, with not enough nurses on duty, so I planned to have Tej’s brother assist me by pouring the antiseptics into bowls and handing me some xylocaine. Still, I was glad when Sushila turned up to help; better to have a nurse, especially with this boy being fairly sick. “This will sting a bit.”

A stoic lad though reed thin, he didn’t flinch at thee cold alcohol swab or at the jab of local anesthesia in his back. The fluid was easy to find. I fixed the position of the fat needle, about 2 inches into his chest, by clamping it near the skin, hooked up a valve and tubing, and began to drain him. Sushila held the outflow tube and a measuring jug. I pulled on the plunger. The big glass syringe became hot in my left hand as it filled with his fluid. I turned the valve and pushed. Foamy yellow liquid splashed into the jug.

The three of us formed a triangle, each brushing against the other two. Sushila spoke softly, intently to Tej.

Such a good boy.
You don’t even whimper, do you?
You are a brave young man.
So helpful to us, you are.
Such a good boy.

Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen syringes-full of fluid. I asked Tej how he was doing. “OK, but not much better.” I asked Sushila if she was getting weary. “Of course not.” The lights came back on.
Sushila repeated her litany once more and then I recognized the cooing words. I knew that she was speaking not just to Tej, but also to her own son.

I took care of Pujan two years before. He’d come to Patan Hospital with a sudden onset of severe headache and fever. It wasn’t meningitis, but that was about as far as we could go with a diagnosis. Our hospital’s equipment is limited and a nationwide strike that day prevented us from using the CAT scan across town. Pujan who never let his Mom walk to the hospital at night alone, who was tops in the local karate club, who gave portions of his food to kids who had none he died two years ago this month. The jacaranda was also in bloom then.

Sushila’s husband is one of Nepal’s better-known artists. The Christmas after her son died, Sushila brought me one of his paintings, framed. It hung in my apartment, reminding me of them. She was better that second year after he died than she was during the first, but that glow that she once had seemed to have disappeared. We spoke from time to time, in the hallway or between patients. She drew some small solace from mentioning again the virtues of her lost son.

Tej began to cough at the same time as the fluid came more slowly. The chest was near dry in that area. I pulled the needle out.
“Ah, isn’t he such a good boy? Doesn’t even whimper, does he, doctor?”

Sushila went off to measure and empty the jug’s contents. I taped some gauze over the puncture site. His brother helped Tej to get his shirt on. I walked back into the swirl of the main ER, to write up his papers for medicines and a return visit.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This was written by Dr. Zimmerman a decade ago, but is relevant just as much today, indicating how little Nepal has changed.
This piece literally brought tears to my eyes, blinding what I was reading. What I thought was going to be a fairly 'clinical' story bloomed into something far beyond. "... the pale purple of a jacaranda tree to accompany u..." - fantastic imagery! This may be a "non-political" story but the political/social overtones are there for all to see: poverty - Tej wearing a girl's shirt; the electricity going off; the crowded hospital; the name dropping; and, of course, the lost potential of youth, as signified by Sushila's loss.

Tej Bdr. Tamang survived and is alive and well today.

My personal protest

2009-06-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened to me the other day. Kantipath is partitioned down the middle with cinder blocks and rope. There are however 2 breaks in this partition, presumably allowing drivers to make u-turns when necessary. Not so! I took a u-turn on one of these spots a few days ago. Out darted a traffic police who was waiting to pounce. He told me that a u-turn was not allowed there. I protested that there was no sign indicating this prohibition. He shrugged off my protests and said that u-turns hamper the flow of traffic and are therefore not allowed. Mind you, my u-turn was a complete turn (no need for backing) and I was all set to head in the other direction.

So I had a few choices: (a) just ignore the policeman and drive on - this proved unfeasible because he stood in front of my car demanding my license; (b) run over the clueless man - not advisable since I do value my SUV; (c) lock my car and just walk away. Now, in retrospect, I should have opted for (c) but in the heat of the moment, I simply flung my license at his righteous face and drove off. Had to retrieve my license from the police station after paying a "fine" of Rs. 200.

"Law and order", "politics of impunity" and such other terms are bandied about freely these days. What law was that policeman enforcing? And did he not get away with impunity? Anyway, I plan to take the same u-turn today. This time I shall go with Option (c), making sure that my vehicle blocks all traffic.

So if you see a traffic jam on Kantipath, you know what happened. It won't be the comrades "struggling in the streets", just me exercising my democratic right to protest the lack of proper traffic regulations and signs in this beloved capital of ours.

Jai Bandh! (Published in People’s Review, June 4-10, 2009) by Birat Simha

2009-06-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, 1 June, I had one of my most peaceful days in Kathmandu since returning here about two years ago. I walked from Jamal to Kaldhara to Lazimpat to Maharajgunj and back. The streets were sparsely populated with pedestrians, a few bicycles, one or two ambulances on emergency call, a few daring motorcyclists and one ironic motorbike with the pillion rider festooned in a red bandana and carrying a red communist flag. A few mom-and-pop stores were stealthily open. The rest of the stores were shuttered down as tightly as the Guantanamo Bay complex in Cuba is soon expected to be. There was almost a festive mood in the air, people walking in the middle of the street with hardly a care in the world. I felt good walking in the middle of the street too and hardly felt the heat of the afternoon sun.

I have concluded the following from the scenario above:
(a) There is absolutely no need for petroleum-based vehicles in Kathmandu within the confines of the ring road. We can all live healthier lives getting good exercise by walking (or bicycling) in a pollution free environment.
(b) The perpetrators of bandhs, and there will be many more now that the Maoists are out of the government, need to allow shops to open. There is no purpose in inconveniencing hard-working merchants during these bandhs. Inconvenience the elite driving around in their SUVs, but why pick on these shops who are simply trying to make a few bucks? Shutting down shops will not pressurize the government in any way. It does not really care, can’t you see?
(c) Let us institutionalize bandhs in our fledgling democracy. Just like it was/is accepted practice to air political views standing on a box at the corner of Hyde Park in London, let us all accept that bandhs are a means of political expression. Just let’s not close down the economy. This way, we get the best of both worlds. People will certainly notice a bandh while the economy does not have to suffer.

Yesterday’s bandh was apparently initiated by the “joint action committee for Newa Autonomous state” demanding, inter alia, the declaration of Kathmandu Valley as an autonomous state. Not a quixotic cause, I might add. If Madhes is to be one state and the other ethnic groups are also having a go at autonomy, why not the Newars? They are, after all, the original inhabitants of this valley. Since federalism is supposed to cure all our problems and Nepal has already been “declared” a Federal Democratic Republic, it is hardly surprising that various ethnic groups try and consolidate their political identity by demanding autonomy. Now let us see where federalism will lead us. Will Nepal break apart at the seams or will we become a strong federal state such as the US? There is a saying, “Don’t go to the cardiologist unless your heart is giving you trouble”. The politicians of “New” Nepal ignore this. They have made us secular, federal and God knows what else is coming, whether we needed it or not.

I mentioned somewhere above that we would be wise to expect more bandhs now that the Maoists have abandoned the government and are in opposition. They have this basic strategy of “struggle programmes from both the streets and parliament”. Fine, I guess this is democracy in action and every political party has the right to stop parliament from functioning, to create massive traffic jams, to present the people with the gift of insecurity caused by political cadres (who can also be called hoodlums) attacking everything in sight and, in general, shutting down the country for days on end.

Even as I write this, I hear chants in the street below. And today is not even a bandh day. We are supposed to be having a bandh break between the Newa bandh from yesterday and the Maoist “struggle programmes” to begin tomorrow. Someone is breaking the bandh rules! So we can expect a long hot summer and monsoon while this new government tries to govern, when it has time to do so while trying to survive. The “logical” conclusion of the peace process and the formulation of the new constitution are supposed to top the political agenda. I know not whose logic the peace process is following. And what about Development? Or have we been declassified from being a LDC lately?

The Indian Congress Party swept the recent election there having co-opted the Academy Award winning song “Jai Ho!” My tongue-in-cheek “Jai Bandh!” is a cry of frustration, no doubt. I can only plead that let not this country be governed by an endless series of bandhs, leading nowhere except into deeper depths of poverty, lack of governance and mayhem.

Reflections from Sri Lanka and lessons for Nepal By P.S. Kunwar

2009-05-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

Like everyone else in the world in general and South Asia in particular, the end of the LTTE has provided an opportunity to look for lessons for Nepal . The general perspective from the liberal left leaning international press, caught off guard as usual, has been to say that the Sri Lankan tactic of shunning negotiations, pursuing a relentless military campaign and acceptance of civilian casualties, a) should not have been followed and b) would not have worked. This press perspective was backed up by the never ending interviews from aid workers and human rights activists that focused on humanitarian suffering and the absence of peace. However, it did work and Sri Lanka is now rid of an affliction that hindered its progress for more than a quarter century.

Nepal on the other hand has done everything by the book. So theoretically we should be well on our way to permanent peace. Theoretical prescriptions followed fast and furious from the likes of the treacherous UNMIN, the simplistic Nordics, unreliable Europeans, and a lumbering giant neighbor led by its fringe communist tail. We gave up our constitution, kingship, religion, culture, history, unitary state, national anthem, national seal, national dress and we still don’t have peace. In addition we gave away; citizenships, money to enemy combatants, the honor of being declared martyrs, and - most importantly of all - our place as a fully sovereign state in South Asia . Yet we still don’t have peace. Nepal ’s peace process is a case where the operation was a success but the patient died!

How did we come to this pass? Before following Sri Lanka ’s example of rejecting prescriptions from international peace quacks, it may be interesting to see why these international quacks and their attendant nurses from the press, human right activists and development business were tried. What were the motives of the Nepali leaders to allow such a travesty? It is all about cover-up, consolidation, cash and hope.

Motive 1: Cover Up. The simplistic interpretation of history and the cause of the Maoist uprising, swallowed hook-line and sinker by the likes of UNMIN, served our self-serving politicians well. According to this, Maoists took up arms against an autocratic king to restore democracy and create social justice. However, the fact that there was a functioning democracy, with a constitutional king, that they took up arms against in 1996 is conveniently forgotten. This version allows the politicians to cover up their decade long misrule and corruption as well as lay all blame on the kingship.

Motive 2: Consolidation. Even without the Maoists, Nepal had had enough of the geriatric greedy politicians and hence the celebrations after the royal coup. Following the advice of the quacks, these politicians were handed with the status of major parties without ever being put to the test. Who knows how history would have changed if they had participated in the 2006 elections. As the last election showed, these so-called major parties have continued to decline in popularity. In addition to the parties, it allowed a group of mentally challenged has-beens to emerge as leaders of civil society who till today are up to their vomit inducing antics in their attacks against the Presidency.

Motive 3: Cash. No one can deny the huge amount of money that accompanied the prescriptions from quacks. It was far easier for our “leaders” to rather lie down as a patient than debate the quacks understanding of reality. This led to a rabbit like multiplication of newspapers, NGOs, human rights groups with names like HURPES and peace builders eager to lap up this distorted understanding of history and make hay in the process.

Motive 4: Hope: Since Nepalis are a hopeful lot; our leaders who sold their souls still have two hopes. One is that the motives mentioned above do not come to light. The second hope is that the quacks prescription will still work. However, both hopes will be shattered. The alternative to the Maoists are not the mainstream parties. They can never be a bulwark against a Pol Pot like state. If a fresh alternative does not emerge from within the parties soon, they will lose the next conflict with the Maoists and take us with them to the darkest days in Nepal ’s history. If we depend on them we are sunk. The real civil society needs now to enter politics, the press and human rights movement to remove the cancer in Nepal ’s democracy, and like Sri Lanka , do it our way.

Etiquette for Street Protests

2009-05-07T21:28:00.000-07:00

I sure am sticking my neck out trying to prescribe etiquette for what essentially is "mobism". But here goes.

Two days ago, I was walking along Durbar Marg when the Maoist street protest passed me by, on the way to the President's residence. There were a few hundred people with banners decrying "the Presidential Coup" and lots of Maoist flags waving merrily. One individual ran well ahead of the procession assuring all shopkeepers politely that they could keep their shops open, and there was no danger from the procession. This, I thought, was a very considerate gesture. I could observe the shopkeepers skeptically eying this messenger; but they did leave their shops open, and there was no damage.

Now I come to the crux of the matter. Sure, it is the democratic right of every citizen to march peacefully protesting whatever they wish - from stinking garbage to presidential decisions. BUT, there is something called traffic in this city of ours. It has far too many vehicles for its roads. So when these protest marches block entire streets, the already horrendous traffic situation becomes manic. Okay, I concede, those who own vehicles are the elite minority. But what about the taxis who need to earn a livelihood, or all the middle class motor cyclists?

I have seen political protests in many countries. For example, in the United States, they are controlled well by the police and their protest areas are designated beforehand. Traffic is never hampered. By exercising our democratic right to protest (or freedom of expression), we surely do not have the right to tie up traffic, cause commotion and destroy the peace. But this is exactly what our protestors - be they red or of any other hue - are doing. The police apparently do not know that protesters do not have the right to block traffic. Or they do, and don't give a damn!

What Is to be Done?

2009-05-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

This is a layman's perspective on the events of the past two days. There are constitutional and legal analyses aplenty. One thing I can say right off is that these events are NOT based on constitutional validity or legalities. They are simply politics.

Prachanda had to ensure that he remained the leader of the Maoist Party. He therefore had to maintain his quixotic stand on sacking the Chief of Army Staff. His unilateral sacking brought down his government and he had to resign. The President was beseeched by 18 political parties to retain the CoAS. He did so in the best spirit of keeping intact the only security apparatus of the nation and to rebuttal the high-handed unconstitutional action of the Maoists.

Now the Maoist high command has declared that they will push for the CoAS's ouster in the streets and in government. They have further declared that a new government cannot be formed without their support. They have also termed the President's action unconstitutional. In effect, they have reverted to their rabble-rousing ways.

The next few days will probably see Maoist rallies all over the country and especially in Kathmandu. I doubt the police can keep the peace. Who else can? Obviously, the Army. The nation has reached this watershed to preserve its Chief. Let us see now if that Chief can direct the army to preserve the peace and security of the Nepali people.

The new government is apparently to be led by the United Marxist-Leninists, supported by the Nepali Congress, the 3rd and 2nd largest parties respectively in the Constituent Assembly. They will need the support of many other parties, not least the Madhesh-oriented parties, to form a government of national consensus. The Maoists should ideally support this "National Government" which can proceed with the drafting of the constitution - the main job of this CA. But Maoist "idealism" would perhaps prevent them from keeping the nation above petty party doctrines.

When Lenin wrote his pamphlet which was titled the same as the title of this piece, he knew what was to be done and did it. I wish Nepali "leaders" were Lenins, minus the Marxist flavour.

MAY DAY!! MAY DAY!!

2009-04-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

This morning's (1 May) Kathmandu Post (not the other Indian-controlled daily) puts it succinctly: The Thauus have shut down the Terai (20 districts) for 9 days; essential commodities are in short supply; prices have soared; the queues at the petrol stations in Kathmandu are serpentine; there are daily strikes; and insecurity is rife.

Yet the Neros in our government fiddle on. The Maoists want to, if necessary, unilaterally sack the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Katwal. The Nepali Congress (NC), as the main oppositin party, is adamantly against it, and for once is showing aome mettle. The UML, which is neither Marxist-Leninist nor united, has come up with a brainless formula - sack Katwal, his number two Khadka (who is trying to be COAS by kissing the Maoists' you-know-what), as well as the Defense Minister Gurung, a top Maoist. NC opposes this. The Maoists, naturally, don't want Gurung removed.

This melodrama is being played out at the expense of the Nepali people who made the Maoists the largest party in the Constituent Assembly. The title of this piece is not a celebration of May 1. Rather, it is the call sign for aircrafts and ships in distress. This country is in distress, without a shadow of doubt. While the daily lives of its people deteriorate, the government is engrossed in political shananigans.

Today we are supposed to celebrate workers' rights. The only workers who have rights in this country are those belonging to the Maoist-affiliated unions. The rest remain as they were - in the morass of feudal, nepotistic constraints. More than half a million Nepalis are working abroad. How they must be celebrating their rights as Nepali workers today!

And while we may shout "May Day" at the top of our voices, asking for help, let there be no misconceptions. The only help can come from we ourselves. Donors, international organizations, and our giant neighbours look promisimg as aid-givers. Let us not live in a fool's paradise. Millions, even billions, of donor dollars may pour into Nepal; but as long as those dollars line the pockets of a corrupt government and further bolster the dominance of the economic elite, nothing will change.

So, "MAY DAY!"

Nepal Army versus Nepal Government

2009-04-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

Two glaringly annoying headlines face me today: "Government intent on taking action against Chief of Army Staff" and "Army trashes coup rumours".

Why is the Nepal Army (NA) presenting such a chicken-hearted front? The government asked the COAS for explanation on three issues. The COAS gave perfectly well-reasoned valid explanation. If the Maoists still want to sack him, isn't it time the NA dared them to? Let the rumours fly and scare the daylights out of those who would dismantle the only remaining institution in Nepal preventing a fledgling democracy from turning into a one-party communist dictatorship. Isn't there something in the oath that NA personnel take saying they will lay down their lives for the sovereignty of the nation? Has this been conveniently forgotten by some of these bribe-bloated generals?

If Lt. Gen. Khadka has sided with the Maoists and stabbed the NA in the back, why is he still strutting around instead of being court martialled? It is time for the NA to draw the famous "laxman rekha". "Mess with us and you will get it" - this should be the motto, not "trashing rumours", for heaven's sake.

Doesn't anyone have a backbone in this beleaguered country?

3 Years of Democracy in "New Nepal"

2009-04-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

24 April marks the third anniversary of Jana Andolan II, the much vaunted "people's revolution" of 2006. Republica (how obvious can one be?), in its inaugural issue, trumpets "Triumph of People Power". In marked contrast, the Kathmandu Post which bills itself as Nepal's Largest Selling English Daily does not even mention that today is Democracy Day, being observed with a national holiday. So not all believe that people's power was what created JA II.

In a nutshell, on 24 April 2006, the then-King stepped back from his autocratic rule making way for the re-convening of the National Parliament. The anti-King movement had been spearheaded by seven political parties, led by the Nepali Congress (NC) and the United Marxist-Leninist party (UML). In November 2005, under the auspices of the Indian Government, the Maoists who were then still fighting against the government sat down for talks in Delhi with the seven party alliance (SPA). The resulting 12-points agreement effectively brought the Maoists into the SPA as an eighth political force. In a truely communist tactical move, a hard-core communist rebel movement joined efforts towards a multi-party democracy.

The initial call for an end tp an end to autocratic rule by the King snowballed into a anti-monarchy movement. instigated by SPA, Maoists and arguably (only because there is no hard proof) by the Indian Government. Every player had his/her own axe to grind. GP Koirala, the NC president aspired to be the first president of Republic Nepal, and his ambition had no bounds. The Maoists, almost by definition, were not going to support - at least overtly - the monarchy. Unfortunately, India felt put upon when the King pressed for China to have observer status in SAARC (the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation). It all came to a head on that fateful day 3 years ago when thousands of people took to the streets chanting anti-King slogans. Monarchy had become democracy's bugaboo. And alas, the monarchists had only themselves to blame for this utter failure in reflecting how monarchy and democracy were both needed for the sovereignty, unity and future of Nepal.

The people who came out into the streets have now been deified as the instruments of "people power". It is too late to count how many of those were Maoist cadres, how many were paid by the SPA, and how many were out just to watch the fun.

We observe Democracy Day today in a country whch has pre=maturely been classified as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Whether we are to be federal or not depends on the deliberations of the Constituent Assembly. We have become a republic in the most undemocratic fashion possible, sans referendum and at the whim of the triumvirate leaders of the Maoists, NC and UML parties. The term "new Nepal" is almost unheard these days. Seems we are relegated to the same old Nepal where the people are shepherded around like sheep. Democratic sheep??!!

THINKING ALOUD: Mulling By-Election Results By S. Khanal

2009-04-17T02:39:00.000-07:00

Like the proverbial water-in-the-glass situation, the results of the by-elections held in six constituencies can be interpreted as half-full or half-empty depending on the beholder’s political leaning.

Although the Maoists bagged one more seat than it had won during last year’s CA election (the Maoists, NC and the Forum had won two seats each in the six that were contested recently), the fact that the Maoists’ had the advantage of incumbency must not be minimized in any objective assessment.

Specifically, while they maintained their hold on Rolpa-2, where Prachanda had successfully contested last year, as well as in Kaski-1, where Dev Gurung had similarly emerged victorious, they just managed to secure the top position in Kanchanpur-4, which had been claimed last year by NC’s Sher Bahadur Deuba, by a small difference.

Besides, the margin of the Maoist victory in the two constituencies first named was considerably less spectacular than it had been last year, indicating a clear slippage of sorts in popular support.

NC’s Shekhar Koirala this time barely managed to wrest Morang-7 from the Forum, earlier handsomely won by Chairman Upendra Yadav. Last time around, he had lost badly to the Forum. Though a victory is a victory, it is to be noted that a great deal of importance had been attached to the Morang-7 contest not least by NC boss Girija Prasad Koirala who lent his full political prestige and actually participated in the voting.

The real blow for the NC was in Dhanusha-5 where its candidate came third, and the UML on top, doubtless, in part at least, because Dr Chandra Mohan Yadav, a political novice and son of President Ram Baran Yadav who had swept the polls during last year’s election, was nominated as NC’s candidate.

Clearly, NC once again indulged in dynastic politics and paid a heavy price for it, as its strength in the CA has now dropped by one (as has that of the Forum). Thus, one may be excused for wondering when, if ever, the NC will learn!

Plainly, UML’s victory in Dhanusha-5 is all the sweeter in that its candidate Raghubir Mahaseth who had come in second last year defeated Krishna Yadav of the TMDP, led by Mahanta Thakur. The UML was in fact the only major party which had not won an election in any one of the six contested constituencies, last year. In that sense, too, the UML did well, as compared to its performance in the contested electoral battles, in 2008.

On a more general level, the voter turnout was considerably lower than it was last year, although some may argue that it is reasonable to expect a lower turnout in a by-election than in general election where more is at stake. On the other hand, it can also be said that since more attention can be paid by all concerned parties on a handful of seats than where hundreds are at stake, it is not necessary that voter turnout should, ipso facto, be lower in a by-election than in a general election.

It would thus be a useful exercise for all to attempt to objectively establish the reasons for the drop in voter interest after Nepal has been declared a federal republic.

So, in sum, what do the by elections’ results indicate? To my mind, it suggests that despite the Maoists’ securing one more seat in the CA than it had, this addition is not all that meaningful given that it has been leading the coalition government for the past nine months, benefiting from all the advantages of incumbency, saturation news coverage on a daily basis and the dissemination of perks and patronage executed with a political motivation.

While both the NC and the Forum have, numerically, suffered to the same extent, in proportionate terms, however, the loss for the Forum is more severe since its total in the CA is far below that of the NC, in absolute terms.

On the other hand, the NC’s defeat in Dhanusha-5 can safely be attributed to its pig-headedness in insisting that an absolute political neophyte, Dr Ram Baran Yadav’s son, should be nominated as NC’s official candidate over the heads of others with a record of political work and service to the party.

It is not very clear, at this stage, what if any contribution Sher Bahadur Deuba made towards the defeat of the NC candidate from a constituency that he had won last year. Would greater attention by him, and other NC heavyweights, to the Kanchanpur-4 constituency and its official candidate Yagraj Joshi have made a difference, in view of the fact that the margin of votes between him and the victor is not all that wide?

The UML, as already indicated, has done quite credibly snatching a seat from what was considered a traditional NC stronghold. Is this only a flash in the electoral pan or does it represent a steady political come-back – as was hinted at by the impressive manner in which its recent general convention in Butwal was conducted?

Also worthy of some focused thought is whether its student wing’s spectacular victory in recent student union elections over the NC and the Maoists is might also be a precursor of better days ahead for the UML.

While it was only the Maoists and the UML that gained a seat each in the by-elections, it would seem that the UML’s attractions are manifest more in intellectual and youth circles than perhaps in the general peasantry or less-educated sector.

On a separate plane, I maintain it is quite reasonable to wonder whether the Maoists’ PLA’s dismal failure to make an impression in the Fifth National Games, made possible by its controversial last-minute inclusion by fiat, does not also have political ramifications.

Its failure to bag even a single gold medal in football, volleyball, athletics, badminton, karate and taewondo in the national competition is certainly not an encouraging indicator of the Maoists’ ability to compete on a level playing ground.

By-Elections: Maoists win 3 seats, remaining 3 won by UML, NC, MJF

2009-04-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Maoists have done it again! They have taken 50% of the by-election seats. They won in Rolpa, taking the seat vacated by PM Prachanda. Amazingly, they also won in Kanchanpur, taking the seat vacated by Nepali Congress leader Sher Bdr Deuba. For those of us taken aback by the Maoists victory a year ago and who have not seen the current Maoist-led government achieve much, if anything, the continued success of the Maoist Party raises a number of questions:

1. Are the other parties simply too disorganized and clue-less to offer a viable challenge to the Maoists?
2. Is the Maoist party election mechanism just too strong to be overcome?
3. Do the people who voted for the Maoists realize what a communist party is? Have they assessed the success, or lack thereof, of the current government?

These 6 seats were to provide the limus test as to whether the other parties, and especially the so-called opposition NC, had learnt their lessons well from April 2009. They have failed abysmally, proving beyond doubt that they are incapable of learning anything.

If there is to be a "democratic front" to challenge the Maoists, NC - with its current leadership and organization - does not have the vision or ability to lead it. Those who want to partner NC to form this alliance are living in a fool's paradise. The time has come for serious thought on the forming of a democratic alliance. Otherwise, let us resign ourselves to a People's Democratic Republic of Nepal. Amen.

Hindutwa Challenged

2009-04-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

Published in People's Review, Thu 2 April 2009
Posted in NepaliPerspectives.blogspot.com, 4 April 2009

Hindutwa Challenged

By Birat Simha

As the campaigning for the Indian parliamentary elections heats up, Varun Gandhi, a 28-years old candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been taken into custody under the National Security Act. His misdeed: making fiery speeches supposedly inciting communal disharmony. That this has happened in the alleged largest functioning democracy in the world is remarkable; that the protagonist is a scion of the Gandhi clan, son of Menaka and the late Sanjay Gandhi and nephew of the Indian Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi, adds another angle to the story.

Freedom of speech is a basic pillar of democracy. What the young Gandhi exercised was this freedom. In the recently concluded American presidential elections, strong words were exchanged among of the candidates. Radio show hosts were criticized for inflammatory and racist remarks. But no one was hustled into prison. The reason, of course, is that none of these remarks threatened the national security of the United States. That Varun Gandhi's remarks may have threatened the national security of India indicates the fragility of the Indian strain of democracy.

India has made spectacular gains recently in the economic sector. It is also a country where at least a quarter of its billion plus population is mired in abject poverty. Social indicators, especially those on health, do not reflect the political lead that India tries to take in the sub-continent. As a more telling illustration, the Gandhi family - that of Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter Indira Gandhi (not Mahatma Gandhi) - has become almost the "royal family" of India. That the oldest political party of India, the Congress, is currently headed by a woman of Italian birth says much for the awesome clout of the Gandhi name. Sonia just happened to be the wife of the pilot-turned-politician, the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who in turn may never have had to give up flying if his younger brother, Sanjay Gandhi, had not died in an aircraft mishap. Varun Gandhi is the son of this very same Sanjay.

Varun Gandhi's arrest has its political overtones. The BJP is challenging the Congress to lead the next government of India, which will almost surely be a coalition government. BJP has gained its fame, and has actually ruled India once, as a pro-Hindu party. It is today trying to downplay its Hindu origins to court non-Hindu votes. Varun Gandhi's speeches should not have come as a surprise to anyone. "Theocracy", something that most people believe ended when the Pope lost political power, is alive and well. The numerous Islamic states testify to this, as does the state of Israel. In this state of affairs, Hinduism is unique in that it does not accept converts. So with other religions on a conversion spree, Hindus will gradually have the least adherents. That the BJP should try to downplay its pro-Hindu roots and is almost disowning Varun Gandhi today illustrates this inherent hesitation among Hindus to stand up for Hinduism, that most tolerant of religion which is now facing extinction because of that very tolerance.

Another case in point: about three years ago, Nepal - then the only Hindu kingdom on earth - was declared secular by a motley crew of polticians, without so much as a peep from the people. While the Maoists have been logically blamed for this, the real culprits were the proselytizing grpups from Western donor countries who have made Nepal their conversion laboratory. While its Hindu population, comprising about 65% of the total, remained silent - or perhaps, tolerant! - Nepal lost its Hindu identity with a simple government ordnance.

Therefore, for Varun Gandhi to exercise his right to freedom of speech in the cause of Hindutwa is novel and laudatory. That his country is so insecure that it cannot allow him this freedom is a separate matter. All Hindus, especially those who have remained silent and docile so far, must view this imcident as a young Hindu stalwart's fight for his freedom, his beliefs and his religion!

The time has come for Hindus to stand for their rights and beliefs. This is not an exhortation to violence. Peaceful action is best. The symbol of universal peace, Gautam Buddha, was born a Hindu. Let us not be afraid, however, to fight if that is the only resort left us by our opponents. Let us not forget the Mahabharata and the Bhagvad Geeta when Lord Krishna himself, incarnation of Vishnu, went to battle to defend justice and righteousness.#

Might of the Generals??

2009-03-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is a follow-up to my post of 17 March 2009.

Just saw the piece below on NepalNews.com. The die is cast. Does Nepal have an independent judiciary? What are the "legal procedures" not completed by the government? Why only a one-member bench of the SC? Not being a legal expert, I do not have the answers.

The government apparently still has the opportunity to provide a rebuttal to this decision. But this is a novel occasion when the judiciary has had the guts to challenge the executive branch of our government. Will the executive branch, led by the UCPN-M, take this challenge as as an exercise in the democratic process? Or will the YCL plagues us more intensely? Will the schism between the Defense Ministry and the Nepal Army widen further? Will the NA have the nerve to stand up for its rights and fulfill its duty to protect the country?

I am tempted to use the cliche "The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind", but that would not be right. We Nepalis listen to the wind too much. The "ke garne" mode of "action" has already made this country secular, rid it of the monarchy, and placed in power a government which rules by ordnances. I can only hope that on this particular case, justice is done.

______________________________________________________________

"The Supreme Court has ordered the government to reinstate the eight Generals of the Nepal Army on Tuesday.

After first day’s hearing of the writ filed by the generals whose tenure was not extended by the coalition government, the one-member bench of the Justice Kalyan Shrestha issued an interim order in the name of government to reinstate the generals.

Failing to get their term extended, the army officials reached Supreme Court on Sunday saying that government decision was illegal.

The SC verdict says the government decision not to the extend terms for the army generals did not complete legal procedures.

The order would remain as final verdict of the court unless government supplies sufficient reasons to prove that its decision completed all legal procedures, lawyers say." nepalnews.com mar 24 09

Student Union Elections - Nepali style

2009-03-21T02:53:00.000-07:00

The student unions in colleges all over Nepal have just concluded their elections. Early reports indicate that the uninos affiliated to the United Marxist-Leninist (UML) political party are #1 in the rankings, followed by the unions affiliated to the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Maoists.

The last few days have seen traffic disrupted all over the capital as the student unions campaign and bash each other. This phenomenon is reflected all over the country, of course. Kathmandu is still "Nepal", as the saying goes. A couple of students have died in inter-union clashes. Others have been injured when the police tried to maintain order.

We in Nepal are now quite used to seeing political rallies, violence, traffic disruptions and general mayhem. What is unique about our student unions is that they are clones of the political parties. I wonder if any of them are fighting for concrete benefits for students. Rather, they are echoing the voices of their masters - the political parties. I remember a time, in the early 1970's, when I was running for the executive board of the student union of my local college. I remember well exhorting, in my campaign speech, that students need to look after their own interests instead of trying to become politicians. I lost handily.

The 3rd ranking of the unions affiliated to the Maoists is a promising sign that people (students, at least)realize who and what the Maoists are. Now let us see whether the UML and NC have the ability to capitalize on this. I have my doubts.

The Night of the Generals?

2009-03-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

Eight (or nine, by some reports) Brigadier Generals of the Nepal Army (NA) have been retired by the Government, despite the recommendation of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS to extend them. They were all eligible for 3-year extensions upon completion of their 5 year term.

That a few Brigadier Generals, from a pool of 50+, retire is not an earth-shaking event. The Government has always reserved the prerogative to retire or extend senior army staff, quite apparent also during the days when Kings were the Supreme Commander of their Royal Nepal Army. So there is also no lack of precedence.

But the political complexities of present Nepal cast a different meaning on these recent retirements. The decision has been taken by the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister, both Maoist leaders who have their own private army - the "People's Liberation Army" (PLA) - behind them. Maoist rhetoric has even gone so far as to propose that the Nepal Army be replaced by the PLA as the national army. It is in the interest of the Maoist party to weaken the Nepal Army in any way possible. The growing rift between the Defense Minister and the Chief of Army Staff is apparent to all. This morning's paper states that the President, who is now supposed to be the Supreme Commander of the NA, has advised the COAS to "knock on the doors" of the government to press his request to extend the generals, since the President's own powers are "limited". This from a President from the Nepali Congress party which is supposed to be the main opposition to the current government!

Let's call a spade a spade. The continuing existence of the PLA is a sore festering on the peace process of Nepal. The NA is now the only institution between some sort of order and complete anarchy in the country. Let us hope that COAS Katwal has the strength of conviction and love for this country to do what needs to be done.

2009-03-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

This morning, one of BBC Radio's headlines was that the Sri Lankan government had been accused of war crimes by an international body.

War crimes are defined in the statute that established the International Criminal Court (July 2002), which includes:

A. Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, such as:
1. Willful killing, or causing great suffering or serious injury to body
or health
2. Torture or inhumane treatment
3. Unlawful wanton destruction or appropriation of property
4. Forcing a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of a hostile power
5. Depriving a prisoner of war of a fair trial
6. Unlawful deportation, confinement or transfer
7. Taking hostages

B. The following acts as part of an international conflict:
1. Directing attacks against civilians
2. Directing attacks against humanitarian workers or UN peacekeepers
3. Killing a surrendered combatant
4. Misusing a flag of truce
5. Settlement of occupied territory
6. Deportation of inhabitants of occupied territory
7. Using poison weapons
8. Using civilians as shields
9. Using child soldiers

C. The following acts as part of a non-international conflict:
1. Murder, cruel or degrading treatment and torture
2. Directing attacks against civilians, humanitarian workers or UN
peacekeepers
3. Taking hostages
4. Summary execution
5. Pillage
6. Rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution or forced pregnancy

However the court only has jurisdiction over these crimes where they are "part of a plan or policy or as part of a large-scale commission of such crimes".

Scrutinising the items above, I conclude that "war crimes" is pervasive world-wide, unpreventable, and - alas - the Geneva Convention and such other well-meaning treatise are quixotic at best.

As the saying goes, "all is fair in love and war."

8 March, International Women’s Day

2009-03-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

8 March is International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is observed around the world each year to celebrate the achievements and gains made by women and to focus on the job still to be done in working towards equality for women. International Women’s Day provides an opportunity for communities to recognise and celebrate local women’s achievements and the contribution they continue to make to their area.

I was reading in a paper the other day about a community in western Nepal which observed strict traditional customs related to maternity as well as menses. The new-born child and mother have to remain secluded, usually in the cow shed, for 11 days before the priest “purifies” the child in the ceremony commonly known as Nwaran. Similarly, women have to remain completely secluded for 5 days during their monthly menses. The former has resulted in the death of children who do not have access to proper post-natal care. The latter is yet another phenomenon of “untouchability” in our society.

A few months ago, the Miss Nepal pageant had to be scuttled due to protests from a women Maoist group which dubbed it as exploitation of women, ignoring completely that all the contenders were well educated young ladies, there is no bikini parade in the Nepal pageant, and the Miss World organization is a major donor to charities. So Nepal was not represented at the Miss World pageant in Johannesburg, South Africa last December. Ms. Russia won the crown and Ms. India was the runner up. A group of narrow-minded dogmatic women, ironically, prevented the Nepali contestants from competing for a better future.

Another glaring illustration is the treatment of widows in Nepal. When the husband dies, the wife’s bangles are broken, the vermillion on her head wiped away and she is swathed in white, never to wear red again. She has to go into hard mourning for 13 days. Some widows even wear only white for a year or for the rest of their lives. A widower can receive offers of marriage the very next day after the death of his wife.

Closer to home, I learnt recently that daughters, once married, have no legal rights on their parents’ property. I assume parents wash their hands off their daughters once they marry. She becomes the responsibility of her husband. In a way, she becomes a member of her husband’s family completely with minimal ties to her own family. I hear murmurings that this law will soon be changed, giving equal rights to sons and daughters. It is yet to be seen whether the fabled “New Nepal” will redress this inequality.

For sure, women in Nepal, as elsewhere in the world, have come a long way. Women’s literacy is over 40%, though men’s is close to 60%. Women in the work-force are visible from the women traffic police to the numerous executives and secretaries, though more of the latter to be sure. There is yet much to be done. The median age at first marriage of Nepali women is only 17. Maternal mortality rate, the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 deliveries, remains at 281, as compared to 110 for Maldives and 92 for Sri Lanka. Only 23% of Nepali women give birth attended by a trained attendant, as compared to 85% for Maldives and 96% for Sri Lanka.

Statistics alone do not tell the whole story. They are merely indicators of deep-rooted social, cultural and development issues. Until we can accept the fact that all babies, whether male or female, are born equal and have equal rights, the status of Nepali women will continue to be defiled. Parents will keep on having children until they have a son who can light their funeral pyre, thus inflating the birth rate. Women are usually not even allowed at funerals. Why should not a daughter light the funeral pyre? If women in history had the courage to burn themselves alive in the funeral pyres of their husbands, courage is in no short supply among women.

Changes in women’s status can come about only with basic attitudinal changes among men, as well as women who cling to out-dated customs. These changes need to be brought about by education, how children are brought up, and legal safeguards for women’s rights. There is still a long way to go for women to achieve equality and equity with men in Nepal. But it is a challenge that cannot be avoided. It has been proven, for example, that educated mothers have fewer and healthier children. So it is not an exaggeration to say that women shape the future.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, let each one of us reflect on the true status of the average Nepali woman. Not the socialite or CA member, not the educated and aware, but the simple girls and women in a village. Perhaps they spend most of their time fetching water, cooking, washing clothes, and looking after their fields and cattle, if any. They are illiterate, doomed to a life unchanged for generations. Development, a nebulous term at best, requires many ingredients. A crucial one is that women have to be educated and their status must be equal to men.

Nepal Army and Maoist combatants vis-a-vis the Seven Parties - Maoist Peace Accord

2009-03-05T21:15:00.000-08:00

This post comes after a 2-month winter hiatus. In view of the current controversial recruitment by the so-called Maoist "People's Liberation Army", I have presented the facts as they appear in the Peace Accords. So who's playing games now?? Sections pertaining to the current controversy are in bold:

(Unofficial translation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement 2006)

Preamble:

Respecting people’s mandate for democracy, peace and progress expressed through repeated historic people’s movement and struggles since 1951,

Reaffirming commitments to the 12-point and 8-point agreements, and 25-point code of conduct between the seven parties and the Maoists; decisions taken during the meeting of the top leaders of the seven parties and the Maoist on November 8 along with other agreements, understandings, code of conducts and letter sent to the United Nations stating identical viewpoints by the Maoists and the Nepal government,

Pledging for progressive restructuring of the state by resolving prevailing problems related with class, ethnicity, regional and gender differences,

Reiterating commitments to competitive multiparty democratic system, civil liberties, fundamental rights, human rights, complete press freedom, rule of law and all other norms and values of democratic system,

Pledging commitments to Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 and other international humanitarian laws and values and principles of the human rights,

Guaranteeing the fundamental rights of the Nepalese people to cast their votes in the constituent assembly polls without any kind of fear,

By putting democracy, peace, prosperity, progressive social and economic transformation, independence, integrity, sovereignty and prestige of the state in the centre-stage, implement the commitments made by both the sides to hold the election to constituent assembly by mid June 2007 in a free and fair manner,

Declaring the end of armed conflict prevailing in the country since 1996 and beginning the new era of peace and co-operation as per the understanding reached between both the sides for guaranteeing the sovereignty of the Nepalese people, progressive political solution, democratic restructuring of the state and social, economic and cultural transformation of Nepalese society through the constituent assembly,

Committing to transforming the ceasefire between the Nepal government and the Maoists into permanent peace, the following comprehensive peace agreement has been reached between the Nepal government and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).

1. Preliminary
1.1. This agreement shall be called ‘Comprehensive Peace Agreement, 2006’. In short this shall be called peace agreement.
1.2. This agreement shall come into effect through public announcement by both the government and the Maoists
1.3. Both the sides shall issue directives to all the agencies under them to follow and implement this agreement immediately and shall implement it
1.4. All agreements, understandings, code of conduct and decision taken by the government, the Maoists and the seven parties enlisted in the appendix shall be inseparable part of this agreement
1.5. The agreements and understanding to be signed later to implement this agreement shall also be regarded as part of this agreement

2. Unless the subject or context otherwise requires, in this agreement:
a. Ceasefire shall mean restriction of all kinds of attacks, abduction, disappearance, imprisonment, mobilisation and strengthening of the armed force, attacking or armed actions targeted against each other between the Nepal government and the Maoists and any form of destructive, provoking or inciting activities in the society.
b. ‘Interim constitution’ shall mean the ‘Interim Constitution of Nepal 2006’ to be promulgated and exercised until a new constitution is written through Constituent Assembly.
c. ‘Interim cabinet’ shall mean the council of minister formed as per the interim constitution.
d. ‘Both Parties’ shall mean Nepal government and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
e. ‘Prevailing laws’ shall mean the interim constitution and other existing Nepalese laws that are not inconsistent with this constitution. However, this definition shall not affect the existing legal system in the country before the announcement of the interim constitution.
f. ‘Verification’ would mean the preparation of the detailed situation of the army, combatants and arms by the United Nations after verification.

3. Political, social, economic transformation and conflict management

Both parties have agreed to formulate following programmes and policies for political, social and economic transformation and management of the existing conflict through positive means:
3.1. Based on the decision taken by the meeting of the top leaders of the seven parties and the Maoists (schedule 6) on November 8, guarantee progressive political, economic and social transformation.
3.2. Form the interim legislative – parliament, as per the interim constitution, the interim government shall hold election to constituent assembly elections by mid-June 2007 in free and fair manner and make the Nepalese people feel their inherent sovereign right.
3.3. No rights of state administration shall remain with the King. Bring the properties of late King Birendra, late Queen Aishwarya and their family members under the control of the Nepal government and use it for the welfare purposes through a trust. All properties acquired by King Gyanendra by the virtue of him being the King (like palaces of various places, forests and conservation areas, heritage having historical and archaeological importance) shall be nationalised. Determine the fate of the institution of monarchy by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly through simple majority vote.
3.4. Promulgate the political system that fully comprehends with the concepts of universally adopted principles of fundamental human rights, multiparty competitive democratic system, sovereign rights inherent in the people and supremacy of the citizens, constitutional balance and control, rule of law, social justice and equality, independent judiciary, periodic elections, monitoring by the civil society, complete press freedom, right to information of the citizens, transparency and accountability of the activities of the political parties, people’s participation, fair, able and uncorrupted administrative mechanism.
3.5. End the existing centralised and unitary state system and restructure it into an inclusive, democratic progressive system to address various problems including that of women, Dalits, indigenous community, Madhesis, oppressed, ignored and minority communities, backward regions by ending prevailing class, ethnic, linguistic, gender, cultural, religious and regional discrimination.
3.6. End all forms of feudalism and prepare and implement a minimum common programme of socio-economic transformation on mutual understanding.
3.7. End feudal land ownership and formulate the policies for scientific land reforms.
3.8. Adopt policies for protection and promotion of national industries and resources.
3.9. Adopt policies for establishment of civil rights in education, health, shelter, employment and food security.
3.10. Adopt policies to provide land and socio-economic security to backward groups like landless, bonded labourers, tillers, Haruwa-charuwa and other such groups, which are socio-economically backward.
3.11. Adopt policies to take strict actions against the people who have worked in government positions and have amassed huge amount of properties through corruption.
3.12. Prepare a common development concept that will help in socio-economic transformation of the country and will also assist in ensuring the country’s economic prosperity in a short period of time.
3.13. Follow policies ascertaining the professional rights of workers and increase investment on sectors like promoting industries, trade and export and increase employment and income generating opportunities.

4. Management of armies and arms
To hold the election of constituent assembly in free, fair and peaceful environment and democratisation and restructuring of the army, the following works shall be done as per the 12-point and 8-point agreements, and 25-point code of conduct, 5-point letter sent to the United Nations and decisions taken during the meeting of the top leaders on November 8:

Relating to Maoist army –
4.1. As per the commitments expressed in the joint letter sent to the United Nations by the Nepal government and the Maoists on August 9, the combatants of the Maoists would remain in the following temporary camps. United Nations would do their verification and monitoring.
1. Kailali, 2. Surkhet, 3. Rolpa, 4. Nawalparasi, 5. Chitwan, 6. Sindhuli 7. Ilam. There would be three smaller camps located in the periphery of each of these main camps
4.2. All the arms and ammunitions would be securely stored in the camps except those needed for providing security of the camp after the Maoist combatants are sent to the cantonments. They will be put under a single lock system and the concerned side would keep the key of this lock. For the UN to monitor it, a device with siren as well as recording facility will be installed. When there is need to examine the stored arms, the UN would do so in the presence of the concerned side. Prepare the details of technology including camera for monitoring as per the agreement among the Nepal government, the Maoists and the United Nations.
4.3. On completion of cantonment of the Maoist combatants, Nepal government would take up the responsibility for providing ration and other facilities to them.
4.4. The interim cabinet shall form a special committee to carry out monitoring, integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants.
4.5. Make arrangement for the security of the Maoist leaders as per the agreement with the Nepal government.

Relating to the Nepali Army
4.6. The Nepali Army would be confined to the barracks as per the commitments expressed in the letter sent to the United Nations. Guarantee that its arms would not be used for or against any side. Keep similar quantity of arms of the Nepali Army in the store, seal it with single-lock system and give the key to the concerned side. For the UN to monitor it, a device with siren as well as recording facility will be installed. When there is need to examine the stored arms, the UN would do so in the presence of the concerned side. Prepare the details of technological arrangement including camera for monitoring as per the agreement among the Nepal government, the Maoists and the United Nations.
4.7. The cabinet would control, mobilise and manage the Nepali Army as per the new Military Act. The interim cabinet would prepare and implement the detailed action plan of democratisation of the Nepali Army by taking suggestions from the concerned committee of the interim parliament. This includes works like determination of the right number of the Nepali Army, prepare the democratic structure reflecting the national and inclusive character, and train them on democratic principles and human rights values
4.8. Continue the works of the Nepali Army such as border security, security of the conservation areas, protected areas, banks, airport, power house, telephone tower, central secretariat and security of VIPs.

5. Ceasefire
5.1. End of armed rebellion and mobilisation of armed forces:-
5.1.1. Both parties commit not to carry out the following activities:-
a. Acts of attacking or using arms directly or indirectly against each other
b. Seizing or raiding places where the arms of other side has been stored as per the mutual understanding, with or without arms
c. Acts that would cause mental pressure or loss to any individual person
d. Acts to place ambush targeting each other
e. Actions involving killing or violence
f. Acts of abduction, arrest, imprisonment, disappearance
g. Destruction of public, private, governmental or military properties
h. Aerial attacks or bombarding
i. Mining or sabotaging
j. Acts of spying each other’s military activities

5.1.2. Both parties shall not carry on further recruitments, shall not transport the arms and ammunition or pose difficulties militarily against each other.
But the interim cabinet shall mobilise the security forces for search and patrol to stop the acts like illegal transportation of arms, explosives or their parts or raw material in borders or customs points.
5.1.3. No individuals or groups shall travel with arms, ammunition or explosives
5.1.4. Both parties shall inform each other about the demarcation and storage of ambush or mines planted during the war period within 30 days and help each other to diffuse or dispose them off within 60 days.
5.1.5. Armies of both parties shall not appear with arms or combat dresses in any civil meeting, political gathering or public programmes.
5.1.6. Nepal Police and Armed Police force shall continue to work for maintaining peace and investigation into the criminal activities as per the spirit and content of the peace agreement and prevailing laws.
5.1.7. Both parties shall instruct their armed forces directing them to stop telling or behaving with the other side’s armed personnel as ‘enemy’.
5.1.8. Both parties agree to prepare the details of the governmental, public, private building, land or other properties captured, locked or restricted from being used during the period of armed conflict and return these things immediately

5.2. Ways of normalising the situation:
5.2.1. There won’t be cash or kind collection or tax collection against anyone’s will or existing laws.
5.2.2. Both parties agree to publicise and release all the person kept under detention within 15 days.
5.2.3. Prepare the details of the disappeared persons or those killed in the conflict with their real name, surname and residential address and publicise it within 60 days from the day of signing this agreement and inform the family members of concerned persons.
5.2.4. Both parties agree to form a national peace and rehabilitation commission to initiate process of rehabilitation and providing relief support to the persons victimised by the conflict and normalise the difficult situation created due to the armed conflict.
5.2.5. Both parties agree to form a high level Truth and Reconciliation Commission on mutual understanding to conduct investigation about those who were involved in gross violation of human rights at the time of the conflict and those who committed crime against humanity and to create the situation of reconciliation in the society.
5.2.6. Both parties vow to renounce all forms of war, attacks, counter-attacks, violence and counter violence existing in the country and commit to guarantee the democracy, peace and progressive changes in the Nepali society. It has been agreed that both parties shall help each other for maintaining peaceful situation.
5.2.7. Both parties guarantee to withdraw accusations, claims, complaints and under-consideration cases levelled against various individuals due to political reasons and immediately publicise the status of those imprisoned and immediately release them.
5.2.8. Both parties express the commitment to allow without any political prejudice the people displaced due to the armed conflict to return back voluntarily to their respective ancestral or former residence, reconstruct the infrastructure destroyed during the conflict and rehabilitate and socialise the displaced people into the society.
5.2.9. Both parties agree to take individual and collective responsibility of resolving, with the support of all the political parties, civil society and local institutions, any problems arising in the aforementioned context on the basis of mutual consensus and creating an atmosphere conducive for normalisation of mutual relations and for reconciliation.
5.2.10. Both parties express the commitment not to discriminate against or exert any kind of pressure on any member of the family of either side on the basis of them being related to one or the other side.
5.2.11. Both parties agree not to create any kind of obstacle and allow any kind of obstruction to be created in the independent travelling, assuming of duties and executing of work by the Government of Nepal and public bodies' employees and assist them in their work.
5.2.12. Both parties agree to allow unrestricted travelling as per the law within the state of Nepal to the personnel of the United Nations, international donors agencies and diplomatic missions working in Nepal, national and international non-government organisations, press, human rights activists, election observers and foreign visitors.
5.2.13. Both parties commit to operate publicity campaigns in a decent and respectable manner.

6. The end of war
6.1 On the basis of the historic agreement between the seven political parties and the Maoists on November 8th, giving permanency to the ongoing ceasefire between the government and the Maoists, we declare the end of the war that has been going on since 1996.

6.2 The decisions made by the meeting of the senior leaders of the seven political parties and the Maoists on November 8 will be the principal basis for the establishment of permanent peace.

6.3 After the Nepali Army is placed in the barracks and the Maoists’ combatants are is contained in the cantonments, possession of arms, display of arms, creating terror, use of weapons or such acts against the agreement or law will be punishable by the law.

6.4 The army on both sides shall not be allowed to campaign in favour of any group or shall not be allowed to express their support towards any of the sides but they shall not be deprived from their rights to vote.

7. Human rights, fundamental rights and following humanitarian laws

Both parties express their commitment towards universal declaration of human rights 1948 and international humanitarian law and basic principle and values of human rights.

7.1 Human Rights

7.1.1 Both parties reaffirm their commitment to respect and protect human rights and international humanitarian law and accept that no individual shall be discriminated on the basis of caste, gender, language, religion, age, ethnic groups, national or social origin, property, disability, birth or any other status, thoughts or conscience.

7.1.2 Both parties have agreed to create an environment where the Nepali people can utilize their civic, political, economical, social and cultural rights and are committed to create an environment in which these rights will not be violated in the future under any circumstances.

7.1.3 Both parties express their commitment and state that necessary investigation will be undertaken against any individual involved in violating the rights mentioned in the agreement and action will be taken against ones that are found guilty. Both parties also ascertain that they will not protect impunity and along with it, the rights of the people affected by the conflict and torture and the families of the people who have been disappeared will be safeguarded.

7.1.4 Both parties shall not be involved in activities like torturing civilians, abducting, forcing them to work and shall take necessary action to discourage such activities.

7.1.5 On the basis of secularism, both the sides shall respect social, cultural and religious sensitivity, and shall respect the religious conscience of a religious place or an individual.

7.2 Right to live

7.2.1 Both parties shall respect and protect the right of an individual to live. No one shall be deprived of this basic right and no law including capital punishment shall be formulated.

7.3 Individual prestige, freedom and freedom of movement

7.3.1 Both parties shall respect the right of individual prestige and freedom. In this context, even the people who have been legally deprived from enjoying their freedom shall also not be subjected to torture or punished with inhumane behaviour or disrespectful behaviour. The right of privacy of an individual shall be protected legally.
7.3.2 Both parties, respecting the individual’s freedom and right to security shall not place anyone under whimsical or illegal detention and shall not abduct or imprison any individual. Both parties shall release the details of the condition of the people who have been disappeared or have been kept captives and an agreement has also been reached to inform about their status to their family members, legal consultant or any other authorised person.

7.3.3 Both parties shall respect and protect the individual’s freedom to move freely and right to choose a place to reside within the legal periphery and also expresses commitment to respect the right of the people who have been displaced to return home or to live in any other place they choose.

7.4 Civil and political rights

7.4.1 Both parties express their commitment to respect and protect an individual’s freedom of opinion and expression, freedom to form unions and associations, freedom to assemble peacefully and shall work against exploitation.

7.4.2 Both parties shall respect the right of every individual to participate in public matters directly or through representatives, right to vote and be elected and the right of equality to enter public service.

7.4.3 Both parties are committed to respect the right of the people to be informed.

7.5 Socio-economic rights

7.5.1 Both parties are committed to respect and protect an individual’s freedom to practice any profession.

7.5.2 Both parties are committed to respect and guarantee the people’s right to food security. It also ascertains that the issues like food, food production, utilisation of food, its transportation and distribution shall not be interfered with.

7.5.3 Both parties accept the need to respect and protect the health rights of the people. Both parties shall not disrupt the supply of medicines, assistance and health campaigns and also express its commitment towards treatment of the people who have been injured due to the conflict and shall also initiate rehabilitation process.

7.5.4 Both parties accept the need to respect and guarantee the right of education to all and express commitment to maintain adequate educational environment in educational institution. Both parties have agreed to ascertain that the right to education is not violated. An agreement has been reached whereby, incidents like capturing educational institution, using these institutions, abducting, detaining or disappearing teachers and students shall be stopped immediately and military barracks shall not be constructed near schools and hospitals.

7.5.5 Both parties have agreed not to illegally seize or capture anyone’s private property.

7.5.6 Both parties believe in not disrupting the industrial environment of the country and to continue production, protect the right of group bargaining in industrial institution and respecting social security intends to encourage resolving the disputes between the labour and the industrial institution peacefully and respects the right to work determined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

7.6 Rights of women and children

7.6.1 Both parties completely agree on the need to specially protect the rights of women and children and the need to stop all forms of sexual exploitation and other forms of misbehaviour on women and child labour and other violent act against children and not to include children below the age of 18 in any form of military force. The children who have already been affected shall be rescued immediately and adequate provisions shall be made for their rehabilitation.

7.7. Right of Individual Liberty
7.7.1. Both parties agree to the freedom of opinion and expression; freedom to assemble peaceably and without arms; freedom of movement; freedom to practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation, industry or trade; press and publication rights; the freedom to take part in peaceful political activities; the right of equality before the law; and to implement and have a tolerable system of justice implemented.

8. Dispute Settlement and Implementation Mechanism
8.1. Both parties agree to become responsible and accountable in an individual and collective manner and not repeat in future mistakes committed in the past and also correct these mistakes on a gradual basis.

8.2. The National Peace and Rehabilitation Commission shall be set up as per the need for making the campaign for peace successful. The composition and working procedures of the Commission shall be as determined by the interim Council of Ministers.

8.3. Both parties are committed to settle all kinds of present or possible future mutual differences or problems through mutual talks, understanding, consensus and dialogue.

8.4. Both parties express commitment that the interim Council of Ministers shall constitute and determine the working procedures of the National Peace and Rehabilitation Commission, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the High-level State Restructuring Recommendation Commission and other mechanisms as per the need to implement this agreement, the Interim Constitution and all the decisions, agreements and understandings reached between the Seven-party Alliance, the Government of Nepal and the CPN (Maoist).

9. Implementation and Follow-up
Both parties have agreed to make the following arrangements for the implementation of the understandings mentioned in this agreement and for their follow-up –

9.1. Both parties agree to give continuity to the task of monitoring of the human rights provisions mentioned in this agreement by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nepal.

9.2. Both parties agree for the monitoring of the management of arms and the armies by the United Nations Mission in Nepal as mentioned in the five-point letter send to the UN earlier and in the present agreement.

9.3. Both parties agree to get the United Nations supervise the election to the Constituent Assembly.

9.4. The National Human Rights Commission shall also carry out works related to the monitoring of human rights as mentioned in this agreement together with the responsibility assigned to it as per the laws. In connection with carrying out its works, the Commission can take the help of national and international human rights organisations after maintaining necessary coordination with them.

9.5. Both parties agree to accept the reports submitted by the above-mentioned bodies, to provide the information requested by them, and to implement the suggestions and recommendations given by them on the basis of consensus and dialogue.

10. Miscellaneous
10.1. Both parties agree not to operate parallel or any form of structure in any areas of the state or government structure as per the letter of the decisions of November 8 and the spirit of the peace agreement.

10.2. Both parties accept to sign any complementary agreements, as necessitated, for the implementation of the present agreement.

10.3. This agreement can be revised any time with the consent of both parties. Both parties agree to provide to each other prior written information if they wish to make any change. The amendments could be made to the agreement with the consent of both parties after receiving the information. The provisions to be made by such an amendment would not be below the minimum standards of the accepted international human rights and humanitarian laws.

10.4. If any disputes arise in any interpretation of this agreement, a joint mechanism comprising both parties shall make the interpretation on the basis of the preamble and the documents included in the schedule of this agreement, and this interpretation would be final.

10.5. The concept of 'two parties' as mentioned in this agreement would automatically cease to exist after the constitution of the Interim Legislature -Parliament. Thereafter, all the responsibility of implementing the obligations stated in this agreement shall be as per the arrangements made by the Interim Council of Ministers. It would be the duty and responsibility of all the political parties to extend cooperation in the compliance and implementation of the agreement.

10.6. We heartily appeal to one and all to extend cooperation for resolving their problems and demands through talks and dialogue and for holding the election to the constituent assembly and maintaining the law and order, at a time when the entire country is focused on the main campaign of the election of the Constituent Assembly.

10.7. We heartily appeal to the civil society, the professional groups, the class organisations, the media, the intellectual community and all the Nepali people to actively participate in this historic campaign of building a new Nepal and establishing lasting peace through the election of the Constituent Assembly by ending the armed conflict.

10.8. We heartily urge all the friendly countries and the United Nations, as well as the International Community to extend support to Nepal in this campaign of establishing full democracy and lasting peace.

Cognizant of the responsibility of the future of the country and the people, and becoming fully committed to this comprehensive peace agreement, we, on behalf of the Government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), hereby make public this comprehensive peace agreement after signing it.

Prachanda Girija Prasad Koirala
Chairman Prime Minister
Communist Party of Government of Nepal
Nepal (Maoist)

Signed on November 21, 2006

(Nepalnews Translation Service ia/yp Nov 22)

The Dark Ages

2008-12-25T06:51:00.000-08:00

The government has declared a nation-wide power crisis and announced an increase in the load-shedding hours to 12-14 hours a day, starting Sunday 28th December. Electricity usage in hoarding boards has also been banned.

We already have load shedding for 10 hours daily six days a week. So this is not a new development. But, as someone who only has a layman's knowledge of electricity generation, I just wish the government would also clearly spell out WHY the load-shedding hours are constantly increasing. It is not enough for Ministers to proclaim a "national crisis" without letting the people know exactly what is causing this crisis, how long is it going to last, and what steps (besides the hoarding boards mentioned above) are being taken to economise on electricity usage. This information is the right of the people.

If this truly is a national crisis, it certainly does not affect the roughly 35% of the population which has never had access to electricity. Those of us who have access, I presume, need to do our individual share in conserving electricity. Common-sense steps such as wearing more clothes rather than using heaters; using lights only in the room which one occupies, shutting off all other lights - a good torchlight is enough to do this switching-on/switching-off operation; watching television sparingly; etc.

Any takers?

Politics of Violence

2008-12-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

The Prime Minister was quoted yesterday as saying that "the barrel of the gun is still relevant" for Nepali politics. Apparently "the gun will come into the hands of the people" again. So after a 10-year insurgency and about 13,000 Nepali deaths, when we are supposed to be having a New Nepal, the executive head of the country who also happens to be the Chairman of the Maoist party is still thinking about the gun. He says he is still committed to the peace process, and that is commendable. Indeed, he is in the process of extending UNMIN's stay in Nepal after its current term expires on 31 January 2009.

Communist parties have the unfortunate habit of identifying the People with their party, rather than the other way around. So when Mr. Dahal talks about the gun coming into the hands of the people, he is implying that when and if the Maoists take up their guns again, they will be doing so on behalf of the People. With 220 seats in the Constituent Assembly, the Maoists constitute 37% of the CA members. It is the largest party in the CA and the leader of the governing coalition. But it still represents only 37% of the CA - a long shot away from representing the People, without even a simple majority. So let us not confuse the Maoist party with the people.

Given the success that the Maoist party has had with the utilisation of guns, it has become a role model for any other group which has a political ax to grind, be it from the right or from the south. Should we go back to the politics of violence, there will be other groups besides Maoists who will be toting guns. Let this not be ignored.

Finally, the PM is expected to embody the fabled New Nepal, our hope for the future. His initial stance of moderation and statesmanship must not give way to doctrinaire jingoism. Maoist ideologues may spout off that the final objective is socialism and communism via "new populism". The word that these ideologues must not forget is "realism". Should the politics of violence re-emerge, whether with disturbances in the streets or with guns, we are destined for absolute chaos - because the participants in this violence will not only be the Maoists this time.

Let the guns stay where they belong, in the hands of the Nepal Army!

Terrorism - Mumbai, 27-28 November 2008

2008-11-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

At the time of this writing, Indian commandos are fighting terrorists in various hotels and other sites in Mumbai. The death toll has exceeded 130, many more wounded, and hostages aplenty. Instead of the usual surreptitious bombs, this time the terrorists made a bold frontal assault with guns blazing. Apparently this is to protest the targeting of Muslims by government authorities, India's current cozying up to the US, the Kashmir issue, etc. It is very easy to find reasons to kill people if one is so inclined.

I have used the term "terrorists" freely above. By definition, it is negative and prejudiced. The attackers in Mumbai surely see themselves as enforcers of justice, preservers of their religion, and protectors of their own. They may be justified, to some extent, in their self perception. The question then is whether their method of protest is acceptable. Right off, it is difficult to justify the killing and terrorizing of innocent people. BUT, and here I am going out on a limb, when there is no other means to make people listen to you, is this sort of violence not the only way?

The end result in Mumbai is foregone. The security forces will kill or capture the terrorists. There will be hostage casualties. Once more, "mindless mujaheddin menace" will be vilified by all and sundry. Violent force will have been squashed by counter-violence. And so it will continue.

Murder Unbecoming

2008-11-19T20:58:00.000-08:00

Kathmandu is closed down today with protests against the murder of two youths allegedly by the Maoist youth wing - YCL. Further, the UML claims that the two youths belonged to its youth wing.

I remember a time, when I could call myself a youth, when a killing in Nepal would cause a national furor. Of course those were the days when Kathmandu was not polluted, tourism was in a nascent state, the NC was outlawed (sic), law and order was not even an issue, and, yes, there was no democracy either (but that's a Pandora's box not within the purview of this blog).

So, on the current "bandh"...two political murders, a "high-level" commission set up by the Home Minister to investigate...the capital closed down, which is not a rarity. But this time, let the Government (1) come out quickly with a definitive result of their investigation and bring the murderers to justice, and (2) let all justice-loving Nepalis support this protest - it is not only the YCL and Maoists who have a monopoly of the streets.

Constituent Assembly Regulations finalized - 8 months after the CA election

2008-11-09T20:31:00.000-08:00

"The (CA) regulations...have provisions on forming various subject wise committees, methods of passing bills on constitution, ways of their authentication and so on.
The regulations will now be passed by the CA paving the way for starting the process of writing new constitution.
In absence of the regulation, the process of writing the constitution could not start even eight months after the CA election." NepalNews.com, 11 Nov 08

It is with great relief and anticipation that this writer greets the above news. Finally, the process of drafting a new constitution can begin. Finally, the 601 CA members can start earning their salaries. Finally...finally...

We the People are holding our breath, dear Samsads. Please don't let us self-suffocate!

Our Neighbour in the South

2008-11-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

A comment I posted on 1st October in the 30th September blog has initiated a lively discussion. It has been felt that my critical remarks on "our neighbour in the South" is unwarranted and is the usual blame game we Nepalis play vis-a-vis India.

Please read the comments on what has now turned out to be an interesting debate...and join in with your views please!

Barack Obama's Victory Speech

2008-11-04T23:04:00.001-08:00

Politicians make speeches. However, when someone, who will from January 2009 (arguably) be the most powerful man in the world speaks, it is prudent to listen. Beneath the rhetoric are clear substantive issues. I have 'edited' the speech for brevity.

Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama
Election Night
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Chicago, Illinois

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him…(and) look forward to working with (him) to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank… But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you…Our campaign was… built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory…

…we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century…There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair. The road ahead will be long…We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there…

…I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand…This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people…

…Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores…- our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century…What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

A Gracious Loss

2008-11-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

-- CNN projects that Sen. Barack Obama has won election as the next president of the United States.

With this e-mailed breaking news, received at 9.51 a.m. on the morning of 4th November, history was made in the U.S.

"...a politics with the maturity to balance idealism and realism, to distinguish between what can and cannot be compromised, to admit the possibility that the other side might sometimes have a point...the difference between dogma and common sense, responsibility and irresponsibility, between those things that last and those that are fleeting." Barack Obama in "The Audacity of Hope". Let us hope that Obama's written eloquence now translates into vision, leadership and action.

Hearing John McCain's speech conceding victory to Obama gave me a few thoughts. A sign of true democracy is when elections are held in as free and fair a manner as possile and the results are accepted as sacrosanct. Some of the current "leaders" in Africa should note this. Our own politicians also need to note this carefully. The gracious speech McCain made before his disappointed supporters was sporting, patriotic, and really befitting a gallant Navy Officer.

US Presidential Elections, 4th November

2008-11-02T20:21:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the 12 days of silence, just in case anyone visited this site. Was away on a brief trip to India, in places where internet connectivity was not always available and I have an aversion to cyber cafes.

48 hours remain for the United States to elect a new President. The possibility of the first African-American in the White House is very real (Obama's mother was white, father Kenyan). 25 years separate the ages of Obama and McCain, a real generation gap. Obama purports to be the voice of change accusing McCain of being a Bush clone. McCain derides Obama's lack of experience (compared to himself). Currently Obama leads McCain by 6 points but the race is expected to be tight.

Nepal, of course, counts for little in these guys' politics. I doubt either could place Nepal on the global map without moving their finger all over Asia. Of course both are for freedom and democracy and against authoritarianism of any sort. I hope they (whoever wins) walk the talk when it comes to Nepal.

Lack of response...seriously considering abandoning this site

2008-10-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

I sent the following message to selected people on 16th October, a week ago. I have received one response (thank you, Pinky). As an optimist, I am presuming that this is the holiday season and no one really has time for blog sites. As a realist, I am thinking about forgetting about this blog which serves no purpose if people don't participate in it.

"As you know, I have initiated a blog site (the link is in bold below). The idea is to have a forum where we can discuss issues of the day in an open and frank manner. In fact I want to change the "Infotainment" word from the site title to "Chiya Pasal" but, having limited computer skills, haven't figured out a way to do so. I have decided not to post jokes here.

Anyway, very few people are bothering to post comments in the site. Without comments and discussion, the site becomes an ego thing for yours truly and I'm not into that. Please do note that, while posting comments, you can use your name, a pseudonym, or even simply write 'Anonymous'. In a way, this site might provide you with a 'psychological release' to vent your frustrations at what's going on around us.

So please do visit the site and say your piece. Yeah I know, talk is cheap. But talk leads to thoughts and thoughts to action. As the saying goes, if you wanna walk the talk, the talk has to be there first!

Happy Dipawali!"

"Can't write a new constitution while cremating tyres"

2008-10-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

The above quote if from the editorial of the latest issue of the Nepali Times. While mostly not agreeing with the 'philosophy' behind this weekly, I have only admiration for the stellar writing skills of its editor. In one phrase, he has captured the essence of what is wrong with Nepali politics. The CA has yet to begin the process of writing the new constitution. It is entangled in procedural details and, simply put, political horsetrading. And the "people" cremate tyres and block and stone traffic and call "bandhs" at the drop of a hat. It is a classic case of Nero fiddling while Rome burns. This fiddling had better end soon!

India is needed even to transport CA memebrs to their jobs

2008-10-12T01:52:00.000-07:00

We need Indian buses to ensure our CA members reach their place of work. What bloody nonsense!! Please see story below.

CA members miffed at 'Indian arrangement' for them

Constituent Assembly (CA) members have expressed dissatisfaction over the use of buses gifted by India for the purpose of transporting CA members to and from the International Conventional Center (ICC), reports Kantipur daily.

Amrita Thapa, a CA member from the CPN (Maoist) party, told the daily, Saturday, that she is saddened looking at sheer helplessness of the country where even buses to ferry CA members are provided by a foreign country.

"I don't know through what channel the Indian vehicle assistance came, but after reading the news about it, I felt bad," Thapa, who commutes to the CA venue on her own scooter, said.

On September 22, the Indian government had gifted five 32-seater buses worth Rs 5.5 million for the purpose of transporting CA members.

Indian ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood had handed over the keys of the buses emblazoned with Nepal and India flags to CA chairman Subas Nemwang during a ceremony organised at the ICC.

"The buses had been provided in response to a request from the Constituent Assembly (CA) and Legislature-Parliament Secretariat for movement of Hon'ble CA Members and are expected to augment the logistics of the Secretariat to help CA in its smooth functioning," the Indian embassy said in a statement.

UML lawmaker Rabindra Adhikari expressed surprise, in his own words, at the "state's inability" to make a minor arrangement such as transportation for the country's constitution drafters.

He said it is absolutely wrong to look up to foreign countries for such a small matter, and added that this would only work to give more impetus to the public anxiety over the growing Indian influence in Nepal.

Similarly, Nepali Congress lawmaker Gagan Thapa said that the state is responsible towards making all the necessary arrangements for the CA members including transportations.

"Agencies formed to draft the new constitution including constitutional bodies shouldn't take direct assistance from any foreign countries. Only the government can accept such assistance," he told Kantipur. nepalnews.com Oct 12 08

Best Wishes for Bijaya Dashami!

2008-10-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the theme of this festival, may Good triumph over Evil in each of our personal lives as well as in our country and this world.

I started this blog as an "infotainment". I would like to modify its theme a bit. I would like this to be a forum for open and frank discussion on issues of the day - political, social, economic, cultural, religious and so on. It is, so to speak, the local chya pasal (tea shop) where we can drop by to shoot the breeze with friends as well as strangers.

I have noticed a reluctance on the part of many to post comments on this site, preferring rather to send me emails. I appreciate the emails, but your views would reach a broader audience if posted on this site and we could perhaps have vibrant discussions on these views. I know, talk is cheap. But talking on relevant issues stars the process for further thought leading to action - and we need lots of ACTION in this country today.

Cheers!

Time to move on, Mr. Koirala

2008-10-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

The piece below appeared in NepalNews.com yesterday. Mr. G.P. Koirala appears to have got a second wind. Not having the stress of being PM, his health appears to have revived. He is enjoying the luxury of being the opposition leader and is mouthing aggressive platitudes. Bringing back the NC "to its pre-election form within just 3 months"...has he been quoted wrongly or is he joking! Besides the ludicrous time-frame, the "pre-election" NC was the one which managed to obtain only half the number of seats in the CA as compared to the Maoists. It was the NC, which under GPK's leadership, destroyed itself, antagonized its "young Turks", and was in the forefront of the unconstitutional removal of the monarchy - all because this ambitious but empty-headed politician wanted to be the first President of Nepal. Not only did he not become the President, he was thrown out of the PM's post into what really should be ignonminious obscurity. Yet this ignoramus is seemingly roaring. This is indeed a poor reflection on the NC and its "second generation" leaders who remain docile, resigned to the party's fate in the ashes of history.

Koirala vows to bring NC back to its pre-election form

Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala has claimed that he will bring the party back to its pre-election form within just three months.

Speaking to party workers in his hometown Biratnagar on Monday, Koirala said he was confident that the party would regain its lost strength within that timeline. In the meantime, the octogenarian leader threw a clear hit that he was not yet ready to transfer leadership to what is known within the Congress party as second generation, saying he would not retire unless the party regained its old form.

The NC president also asked the cadres to resolve internal differences and focus on rebuilding the party organisation.

Meanwhile, NC central leader and GP Koirala's close aide Shekhar Koirala has said his party is not interested in toppling the Maoist-led government.

"Even as the Maoists are accusing us of trying to topple the government, NC will not make such a move because there is very little time left for drafting a constitution and our focus will be on timely drafting of the constitution," reports quoted him as saying at a programme in Biratnagar.

He, however, said if the current coalition government falls apart due to its own failures, NC would be ready to take charges. nepalnews.com mk Oct 06 08

Food for thought: Is Nepal headed for collapse?

2008-09-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

A friend has just recommended to me the book, "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" by Jared Diamond. It reviews the collapse of the Easter Island and pacific civilisations to the Vikings in the past and has case studies on Rwanda, Haiti, China and Australia in the present.

The concluding chapter lists the top environmental and population trouble spots and the top political hot spots, which are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burundi, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Madagascar, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Solomon Islands and Somalia.

Some quotes:

"Today, just as in the past, countries that are environmentally stressed, over populated, or both become at risk of getting politically stressed, and of their governments collapsing. When people are desperate, under nourished and without hope, they blame their governments, which they see as responsible for or unable to solve their problems. They try to emigrate at all cost. They fight each other over land. They kill each other. They start civil wars. They figure they have nothing to lose, so they become terrorists, or they support or tolerate terrorism.

"The best predictors of modern state failures - i.e. revolutions, violent regime change, collapse of authority, and genocide - prove to be measures of environmental and population pressure, such as high infant mortality, rapid population growth, a high percentage of their population in their late teens or 20s, and hordes of unemployed young men without job prospects and ripe for recruitment into militias."

So using the framework in this paper - Nepal is headed for a collapse. The only question is when? 10 years max???

Key concepts to consider based on the above: overpopulation (Nepal has a population growth rate of 2%, only Afghanistan's is higher in South and West Asia); emigration (any able-bodied motivated young Nepali wants to "get the hell out of Dodge" to somewhere else); 5.5 million or over 20% of the population is between the ages of 15-24; and, as for young people ripe for recruitment into militias, just who comprise the YCL and the copy-cat youth gangs of the UML and Congress?

Commentary on the recently postponed Miss Nepal Pageant

2008-09-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

The Repression of Nepali Womanhood

Some say that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Others say that behind every successful man there is a woman. The role of women in shaping the psyche of men as well as women is indisputable. The women of Nepal have taken large strides over the past 15 years. But consider these current facts: the median age of first marriage for females is 17; women still have an average of more than 3 children; 281 women out of every 100,000 still die at child birth; only 23% of women give birth with a skilled attendant on hand; married women have no right to their parents’ assets; and so on. The Virginia Slims cigarette ad “You’ve come a long way, baby” does not quite apply yet to the women of Nepal.

Last week, the Miss Nepal pageant was postponed once again, for the fourth time, due to the protests of a group of Maoist women who are barking that beauty pageants exploit women and take away their fundamental rights. A letter signed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police from the District Administration Office in Hanuman Dhoka was delivered to the organizers, Hidden Treasure, at about 7 p.m. on the eve of the pageant. The letter instructed that, keeping in mind peace and security issues, the pageant must not take place. Translation: the security forces, i.e. the Police, was unable or unwilling to guarantee that the pageant would not be disrupted by violent undemocratic protests. The Defense Ministry also instructed the Nepal Army to not let the pageant be held in the auditorium of the Army Officers’ Club, as scheduled. All this happened on the evening of the pre-judging of the contestants, carried out over 5 long hours by 11 judges (this writer included).

The morning after the receipt of the ominous letter, the organizers held a meeting with the 17 contestants, their parents/guardians, as well as the majority of the judges. The purported purpose of this meeting was to seek the parents’ views on whether the pageant should take place as scheduled on that day, 27th September, or not. The organizers briefed the meeting on the situation and opened the floor for comments. Parents, contestants as well as some of the judges aired their opinions. The first issue was whether Hidden Treasure would be breaking the law by holding the pageant despite the letter of stay. The fact that the letter’s authority covered only Kathmandu district became quite apparent. Since the alternate plan was to hold the pageant at the International Club, which happens to be located in Lalitpur district, any legal liability to the organizers did not exist. The second issue was whether the pageant should be held that day or postponed again. The vast majority of the contestants wanted it held that day and were willing to brave any repercussions from the protesters. The majority of the parents also felt that their children had been kept hanging, disrupting their normal lives, for too long. All the judges present, except one, firmly believed that the pageant must be held that day.

The meeting chair proposed a break to discuss the issue among the various groups. The talented young ladies caucused among themselves while the other groups mixed informally discussing the issues. In this period of almost 2 hours, I interacted with every group. Majority of the contestants, parents and all the judges remaining then were for holding the pageant that very day. It was only the organizers who remained non-committal throughout, consulting mainly with the one judge and the one parent who wanted the pageant postponed.

The meeting reconvened and the Chair from the organizers announced that they would not go hurriedly for the pageant that day since it would be like going for “instant pleasure” (his unfortunate words) at the price of the “image and prestige” of the pageant. The weak reason given was that this is what the parents wanted; I personally observed only one parent who wanted this. Actually, Hidden Treasure had lost its nerve! The chagrin in the lovely faces of the contestants was a woeful sight.

Some underlying issues are apparent from the above dismal story. On what basis are the protesters saying that the pageant is exploiting women? The contestants were all educated talented young ladies and winning the title would mean the opening up of new opportunities and careers for Miss Nepal. They were certainly not there to flaunt their bodies. There is no bikini competition in the Miss Nepal contest. In fact the scoring for the 5 finalists gives 80% weight to intelligence and only 20% to beauty. These protesting women Maoists are also surely not aware that the current Miss World comes from the land of Mao - China! The letter from the government cited “peace and security”; actually the authorities were hiding behind this facade in their efforts to appease the protesters. As for the organizers, they failed the contestants and the spirit of the competition. When they could have championed the cause of women’s rights, they succumbed to the complacency endemic to this country.

Seventeen young women, from all over the country, came with their dreams to participate in the finals of this pageant. Their dreams were rudely shattered by the vagaries of a group of uninformed politically motivated protesters, a government that does not govern, and organizers who failed the aspirations of the contestants in every way. When the Miss World pageant is held in Johannesburg, South Africa this December, it is unlikely that Nepal will be represented. It will be a loss for the country and especially for Nepali womanhood.

For information to the ignorant, The Miss World Organization owns and manages the annual Miss World finals, a competition that has grown into the world's largest live annual pageant television event with global viewers in more than 200 countries. Since its launch in 1951, the Miss World Organization has raised more than £250 million for children’s charities. Aside from raising millions of pounds for charities around the globe under the banner of its 'Beauty with a Purpose' program, Miss World is also credited with directly influencing a dramatic increase in tourism in Sanya, China, host of the previous Miss World finals.

So, Welcome to New Nepal! Its ignorance, bureaucracy and complacency rival that of any of the “Old Nepal’s”.

Horatio

Piece on "Secular Nepal" from Yahoo India News

2008-09-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

Emphasis in bold are mine.

Horatio

Secular Nepal makes some Hindus uneasy

Sun, Sep 28 12:55 AM

Come Dashain (starting 30th September for 10 days), the biggest religious festival in Nepal, and the Hindu population in the country is now uncertain about the future of their centuries-old religious traditions. On May 18, 2006, the then Girija Prasad Koirala-led caretaker government had declared Nepal as a 'secular nation'.

Till then, the Himalayan Nation was referred to as the only Hindu Nation in the world. Though there was euphoria over the transformation, Hindus believe that Koirala's decision was a 'whimsical decision', and has pushed the insurgency-ravaged impoverished country to an era of confusion and uncertainty.

Traditionally, the King of Nepal was an integral part of the Dashain festival, and had important religious roles to perform, especially applying tika (red vermilion) on the foreheads of the devotees. But now, Hindus do not know who would apply the tika.

Till last year, King Gyanendra had applied tika on people's forehead at the Narayanhity Palace in Kathmandu. "The decision to declare Nepal as a secular nation was taken in haste," said Yavaraj Ghimire, a senior journalist and editor of Kathmandu-based English weekly Newsfront.

Ghimire said Nepal's transformation as a secular state should not have been done in a hurry as the state and the Hindu religion, for centuries, were tightly knotted. "Now the President cannot discharge the duties of the monarch," he maintained.

The Maoist-led government's decision to stop funding to the Hindu religious institutions for animal sacrifices witnessed protest in Kathmandu as members of the Newar community were out on the streets. Later, the government was forced to bow down before the demands of the Newars.

"Will President of Nepal apply the tika this year?" Rajesh Shrestha, a trader asked. More than 80 per cent of Nepalis are Hindus, he claimed.

Shrestha said that they strongly believe that political changes in Nepal will not have any impact on the centuries-old religious rights of the Hindus. Moreover, a large number of pro-Hindu organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Shiv Sena, have declared a war against the government to make Nepal a Hindu Nation again.

"Who authorised Girija Prasad Koirala to declare Nepal as a Hindu Nation," Arun Subedi, a Hindu fundamentalist said.

PM Prachanda's Commitment to Democracy

2008-09-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

nepalnews.com Sep 25 08: (emphasis in bold are mine)

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is currently in the US to attend the United Nations General Assembly, has tried to assure the world leaders of his government's commitment to democracy and adopt liberal economy.

According to Reuters, PM Dahal while making a speech in New York said he wanted to clarify his month-old government's plans to take the country to the path of development.

He attempted to assure the skeptics who fear one-party communist rule in Nepal as the former rebellions lead the government.

"There is serious confusion and misunderstanding about our overall position in terms of economic development," he told the gathering of Asia Society, adding, "We are not fighting against the capitalistic mode of production."

He further said government was committed to the peace process and to democracy, while trying to raise living standards of the people.

"We are in a democratic phase and we are going to apply the democratic form of government -- it is quite clear," he added.

PM Dahal added Nepal is in the path to tap the opportunity from fast growing economies in India and China and to create an environment for rapid growth and distributive justice.

Comments: While the PM is "trying" to reassure all and sundry, he emphasizes that the country is in a "democratic phase". Now when would this "phase" end and what would it lead to? Obvious conjecture - the final "phase" of a communist dictatorship. I hope people. who believe in democracy, have the guts to call a spade a spade.

Horatio